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.

Fabric design

Tags

earrings, fabric, jewellery design, kaleidoscope, patchwork

In my earlier post about my embroidered Bead Habitat, I referred to a slightly related rabbit hole. That rabbit hole is fabric design. For years I have cut and repeated elements to create kaleidoscope patterns, but it never seemed to be a particularly useful habit since the only printing I knew of was onto paper or canvas. Then I discovered Spoonflower where they can print on a wide variety of fabrics. Suddenly I could imagine designing my own fabrics, perhaps even some to use in making more bead habitats.

I find creating patterns pretty addictive. Don’t ask me how, but I went from this photograph of a pair of earrings…

Patchwork bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

to these patchwork and chevron patterns,

Pink patchwork pattern

Chevron pattern

via a few tiled kaleidoscope patterns.

Art Nouveau tile pattern

Art Deco tile pattern

That’s only some of the designs, from one photo, with one colour adjustment :o. That rabbit hole is starting to look pretty deep!

I still need to get some swatches printed to see if they live up to my imagination. I find the thought of using fabric I designed from an image of beads I made as a component in a necklace strangely fulfilling. It’s like making compost from kitchen scraps to grow better vegetables (even though I’m currently only growing some spectacular dandelions in the garden, I like the idea).

Sedbergh Sheep Fest 2015 – part 3

Tags

Cate van Alphen, kaleidoscope, landscape, miniature painting, pendant, polymer clay, sheep, Sheep Fest

Here are the last of my Sheep Fest pendants. Click here for part 1 and part 2. These are a combination of polymer clay and heat set paint to pick up some of the details.

Painting pendants by Cate van Alphen

I made the green picture first to test the frame idea. It’s 100% polymer clay with a little acrylic paint to antique the frame.

Green landscape pendant by Cate van Alphen

The back is inspired by the ubiquitous slate walls in this area.

Back of landscape pendant by Cate van Alphen

For the next pendant I used marbled polymer clay to form the landscape which I accented with a bit of texture, and painted in the details of the sheep and background walls.

Sheep painting slider pendant by Cate van Alphen

Again the back was inspired by dry stone walls.

Back of sheep painting pendant by Cate van Alphen

The last pendant is larger, more of a medallion than a miniature painting. Again I started with marbled polymer clay to form a basic landscape which I accented using heat set paint.

Sheep landscape medallion by Cate van Alphen

The bail and edging is intended to suggest the dry stone walls.

Stone wall edging of pendant by Cate van Alphen

The pendant is a hollow lentil which I made in two parts and joined together. The back makes slightly less sense as it is from a sheet of kaleidoscope cane veneer that I had left over on my work surface. It makes a nice pendant on its own, but perhaps it doesn’t work with the rustic stone edging. However, instead of making a more refined faux metal bail, I decided to be true to the front of the pendant. It probably would have made more sense to make a faux stone back too.

Back of sheep medallion by Cate van Alphen

Green earrings

Tags

bead earrings, boho, Cate van Alphen, green earrings, handmade bead, kaleidoscope, polymer clay

I couldn’t resist making several of my green polymer clay beads into earrings. Most of these earrings have now made it to my Etsy shop. Enjoy.

Dancing mobius bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Green and gold bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Tie dye pins and pearl stack earrings by Cate van Alphen

Green triangle and blue pearl earrings by Cate van Alphen

Long kaleidoscope pillow bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Perfect for Mrs Wizard of Oz. 😉

Orange flashback

Tags

Cate van Alphen, gold, kaleidoscope, kaleidoscope cane, orange, pendant, polymer clay, red

I have just found and listed this orange kaleidoscope pattern pendant in my Etsy shop.

Orange kaleidoscope pattern pendant by Cate van Alphen

I made the cane earlier this year when I was working with my orange colour palette, but in all the confusion of the impending move this pendant slipped between the cracks.

Polymer clay challenge week 22 – toggle

Tags

2015PCchallenge, buttons, Cate van Alphen, green, handmade, kaleidoscope, polymer clay, shank button

This week I made green toggles for my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge. I do intend to come up with some more interesting mechanics for my clasps, but I haven’t had the time to experiment. So for this week I went back to making shank buttons.

Green shank buttons by Cate van Alphen

I did start making a wire hook to go with a button to complete the clasp, but then I couldn’t find my hammer to harden it (and add some texture). I’ll have to finish it later when I’ve unpacked.

Back of shank buttons by Cate van Alphen

The different designs all came from the same pattern sheet.

Kaleidoscope shank buttons by Cate van Alphen

I’ve just realised there are only two days left of green and I’ve hardly been able to give it a fair go.

Shrink plastic buttons

Tags

button, handmade button, kaleidoscope, polymer clay, polymer clay buttons, shrink plastic

As I was making my polymer clay buttons, I thought I should test how they cope with being washed. From my research on the internet, polymer clay buttons hold up fine but I do like to check these things myself. I also remembered that a while back I got the materials to make buttons using shrink plastic, so I decided it would be good to test those at the same time. Since the first batch of buttons I made is packed away, I made some new ones.

My shrink plastic is printable, so I made a variety of buttons to test different surfaces. I still need to test washing the buttons, but there are already a number of things I don’t like about the shrink plastic.

The first kind is 100% colour printed, using a pattern derived from my kaleidoscope cane. It was easy to make perfectly aligned kaleidoscope designs using the computer, but the colours are disappointing. The colours get darker (which I accounted for) but they also change when the plastic shrinks. I’ve pictured them next to a polymer clay button for comparison. Somehow the shrink plastic has lost vitality.

I made the next buttons by printing out black lines and colouring them with coloured pencil. Generally I like the colours but the ugly khaki colour in the yellow circles was originally orange pencil which mutated when the plastic shrank. And does one button have a wonky shape? Yes indeed! I used a punch to cut out the shapes so they started off evenly sized and perfectly round.

Some of the buttons are not very flat either. These buttons have simple black lines printed on the white plastic. And the backs…

The backs are slightly discoloured yellow. Perhaps the tile they were on burnt them? I was using my heat gun on the front of the button so I’m a bit confused. Too hot? Too close? Just something that happens?

Shrink plastic buttons by Cate van Alphen

I’m not particularly keen on the white edges of the buttons either. Maybe I’m just too fussy. Oh well, we’ll see what the washing machine makes of them.

Orange kaleidoscope canes

Tags

kaleidoscope, kaleidoscope cane, polymer clay, polymer clay cane, virtual retreat

This week I have been inspired to make some polymer clay kaleidoscope canes by Teresa Pandora Salgado’s class on the Virtual Retreat.

I’m surprised I don’t make more canes since this is what originally got me hooked on polymer clay. I’m pleased with how these came out – I think the patterns look like designs from antique biscuit tins.

Polymer clay canes by Cate van Alphen

Unfortunately as I was a bit impatient with mixing colours and blends I didn’t end up with as much cane as I’d like, so I don’t know if I will get to try scayning (sculpting + caning) with these. I’m planning to use these in toggles for my 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge so I want to focus on the engineering of that without the added dimension of petals.

I can picture some fantastic focal pendants though… [Insert more TIME here!]

Patchwork, dangles and spangles

Tags

bead, blue, cane, earrings, handmade, kaleidoscope, patchwork, polymer clay, purple

Here are some of my latest earrings…

These earrings feature a pair of my handmade polymer clay patchwork beads.

Patchwork earrings by Cate van Alphen

These are extra long earrings with sliced kaleidoscope cane beads.

Long earrings by Cate van Alphen

These earrings have crystal spangles, just to rhyme with dangles. 🙂

Crystal earrings by Cate van Alphen

And because every day needs more sparkle.

Old is the new new

Tags

Art Deco, bead, bead embroidery, christmas gifts, flower, Jamie Cloud Eakin, kaleidoscope, mandala, new year, painting, plans, polymer clay, print, UTEE

I have been reflecting on what I liked about last year, and thinking about what I would like to achieve in 2014…

I’ve had a pretty good run with the Art Bead Scene challenges; I think they really helped me to focus on a project (and the deadlines made me finish). So I’d like to carry that on in the new year.

I have been playing with one of my new Christmas gifts, a melting pot, to make the earrings above (here’s a tutorial for the UTEE headpins). I’d like to experiment some more with that.

Since my playtime has been reduced/fragmented (with our new baby), I’ve mostly been making earrings, as they don’t take too long to finish. I’d like to think a bit bigger this year, and maybe spend some time exploring each idea. I’d like to work on something more substantial, something I can look back on and think “Wow, I did that!”. Another of my Christmas gifts was “Dimensional Bead Embroidery” by Jamie Cloud Eakin. That seems like a good place to start.

My sister is getting married later this year, so I have been helping her design some Art Deco invitations. I’ve been surprised at how much I actually enjoyed doing vector drawings again (it’s amazing how university can suck the fun out of things). So I have been dusting off my old print account on Deviant Art, and I’ll try to do some more paintings (digital, traditional, polymer clay or even a mix!).

I’m pleased to say I still like some of my old images. See?! I’ve been designing canes since ancient times BC (Before Clay). Now I just need to improve my cane building skills. 😉

So for 2014 there will be peacocks, Art Deco, bead embroidery, cabochons, complex canes, digital paintings, art beads, wonky UTEE AND … unexpected treasures I haven’t even thought of yet.

Happy New Year!

May every day be joyful and precious.