POLYMER CLAY ADVENTURE RETREAT

Announcing the first ever all inclusive virtual polymer clay and mixed media retreat!
Right Now -  $80 - the lowest price it will ever be.

Sept.  1 - 10   - $__

Sept. 11 - 20  - $__

Sept. 21         - $99

Polymer Clay Adventure Virtual Retreat is a Celebration of Art for polymer clay and mixed media enthusiasts at all skill levels.  It’s about connection, community, and honoring the creativity in all of us.  It’s designed for people who love to create and meet kindred spirits, and want to immerse themselves in unlimited learning  without breaking the bank.  [Partial excerpt from Polymer Clay Adventure]

The Virtual Retreat is open for registration NOW and officially kicks off January 1, 2015.

Interested?  Wanting to know how to sign up?

Read more on  POLYMER CLAY ADVENTURE

Hosts:  Ilysa Ginsburg and Kira Slye

Classes:
Syndee Holt - multiple bracelet technique
Christi Friesen - walking pod sculptural vase
Barbara McGuire - faux stone and face pendant

Laurie Mika - mixed media mosaic house
Sarajane Helm - ball jointed doll

Ilysa Ginsburg - decorated display stand

Kira Slye - polymer vase and flowers

Chris Kapono - suncatcher tiles

Katie Oskin - woodland critter sculpture

Layl McDill - cat cane

Anke Humpert - translucent jewelry

Lisa Renner - bathing beauty figural sculpture

Tammy Durham - illustrated greeting cards

Karen Lewis aka KLEW - bead shapes and designs

Tristina Elmes - sculptural fine art with clay and paint

Teresa Salgado aka PANDORA - caning

Marlene Brady - sculptural beads

Linda Hess - votives and vases

Wendy Orlowski - cabezel jewelry

Suzanne Ivester - painting with polymer

Jennifer Morris - embroidery technique

Cat Therien aka CAT - flower cane

PLUS two BONUS lessons designed to kick off the event and close it with a bang....

Haunani Gane'

I finished the framed cross (in the middle) in Lindly Haunani's Clay Carnival workshop.  I loved the vibrant colors and wanted a bigger piece.  When I got home, I used the scraps from class to finish covering the 6"X6" wrapped 2" deep canvas.  It can be wall hung, easel set or stand on its own.

Most of all, I love how the light shines through the translucent clay.   When time allows, I will be trying the Haunani Gane' again.  Lindly is a wonderful teacher with a unique sense of humor.  You can find Lindly's work and class information on her website LindlyHaunani.com and her Facebook Page.  Lindly also has a Pinterest board and a great blog.

Kato Style

I had a great time in Donna Kato's Clay Carnival workshop in Vegas.  I finished the workshop pin in the background and then came home and made a pendant with carving (in the foreground).   I'm barely home and I can't wait to go back next August.

You can sign up to receive Donna's Prairie Craft Newsletter where you will receive the latest info on new products and receive CraftArtEdu coupons.  You can see more of Donna's work and learn more about KatoPolyClay on her website and to keep up with the latest, check out her Facebook page.

Pollen Inspired Beads

"Under the Microscope" was the name of Natalia Garcia de Leaniz Clay Carnival Workshop in Las Vegas.  It was extremely satisfying to experiment while building my beads (above).  Natalia is inspired by pollen photographed while under the microscope.   Just so interesting to me how artists get inspired and then translate/interpret it into a piece of art.  Pollen.

You can see more of Natalia's work on her website (click HERE).

Peraud Inspired Pendant

 Inspired by Sylvie Peraud's pendant, I created my carved version.  The act of carving is very meditative.  This piece has inspired another to be posted later.

Sylvie Peraud's Workshop

I made the above pendant in Sylvie Peraud's workshop at Clay Carnival.  I made two, but finished the second one at home which will be posted in a couple of days.  It was a very creative environment and easy to put myself into my work.  I put my own spin on the second one.  I loved learning all the new techniques and getting tips from the instructors.  For me, the value in taking workshops like these offered at Clay Carnival is seeing how an instructor thinks, processes their ideas, corrects mistakes, discovers something new in the process of teaching, shares something spontaneously; I love being part of that.

You can see more of Sylvie's work on her website (click HERE), or on her Flickr site (click HERE).

Magic

When I was little, about 7 years old, I garbage picked looking for toys.  We lived with my maternal grandmother in a house on the corner of an alley.  I never really found much.  Then, one day, I opened the lid of a garbage can two houses from ours and found a brand new box of magic tricks.  It was like Christmas.  I’ll never forget it.  From time to time, there were more new toys and I always had the same reaction--eyes wide, mouth open; pure wonder.  It was years later I found out that Mr. and Mrs. Hall did not have children.  The new toys were for me.

I googled 1954 toys, newspapers and toy ads, reduced them to fit my matchbook and garbage can.  I googled 1954 playing cards, reduced them to fit inside her pockets, on her hair and in the box of magic tricks.  I sculpted the figure, rabbit in the hat and the garbage can from polymer clay.  Her eyes are beads and she wears glued on doll hair.

I loved Leslie Blackford's sculpting workshop at Clay Carnival.  I learned a lot, laughed a lot and "remembered" a lot.  And that's how my rabbit in the hat, my "something personal" fit into my sculpture.  Click HERE for Leslie's workshop description.

2014 Clay Carnival

All Photos From Donna Kato

I'm home from Vegas.  This year's Clay Carnival attendance was the largest in Clay Carnival history!  Everyone was fun, the classes challenging and Vegas, well, Vegas is crazy, wild Vegas!

 Instructors Left to Right:  Lindly Huanani, Judy Belcher, Donna Kato, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz, Leslie Blackford, Sylvie Peraud and Sarah Shriver.

 The Zen (sort of quiet) Room was the largest, but we still had plenty of room to work.  My schedule was a full 8 hours with Sylvie Peraud on my first day.  Classes start at 8:30, break for lunch at 12:30, resume at 2:00 and go until 6:00.  My 2nd day was a 4 hour class with Natalia Garcia de Leaniz and my afternoon class was 4 hours with Lindly Haunani.  3rd day, 4 hours with Leslie Blackford and 4 hrs  with Donna Kato.  4th day, 4 hrs with Judy Belcher and then we ended with 4 hrs with Sarah Shriver in the afternoon.

We have 3 choices of where we would like to work.  The Rowdy Room, the Chatty Room and the Zen Room.  The Zen Room is supposed to be zen-like; quiet room.   However, several teachers commented that we could be mistaken for one of the other rooms.  Oops.  We never have to change rooms, the instructors bring their tables to each room so it is really convenient.  Once we are set up, we are settled in for the 4 days.  Can't wait until next year!

Holiday Bead Patterns

Above are some patterns I created using JB-Bead Software which is a free download (click HERE).  I've played around with it for years, but not to the extent I am now.  When I get back from Clay Carnival, I'm ordering more beads.  I do want to give these a try to see how they work out.  If the samples work out, I will post the patterns.

Who Made These?

 I was a member of the Bead Society of Greater Chicago years ago.  I won these two cane beads in a silent auction held by the Bead Society.  For the life of me I cannot remember the creator.  The beads were highly in demand because of the nude figure cane.  You can click on the photos for a larger image.  Leave me a comment or email me (on the right sidebar at the bottom).