Holland’s north coast has inspired Linda Ezerman to translate her beachcombing with polymer and felt. Smooth links, faceted chunks and flat pebbles are joined with felted wool into a wild wearable beach.
The carving and felting and lost wax techniques
that Linda shows on her exciting Flickr pages promise to take us polymer rock hounds in new directions.
Step back in time with a visit to Jen Parrish’s polymer relics site. This Boston artist has created historical replicas and designs for movie, television, theatre and opera productions. Her “…as seen on tv” list is impressive and her faux jewels are sold in the British Museum’s shop.
Since I last visited her site, Jen has added Etsy, Flickr, a blog and more to her thriving business. On this winter weekend from the comfort of your computer chair you can wander through her studio and shops inspired by ages past.
This hair clip with faux lapis is from Camille Young. See what handmade gifts Camille created for her family and friends.
I’m guessing that the metal-looking parts of her recent jeweled ornaments, pins and pendants are also made from polymer. (Here are her snowflake ornaments from last year.) Could it be that she’s coated her faux findings with gilders paste?
If this antique line tickles your fancy, you may want to find Creating Your Own Antique Jewelry.
I’m on the road visiting family and working from various coffee shops with free wifi this week. I’ll be grabbing whatever catches my over-caffeinated eyes.
I’ve been on a bit of an electroforming jag lately. Here’s a new link from Tavostia in Russia and some experimenting from Cynthia Blanton.
For those of you who, like me, are trying to resist the urge to impulsively invest in more equipment, I’ve come up with a faux electroforming trick that may help.
First I made silicone molds of some bumpy unidentified berries from a neighbor’s tree and cast white polymer beads from the molds and fired them. Then I pulled out my alcohol inks, colored the white clay and let the inks dry.
To give the berry beads a metallic/electroformed look, I pulled out my secret weapon – gilder’s paste! Sue Sutherland and Ellen Prophater let us try theirs at a conference and I was hooked. The paste reminds me of the old-fashioned shoe polish that comes in flat cans. A swipe of a paste-coated finger over the top of a design highlights it with a metallic sheen which becomes permanent in a few hours. Gilders paste can be moved around or wiped off in the first few minutes which I find a big benefit over Rub and Buff or paint.
Copper-colored highlights would have passed for electroforming so I’m adding that to my supply. Sue and Ellen are building their site over at Filigree and More and you can email them to order.
This Meat-Lace from OnchMovement is billed as 100% animal friendly! Polymer has been called many things, but humane is a first. Lady Gaga and her famous meat dress served as direct inspiration for this creation by LA’s Onch who specializes in kitschy, outrageous polymer accessories including a pretzel rosary.
Guaranteed never to spoil, adds flavor to your wardrobe. What more could you ask for?
While I’m not 100% sure what the necklace is made of, the site specializes in polymer jewelry and a closeup reveals what looks like pretty great use of translucent. I’m trying to keep you up to date…that’s all I’m sayin’. What do you think?
These graphic faux enamels from Fabi (fperezajates) have a hip new look. Fabi carves her own patterns into erasers and I’m guessing that she used metallic clay for the polymer base.
Inks and powders seem to be involved and she finishes the look with a layer of resin.
Like yesterday’s Natalia, Fabi is from Madrid where they’re obviously pouring it on for the EuroClay Carnival.
Fabi has also embellished some small crocheted purses with polymer buttons. Sweet!
Browse through her site and you’ll see what you’re missing while they frollick in Madrid. So much enthusiasm. Thanks to Eva Ménager for making us more jealous.
LA’s Laurel Steven calls herself a mixed media creatrix and she’s teaching her hinged polymer Heritage Locket at next month’s Portland Art and Soul retreat.
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Laurel has also formulated her own twist on faux enamel and assembled a tutorial. You can see some of her samples in her Flickr pages, very faux.
Need a Kathleen Dustin polymer piece to complete your smashing ensemble? Now that she’s added a shop to her site, you don’t have to wait for the next ACC show!
And speaking of shows, Seattle-based artist Stephanie Tomczak uses polymer clay, copper, and enamel to create jewelry inspired by the nature of the life cycle. Tomczak’s work is now on view through September 9th at the Heidi Lowe Gallery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
This faux coral necklace is from her Oceanic Gems Collection. (via Wearable Art Blog) She gives a great overview of her studio, her process and her display on her blog.
Gera Scott Chandler has taken polymer rock making to the next level – inter-planetary. Her Martian rocks reveal colors and images from another planet. Click here to see one of her finished necklaces.
As a rock hound myself, it was gratifying when several artists attended our “Rockettes” session. They shared their secrets and compared their faux river rocks, beach stones and exotic pebbles. Gera’s were the most outlandish.
Gera was also the first one to spot a magical moose this week. Have a magical weekend.
The Les Ethiopiques site is full of free tutorials and French polymer fun that will keep you kids busy in the back seat while I travel to Colorado for a week in the mountains. With any luck, I’ll keep posting daily about old friends, new products and moose.
Les Ethiopique’s faux leather ties in nicely with this week’s earlier Biker Chick post. Though her tutorials are in French, the photos say it all and you needn’t translate to get the gist. Just look for “tuto” and click away. Her generosity in creating all these free how-to’s is refreshing.
Thanks to Eva Ménager for the link. Have a refreshing weekend!
