Bright Idea...

Well....bright in colour anyway. As per suggestion by a friend I thought I'd give VanAken Matte Magenta Tempera a try...on Blue! I used Blue Metallic clay by Fimo...well the one with the sparkles. Have had it for a while so can't remember the name on the package. For these beads I've also used bits of clay that I used my mixture of crackle on (april 2008 issue of polymercafe). Anyway...the whole thing does look a lot more like purple than blue, probably due to the visual effect of magenta and blue together....

New Clay to play with

...but no pictures to show...yet!
Received a wonderful sample pack of Kato Polyclay from VanAken. I was a little skeptical when I opened one of the packs. Some other clay product I had been working with as off late was too gooey and some of my older Kato clay was too hard and a bit crumbly, although I prefer this feature as I can always mix in a bit of softener instead of wasting perfectly good paper to leach it with.
I took a sniff as I was warned the odour might be a bit strong. Maybe right out of the pack it is strongest, but not so noticeable once it has a chance to 'breathe' a bit. I'm quite sensitive to certain odours and fragrances, but usually the perfumed kind. Wipe the floor with Swiffer and watch me complain of headaches and sore throat or Febreeze the air and watch me get dizzy and disoriented. I can't hack 'perfumes' and suffer the consequences thereof for days. I haven't reacted to this new formula by VanAken (and hadn't to the old either). The new reformulated 'greener' clay is a BREEZE to work with. I love the thought of Phthalate FREE! Right out of the pack, I take of a couple of slices and am able to crank it through the pastamachine without any crumbling or rough cracking edges.....Awesome! Taking a bit of clay and rolling it into a snake....wow...smooth and very even. Rolling one end to a tip, no breakage and the finest pointed tip reminding me of the days back when I first started working with Fimo. Fimo used to give me that nice 'tipped end', but no longer. Instead Kato clay has given me some hope that a formula can be 'purrfect' cause I'm purring, lol. Next I'll have to make a project and see how it turns out. I promise...I'll post some pics soon.

One of a kind...but what are words...

Well, my tutorial is accepted and the contract is sitting in front of me. Initially I was told July 15th deadline, but now I read June 15th!! omg, I better get my butt in gear....
I'm a little stumped at the last entry where someone commented anonymously with only one word: "Vintage?" I replied saying that it was probably meant as a sarcastic remark. I never said that I'm the first to have ever macraméd wire before but that I had never SEEN it anywhere before and well, since then neither has the Editor of the magazine. Looking back in one of my sketchbook journals, I first started making simple wire macrame bangles in 1999, with coloured copper wire and soft sterling silver wire so maybe THOSE could be considered 'vintage'? lol Naw....I'm not THAT old...but at least I'm one of a kind!

I would say that the Internet, with all its blessings, has some MAJOR drawbacks. If you haven't posted any pictures out there of your work (I only started in 2002), then this can kick you in the rear. This includes my name Beadcomber. I got it registered back in the mid 90's for my actual street store, but didn't get my domain (sounds like a kingdom, lol) until 2002. I just learned how to use a computer in 2000 and being online meant 'email' for me. I discovered I couldn't get the 'dot com' because someone had already chosen that somewhere in Massachusetts IN 2002. When I wrote to the owner I was a little hasty with my remarks and decided to let it go, but how common is the word 'beadcomber'....I had to wonder. But not in such a way as Oprah. Remember back when, someone beat her to her own name using it as a 'dot com' and they wanted millions of Dollars to give it up?! Well, as with everything under the sun and this has been discussed in the polymer clay world so much and one can run themselves ragged, running around the same bush continuously. The big word that seems to sting more than calling someone a 'be-atch'. The saying, Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is wrong because some words can inflict more pain on an emotional level than a big stick ever would on a physical. Emotional wounds take longer to heal. I think we all need to learn to refrain from over-reacting when ants get into our pants, and yes, this includes myself. Still, there are those that like to accuse with that stinging word: "Plagiarist!" my response would be:"Hypocrite! Go learn and heal thyself".

I take visual inspiration from other work, as does EVERYONE (unless blind), but...there is a limit, I don't down-right COPY! In many cases we like to think we invented something, just to make a little mark on the map, but as in many cases simultaneous 'invention' is possible. But because of this possibility, there are those who take this little 'hole' and fill it with their versions of COPIES insisting it was something they themselves had thought of.
However, there are instances where copying in such a way is unintentional. An example (and there are many) would be: A beader "X" goes out and copies a bracelet design from a magazine by beader "A". Beader "X" then teaches a friend "Y"this design who then teaches "W" who then teaches a class who then go around saying they learned a wonderful new design from Beader "W". All those beaders in that class copied 'unintentionally', the rest before them are all plagiarists. Sadly, Beader "A" who came up with the design never gets any credit.

And there is always the "Techniques are NOT copyrightable". Some use this as an excuse to copy the whole thing. One of the galleries where I sell my work, the manager there says I shouldn't teach my design because I will open myself up to a LOT of people copying. My response....just because I already talked about it and posted pictures in a magazine already did that, I'm not the only one who knows how to macrame....right? right. So, yeah, if I go ahead and publish my tutorial on my wire macrame technique, the knotting technique is just that, a technique and not copyrightable, however....my WIRE knotting 'design' IS copyrighted. Watch out for the sticks....lol

I definitely respect rules that Barbara Farjardo blogs about...good rules to live by.

Polymer clay and wire

Since having my tutorial published in this months PolymerCAFE, I have not gotten queries about my project, but about my wire items in the Gallery....(click on the image to take you to the table of contents (pdf. format) that shows the bracelets I'm talking about)


Well....here they are too. The reason I sent them to the Gallery wasn't for the wire, but for the imitative or Faux beach pebbles. A lot of people swear up and down that they are real, until I tell them that I made them. And then they still protest, until they agree that they are too light for the real thing. I'm waiting to hear back from Step by Step wire to see if they are interested in publishing my tutorial that I'm working on. I have never seen anyone do wire macrame before. I also do this for necklaces and earrings. It came naturally since my husband makes gorgeous macrame hemp jewelry with, I swear, the most perfect kind of knots....so even and smooth. I've already been doing 'viking knit and braiding' and wire crochet too, so I had to try macrame. I started making these a couple of years ago and instead of just the single row have started to make two row ones as well. The Editor of Step by Step is away for a few days, so I'll have to see what she says when she comes back. If not accepted...well, there is always Etsy. I sell a few tutorials there, including polymer clay projects and beadwork and will be adding more in near future, so why not Wire. Wanna know how to do this?...or the rocks?...??
Back to work....see ya!

Poll results are in

The Polymer clay reusable/reclosable container poll is closed. I think I should have left it open for a longer period and added another category.....REFILL STATIONS! lol
As it is 31 people voted. A whopping majority of those that voted....
63% would like to see reusable/reclosable containers, 41% of which, only if cost wasn't increased too much and for 22% extra cost wasn't an issue.
29% said they don't care if they throw away a few wrappers.
6% said they don't clay enough to warrant such a change.
2% don't clay enough to warrant a change in packaging.
Perhaps in future another poll such as this should be done? Should more options in answers be added?

Come and visit me.....

Here....
I've started my blog for Spring and Summer....about jewelry and beadwork. My gig with polymer clay here is likely done until Fall, although I still have orders and custom orders to finish and do. Will pop up here once in a while, if I have something interesting to say or find.
Will you miss me?

Where is the polymer in this?

LOL...good question! This post has nothing to do with polymer unless you count the 'packaging'. And how does packaging affect our foods you may ask. Interestingly it is nanotechnology. You've probably heard the word before, but not linked with food.

Out of the Laboratory and on to Our Plates

Nanofood in the Grocery Aisles: Miller Light, Cadbury and Other Brands Have Toxic Risks

Untested nanotechnology is being used in more than 100 food products, food packaging and contact materials currently on the shelf, without warning or FDA testing, according to a report released by Friends of the Earth.

The report, Out of the Laboratory and On To Our Plates: Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture found nanomaterials in popular products and packaging including Miller Light beer, Cadbury Chocolate packaging and ToddlerHealth, a nutritional drink powder for infants sold extensively at health food stores including WholeFoods.

Update: Read coverage of our Report in Scientific American.

Here is a link to "True Food Shopping Guide", it is a list of foods with NON-GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS. The list was compiled in 2003 and some brands may have changed. The group is currently updating the list, nevertheless, this one is still very helpful in avoiding the engineered stuff.

Saturday...all ready to go.

A few days ago, I packed away my polymer clay.
N0-no....I'm not quitting!!! lol Well, with all that I have blogged about one would think that I might as well, eh? I'm not anti-polymer clay, just very concerned about long-term effects and how the stuff has started to affect me. I'm a long-term clayer and like some othershave begun to connect the dots to these side-effects. Some may think it wouldn't be so bad feeling 'high', woozy or dizzy while claying, but add the nausea, tingling and blurry vision....you've got a problem.
Anyway, feeling much better today and well, I do this every year around Spring. My polymer clay does a disappearing act and my beads, gemstones, ultrasuede come to the surface. I will still get out clay when the need arises, but I have made enough embellishments that should last a beader for a while.
Here are a few selections although there are quite a few more. The item in the forefront is in the process of getting a beaded bezel.
I'll still be blogging here about pieces that have polymer clay as the focal piece or pieces, but I have started a beadwork blog which will be the main blog for summer. This blog is for fall and winter.