The next steps with shapes

I started cutting some shapes using the paper patterns that I made last week,  adding surface treatment, putting some shapes together.

I kind of saw most of these as earring parts but there might be be necklace possibilities here too.

A big thank you to Cynthia Tinapple for including my video in her weekend Studio Mojo newsletter! If you're interested in some more in depth polymer info. (videos, interviews...) delivered each Saturday, you can sign up to receive it here.

Shape Exploration

 I scheduled "shape exploration" this week as the first step a new series I'm thinking about and made a short video of the process. The idea was to work quickly and see what I came up with - I was just looking for shapes.  The video is about 2 mins. but I think I worked for about 30 minutes total, only keeping the shapes I liked the best. 

The best shapes

The same thing could be done by drawing I suppose (fast drawings on inexpensive sketch paper)  but I enjoy cutting and I like that I end up with pattern pieces.

Polymer Arts

Polymer Arts Winter 2012 is out today - I'm really honored to be part of the Rings Galore article! Thank you to editor Sage Bray for including my work. 

Fragment ring in coal

Wandering planet

I read a BBC report the other day about rogue, orphaned planets that wander the universe.  

Scientists don't know how they came to be and where they are going.  

I find it comforting that we don't have everything figured out.  

Awe and wonder are good for the soul. 

Fooling around with colored pencil on black polymer

Have a great weekend! 

Don't forget the knot

Yesterday I added the last bead to this necklace and then dropped it to the floor. Beads went everywhere and two are now lost in "the bead vortex". (Do you have one? That place where beads that you JUST HAD in your hand get sucked into only to be found 12 months later?) And I am talking about the big beads, not the the tiny ones.

I crawled around on my knees for a while, searching, eventually adding other beads that work better anyway. Here it is completed and now posted to the shop. (with a very secure, glued, triple knot!)

Sneak peak

Shhh... a sneak peak of my project in Cynthia Tinapple's upcoming polymer clay book (Potter's Creek, August 2013).

Just Keep Carving

Sometimes things don't work out initially but rather than give up you need to just keep going. I thought my initial carving with these beads was "flat" from a design standpoint.

But the second stage of carving I did really helps these little cactus-ish beads (Cactus, boulder, mountains? Not sure.)  Next step will be to try adding some colored pencil and securing it with Genesis medium. 

Have a great weekend! I was hoping to get out for a hike but the boy's yucky, nagging coughs will probably keep us at home. More time to carve. 

Thanks for reading! 

Its so nice to find my work on wish lists like Vickie's over at Unusual Magic!

(Thank you for  making my Wednesday,Vickie!) 

I''m going to be working on several smaller drop earring designs after school this afternoon. From talking to customers, small earrings make very good stocking stuffers and small gifts for friends at work, teachers, even hostess gifts. (This particular design incorporates scrap clay as the bronze background. REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE)