Polymer Clay Daily

Daniels’ canes sculpt time

At five years of age, David Daniels had a coffee can full of clay that he and his siblings started playing with on the kitchen table. They never put it away and he’s never stopped playing with clay. At thirteen he won his first contest. MTV, Sesame Street, movies and more came later.

Clay sculpting and caning led to animation and the development of his own stratacut process which he describes as motion sculpture or sculpting time. He explains, “That’s my gift, I see time from the outside and I see motion sculpture and see how the pieces all flow together and we’re a part of all that.”

I had to watch his video sampler several times with my mouth open before my brain began to catch up. If you like to cane, this brilliant guy is a must see. He adds that, “I intentionally leave crudeness in the mix, I could control it more, and I choose not to because it is less interesting to look at.” The interview with David Daniels is here. His tutorials at the bottom of the interview give you a sense of his process.

Susan Hyde sent us this mindblowing link.

Name West’s bio creation

Melanie West’s newest polymer clay life form needs a name. This undulating orange pod is the newest in her Bio series which has been inspired by nature’s extravagant forms, colors and patterns.

Perhaps this piece appeals to me because it looks like a psychedelic soft serve ice cream cone.

Click through the rest of Melanie’s flora and fauna inspired collection (plus her Trunkt gallery here) and help her name this baby.

Malbon faces decorating

Doll-maker and polymer artist Cynthia Malbon gives a guided tour through her Weare, NH home that will leave you relaxed and inspired. My favorite touch is her sculpted polymer clay faces used as drawer pulls on an old repainted dresser. They add surprise and Cynthia’s unmistakeable signature in a small upstairs bedroom.

Her warm colors and attention to detail make her farmhouse totally charming and that’s what you’d expect from someone who creates such lovingly crafted polymer clay dolls.

Cynthia’s been chosen one of eight finalists in an Eight O’clock Coffee contest (here’s the story and here’s her entry). If you’ve got a few minutes, go and vote for her. Signing up and jumping through a few hoops might help her win $10,000. Voting ends August 11.

Lyrical polymer from Lombardi and Holler

Rome’s Marina Lombardi (Ali di Libellula) makes lyrical jewelry by pairing delicate polymer clay focal pieces with pearls, filigree, stones and crystals. She coaxes microspheres into just the right spots for hints of color and texture.

Her pieces are often photographed with a bit of reference material in the background – wallpapers, fresoes, illustrations. It’s very effective and there’s more on her Flickr site.

Marco Holler sometimes collaborates with Lombardi. The duo dressed up a swirl lentil bead by adding an image transfer and gold embellishment to produce these beautiful romantic Italian earrings. See more of their collaborations here.

It all puts me in mind of vineyards and villas and vacations. Have a great weekend.

Russell’s polymer/pmc combinations

Maryland’s Kelly Russell has resurfaced on the web with a new blog, Beadfuddled. If you’ve ever been skeptical about combining polymer clay and precious metal clay, Kelly will remove all doubts.

On her blog she prepares for workshops and works through problems and house renovations. She’s a fine craftsman and a fearless experimenter.

Kelly’s new at blogging so leave her a comment to let her know you’re watching.

Tinapple upstairs/downstairs polymer

When I told a friend that I wasn’t ready to share my studio work this week, she suggested I show my bedroom instead. I ran upstairs and snapped a few pictures of the polymer clay in my bedroom. No tidying, no photoshopping (ok, I omitted the chair that catches laundry).

I wake every morning to a collection of vibrant colors and patterns created by wonderful friends. Their stories inspire me and their friendships keep me going. Enjoy this peek at some of my inspirations.

Helm’s secret sources

Sarajane Helm’s site is my favorite source for out-of-the-ordinary polymer clay tools and supplies. This weekend I needed custom made rubber stamps so I headed to the ReadyStamp form on her site.

If there’s a new product (like these inks), she’s researched and compared it. Last month I traipsed all over town looking for varnish and ended up ordering from her online link.

Each time I go to her site, I spend time with her collection of tattooed and Victorian hand beads. They fascinate me and now they’re for sale on her Etsy site.

Thanks to Sarajane for her persistence in finding the best products and for her generosity in sharing with the rest of us. You’ll find lots of treasures buried in her information-rich site.

Wolfe and Peel polymer surprises

Just when you think you’ve seen every version of polymer clay mokume gane, you happen upon River Wolfe’s summer collection which reveals some surprising patterns and designs.

And when you think you’ve seen every earring design possible, you run into Krista Peel’s white collection. Though there’s not much polymer on her Etsy site, look at the way she bends wires in endless ways to produce simple earrings that have class and drama.

Krista is a versatile artist and her website it full of unexpected delights. I was led to Krista via Eugena Topina’s site. Have a surprising weekend.

Farris and Haab – Cuties

This bug from Janet Farris is just too cute. If you look closely there’s a steampunk surprise that takes this design over the top. There are more in her new Etsy shop.

Janet’s added new jewelry to her Flickr site too. Her woven pieces are thick with beads. Janet’s a master at finger weaving.

More Cute

Fifteen years ago, Lisa Clark (and lots of others) were introduced to polymer clay with a few bars of clay and the Klutz Press children’s book by Sherri Haab.

Sherri’s written a new book, Clay So Cute, full of trendy bangles, simple charms, easy rings, and clever ponytail holders. These projects are certain to lure another generation of young artists to the medium. She tells a bit more of the backstory on her blog.