Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer fins and feathers

South Florida’s Pamela Carman upcycles ceramic sculptures and vases, covering them with complex polymer cane slices mixed with metal leaf. The result is busy, beautiful fish (this one is 14-inches long) and bright finely-feathered birds (this Chickeechirp is 6-inches long). Pamela says that she has a blast making these sculptures and it shows.

France’s Sonya Girodon sent in the link. Having a link to a Florida artist come from a French reader reminds us just how global PCD fans have become.

The power of black

Small dots of color pop against the black spirals on this hollow bead from Janine Muller. We forget about the power of black until we see an eye-catching treatment like Janine’s

There’s no indication as to how she made it hollow. Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe she’ll tell us. Or wander through her site and watch her experiment.

Have a splendid weekend.

All-American polymer

Don’t you love these cheery polymer rag rug spirals that Utah’s Mary Ann Loveless uses to decorate her tin box? They look very all-American on a very all-American day.

It was a late night in Ohio and PCD may have missed sharing early coffee with you. My husband and I laughed as we enjoyed a car commercial this morning! Look, a pretty car! It was a relief not to have to hit the mute button to avoid a political ad.

Mary Ann’s Art Makes Me Happy blog may make you happy today.

The winning candidate

It’s voting day in the U.S. and I nominate these rolled polymer beads from Texas’ TurnAgainCreative for the best use of Stroppel cane.  Cheryl is the only name we have for our candidate.

Experimenting with these will keep your hands busy while you fidget and wait for campaign results to come in tonight.

Don’t forget to vote! Here in Ohio we’ll be happy to move out of the swing state spotlight!

Polymer pistachios

Scotland’s Jacky Mullen has closed her Etsy shop temporarily to look after an actual new baby. While she’s busy, we can still rifle through her past sales and her tumblr site to admire her polymer babies, fairies, mermaids and caterpillars.

This “Handful of Pistachios” is both enchanting and silly as baby faces burst sleepily out of their shells. Her busy bee will certainly be a Monday favorite. We’ll all be cheering for Jacky’s return. Thanks to Lindly Haunani for the link.

Polymer grackle

Sarah Wilbanks uses images of maps, photographs and ephemera that she transers to polymer clay and sets in silver. “I just love finding images with history, story, line, color, texture and putting them together to create narrative,” she says.

The grackle is perched in her bird-themed gallery.

Sarah’s pieces are made of recycled sterling silver in her Seattle studio/apartment. She’s unveiling her new production line at her first retail show November 23-24. Her work is also at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) store and she’s opened an Etsy shop. Her Facebook page offers the best spot for browsing through her studio and her new line.

Upcycled polymer

Debbie Jackson upcycles t-shirts with striking ethnic polymer beads.

Debbie was wearing this version and she shows us how she turns her thrift store finds into fashionable, no-sew necklaces that can be wound around and worn long or short. She also makes a bracelet version with a toggle clasp.

Debbie and I both live in Ohio but we escaped the political intensity and headed to Kentucky last weekend. Thanks to Debbie for sharing her design and for rescuing the camera I left behind.

Tweedy polymer

Israel’s Angela Barenholtz specializes in dots and dashes in polymer. Her tutorial shows you how to combine a rainbow of colors into pleasant tweeds that mix comfortably with the most riotous patterns.

With its bright, sunny colors, Angela’s Flickr site provides us with relief from the past several days of gray and stormy skies. I hope you’re all safe, warm and dry.

Grown-up rolled beads

What is it about rolled beads that fascinates us? Is it because we made them as kids that we want to try them again?

These grown-up polymer versions are from Page McNall. She adds graduated color, texture, and embedded trinkets with a wash of color – taking rolled beads to a whole new level.

Page has been experimenting. See what she’s up to on her Flickr page.