Unbelievable Story

or How the Inspiration Works

A while ago I've got this picture through Etsy conversations.

This is a picture of a cake from somebody's blog, which was inspired (get this!) by my steampunk butterflies!

Too bad I do not have the link to the blog itself. If anybody knows where this picture came from, please let me know, OK?

New Tutorial

Polymer Clay and Fiber

Poppy Beads

The new polymer clay tutorial is available now.

My detailed step-by-step instructions show how to make a beautiful poppy cane, how to shape it into a poppy bead, and how to adorn it with fibers.

This project is simple enough to be enjoyed by a novice clayer, yet fun and innovative enough for those who already have some experience. As always, the skills learned following this tutorial can be used for many various projects in the future.

This tutorial is already listed both in my Etsy shop and on my web site.

Sunny Walk

Here are a few pictures I took on our walk in the Arboretum this weekend.

My Article in Polymer Cafe

My how-to article was published in a recent issue of Polymer Cafe (December 2009 , Vol. 8, No. 1).

It is a fun project. I show how to make an original vase using polymer clay scraps and left-overs. Rather than covering a glass vase with polymer clay completely, I am leaving a bit of glass exposed. I think it adds interest to the look of the vase.

I hope the magazine readers will enjoy this project.

I love writing for Polymer Cafe. Their editor, Anne Huizenga, is a pleasure to work with – she answers e-mails in a timely manner, and all her instructions are clear and helpful. I am already planning my next article.

Student Work

Faux Cloisonne

I received an e-mail from Dora Kollar, who shared with me the results of her first attempt of my Faux Cloisonne technique.

Dora created her own original design, with a graceful shape and beautiful color gradation from purple to black. She has a couple more pictures of this work in progress in her Flickr photo album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bydk/, as well as pictures of her other polymer clay and beaded jewelry.

Thank you for sharing, Dora!

My Faux Cloisonne Workshop

in Baltimore

November 14, 2009

I have finally received a confirmation of my hands-on class scheduled at Baltimore Clayworks studio on November 14, 10am-4pm.

In this class, I will demonstrate my faux cloisonne technique. The picture on the left is the one that was chosen by the studio to represent the possibilities of this style, although I usually advise my students to start with a simpler design.

Cloisonne is an ancient metal-working technique that involves soldering pieces of wire to the metal base and filling them up with glass enamels in various colors.

My faux cloisonne technique allows to get a very similar effect using polymer clay, wire, and resin.

In this workshop, I will demonstrate and then let the participants do the polymer clay part. At the end of the day we will cure all projects in an oven so that they could be easily transported home and finished there later.

In the second part of the class, I will demonstrate how to work with the resin and let everybody practice on some scrap pieces, which I will provide. With this training, the class participants will be able to finish their projects at home. The projects cannot be finished in class, because the resin takes at least a day to cure, and it shall not be disturbed during this time.

I will also provide a detailed review of resins and glazes available on the market, discuss possible errors and ways to prevent or correct them, and demonstrate variations of this technique, including the use of beads, crystals, and metal leaf.

You may find more details about this class and register at http://www.baltimoreclayworks.org/class/mtclasses/fall09/workshops/WS7_workshop.html

New Tutorial

The Framed Pendants

Is Finished

As promissed, I finished writing the new tutorial, Polymer Clay Pendants with Leaf Imprints and Silver Frames.

The tutorial is currently available through my web site and my Etsy shop.

This is the first time when I am offering the same tutorial in three different versions, with different levels of information provided: in addition to the full version, I also have two shorter ones. Part 1 explains how to make the frame, and Parts 1 and 3 also shows how to attach the frames to the pendants. This turned out a bit different from my original plan, but i think this structure is the most logical and allows my customers to choose the level of instructions they need.