Pour yourself a cup of energetic polymer

Energetic polymer to start your day from Yehudit Yitzhaki on PolymerClayDaily.com

This over-the-top covered ceramic teapot is from Israel’s Yehudit Yitzhak. What kind of mood do you have to be in to create a piece like this? And how many canes must you have at your fingertips?

Her works are full of energy and colors that require sunglasses. Way to start a Tuesday!

If you could use a shot of energy, go look at all her works on Flickr.

Flower pot

Arieta Stavridou makes an unusual flower pot on PolymerClayDaily.com

Arieta Stavridou’s polymer-covered teapot moves away from the usual cane-slice covered pot and turns toward sculpture. Her son has dubbed it a Flower Pot.

See this pot from all vantage points on Facebook and enjoy her whole stash of teapots on her BigFish page.

Hospitable polymer

Arieta Stavridou invites you in for tea on PolymerClayDaily.com

Arieta Stavridou’s polymer-covered teapot will perk you right up. The colors dance all over its round squat shape.

This Cyprus artist tops off the effect with a wash of dark paint to highlight the details. See this pot from all vantage points on Facebook and enjoy her whole stash of teapots on her BigFish page.

There’s something homey and hospitable about these joyful pieces.

Flowery polymer teapot

Florida’s Pamela Carman makes a flowery pot of tea on a spring Monday.

A visit to her Flickr site shows you the vases, bottles, pots, birdhouses and fish shapes that she covers with polymer.

Usually she uses hundreds of slices of small canes to build her images. Her stash of neatly stored small canes makes us caners envious.

But for today’s teapot on her Instagram she grows a garden out of layers of larger textured circles and leaves.

Is there a bottle in your kitchen that wants to be covered?

Clay on clay

Loveless on PCDaily

MaryAnne Loveless shares her own brand of mixed media. She throws ceramic pots, leaving spaces for polymer. Clay on clay.

A polymer stopper top or a band of color are added after the piece has been kiln fired. Of course the ceramic piece can tolerate another baking.

Loveless on PCDaily

She added a wire and polymer handle to the ceramic teapot below. See how she mixes media on tins, wood bases, ceramics by checking her out on Flickr and Pinterest. What can you pair with polymer?

Nuts! I published early. My site’s clock seems to have a bug in it. I’ll try to fix it and bring you your regularly scheduled programming as soon as I can figure it out.

Spirited polymer

Yitzhaki on PCDaily

Of course the blooming polymer flower covered teapot from Israel’s Yehudit Yitzhaki is too much! Over the top! Color on steroids! And perfect!

Look at the delicious colors in her studio. I love the mix of influences on her Flickr pages – from hamsas, shoes and teapots to Frieda Kahlo. Plus this retired art teacher cooks Hungarian specialties. What’s not to love?

I hope your spirits are as over the top and joyful as Yehudit’s this holiday weekend.

Tea and polymer

Wanda Shum has based the design of her newest polymer tea set on The Night Circus, a popular novel by Erin Morgenstern that presents a sprightly version of 19th-century English magic.

Wanda uses ceramic teapots as the canvas for her polymer canes.

You can follow the evolution of her face cane here snd see the damask cane portion of the teapot emerge here. Zoom in close to examine the carved and drawn areas as well. What a treat!

Party on Wednesday

PCDaily doesn’t usually cover tools but that’s not because I don’t love them. Wednesday night, party girl and Craftcast publisher Alison Lee is hosting a free webinar during which five tool fans will bring out their favorite polymer and metal clay tools.

Celie Fago, Jill Erickson, Wanaree Tanner, Patrik Kusek and I will demo our secret weapons. It’ll be a fast-paced, fun filled hour with lots of surprises and giveaways. RSVP here.

Art speaks

Art Speaks is my mantra when I make a mistake in my polymer art. Here’s a secret: sometimes Art knows better than the artist!

When I damage a piece and change my design to incorporate the flaw, the Art Muse often gifts me with something much more compelling than my original design.

My Humpty-Dump-Teapot was a 3D teapot that crushed from its own weight in the oven. I couldn’t bear to toss it, so I mounted the shards as a wall piece, and voila – an award winning piece!

I say Art Speaks also when something unexpected says “Here I Am!”

I created the surface treatment for this candle holder, cut it out and applied it. Later while clearing up my workspace I saw the leftover cutout, already shaped perfectly for a necklace. All I did was ripple it into flowing lava. The Pele’s Offering necklace was born.

guest post by Ann Kruglak