New Earring Styles

Hello!  I realize this blog has been quiet for a few weeks.  With all that has been going on in the world, I have been pre-occupied.  Just recently, I have begun to feel some inspiration to "play with clay" again, and have been making some earrings I'd like to share.  The first two pairs are some of the longest earrings I've made:  3-D triangles of deceasing size, all connected separately for maximum motion.  The lighter set is made from one of the pastels, gold leaf and lace sheets I made and spoke about in an earlier posting.  The purple set on the right is made from an Ikat cane.


These next three pairs of earrings are a different form of 3-D triangle.  I've used this shape before.  The difference here is that I've used a contrasting solid color for the inside of the earrings.  This pop of color really makes the earrings seem to glow from inside.  I've posted 2 photos here - one a front view, and one to give a better image of how the inside looks in contrast.

More earrings soon!  Be well.

Marquetry Sets

I really do like the way marquetry looks in polymer, and I like creating it even more! Here are some pendant and earring sets I made for the Westerly Gallery.  I like the more delicate look of these pieces.
Sometimes, as in the blue/purple set to the left, I use a Skinner blend for the background, and cut shapes from canes or sheets with complimentary colors.

This set has a feathered background, so the inlay pieces are less patterned than in the set above.

The background on the green and brown set is a striped Ikat.

Polymer Abstract Hollow Form

At Clayathon 2019, I had the opportunity to take a 2-day workshop with Helen Wyland-Malchow.  It was a fantastic class!  Helen's instruction was clean, clear, and precise, with lots of smiles tossed in. We made these outstanding free-form hollow "boxes" -- no two were alike.  I loved the slab construction Helen taught.  She has been a high school art teacher, and she brought her skills in teaching and in art and creativity to construction in polymer.  If you get a chance to take a class from Helen, do so!  It was really fun and I learned techniques I'd never seen before.

Since it took us 2 days, there is just too much to explain.  However, I think a couple of photos will give you an idea of what we did. The veneer designs were our own. I decided to make an Ikat stack that I feathered on one side.  We also made little "lids" for our forms.  Mine was really quite small compared to the hollow form.  In the first photo, the lid is in place.  In the second photo, it's lying in front of the form.  We all had lots of fun coming up with designs, shapes, and making the whole thing work!

Pendant & Earring sets

Here are a few of the jewelry sets I made for the June show.  I hadn't realized how much I'd focused on the teal/aqua/purple color ways. Guess it's obvious how much I like those shades!


This first set is made with a feathered Ikat base.  I took the idea of splitting the pendant and joining it with a ribbon of clay from seeing some of Helen Breil's work.   I like the slightly asymmetrical look and adding the gold heshi and crystals really adds a special look to this piece.


These next 2 sets were based on Ikat stacks.  Although the colors are quite similar, the difference in width of the stripes, and the shading I used, does impart a different feel to each set.  I couldn't resist adding little flower elements to the one set.

Regional Show Entries

It's almost May, and that means the Westerly Artist's Cooperative is holding their annual Regional Art Show.  This show is juried by an outside judge, someone who is not familiar with any of the cooperative members.  This means that even member artists who normally show in the gallery may not have their work approved and entered in the show.

This year, I decided to try some new items.  These are pieces I haven't tried before, and it was fun to experiment.  I have no idea if they'll appeal to the judge, but I certainly learned a few things as I tried to make these pieces, and it was a good experience.   Below are the 3 pieces I entered.

 These first photos are of a hollow convertible pin/pendant I made with an opening in the center of the top section.  Emerging out of the hole are several little pearl white buds - the "first buds" of spring.  It can be pinned, or a chain can be added through the loops in the back.













This next photo shows a pendant and accompanying earrings.  I've called these pieces "Pearls floating downstream."  I usually work with Premo! clay, but these pieces were made with Kato.  I wanted a really strong clay that could be rolled thin and still stand up to being manipulated.  The Kato worked perfectly.  you may not be able to see it in the photo, but there is a thin white layer of clay between the blue and copper sheets, and it just peeks out along the edges adding a bit of contrast.

The last photo is of a 20" necklace strung with Swarovski crystal pearls, and silver and crystal rondelles.  The five polymer beads have a very high shine and are larger than the beads I usually make for a necklace arrangement.  I really love the way the Ikat pattern in the bottom section of each bead adds such an interesting contrast to the top section.

Just a Few More Heart Pendants

Okay, so you've seen several hearts from me over the past week or so.  This is the last installment (at least for this February) of heart-shaped pendants.  A couple of the ones in this batch are special favorites of mine.

This purple, teal and white set in an Ikat pattern is one I especially like.  The colors, of course, are among my favorites, and I love the way the Ikat pattern has stripes inside stripes.  The hotfix Swarovski flatback crystals add a special sparkle, as do the bicone crystals on the earrings.

The next turquoise and aqua heart has a cool swirl that draws the eye into the center.  The Magic Gloss I used as a finish makes this piece look like lampwork. 

Below we have an oddly stretched-out heart shape in unusual colors.  When I found the little gold heart-shaped bails, there was no question where I would be using them.

And finally, here is a heart shape created from a blue lace agate cane I made.  The center is hollowed out to simulate the hollow center of a geode slice.  I used a product called Diamond glitter which is actually minute glass shards to make the center look like crystals were imbedded.  I also sprinkled some around on the surface to add more sparkle.  Unfortunately, the picture just doesn't do this piece justice.  The special glittery effect just didn't photograph well.  

New Shapes, Different Colors

This is just a short post to show you a new set I made using some shapes from a set of new templates, and colors that are a little different for me.  The pattern is Ikat that has been feathered, and looks to me like paint that is running into other colors. The faceted round Swarovki crystals seemed just right.
As you can see, the shapes of the earrings and the pendant pieces don't match.  However, I do think they complement each other.  It seems someone else felt the same way, because they sold to the same person the first day they were in the gallery.

Polymer-Covered Gift Pens

Around the holidays, it's nice to have a few things at the galleries that incorporate polymer into something that would make a good gift.  This year, I decided to make some polymer covered metal twist pens.  These pens take actual ball point ink cartridges, so they can be refilled once the ink has run out and used again. I used twist pen "kits" from Boston Craftworks and from Penn State Industries.  I was pleased with the quality of the materials from both companies, and they both shipped the ordered items fairly quickly.
To cover the metal sections of the pens, I experimented with a couple of different polymer designs. There is a seam where the sheet of polymer wraps around the metal, and hiding that seam is the trickiest aspect.  I found that three options worked particularly well.  A sheet from a mokume gane stack was perfect, since you can take ultra-thin slices from the stack and place them along the seam. The seam is hidden and it just appears that the random design from the mokume gane goes all the way around. Another option is to make a striped stack. Variagated stripes, such as an Ikat stack or stripes that are random (not a specific color pattern that could show where the seam is) worked really well, and looked elegant.  Finally, a square cane that you have made will work very well - just reduce the cane to be sure it fits around the pen without needing major alteration, and it looks like the design just keeps going - around and around.  The photo shows pens covered in mokume gane (#2, 5, 7) pens covered in Ikat and stripes (#3 & 4). and one pen covered in a square cane (#6).

New Necklaces

As you know, I make a lot of pendants, just not a lot of necklaces.  I think it's partly because pendants can be made up quickly and when I try a new technique, I'm eager to see what it looks like translated into jewelry.  Every once in a while, though, I make beads that want to be strung together into a necklace.  So today, I thought I'd share two pieces I just finished making.
The first piece was made from an Ikat Skinner Blend.  The pearls and gold seed beads seemed the perfect compliment.

The other necklace has a series of wavy discs cut from a translucent cane wrapped in solid cream polymer.  The translucent clay was colored using embossing powders, so there is a textured look to the pieces.  Small glass "O" beads separate the discs.

Ikat Three Ways

I've just returned from New Mexico where I had a fantastic time in a sculpture and armature workshop with Kate Church.  Once I finish the pieces I began, I'll post photos and tell you more!  Until then, I've other things to share.

Right before I headed to Albuquerque, I presented a workshop on Ikat techniques.  I showed the participants a few different methods for achieving the Ikat effect.  I thought I'd share some of the pieces I made from canes I developed as part of my demonstrations.  Judging from their Ikat stacks and the products students made, everyone was very successful!

The set to the left was made from a 3-color Skinner blend with white strips of clay set on top to add contrast.  The blend was then cut up and the piece were off-set making a nice stack. I cut slices from the stack and used a thin bamboo stick to draw the feathered pattern on the clay.  Rolling the pieces through the pasta machine enhanced the look.  The picture on the right shows a similar feathering pattern applied to an Ikat stack with multiple color stripes.

These pieces in purple, orange and fuschia were made from an Ikat stack made from medium thick logs of clay set up in a specific pattern.  You can see the set up online  at Polymerclaycentral.com. The earrings and the pendant between them have been further enhanced with some tiny dried flowers, then covered with Magic Gloss.  the other pendant has a satin finish, made by sanding and buffing after baking.  Also, you'll notice one pendant has the feathered design while on the other I left the Ikat design alone.

The green set was made from a 2-color Skinner Blend that I did not reduce as much as the other stacks I made.  Again, I decorated with the little dried flowers and sealed the surface with the Magic Gloss resin.


The brass cuff bracelets below were covered with twisted and swirled snakes made from the various Ikat stacks.  I love the way the colors and textures interact.

This last photo has a few pieces made based on a technique that Lindly Haunani uses for Ikat stacks.  She has a great class teaching leaves using this technique on CraftArtEdu.  If you like the Ikat look, her class is excellent.

"Happy Flower" Earrings

A recent email from Donna Kato regarding a free tutorial on CraftArtsEdu reminded me it's been a long while since I made what I call "Happy Flower" earrings.  The perkiness, color and simplicity of these earrings make me smile, hence the name.  They can be made from almost any cane or clay colors you may have lying around.  There are different ways to turn them into earrings, and certainly size can vary.

I had some Ikat pieces and some wedge canes around, and set to making up a few pairs.  I decided to make most of these dangling off ear wires, attached to jump rings on the earring backs.

The pink and purple pairs are based somewhat on the dogwood blossoms that will soon be opening around here.  Yay, Spring!  Note the purple niobium ear wires on the right.  They matched perfectly!

The pairs to the left are smaller than the others. Not sure what I like the best.










Just one pair ended up having posts attached. Something tells me I'll probably be making more soon.....

An Ikat Avalanche

My workspace looks like a snow storm made of ikat pieces!  Perhaps "ikat obsession" would have been a more appropriate heading for this post.  As I look back through this blog, I see at least 5 other posts on the ikat cane.  It is such fun to create, and there are several different versions "out there" to choose from - or to help you develop your own.

My first exposure was through Donna Kato's book,The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques.  Donna demonstrates a couple different approaches for making ikat canes.  Lindly Haunani has developed her own approach incorporating her wonderful rainbow approach to color, and I have had a lot of fun experimenting with her method. Iris Mishly has a lovely tutorial demonstrating 3 different versions of ikat canes.  In addition, there are several free tutorials online.  Obviously, I'm not the only person who finds this look and its variations fascinating!

However, the credit (or blame) for my current ikat spree goes to Lindly.  At the polymer master class workshop in July, Lindly spent part of the last afternoon demonstrating and discussing some of the ways in which ikat can be manipulated.  While the bracelets in the photo on the right do show their ikat origin, some of the manipulated sheets don't look anything like ikat!

I decided I had to share here some of the results of my experimenting.  Hope you enjoy the show!

This little set on the left showcases my favorite ikat sheet (so far).  The ikat cane is not manipulated here except to be cut and placed in strips next to itself.  I did experiment with the spacing of colors, their order, and strip width, and particularly cut down on the amount of base or background color that I used to set the other colors apart.  I love the almost-but-not-quite Skinner blend look.  It definitely looks like fabric to me.


The leaf shape on the left is another ikat cane cut diagonally with the opposite sides flipped and butted up against a center strip of color.  I had to add some wave to the edges and it has a "leafy" feel.  If you find a tree this fall with leaves like this, I want to know!
The next two sets are examples of feathering with ikat canes.  I have always loved the look of feathering in lampwork beads, and have experimented a bit with feathering striped polymer clay sheets.  It took a nudge from Lindly, however, to make me realize I could try this with ikat.  Oh, the results!  I found that stretching the sheets out on the pasta machine after doing the initial feathering created a simply wonderful look.  Both the lavender and the yellow sets show the results of stretched feathering.
 Now for another twist:   herringbone!  This particular manipulation makes the clay look three-dimensional.  I textured this surface for a couple of reasons.  The herringbone treatment just seemed to be somewhat "rustic" and therefore more muted to me, and texturing helped ease and set the joins between the strips.  Don't you love it when form and function work together!

Here is one last example of ikat with large neutral separating strips between the colors and feathering tossed in for good measure.
Now run out and play with some ikat canes!

Color & Ikat with Lindly Haunani

If you've read earlier entries on this blog, you have seen my postings regarding Lindly Haunani.  I love working with her. No matter how many times I take one of her workshops, I always learn something new.  My first class with Lindly was at a Cabin Fever Clay Festival, shortly after Color Inspirations, the wonderful book she co-authored with Maggie Maggio, was published.   Her approach to color captured my imagination, and I've been enthralled with the "Lindly rainbow" approach ever since.

The 2-day class with Lindly at the Master Class Camp was, in-a-word,  wonderful.  On the first day we did something I have wanted/ meant/ needed to do for a long time - we made our own swatch decks.  I now have 4 complete stacks and the information I need to make additional stacks based on other colors.  It is so exciting to watch colors morph and change, and to be able to draw from these sets to make compatible, vibrant, color combinations.  What an amazing tool!

Next, Lindly had us create a Skinner rainbow blend using our base colors.  We also created 2 or 3 solid color sheets in pastel shades based on our base colors and swatch decks. She then walked us through the process of creating an Ikat stack or cane combing the pastel sheets and the rainbow blend.  Yum!  Here are the Ikat stacks I made in class.

Finally, she demonstrated various ways to manipulate slices from the stacks to use in finished pieces.  The final photo shows a feathered sheet and a sheet that has been formed by cutting up an Ikat stack, shifting the slices, and "building" a whole new structure.  The ways in which this type of cane can be modified and changed seem endless!

Spring Blooms & Lacey Wave Edging

Spring has seemed to take a long time coming to Connecticut this year. Now that it's finally here, I find myself drawn to the new blooms, and, naturally, just had to make some floral pieces. I really enjoy the delicacy of the flowers and leaves on this small scale.  The first photos show some roses as well as my new morning glories - love the way the morning glories ruffle and curve!  I think the Ikat cane makes a nice background.

When the first pendants came out of the oven, I wondered what they would look like with some sort of background, perhaps a ruffle or lace, framing the pieces.  Some experimenting with folding and bending Skinner blends led to the lacey waves evident in the last three photos.