Wednesday, March 31, 2010

It's time to vote for your favorite "Inspired by Fabric" challenge piece!

Every month the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy challenges it's member to create a polymer clay item based on a theme.  For Apil's Challenge, the theme was "Inspired by Fabric". 

We've got 17 great entries and now you have the change to go to the PCAGOE website and vote for your top three!  It's a tough one this month with lots of great entires. 
Need another good reason to go vote between April 1 and April 7, 2010?  5 lucky voters will win fabulous polymer clay prizes created by our talented member artists!  Here's a peak at the entries but to get a close up view, go to our website.

Monday, March 29, 2010

An amazing new technique

Last week I was clicking around on some of my favorite sites and ran across a new technique developed by Tina Holden.  I fell in love with the look and had to purchase the tutorial.  I had a great time playing with it and made several pendants. 

Here is a picture of the one that I've actually got finished, beading and all!  I just listed it in my Etsy shop in case you're looking for something unusual and different for spring.  The colors turned out just absolutely lovely, if I do say so myself. 

At a recent Gem and Mineral show in Jackson, I picked up some small coral and jade beads which matched up beautifully with the faux batik look of the background.  I am loving this technique and I'm sure you will see more items done using it.

The shiny finish is a resin developed by Lisa Pavelka which works very well at protecting and enhancing the design. 

Friday, March 19, 2010

See what you can do with a little square metal jewelry finding?

Back on New Years Eve, some of my clay buddies got together and had a play with clay pajama party.  We brought in the new year with a glass a champaigne and a lot of clay fun.

One of the things that we were making were several variations of a kaleidoscope cane.  I made this bracelet recently by using slices of one of the  kaleidoscope canes and some great metal findings.

The view to the right is a closeup of the bracelet with the silver beads that came with the findings plus a coordinating silver-lined blue glass seed bead.  It is string on heavy weight eleastic cord.

In the picture to the left, you can see one section of the final cane, then the kaleidoscope cane combined and reduced to fit in the frames. In the middle is, of course, the bracelet. And at the bottom is the metal findings that I started with.

See what you can do with just a few slices of clay, a strip of metal findings and a lot of imagination!!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

My newest design - a Golden Egg Trinket Box

Last year just before Easter, I found these cool little ceramic egg trinket boxes.  They were glazed with a garish color and design but because they were ceramic, I knew they would be perfect for one of my polymer clay creations.  At a polymer clay workshop that I went to last year, I got some very cool flexible molds from Penni Jo Couch, who sculpts her designs, then makes molds from them.  This particular mold has several flowers including a trumpet vine bloom, leaves and a dragongly.  A different mold that I purchased from her after the class had a hummingbird and so the design developed.

The egg is covered in a custom mix of metallic gold and yellow and rolled pretty thin before applying to the outside of the ceramic egg.  Then a swirl pattern was added to the base layer. 

Next I used the Penni Jo mold to add leaves and flowers to the top of the egg.  The hummingbird came next, then the row of small leaf clusters to hide the join between the upper and lower portions of the egg.  The final touch was to add an earthy antiquing medium to bring out the details in the designs. 

I have this Golden Egg Trinket Box listed in my Etsy shop so drop on by.  If gold is not your preferred color, let me know what color you want yours made in.

Monday, March 8, 2010

To sand or not to sand - that is the question!!


It’s been a while since I covered pens with polymer clay sheet designs but I thought they would be a nice addition to the shop for spring. Over the several months since I had last covered pens, I’ve taken several classes where we actually had to sand the project. Now anybody who knows me very well knows that I’ve always hated to sand. But I’ll have to admit that I’ve seen the light!

Yes, I am the one who always says get it as smooth as possible before you bake. And I still stand by that statement. I still work very hard to get the clay as smooth as possible before I apply it to the pen. Once the clay is on the pen, I roll it rather aggressively with an acrylic block to smooth anything out that is not already smooth. Now all of this leaves it pretty darned smooth if I do say so myself.

In the past I’ve been pretty happy with these results. But after taking several classes where sanding was a “requirement” in order to finish the project or technique, I’m looking at things with a sharper eye. So this weekend I put it to the test. I had covered and cured 24 pens and were ready to put the finishing touches on them. In running my fingers over them, I did notice – even after all that work to get these smooth – that there were a few irregularities. So I decided to sand. I was so pleased with the results that I sat down last night in my recliner and sanded all 24 pens. The difference was remarkable!

I took all of the pens through 4 grits. The first is a fiberglass screen that is designed to sand sheetrock. It is pretty aggressive so I use it just to even out any dips and valleys on the pens. Then I go through 350, 400 and 600 grits, rinsing well and changing the sanding water frequently. It was a lot of work but relaxing in a strange sort of way. I can honestly say these are some of the nicest pens that I’ve ever done. The pictures in the slideshow are the pens that I have posted on my Artfire site and will soon have posted on my Etsy site.  I still have to cover the stands for most of the pens.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Only two days left to vote in this month's PCAGOE Challenge

You know you want to -- and why?  Because you could win a prize!  Check out the information at this link to where you go to view up close and personal and to vote. Be sure to leave your name and email address so that if you are the lucky winner, we can contact you. Small pictures are to the right. The participants are:
1) Cactus Flower Pendant by BeeTreeByMe
2) Snake Skin Mica-shift Bark Choker by 11BoldStreet
3) Leaf Topped Pendant by Stonebrash
4) Faux Handmade Paper Commemorative Wedding Invitation by SCDiva
5) Sea Grass Brooch by CrazyDay
6) Victorian Lace Switch Plate Cover by ClayCenter
7) Faux Granite and Lapis Trinity Necklace by MichelesArtJewelry
8 ) Violet Textured Star by PhoenixRose
9) Salmon Floral Barrette by JKollmann
10) It's Alive! by RiverValleyDesign
11) Leafy Textured Bangle by HiGirls
12) Pucker up! by Cloud9ClayCreations
13) Give That Doll A Pizza by Polyclarific
14) TH Influence Necklace by BLeeKreations
15) Picture Yourself In Spring by PolymerClayCreations
16) Lotus on a Gentle Pond Pendant by YoungCreative
17) Fun with Fantasy Flowers by ArrowdaleArtStudio
18) BIG Focal Bead Pendant by Juliespace
19) N10-07 Necklace by JanGeisen
20) Can-can Lace Ruffle Garter Bangle by BlessedBeadJewelry
21) Lost City Amulet Necklace by RozPetalzStudio
22) Bronze Age Pendant - Boadicea's Trove by RMKDesign
22) Paradise Ring by PipsJewellery
24) Faux Raku Picture Frame by Ashpaints
25) Antique Textured Bangle from Anatolia by ArzuMusa
26) Rainbow Seashells by YonatDascalu
27) Forest Fairy Autumn Choker by TheSageArts
28) Steampunked Heart by DreamLeaping
29)Wooden Flower Pendant by WiredOrchid
30) Sringtime Picnic Necklace by LauraBeeStudios
31) Textured Vase by CreativeArtCenter


Be sure to go to PCAGOE to vote -- and be sure to check out the great prizes we have for three lucky voters!


Monday, March 1, 2010

One of the best things about PCAGOE is...

The monthly challenges.  Every month a challenge is thrown out to all the members of PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy) which is designed to shake us out of our comfort zones and try something new!  I know that I've stretched my knowledge and skill level by participating in some of these challenges. 

I was really lucky this month because the challenge is Texture -- basically anything that involves texture.  I LOVE texture!  Just about everything I do has some texture in it somewhere!  In addition to that, the February meeting of my local guild -- Central Mississippi Polymer Clay Guild -- was all about using rubber stamps with polymer clay.  I showed everybody how to use scrap clay to make a faux mosiac picture frame. 

And the really fun part of it is that at the end of the month, everybody submits their entry and we invite you, the public, to vote on the winning submissions.  In addition to introducing you to some of the hundreds of ways polymer clay can be used, three lucky voters are also winners!  How's that for a win-win situation!!! 

Here is the link to where you go to view up close and personal and to vote.  Be sure to leave your name and email address so that if you are the lucky winner, we can contact you.  Small pictures are to the right.  The participants are:

1) Cactus Flower Pendant by BeeTreeByMe
2) Snake Skin Mica-shift Bark Choker by 11BoldStreet
3) Leaf Topped Pendant by Stonebrash
4) Faux Handmade Paper Commemorative Wedding Invitation by SCDiva
5) Sea Grass Brooch by CrazyDay
6) Victorian Lace Switch Plate Cover by ClayCenter
7) Faux Granite and Lapis Trinity Necklace by MichelesArtJewelry
8 ) Violet Textured Star by PhoenixRose
9) Salmon Floral Barrette by JKollmann
10) It's Alive! by RiverValleyDesign
11) Leafy Textured Bangle by HiGirls
12) Pucker up! by Cloud9ClayCreations
13) Give That Doll A Pizza by Polyclarific
14) TH Influence Necklace by BLeeKreations
15) Picture Yourself In Spring by PolymerClayCreations
16) Lotus on a Gentle Pond Pendant by YoungCreative
17) Fun with Fantasy Flowers by ArrowdaleArtStudio
18) BIG Focal Bead Pendant by Juliespace
19) N10-07 Necklace by JanGeisen
20) Can-can Lace Ruffle Garter Bangle by BlessedBeadJewelry
21) Lost City Amulet Necklace by RozPetalzStudio
22) Bronze Age Pendant - Boadicea's Trove by RMKDesign
22) Paradise Ring by PipsJewellery
24) Faux Raku Picture Frame by Ashpaints
25) Antique Textured Bangle from Anatolia by ArzuMusa
26) Rainbow Seashells by YonatDascalu
27) Forest Fairy Autumn Choker by TheSageArts
28) Steampunked Heart by DreamLeaping
29)Wooden Flower Pendant by WiredOrchid
30) Sringtime Picnic Necklace by LauraBeeStudios
31) Textured Vase by CreativeArtCenter

Be sure to go to PCAGOE to vote -- and be sure to check out the great prizes we have for three lucky voters!