Leather polymer

Del Roussel and others play with the new leather effect Fimo clay on PolymerClayDaily.com

France’s Del Roussel (EnRibambelle) has been experimenting with Fimo’s new Leather Effects clay on Instagram.

These 3-layer earrings make a lightweight feathery look for summer. I’m guessing the imitation leather is easy to cut and has some distinct characteristics that give it flexibility and texture.

Ginger Davis Allman (BlueBottleTree) reviewed it and Klio Tsaliki shows how she’s sewed it on Flickr. The EU artists and a few early adopters are whetting our appetites for this new variation of clay.

From the rabbit hole

This is what happens when I’m writing StudioMojo, searching for cool tidbits. Right down the rabbit hole, I fall. This week I ended up in Belarus with Solar Bird on Instagram.

Aren’t Kseniya Iokhna’s cutout earrings just perfect?

Then I started thinking about my neglected Silhouette machine and how I could fire it up and start cutting polymer again. There are far too many distractions out there in polymerlandia. How will I ever get this week’s news covered at this rate?

Somehow I do get back to writing. We’re on our 376th issue! Amazing! Join us on Saturdays at StudioMojo.org where we die-hards spend some guilt-free time savoring the juicy bits that flow by.

Monstera for a garden party

Switzerland’s Anouk Stettler (Habetrot) breezes into the weekend with a new flowery dress to complement her Monstera leaf earrings. A simple flat polymer cutout is perfect for a garden party.

Breezy is Anouk’s style as you’ll see on her Instagram. “Jewelry alone is boring. Yes, honestly! Jewelry must be loved and worn. Underline a style, be a statement or subtly add an to an outfit,” she explains.

Go ahead, treat yourself to a quick polymer accessory that will spruce up your weekend wardrobe.

We’re gathering over at StudioMojo for the weekly roundup of ideas and inspirations. Come join us!

Autumn leaves

These tiny maple leaf earrings by Michigan’s Sue Screws called to me every time I walked by this display during my weekend class at Creative Journey Studio in Georgia.

Sue made these delicate cutouts for a number of types of trees in fall colors with intricate veining and realistic colors. I couldn’t resist wearing these on my long drive back to Ohio.

You can enjoy a few more photos from the weekend here and here. (Sue is hard to find on ine, try Facebook.) Back to our regular schedule tomorrow.

Cutouts redux

If Tuesday’s post prompted you to pull out your Kemper cutters, let me share two more cutter technique favorites from the PCD archives.

Rebecca Geoffrey created this cutout layer stacked over a contrasting color years ago (oh my, it was 2005). Even though she’s moved on to much more sophisticated work, the simplicity and beauty of these cutout rounds keeps them among my favorites.

Camille Young’s snowflake ornaments show circles of clay with cutter bits removed. Stacked on another layer of texture and topped off with some metallic and seed bead bling, these pieces are the grownup polymer version of cutting snowflakes out of paper. Easy holiday magic. Here’s Camille’s current site.

Cutout, swap, repeat

Late at night Greece’s Klio Tsaliki (Klio1961) entertains herself by making simple polymer items using easy techniques, smart design and appealing color.You can catch the vibe on her Flickr page.

Especially on her sheets of pattern, you sense Klio’s playfulness as she repeats and repeats a pattern, then adds a surprising change to tease the eye. She uses the sheets most effectively on big bangles, coasters and containers.

Look at all the cutout/swap/repeat patterns she’s amassed in her collection of panels. Her use of dots is intense. Someone’s having fun!

Young’s snowflake cutouts

Camille Young (CamilleArt) usually creates polymer clay figures and toys but she ventures out to stretch other muscles from time to time. Recently she fashioned charming snowflake ornaments using only four or five small cookie cutters and rounds of polymer clay stacked on top one another.

Zoom in to see how Camille turned the cutters various ways, generating more angles and patterns. Paint, texturing and a few seed beads make these simple techniques intriguing and complex.

Christmas may be over but it never hurts to keep an eye out for successful ideas. And snowflakes will be with us for a few months.

During this year-end week I’ll be trying to put some perspective on the past year and start envisioning the next. I’m excited to see what’s ahead.