Polymer Clay Daily

Lehman’s polymer party decorations

Wouldn’t you love to be invited to Lorell Lehman’s Halloween party? Australia’s a bit far for me so I’ll have to enjoy her polymer clay party decorations online. (See the pix from last year’s party. I’m particularly fond of the salvaged and repainted dolls.)

She explains that, “Halloween (and Christmas) seem to bring out the manic in my personality and I can do the work of three ordinary mortals.” On her blog she shows the process for this polymer clay spell book and other spooky party props.

“I used an old, ratty looking book and sculpted directly onto the cover with polymer clay. I embedded a glass eye and some metal findings and the baked the whole thing (watching VERY carefully) for around 20 minutes. I then painted the entire surface with acrylic paints and added spider web and a lovely glass bead tassel. Voila!….creepy spellbook!”

Lorell’s art dolls are even more fantastic and rich with folklore. See some of the newest ones on her Flickr site. Thanks to Barbara Forbes-Lyons for the link!

Global design trends
Tina Holden, Canada Galina Grbennikova, Ireland Gudrun Stolz, Austria

The first three wire-filled forms filled with polymer clay come from two very different sources. Tina Holden from Vancouver Island was thinking of Picasso when she bent her rebar wire into shapes and filled them with clay.

Galina Grbennikova (she writes in Russian and lives in Ireland) used copper wire to create sea creature shapes. Others have bent and filled wire shapes and I see the trend re-emerging. (I should also have mentioned Italy’s Marina Lombardi…see here and here.)

The rough rings and bracelets made by Austria’s Gudrun Stolz are made by wrapping thin bands of clay into rings and bangles. It brings to mind earlier works of Ford/Forlano and a recent French trend to use dry, brittle-edged clay as a design element. (Thanks to Ann Staub for the link.)

I’m intrigued by our growing global design synchronicity. Have a harmonious weekend.

Perry’s candy cornaments

Let’s tiptoe over to the darker side of Halloween and begin with these slightly frightening polymer clay “Candy Cornaments” from Lance Perry of Crescent Designs.

“I like to think that my work can ease one’s growing pains by taking them back to their childhood, if only for a moment,” Lance says of his art.

He shows and sells his wares on Etsy, Flickr and also hangs out at SpookyTimeJingles where their tagline says “sweet ‘n spooky commingle.” That should get you in the spirit.

I’ve been batting aside the spooky cobwebs in my attic. I’ve avoided tossing and sorting up there for ten years. This year my husband wouldn’t accept “working on the blog” as an excuse and I no longer have a job to insulate me from attic duty. Taking family portraits out of their frames and scanning them (see my early avatar) has been a fun and time-consuming side benefit.

McGlon’s lighthearted Halloween

Jenn McGlon of Noodle and Lou Studio takes a lighthearted approach to Halloween. Her polymer clay witches have style and sass without scare. Who could be afraid of witches in polka dot hats?

We last visited her in July. Her signature little house sculptures, Lulettes, have taken on fall colors and themes. I always spend a little time listening to Jenn’s music and leave her site feeling hip and snappy.

Polymer clay dental work

Don’t you think a little polymer clay vampire ring is a good start to our Halloween themed posts?

This artist (RichmondArt) is a full time dental student and part time sculptor living in Indianapolis. She (I’m guessing female) must be a gamer/geek since her most recent event was the Gen Con convention and she specializes in game pieces and sculptures.

If you’d prefer a full set of teeth, she offers that too. I like the idea of a dental student being this involved in her work!

Wilkes found objects found

Lori Wilkes (Millori) has a knack for integrating found objects with polymer clay. This bracelet includes antique china embedded in polymer. Her transfers are an intriguing mix of old images on backgrounds of bright modern colors and she’s working on an “industrial meets organic” concept.

What amazes me is that I’ve overlook Lori’s work and she lives just a few miles away from me here in Ohio! It was only by thumbing through bead magazines at the library that I ran into her work. It’s great to start the week with a new name and a new website (plus blog, Etsy, Flickr) on our list.

Happy Birthday to the Muse

Happy second birthday to Susan Lomuto and her Daily Art Muse blog. She’s the yin to PCDaily’s yang, full of inspiration and ideas. And she’s the queen of web research which she’s shared liberally with me over the course of our blog lives. Thank you, thank you.

Who better to help Susan celebrate than Sylvie Perrin, the French Queen Of Clay, whose blog has been resurrected from a computer disaster. Oh, the funny characters she has created to help us celebrate! Scroll around. Go enjoy. Happy birthday.

Turtle weekend

This polymer clay turtle magnet that Camille Young made for her Grandpa is perfect for Friday. Camille’s work is innovative and wide ranging and I’m grasping at this latest piece in the hope that she’ll show us more.

Next week we’ll tap into my stash of Halloween art. Polymer clay artists love Halloween. How did that happen?

It’s been a stressful week for all Americans and I could use a slow and easy "turtle" weekend. Have a good one.

Weltman’s new book

Ronna Weltman’s polymer clay brooch called “Three-Ring Circus” seemed an appropriate feature today in the middle of our country’s craziness.

This crisp .pdf sneak peak at Ronna’s new book on polymer clay and wire is the perfect thing to distract your thoughts and brighten your day. Ancient Modern is coming out from Interweave Press in the spring.

“As much as I enjoy making art, I probably get more joy teaching and helping others find their voice in art and jewelry,” says Ronna. Check out her class schedule.