Polymer Clay Bottles, Boxes and Pendants

Was inspired to try something a little different with my Polymer Clay media. Choose to make things less shiny, give things a slighty more 'organic' look and matte. Created a starfish box, entirely crafted out of polymer clay. This one took a few firings. More pictures will have to follow as I actually altered the box from what you see here. I since added some 'kelp' on the outside to add more interest.
This polymer clay bottle incorporates a little eye contact lens bottle, measuring about 2" high. Originally I started making these in the early 90's. Am in dire need for more of these bottles, but haven't a clue whether they are still available. These decorated little bottles are now known as "Hope bottles", although I just like decorating them. This one has a polymer clay lid and a crackle layer.


The cuff I built on a double aluminum flashing base that I first covered with scrap polymer clay and baked before building onto it another layer with a veneered crackle base. Then baked again and gave it an other decorative layer.


The Pendants are the Polymer Clay Picasso version of my beaded ones. I take rebar wire and hammer it into shape and then use Polymer Clay as the base. The one on the left has a crackle version and the one on the right Pinata Inks.

Playful Polymer Clay Lentil Beads

Playful Polymer Clay Day! well, in the late afternoon anyway. Made some lentil beads yesterday and appliquéd and painted them on a base of translucent, green and pearl. Also made another Cuff and some bottles that I need to photograph.I guess my title should have included...'toxic perfume awareness'.

The morning was filled with trying to diminish a quick growing migraine and dizziness when I encountered a visitor at our local Co op wearing, what seemed like, a bottle of perfume. I couldn't escape the smell as this woman left that scent in every isle. I tried to rush through the isles as mental fog quickly set in. People who love to wear perfumes still don't realize (or care!) that many people literally get sick from these chemically laden mixtures, not because of 'dislike of the smell' but because of a physical reaction to it. Imagine people being allergic to bee stings or certain foods like nuts! Well, some of us are allergic to perfumes (and laundry detergent, Swiffer, and god forbid "a breath of fresh air with Febreeze"...) Of course the wearer becomes more and more desensitized to it and feels they have to wear more to be able to smell it themselves! Ever see those signs in Doctors offices and Hospitals "No scent makes good sense!" It's true. Well, I won't be able work much over the next few days. My muscles now hurt like I have the flu. I knew I should have gone shopping right at store opening time because I've been through this before! Darn! Anyway, wanted to make people that read my blog aware that perfume/colognes can cause others to become very ill.
Am glad that polymer clay isn't making me feel like this, plus I'm wearing gloves for most of the work now.

V Day!

A visit from my friend Vanessa made this rainy day much more fun than it would have been. Coming up to Tofino is a more than 3 hour long drive (not counting the drive back!), so V as I like to call Vanessa, was a real Sport when I suggested we experiment with a little polymer clay. I wanted to try a hidden magic mokume gane thing that I saw on Parole de Pate (Feb2008), but with a slight difference, by adding a sheet of translucent with pinata inks and another one translucent with painted gold leaf sandwiched in between. The result wasn't quite what I imagined or had hoped for, but am happy nonetheless. The result was an 'aha' moment because now I now what to try next....a thicker version for more depth.
Thanks for a great visit V!

A lot of green...(that table cloth must go....I don't like gingham)

V's sheet which reminded me of some ancient script....

Goofin' around, lol.
Finished one project...

COMING soon...or NOW....to this blog near you...A TUTORIAL ala Tina's imitative Ceramics

lol...funny and awfully longwinded title, eh? (as the Canuck in me likes to say). Don't know how *near* your blog I am, but people are asking HOW I make make *ceramic* starfish. Don't you LOVE mysteries?? No? You don't?! awww....lol
I better get my act together and give you a better tutorial than just a description. As those of you who have written tutorials know....I need my camera and my project for this show and tell.
Back later!.....
OK Folks! Ba-ack! (like a puppet show...only in internet time this is lightning fast)

Alrighty then!...the following is very VERY IMPORTANT:
get out your pancake batter mix! If you don't have any, use flour, baking powder, salt. Put some in a bowl, about 2 large tablespoons. Mix a bit of water into it and stir. Make sure it isn't too thin. Then get out the griddle. Put on medium and spray a bit of PAM into it, to prevent sticking. While this heats up, get out a plate and put into the oven to warm......
Oh bleeep....wrong recipe! (snicker) Sorry about that! (blame Jim Carrey who instead of pancakes wants a grilled cheese) ...(sigh)
Ok...SERIOUSLY

For the sake of ease, I'm not making a starfish here (saved for another time), but will use a molded piece here. Find a nice big mold, stamp or texture with deep impression....

Mix a marble sized Pearlescent clay ball with a pea-sized ball (I used seagreen premo) to make a minty mix.Make a positive from the mold. The mold is on the left, the positive that you will work with is on the right.
Here is, or WAS, my biggest secret that I use for a lot of things....CHALK! Surprise, surprise. Well not really, if you've seen my previous tutorial here. Use your finger to apply chalk to the clay. The chalk will colour everything but the recesses.
If you want add a little metal powder to the recessed part (optional)

Apply Liquid Kato Polyclay to which a few drops of Pinata Alcohol Inks have been added. You can use your finger or a brush. Fingers are easier to clean on baby wipes and then washed than brushes. Personal choice.
That's it...Baked and glazed with Varnish. If you like a matte look better, don't varnish. There is no chance for the colours to rub off since they are locked in with the liquid polyclay. Both ways look better in person, really! ...these were quicky pictures, lol.

Imitative Ceramics in Polymer Clay

Hubby says to me this morning:"Why would you want to make imitate ceramics with polymer clay when its so cheap?!" Wellll...I don't have a good answer for that except that I wanted to try a nice glaze on my face cabochons for beadwork and I don't have a kiln (which IS expensive). I used pinata inks mixed into liquid Kato Polyclay. I dabbed on a little mica powder onto the faces, then coloured 'glaze', then baked and gave the pieces a glossier finish with Fimo Varnish. The effect is a little dimensional and I'm pleased with the result. I only did a scan here and scans aren't showing dimensionality too well...I guess I should get out my camera.

More Triangle beads

Made some more mokume gane, translucent with red pinata, gold leaf, copperleaf. Made some triangular beads and carved them a bit after baking and giving them a bit of antiquing.

I love Pinata Inks

I simply love Pinata Alcohol Inks! They work so well with Polymer clay. Here are a couple of pieces I made by using Pearl Premo clay as the base. Drop random spots of the inks, using a brush to spread, leaving spots of the white pearl. I used small amounts of rubbing alcohol to give a sunflowering effect on the surface. Let it dry and run through 2 successively smaller settings of the Pasta machine, just as you would with a sheet of clay that is covered with gold/copper leafing. It will give a slight crackling effect and the mica of the pearl will add to the chatoyant effect. I use Fimo Varnish to protect after baking.
I've linked my a recent tutorial on here that I posted in the 'future' from this one...in case anyone wants to see....

Another Leaf turned...officially FALL

Driving to the next town about 180 clips away is sure an inspiration to create something with leaves. So here is my newest Fall necklace. Copper, variegated and gold leaf in a jade translucent polymer clay that has pinata ink worked in it also. The necklace itself is crocheted and 4 strand braided with recycled glass, semiprecious smoky quartz and other beads. Had this at the market today and it received a lot of oo-ahs. I'm very pleased with this. Too bad my camera doesn't pick up the shifting colours and light which reminds me of ammolite.

Landscape Polymer Clay Cabochons

Had fun making these today. Painted onto pearlescent polymer clay with pinata inks and then glazed with Kato Liquid Polyclay. These will get a beaded bezel and either made into pins or necklaces.