When you look through Eva Ehmeier’s (Hoedlgut) photos, you’ll note that her most carefree and attention-grabbing designs are made from what she calls “scrap” polymer clay.
She carved and combined this series of pastel polymer circles into linked pendants that look perfect for spring.
It’s a good reminder that when we stop seeing the material as precious and the project as important, we often free ourselves to do our best work. Enjoy Eva’s “scraps.”
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Little things count at this time of year. I’m trying to finish my chores so that I can try something from my stash of miniature holiday polymer clay designs. Maybe you have time to play.
The teensy gingerbread house is from Israel’s Shay Aaron. The stocking earrings are from Croatia’s SandrArt. Both tree designs look jolly. The stacking ones are from Australia’s Amanda Hunt. The other one is California’s Kim Korringa’s. Little things sometimes bring big pleasure.
Helen Breil takes using stamps and textures to a new level with her most recent polymer clay focal beads. She introduces surprises and layers colors to provide drama.
I often hesitate to use stamps because they feel static. Helen has overcome that shortcoming with a bag of tricks that makes me want to try again. Looking at her design idea gallery is like taking a workshop.
I’m composing this post from 30,000 ft. in between time zones. Tomorrow is all about jet lag and preparing for an evening class at Craftcast.com. California beaches provided a heap of pebble research and I’m pumped for the class. Join us.
Lauren Van Hemert has added a new line of focal beads and pendants like this Eye Chart to her collection. Click on the catalog tab on her new site to flip through her collection. You’ll see her experiments with image transfers onto colored clay and a bit of caning.
Lauren is masterful at incorporating historic, romantic and nostalgic image transfers into her polymer clay pieces. She’s only recently started adding canes to her ephemera. Read more about her evolving process on her blog.
Thanks to Susan Lomuto (DailyArtMuse) for the link.
Genevieve Williamson (Jibby and Juna) started out to make polymer icicle ornaments and ended up with these cool, fluttery feathers. The ornaments that she stamped and painted and carved may morph into winged pendants. Sometimes our muse leads us off in new directions.
I’m winging off to California today for a holiday visit. My camera and computer have traveled with me, of course, and I’m keeping my eyes open for polymer clay of the west coast variety.
Jana Lehmann (Feeliz) from Stuttgart, Germany, has added a blog (in addition to her Flickr pages) where you can watch her polymer clay progress.
Taking classes with Grant Diffendaffer and Donna Kato helped her refine her technique and find her own “cosmic” voice. Jana’s playful planets and dimensional space beads are smartly crafted from a bright luscious color palette.
The color studies she’s created from lessons in Lindly and Maggie’s color book look like paint store swatches and make me want create a new set.
Two more additions to the Niche nominees from Loretta Lam. Her finalists are Come Dancin’ in the polymer category (hey, we talked about that piece in August) and Hanging Basket (pictured here) in the fashion jewelry category.
Loretta says of all the entries, “Can’t you feel the winds of change? We will soon be sitting at the big kids’ table!”
Finding a subject to talk about has been easy as these award nominees floated in. I may have to return to regular research and web surfing for tomorrow’s news.
To keep everyone up to date on the growing interest in polymer clay in Europe, the UK’s Christine Dumont has launched a new site called Voila! that gathers works and news from around the EU. You’ll want to sign up to get all the information. (Those are Christine’s own butterfly beads at the left.)
Reporting on the recent Euro Clay Carnival in France, the Voila site shows this pendant from Holland’s Saskia Veltnaar (Sassy & Co.) which tweaks Bettina Welker’s etching technique by undercutting, shaping and bending the layers.
Thanks to Marjon Donker for sending the link. My Minneapolis meeting was a success and I’m processing all that I learned. More on that later this week.
This polymer clay embellished amethyst stone from Italy’s Daniela (Alkhymeia) is appealing. The “hybrid” 3D look is very trendy. Daniela is a wire expert as well and you’ll find tutorials among the galleries of work on her site, in her Flickr photos, on her Facebook page and even in her Deviant gallery.
Here are some older polymer/resin and polymer/glass combinations, similar but different, from Klew.
Thanks to Randee Ketzel for the link.
Rome’s Marina Lombardi (Ali di Libellula) makes lyrical jewelry by pairing delicate polymer clay focal pieces with pearls, filigree, stones and crystals. She coaxes microspheres into just the right spots for hints of color and texture.
Her pieces are often photographed with a bit of reference material in the background – wallpapers, fresoes, illustrations. It’s very effective and there’s more on her Flickr site.
Marco Holler sometimes collaborates with Lombardi. The duo dressed up a swirl lentil bead by adding an image transfer and gold embellishment to produce these beautiful romantic Italian earrings. See more of their collaborations here.
It all puts me in mind of vineyards and villas and vacations. Have a great weekend.
