Fire Inspiration

So for the last ATC (Artist Trading Card) swap I did through Swap-Bot, the theme was fire. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do, but then it hit me: I would make myself into a wild fire woman! Using a photo I took of myself, I added ink and acrylics to bring this idea to fruition. Here she (I) is (am)! I wish I could capture this piece in its full glory but it seems impossible. The metallic paint I've used for my eyes and some hair highlights just doesn't show up in a photo or scan.

Roy-Gee-Biv Inspiration

New necklace made by moi! This one was a lot of fun to make. From my Etsy listing:

All the colors of the rainbow flow smoothly through this super-unique necklace. Hand-made polymer clay beads pop when surrounded by organically styled brown spacer beads. The 9 textured focal beads are a mix of translucent and opaque polymer clays. Some of the beads were mixed thoroughly and some only partially to give them a marbled effect.The necklace measures 16.5" in length - the focal beads start just at the collar bone. Each focal bead is varnished for shine and durability. Toggle clasp is silver plated.

The BEST thing about this necklace? It matches everything!

Funky Chunky Polymer Clay Beads

These beads are totally retro and each is made by me from my own hand-made mold. Colors include grasshopper green, light coral, pearl, white, hot pink, lavender, turquoise, yellow, orange, and light pink. Each bead is about 3/4" in diameter and about 1/2" thick. They've all been varnished to a nice shine. I'm getting into making beads now, where before I tended to stick to pendants. These are available at my Etsy shop right now.

Black Luna Bean Necklace

Allow me to introduce my black Luna Bean Necklace. Each of the 24 black polymer clay beads has been painstakingly rolled, textured, and accented with mica powder (12 different colors in all). Dark iridescent seed beads flank both strands which end in a silver-plated lobster clasp. A lot of time and love went into this piece. You can buy it on my Etsy shop, here.

P.S. I named these beads "luna beans" because they are shaped like beans and have craters like the moon!

Tuxedo Bloom Earrings

New earrings! These are available in my Etsy Shop right now.

Summer Bouquet Necklace

I am extremely proud to show off this necklace that I finally finished today. This thing has been living in my head for a very long time, and I'm so happy that it is now a tangible, wearable object. The three flowers are made out of (what else?) polymer clay. Each layer or "petal" is a separate hand-sculpted piece. The flowers' centers are adorned with corresponding color seed beads. Flanking the blooms are two leaf-shaped glass beads. The necklace is finished with green seed beads and a toggle clasp. I also went ahead and made matching earrings which you can see in the bottom picture. The biggest challenge of this necklace was the actual construction of the finished baked pieces. Attaching the petals of the flowers themselves was the first issue. Mounting the flowers to the wire in an aesthetically pleasing way and getting them to hang "just so" was the biggest challenge of all. I'm entering this necklace into Polymer Cafe Magazine's summer "Flower Power" challenge. The only thing that's driving me nuts is that you can only submit ONE photo! Of course, being an indecisive Libra, I've been agonizing over this for hours. I'm also agonizing over the name of the piece. Right now I'm calling it "Summer Bouquet Necklace," but if anyone has a better idea, please comment!

Favorite PolyClay Creations from the Web...

From top, 1.) Laughing Bird’s Silver Blue Dot Pendant. Like Gris Bleu (bottom), she is another one who can mix metal and clay in a way that is seamless and unique. 2.) Bunny X’s Tentacle Necklace in Heather. I love the loopy twisted smoothness of her pendants. They make you want to reach out and touch them just to find out if they feel as smooth as they look. 3.) Joo Joo’s gorgeous painted “porcelain” snails. Joo Joo has a way of using polymer clay in a way that is cute yet elegant at the same time. I love how the glossy (real!) shells compliment the matte texture of the clay. 4.) Gris Bleu’s amazing Small Buddhist Clouds necklace. I really admire how this artist incorporates wire into her polymer clay work. Combining the two can prove to be a little awkward, but she does it flawlessly.

New Pieces

Some of my newer items - these are all available on my Etsy store. From the top: Hot Pink Phoenix Earrings, Lucy in the Sky Pendant, Pink Poetry Tablet Earrings, Electric Sunset Pendant.

New Polyclay Pieces (and a Little Philosophy)...

New polymer clay pieces (some newer than others). From the top: Ochre Pod Earrings, Golden Grove Earrings, Black Forest Earrings, Kelly Green/Copper Spoon Earrings, Magdalena Pendant. Right now, my mission is to use polymer clay in a way that denotes elegance. As I become more accustomed to the medium, it gets easier. It's interesting to see my progression by looking at some of my older posts in this blog. Some of the items I've made in the past are a little embarrassing for me to look upon at this point, but I keep them posted because they're part of this progression. I think every artist/craftsperson goes through a similar process. But how do we know when we've reached the end? Is there ever an end? Or is it a bell curve - we reach a high point and then decline again? This has been something I've been thinking about a lot. This goes for any creative person - musicians and writers included. What do you think?

If your interested in any of the above items, please check out my Etsy store.

Glass Fancy, etc.

So, I hosted a program at the library the other night - a workshop on selling on Etsy. About 20 people came - all kinds of artists and crafters from my local community. It was really a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one! One of the people I met there was Kim, a glass fuser who has an Etsy store, Glass Fancy. She really knows what she's doing! Here are 2 items from her "Emerald City" line.