CFCF 2013 - Lindly's Workshops

The clay festival was wonderful - perhaps one of the best so far.  Over the next few months, I'll be sharing techniques I learned as I try applying some of them to my own work.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this year the conference honoree was Lindly Haunani.  To me, she is the queen of color. Her workshops were explorations of the rainbow and various ways in which to modify colors.  In one workshop, participants made folded petals, strung in a necklace of graduated changing colors.

In another class, individually developed rainbows were modified, and we created 2 sheets - one brighter and another more muted.  The resulting Bodacious Bubbles clay sheets were made from circles cut from and swapped between the two different shades, showing how starting with the same base ensures compatibility.  Besides, it was fun - and now I have a case to hold cutting blades.

I had a bit more clay left over, so decided to cut it up and make an ikat cane.  As the sample shows, the color blend is fun.  The wrinkles on the sheet were made from a textured wallpaper sample.  It's amazing what polymer artists find and use!

Criss-Cross - A Different Shape

As many polymer people know, it's fun to play with the clay, exploring different options and possibilities.  I've recently developed a new shape, and have been "claying around" for a couple of days.  The photos here show several pendants made with different surface techniques, all sporting variations on this new shape theme.  The two to the left were made with mica shift sheets.  You'll notice that one has a single criss-cross while the other has none.

The next photo shows 3 more pendants, one with criss-cross at the top, one with criss-cross at the bottom and one crossed in both places. Canework, textures and mokemu gane were used for the surfaces.

The last picture has some criss-cross earring to match the pendant, using the torn paper technique.  I don't know what else I might do with this shape, and it certainly has been fun experimenting.  

CFCF 2013 - Almost here!

Yes, it's February, and that means the Cabin Fever Clay Festival, known affectionately as CFCF, is right around the corner. I leave in 6 days, and am really looking forward to it!  Not only is it a wonderful conference, I'll get away from the snow outside.  Besides, playing with polymer all day for a week isn't hard to take!

One of the regular practices at CFCF is a bead swap.  Everyone who wants to participate makes several beads of their choice, and then these are swapped with other conference participants. Each year there is a different topic.  This year, Lindly Haunani, the queen of color, is being honored as a significant contributor to the field of the polymer arts. In her honor, the theme is "Love of Color."  Since I love leaves, they seemed a perfect form for this swap.  I used ikat canes for the surface decoration - in, naturally - all sorts of colors.  Here is a snapshot of part of the leaf pile.

Attendees also make a separate, special bead for Lindly, and these beads are presented to her at the conference party on the last evening.  I decided to make a lantern bead in one of my favorite ikat color combinations.  It's a fun bead, don't you think?


Since I'm working to get ready for the trip, there will probably not be as many blog entries for the month of February as there usually are.  In the meantime, use your imagination to picture a woods populated with trees festooned with these leaves.  Fun thoughts on a day when all I see outside is white.