Polymer damselfly

Lestes, the Damselfly is a 12-inch tall polymer and fabric creature created by the Filigree, a Nashville-based husband and wife team. Martin Øbakke, native of Denmark home to the little Mermaid, met Celena Cavala, ballerina and Nashville native, in Italy where they started making fairy tales.

Martin does the illustrating and polymer sculptures while Celena sews and writes about the fantasy they live in, the Filigree. In their world the filigree are thin gossamer strands that connect everything.

The couple offered their latest creations this week and already they’ve all flown away. Each Damselfly comes with immigration paperwork. You can see the entire collection including their dragons and unicorns on Flickr.

Floating around the hemispheres

Techniques float in the wind currents around the globe, don’t they? Donna Kato posted this Natalia hemisphere necklace on her Facebook page in mid-February – well before PCDaily caught onto the flat disk craze.

But then Donna claims that she was just giving her African twist to Natalia Garcia de Leaniz’ design from a while back. PCD followed with this post and then this one.

Though we don’t know exactly how the fad started, you can see that decorating the edges of flat disks has become a popular fashion trend this season.

Donna finished her piece by adding a clever clasp. The flat disk has a groove cut in its edge. A rubber buna cord circle slips into the groove. “It works really well, the clasp doesn’t turn and it’s comfy, plus it’s the right scale! I was very pleased with that – had to think a while about the mechanics but then it all came together,” says Donna. More sample designs on her Facebook page.

Clay combinations

Cindy Silas entered this intricate metal clay/polymer necklace in the 2013 Saul Bell Design Awards and she’s a finalist!

This mosaic inlaid piece also serves as the glamor shot (original photo by Robert Diamante) for Lark Jewelry & Beading’s call for entry for a new book, Clay Combinations, which Cindy is busy writing.

If your art combines polymer with metal clay, you have until April 1 to photograph your best work and submit it for publication in the book. Here’s the information and the form. What are you waiting for?

Liz Hall is also a Saul Bell finalist and here’s Liz’ entry on Facebook along with in-progress shots. The awards will be presented in June.

Giveaway announced

The winner of yesterday’s quick giveaway is (drum roll) Karen Keech. Since I have to go to the post office anyway, I added two runners-up. They’re Karina at Kabidesigns and Rose of Witch Rose Am I. That was fun.

Buggy polymer…and a giveaway

The problem is not your monitor, there really are bugs in the system and they’re polymer from Jana Lehmann. You can watch these beetle brooches escaping from their cute little boxes.

Jana’s work is consistently the most graphic and the tidiest I’ve encountered. There’s considerable sanding involved and lots of attention to detail.

Her polymer-covered pens always appeal to me with their shapely Skinner-blended bodies and their whimsical tops. Just for fun, I’m offering five of the wooden pen bases that Jana uses as a giveaway today. I ordered a bunch from the German supplier (Bettina Welker delivered them) and they’re fun to try.

Make a comment and you’re automatically entered. I’ll announce a winner tomorrow.

Colliding polymer trends

Big hole beads and flat disk beads are catching my eye. These red beauties are from Armenia on Silk from Armenia. I can’t tell you a thing about them except that they’re super textured and very cool. Good on you if you can figure out the site and tell us about them. (Check her info in the comments.)

Thanks to Maria Petkova here’s a link to Hasmik Soghomonyan’s Facebook page too!

Then Australia’s Wendy Moore shows up with these flat disks with decorated edges. She was inspired by Natalja Ivanková’s forget-me-not beads from last Tuesday’s post. Wendy made hers look like a version of Nepali Rai beads.

Hang on as we whirl from Russia to the US to Australia with a stop in Nepal. Put your own spin on this very wearable style.

You have helped the Samunnat ladies in Nepal raise $6,000 of the $10,000 they need for their building. Several guilds are holding fundraisers to keep the momentum going. Every bit helps and you can still donate any amount by clicking the donate button.

Your buddies from around the world will be at tonight’s free online tools party at Craftcast.

Picarello polymer

Julie Picarello sent out a spring newsletter filled with her updated palette of colors and mokume gane designs. Her book, Patterns in Polymer, is in its second printing and being translated into German. Customers swooped in to buy from her online shop so you’ll have to settle for just enjoying a look.

I found these soft soothing lovelies in her galleries here and here and a few more on Flickr here. Her tell-all video is a huge favorite.

Party tricks

Wednesday night at 8:00 stop in at another popular and free I love tools party over at Craftcast. Patrik Kusek, Robert Dancik, Barbara Becker Simon, Christi Friesen and Robert Diamante will perform tricks with their favorite tools. Did I mention the prizes and coupons? Sign up here.

Spiraling energy

Some happy polymer colors from Kimberly Arden to start your week. In the summer Kim and her husband work with boisterous energy and sell with enthusiasm at shows all over the midwest as they work their way down to their winter home in Florida. Let the energy of these simple spirals spill over you. More colors on Pinterest here.

Last call

Judy Belcher will scoop up the last bits of your data tonight. We want to paint an accurate picture of our community in a presentation at Synergy. Please stand up and be counted here.

Show time polymer

The Vancouver and Van Isle guilds have mounted an impressive month-long juried polymer show at Seymour Art Gallery. Even better, they’ve created a site for the show so that you can enjoy a virtual visit. Though the show is entitled Chameleon, referring to the versatility of polymer, the sea has a huge influence on the works of the artists in this coastal Canadian city.

The fish above (the largest is 11″ long) are from Joan Tayler and the site features the work of Olga Osnach, Veronica Jeong, Gera Scott Chandler, Carolyn Good, Rachel Gourley, Tina Holden (those are her red Earrings Beyond the Ordinary), Wanda Shum, and Diane Bruce. (Shoot me a comment if I missed anyone.)

Kudos to the guilds for pulling this together and for sharing it with PCDaily readers this weekend.

Otto-matic polymer

After several days in a hotel at a great polymer event I’m GPSing my 8-hour drive home. Otto-Matic, a 12″ polymer, wood, metal and resin sculpture from Virginia’s Jake Johnson makes perfect sense.

Jake’s on Etsy and Facebook but he doesn’t explain much about his art. Jake’s other characters have names like Freakshow Freddie, Klankenstein, Ape-Bot. You get the picture.

While you may not understand this horror genre, when you’re facing a long road trip Otto’s demeanor looks right.

Who do you think sent the link? Bet you didn’t guess Ronna Weltman!

Polymer and knits

Bonnie Bishoff, long known for large polymer inlays in the wood furniture she and her husband JM Syron produce, has been adding more jewelry and a line of shawl pins to her repertoire. The shawl pins were originally requested by Bonnie’s mother-in-law, fiber artist Barbara Jones. They’ve grown into a new line being sold in knitting stores across the U.S., Canada and the UK. The polymer is set into bezels that Bonnie designed with sturdy, clever closures.

Enjoy a browse through other recent additions like these Circle Brooches which she treats like small canvases that alude to life on the northeast coast. She’s also expanded to Facebook here.

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