Polymer Clay Faux Leather

Tooled Leather? No, it's polymer clay, what else? I had such a good time experimenting with this technique. I got to use my leather stamping tools so that was fun.

Some deep texture patterns and

one or two of my own designs.

I'm about halfway done with the buttons. Really taking a lot more time than I had anticipated.

Polymer Beads

Canework beads......

Holiday ornament beads......

Tube beads......

Natasha beads......

and more tube beads.

Flower Pins, Etc.

Alcohol inks painted on cured clay and baked again to set.

Above (overstated) and below (understated) are from the same form.

I should be photographing and getting things posted on Etsy, but instead I'm playing. I'll be whining about it next week.

Masks and Polymer Beads

Merrily making beads and tile necklaces this morning and turned a corner to sculpting little creature masks.

I like the totem of the bear, pig, wolf, owl and abstract masks, but think I will eventually use them separately in a beaded piece. Don't know, still playing with the sketches.

The tiles turned out....like the colors. Leaving as is, no sanding, buffing or Magic Gloss. The jump rings and spacers will be more than enough to balance it out. Sometimes the heavy gloss finish is just too much shine, looks plastic and detracts from the purity of the polymer clay itself.

Switched over to the extruder and used the brightest colors I had. Also leaving these matte.

It was a good day.

Bead Journal February

February's sculpture begins with a 2"x6" piece of Lacy Stiff Stuff as my beading canvas. I specifically chose a small piece for several reasons; (1) this is my first time joining Robin Atkins' Bead Journal Project and I know nothing about bead embroidery, (2) I did not want to consistently fall behind and get discouraged, (3) I wanted to commit to posting my progress

each Wednesday on my blog, and (4) my life is full--I am blessed with the luxury of living my passion of creating and selling my art. I work in my studio daily, take classes and workshops, attend guild and club functions, work as a monthly volunteer at the local gallery/store, do research, write a blog, submit work to magazines, enter art competitions, do charity work, teach, do two art fairs a year, photograph, exhibit and sell my work through various venues, and I try

to attend a retreat or two each year (budget permitting)--so I knew I could not handle anything larger and keep my commitment, and lastly, (5) I wanted to be able to display all 12 pieces in a mosaic wall hanging, so anything larger would not allow me to do that. I have also found that this size is accommodating my experimenting with combining other mediums with my beading. I am learning from each piece.

In February's piece, I'm using size 11 glass seed beads combined with vintage sequins to sculpt the tree. Some of the branches were beaded to stand out from the tree because, goodness knows, I have to have dimension. I painted the background with permanent markers. The Lacy Stiff Stuff is porous enough to allow the blending of colors. I am giving it a light spray of "Preserve Your Memories II" acrylic protective coating to seal it.

January's piece was so cathartic for me, I think it may have set the basic formula for the rest of the year's pieces. The Bead Journal Project has become very healing for me. I find myself processing and expressing feelings in a positive way through these monthly pieces. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

Coming of Age

These photos are from one of Sun City West, Arizona's art fairs. I had a table full of polymer clay art I had sculpted; plus a pastel painting and a couple of acrylic abstracts. The fair is only one day, but during that day, I hear a lot of meaningful stories from people.

I had covered a large gourd (which opened from the top) with polymer clay canes; it was different to say the least. I found a small wooden chair that I also made a design on with the canes. An older woman bought both saying she had always loved art like this "something unique", she said, but never could buy any.

She said her children who were grown adults thought that "stuff" was too weird to be displayed in her home (even though they did not live with her).

She had recently been ill and decided that "you never know what tomorrow may bring, so enjoy today." She bought the gourd and chair and said she had fallen in love with the pieces and they were going in a prominent place in her home.

I was thrilled and grateful, but I asked her if she was prepared for her adult children's criticism and she said softly, "The question is, are they prepared for mine?"

I Won the Judy Belcher's Earrings!

The BIG news-- above are the earrings designed and created by Judy Belcher for IPCA's Synergy2 conference. I won them in Polymer Clay Daily's first ever giveaway! Am I a happy clayer or what?

Posted TODAY in Polymer Clay Daily -First Giveaway Results - The lucky winner of the Judy Belcher earrings is Arizona’s Marlene Brady...

Context based from Polymer Clay Daily (sample above): “Cynthia Tinapple of Worthington, Ohio started Polymer Clay Daily in September, 2005. Polymer Clay Daily is a highly curated blog written by Cynthia to showcase fine polymer clay art and to serve as a portal to the polymer clay community.”

Bald Headed Beads

I hand sculpted each every one of those little bald headed beaded wonders. Yes, I know I have a warped sense of humor and way too much time on my hands.

But you never know when you might want to wear a "Neckless Necklace" - get it?

Some are neat, clean, young and old; and....

some are rough, wrinkled and smudgy. Hope you have a great weekend full of warped humor.

Organic Pin

I liked the white piece from yesterday's post and decided to experiment with it. I like the above piece a lot and have already worn it.

Don't know where I was going with this one.

But it has a metallic look to it which I like.

The above pin's center is filled with curls and the below pin's center is just plain.

I attached the pinbacks and sealed them.

One Pin, Two Faces and Three Molds

The white organic shape is going to be a pin, I think. Right now, it is in its first baking and later today I will add some color or highlights and see where it goes.

Sculpted a couple of faces. Don't ask. I don't know why. They will go in with the rest of the faces for now.

And that was about it for studio time today.

Bead Journal January

I finished my January Bead Journal Project! My first ever. Yay.

I really love this quote from Bette Midler. It's so true of life. My art is the sequins and fringe in my life and it gives me a path to balance out those tears of human spirit.

Above is a side view and below is an open view.

The green is flexible polymer clay by Sculpey. The quote was scanned in my printer, flipped horizontally, printed on a silicone baking paper and applied to the yellow Kato clay. It was baked, and while still hot, I applied liquid polymer clay and adhered it to the green clay.

I was going through old sketches looking for something to symbolize the tears among the sequins and found a sketch I did in 1967. I cut it up a little to give it some dimension and then applied a gel medium to adhere and seal it.

Above is an "open" side view.

I think the transfer was the hardest part for me, but I like the experimenting with different mediums. Most of all I like being able to express something meaningful to me. This past year from January '09 to January, 2010 has been hard, painfully hard, and this piece says it all for me. Nothing is black and white, there are smooth patches in with the bumpy roads; times we go in circles, there a rough edges that leave uncomfortable feelings, broken hearts, wounded souls, mistakes and hurts we can't undo, empty spaces, dreams lost.....but then, there are the moments that save us. Those little beads of joy, glittering sequins of love and a fringe full of life's moments of gratitude.