Polymeri Online 25.1.14 | Nunu's house of delicates, Button beads, Quick heart shape bead, Lauri Mod Podge transfers, Dream catcher in polymer and Knitted heart

Nunu's house of (polymer) delicates

Nunu's house is a heaven of candy, deli's and good food, only it is miniature and made of clay (polymer?).
In his Japanese blog Tomo Tanaka is featuring beautiful pictures of his miniature food which looks almost 100% real. Not a day to start a diet.
http://koapin.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-287.html
Wandering in his website (using google translate of course) I found out where the miniature food artists get all their cool tiny kitchenware and other accessories which makes this art looks so real! there are special online stores for all the teeny tiny tools which makes the final picture looks so authentic as if it is taken in a real set.

Violette's polymer button beads

Canadian Violette Laporte, also featured in PolymeriOnline a while ago, posted a cute tutorial for creating beads using buttons. She creates molds from a button, back and front and then press both halves together to create a whole bead. Antiquing with gilders paste or acrylic paint is also an option!
Part 1 - http://violette-laporte.blogspot.co.il/2012/02/buttons-and-beads-1.html
Part 2 - http://violette-laporte.blogspot.co.il/2012/02/buttons-and-beads-2.html

Super quick polymer clay heart bead

Looking forward to Valentines day? Here is a 1-2-3 step pictorial for creating a chubby heart! Thank you Zelodius Morton for this pinterest link
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/242912973625442608/

Lauri Mika Mod Podge transfer technique

Another find by Zelodius's Pinterest is a video demonstrating Lauri Mika and her Mod Podge transfer technique.  I had the pleasure of seeing Lauri demonstrating in person and now you can enjoy her lovely personality and demo as well! Use a laser printer picture and spread Mod Podge to transfer it into the clay!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh17JslFAsQ

dream catcher in polymer

Dream catcher in polymer? maybe a miniature version?
Here is a lovely tutorial creating a miniature threaded bead using cernit clay by MonstersCircus from Denmark.
You can use any clay of your choice to create this mix media design!
http://monsterscircus.com/2012/12/03/diy-julekalender-cernit-broderi/
The bead can decorate your home or used as a pendant!

Let's finish with another heart project, this time from Russian Anna Bragin. Anna is using an extruder to create faux knitting effect and then cutting her heart. A button embellishment is added to create a super cute sweater brooch!
http://www.livemaster.ru/topic/518565-brosh-v-tehnike-imitatsiya-vyazaniya-iz-polimernoj-gliny?msec=2
http://www.livemaster.ru/Braga

Have a great weekend!

Polymeri Online 15.1.14 | Polymer transfers pendants, 3D jewelry designs, Shoes challenge, Multi designs by Mariia and Veronika's ceramic pin

French artist Olga Nicolas posted necklaces and pendants in her Flickr gallery which are all about playing with foils, transfers and colour. I love their shapes, simplicity while clever and beautiful finish. This technique was featured in the Polymer CO french magazine.
In the following video she shows some of her editing tricks of her drawings and transfers eventually printed in a toner printer. (the music in the video was created by her 17 yrs son!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=alnyy1GcLTQ
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68376218@N03/
http://www.ptitscailloux.com

Jessica's 3D printer designs 
(unfortunately non polymer)

There is a big buzz around 3D printers. Although some of the creative fun is taken away when using the printer (design is made mostly on the computer), you can see wonderful creative ideas using this unique technology.
Wouldn't you think this is polymer clay?
I thought so too.
Then, I entered Jessica Rosenkrantz's profile and read more about her. She works in an experimental design studio called "Nervous System" that uses new technologies to reinterpret natural phenomena. They combine algorithmic strategies with prototype methods to create products.
Her experiments are revealing a world of 3D printer designs, just look at her endless drawers of 3D jewellery!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrosenk/8423782217/

Jessica mentioned 3D plaster printing.
Looking closely at the 3D plaster printing you'll notice the machine is carving, cutting into plaster, and the leftovers are slowly removed, leaving the main design. This is a whole new approach to jewellery making, jewellery designing and creating process. Future is here.
http://www.digits2widgets.com/3DPlaster.html

Amarena's british polymer shoes

Amarena (also from France) posted her "So british" polymer-real shoes entered into one of their blog challenge. This looks like a real time consuming project but a fun one!
Check out all the shoes posted in this challenge, they are all so fun and creative!
Would you dare wearing this on the street? I would!
http://paroledepate.canalblog.com/archives/2013/10/01/28123049.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarenabijoux/10073697515/

Mariia's mosaic jewelry

Mariia Kamenska is playing with polymer in all kinds of shapes, styles and techniques. She is using extruded snakes, mosaic techniques with clay or canes, laser cut, micro polymer balls, and many more.
Looking at this set of earring and bracelet, I felt like I am back in Gaudi's park Guell in Barcelona!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariiakamenska/

Veronika's ceramic polymer pin

Veronika Sturdy posted a pin design using the Cosmic Ceramic tutorial which was also selected as one of the 2013 Top 10 tutorials online by Cynthia Tinnaple's Polymer Clay Daily!

Cosmic Ceramic tutorial
Top 10 for 2013

This tutorial was probably the most versatile, varied, multi-designed, it was interpreted into so many new and colourful products and each so different than our original!
Many thanks to all our students who contributed to it's success and shared their experiments and fun with us!

See you soon!

Polymeri Online 8.1.14 | Polymer clay stamped, carved, painted, textured beads, Ron's heart canes hearts, Ahlam's Saudi Arabia clay cakes and my granny project update

Apologising for my long absence. My dear 84 yrs grandmother suffered falling and broke her hip bone. Now that surgery is behind her and thank god all is well, my mind is more relaxed.
Please take extra care of yourself, especially now when it's so cold and slippery outside....These unexpected accidents are never welcome in anyone's home...

Lorraine's beads

Lorraine Vogel is an artist creating beautifully made polymer clay beads - pendants, earrings, stamped, carved and painted in an elegant, organic and peaceful colours & patterns. With background as a graphic designer, her inspiration is the tropical nature of south florida.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WiredOrchidJewelry
https://www.etsy.com/shop/lovobeads
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiredorchid/10300613764/

Elena's beads

Another beads artist, Elena Fadeeva from Belarus is the designer behind Swirlbeads selling "rustic", ethnic, almost metal-like beads and jewellery. In her collection you can find unique beads and jewellery - hollow, antiqued, patinated, ethnic, textured and really beautiful. These beads are sold in her Etsy store and featured in her Flickr gallery.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SwirlBead
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76425695@N02/10448856613/in/pool-justbeads/

Ron's hearts

Ron Lehocky, the "Heart Pins" Doctor posted lovely photos of his recent hearts using the new CZ extruder heart disc.
He was sharing with us his frustrating (past) attempts where he wanted to create heart canes for Valentine's Day themed pins and the canes were not reducing accurate enough. Now he says that the canes are beautifully made and no more frustrations or disappointments, BUT! when he takes the long extrusions out from the extruder, trying to straighten them out, some of it break due to dry clay.
One of the commenters on his Facebook post was Jan Mortansi suggesting a solution - She suggested to load the extruder, place it on top of a hot lidded bowl of water, allowing the steams heat the extruder content, cover with a towel and then the clay will be soft and pliable after extruding it. Sounds interesting!
You can link to Ron's FB here
https://www.facebook.com/ron.lee.louisville
Or visit Jan's FB - https://www.facebook.com/jan.montarsi
If you're interested in one of Ron's hearts, aiding children from the Kids Center for Paediatric Therapies click here and your purchase amount will be donated -
http://www.kidscenterky.org/HowToHelp/

Ahlam's beautiful clay cakes

The love to polymer clay crosses borders and continents.
One of the biggest Instagram accounts in the arab world belongs to Ahlam Alnajdi, a woman from Saudi Arabia - a clay artist with more than 1 million followers.
She is entirley self taught and creates small life like sculptures made of clay (I think it's polymer!), particularly food (mostly cakes). With 2 written books in her resume, she is enjoying the popularity of her designs in Saudi Arabia and moving forward with her passion!
http://instagram.com/ahlamalnajdi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-25261427


Want to see how I progressed with my granny square project? (rhetorical question, you'll have to see it ;)
97 squares ready, now being surrounded with black border and then connected together!
(most of it finished at the hospital while nursing my grandmother, granny project with my granny, if it wasn't sad it was funny...

Wishing you all a warm, safe and creative week!