Polymer Clay Daily

Fabi’s fabulous combinations

To polymer artists, there’s nothing more appealing than a neat pile of coordinated canes. Show us the resulting bouquet of flowers and you’ve got our attention. These lovelies are from Madrid’s Fabi (fperezajates).

A few minutes on her Flickr site will reveal how she’s combined polymer with felt, crochet, books and wood. She even shares a mini-tutorial about turning a nail brush into a letter holder.

I admire Fabi’s experimentation with household items and decorative accessories.

Moving beyond bowls and frames, she embellishes drawers and makes sewing tool holders. Keep your eye on Fabi’s work.

Wilder declares independence

Wire-wrapping has been on my radar all week. Here’s one more in Dee Wilder’s (Malodora) Butterfly Wings polymer clay bracelet – a riot of colors, beads and wire combined into a noisy, noticeable bracelet.

Dee credits a workshop with multimedia artist Mary Hettmansperger and a tutorial from Deryn Mentock for leading her to wire work. Dee’s sites show a wealth of dramatic works that range in tone from exhuberant excess to careful extruded and turned shapes to constrained micromosaics.

In an Etsy interview Dee explains that, “I feel for the first time that I have reached a level of competence where I can control my materials. I’m not just trying to duplicate techniques and processes. I’ve never [before] stayed with a medium long enough for that to happen. I am able to visualize a finished piece and execute my vision. That might not mean much to most crafters and artists, but to me it is a giant breakthrough.”

Enjoy Dee’s shower of colors like the Independence Day fireworks we’ll see this weekend!