A Swirled Cane Many Ways

A few weeks ago, I made a braided cane and used it to cover a couple of boxes.  A hexagonal box was pictured in an earlier post. The other box I covered was an Altoid tin.  This photo shows the cane and the Altoid tin.  The slices I used for the tin came from the ripple blade-cut side of the cane.  The design shown on top of the cane I decided to use to make some jewelry.

First, I made several swirled beads in graduated sizes, then used jump rings to link them together into a necklace.

A pair of earrings followed.

Then I swirled the swirl a bit more, and made this "U" shaped pendant.  Fun!

Another shot of the necklace:

Polymer Collages

What fun!  I've tried mosaics with polymer, but I haven't really tried to do much with collages.  I owe a big thanks to Lindly Haunani who presented her version of collages at CFCF 2015.  Of course, she used Skinner blend rainbows, and they made the collages especially attractive and interesting.   My first piece to the left is pretty much based on Lindly's designs.









Then I started branching off on my own a bit, using white as well as black to delineate between the colored shapes.  I also started trying different outlines for the overall shape of the pieces.  Note the gold tone rounded piece in the middle in this cluster of pendants and pins.




Here's a shape and design I really like.  One of the things that I love about polymer is the more you play, the more a technique or process evolves and becomes "your own." When you look at my first piece and then this one, I think you can see the evolution.

Next are some photos of earrings in various shapes, sizes and color-ways.

And, to add a finishing touch, I covered another little paper-mache' box using the collage technique. 

More Black & White "Magic"

Today, I'll be sharing some photos of earrings and bracelets I made to fit into the Westerly gallery theme for March.
First, the cuff bracelets.  These flowers were both created from petal canes I made.  I reduced a portion of each cane in order to have different sizes to use for the inner and outer petals.  The bolder black and white flower on the left is mounted on a single piece brass cuff.  I put a magnetic clasp in the opening to help secure the bracelet.  The flower on the right is set on a hinged cuff that stays closed while worn.

The diamond-shaped earring pairs fit well into the "magic" theme since they seem to need a second look to figure out the design.
The striped pairs almost look like the lines are moving, especially when they swing from the ears.

The last pair of larger tube-shaped earrings were made from a kaleidoscope cane. This was a cane composed of several simple canes.  When the pieces are combined, reduced, and combined again, the resulting pattern can almost seem like "magic."

Black & White Magic: The Art of Contrast

The topic for the March show at the Artist's Cooperative of Westerly (RI) is "Black (and white) Magic:  The Art of Contrast.  I'm one of the featured artists, and I've been working on pieces for the show.  I've been trying some techniques that are new for me, so I thought I'd share some of the pieces here.  I think that polymer is a perfect medium for this theme.  Not only do we have contrast with black and white, we can easily contrast other colors as well as textures, shapes and sizes.  Love my polymer!

The first couple of items were inspired by tutorials I saw on the CraftEdu site.  This first set is made from a sheet I constructed based on a traditional Japanese pattern I saw in a tutorial from Nikolina Otrzan.   I used textured clay to construct the pattern, and I think it really fits the show theme.
This next pendant is based on directions from one of Donna Kato's tutorials.  I liked the way Donna constructed the basic black and white base, but found my clay was too soft to use her technique for adding bands of color.  So, I used my own cutting ideas to add the lines of red.








The idea of inserting lines appeals to me, so I decided to try some straight lines rather than curves and waves.  The next set is an example of this type of insertion.











I also experimented with inserting lines and circles.  I particularly like this new shape that comes from a template produced by Melanie Muir.








The last photo shows a larger pendant made using a mokume gane technique.  This piece has a high polish and I like the way the beads look flanking each side.

I'll be back soon to show you some black and white earrings and bracelets in the next post.  Then on to some color!

I'm Off to CFCF 2015!

It's amazing how quickly a year goes by, especially when we have event markers that show us time really is moving forward.  Cabin Fever Clay Festival is just such an event marker for me, and I'm delighted to see it here again.  I always learn something new - or at least some great tips and tricks - and the instructors and attendees are a great group that I really enjoy.  The impending winter storm here in New England caused me to change my travel plans, and I fly out in a few hours.

This year at the conference, they are honoring Maureen Carlson. The theme for the "inchie" swap is Masks.  Before I pack them,  I thought I'd show you the little African-inspired masks I made.  This first photo shows the black and white version with a few mokume gane masks thrown in.

 I am doing a show in March with a black and white theme, and somehow that color scheme just spilled over into the masks.

The other pile shows the variety of colors I used - really a contrast to the set above.  It will be interesting to see which masks go quickest during the swap.

You can plan on a posting or two about the conference after I get back.  I'm working with some instructors I've had previously, as well as with some who are new to me.  Fun!

Paper Mache' & Polymer

A few weeks ago, I taught a workshop on covering metal containers with polymer.  We used Altoid tins, even cutting around the hinge areas so the tins opened and closed.  One student brought a small paper mache' box and covered that, too.  I liked the versatility I could envision with the paper mache' box, and decided to try a few of my own.
The first one I made showcases a tessellation in black and white. This particular design is based on a traditional Japanese pattern explained in a tutorial by Nikolina Otrzan on Craft Art Edu.  I am working on creating some pieces in black and white for the March show in Westerly, and this pattern just begged to be made in those high-contrast colors.  I decided to try painting the paper mache' section above the clay on the base and really liked the finished look it gave.

This green box showcases a multi-colored braided cane.  I love the brightness of the colors and the hexagonal shape.


The little round red box seemed the perfect spot for a cane I made based on a tutorial from Marcia Tzigelnik or Mars Design.

This other round box features a cover made from a Stroppel cane.  These canes are such a perfect use for  clay scraps and cane ends, and I love the effect.

Feeling Wistful

Yes, I'm feeling wistful - missing leaves on the trees, flowers, grass, colors other than brown, white, and gray...It may only be the beginning of February, but we've been having more than our share of winter here in Connecticut. Guess that's why, when I picked up some brass bracelet forms to work on, I ended up with leaves, vines and even a flower or two.  The large teal and turquoise flower to the right is secured to a white-coaated, filigree brass bracelet cuff.

The other bracelets are on brass open cuffs.  I like these cuffs. They are lightweight and lend themselves to decoration.  To ensure they stay on, no matter what the wrist size, I added a magnetic clasp.  Here's the first one:

Below are three more.  These are all made from the same cane, just done in different colors.

Button Up!

OK, we're in the midst of a blizzard back here in Connecticut.   Looking out at the swirling snow as it piles up on bushes and paths and up against the fence just makes me want to burrow deeper into my coat.  "Button up!" as our mothers would say when we went out in cold weather as children.  I had some clay just sitting there in front of me, so found myself fashioning a little button front jacket complete with black ruffled ribbing around the neck and cuffs.

Of course, this led to thoughts of simple earrings "buttoned up" in the some of the muted and slightly "off" colors of Gucci winter fashions.  I used some pearl-based colors with geometric designs I had for these first pairs:

Then I made some using a couple of Skinner blends.  The blends were a bit too subtle and don't really show well, but these will go well with different outfits.  The mustard pair is missing a button - on purpose!

"Fanned" Pendants

As I mentioned at the end of the last post,  I also planned to make a couple pendants with the fanned process.

When I sat down to work on the pendants, I realized there were a couple of things that needed special attention. One was a way to combine mirror images of the fanned shapes.  I ended up making a backing sheet that held all the pieces together and made each piece stronger.

 The other thing I needed to consider was how to attach the pendants to a chain of some sort.  I decided to insert eye screws as a place for chain attachment on the 2 red pieces.

On the turquoise piece, I inserted jump ring hoops into the back of the piece and, after baking, passed a black neck wire through the hoops.   Adding findings is, for some reason, my least favorite aspect of the process, so I was pleased that these pieces had relatively straight forward solutions.

Fanning Out

A couple of years ago, I was playing with some scraps of clay at a workshop, and developed a piece that was composed of cut outs using the same shape, just differing sizes.  I've been meaning to get back to this particular idea, and finally did.  Today's post shows you a few pairs of earrings I made using what I call "fanning out".
I started with sheets of clay, some in Skinner blends, then I textured them.  I cut out the shapes with an exacto knife.  As you can see in the photos of these earring sets, each different shape was cut out in 3 or more sizes and then the shapes were layered and "fanned" out.  Hence, the name "Fanning Out."

After making some of the earrings with my usual ear wires, I decided to make some with posts.  This required adding an extra piece at the top of the fanned design so the ear posts had a location for attachment.





The last pair on this page shows another version of post earrings in a fanning that displays the Skinner blend well.

P.S. Pendants coming soon....

Yipes - Stripes!

I'm not sure why, but I don't usually do a lot of things in stripes. I was inspired to give stripes a try when I sat across from Anita, of Anita K Designs, at the Mammoth Cave Retreat.  She was using long bolts to make texture on striped slices, and I really liked the way they looked.

On the first pieces I made, I passed the striped clay through the pasta machine multiple times, with the result that the lines between the stripes were softened.  I think these softer stripes are pretty.  However, I tried using the bolts to make the waffle design on these soft stripes, and realized I was not getting the crisp look I wanted.




The next striped pieces I made were passed through the pasta machine just once to seal the joints between the colored stripes.    Since the bolt ridges only run in one direction, each piece is rolled twice, once each in perpendicular directions.  The clay does move a bit while being rolled, which I think adds to the interest of the sheets.

These photos show how the impressed lines from the long bolts made a nice waffle texture and emphasized the stripes.

Rainy Day Tutorial Play

A rainy day can be one of the best times to try out a polymer tutorial.  Since it's been pouring outside, I decided to give one a try. I had seen Eugena Topina's version of polymer cloisonne, and decided to see how she achieves her effects.  If you like the occasional tutorial, you might really enjoy visiting Eugena's website: www.eugenascreations.com.  She has a wide variety of tutorials that are clear and easy to follow. Since this cloisonne effect is a tutorial she sells, I can't share the technique.  However, I can share my finished products. Perhaps they'll tempt you to visit Eugena's website and see what else she has developed.

These first two pieces, the teal and gold above and the orange and gold to the right, are pendants.  I used Magic Gloss to provide the final protective finish.



The last piece is larger and will work well as a pin.