Illinois’ Linda Webb (creeksidestudio) tells her story in mosaic code, this one a heartfelt condolence to Manchester, UK families.
Linda keeps her work surface covered with sheets of veneers that she crafts into images. This Instagram photo of her workspace explains it all.
Mosaics offer another use for the polymer, paint and ink veneers that have been growing in popularity.
Slovenia’s Marjana Cajhen shows how minimalist designs that aren’t technique-driven can delight us with openness and wearability. Thin graduated flat squares of polymer veneer are stacked on each other separated by tiny spacers.
If Marjana’s sensibilities mesh with yours, look at more of her work on Pinterest, FB, and her blog.
PCD is closing in on 3,000 posts and 300 weekly weekend StudioMojos. That shocking number paralyzed me temporarily on Friday and I took the day off to recover.This link from Lindly Haunani jarred me back into action.
Sometimes a simple sensual curve and a hollow spot add to the allure of a piece. Here a mokume gane veneer drapes gently over a flat back layer and a cord slides easily through the middle of the resulting pendant.
France’s LN Jewels Creation sprinkles tantalizing design bits throughout her polymer works on Instagram and Facebook.
Pennsylvania’s Beth Petricoin (CreateMyWorldDesigns) says that her lip is out of shape but she still enjoys playing her flute. For several years she’d been thinking decorating one of her instruments and an Etsy guild challenge was just what she needed to put her idea to the test.
She was too sentimental about her own instruments to use them so instead she found a deal on Ebay. A local music store disassembled the instrument and Beth was ready to roll.
The keys are topped with soundwave cane patterns and the body is covered with polymer finished to a high shine using Debbie Crothers’ liquid polymer method.
Yes, the flute is playable. Don’t you wonder if the big grin on Beth’s face hampers her playing? Read all about Beth’s adventure and ponder what you could cover with polymer.
A picture of a worn old quilt caught my eye. The stripes reminded me of men’s pajamas -washed and faded ones. They showed up in this polymer veneer for a maple bowl turned by my husband.
Taking a hint from Emily Squires Levine, I’m starting to make a habit of using my scraps at the end of the day. Of course the carefree scrap vessels often turn out to be my favorites.
You can see a few in-process photos on my Instagram page.
Pinterest sometimes let you crawl around in an artist’s head. Take a look at Betsy Baker’s boards on Pinterest.
You can see photo setups she’s considering, polymer canes she’s thought about, jewelry that appeals to her. Her sense of style is so authentic, so “her” that it makes me sigh with pleasure.
Sure, Betsy has a website and other online presences and shops, but with Pinterest she gives us more insight into how she thinks.
The painterly pendant is called Landscape 2 and it’s from her etched veneer series with extruded strings pressed in which she explains on Facebook. The earrings look like salvaged circles from an abstract canvas and they’re from an earlier version of her etched color series. Betsy sells a good tutorial about her methods but not about this etched color process yet.
One of the satisfactions of attending a workshop for polymer artists is watching how others work.
The black marks that Loretta Lam sketched across these beads gave me a clue as to where she was headed with her design. The baked gray base beads are made from blended scrap clay (ultralight and polymer) which she covered with veneers, adding a few sculptural elements and textures.
This week Loretta posted a picture of the final necklace with the juxtaposed lines, patterns and shapes all in place. The mixture of elements forces your eye around the piece and offers something interesting no matter where your focus lands.
You can read more about Loretta’s art and business in this recent interview and on her Facebook fan page. Does this make you rethink your process?
Claire Wallis‘ polymer nail veneers provide a clever solution to those who aren’t adept at nail decor. She bakes thin shaped slices on curved foil forms and glues the baked slices onto press-on nails. “I wanted to create polymer clay fake nails but in order to be strong enough they ended up too thick so these are paper thin slices stuck onto fake nails,” she says.
Note: I ran right out and bought some drugstore nails which melted in the oven. Then I made a mold of each size nail which allowed me to make perfectly shaped veneers.
Can you go overboard with this impractical but fun idea? If your earrings match your coffee mug and your nails, your friends may plan an intervention.
See more of Claire’s work on Facebook and on her site here.
Virginia dentist, Page McNall rolled out a sheet of ecru polymer and added a few scrap clay pieces made using Maggie Maggio’s watercolor technique.
Then she colored the flat surface with alcohol inks and liquid chalks, textured it and embedded Mykonos ceramic beads for accent. She calls the resulting polymer assemblage Currents.
From this flat sheet, Page cut out pleasing shapes that became brooches and pendants. These two she calls Faux Stone Dentates (tooth-like, of course).
Her soft painterly chalks and inks are deftly applied. Page’s beautiful results may have you heading back to your inks to try again.
Carol Simmons has been hunting for the best technique for covering eggs with veneers of polymer cane slices.
Now that she’s perfected her system and created a machine that will cut consistently thin slices, she’s pondering applying cane slices to other shapes and items.
Read about her pattern-choosing, color-selecting method here. Here’s an earlier PCD post with more information. Have a Happy Easter!
