Polymer copying

Copying with a happy ending from Lindly Haunani and Samunnat on PolymerClayDaily

Stories about copying often get ugly and contentious but not this one. This copying/sharing story is about generosity and hope.

Years ago Lindly Haunani gave the women of Samunnat Nepal permission to produce a few of her necklaces. Enough to purchase a storage cabinet that they needed.

Lindly’s petal designs contain echoes of her Hawaiian heritage. The bright flowers also resonated with Nepali culture.

The women so loved making the lei from Lindly and Maggie’s Color Inspiration book that it became a staple of their collection with Lindly’s blessing.

Lindly’s leis became Samunnat’s malas (modeled here by Sanjana) and the women’s project continues to flourish,

Wendy Moore’s post explains the story on their new website. Sign up for their newsletter for a chance to win one of the women’s latest necklaces.

Scroll to the bottom of the first page on their new site and sign up at “keep in touch”

Our polymer sisters

Pramila and Sharmila have tested positive at Samunnat Nepal on PolymerClayDaily.com

Pramila and Sharmila are the “eyes” behind the polymer beads in this promo shot. They were two of the early artists in the Samunnat Nepal project begun 14 years ago and supported by polymer artists around the world. Both women have tested positive.

Without vaccines and good healthcare, the country is ravaged by COVID. So far Pramila and Sharmila have not required hospitalization but the situation is perilous for all the women.

While we slowly and happily return to normal, consider those in countries where the prospect of normal is a long way off. Keep these polymer sisters in your thoughts and prayers.

To donate, scroll to the bottom of their page to an easy PayPal donate button. Follow their progress on Instagram.

A late report from Wendy Moore: Sharmila seems to be recovering but Pramila is still getting very bad headaches.

It costs NRS 1000 ($8.39) to get tested and so Samunnat is paying for all the close contacts to get tested. The centre is more than half an hour away so we are paying for transport too. We have closed the studio until we see how things are.

We had been meeting at least weekly with Kathleen (Dustin) and the girls were so positive about this. And as we speak, a parcel of prototypes is heading to her.

Back with a splash!

Wendy Moore comes back online with a splash on PolymerClayDaily.com

While most of us are squirreled up at home, Australia’s Wendy Moore (after_the_monsoon) comes back online with a splash.

Wendy’s been watching quietly from the sidelines for a while as she took a break. Now she’s collaborating with Dissonance Fashion and creating new work inspired by Helen Breil and Bonnie Bishoff. Wendy’s resurgence shows us the value of taking time off!

Of course, her heart is never far away from the ladies of the Samunnat Nepal project that she has nurtured since 2006. Welcome back to good health and polymer, Wendy.

Make time on Wednesday for the free Fun At One on Craftcast. This week watch Deb Hart create her polymer eggs and see Deb Karash (prismacolor on metal) demo her black block tool.

Service worthy of particular recognition

Wendy Moore receives a medal from the Queen on PolymerClayDaily.com

Australia’s Wendy Moore was honored with a Medal of the Order of Australia on the Queen’s birthday yesterday!

Wendy was a moving force behind the 2006 launch of the Samunnat project for abused women in Nepal. She was skeptical about the logistics of the project, but a vendor requested that she teach what she was wearing so she jumped in.

Read the news reports and listen to Wendy explain here. Here’s a .pdf of the brochure that chronicles Samunnat’s growth and achievements.

The saga of Samunnat’s success has come from many sources and they all lead back to Wendy whose involvement has been key. She richly deserves this honor.

Ke Garne

Three Samunnat ladies were due to fly from Kathmandu to Detroit in October for a US tour. This week Ron Lehocky and I learned that the US denied their visa applications. There is no appeals process.

Bummer! Or as they say in Nepal “Ke Garne” That’s a resigned, “What can you do?”

We imagined angels Gita, Pramila, and Kopila with their bags all packed.

“We knew it was a possibility that they wouldn’t get the visas but I guess we let ourselves feel hopeful. It all comes down to convincing the interviewer that you have adequate ties in Nepal to make sure you return,” says founder and organizer Wendy Moore from Australia.

Thanks to all you polymer folks who so graciously offered your help and hospitality. The funds raised for travel will be redirected to other projects. Samunnat is now in its eleventh year. Please follow them on Instagram and on their blog to track their progress.

Our apologies to our would-be visitors. Let’s hope the world becomes more welcoming in the future. For now, “Ke Garne.”

Help Samunnat take the next step

Angels in flowing sari silks from the ladies of Samunnat Nepal on PolymerClayDaily

A flock of angels will flutter through PCD this spring as we raise travel funds for the 3 Samunnat women who will visit the US in October for training and market development.

Gita, Pramila, and Kopila are anxious to meet face to face with those who have supported them and watched the Nepal project grow for 11 years!

The angels are elegantly draped in repurposed sari silks. Each artist has given her celestial creation a personality, tucked a special message for you under the bodice, and folded it into a gift bag.

Each costs $50 and will be mailed free in the continental US. Ron Lehocky is spearheading the effort. Make your checks out to Ron Lehocky. Mail to: 1763 Casselberry Rd, Louisville, KY 40205. Contact him at rlehocky@bellsouth.net

If you’d like to support Samunnat in other ways, you can click on the Paypal donate button next to the angels in the right column on PCD and make a donation in any amount. The ladies share their excitement on Instagram. Learn about Samunnat in a nutshell here.

I’ll be escorting the visitors and will talk about our plans, ask for your suggestions and help in upcoming posts. With your help, we can do this!

Note: Ron’s address is correct now!

TBT polymer

Remembering the Dalai Lama pendants we shared along the trail on our Upper Mustang trip in 2014. Makes me wonder where these little photo transfers are now.

My husband upgraded his computer and he’s had me on tech duty so today’s post is a TBT from the photos I had on hand. See his photos more clearly on my Instagram. Now to write this weekend’s StudioMojo. Join us!

Fearless color

Nepalis don’t fear color. The unbaked canes and finished pieces in the Samunnat studio showed none of the muddiness that plagues many projects. Their natural color sense must be a cultural legacy from a country awash in color. (Of course it helps that these polymer artists have also studied Color Inspirations.)

On the second day of teaching, the students gravitated to a pair of Kim Korringa earrings that I had brought along and were hungry to learn about them. Via email Kim generously agreed that I could share her tricks.

This tray of earrings headed for the oven (powered by a bone-rattling, foul-smelling generator) looked like a lovely local garden and the colorful Korringa designs with their new Nepali flavor blended beautifully with the women’s brightly patterned kurta salwars. Sharmilla models her earrings here and there are more pictures here.

Traveling around the world has left me jet-lagged, pondering what I learned and happy to be home as I sip a cup of peppery Nepali tea in my Ohio kitchen.

Thanks to the guest posters for their help, to you readers for making my trip worry-free, to my daughter for handling the details, to our gracious hosts and guides, and to you generous donors who continue to brighten the lives of artists a world away.