Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy

March PCAGOE Challenge - TEXTURE!

The theme for our March challenge is “Texture.” Each member who entered this month was challenged to create a textured entry. This is always a popular theme among our members, and this month, we are pleased to present 31 fantastic entries from which to choose your top 3 favorites!

The only rules are that the entry must be at least 50% polymer clay and must interpret or depict the theme in some way.

Please vote for your top three favorites in the pull-down voting box shown at the bottom of this page. Depending on the speed of your internet connection, it may take a few moments to appear. Only one vote per person, please. One (1) vote consists of choosing a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entry. If you choose an entry for 1st place, please do not also vote for it as your 2nd and/or 3rd place choice. Duplicate votes will not be counted.

Voting is open to the public and to PCAGOE guild members. Voting begins March 1, 2010 and ends at midnight, Eastern U.S. time on March 7, 2010. The winners chosen in each category will be announced here on March 8, 2010.

March Challenge Entries: Please click on the entry title under the mosaic to see more views of that entry.

1. Cactus Flower Pendant by BeeTreebyME

2. Snake Skin Mica-Shift Bark Choker by 11BoldStreet

3. Leaf Topped Pendant by Stonebrash

4. Faux Handmade Paper Commemorative Wedding Invitation by SCDiva

5. Sea Grass Brooch by CrazyDay

6. Victorian Lace Switchplate Cover by ClayCenter

7. Faux Granite and Lapis Trintity Necklace by MichelesArtJewelry

8. Violet Textured Star by PhoenixRose

9. Salmon Floral Barrette by JKollmann

10. It’s Alive! by RiverValleyDesign

11. Leafy Textured Bangle by HiGirls

12. Pucker Up! by Cloud9ClayCreations

13. Give That Doll a Pizza by Polyclarific

14.TH Influence Necklace by BLeeKreations

15.Picture Yourself In Spring by PolymerClayCreations

16.Lotus on a Gentle Pond Pendant by YoungCreative

17.Fun With Fantasy Flowers by ArrowDaleArtStudio

18.Big Focal Bead Pendant by Juliespace

19.N10-07 Necklace by JanGeisen

20.Can-Can Lace Ruffle Garter Bangle by BlessedBeadJewelry

21.Lost City Amulet Necklace by RozPetalzStudio

22.Bronze Age Pendant-Boadicea’s Trove by RMKDesign

23.Paradise Ring by PipsJewellery

24.Faux Raku Picture Frame by Ashpaints

25.An Antique Textured Bangle from Anatolia by ArzuMusa

26.Rainbow Seashells by YonatDascalu

27.Forest Fairy Autumn Choker by TheSageArts

28.Steampunked Heart by DreamLeaping

29.Wooden Flower Pendant by WiredOrchid

30.Springtime Picnic Necklace by LauraBeeStudios

31.Textured Vase by CreativeArtCenter

Remember 5 lucky public voters chosen at random will win a lovely gift.

Many of the entries are also available for sale in our members’ etsy shops, so please check them out to see these and more one-of-a-kind works of polymer clay art.

You may sign up for our monthly e-newsletter when you vote. We would love to be able to tell you about our upcoming challenges and our special promotions and charitable projects.

Our members love to read your comments. Please take a moment to give us your thoughts on the entries or the challenge when you cast your vote.

Thank you for voting, and please join us next month, when our theme will be “Inspired by Fabric”, which promises to be VERY challenging!

Upcoming themes for 2010:

History/Historical Events (May)
Think Outside the Box (June)
Faux (July)

Please cast your vote for your favorite HERE.

These are the possible prizes up for grabs in our March Challenge. 

First row: earrings by StudioSchiek, pen by PolymerClayCreations, covered tin by ClayCenter, necklace by KDollDesigns

Second row: pendant by NKDesigns, brooch by RenGalSA, pendant and beads by Ashpaints and pendant by BeeTreebyME

Third row: earrings by 11BoldStreet, clay painting by AlisonEKurek, pendant by RiverValleyDesign and a necklace by LaurelSteven

Fourth row: earrings by Juliespace, earrings by JanGeisen, beads by ClayHappy and a pendant by SCDiva

The theme for this month is “Texture”.  Once again, the possibilities are endless.  The only criteria is that the entry had to be at least 50% clay.  We have had several entries already uploaded to our Challenge Photo pool on flickr.  Here a just a couple of the wonderful entries so far:

It’s Alive! by RiverValleyDesign

Salmon Floral Barrette by Jkollmann

There is still time to get some more entries.  Photos need to be uploaded no later than midnight eastern time on Feburary 27th, 2010.

I’m sure I speak for everyone, there were so many beautiful entries this month, it was hard to choose.  This is where the new voting format came in handy.  You didn’t have to pick just one.  The votes have been tallied and here are this month’s winners as voted on by the public:

1st Place BeeTreeByMe

2nd Place 11BoldStreet 

3rd Place JKollmann 

This month’s winners voted on by the members of PCAGOE:

1st Place BeeTreeByMe 

2nd Place SCDiva 

3rd Place JKollmann 

Congratulations, everyone!

127 votes were cast this month, from the following countries:

Unites States - 113
Canada - 7
United Kingdom - 2
Spain - 1
Isreal - 1
Netherlands - 1
Australia - 1
Czech Republic - 1

Comments left by the voters:

Love the big and bold bracelets!

I love your newsletter and updates!

It’s been so hard to decide my vote. All the designs should win, they all are lovely.

Always hard to vote, so many nice things shown. Great inspiration. Working on a theme scares me so I appreciate the artists who can do so.

The Summer pendant by BeeTreeByMe is so simple, yet so elegant. The way it flows downward is a testament not only to the nature of the gladiolus itself, but the drooping heat of the month of August. The addition of peridot crystals in the center of the blooms ties the whole piece in to this month’s theme beautifully.

I love 11BoldStreet’s playful take on the rule that the piece has to be 50% polymer clay. Soaking the gauze for her faux topaz bracelet with liquid polymer clay is ingenious, and I could not believe that the cabochon was polymer clay as well! The style of the bracelet is misleadingly simple, when it must have taken some time to get the gauze wrapped so perfectly.

Overall this was a great show from many talented artists, kudos to everyone who entered. I can’t wait to see what next month’s challenge is!

I like the new voting format. It is always so hard to pick just one. They are all good.

I saw the news about this month’s challenge on Eugena’s Creations blog. I chose my 1st place entry because I adore anything roses and she incorporated them so nicely with the pearls and alexandrite. I love the vintage look overall. I hope she will have it in her shop. My 2nd and 3rd choices were based on overall eye appeal and their use of the theme in their compositions. Wonderful job by everyone. Very hard to choose!

I chose the Faux Amber Bangle because I love not only the level of expertise, but the setting for the stones. Lovely work!

The gladiola pendant looked as if it would actually smell good, it is so lifelike. Wonderful work!

The peridot piece is not only done well, it is a really nice usage of a sort of triptych effect, with the vines spanning all of the elements seamlessly.

SCDiva, you do such consistently beautiful work. Love it!

I like the new way of voting. Thanks for listening!

All the entries are fantastic and all the prizes offered are amazing, too! You are all great artists!

Such great talent is displayed here!

Each entrant is a winner - for creativity, vision and technique!

Thank you again to everyone who voted in and entered the challenge this month. Please join us again next month for our March challenge, the theme of which is “Texture”, a favorite theme among our members. It promises to showcase creativity at its best!

Our voter winners this month:

Pat O’Neill
Sharon Foster
Lois Shull
Zuda Gay Pease
Shanti Peschler