Polymer Clay Daily

8,000 Lehocky polymer clay hearts

Over the last three years, Ron Lehocky has made nearly 8,000 polymer clay hearts including 450 of this year’s Christmas-themed versions. He’s donated all proceeds to the Louisville Cerebral Palsy KIDS Center. In the first six months of this fiscal year his artwork raised more than $15,000 for the center.

What better way to celebrate Christmas than with this example of an artist who gives so generously? Read more about Ron here and catch his article, “Skinner Blending” My Passions, in the February issue of Polymer Cafe magazine. If you’d like to purchase a heart and support the center, contact Ron here. Merry Christmas!

Haldeman’s polymer babies

The one-inch polymer clay babies by Pennsylvania’s Lisa Haldeman (LovinClayDolls) make me want to try my hand at these little gems. The pacifiers add a note of color and humor and circumvent the problem of shaping a delicate mouth.

Lisa makes it look deceptively easy. She’s been practicing for years and has five little models running around her house. In school Lisa’s art teachers told her she worked too small. She’s been making tiny delights ever since. Look here and here.

Last minute studio shopping

I need four gifts for my ladies group and I decided to play with a new design. Last minute, new design? What was I thinking? I was trying to do something “special” and forgot that, to my friends, my work is special. I’m fighting my holiday gift angst. You too?

McCaw on Etsy

Sandra McCaw has joined the ranks of Etsy sellers! It’s such a treat to see her work and know that I can shop at any time. Many thanks to Susan Lomuto for alerting us.

MacLeod’s new multi-media designs

Sharon MacLeod has resurfaced with some stunning new bracelet designs on Crafthaus and on her new Etsy site. It’s an innovative and inspired use of materials.

Sharon explains, “Working with an unexpected combination of materials, I create jewelry that starts with my own graphic art that I print on thin paper, which is then meticulously laminated to various sizes of small tubing, and then assembled with a variety of materials including polymer clay, glass, metal, rubber and plastic.”

See an earlier post about Sharon’s work here.

Blease makes polymer clay time fly

Time flies…or at least it does if you’re looking at Scotland’s Tracy Blease polymer clay clocks. Her “quirkyclocks” are by commssion only and she specializes in reversible pendants. Thanks to Julie Picarello for introducing us to this artist.

Loose Ends

I overlooked Valerie Aharoni‘s Best In Show (and first place in the seed bead category) necklace made of seed beads and polymer. It was chosen by Fire Mountain Gems and is featured on the Bead Star cover. Don’t miss her Flickr site for a complete look at her work.

In the Jan/Feb issue of Step by Step Beads magazine, Ronna Weltman has written an article about polymer clay master classes you can watch at home on DVD. If you’re watching your pennies and your carbon footprint, you might want to read her article as well as Ilene Goldman’s “poly-metrics” piece in the magazine.

I’m in a holidaze. Have a dazzling weekend.

Extreme Mokume from McGuire

Making mokume gane in polymer clay is an exercise in finding the balance between control and chaos. It can easily become a jumble of patterns and a stew of colors. These mokume earrings and pendant by Barbara McGuire show what can happen when you master the technique.

Barbara is teaching her “Extreme Mokume Gane” (as well as two “faces” classes) at Bead and Button in Minneapolis Milwaukee this June.

A list of all the polymer clay classes being offered at Bead and Button is available here. Thanks to Ronna Weltman for the heads-up.

Carlson’s new works

Yesterday’s characters got me thinking about other polymer clay sculptors. I revisited Maureen Carlson’s site and saw that she’s added a number of new galleries of her work like this lovely leaping figure which she made over a wire armature.

A gifted storyteller, Maureen lets stories flow from her characters which reflect many moods – thoughtful, mysterious and playful. Her newest pieces are exhibited in Minneapolis and she’s filling in the roster of classes scheduled for 2009 at her teaching/retreat facility.

Polymer clay toy artists and their site

Toy news and toymakers haven’t appeared on our radar very often but after a look at ToyCyte.com, it’s apparent that we need to fix that. Toycyte covers toy artists, including a number who work in polymer clay. They’re growing in number, in expertise and in popularity.

Meredith Dittmar may be familiar to you already. Her small polymer “my guys” regularly sell out (check out her holiday versions) and she’s got a large following for her wall art, animations, and illustrations as well.

ToyCyte’s blog post led me to Leslie Levings and her polymer clay beastlies (pictured here). She’s been making these charming characters since fourth grade and all that practice has made her very good at bringing the clay to life. Check out her videos and her Monday night show and be sure to read the site’s interview of Leslie here.

To top off my exploration, I clicked on the Mike Leavitt link. We’ve featured Mike before and his Barack Obama figure is outstanding. ToyCyte’s interview picks Mike’s brain as he makes art.

I’m sure there are more polymer clay artists on the site. I’m overwhelmed with this talent and need to catch my breath and explore further.

Sanders’ integrative approach to polymer

Lately Washington’s Pam Sanders has been creating wall art frames that shelter companion polymer clay pieces inspired by ancient cultures and nature. Beads and clay also find their way into her paintings and collages.

Her “Old Man” and “I Am the Moon” pieces shown here illustrate her integrative approach.

Pam’s work is on the new “Crafthaus” site for artists as well as on Etsy.

Note: Sharon Sahl’s polymer clay gingerbread house was featured on a weekend Apartment Therapy post!

Polymer clay reasons to believe and recycle

This comfy, couch potato polymer clay Santa by Dennis Brown could make me a believer again. It comes from the “ReasonsToBelieve” site, a treasure trove of Santas.

Brown’s work has been licensed by several reproduction companies and these are the polymer originals. He makes Santas 365 days a year. Thanks to Susan Lomuto for the tip.

Kudos to Heather Powers (HumbleBeads) for her wins in the Bead Star competition from Interweave Press. She combines and collages beads and found items into evocative pieces.

Iris Mishly has jumped on the recycled band wagon too, using throwaways from her computer job as findings for her polymer clay work. Have a useful weekend.