Polymer Clay Daily

Simplifying the complicated

Meg Newberg simplifies cane-building on PolymerClayDaily

Arizona’s Meg Newbert (polymerclayworkshop) thinks canes. She likes nothing better than to take designs that look impossibly complex and make them doable for both beginners and experienced caners. She’s done this every month for years!

It’s like mental gymnastics for those who’ve been at this a while. Lots of us may not make the cane she suggests but following along still gives us a thrill. Did I mention that at $5/month, she’s the best deal around for those who never tire of the thrill of slicing into a snake of clay for the big reveal?

What do you suppose Meg’s stash of canes looks like by now?

New products are coming off the production line, clay is climbing back on the shelves and shows are starting up. It’s a crazy world but in some corners, we’re trying to stay sane and creative. See what’s blooming this spring in Saturday’s StudioMojo. 

Heartwarming blends

Lindsey of VividClay wraps blends in heartwarming ways on PolymerClayDaily

Make three small curvy blends (white to orangy pink, orangy pink to darker pink, pink to nearly purple) then wrap them in thin black and pinch them so they bend around each other. There’s something special about these conjoined hearts from Lindsey of VividClay.

If you’ve seen Lindsey’s paradox cane tutorial on YouTube you know that she has a knack for manipulating blends in eye-catching ways. These hearts entwine in similar mesmerizing ways.

Earrings with a twist

Susan Sju twists patterns into lightweight dangles on PolymerClayDaily.com

These featherweight dangles from Macedonia’s Susan Sju stopped me in my tracks.

Don’t you love to reverse-engineer pieces? I’m not sure I understand how Susan got to this point and she has even more confounding and delightful patterns on her Facebook. Extruded blended strings laid next to each other and flattened perhaps?

Susan Sju twists patterns into lightweight dangles on PolymerClayDaily.com

Look at the displays in her Ohrid retail store and you’ll see that she’s got lots of tricks up her sleeve.

I’m trying to order a pair of these imaginative swirls from her recently-launched online store. Thanks to Sabine Spiesser for alerting me to Susan.

More zen blends

What can you do when you’re drawn to one more look at the news? Instead, try this link to Arizona’s Meg Newberg (Polymer Clay Workshop). You’ll be hypnotized by her simple, scrappy blends.

A solid background color unifies the crazy, devil-may-care dots of companion colors.

Whatever she throws into the blend oozes into its neighbor to make a lovely ombre.

The idea that a hot mess turns into something lovely is a hopeful analogy for today. Go watch and feel hopeful. Several more on her Instagram.

Zen blends

Jenny Sorensen calms us with her mini-blends on PolymerClayDaily

As anxiety rose steadily today, I looked for something, anything that would calm me. I found it in the blends of Colorado’s Jennifer Sorensen (WishingWellWorkshop).

Look at the lovely blends Jenny makes with the smallest bits of clay. Gorgeous!

While sculpture confounds me and fantasy eludes me, color speaks loud and clear. Jenny’s colors meld into each other in a most soothing way. I hope they make you feel better too.

A closer look

Pilar Rodríguez Domínguez makes us look closely at her skillfully blended canes on PolymerClayDaily

Let’s close a sunny week with a sunny brooch from Canary Islands’ Pilar Rodríguez Domínguez (Amatista). I snagged this from her Instagram a little while ago and kept returning for another look.

That’s a sure sign that there’s something interesting going on. The canes (available on Etsy) have a stained-glass quality about them. There’s a sensual, sinewy feel too.

It takes a moment for all the blends and colors to register. It must be the fine dark line between elements that makes these bright colors read so well.

Figuring out what makes a piece of art grab us is part of what we’ll be looking at over at StudioMojo this weekend. You’d be surprised what you can learn by taking the time for a closer look. Join us.