Tied in knots

Amy Koranek's prototype for a new twist on Souffle on PolymerClayDaily.com

Sculpey brand ambassador Amy Koranek cured strands of Souffle and then consulted YouTube for how to tie the pliable strings into a decorative knot. Now to finish the piece with a closure. This was an in-progress shot from our recent in-person event in Ohio (Buckeye Bash).

Leaning over shoulders as artists work out new ideas is a terrific way to learn and see where trends are headed.

If you like being on the cutting edge, join us at StudioMojo. Every Saturday sit down with a cuppa and follow links to the most happening events and most clever products about to come to market. We scour our sources to keep you up to the minute. Join us tomorrow.

Slabs just for fun

Ashley of heyletsclay delights in holiday decorating on PolymerClayDaily.com

Often slab earrings seem too repetitive and predictable. Where’s the fun, the heart, the Christmas spirit?
Oregon’s Ashley (heyletsclay) brings the delight back to holiday decorating. She drapes and tangles Christmas lights on a white background using extruded strings as cords and dots as lights. She cuts the meandering results into a bunch of shapes. Using an assortment of cutters, her carefree dance turns into pins, earrings, charms, and ornaments.

There’s the spirit! Bet the kids would like this!

One cake topper

Ashley celebrates one with a clever cake topper on PolymerClayDaily.com

Ashley’s one-year-old daughter was probably interested in the yummy cake. But I did a little “awww” and admired her clever polymer cake topper made from extruded strings. (The cake looks good to me too.)

That’s Ashley (HeyLetsClay) from Oregon. She excels at colors and the softest, dreamiest blends. And she’s right, her daughter is even cuter than the cake.

Squiggly tubes

Isis Blackstock makes modern squiggles in polymer on PolymerClayDaily.com

Isis Blackstock(littlepiecesjewelry) made me explore further.

It seems counter-intuitive that you can bend an extruded tube and still maintain the hole. The joys of polymer!

I’m remembering earlier variations on the idea from Lindly Haunani, Ford/Forlano, and Pier Voulkas. Oh, that takes me back.

Isis explores this concept, applying it to a wide range of bangles and necklaces.

She offers them in monochrome colors but what if you covered the tube with pattern? I’m talking to myself here. I really must try this.

FRIDAY FOLLOW – Grace Oliver

Grace Oliver ties polymer in knots on PolymerClayDaily.com

That’s what we’ll do with Friday! We’ll find somebody fresh and new and off the beaten path to keep our eye on.

This week follow the UK’s Grace Oliver (grace.oliver.designs). She’s only been in business since June 2020 and already she’s a standout with her extruded sculptural knots and decorative big letter garlands. Oh yeah, she’s got earrings with a twist too but she’s a free-range girl who tries lots of paths.

Need more new stuff to motivate your muse? Come on over to StudioMojo, the weekly closer look at what’s new and different.

Jumping through hoops

Jane Pellicciotto's oval hoops connect on PolymerClayDaily.com

These contemporary, lightweight Arcata oval hoops are from Portland’s Jane Pelicciotto, a graphic designer who wanted to express her aesthetic in another way. “it’s about a connection to someone you might not ever meet,” she explains.

A browse through her Instagram and website is like a breath of fresh air and a look at the direction that lies ahead for 2021.

Warped and wrinkled polymer

BobbiMadeThis earrings are wrinkled and warped on PolymerClayDaily

Extruded, wrinkled, quirky, post earrings! What’s not to love about these warped and wrinkled links from North Carolina’s BobbiMadeThis?

Several sympatico polymer artists have teamed up for a giveaway and other clever marketing ploys.

Simple, proud, in-your-face is their theme. Can you get with that? Follow their links down a very hip rabbit hole.

Dive into Monday

I find myself gravitating to bigger and bigger earrings. Seems it’s the upside of these strange times. “Why not?” I ask myself.

These lovelies are from Dallas’ SmallTalkHandmade. The Dive line is her take on a modern-day tassel made entirely of clay. Hard and soft, light, and heavy. The extruded strings hanging from a cutout square call to me. You too?

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?

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.

Scrap necklace

Janet Bouey strings many design decisions into a visually rich necklace on PolymerClayDaily.com

Vancouver Island’s Janet Bouey shows us how great a collection of scraps can look when gathered into a necklace. She’s in a show on Vancouver Island this weekend.

This photo came as my mountain of scrap from vacation working/playing confronts me. Thanks to Janet, I’ll be covering some extruded tubes for future use. Bake, slice, assemble and somehow those many design decisions, mistakes and all, add up to a visually rich necklace.

I’m checking to see if I remember how to post after a month off. Whew, it all comes back. See you soon.

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