a Bit of Color

Troll Tracks

2009-06-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is a talented polymer clay sculptor. She makes polymer clay sculptures of babies, elves, and forest animals

I was involved with polymer clay way back when there was no internet and not many clay choices.I was a wildlife wood carver, looking for something less dusty and messy. I gave up on polymer clay for many years because it could not trust it not to crack. I carved wood animals for many years, but returned to polymer clay because nothing else will create the realism in human skin tones and because I found the clay I love to work with. I use Fimo brand soft in flesh tone for almost everything I do now.

My favorite thing to make is whatever I'm doing at the moment. I tend to keep coming back to babies, whether human, fantasy or animal. I'm starting to look into reborning also. I'm definitely headed in that direction.

Polymer clay is just the greatest medium for realistic skin tones and ease of use. It is not messy which is a plus and there are very few boundaries with clay. I can make babies or a dragon or a pendant all with a lump of clay.

My advice for anyone starting with clay is to go online and look at what people make. When you find something you really love, that is your inspiration. Take the idea and make your own version. Don't get discouraged because clay takes alot of prictice to learn how to mold and work with it. Plan to make more than one of the same thing. Have fun. I nearly gave up trying to make hands, but I had to learn to do it. What took me two hours now take me ten minutes. I've made hundreds of hands by now.

Check out this great link at http://www.polyclayplay.com/FreeProjects.htm
There are projects and inspiratiion galore over there as well as free tutorials.
And you can check out her etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6377456

Thanks, TrollTracks

Rained OUT

2009-06-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

At the show last Saturday, it rained buckets. My canopy had pools in the fabric and my tablecloths were completely soaked. While trying to get some of the water off the top of the canopy, I inadvertently dumped a ton on myself. I packed everything up and left after that. Ugh.

Sundance Children's Festival

2009-06-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to participate in Sundance Ski Resort's annual Children's Festival this Saturday. I will have polymer clay jewelry, accessories, and even some toys for sale. I've attached the super-cute poster for the event below.

Feature on Artfire

2009-06-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

My shop is being featured on the main page of Artfire this week! Here's a screen shot of part of the article

Check out the whole thing at Artfire.com. You can see my shop at http://aBitofColor.artfire.com

Artist Feature

2009-06-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

This week, my local paper featured my work in their arts and entertainment section. Here's an excerpt from the article:

BOUNTIFUL — Loving one art form doesn’t mean that a girl can’t have fun with another.

After the economy caused pottery sales to slow down considerably, local potter Tara Robertson started creating whimsical animal and flower jewelry with polymer clay. Those birds, bugs and flowers have expanded enough to earn Robertson feature artist status June 5-8 at ArtFire.com, and gives her the chance to explore her flights of fancy.

“Polymer clay comes in these bright, beautiful colors,” she said. “I try to use it to its advantage and make things that are bright and colorful.”

Robertson’s introduction to polymer clay came when she started teaching kids’ classes using the material, and found that it was the perfect thing to take along when the family went on vacation.

“It’s a really good way to keep my hands busy,” she said. “It’s not as if you can take a pottery wheel on vacation with you.”

The speed of polymer clay jewelry also appeals to Robertson, allowing her to see a design come to life much faster than with pottery.

“With the polymer clay you can go from start to finish in about a day, where with pottery it takes about a month,” she said. “It’s kind of instant gratification.”

That immediacy also allows Robertson to fold her work into playtime with her young daughter.

“She’ll just say ‘oh, let’s make birds,’” she said. “She’ll sit down and squish her clay, and I’ll work on my stuff.”

So far, Robertson is planning a future that holds both pottery and polymer clay jewelry. She’s planning on going back to school in the fall for ceramics, and this summer she’ll continue teaching mixed media and polymer clay jewelry classes at her home studio in Bountiful (e-mail trpottery@gmail.com for more info.)

Tofu Nut Loaf

2009-05-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist makes great polymer clay robots with actual hardware as body parts. It's a fun and unique design and I'm loving it.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
My friend Bethany makes beautiful polymer clay pendants, and I wanted to get in on the fun, basically. I made pendants and beads for a while, and then started making robots. The robots pretty much took over at that point.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
Robots. They have character.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
It's fun stuff, inexpensive, and easy to work with. There are entirely too many color choices, and the pearl clays are perfect for robots.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Play and have fun. Try out different techniques. It stinks if you overcook it.

Check out these awesome links:
tofunutloaf.etsy.com
tofunutloaf.com

Random Question Time: What's your "Go Green" crafting tip?

2009-04-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Do you have one tip for people to incorporate being green into their everyday life?

I think that you don’t necessarily need to be a pack-rat to save materials from the landfill. When throwing something away, I like to ask myself if it’s something I can use in a project. I keep fabric, ribbons, cardboard, boxes and packaging (for shipping my ceramic art http://trpottery.etsy.com), and anything else that catches my eye. It's good for the pocketbook and the environment. If I can’t use it or don’t know someone who can, then I see if I can recycle it before just throwing it away.

What's your "Go Green" tip for busy crafters?

Juliespace

2009-04-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Julie Sweeney of Juliespace . I was struck by her unique take on polymer clay jewelry.

Julie says:

I really like trying out new crafts all the time and watching craft shows and reading craft books and cruising the craft stores, in other words I am a craftaholic. I came across polymer clay somehow this way. I started out in jewelry making and the idea of making my own beads to suit myself really appealed to me.

I like making pendants best. Now what type of technique do I like doing best? That is changing all the time. I love to experiment and I am still learning a lot about polymer clay. I do keep going back to making my mini-mosaic pendants. They are a lot of fun to do. I also do larger scale mosaics with stained glass and these mini-mosaic pieces were influenced by that.

What is so great about polymer clay is the many ways it can be used. The possibilities are endless. You are not limited to any style or technique. You do not need expensive equipment to work with it. Its colors are wonderful.

My advice for people new to polymer clay is have fun and don't expect everything to look just like out of a book. Keep practicing and experimenting.

Julies Links:
http://juliespace.etsy.com
http://juliespacedesign.blogspot.com

Artfire Cafe Mom Team Giveaway

2009-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/04/giveaway-4-abitofcolor.html

My artfire team is having a giveaway and this time we're giving away my twiggy dangle earrings. To get in on the giveaway, check out the rules on the blog and add a comment to enter.

Go Head Over Heels

2009-04-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Laura Timmins of GoHeadOverHeels. She makes beautifully detailed polymer clay jewelry and the blend work she does is simply amazing. Also, like me, she likes to get her hands in the "other clay" making pottery.

What got you involved in Polymer Clay?

I come from a family full of artists and musicians and visual art has always been a part of my life. After my third daughter was born I was feeling stir crazy one day. I realized it was because I hadn't done anything artistic in a long, long time. I needed to do something but I didn't want bite off more than I could chew with three preschoolers underfoot. I found a community class offering about some sort of clay on three Saturday mornings – perfect! But I was so intrigued by the description of the class that I couldn't wait until it started. I found Nan Roche's book in the bookstore and had tried everything in it before my first class.

What is your favorite thing to make?

I really had to think about this question. This week my favorite thing to make is the new style of earrings I've been developing. Last week I was completely absorbed in a bracelet. This past summer I took a wheel thrown pottery class and went crazy making goblets and teapots. I can honestly say my favorite thing to make is whatever I'm making right now.

What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?

I love how quickly you can “sketch” an idea in polymer clay. I love that it can be both three dimensional and colored. I love the incredible detail you can get both with shape and pattern. I love that you can reuse it if your idea didn't work out. I love that there is hardly any clean up and you can leave everything out and it won't hurt it. So for me, it's not really about the products, but about how well it fits my personality.

What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?

Like any art material, it takes practice to learn a skill. Try to focus on one skill at a time while you are learning. There are so many beautiful and enticing techniques available it is tempting to try to sample everything and as a result, not master anything.

What links would you like added to this article?

www.LauraTimmins.com
http://www.etsy.com/GoHeadOverHeels
http://twitter.com/GoHeadOverHeels

Springtime Designs

2009-04-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Marilyn Jensen of Springtime Designs. She makes one-of-a-kind Dogs out of polymer clay.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I enjoy sculpting. Polymer clay is easy to obtain and easy to work with.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
Dogs are my favorite subject. I just love dogs!

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
With Polymer Clay, I can get a smooth sculpt with lots of detail. Polymer clay doesn't shrink, so my embellishments stay in proportion to the piece. Polymer clay doesn't require high-temperature firing in a kiln, so my embellishments won't burn up :-)
4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Practice, practice, practice! Take classes if possible -- you can always learn something new.

Here's Marilyn's Link:
http://www.zianet.com/springtime/model-gallery2.htm

Blatant Self-Promotion

2009-04-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

I stayed up late last night thinking about where my daughter should go to preschool next year and arrived at one conclusion. Preschool is expensive. Help me save up for it by purchasing from my smoke-fired jewelry shop today for 30% off.

Just type "Preschool$" in the notes to sender and wait for a revised invoice.

Brand Spanking New Necklace Design

2009-04-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

Although I like making representative work, I seem to find myself migrating towards abstract designs lately in all the mediums that I work with. Here's my new abstract necklace design.

I'd love to know what you think.

specimen7

2009-03-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Shing Yin Khor, a Los Angeles area artist and designer.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I was at a craft store and was curious and I liked all of the pretty colours. Turns out I'm quite easily amused.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
Little alien monsters! It feels like I'm imbuing lumps of clay with a real personality.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
It's the least messy, and most convenient medium for me. I also sculpt with real clay, but I can't do that while watching my boyfriend play video games.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Don't eat it. Preheat your oven.

Links
http://specimen7.etsy.com
http://strangelittlebear.com/blog

What do you want to do with your art/craft, but because of external factors, can't?

2009-03-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

I had a major disappointment this week. My "real" job--aside from taking care of my little one and teaching classes (I really have a lot on my plate) is being a potter. I have a studio in my garage and producing work there eats up as much time as I can possibly give it. (You can see my pottery at http://trpottery.etsy.com) Eventually, I'd like to be able to teach at the college level and give workshops in clay and such. To do this, I need a Master in Fine Arts. I decided this year that now was the time to finally go back to school. My little one is older now and can go to preschool for longer periods of time. I applied, sent in all my stuff and confidently waited to hear that I had gotten in.
This week, I got the letter informing me that I did not get in. Now I'm at a brick wall. To advance my work to the next level, I really need some more technical training, and to teach, I need the degree. Whatever I do needs to be financially viable, and also needs to be the best decision for my daughter. So I'm looking at jobs, going back to school part-time, teaching more, etc.

How about you? What would you like to do, but because of outside circumstances, need to set aside for a while?

Momochas

2009-03-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Ana of Momochas. She makes beautifully intricate mixed media jewelry with (of course) polymer clay as a main ingredient.

Ana says:
I discovered polymer clay casually. One day I went with my sister to a little craft store and the variety of colors of the polymer clay caught our eyes. My sister wanted to make some adornments for the kitchen and we decided to give it a try . From that moment we fell in love with this material.

I love to mix polymer clay with different elements, specially lace. I love the romantic and misterious feel that a delicate and beautiful lace can give to a piece. Now I´m trying with my sister another materials combinations like wood an other natural components.

Polymer clay fits me like a glove. From my point of view, it´s a versatil material with endless posibilities. I love the chance to experiment with colors and different finishes, besides it´s very easy to use and suits completely differents styles.

My advice for the people who starts would be to experiment, mix, try anything you can imagine. Don´t be afraid to the result. Work until you are completely satisfied with the piece. And above all, enjoy the process of creating, the illusion is the most important part of the work.That´s the main and the most special material you want to transmit with your creations. The final point is to make a special piece that becomes special too for the person who is going to wear it.

Her links:
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6116826
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/momochas/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/momochas

TessaAnn

2009-03-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Tessa Ann. She makes colorful and unique buttons from polymer clay that are perfect for scrapbooking embellishments.

Tessa Ann says:
I started working with polymer clay about 5 years ago when I spotted the squishy colorful packages in my local craft store. I thought it would be fun to play around with. I started by making buttons for my own scrapbooking projects. I received so many compliments and encouragement to sell my buttons that I decided to open my little Etsy shop :)

My favorite thing to make with polymer clay is my signature handmade buttons. Their versatility lends to so many creative options. I started creating my buttons to be used as scrapbooking embellishments, but after hundreds of buttons have been used in various sewing projects, I realize how versatile this medium is.

The versatility of polymer clay makes it a perfect medium for my buttons. I don't need fancy equipment to make a beautiful product. They are light-weight, yet durable.........and you definitely have not seen these funky buttons around your craft store shelves!

If you are just starting out working with polymer clay..... Simple. Have fun with it! Remember being little and playing with Play-do and how much joy it brought. Do the same, just play....no expectations, just let your creativity be your guide. Start small and go from there!

Links: (My shop) www.tessaann.etsy.com and my (Creative Blog) www.tessaann.blogspot.com

Random Question Time: Tips for Moms

2009-03-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

What is your best tip for moms who create art/crafts and run a business from home?

What works for me:
Naptime and/or preschool time is sacred. Whenever my little one is away or sleeping, I try to drop everything and get to work. This gives me a solid chunk of time to concentrate on my work and to get things done. Now that my daughter is getting older, I’ve also had her start doing activities with me. If I need to work on polymer clay while she’s up, I’ll give her a big chunk to make her own things out of. When I need to work in my ceramic studio, I bring her along. She loves taking a bucket of water and a sponge and sponging things down. This often ends up making a bigger mess than before with water and clay everywhere, but we’re both happy.

Please join in the conversation and add your best tips in the post section.

Purple Cactus Studio

2009-03-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Today's featured artist is Laurence of Purple Cactus Studio. She is part of a dynamic duo that makes unique jewelry for their Etsy shop.

Laurence says:

I first started working with polymer clay about 5 yrs ago. I was creating jewelry but wanted to make the pieces more unique. I decided to create my own beads! Polymer clay was a great discovery! The product is so versatile and the palette endless. For me polymer clay is instant gratification...from the moment you start blending colors and creating texture to the final stages of buffing, each step is satisfying and exciting! I think that for someone first starting out, it is a good idea to learn the basic techniques of polymer clay. Blending the colors, making gradients, learning basic canework and sanding...These are good building blocks. From there just have fun! There are all kinds of polymer clay artists, from jewelers to sculptors! Check out American Style Magazine...the new April 2009 issue features an entire article on various polymer clay artists!

One of her favorite French artists can be found here http://mamezellecat.canalblog.com/

One her favorite pieces is this one:

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=13559002

Flower Pins

2009-03-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing around with the idea of using upcycled jeans in designs--I tend to get pretty obsessive when I try new things. I found some pin-backs that I had previously been using with ceramic pins in one of my drawers this past week and decided that pins from recycled jeans would be awesome too. I pulled out the old scissors, some denim, felt, tulle, and of course, polymer clay, and whipped up some new creations. I improved and expanded on my flower shapes by creating some templates on cardstock and I like the new combinations that have come out of that.

Here are some of the newbies:

Spirited Woodland

2009-03-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Roxie from Spirited Woodland.

I loved clay in school... I still have some of the pieces I made (a really long time ago).... I think it's a great medium, and love that I can take a block of clay and mold it into a completely different shape.

This was my favorite piece for a while...

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=12324495

My advice is - don't be afraid of trying new ideas --- think out of the box... you can make impressions in clay with usual items... think textures! Don't be afraid to mix colors either.

This is my favorite polymer clay site...

http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/

I also use a lot of polymer in my cabinets for one of a kind details...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19793774

Thanks, Roxie!

Spring Spectacular Boutique

2009-03-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

This Spring, I will be participating in several local boutiques (trying to save money for grad school). The Spring Spectacular Boutique in Salt Lake City will feature my smoke-fired ceramic jewelry, as well as my polymer clay work. I've attached the official flier below.

Spring Spectacular Boutique

Saturday, April 11, 2009

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Courtyard by Marriott

10701 S. Holiday Park Drive

Sandy, Utah 84070

High quality vendors & crafters!

Raffle & door prizes!

Participating Retailers

a Bit of Color

Bead for Life

Chic Boutique Jeans

Close To My Heart

Elv Stitches

Full Give

Handmade Cards

Lia Sophia

Lily Pond Soaps

Little Keepsakes

My Daisy Diva

My Shoe Shoppe

Purse Party, Inc.

Salt City Design

Scentsy

Smoky Pendants

Tastefully Simple

The Cupcake Goddess

Tomboy Tools

Tweedy Baby

Tweedy Lane

Random Question time

2009-03-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Today's random question:

• If there is a new craft you could learn, what would it be and why?
I would love to learn how to use PMC (Precious Metal Clay). I'm already into all things squishy, so this seems a logical extension for me. I'm also geeking out that it can be squished and sculpted, but fired to fine silver.

The photo is one of my students in class playing around with ceramic clay.

What about you? What do you want to learn?

Penguins Plunder

2009-03-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Penguin's Plunder. A Utah local like me, she makes adorable and unique polymer clay charms.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
My mom. She's very crafty and she wanted me to find something I liked to do. Somehow we stumbled into polymer clay and I've been playing with it on and off for years.

2.What is your favorite thing to make?
I love animals and little clay people. Why? Well I started out making small clay people, so one of my favorite things to do is to take that and run with it. I've started to do fan art of anime and video game characters. Also I have a passion for animals, and I like to give each one their own little personalities as I make them. I can't do that when I try to make other things, really.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
I just started making products from clay. I loved playing with it and decided to make charms that people might enjoy. It's not like I could make these out of plastic or something.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Keep at it. My stuff was TERRIBLE when I first started. ^_^ see?? LOL. But the more you use it the better you get. Also don't be afraid to browse forums and look for advice. You can find it in very unlikely places.

Here are some great links:
Artfire shop: http://penguinsplunder.artfire.com
Blog: http://penguinsplunder.blogspot.com/
Deviantart: http://latuna6.deviantart.com/
Etsy shop: http://penguinsplunder.etsy.com

New Easter Gift Sets

2009-02-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Easter Egg Hunt has always been an integral part of my celebration. I always wondered what I would get inside of the brightly colored plastic eggs. As I've grown older and had my own daughter participate in Easter Egg hunts, I've been particularly amused to watch her reaction to the candy-filled finds. Last year, during the actual hunt, she ignored the eggs altogether and opted to pick up sticks. Later, when she realized that the other kids eggs contained candy, she became more enthusiastic.

For every major holiday, I try to come up with new products that I can make to give to my daughter's teachers (I used to be in education--Heaven knows teachers deserve all the appreciation they can get). With Easter and Eggs and Egg hunts in mind, I created these little gems. They are little colorful egg post earrings that I can package in a plastic Easter egg with fake plastic grass. An upside of the design is I can also call it recycling because I've collected the plastic eggs over the years (didn't want to just throw them away).

Dance Sippy Dance

2009-02-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Paige of Dance Sippy Dance.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
-------------------------------------------
i for some reason had always had a bit of an aversion to polymer clay, then when i saw some of the things people had created on etsy, i slowly started to change my mind. loopyboopy's work(and colleen as a person) was a big influence on my decision to switch from paper mache.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wow, i don't think i could decide between people and monsters. i love the simplicities of the little monsters i make yet sometimes i really dig getting lost in the more detailed work of making a person.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
i love that i can start and finish a project relatively quickly. previously working with paper mache, projects could take weeks, even months, and then a ridiculous amount of time sanding. also it is much easier to command the polymer clay to do what you want.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
lol, i still feel like i'm pretty new to the world of polymer clay so i don't know that i am in a position to give advice. perhaps, when you go to buy your clay buy twice as much as you are planning to, it's addictive.

Here are some of Paige's links:
-----------------------------------------------------------
my twitter:
twitter.com/dancesippydance
loopy:
loopyboopy.etsy.com
oh! and me:
dancesippydance.etsy.com

Thanks, Paige!

New Earring Design

2009-02-23T19:26:00.001-08:00

One of the things I love about polymer clay is that it combines so well with other mediums. Last week, I tried out denim. This week, I looked out my window and saw a bunch of lovely leafless twigs. It made me think about how much I miss the spring and the flowers and so I decided to add some of my own. I cut off some twigs, and brought some new life to the lifeless branches with little white and yellow poly clay blooms.

Mai McKemy

2009-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Mai McKemy of 4TheSparrowsNest. She makes unique jewelry and accessories in woodland inspired themes. Like me, she has a background with ceramic clay.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I fell in love with polymer clay at the early age of 10 (I'm 24 now.)
I began by making little chubby glowi in the dark fimo stars to
plasti-tak to my ceiling, since I had a space theme in my room.
I soon fell in love with dollhouses and began to create miniature
food.  I've always loved details and spent many hours crafting
tiny glazed hams, shrimp platters, cakes, and baskets of fruit.
I rediscovered the medium after college, when I no longer had
access to kilns to fire real ceramic clay.  However, the lure and
appeal of clay did not diminish, and I found myself returning to
polymer clay.  I wanted to take it in a new direction, and soon
found myself elevating it to jewelry status.


2.What is your favorite thing to make?  Why?  

I adore creating jewelry and accessories in woodland themes. 
 
I would say earrings and necklace pendants are my favorites.  
Bird, tree, and nature related imagery dominate my work.   
I love the imitative potential that polymer clay has, and 
find myself delighting in creating surfaces that look like 
antique ivory, carved wood--or anything other than what
the material actually is.  I love the challenge of taking the 
medium above and beyond its typical capabilities. 


3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your
products than other mediums?

The immediate availability, affordability, convenience, 
and my many years of practice manipulating the material
all contribute to using it as my medium of choice.  It is 
delightfully responsive to picking up details and is easily 
molded, cast, carved, sculpted, embossed, and antiqued.  


4.What is your best advice for someone starting
out in polymer clay?

Check out some polymer clay technique books from your
local library, or pick up a few at a craft store.  There are
SO MANY different ways to work with the medium.
Experiment with many different techniques and decided
which ones fit you the best.  Research other polymer clay
artists and get inspired--find out what it is about the
material that you love.  If you know WHY you love it,
and WHAT you want to do with it, you will really 
make headway on making a niche for yourself in the
world of polymer clay. 

Here are some of Mai's favorite polymer clay links: 

Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy
http://pcagoe.com/

Etsy.com or Artfire.com (search for polymer clay to find more
amazing works by artists!)

Glassattic.com 

The Glass Attic is THE BEST online resource for ALL
techniques relating to polymer clay.  It is a collection of
advice, tips, and experimentation of other artists and
is exhaustive in its depth.  You can find out anything
relating to polymer clay here and will learn a LOT.



Thank-you Mai!

Loopy Boopy

2009-02-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Colleen of Loopy Boopy. I've been an avid admirer of her shop for years now. She makes fantastic art dolls from Polymer Clay.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?

I used to work in papier mache and loved it but it is messy and very very time consuming. I switched to polymer out of sheer convenience and have come to love it too.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?

Definetly the human figure. I have sculpted for over 20 years and always no matter the medium have made people. I am constantly intrigued by the character and uniqueness of each individual.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?

Again, I would say the ease of it. I can sculpt, bake and paint a project in one day.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?

It really depends on what you are doing with it, but obviously it is to find the right clay for your work. There are so many colors and brands now and each is different in its own way. I use Super Sculpey.

Here are some of Colleen's links:

http://loopyboopy.blogspot.com/
www.loopyboopy.etsy.com

Experimenting with jeans

2009-02-18T10:47:00.001-08:00

My mother always saves old blue jeans to make quilts and potholders out of. Even though I live far away from her now, out of habit, I keep worn-out jeans in a bag in the closet. Usually, I'd just take them to my mom when I visited home. Then last week, I thought, "Blue Jeans and Polymer clay--that's gotta be an awesome combination!" I pulled out my jeans, some remnant fabric, a needle and thread, and of course, my polymer clay.

Here are some of the designs I came up with:

CreaShines

2009-02-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Stacey Hines of CreaShines. Stacey makes unique (and beautifully photographed) organically shaped jewelry.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I used to make personalized polymer clay snowmen families with my friend Tiffany around the holidays. One day I realized I could make jewelry out of the clay too! I eventually found Etsy and was shocked to find so many amazing shops specializing in jewelry made of the same medium. Before that, I guess I thought I had invented polymer clay jewelry haha!

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
My favorite thing to make are my signature pendant and ring sets. I love experimenting with color combinations and organic forms.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
It's affordable for my college student budget and I love how versatile it can be, meaning I can literally create whatever I want. I'm limited only by my imagination.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Create your own niche. Don't make whatever everyone else is creating just because it will bring sales. The point is to be unique so people remember you and your work.

Here are some of Stacey's links
http://twitter.com/creashines
http://www.conceptdynamic.com/

Random Question Time

2009-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

I've decided to answer random questions about my work here on my blog and also to throw the same question out to fellow crafters/artists. Some will come from questions I've been convo'd on etsy, stuff I've written for other places, and hopefully, some will come from questions posted here. Today's random question is:

• What is your most treasured tool?

I live for round toothpicks. Right now my local grocery store has only squared off ones, which don’t work for the details that I need. Dots, lines, holes, they do everything! I’ve actually begged, borrowed, and even stolen round toothpicks from friends and family’s houses. They don’t last forever, and I never know when I’m going to find more.

So what is YOUR most treasured too? Please post about it, as well any burning questions of yours in the comments section :)

Wirefox

2009-02-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Wirefox, an artist who makes unique pendants from recycled bottlecaps and polymer clay

1. What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
Leg surgery. I was 14, and couldn't walk for months.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
Bottlecaps, such as this one in my shop
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19378862
and also tiny foxes.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
I prefer smaller works, and have found polymer to be the best medium for things smaller than two inches.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Be careful, polymer clays come with a range of health and environmental concerns. Avoid giving polymers to small children, and be avoid oven fumes.

Be sure to check out her shop at
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6344344

New Barrette Line

2009-02-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

I've been working on a new line of barrettes with my 3-year-old daughter. She's very opinionated about color combinations and patterns and usually dead-on about style. She's my go-to person for fresh thoughts on things. Usually, we'll share a tabletop, but she'll have play-dough and I'll have polymer clay. After much experimenting and talking to my resident expert, this is what I've come up with.

Available for purchase at a Bit of Color on Etsy and ArtFire

Mealymonster

2009-02-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is a wonderfully unique art doll maker. I was intrigued by how her creatures just ooze personality and feeling.

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I had just recently discovered Art dolls and was so intrigued by them I had decided I wanted to try to make one, so I researched the different items people used to make them. I found that polymer clay kept coming up. I looked into all the different types and went with the strongest one recommended, cernit.

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
I love making art dolls above and beyond. I feel great satisfaction when I finish up a new art doll, like wow, I made this, cool! I do occasionally make decapitated head magnets and monster brooches just to mix it up.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
It allows me to sculpt without having to have a kiln, all the colors offered, and that it takes to acrylic paint great, so I can really detail my piece.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Honestly, just buy a some and play around with it, that is how I learned. Also research the types so you pick one that fits with what you are planning on making.

Here are some of her favorite polymer clay art doll makers
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5615159
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5104418
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165155
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20531699

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

A funny new product for that "special" someone...

Little Polymer Clay hearts formed and fashioned to look like conversation hearts but with spiteful little sayings.

Some of my favorites include: "Get lost" "Piss off" "Spare me" "Nope" and "H8 U"

These come in a little box with a random combination of mean little sayings. They can also be customized with saying of your own.

What do people do with these after they receive them? They make great fridge magnets or pins. They look fun lying around for "valentines" decorations, or they can be taken in to the office in a little bowl to fool harmless coworkers.

For sale now for $12!

Below are some other Valentine products available

La Cravatte Duchien -- Handmade Crafts

2009-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today's featured artist is Dafni from lacravatteduchien.

1. What got you involved in Polymer Clay?

I learned about it at school, we had to do a sculpture project and the teacher told as about it.

2. What is your favorite thing to make? Why?

I love to make mini food magnets because they can end up looking so realistic Unfortunately i don't have any in my shop now, I sold them all :)

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?

Because you can make any shape and any color. As simple as that. You can make anything you can imagine.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?

To get the soft one. Before i found out about fimo soft I really hated it. I had to put it in the heater and still it was so difficult to work with it, but the soft one is soooooo easy. Like the thing they use in the kinder garden!

5.What links would you like added to this article?

Take a look here. This is some amazing art made with polymer clay

Thanks, Dafni!

The B-Line

2009-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Today's artist is Amy of The B-Line You can find more of her work at http://www.shopthebline.com

1.What got you involved in Polymer Clay?
I started using polymer clay when I couldn't find a particular type of carved flower bead that I had used previously in a bracelet that I had been selling. I decided since I couldn't find the flowers, I might as well try to make them. The flowers I made that first attempt were actually nothing like the beads I had run out of, but after that first experiment, I was hooked. I've been playing with clay ever since!

2.What is your favorite thing to make? Why?
My first project with clay has been the most rewarding. I really love making flowers best.

3.What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
Color! I love blending clays to come up with just the right shade and consistency. I've worked with precious metal clay a bit and find polymer clay so much more rewarding and fun.

4.What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
If you can dream it, you can probably make it with polymer clay. But don't try to work in a really cold room! Kneading the clay to warm it up and make it pliable is my least favorite aspect of working with polymer clay. In the colder months (my studio's not so well insulated), I turn on my space heater for a half hour before I get to work.

Thanks Amy!

My new Artfire Shop

2009-01-27T18:28:00.001-08:00

Store not available