Fri 29 Jun 2007
ChickieGirl Creations has written a tutorial for creating your own beaded hairsticks. She has step-by-step pictures to help guide you through the process. This project would be a great way to show off your polymer clay focal beads. It’s all on ChickieGirl’s blog– have a look!
Be sure to check out ChickieGirl’s beautiful jewelry at her Etsy shop, too.
Fri 29 Jun 2007
I am an artist primarily working in polymer clay and silver, and I have a passion for mosaics. Polymer mosaics seemed like a natural blend of my love for polymer bead making and traditional mosaics. I am fortunate to have a studio in my home that my husband and I remodeled to suit my needs. I also enjoy bead looming, hand stitching, hand knotting, stringing, working with fine silver clay and sterling silver.
I have been creating art as long as I can remember and am mostly self-taught and always learning. Polymer clay came along for me in 1992 in a friend’s kitchen in Boulder, CO. Fifteen years later, I am still growing and learning. I never get tired of its endless applications, and I am fascinated with polymer’s ability to morph into countless different looks. I look at polymer clay as a fine art medium, but I appreciate the ease at which even children can get started.
My latest love has been adding polymer clay to sterling and fine silver. Silver clay has opened up new avenues and inspirations, but for me, it all supports the polymer. I just love putting color into everything.
Color is my biggest inspiration; it is all about color for me. I get lost in color palates, blending, mixing, changing…. When I was a child I never colored in the lines; I always turned the page over and blended my crayons into new and fascinating combinations and hues. I am always studying the way colors play together, ever shifting and changing. Color is dynamic and alive for me, and polymer clay is the perfect medium to feed my color addiction. Nature also inspires me; repetition and patterns pull me into their web and hold tight. I have found in my travels that beauty is everywhere. Sometimes it hides, but it is always there to be found.
Tue 26 Jun 2007
Ever wondered what a PCAGOE Member looked like? Well here is your chance to get a sneak peak at a few of our members and be entered to win a prize! Here are the entries for the June Self-Portrait Challenge. This month’s challenge was to create a self portrait using polymer clay. There were no other rules, so participants could interpret the theme as they saw fit. All of the entries are incredibly different and soooo creative this month. Thanks to all that participated!
We are excited to announce that this challenge is sponsored by a wonderful new polymer clay site, Polymerclayproductions.com which was started by our guild founders Ilysa Bierer and Kira Slye. The site features weekly polymer clay podcasts and video casts which offer great polymer clay information and tutorials. They also offer ready made kits that go along with the video casts that contain all the tools you would need to create the items in the tutorials. Both the podcasts and video casts can be downloaded to your computer or iPod. The site also features a forum where you can network with other PC artists, show off your work and get answers to questions about creating with polymer clay. If you have ever thought about getting into polymer clay, or want to increase your knowledge and skills using polymer clay, PolymerClayProductions.com is a great resource. The ladies of PolymerClayProductions.com have offered one of their first kits as a prize to both the voter winner and the PCAGOE member winner. Each kit contains an acrylic roller (you can choose from 4 colors), 6 shadetex texture sheets, 4 blocks of Sculpey Premo polymer clay, a tissue blade with case, a bamboo skewer and some magnets.
VOTE and WIN a PolymerClayProductions.com Basic Polymer Clay Kit (as pictured above)!!!
All you have to do is vote for the winner and you will be entered into a drawing to win the kit pictured above. Take a look at all of the entries for the June Self-Portrait Challenge. Keep in mind the challenge of creating a self-portrait and how well the piece meets this challenge. We have also included photos of the artists to help with this challenge. Once you have chosen your favorite, please complete the form at the bottom of this post and submit it. One winner will be randomly chosen from all of the voters. You can vote once between noon on June 26th and noon on June 30th. The winners will be announced on July 1st.
To view the entries close-up as a slide show, please click on the first photo and use the arrows at the bottom of the picture to navigate through all of the entries. The number of the entry as well as the title and it’s creator are listed at the bottom of each photo. There is also a reference list below the gallery which includes this same information as well as a direct link to each shop so that you view some of their other creations!
#1. “What Can You Tell About Me?” Polyclarific.etsy.com
#2. “Everyday is a Happy Day if You Just Keep the Smile On” artbylilin.etsy.com
#3. “Bewildered” maureenthomasdesigns.etsy.com
#4. The More I Know The Less Black and White I See. gabriel.etsy.com
#5. “Barista Faery” BreezyDawnDesigns.etsy.com
#6. “Alissa: Big and Loud, Assymetrical but Balanced” divadea.etsy.com
#7. “Sarah the Rocker Chick” sarahmonster.etsy.com
#8. “Versatile Self-Portrait” madeinlowell.etsy.com
#9. “Self-Portrait” HardflowerStudios.etsy.com
#10. “365 Days Self-Portrait Bracelet” missdanceypants.etsy.com
#11. “I Create Therefore I Am” blockpartypress.etsy.com
#12. “Love Me, Love My Cat” artsyclay.etsy.com
#13. “Reveal Myself” thecolorofdreams.etsy.com
#14. “Delicious Kiss Kiss Necklace” sohobeads.etsy.com
#15. Whatever You Choose to do Always Put Your Heart into It” marciapalmer.etsy.com
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Fri 22 Jun 2007
Who inspires you?
Mostly friends, family, and just about anyone else can inspire me too!
What inspires you?
Many things inspire me, and I’d say just about anything could. Life in general is inspiring to me. Nature, emotions, my pet, old or new movies, food items, and just about anything could send a spark of inspiration. Even old memories.
Where do you create?
I don’t have a creating “spot” per se, but I do work a lot at a large table in my living room. I also enjoy working outside, as it is a great atmosphere for concentrating and relaxing. It may also help with finding some new ideas. Working in either spot gives me more than enough space to lay out all the different mediums I use, considering I work with more than just clay. Although, so far it seems to be my most favorite thing to work with. The possibilities are endless!
How long have you been working with clay?
The first time I used clay was in pre-school, so from then on my skills and love for clay grew. I’m sure I’ll continue to think of new ideas, and work until my fingers can’t sculpt anymore. :)
