Polymer clay challenge – week 32

Tags

2016PCchallenge, art bead, charm swap, headpin, kaleidoscope, polymer clay

I have finally found some time to work with polymer clay, even though I haven’t worked on a vessel. I have signed up for this month’s Art Jewlery Elements design challenge to make something using art headpins, so I have made some using a polymer clay kaleidoscope cane.

Polymer clay headpins by Cate van Alphen

I tried to make several of them so I’ll have the option of making something other than earrings (although I have already siphoned off one pair for earrings). I also changed shape when I got bored ;).

Come back on the 27th August to see what I make using them.

In other news my Art Charms arrived today from Jennifer Cameron’s Fairy Tale themed swap, but you’ll have to wait until 16th September to see what I made for that.

Art Vessel – week 28

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, light catcher, polymer clay, vintage bead

I have missed a couple of weeks from my Art Vessel challenge. Firstly I lost momentum with the vessel I was working on, then I was inspired by the British summer weather to knit a cardigan so I was working on that in the evenings instead of polymer clay. Then because I wasn’t working on polymer clay projects in the evening, or planning them in the day, I noticed there was a terrible backlog of housework to do, so I have spent all my time and energy working on that.

However this week I was inspired by my parent’s 40th wedding anniversary to create an assemblage that includes a polymer clay vessel. It is in shades of pink and red as it’s their Ruby Anniversary.

Ruby Assemblage by Cate van Alphen

I used 4 vintage crystals (possibly from a chandelier) for each decade together with a scattering of old foil beads, and a few modern ones. I also had a few textured cube beads that I had made from polymer clay that were waiting for a purpose.

I chose the stick which I pruned from my honeysuckle for its shape, but it turns out that in the language of flowers honeysuckle represents “the bond of love”, so that fitted in perfectly. It’s a little weathered too, but 40 years will do that. 😉

The vessel in the assemblage is a little scroll case where I added a short message with good wishes. The kanji charm has the symbol for friend as I believe that is an important element of marriage. I attached it using two gold coloured wire jump rings to represent wedding bands.

It looks good in a window, but I didn’t manage to capture it that well in a photograph.

Polymer clay challenge – week 25

Tags

2016PCchallenge, 80s, earrings, polymer clay

I have been suffering from crippling hay fever this week, so I still haven’t finished the vessel I’m working on. Sculpting and constant sneezing are not compatible. I have added another layer, but I will spare you more work in progress pictures for week 25. Instead I have a pair of black and gold earrings that I made from scrap polymer clay.

Grace Jones Earrings by Cate van Alphen

They are pretty chunky and retro. As I made them I pictured Grace Jones wearing them in the 80s. I think the long triangles reminded me of her chiseled cheek bones.

I also worked on a necklace for the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge, but I’ll save that for another post. There isn’t much month left, so I’ll try to finish that anon!

 

Polymer clay challenge – week 24

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, earrings, handmade beads, necklace, polymer clay, wonky bead

My vessel is still a work in progress for this week of the 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge. I have now added a foil and plaster bandage armature around the glass jar. Hopefully next week I’ll be able to finish decorating it.

I also have a ballet time necklace and a pair of earrings that I made from more wonky cube beads. This time I alternated between drilling the beads face on and diagonally through the corners. Wonky beads make me ridiculously happy :).

Wonky bead necklace and earrings by Cate van Alphen

 

Polymer clay challenge – week 23

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, mokume gane, polymer clay

So I am still running late for showing my weekly 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge projects. My vessel for this week, 23, looks a bit of a mess, but it is a work in progress.

I have partly covered a glass jar with a sheet of polymer clay mokume gane facing inwards. I plan to build something up around the outside leaving some of the glass open to show the interior pattern.

Polymer clay beads by Cate van Alphen

For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to clear away some of the scrap on my work board, so I also made a few beads while the bottle was baking in the oven.

Art Vessel – week 22

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, earrings, handmade beads, polymer clay

So it’s nearly halfway through the 2016 Polymer Clay challenge and I am still finding my vessels something of a struggle. While it’s great to push the comfort zone, it has occurred to me that perhaps following the comfort zone for a little bit is how an artist develops their “look”. I’m imagining a miner following a mineral seam instead of digging through bedrock the whole time.

Currently my comfort zone is making earrings, so this week I have made a pair of “vessel” earrings.

Vessel earrings by Cate van Alphen

They are not particularly functional vessels, unless you need a place to transport a tiny fairy or perhaps you need to collect pollen like a bumble bee.

The green cup and saucer are polymer clay and the blue beads are glass. As usual they are on niobium hooks.

Art Vessel – week 21

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, candle lantern, flourescent, polymer clay, spoonflower

This week’s vessel is pretty late. I did finish it yesterday morning, but I wanted to wait till it was dark to take photos because it’s another candle lantern. I used one of my spoonflower fabric test swatches on a glass jar with an edging of polymer clay. I wanted something a bit irregular, but also something that would maximise the windows.

Mixed media candle lantern by Cate van Alphen

Lantern with lit candle inside

I used flourescent pink acrylic paint to highlight the texture of the polymer clay, because who doesn’t have neon pink decor – right? The photo under UV light doesn’t really look like it does to my eye, but it does show the glow.

Lantern under UV light

I lined the inside of the mouth of the jar with scraps of fabric before adding the polymer clay around the outside. I was concerned about the safety of having polymer clay on the inside of the jar with the heat of a candle inside. I think it looks a bit more finished than just leaving clear glass with polymer clay on the outside.

Art Vessel – week 20

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, mosaic, orange, polymer clay

This week’s vessel is more of a techniques sampler than a harmonious object. Some of the things I tried have potential and others not so much.

The ruffled neck of the jar is starting to work, but next time I think I need to do that first and then work on the rest of the jar afterwards to get a more harmonious shape. The feet slipped when I put the jar into the oven on so, in addition to its other problems, the jar tilts to the side slightly.

Because I was planning to do the ruffled top, I did the base of the jar first and it doesn’t look right as a whole. I do like the frilly feet, but not on this jar.

Polymer clay challenge – week 19

Tags

ArtVessel, beads, bracelet, mosaic, polymer clay

This week my Art Vessel is still a work in progress, but I do have a bracelet that I made.

Work in progress by Cate van Alphen

I made this bracelet mainly to practice knotting beads.

Art Vessel – week 18

Tags

2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, polymer clay, recycled jar, vase

I almost had my 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge piece finished on time this week, but it was sunny yesterday so we went for a walk instead :). This week my vessel is a progression of the lantern I did a few weeks ago. I have used a variation of the solid backing from last week and added a bit of shaping to the filigree snakes.

Polymer clay and glass vase by Cate van Alphen

This time lined the inside of the top of the jar as seeing the thread through the glass really irritates me. It looks a bit chunky as I needed to build up the layers to cover the bumps, but I have an idea to try next time.

There are a few things I’d like to do differently next time, but I think I’m making progress.