Ireland’s Liga Valge (ValgStudio) resisted selling this ring of clustered green chunks. With its inclusions and patterns, it looks geological but it’s made of faceted polymer bits.
She gathers the chips together into a compelling fashion statement in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
See Liga here on Facebook.
These miniature polymer landscapes look so well kempt at a time when a glance out the window shows mine in disarray. We’ll focus on the bucolic ring from Russia’s Evgeniya Aleksandrova and the succulents from Ukraine’s Daria Tarasenko and leave my outside chores for another day.
The bluish greens and hint of pink in the succulent planter/pendant look quite springy and fashionable. Daria has added some embellishment to mugs that you might find of interest too. Here she is on Pinterest and Etsy.
Evgeniya puts loads of texture into the smallest acreage and creates a feeling of a peaceful home to wear on your finger. There are more seasons and scenes on Etsy. Thanks to Karan Cross for sending the link along.
France’s Florence Minne-Khou wanted a ring to suit her every mood (and outfit). Cutting geometric shapes out of varying thicknesses, colors and patterns of polymer rolled flat gave her what she needed.
Try Florence’s idea when you’re in the mood for simple and elegant.
Dee Wilder’s RAW (Ring A Week) project this week will start your wheels turning. She calls her piece Lamellia and it’s made of stacks of polymer sheets with occasional highlights of shiny mica powder.
Pressed together at the base, the layers at the front separate and curl to reveal their colors.
Check out her progress here. And Dee’s only half way through the year!
Ponsawan Silapiruti’s latest post describes her experience with Ring-A-Day 2010.
She says, “What did I get from the RAD project? Well, let’s see. I was asked by Lark Books for permission to publish pictures of some of my rings. Some will be exhibited alongside others made by members of the group in Seattle and sponsored by SNAG. I have never had my works exhibited before. I made a bunch of friends. I woke up every day for a year to see incredible and crazy ideas of how to make ring.” Pretty impressive results!
There are more than 16,000 ring pictures on the group’s Flickr site! Here are all the rings from polymer artists.
Ring a day has changed to ring a week (RAW) for 2011. Another project, True Addicts of Daily Art (TADA), asks members to commit to making progress on art jewelry creations every day. The goal is for each artist to have at least one show ready collection or series by the end of the year.
Trick #38 in the Creative Sparks book encourages you to impose limits on yourself as a way to push your art further. Join a group, enter a contest, set a deadline. Since I’m energized by groups and deadlines, I’ve decided to take the plunge for 2011. I joined TADA. These projects may help if you’re in a goal-setting mood and need a push.
Madrid’s Silvia Ortiz de la Torre makes bright colored “nidos” (which translates as nests) out of polymer. Circles of blended colors connected with buna cord form web of rings. Polymer balls hook them together and secure the ends.
The whole nest is so playful that it gets me thinking about how this construction could be used elsewhere. Wouldn’t this make a great mobile? Lately all ideas lead me back to babies. Did I introduce you to my grandson Oliver who got his name and his domain on the same day? Each time you refresh his page, you’ll get a new picture.
Ponsawan Sila makes us grin as we end the week and begin a hot summer. Last summer her friend posed wearing a slice of real watermelon as a fashion statement from her garden.
Without missing a beat, Ponsawan created her own version in polymer. The rind is made from a mokume gane stack of shades of green. The interiors are Skinner blends of red to white.
She’ll be adding these rind rings to her Etsy store soon. Have a juicy weekend.
Karin Breukelman’s faux jade embroidered cuff took top honors in Dutch Polymer Clay Forum’s oriental contest. This was the group’s first contest. The variety and quality of the entries surprised them.
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Karin’s design was based on a Chinese coin replicated in polymer jade with faux coral accents. Lanterns, fans, geishas, bamboo and cinnabar inspired participants’ imaginations. Nicole van Engelen’s ring plays on the contours and colors of rice fields.
The other top winners were Marij de Bruijn, Saskia Veltenaar, and Paula van Veen. Enjoy this glimpse of the orient by way of the Netherlands. You’ll find some interesting tutorials on the group’s Girls Next Door site too. I particularly like the idea of faux pearls.
“I’ve never made a ring, but have been wanting to give it a try so I joined a Ring-A-Day group,” says Dee Wilder (Malodora).
For several days she indulged her fascination with Koosh ball threads. Thursday she returned to a micromosaic theme. Imagine making a ring a day! After one month there are already over a thousand in the Flickr group’s archive. (I just found Ponsawan Sila in the archives too!)
Wednesday’s featured artist, Lynn Lunger (UnaOdd), has experimented with a faceted wood/polymer model. Mixed media artist Jillian Moore admits that she previously had an aversion to polymer but has been converted to using the media for her rings which are pictured below.
Ronna Sarvas Weltman will divulge the secrets of her ancient/modern rings at her class at CFCF. Bettina Welker will focus on her european versions in her pre-Synergy class.
I’ve only scratched the surface. Thanks to Randee Ketzel and Susan Lomuto and others who have been sending me “heads up” about this trend. There’s a ring thing going on and poring over the examples may keep you warm on a cold winter weekend.
Ginny Henley has been busy making polymer clay fish ornaments for her family. These are fish with attitude and color and style. The yellow one here is carrying a purse. Another has glasses.
Wouldn’t you love to be there when her relatives open their gifts?
You can see more of her “school” on her Flickr site and see her jewelry work here.
Bobbins with a twist
Susan Lomuto spotted Tina Wade’s polymer bobbin rings on Crafthaus. It’s fun to see how Tina tweaked the design with some ingenious construction.
