Get out your polymer clay extruder (our warm weather will make extruding easier). Germany’s Bettina Welker has generously uploaded the instructions for her Pixelated Retro Blend Cane.
Bettina’s come up with an easy and clever method. I look forward to seeing your versions.
These bangles from Loretta Lam were heaped in a beautiful pile on a table. Loretta’s another artist who’s so busy that she doesn’t often update her web photos and this is our chance to get an update.
While she remains true to her signature patterns and muted palette, lately Loretta’s been applying the polymer pieces to sleek and dramatic bangle forms in a collage style. The finish is as smooth as the design.
A great class can help build your skills and sharpen your design eye. I’m traveling to join a wonderful group this week (we’re just getting set up today). If travel isn’t in the cards for you right now, there are loads of other amazing opportunities.
Two new online classes from Craftcast bring the UK’s Debbie Carlton and Melanie Muir to a computer screen near you. Check out Debbie here and Melanie here.
Can’t attend on the day they’re scheduled? No sweat, you can purchase the recordings (including mine) and listen again and again.
One nice thing about learning at home, you don’t have to haul your tools. I’d better go choose my seat and get unpacked!
Moonlight on the Ocean is the title of this polymer bracelet from Warren and Robbin Moeller-Smith. On a cold winter’s day it’s warming to think of this duo working in polymer on their boat in the South Pacific. They integrate natural finds from their sailing adventures into their designs.
The bracelet design gives a nod to Cynthia Toops’ rolodex design with a wink at Alice Stroppel’s cane technique surrounding lovely silver accents.
The Moeller-Smiths have temporarily abandoned ship to visit the shows in California and Arizona. You can see their work here and here and read about their travels here.
Scotland’s Melanie Muir has gotten a jump on the new year with a refreshed web site, new work and a plunge into the world of teaching polymer. This bracelet is entitled Mountain High, Valley Low.
To end the year with a bang, Melanie’s Rocks Cuff (shown on the right) won “Polymerista of the Month” in Voila’s advanced category for December. The craftmanship for entries into this competition keep climbing higher and higher. Follow Melanie on Facebook as well.
Got plans to wrap up your year and head into the new? I’d love to hear about them.
“Turquoise and green are simply my favourite colors, working with them is easy and big pleasure,” says the Czech Republic’s Eva Haskova.
In this new batch of work she combines her colors so closely that the patterns vibrate in tight stripes and blends. Each bar is layered with a thick layer of turquoise running through the middle, underneath the patterned surface for added interest.
Some of the new work appears on her Flickr site and Lindly Haunani sent in the link to her Voila page which contains even more examples.
Eva credits her guild participation and event attendance for giving her the confidence to sell her wares to make her living from polymer. She also teaches and continues working in graphic design.
Look carefully and you’ll see molars sprinkled among the holiday candies on Wendy Malinow’s sparkly Too Much Candy polymer bracelet.
Look even more closely and you’ll note that the teeth have fillings in them. It’s Wendy’s wink and caution for this season of sweets.
Wendy adds her own brand of woodland spirit to the winter season on her Etsy site.
As she gears up for the EuroClay Carnival in Madrid on October 9-12, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz has unveiled this chunky, dimensional scooped-out bracelet.
It’s a companion to the folded beads that she’ll be teaching in Madrid.
Natalia’s Flickr pages are filled with snapshots of ideas and processes that she’s developed and played with. It’s like a workshop – but without the beauty of Madrid and the warmth of friends (sigh).
Who better than mixed media comedian/artist Meredith Arnold to round out our week? Meredith will play with just about any materials and she usually manages to sneak a bit of polymer (and lots of laughter) into all her work.
Click through her site to see how she integrates polymer with fiber, metal, books and more. This bracelet is the project for her upcoming class with the Puget Sound Bead Festival folks. Students play with foils, powders, paints, shapes and colors and walk out with this bracelet and a smile. Have a cheery weekend.
My Sedona stones polymer bracelet is part of a continuing fascination with rocks, this time with flat shapes and western red rock colors. My petroglyphs, based on the ones we saw at nearby ruins, aren’t quite ready for display.
You’ll understand my obsession better when you look at the pictures from our hikes through the local canyons and along the rivers. Sedona is a rock lover’s paradise. Allowing your surroundings to influence your art is an immersive experience.
I was pleased to see the works of Barb Fajardo, Tish Collins and Gwen Pena in one gallery in town. Three in one gallery! Excellent!
