Polymer Clay Daily

Button vignettes

These buttons from Vancouver’s Joan Tayler take polymer pebbles to a whole new level. On each of them one red ladybug crawls across a domed faux granite base that’s been partially obscured by slices of leaves and flowers. Picture a thickly knitted wool cardigan finished with these bright scenes.

Leaves and ladybugs were Joan’s theme for the previous week. And her individually sculpted old owl buttons from week 29 will make you smile. She has an eye for woodland vignettes that delight. You can track the week-by-week progress on her button project here.

Wearable wands

Ponsawan Silapiruti says that she has so many ideas she has to offload some of them to her polymer art to keep her head from exploding.

She completed 365 rings for her Ring A Day project with concepts left to spare and she’s moved on to bracelets.

Wearable wands were a result of seeing the Harry Potter movie on an outing with her college student son last week. Ponsawan decided that the movie’s bulky magical objects should be easier to wear and more fashionable. “Have fun with your crazy idea, don’t be shy,” she advises.

She keeps an entire site devoted to her free tutorials. Ponsawan’s watermelon bangle still ranks as one of my all-time crazy favorites.

Tackling scrap polymer

Lynda Moseley makes simple pieces from her polymer scrap every so often saying, “There is something very cathartic about marbling, isn’t there? It’s not technical, not complicated, just a few minutes of fun grouping together color combinations to see what you get.” She cuts 2-inch squares from the best results, often stripes, and turns them into finished earrings.

Of course, her leftovers include a mixture of what she calls her “comfort clay” colors. She admits to having a separate Butt Uglies Jar for reject colors.

“I would be happy with a roomful of translucent clay and alcohol ink. Really, I could live the rest of my life just using those; and as long as Ranger doesn’t run out of walnut stain distressed embossing powder, I’m set,” she admits. Look at the tricks she performs with those few supplies here and here.

Is this your week to use up, clean up and pare down?

Signature earrings

These melon-colored glow earrings from Lindly Haunani are summer favorites. The beauty of the pinched petal design and black-outlined gradations made them Niche Award winners and help tell Lindly’s story.

Her Hawaiian heritage and color expertise shine through in the floral shapes. If you’d watched her assemble the slices, you’d also have caught a glimpse of how her training in mise en place preparation in the kitchen translates to polymer production.

All the parts are cooked, sorted and ready. You can see her hands following the recipe here.

I interviewed Lindly for the first edition of the StudioMojo newsletter, the new weekend edition of PCD that’s full of behind-the-scenes fun stuff. She tells a fascinating story and cautions you not to wait to become an artist. Sign up for Studio Mojo and check out her interview in the archives.

Faux bohemian batik

This Bohemian Nouveau mixed media wall piece by Heather Campbell leads us down her unusual polymer path. She tends toward large, ornate mixed media pieces that tell fanciful stories.

Heather says, “I am drawn to the wandering nontraditional nature of the Bohemian, which is evident in the shapes and layers of color and the intermingling of techniques. I am captivated by the beautiful flowing scrolls, floral motifs and distinct design elements of the Art Nouveau era. Together they seem to merge into a style and feeling that reflect my own life experience.”

The background on this piece is done with a faux batik polymer technique that Heather details in an article that was published in the July issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. You can download the template (shown at the right) for Heather’s sample batik from the magazine’s website.

Decorating with polymer

Pictures of beautifully painted stairs have been featured on decorating blogs recently. These inspirations made me itch to continue the saga of my own small stairway. (Polymer mosaic tiles were a 1998 project and the wall installation was added in 2007.)

Mareike Scharmer’s fantastical interiors on Flickr (don’t miss the bathroom) and then Wendy Malinow’s ethereal dining room wall in Portland (here’s a snapshot of it), emboldened me to have another go at my humble hallway.

First, friend and muralist Bonie Bolen painted the risers and trim. Then we collaborated on embellishing the risers with paint, small round mirrors and baked polymer cane slices.

The only problem with the resulting sparkling “celestial stairs” is that they lead you to believe that there’s something special upstairs…something more than a bedroom and office. The project to polymerize my decor continues.

Adding color

Edgar Hernandez’ world is inhabited by red-nosed Santa or W.C. Fields-like characters who combine cranky, sad and amusing traits. This piece, Adding Color to My Life, is from his Lost Kingdom series of mixed media pieces that combine paintings and polymer sculptures, each representing the lost, lonely feelings that we all experience from time to time.

Edgar Hernandez was born in Mexico and has been a musician, sculptor and animator since moving to the U.S. See more of his work on his Etsy site and Facebook page. The link was passed along by Etsy polymerist, Marcia Palmer.

Working in circles

Working in circles is how Utah’s MaryAnne Loveless describes the polymer collages she assembles on boxes and books and jewelry.

I’d already spotted her work because of its range of pleasing patterns and palettes. A note from MaryAnne’s son made me bring her to you today.

“My mother is an amazing polymer artist, all familial bias aside,” said Joe. He thought that recognition on PCD would surprise her and make her proud. A son’s thoughtfulness makes for a heartwarming Monday story.

Sometimes good things happen even when you feel like you’re working in circles.

Safari polymer

France’s Helene Klym brings us a light, cool polymer necklace to end a hot week. Long thin tube beads interspersed with simple spacers might be fun to wear (and to make) in this heat.

I’m guessing that the tubes are extruded, an easy process when the clay is warm and pliable.

Helene offers this design in a range of colors. The ivory color looks best for our safari-like climate. Take it easy this weekend.