Happy New Year

Tags

2015PCchallenge, 2016PCchallenge, ArtVessel, handmade bead, polymer clay, spectrum

I’m starting the New Year with a look back at the old year. I took part in Katie Oskin’s 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge which I combined with my idea of dividing the year into blocks focussing on each colour of the spectrum. Each week I made bead components*. Look at the pretty gradient that they make!

Some of the components need reworking, but I’m pleased to say that I managed to make something every week (despite moving house in the middle). I think perhaps this exercise needs another iteration since one of my objectives was to develop a more homogenous body of work. Maybe I should choose my favourite component from each block and make a version in each colour palette? But that’s not my challenge for 2016…

For 2016 I plan to make a vessel each week. I’ll probably start with covering my collection of glass jars, but I’m also hoping to make items of jewellery like inros.  I’ve made a group on Flickr if you’d like to join in (it’s not limited to polymer clay since although that’s what I work with, I love to be inspired by other media too).

I hope my year, and yours, will be filled with beautiful things!

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* I have a page dedicated to the Spectrum Year project where you can click on the thumbnails and find my colour recipes. I am working on adding some of these beads, and jewellery made using the colour palettes, to my Folksy shop.

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Polymer clay challenge week 52 – toggle

Tags

2015PCchallenge, clasp, handmade bead, polymer clay, red, toggle

For the last week of my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge, I have made an old school bar and loop toggle clasp.

Polymer clay toggle by Cate van Alphen

It’s pretty chunky and mostly red.

Polymer clay toggle by Cate van Alphen

I wanted a contrast between the pattern on the side and the front as the bar will be seen side on when in use. I’m mostly happy but I think it could do with another iteration – the stripes in the bar are a bit thinner than I’d imagined.

Polymer clay toggle clasp by Cate van Alphen

The hard part was carving the polymer clay to look interestingly irregular without ending up a wobbly mess. Maybe it could do with a touch more wobble? 😉

This is officially the last week of my Spectrum Year, but I’m sure I will be making more as I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface. For 2016 I plan to make a vessel every week. Have a look at the Flickr group I’ve made if you’d like to join in.

Until then,

BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Polymer clay challenge week 51 – bead

Tags

2015PCchallenge, damascus ladder, focal bead, headpin, polymer clay

I got a bit distracted with Christmas preparations, so my blog for the 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge is a little bit late this week. I made some headpins with the leftover damascus ladder cane from last week.

Polymer clay headpins by Cate van Alphen

I also managed to finish the focal bead from last week. The ends are now neater, but I think I prefer the darker scrap colour.

Polymer clay focal bead by Cate van Alphen

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you’ve had, or are having, a happy day. 🙂

Polymer clay challenge week 50 – focal WIP

Tags

2015PCchallenge, crushed helix, damascus ladder, focal bead, polymer clay, red

I’ve had to accept a work in progress for this week’s focal bead. All the extra Christmas activities have been taking their toll on my time.

Focal bead WIP by Cate van Alphen

The pattern on the bead is a crushed helix (or reduced Damascus Ladder). I still need to finish the ends (I’m going to wrap a string of polymer around the domes) and sand the bead.

Maybe I’ll finish next weekend (sometime after I finish making Christmas gifts, and beads for next week’s challenge but before we go Christmas shopping)? Hmmm, ok, maybe not NEXT weekend, but surely before the end of the year? Oh wait, that’s only two weeks away!

Polymer clay challenge week 49 – bead

Tags

2015PCchallenge, handmade, polymer clay, red bead

This week my energies have mostly been diverted into making Christmas gifts (which I can’t show yet) and a cow costume (which isn’t polymer clay). So the red beads I have made for my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge are pretty underwhelming.

Polymer clay beads by Cate van Alphen

They are literally scraps of mokume gane twisted together to make a bead. The two beads don’t match particularly well, but they might make a quirky pair of earrings or a fun accent in a necklace/bracelet.

Polymer clay beads by Cate van Alphen

I quite like the organic look of them. They remind me of crysalises. Maybe something exciting will emerge?

Polymer clay challenge week 48 – toggle

Tags

2015PCchallenge, clasp, handmade bead, polymer clay, red, shank button

This week I made another jumbo shank button/clasp from polymer clay and wire. I used some of the scraps from the earlier mokume gane sheet with some slivers of skinner blend.

Red focal clasp by Cate van Alphen

Again I did two loops on the back, so one can be for the necklace and one for the clasp hook.

Focal clasp by Cate van Alphen

That’s it for week 48 of my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge.

Polymer clay challenge week 47 – bead

Tags

2015PCchallenge, art bead, handmade beads, polymer clay, purple, red

This week I made some red spacer beads for my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge.

Polymer clay beads by Cate van Alphen

They are not particularly exciting, but they do look like yummy berries 🙂

Polymer clay beads by Cate van Alphen

I did make some more interesting beads using the scraps of the purple palette left on my board, but since they aren’t red I’m not counting them officially.

Purple patchwork beads by Cate van Alphen

Polymer clay challenge week 46 – focal

Tags

2015PCchallenge, mokume gane, pendant, polymer clay, red

Here are the first red components of my my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge. I created the pattern using stamped mokume gane.

Polymer clay components by Cate van Alphen

I had intended to make the cabochons into pendants, but I’ve been struck down with they lurgy, so I’ve been sleeping instead.

Polymer clay pendants by Cate van Alphen

I textured the moon shaped pendant and sanded the doughnut smooth. I think the texture looks warm and fuzzy – perfect for the current chilly weather.

Polymer clay challenge week 45 – toggle

Tags

2015PCchallenge, handmade bead, magnetic clasp, polymer clay, purple, violet

This week of my 2015 Polymer clay challenge I decided to have a go at making a magnetic clasp. I’ve always had trouble with magnetic clasps pulling open. I figured that two magnets are strongest when you pull them directly apart as opposed to bending them open like a book or sliding them sideways. So I tried to come up with a design where you have to pull the pieces apart as there is no sideways movement available.

Magnetic clasp by Cate van Alphen

The two pieces are a bit like teeth with interlocking roots. There is a tiny magnet in the centre. Both pieces are the same.

Polymer clay clasp by Cate van Alphen

I’m pleased with how it looks, and it’s very satisfying to click the pieces together, but sadly I don’t think it’s strong enough to use as a clasp. It could be because there is still some scope to tilt the magnets apart, so maybe longer spikes would help? Or maybe the magnets are just too small? Maybe magnetic clasps just don’t work? 😦

Polymer clay clasp by Cate van Alphen

I need to let the idea simmer for a bit. In the meantime I’m struggling with my red colour palette. I thought I’d add a sixth colour to match the previous palettes, but now some of the colours are not sitting together well.

Polymer clay challenge week 43 – focal

Tags

2015PCchallenge, doughnut pendant, polymer clay, purple, violet

This week I made a purple polymer polka-dot pendant. 🙂

Hollow polymer clay doughnut pendant by Cate van Alphen

I have been rearranging my work room, so I had to keep things simple for this week of my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge.

P.S. I wrote a tutorial a while back for making the hollow doughnut shape (just use your favourite method to decorate a sheet of clay). Here’s a polka-dot tutorial (it’s similar to what I did except I made some dents in my background sheet of clay first).