RE: The POLYCLAY thread

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RE: The POLYCLAY thread - 5/30/2006 2:06:24 PM

Kimmy

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Andree, I like the cat bead as well. What size is it? I just think it has nice lines to it.

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Post #: 81

RE: The POLYCLAY thread - 6/1/2006 10:27:41 AM

dede10

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Hi Kimmy,

Thanks for the comment. The sitting cat is 1.5 iches high (but I'd like to work on making a smaller one).

Andree

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Post #: 82

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 7/29/2006 8:42:58 AM

BeadedHeron

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Harlan

OH WOW!!!!!

I just love these! I've been meaning to stop by this thread for eons, now I see what I've been missing! How fun! I've always wanted to give this a try!

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Post #: 83

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 7/29/2006 9:24:56 AM

Harlan

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Thanks! :) And that's not even a good photo of them!

I have to get back to doing some polyclaying. It got put aside when I was working on Sandi's journal and since then by learning CSS and renovating my website etc. etc. I still need to finish up some loose ends on the website. Was sort of hoping by now my friend Billie would have found a place to start selling these things too but the one show she had hoped to do around the 4th of July ended up not happening. These pins have to start moving on! lol!! I have a zillion of them - or so it seems. ;)

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Post #: 84

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 8/5/2006 5:03:12 PM

BeadedHeron

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You have peaked an interest in me when I read this thread. I can't believe it took me solong to get down here! Maybe I'll play with some clay too!
so many mediums, so little time!

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Post #: 85

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 1/19/2007 1:30:52 AM

artapaloozaintl

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I'm so glad I found this thread. I'm actually making a polyclay purse for this month's Nibblefest. If all goes well. So far so good. I'm nervous about drilling hinges into the clay. Anyone with any tips? This is my first attempt at a purse.

Shawn, you may actually be allergic to the clay itself and not the fumes or possibly reacting to both. I know I need to wash my hands a lot when working with the clay. If you get a box of the latex gloves that will protect your hands but are thin enough to allow you to work, you can test it out and see how you feel when there is no skin contact. -Angela

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Post #: 86

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 1/19/2007 10:06:01 PM

Harlan

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Drilling baked/cured clay is easy! I'm having a bit of difficulty visualizing what the purse will look like. As long as the hinge isn't putting any sort of pressure on the piece when opened and closed, I would think it would be alright.

Try making a sample before doing it on your finished piece!! Better to test it on something else and see what, if any, problems there may be and try to find solutions for them.

Good luck with Nibblefest!!!

(and post a photo too!!!) :D :D :D

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Post #: 87

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 1/19/2007 10:49:36 PM

labeana

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yes, Angela....I am dying to see your purse!!

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Post #: 88

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/20/2007 8:09:28 PM

Harlan

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Okay - time to drag this thread back up to the top.

Anyone who has been paying attention may have noted that during the holiday season I was way deep into doing ornaments and polyclay had been set aside. I'm finally back to doing polyclay on a fairly regular basis and recently (having to wait for the arrival of some canvases) devoted a good deal of time.

SO - here are some things upon which I have been working of late:

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Post #: 89

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/20/2007 8:45:38 PM

labeana

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those are beautiful, Jeanne!! I love the colors and forms....

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Post #: 90

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/20/2007 9:42:57 PM

bromley2

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Wow! I love all the colors!

Carolyn

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Post #: 91

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/20/2007 10:04:34 PM

GreenBiscuit

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Gorgeous!!! more more. Can u tell us about them, spread them out etc (don't you love how I like to use up Jeanne's time?) Please.

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Post #: 92

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/20/2007 10:19:23 PM

bafiedel

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oh wow! what are those cool things with the holes?

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Beth

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Post #: 93

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/21/2007 2:17:52 AM

toucanne

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LOL, those are my favorites too, Beth! That and the snail thingy...

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Post #: 94

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/21/2007 11:55:39 AM

Harlan

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Drat - I had this whole wonder thing written out and just lost it :(

Okay -

Recently I added two new polyclay books to my library - one on making beads and the other on jewlery - both contain a wealth of information and rank as the most useful polyclay books I've bought.

The pods are the brain child of Jeffry Dever http://www.functionart.com/AM/Artists/DeverJ/DeverJinventory.html

I was a bit surprised to see how many amazing techniques were shared in the jewelry book - Dever's among them. I opted for totally different color choices when trying to learn the technique. The interior colors in my pods when held up to the light "glow" - it's really neat. I guess these could just be hung as pendants on their own but I really haven't thought that far - at this point I've just been trying to learn the technique. The green and pink pod at the back is also a Dever technique - the base form upon which you build the pod is different than the "holey" pods and more difficult to control. I'll probably try that technique again to see if I can learn to control it more fully. The most important thing to remember when trying Dever's techniques is that the finished pieces are going to end up being a lot larger than the form from which you start out - so small is better.

The bracelet is made from the scrap pieces left over from a pin and set of earrings (not shown) - I just used the scraps to form a rectangle large enough to cover a coil of junk clay and roll it out with a piece of glass (for even pressure) until long enough to fit around a wrist and bake it on some polyfil. There is just enough give in my bracelets for the opening to expand enough to let a wrist slide in so very secure.

The snail is a common technique - I've seen earring and buttons and such done in this manner. Here I was trying to use color in a manner similar to how Toshiko Takaezu glazes her pots. This is just a very simple interpretation of that but (given this was an experiment) one I will probably repeat.

The pin front in the foreground shows a bit of the technique used by Elise Winters in her amazing work. She paints clay with acrylic paint and once dry slices just through the paint and stretches the clay. She has amazing control and a wonderful color sense. I have spent a lot of time trying to really learn this technique but I always end up going off in some other direction and never devote full attention to how she really does what she does (but then I don't want to be making imitation Elise Winter pieces anyways ;))

Lauren was always telling me that I needed to make earrings - so I took an idea from a set of earrings I bought back in the 70s and changed it to suit me and the tools I have on hand. I need more findings before I'll be doing many more of these but I think the basic design works.

I have several other projects from the books that I want to try for the sake of learning techniques - some day I hope all this learning will result into "something". At this point I have a lot of very neat pieces and while they probably all bare my stamp in one form or another I don't believe they have a clear vision of their own. BUT IT IS FUN LEARNING!!!!! :D :D :D

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Post #: 95

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/21/2007 12:02:57 PM

Harlan

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Best Polyclay tip for the day/week/whatever:

Armor All is your friend!!

It works as a resist when you do NOT want polyclay to stick to polyclay AND it is the most excellent (and safe) polish.

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Post #: 96

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/22/2007 12:57:16 AM

swirlygirl

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Gadzooks Jeanne

now I know what you are doing all those times that you say you are polyclaying! I had no idea that you did so many pieces,,types,,,styles. You are like a santa's elf. Your things are so well done.

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Post #: 97

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/22/2007 9:04:31 AM

Harlan

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Thanks Heide! :)

It would not surprise me if I had about 400 pins made and probably another 200 pin fronts (no backings and clasps). I probably only have about a half dozen bracelets and even fewer sets of earrings - and then there are just a lot of sample this and thats where I'm trying to learn a technique and the experiments are really for no other purpose other than for me to learn.

Obvious Tip (but worth stating): When making canes or skinner blends it is best to use just one brand of polyclay.

All the brands are compatable - you can mix them together with no ill effects but the different brands have different consistancies. Even within one brand there can be some differences of consistancy (transparent soft fimo seems softer to me than the rest of their soft fimo polyclays). Using just one brand will reduce the amount of distortion that naturally happens when making canes and skinner blends.

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Post #: 98

RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/22/2007 9:39:36 AM

bromley2

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Wow, Jeanne, I am so impressed. Well, I have been impressed with your polyclay feats, but these seem to be a step above! So what were the two books you found? Did you give titles and I missed them?

Thanks for sharing how you did them, that is all very interesting!

Carolyn

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RE: The POLYCLAY thread!!! - 3/22/2007 11:00:20 AM

Harlan

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Thanks Carolyn!! ;)

The two books are:

Making Polymer Clay Beads: Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating Beautiful Ornamental Beads

The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration

(mini break while the coffee brews) Both of these books have specific projects that you can try but within those projects are just TONS of information on techniques that can be used in so many different ways!! You do have to read the Jewelry book very carefully - they sort of include the "how to" photos but not enough of them and sometimes the directions take a couple of readings to make sense - but they do. And then there are things that are shown but not explained - like a beautiful shell shaped button done in a skinner blend with some pale stripes and there isn't anything on how to get those stripes so nice! lol!!

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