Little touches add up

Myranda Escamilla adds flirty touches to her earrings on PolymerClayDaily.com

These joined circles from Texas’ Myranda Escamilla (shapeandformstore) are trendy with some twists. The carving on the lighter circles reveals a flash of hot pink beneath. And the speckles in the clay add another element of interest.

Add to that, the slight twist, like a flirty turn of the head, as the circles link.

And who can resist the juicy dark purples? Lots of care and quirky personal touches will add loads to the allure of your work.

This week’s StudioMojo brings you a conversation with Kathleen Dustin who’s cutting back on her shows and production work. But from the sound of the new classes and projects she’s dreamed up, she won’t be binge-watching tv anytime soon. Join us for the complete scoop.

Stronger together earrings

See how Miss Peppy Handmade and her Aussie colleagues are stronger together on PolymerClayDaily.com

Here’s another helping of Australian goodies from Perth’s Lisa (Miss Peppy Handmade). These birdie earrings are made from Skinner blends stacked in alternating layers of light-to-dark. Carving reveals the underlying colors.

A bunch of Aussie artists gathered together for a Stronger Together giveaway. As they explain, “We don’t have to think of each other as competitors, we can also be each others’ best advocates, cheerleading squads, sounding boards. We are stronger together because empowered women empower other women.”

And the best discovery is that we have until July 21 to sign up (add your comment) for their giveaway. Uh-oh, you have to have an Australian postal address. Bummer, but an uplifting project nonetheless.

Strumming polymer

Jana Honnerova hits the right note with this polymer veneer on her ukulele on PolymerClayDaily.com

Prague’s Jana Honnerova decorates her ukulele with polymer. Her colored stripes and carved lines mirror the design of the frets and strings striking just the right chord.

Imagine the size of that veneer? Is there something in your world that would benefit from decoration?

Known by our marks

Genevieve Williamson leaves her distinctive mark on PolymerClayDaily.com

In this newest pendant from Pennsylvania’s Genevieve Williamson, she fuses all her carving, scratches, colors and shapes into one beautifully balanced pendant.

Funny, how we become known by our marks. Hers are spare, stony, weathered and worn. And sold!

I counted three polymer artists (Block Party Press, Sun Ah Blair Jewelry, and Genevieve) in last weekend’s Pile of Craft show in Baltimore. Nice to see polymer popping up in the trendy shows!

You can see more of Genevieve’s marks on Instagram.

Polymer roots

Shelley Atwood puts her own spin on scrap mokume gane earrings on PolymerClayDaily.com

Think of polymer techniques as having a lineage when you look at these earrings from Texas’ Shelley Atwood.

Kathy Amt taught Dayle Doroshow who shared it with me who showed a whole bunch of folks this scrap technique on video. Who knows where it came from even earlier or where it will go next?

It’s circled back around to Shelley who’s put her own spin on it on Instagram. Shelley layered thin bits of scrap and then carved her design, which revealed colors underneath.

It’s invigorating when we see new life in our roots.

Mash-up of memory

Jana Roberts Benzon taps into her floral design past on PolymerClayDaily.com

Utah’s Jana Roberts Benzon can’t stop carving polymer and now she understands why. Jana explains.

This newest mash-up of my carving and murmuration techniques has been rewarding, As I was making these small arrangements I realized that something felt very familiar. For 20 years, I had my own floral design company! Assembling these new little gardens woke up some old muscle memory from my floral work. There it was, ready for service! The body doesn’t forget. Those things we practice lie in wait for later use.

Textiles, illustration, painting, cooking and other crafts we’ve loved can imbue works with our history. What echoes from your past reappear in your designs?

Nicking polymer

Juliya Laukhina nicks a net of pattern on PolymerClayDaily.com

Moscow’s Juliya Laukhina refines her carving with this newest batch of beads on Instagram. Long nicks of clay dramatically reveal contrasting layers underneath in an almost net-like pattern.

On Etsy, you can see her trying other shapes and sizes as well.

Cuticle cutters are great for carving raw polymer. Could that be what she’s using? I’m adding one more must-try to my studio list. Yours too?

From wood to polymer

The feel of baked polymer reminds Lindsay Locatelli (wazodesigns) of wood. She carves the hardened clay to give it natural and organic textures.

“I graduated with a BFA in Furniture Design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and worked mostly in wood/metal. After college, I began working in a smaller scale and I fell in love with the idea of art jewelry because there’s a component of function as well as sculpture. Polymer clay became my new medium of choice because it’s much more satisfying to work with at a smaller scale,” says Lindsay.

“Polymer clay allows me to have much more control than wood did. I’m interested in creating new textures/forms out of the material and working with it in unique and unusual ways.”

Minneapolis has a lively emerging fashion and art community and Lindsay’s active in shaping it. The necklace here, Bleached Bones, is made of polymer, brass with acrylic paint and the ring is polymer, silver and citrine. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook as well.

Lindsay was part of the ACC’s first Hip Pop Showcase at the St. Paul ACC show in April this year.

Polymer palette planning

Pittsburgh’s Rebecca Watkins was inspired by a friend’s Spring in the Smokies photograph. Armed with new color skills from a Carol Simmons’ class, Rebecca mixed matching hues in polymer.

She carved and colored the beads in her signature style and accented them by brushing liquid black polymer into the lines and hollows. Her work-in-progress shots show how well Rebecca learned her color lessons.

She plans to wear her creation on an eggplant colored t-shirt with a black skirt. See more of Rebecca’s beads on Etsy.

If you’re itching to mix and match your own colors, browse through Carol Simmons’ Pinterest color boards (she has 12 of them). It’s overflowing with mouthwatering palettes that she’s unearthed and sorted.

Winning doodles

This carved flat polymer disk necklace from Staci Louise Smith is part of her winning entries in this year’s Bead Dreams contest at the Bead and Button show. Zen Circles took second place in the polymer category.

Staci’s carved and weathered polymer bead necklace, Sea Swept, took first place in the category.

PCD has followed her subtly carved shapes for years and it’s exciting to see her work recognized by others. This is the first year Staci entered the competition.

She’s a prolific beader and you can see her works best on Facebook, on her blog and in her Etsy shop. See how her doodles spilled over onto her studio floor here.

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