Creation-In-Clay Featured Artist from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire

For our weekly blog roll post on the Polymer Clay Smoosher Guild on Art Fire, I've chosen to highlight Creation in Clay. 

This talented artist makes the sweetest creations from that magical element, polymer clay.

 She has always been drawn to creating whether it be drawing, painting or a multitude of crafts but she seems to have found her niche with polymer clay.
She says that she loves working in polymer clay.  " From clay I can make beads, jewelry, bowls, sculptures, and even holiday ornaments. Or, I can even cover old jars, recycle junk store finds, decorate pens, and make drawer pulls. The ideas and designs are limitless."

This adorable Tea Pot From The Land of Ollie was a flea market find that she covered in polymer clay.

The Halloween Octopus with glow in the dark skull

is a unique and whimsical use of an oyster shell as a Halloween decoration.

This creative Tea Light Votive Holder or Trinket Box
would be lovely in your backyard.  (You even get your first tea light for free!)

She also has a series of My Little Angels
This one is named Stephanie

Creation in Clay can be found on Art Fire http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/creation-in-clay

And here at Creative Polymer Clay Ideas  http://www.creative-polymer-clay-ideas.com/

Kottage Kreations Featured Artist on IBH

Like most artists, the talented creator of Kottage Kreations admits to waking up in the middle of the night with a new and wonderful idea,  But she also admits that she often starts a piece of jewelry without any plan at all, simply letting the beautiful beads lead the way.

Her pieces are both simple and elegant, as evidenced by this Etched Agate Chrysocolla Necklace  that evokes visions of the South West.

These little Copper Heart Earrings
are so sweet in their simplicity.

These Rose Quartz Moonstone Crystal Quartz Earrings  would be perfect for a bride to wear.

This talented artist is also interested in gardening, crocheting, sewing, creating beautiful gemstone jewelry designs and pretty much any and ALL crafts!  And like most of us is always learning new crafts and techniques.
Kottage Kreations can be found on Art Fire Kottage Kreations
Blogging at http://kottagecreations.blogspot.com/
On ETSY http://www.etsy.com/shop/kottagekreations
Twitter  https://twitter.com/kottagekreation
And on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/kottagekreations

Judy Cogo Featured artist

 

 Judy Cogo of Judy Cogo Designs  is a self taught Canadian jewelry artist.  She started out making jewelry for herself to feed her fascination with fashion and to have the right accessory to go with her clothing.  Then she started to sell to friends and relatives which led to selling at craft shows, local stores and finally to selling her creations on line.

When she retired from a career in financial services, she decided to pursue her passion for jewelry making full time.  Her creations incorporate semi-precious gemstones, wire wrapping, and bead crocheting.  And like most artisans, she loves learning and mastering new techniques.

 

 She is a lover of the outdoors and nature.  Some of her hobbies include gardening, crocheting, knitting and reading.  

You can find out more about this talented artist here:

Judy Cogo Designs 

Judy Cogo on Pinterest 

Face Book

 

 

Here are a few pieces I particularly like.

 

 Free Form Slice Amethyst Pendant 

 

 

 Botswana Agate Gemstone Pendant

 

Wire Wrapped Green Dolomite Cabochon Ring

Graveyard Point Plume Agate Pendant

Inclusions In Polymer Clay

When I chose this topic for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild's blog roll post, I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be.  Adding inclusions to polymer clay is something I do quite regularly but it's hard to tell from pictures or descriptions if others do it, as well.

I've added glitter, loose tea, coffee,  sand, and tiny pieces of grated baked polymer clay to some of my pieces.  You can get some really interesting looks by including other powders or dried organic material to your clay.

This necklace from Amazing Designs

is faux turquoise which is usually made by adding other colors of clay to give it a realistic look.

opal can be recreated in polymer clay, as evidenced by these Pinkish Purple Opal like Cabochons from Art Makers World

This Spring Leaf Window Pendant and Earring Set from TTE Designs

uses embossing powders in its design.

This Sea Star Pendant from Bead Comber

is fashioned from polymer clay that has a few glittery gold inclusions.

The use of inclusions in your polymer clay creations can enhance the look you're going for.  I urge that you give it a try and you'll be surprisingly pleased at the results.

It's Better When It's Blue!

Lisian Blue is the featured artist for the It's Better Handmade Guild on Art Fire this week.  Kris, the shop owner, Got her shop name from the listhianthus flower, which is one of her favorites, especially the blue, so she changed the listhianthus to lisian and added blue to come up lisianblue.

This talented lady live in  Albuquerque, New Mexico and has a wide variety of talents, including  painting ornaments, designing & making stained glass ,painting glass, making unique creations, photography, sewing,quilting,crocheting, knitting,woodwork,plants,birds,animals, nature, art nouveau,art deco, and last but not least her kids and grandchildren.

She lives with her 12 year old cat who according to her "who doesn't paint, doesn't help me pack, heck he doesn't even chase mice, but I love him anyway."

She has some unique items in her shop, including this lovely  Hand Painted Viotet Bouquet Egg

This  Stained Glass Paperweight/Suncatcher  was first made out of paper.  Then she realized that it would be wonderful made from stained glass.

 I particularly like this Painted Fetish Bear  which comes with its own legend in the listing's description.

 She also sells hand painted glass hearts, appliques and suncatchers in her shop.  I recommend visiting her shop and reading her blog and she can also be found here:
Lisianblue.com.

Animals On The Prowl

Everyone seems to love the look of animal prints these days.  From zebra to Dalmatian spots animal prints have long been a staple of the fashion industry.   Those of you familiar with polymer clay have long known that this particular medium adapts well to fashioning creative pieces using animal prints.

Art Fire's Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild contains some of the most talented polymer clay artists around.  Here are a few examples of their take on animal prints.

This Faux Snake Skin Double Bracelet by Amazing Designs  

shows the depth of color that can be achieved with polymer clay.

Here is a Leopard Print Pendant from Dream Weavers Designs

that is amazing.

This Giraffe Print Pendant Necklace by Flower Childs Artsy Jewelry

shows the technique of making animal prints in polymer clay wonderfully.

And while I don't usually include myself in these guild blog posts, I'm particularly fond of these Zebra Print Purse Earrings

It's Better Handmade Featured Artist GlassSculpture.Org

The artist behind GlassSculpture.Org on Art Fire started creating at an early age.  As she went through school, she was told by many a school counselor that she needed to focus on a "real" career.
She was attending Purdue University, majoring in computer science, when one morning she woke up and realized that she could have a "real" career and be unhappy or take a chance and go for a vocation that she would enjoy.  She changed her major to Theater and Costume Design.

After graduating, she worked at theater jobs in the Portland, Oregon area until she realized that she could make as much from her art, mainly paintings at that point, as she was in the theater.  It was then that she starting creating full time.

To make a long story short, she moved to Carmel, California where, along with her current partner and a myriad of cats whom she adores, she creates beautiful glass works.  Her skills include glass blowing, casting, carving, etching, painting and so much more.  She has a blog dedicated to her love of her cats.  One article about her cat, Buckaroo Banzai and his favorite song, brought tears to my eyes.
Her other blog The Art of Joy Alyssa Day  is where you can find her blog posts about the other featured artists from It's Better Handmade.

Here are some of her amazing works.

Kitty Memorial

Blown Glass Heart - Angel Wings

An Angel Kneels On 9/11 Print

Blown Galss Paperweight - Purple Dream

Go Faux It!

Faux is defined by Wikipedia,(which we all know is the source of all knowledge), as the attempt to create products which will resemble the imitated items as closely as possible.  Polymer clay lends itself beautifully to this method, as colors can be blended in intricate ways.

Wood can be simulated by mixing browns, white, black and even reds and yellows to look like the real things.  This Faux Wood Pendant  by Creative Sisters has the look of real inlaid wood.

Stone is another material that lends itself readily to simulation in polymer clay.  These HHand Carved Faux Stone Petroglyph Earrings by Cynthia Blanton look like an ancient artifact carved from sandstone.

 

Turquoise can be created using polymer clay, Such as this Faux Turqoise and Copper Necklace by Amazing Designs.

Sea glass can also be produced by blending a small amount of colored polymer clay with a larger amount of translucent clay, as in these Faux Sea Glass Earrings by Christina Kosinsky Designs.

Shell can be reproduced in polymer clay.  These Faux Aubergine Shell Earrings by Gaia  Copia Look like they just came from the sea.

As you can see, polymer clay is a very versatile medium that lends itself well to numerous applications. The examples featured here are just a small sampling of what some talented polymer clay artists can do when they get their favorite material in their studios.

Howling Caterpillar of the IBH Guild on Art Fire

So, this week's victim of the IBH Guild's Blog Roll is Howling Caterpillars
I love the name and her Art Fire shop avatar.  She also happens to be a fellow New Englander, hailing from Weymouth, MA.  She is also a fellow Pagan. 

This talented crafter admits to be a Jill of All Trades and her shop shows this. Her gorgeous products range from Dream Webs (kind of like Dream Catchers but since she is not Native American, she didn't feel it was right to call them Dream Catchers), to jewelry, ArchAngel bottles and altars in a jar.

You can also earn good Karma points by purchasing one of the  chokers on her site.  These were made by a friend's husband who was 1/4 Choctaw.  He, unfortunately passed away and she is helping her friend out by selling the chokers he made.

She has several blogs, this one: Demented Scribbling About Stuff and this one: Howling Caterpillars Maybe Daily Crafty Blog which highlight her sense of humor which is a little to the left of normal (I mean that as a compliment).
Some of her entries had me falling down laughing.

Her Art Fire blog is a delight to read and I recommend all these as prime reading material.

Here are some of her wonderful pieces.

Good for Karma points  Rose and Quartz and Silver Choker

Three Wise Monkeys Dream Web

Maika i Pomaika i Hawaiian Voyage Necklace

Divine ArchAngel Bottles

The Art of Millefiori In Polymer Clay

Millefiori or thousand flowers is usually associated with glass work but it lends itself beautifully to polymer clay.

The Millefiori technique was in use long before the term was coined and the beads produced by this method were previously known as mosaic beads.

For those of us who work in polymer clay, this is a wonderful,as well as arduous technique, that invloves stacking and wrapping rods of polymer clay to make a cane pattern, be it a flower, butterfly or even a face.

The cane can then be reduced or made thicker by manipulating the clay.  This technique can produce some wonderful pieces and even "mistakes" can be incorporated into earrings, pendants or home decor.

The following pieces were created by members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire and highlight some of the best polymer clay Millefiori work that I've seen.

Think Pink Hearts and Flowers Pendant from Kimi's Jewelry From the Heart

Big Beads Chrysi Necklace by Captured by Lori

Polymer Clay Covered Round Tin by TTE designs

Perfume Pen by Renaissance Gal of San Antonio