Falling Petals....

Leaves fall in autumn, petals fall in late spring.  Hence, the inspiration for these pieces.  I started with the 2 wavy-edged leaves and the flowers just begged for some drifting petals. These two just didn't seem like pendants, so they became pins.

As I was tinkering around with them, I just happened to put them together in such a way that they spoke: "bracelet!"  So that's what I tried next.   These 2 cuff bracelets have a small armature at the join, but are otherwise all polymer. I'm looking at different ways to add a clasp of some sort of it seems necessary, and to see how they wear.

Flower Clusters

As you can tell from the picture at the left, I really like this cane I made. I got carried away making flowers from this cane, and started making little bouquets.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these little flower clusters - probably pendants of some sort. One has plain flower centers, the other has crystals at the cores.

I decided to make a pendant with fewer flowers, and added some leaves as possible locations for chains or other necklace straps.  Then I had to make it again in another color combination of the same cane.  The crystals in the centers are chrysolite.  This aqua piece has already been claimed by a bead-weaving friend.  I want to see what you do with it, Anita!

My First Zinnias

 These are my first zinnias.  It was interesting to work on the layers.  I made petal canes that I left in 3 sizes.  Then I started in the middle and built the flowers in both directions.  I really didn't know how large they would need to be to look "complete", so I started with a medium circle of petals, and lay progressively smaller petals, working toward the center.  Then I added larger petals along the bottom until I was satisfied with the shape and size.


In looking at photos of real zinnias, I was intrigued at the various different little petals that circle the center.  I chose the little swirled pre-petals to use in these samples.  They show up especially well on the red and white zinnia.

Floral Brooches

More florals, yes, I know. I'm stuck on flowers right now  - and thoroughly enjoying it, so it must be a good thing. :)  They're all a bit different. Some may resemble real flowers from our gardens, others are just my interpretation of what a flower could be.  The colors are all mine.  This first set shows 3 very different pieces.  All but the yellow/coral piece are pin/pendant convertibles.  I like the idea of giving someone the flexibility of wearing a piece as a necklace or a brooch.  This just creates a lot more options.

The next piece reminds me of gladiolus.  Given all the colors they come in, I figured my mix probably exists "out there" somewhere.  This piece originally was supposed to be an off-center necklace, but the wire I was using was too soft to handle the weight of the clay. So, the piece became a pin.  I'll try my idea again when I find something less flexible for a base.

Here is another variation on a starburst I first tried a few weeks ago.  For some reason, this particular design created with this particular cane almost looks like it's in motion.  I really like this design.

Finally, here is another of my "special" triangular shaped flowers I developed one day while playing with petal shapes.  The blends and fades from yellow to violet really makes this piece come alive.

Summer's Coming!

Yea!  Summer is just around the corner, and it's time for some bold new colors on your wrist! Here's a new cane made up on brass cuffs in some of the latest colors for the summer season.  Can't you just picture the outfits to match?

Sweet Little Floral Jewels

I have really enjoyed making these little flower and jewel earrings.  When they're all lying on a mat together, they make the loveliest garden!





The colors for the canes are all custom mixed, and I'm really pleased with the way they turned out.






I left the flowers and leaves with a matte finish to provide contrast with the shine of the beads, crystals, and pearls which form the centers of each flower.

You'll see different flower designs:  trumpet styles, closed flowers, calla lilies and a fuchsia. Do you have a favorite?

New Flower Shape

I enjoy making flowers in polymer, especially when they're blooming all around me outdoors.  And I love manipulating clay shapes to see where they might go.  As I was playing with petals, and shaping them into flowers, I tried pushing and folding the clay and came up with a new shape and flower.  I realize this is probably a shape someone else has also "discovered" yet it's new for me, so I'm calling it "my" shape.

I've used it in both 6 and 8-petal flowers. The 6-petal flowers remind me of trillium.  Perhaps the 8 petal flowers are a new strain of dogwood? There is an example of this shape in my April 27th posting. I like the 2 layers of petals, and their differing sizes.  I also think it's a perfect application for the "crushed wedge" cane I like making so much.

As you can see, I had to start experimenting with the center of these flowers, too. Great place for a rose!

Roses, Roses, Roses

May brings intense lime green leaves to our trees here in New England, and they are a brilliant accompaniment to the spring flowers in bloom everywhere.  Nature is definitely influencing my polymer work these days, as you can see by the photos here.

Today I'm sharing roses.  They always remind me of Mother's Day, which is just around the corner.  The best thing about these roses is they never fade.

I've been mixing some colors which are in keeping with the new palettes for spring and summer.  That's another thing I love about polymer - there is no end to the colors you can create.  I'm especially enjoying  the purple and lime combinations.

I hope you are enjoying a lovely spring, wherever you live.

The Regional Show

Each May, there is a juried regional art show in Westerly.  The show is open to any artist in the area.  This year, for the first time, I decided to enter.  The judges are different each year, and this year they were owners of an art gallery in Connecticut.  I entered 5 pieces, and was surprised and pleased that 4 of them were accepted into the show.  I tried something new on a couple of the pieces, and thought I'd share them all here.
This first piece is a new flower shape I've been exploring. Sometimes I make it with 3 sides, others with 4.  I'll post other examples at later time. For this necklace, I used a nylon cord that compliments the flower.  Two extra attached cords were perfect for flower buds.

A second piece was another blossom cluster necklace. I love the sterling silver chain I use on these - it's full of tiny rings that move and make the blossoms seem alive.  This one uses colors from a different end of the rainbow spectrum, and the blossoms are smaller with ruffled edges.  

The pieces I'm most excited about are the next two.  I have been working on different ways to incorporate beadweaving into polymer.  The coral and brown piece has an insert of flat peyote.  The beading also creates the bail and holds the loop on the cord. The cord is a kumihumo cord I made with copper crystal bicones woven in with other fiber.

The last photos show two sides of the same piece.  The beaded circular flower in the center is open to both sides, letting light pass through.  The small rectangular shape on the buna cording slides to allow size adjustment.  The piece is reversible, with slightly different designs on each side.

Polymer & Beads - New Pendants

If you've read some of my past posts, you know my first adventures with creating jewelry were with seed beads. I still love beadweaving, and have been playing with different applications, mixing polymer and beads. I'd like to share a few of the most recent pieces.
The turquoise/pink piece to the left was my first one of this design. It sold the first day it was in the gallery, so I guess someone else liked it, too.
For the purple piece, I used a large cane I had made and decorated it with seed beads and glass magatama drops.
The last piece in this posting developed from the edges of a cane I was cutting for a different purpose. It just looked like a flower opening and needed pearls added - so I did.

Something a Bit "Organic"

Here's something a little different. I've made lots of circular pieces, including hollow lentils and curved pieces, but not quite like these. The inspiration comes from Laura Tabakman - http://www.lauratabakman.com. Her circle-within-circle pieces have a native, primitive-culture look I find appealing. I was looking forward to taking her workshop at CFCF this past February, but Laura had to leave the conference unexpectedly. In true sharing spirit, Lindly Haunani and Nan Roche stepped forward and worked together to develop a workshop so they could present to us what they understood of Laura's processes. So, while I did not have the opportunity to work with Laura, I did have the chance to learn a bit about making the circle-within-circle pieces. For the class, we used simple jelly roll and bull's eye canes.
When I came home and started working on this design for myself, I immediately was drawn to the idea of using crissy canes. I like the almost ruffled edges of the cane, and I love the repetition of the circular theme.
While Laura's dangles are elegant and fit her pieces perfectly, my style is different. As you can see in the various pieces pictured here, I was having fun making these my own.
Of course, I needed a pair of earrings...and I couldn't resist taking this idea in another direction with the lime & purple canes I've been playing with lately.

Purple & Lime

Ah, another color theme. I really, really love these colors - the combination is so vibrant! This cane evolved from Ikat canes a friend, Laura, and I were making at a clay workshop. Laura put together an amazing combination that just really "hit" me. I quickly made a little Ikat cane using her colors with some modifications of my own, and brought it home. Of course, the piece was too small to do much, so I made a pendant which pretty much used up the cane. The pinwheel pendant above is the piece I made.
I was desperate for more. Unfortunately, I hadn't bothered to write down the formula for the colors and the mixes. Note to self: You most likely will not remember how you achieved specific mixed colors unless you write them down. So, while I waited for her to get back to me via email, I decided to try re-creating the colors on my own.
My cane came out more purple, while the original had a definite reddish cast mixed in. The cane I made was not an Ikat cane but rather what I call a "smooshed wedge" cane. I'm sure there's a more common - and better - name for it somewhere.
These are some pieces I made with my own color combo. Similar, but not the same. I hope you can see the subtle, but definite, color differences. Laura got back to me with her combo, and I have a feeling I'll be making that mix up again soon...

...And here it is. This piece just kept getting bigger - so it's a brooch. Love the starburst effect!