Polymer Clay Daily

Second glances

Karen Pasieka mixes colors that get a second glance on PolymerClayDaily.com

Ontario’s Karen Pasieka gears up for Spring with a bouquet of canes.

“I find it so important when presenting a grouping, that the collection is cohesive. Their appeal as a collection can be the trick to getting a second glance, and hopefully, the decision to buy,” Karen divulges.

Karen Pasieka mixes colors that get a second glance on PolymerClayDaily.com

This luscious mix made me look twice. You too? Here’s Karen on Facebook.

Over at StudioMojo this Saturday, we’ll be seeing what else is getting a second look this spring. Are our 2020 colors shifting? What’s next for our art?

Made you look!

How does Jana Honnerova roll up blended colors with cracked edges on PolymerClayDaily.com

When I find myself stuck on a photo, I stop and ask why it’s captured my attention.

That’s what’s happening with these rolled-up earrings from Prague’s Jana Honnerova.

Narrow strips of clay in blended colors are rolled up. But look at those cracked edges! And how does she control the color or is it random? You start drilling down into Jana’s methods and it makes you think about her skill, her tricks.

But on top of that is the elegance of these little gems simply stacked on a headpin. Sweet! And that’s what it boils down to. Do your designs make people take a second look? That’s the real trick.

Monday step by step

Kristi Thorndike-Kent and Jen Young walk you through a vibrant blend on PolymerClayDaily.com

When Monday chores won’t allow you to work on your clay, following another artist’s process can be very satisfying. That’s why these step-outs from Washington’s Kristi Thorndike-Kent and Jen Young (GoInsideandclay) are enticing.

The straight strips of color overlap slightly for a beautiful bend. The vibrant blend thins out and then stacks up into sporty stripes. Kristi and Jen share how they arrived at these cutouts that are just a few steps away from finished jewelry.

They make it look so easy! See the in-between steps on their Instagram.

Stronger together earrings

See how Miss Peppy Handmade and her Aussie colleagues are stronger together on PolymerClayDaily.com

Here’s another helping of Australian goodies from Perth’s Lisa (Miss Peppy Handmade). These birdie earrings are made from Skinner blends stacked in alternating layers of light-to-dark. Carving reveals the underlying colors.

A bunch of Aussie artists gathered together for a Stronger Together giveaway. As they explain, “We don’t have to think of each other as competitors, we can also be each others’ best advocates, cheerleading squads, sounding boards. We are stronger together because empowered women empower other women.”

And the best discovery is that we have until July 21 to sign up (add your comment) for their giveaway. Uh-oh, you have to have an Australian postal address. Bummer, but an uplifting project nonetheless.

Me and Matisse

Cynthia Tinapple's Matisse and me earrings on PolymerClayDaily.com

In a last-day flurry of activity at the retreat in Virginia, I churned out a bunch of earrings.

I rarely work quickly to produce a bunch. As I looked around the workroom, it appeared that everyone was enjoying a last-minute burst of creativity. I’m calling these my Me and Matisse earrings.

The drive to “get her done” is often one of the best motivators and a good reason to join your own gathering of artists.

Braided metallics

Jana Honnerova's bracelets shine with metallic bits on PolymerClayDaily

Prague’s Jana Honnerova brings a smooth and seductive metallic sheen to her polymer clay coiled and braided bracelets. Bits of gold float on top of spring colors that blend seamlessly into each other.

Jana Honnerova's bracelets shine with metallic bits on PolymerClayDaily

Admire them on Instagram and take an even closer look in her Etsy shop.

Fishing for something

Fiona Abel Smith inlays stripes over a blend for her tropical fish on PolymerClayDaily.com

The UK’s Fiona Abel Smith is fishing for something on Instagram. This is no ordinary polymer fish pendant. Fiona added the details over a Skinner blend-covered sculpture. The stripes are patterned cane slices inlaid into the blend.

Fiona’s fish has personality and sparkle and believable tropical colors. She’s had some practice. Look at this school of fish she made a while back. Practice makes perfect.

Southwest blends and designs

Deb Hart features Skinner blends in her rainbow designs on PolymerClayDaily.com

The slim profile and clear blended colors on Deb Hart’s twist ballpoint pens put them a cut above others.

These are class samples from her second session in the RainbowBlend series. She turns well mixed Skinner blends into design elements that stand on their own.

Deb Hart uses small Southwest canes to cover her sculpted animals on PolymerClayDaily.com

Her March workshop for the Arizona guild features tips for making cane inlaid sculpted animals with a definite Southwest flavor.

Deb is on a roll! See what she’s up to on Instagram and Etsy.

Budding vase

Phyllis Pollema Cahill's vase moves us to spring on PolymerClayDaily.com

This lily bud from Colorado’s Phyllis Pollema Cahill hints at spring. Dark veins cut through the Skinner blended green and lavender petals.

Phyllis spent years as an illustrator which helps explain her thorough planning and construction of this vase. She’s also been trying out her carving skills on this necklace from her Symmetry/Asymmetry online class with Christine Dumont and Donna Greenberg.

Phyllis carefully documents her technique and product experiments on her blog which contains lots of DIY tips and solutions.

Phyllis shows she’s ready for a new season. Watch her bloom on Facebook and Instagram.