Colored Pencil on Polymer

After seeing Annie Pennington's beautiful brooch on Polymer Clay Daily (click HERE), I dug out my experiment with colored pencils I'd done a while ago. I took a photo of one of my paintings and downloaded it to my computer. I conditioned and rolled out my clay, picked the photo to print, loaded the transfer paper and printed a copy of my painting. I immediately transferred it to the polymer clay (below). I used the colored pencils to color the polymer. I scratched on it a little here and there to highlight some areas. I use a reverse magnifier to see my values, whether I'm painting, beading or sculpting with polymer clay. It's a handy little tool to have. The finished experiment (above). What I learned was not to use any enhanced clay (pearl, glitter, metallic, etc.); they don't like transfers. I had a mix of white and pearl leftover from a previous project and thought it might make an unusual transfer, but no, it didn't. I loved Annie Pennington's brooch and will give this another try using a strong white.

Lucky Snake Eyes

I love making polymer clay snakes from canes and adding Swarovski crystals to them.

If the snake doesn't catch your eye, the crystals do.

I just liked the colors and the pattern and think it will be a pendant. The pattern runs through, so sanding and buffing should really make it pop.

Tried more transfers. This one turned out great.

The couple are Z gauge model railroad plastic people. A while ago I experimented baking them in a polymer clay pendant. Didn't work; they melted quite a bit. I cut the pendant apart, sculpted a leafless tree, two birds and a large valentine heart. Hit it with the heat gun and it cured just fine. Probably because I used the heat gun and not the oven. Anyway, there are several scenarios I thought were pretty funny that went with this, but not worth the space.

Acrylic Glazing on Polymer

This is how it looked right before I put it in the oven. I used Golden Fluid Acrylics to glaze it.

After it's cooled down, I'll give it a light sanding and buffing.

Actually, I should go and get it out of the oven and put a couple of heavy books on it to make sure it stays good and flat.

I just thought this was too funny. The hubby is tiling and because I'm not the most coordinated person, he put construction cones around his project. He still makes me laugh after 41 years.

Painted Transfers

I've never made a book cover and thought I'd give it a try using a transfer. I got carried away with inscribing the lines and when I showed it to Tory Hughes, she said ever so sweetly, "Oh no, it's just fine....heavy lining such as this symbolizes rain in Japanese drawings and carvings, so leave it."

I learned that less is more in carving and cutting. Do a little and if it needs more, you can always add it.

But if it's overdone, it can't always be fixed by calling it "rain".

I do like it though. But I think I am going to try lightly painting in some acrylic color in the lower half of the piece (even though I just said less is more). Just a watered down glaze. And now that I am writing, I think it will be beautiful as a tile in a wall hanging with some faux polymer ivory, wood and brass components in the composition.

Tory Hughes Workshop Part 1

Tory Hughes' workshop was wonderful! She had many of her beautiful pieces arranged on two tables so we could put them in our hands and examine them. The appliques, inlays, prebaked inlays, painted pieces, the embossed, molded, sculpted, carved and found object pieces. Pieces where she had perfected the photocopy and tearaway transfer techniques, clay body manipulation, metallic foils, powders, mokume gane and wire additions. Exquisite pieces.

They were heavenly to touch and examine up close. I mean, it was such a treat I can't put it into words. She graciously signed my book, "Polymer The Chameleon Clay, ArtRanch Techniques for Re-creating the Look of Ivory, Jade, Turquoise and other Natural Materials".

I brought wire, clay, paints, inks, stamps, texturing tools, powders and glitter. The first day we covered photocopy transfers and tearaway transfers and discussed many surface techniques.

My workspace at the workshop was spacious and comfortable. It started and 10:00 a.m. and went until 5:00 p.m. with an hour break for lunch. When I got home after the workshop, I made some mokume gane pieces for the hinge workshop the next day.

The hinge workshop was exactly what I needed to advance my jewelry construction. I've been wanting to connect pieces in a bit different way and this workshop was perfect.

The top two photos are one of my pieces I designed, textured and hinged. Appropriately titled," Growth". Part II tomorrow.