Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer artifacts

You’d be hard pressed to identify the polymer techniques that Washington’s Pam Sanders uses in her Paul’s Gift neckpiece. There’s some caning, some carving, some sculpting but the real strength is in Pam’s composition and in its strong, dark rawness.

She makes all the copper findings that carry the theme throughout her Urban Artefacts Jewelry line. “I love bizarre art,” Pam says on her profile. “Myth, magic, ancient cultures and fantasy novels are the inspiration for the art I create,” she says.

Be sure to check the photos in her Facebook gallery as well as on her website.

Polymer bib

New York’s Kathryn Fotorny promises a dose of whimsy with her funky polymer 3.5″ by 2.5″ focal orange sherbet piece. No ho-hum round beads here.

The 18-inch bib necklace is filled with pods, dimples, suctions and stones that are attached to a brass chain with a filigree connector. On her Delicious Hobo Etsy site Kathryn mixes flavor and funk for your Christmas Eve pleasure.

Emerging polymer

Melanie West is on a roll too! She’s added two vessels along with three new textured necklaces in a series she’s calling Beautiful Uglies.  Note the clever use of small rubber O-rings as spacer beads.

Melanie moves between heavy texturing on her new beads to a cane-slice encrusted 6″ tall vessel in her signature style. She’s calling this vase NudiFlounder.

If she tires of one style, she can move to the other. Smart! Melanie was working toward these new series when we played together in the spring. What a gift to see them emerge.

More scribbles

You may have to study Vera Kleist’s attractive scribbles necklace to figure out how she did it. The polished polymer lines are surrounded by deep grooves that she’s enhanced with white grout and called To Be Different. Here’s her Etsy link.

Your scribbles

You readers have been great about sharing data with Judy Belcher and me. More data is better! If you haven’t yet filled them out, here’s Survey 1 and Survey 2 that will tell us how the polymer community is trending. We’ll report back at Synergy3.

Upcycled polymer

Debbie Jackson upcycles t-shirts with striking ethnic polymer beads.

Debbie was wearing this version and she shows us how she turns her thrift store finds into fashionable, no-sew necklaces that can be wound around and worn long or short. She also makes a bracelet version with a toggle clasp.

Debbie and I both live in Ohio but we escaped the political intensity and headed to Kentucky last weekend. Thanks to Debbie for sharing her design and for rescuing the camera I left behind.

Ornamental polymer

Slovenia’s Klavdija Kurent gets a head start on holiday ornaments with this domed and pierced layered polymer creation. Hitting the highlights with metallic paste gives it a rich, old world warmth.

Klavkija’s strong designs (and her articles in Unikat magazine) have brought her quite a following as you can see on her Facebook page.

This textured, monochromatic necklace, Klavdija claims, is from leftovers. Isn’t that the way? The leftovers often turn into your favorite pieces.

Beads or buttons

These subtly domed designs from Germany’s Vera Kleist could be either beads or buttons. Vera gives minimal techniques maximum impact with her fashionable color choices and stringing variations.

Browse her Flickr and Etsy sites to see where her smart design sense has led her. Thanks to Bettina Welker for the link.

What happens in Vegas…

…will not stay in Vegas if I have anything to say about it. This weekend’s clay carnival will be my first and I’ll be meeting new folks and catching up with old chums. Can’t wait to share what I find with you!

Polymer up a notch

Maggie Maggio made a conscious effort to step out of her comfort zone when she applied for the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ (SNAG) virtual exhibit, The Body Adorned.

“In the same way a landscaper trains a plant to take the desired form, this piece is designed to be shaped to the body of the wearer,” Maggie says of her exhibition pieces. Polymer tendrils sprout from the model who happens to be Maggie’s daughter Monica, herself an urban farmer.

On her updated website and blog Maggie explains how a polymer symposium at the Racine Art Museum exhibit prompted her to take her work up a notch.

Watch Maggie playing with a early version of these designs in this Studio Mojo video from last spring. Join with others who want to take their work up a notch by signing up for StudioMojo.

Split ring polymer

Maggie Maggio will be in person and online Wednesday night at Craftcast teaching her split ring technique. PCD has featured her innovative technique and you’ll find people imitating her idea all over the polymer web. Maggie has expanded on her original idea and shares lots of new tips for construction and for successful color.

Maggie’s a great teacher and if you’ve ever wanted to meet her and ask her your questions, this is your chance. No matter where you are, you can login and join the group for a 90-minute workshop (and keep a copy of the recording for future reference). Sign up here. Check the rest of the Craftcast schedule (including my class on October 10).