Tutorial in the works...

More than a few people have asked me to do a tutorial on my Polymer Clay Sea Urchins and other sea life beads. I'm not quite ready to let go of those yet as they are a product line that I sell through various Galleries.
Eventually I will sell tutorials and kits of these when I'm ready to move along in a different direction. For now, I'm thinking of offering up this necklace as a Tutorial with 3 options...

• as a stand-alone ecopy for the pattern
• selling a mold of the cabochon, so that one could create their own sea urchin colour palette.
• and as a complete kit which would include the sea urchin cabochon, beads and pattern, maybe different colours...

Ideas?

Acrylic Painting

Here is my first ever acrylic painting! ...completed that is. I feel I did quite well with this attempt. I might take this photo and turn it into a smaller image and use it in Polymer Clay transfers. What do you think? Maybe on the outside of a vessel...? box?....card?
I attended an acrylic painting workshop this week, also my first. Boy, was that ever fun!!
I've tried watercolors before, but feel I failed miserably with my attempts even though a couple of my watercolours were good enough to be framed.
This workshop was held by renowned wildlife artist Mark Hobson . This year he was bestowed with the honour of attaining Signature Status by the Federation of Canadian Artists which recognizes an artists overall outstanding artistic achievement. Mark has also done 4 coin designs for the Royal Canadian Mint and was awarded the 2006 Artist of the Year award by Ducks Unlimited. Mark has a fabulously interesting workshop coming up in June aboard the Columbia III, a 5 day adventure touring the Broughton Archipelago in Northern Johnston Strait along with learning his many tricks and tips for watercolour.

Steam punk Turtles, Urchins and Flowers

Spent this later part of the week with some Polymer Clay play. Created some Turtle pendants and Flowers. Some of the Turtles are Steam punk....or Borg, whichever term one prefers. Some of the turtles have glass backs. The urchin has a wire wrapped cage.


For the flowers I used Lisa Pavelka's technique, the foil tear away method. One of the pendants has a blue agate, the other dichroic glass. I glued those in and then used Magic Glos. Worked beautifully on a sunny day, but had to do a few coats.

Broken China and Polymer Clay Patchwork

The title says it all, but I didn't fix my China with Polymer Clay. Broke the teapot on the kitchen floor which is Aluminum Laminate. I thought that floor was hardy. Wellllll...it was not! Put a hole in it. The China was pretty thick and heavy. Soooo....I mixed up some polymer clay and hardened it with a heat gun. It's patchwork (in center of photo), but at least one can't see the big white hole!

Inspiring each other with polymer clay

In a strange coincidence, two artist inspired each other with their polymer clay work. One is in France, the other in Canada. I was totally surprised to discover that I was blogged about today. I just left a comment for the person that inspired me when I saw that I too had inspired her. Too funny :), but in a wonderful way.

This is the necklace that was inspired by French polymer clay artist Roudfra of au fil des pates . I was inspired by the shapes of the uneven beads that are more pebble like. She in turn was inspired by my imitative ceramic. haha...this is great!
This one is obvious...I used some photoEz stencil for the swirl earring. I thought a nice little match for the necklace.

I can't remember what I did to these flowers, lol or what I used to get the effect on the leaves of the polymer clay. Should have written it down.

Green, purple and a bit of black

The title sounds like bruises, doesn't it? Well, my arms and fingers feel a bit bruised after wrestling with different gauges of wire. Yep, I've been mixing media again. First I was using bits of wire for my polymer clay flower chain (see below). This involved hammering some jumprings with a ball pein. Then the idea of making some big rings got in the way. Then the green stones led to the creation of a cane for the green bangle (and matching necklace and earrings) and now I'm back to purple pansies. And how was your weekend...? Tomorrow is Monday and I'm back to writing (shhh...another tutorial in the works)

Enter my Giveaway

It is March 29th and since it is so close to the end of the month...the draw will happen May 1st...Please read on

The Survey is now closed...thanks to all who entered!

Polymer Clay Inkjet Transfers that work

In the Fall 2003 issue of PolymerCAFE I demonstrated using Flecto Varathane as a transfer medium for inkjet images on polymer clay. Back then it was said that T-Shirt Transfer paper was the only way of doing transfers from an inkjet. Behind the scenes this wasn't true. Actually it was two of my friends that clued me in to the idea to try something different. During a workshop retreat that Gera Scott Chandler hosted in 2002, she had been using and demonstrating Acrylic Medium with good results and Cheryl Trottier introduced the coated paper method which used no medium, but involved burnishing onto clay and letting the plasticizer of the clay do the work.

T-Shirt Transfer paper is very expensive and I wanted to find a different way. After this, other techniques using TLS, Fimo Gel and Kato Liquid Polyclay became popular choices for inkjet transfers, but also using the same coated paper I had described. I have no idea why Flecto Varathane didn't become just as popular because it actually makes nice 'matte' transfers and has dual purpose in claying as well. I've heard recent rumors that coated paper maybe more difficult to find now, but I just googled "Staples Office Supply" and they still carry it, although it is 'heavyweight' or 45 lb stock rather than 27lb. I'll be purchasing some next week on my trip out of town and report on it.

Materials:

• 1 small block White Premo (Premo seems to work best)

• Tissue blade

• Tile or other suitable worksurface

• cardstock

• Flecto Varathane Diamond Wood Finish - Interior (Waterbased)

• Alcohol (Gin, Vodka, Rubbing alcohol)

• Epson High Quality, Photo quality (matte) for Inkjet printers (look for the word “coated” on the packaging). #384737 approx. $17.96/50 (CDN)
  

• Pasta Roller Machine

• Inkjet images

Step 1: Select images and print onto the Epson paper. I saturate the ink setting to make the colours brighter and bolder as the transfer will look a bit duller. Make sure you print on the smooth coated side, which looks whiter and feels smoother. Cut our your images and don't leave a border.

Step 2: Roll out the white Premo clay to a #3 setting on your pasta machine. Lay the clay sheet onto cardstock paper. Place images face down onto clay and cut around image. Gently remove images from clay.

Step 3: Working on one image at a time, bush Flecto onto the raw clay. Lay image face down onto the clay and burnish lightly. Be careful that paper doesn’t slide around as it sticks right away.

Once it sticks do not lift paper off the clay as colour may transfer at this point. Repeat with all images. (Photo 1)

Step 4: Using a clean brush, dip into alcohol and saturate image by blotting it. Lightly press and burnish with finger, gently wiping, but being careful not to poke hard into the clay with the brush as to dimple the surface or rubbing off the paper. You will see the image appearing through the paper. Any “whitish” spots you see are indications that the image is not quite burnished onto the clay. You may need to re-wet the brush and the image a few times. You will see a complete image through the paper when done. Let dry, this will take approx. 10-15 minutes. At this point you can trim excess clay around image, but be careful not to cut or press into paper. (Photo 2)

Step 5: Bake clay and paper according to clay manufacturers directions. Turn off oven and let cool.

Step 6: Remove image by peeling from a corner. If it sticks too much, try another corner or simply soak in water and lightly rub. Paper will come off with ease. Lay aside to dry.

There is a good write up on Cindy Lietz' site about transfers as well....

Polymer Clay Mokume Gane or Mokume Nendo

There has been quite the heated thread going on about misrepresentation of a technique. Metal Artists have complained on an Etsy thread that some polymer clay artists are using the term "mokume gane" in the tag line for their projects and that it is inappropriate. Some very negative things were thrown at Polymer Clay Artists such as:

"polymer clay is a BIG insult to the actual technique! If only the polymer clay makers knew what a bit of LABOR goes into the REAL Mokume Gane!!!!!!!"
"What on earth has that got to do with smooshing some polymer clay together and calling it Mokume Gane???"
"stealing the term to advance the value of the clay"
"terrible disservice to the talented metal smiths who make the real thing"
"it's highly insulting and devaluing to see people calling it the same thing"
"it cheapens it for the metalworker studying it and builds up the image for the clay artist"
"artificially increasing the value of your work by appropriating a term that is steeped in historical and cultural significance."
"it is an insult to them to call a polymer clay approximation of their labour by *their* name. I could not do it; I would be ashamed to do so."
"it makes the polymer clay artists look like -- excuse me for saying it -- posers."

Then the positives:

And also, since we're quoting, here's some positives:
"I do recognize that poly clay is an art form, and I recognize its practioners as artists."
"In truth, I think your art is valuable enough to stand on its own two feet..."
"The clay one in no way takes as long. That does not detract from its beauty or aesthetic."
"Well in all fairness here, the clay artists here on etsy didnt start this..."
"Who is denying the clay items are not the result of hard work and talent??"
"I do appreciate polymer and precious metal clay work..."
"I think its a fine media, and definitely is at times just gorgeous stuff."

The negativity toward us artists who have come on such a long road to educate people that Fimo is not Filo! that polymer clay is not cheap plastic stuff! and that 'no' it is not a kid's toy! only to be devalued again by metal smith artists as 'posers' is an insult, to say the least. We borrow terms from other materials all the time, when we make stone, wood, ceramic and metal. And Mokume Gane...aren't metal smiths just imitating wood grain?! there there, calm down, lol....

Moku (wood) Me (Eye) Gane (Metal) has been applied to polymer clay as an imitative technique for some time.
It has been suggested that the term "mokume nendo" (nendo - clay) would be more appropriate, and even though I like it personally, why should we have to change it when after all we are simulating...

In the end some Metal Artists say they never meant to attack Polymer Clay as an art medium, but some are still stuck on the thought that polymer clay is EASY!!!! ahem, ok...while some have natural talents and it may come easy to them...come on try it, I say and then repeat that it is 'easy', lol

Oh boy, what is next...millefiore caning?

OWOH update...

I'm truly disappointed and the recipient of my "OWOH give away" must be even more so. I had mailed this heart to Amy in Nevada.
Amy wrote me the following today:

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I got your envelope. Unfortunately the corner had been ripped of and the pendent was gone. The envelope did say "received in damaged condition" however that seemed like a major understatement since the item was gone, so I thought I'd go in and complain to the Post Office.

Thank you however for offering such a generous giveaway.

Amy

I wrote Amy back because I always wrap items carefully. This one was foam wrapped and the envelope was taped shut. I can't help but suspect that someone tore the corner of the envelope intentionally and decided to keep what was inside. Things don't just fall out! Now, I've only made 3 of these hearts and they are all slightly different, but if anyone should happen to this very heart...