Polymeri Online 19.6.14 | 45 Hours bracelet, Japanese Millefiori rose cane, Philadelphia polymer clay clasp, Francine's bears, Millefiori piggies, My owl sleeping mask and Kate's amazing faux ceramic polymer clay beads

Oksana's 45 hours project

What would you do if someone asked you to sit for 45 hours and create a single bracelet made of little tiny balls and dots. Would you do it?
Oksana Baskakova (Ksssandorium) calls her bracelet "45 hours of summer sun" and mentions she created it on a rainy day. Each ball is not larger than 2 mm diameter and you can only imagine the amount of patience required for such a piece.
http://ksssandorium.livejournal.com/3309.html
You can see more of her work here - http://vk.com/ksssandorium

The Japanese way - Rose millefiori cane

Donna Pickering posted a link in her Pinterest gallery showing a Japanese lady - Naomi Shirota, creating millefiori rose cane (Nerikomi technique) without creating a traditional pasta machine skinner blend. Alternatively, she is blending each colour separately and then combining the blend and assembling the rose shape into it's final design. The cane is then "sliced" and formed into a bowl. Inspiring!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/39195459231627666/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtSCKQggQ9g

Polymer clasp

The ladies (men too?) from the Philadelphia Polymer Clay Guild posted this picture in their flickr gallery showing a clever polymer clay clasp solution.
The joint between the two parts is made of polymer clay and secured with a pin to hold everything in place.
I am not sure who is the creator of this necklace, if you know, please let me know in the comments below and I will credit the designer.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/papcg/8333997414/in/photostream/

Francine's cute little bears and figures

I am not using my Google Plus account frequently but from time to time I look around and find some goodies. Take a look at the cuteness in Francine Jacksons dolls.

Being a crafty person sketching and painting human figures & facial expressions, she followed her desire to craft.  

After purchasing a "how to" book on polymer clay figures, she was asked to do her first project by a good friend - a very special wedding gift, a bride and groom. Once she received an encouraging and positive feedback, she has been making them every since and enjoying them more and more each day.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+FrancineJacksonDollsbyFrancine/posts
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DOLLSBYFRANCINE
http://www.dollsbyfrancine.com

Karen's Millefiori Piggies

Another Plus find is Karen Davila's millefiori piglets smiling at us in all colours, patterns and designs! Flowers, geometric, dots, translucent - Rainbow millefiori Piggies! So cute.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/109288526462070051264/posts
https://www.facebook.com/KardavCreations

I am getting ready for my summer trip to Thailand with 15 friends and family members!
Since we'll all need a good sleep in that long flight I decided to prepare us all cute sleeping eye masks shaped as owl eyes (the beak will be added later).
I can only imagine the look of all of us sleeping with these masks on, I'm sure it will be a hit in the plane!
Here is the YouTube video I used to create it - Fun!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DszDaYLIMjM

Kate's Cosmic Ceramic beads

Kate's Cosmic Ceramic beads

There isn't a week goes by without a great creation posted by one of my students. This week I found Kate Golding and her BEAUTIFUL ceramic beads made following the Cosmic Ceramic tutorial. I am speechless to see all your creations, I think I'll take a class with you, Kate :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/skipping_rock_studio/


See you soon!

Polymeri Online 6.11.13 | My winter promises, Rustic polymer clay buttons tutorial, Dreidels and ornaments, Polymer airlines, Reversible necklace moon and stars cane and Dragon heads fantasy

It's the middle of the week and I'm getting ready for a special polymer guest coming to visit me here in Israel. I'm so excited to see her again and we plan to enjoy a full week together, touring around the country and see the main attractions.
If you're wondering who it is, you'll have to wait for my next post or follow me on FB, I guess we will post pictures there...

After the intensive work I am taking a short break from polymer clay work (no worries, just a short one) and working on another favorite craft - crochet. This winter I promise myself to start (and hopefully finish) a "granny square" blanket, so I purchased a tutorial by Lisa Clarke and started to work on my squares. Some of them will be flowers, some others. I am still a beginner with crochet but the repetitive process is so relaxing and enjoyable.

A crochet carpet I made from torn bed sheets, 
Guess who is enjoying it's beauty and comfort? 

Starting to work on my squares

Lisa Clarke's Rustic Buttons tutorial

Lisa Clarke, my virtual crochet mentor, which is a very talented knitter and a polymer clay artist, shares in her blog many of her trials, projects and ideas.
Here is one of them showing a cool way to create rustic-looking buttons by using clay, powders, cutting and exchanging shades/shapes and these are rolled flat to create a pattern sheet as a base to her buttons. Really cool!
http://www.lisaclarke.net/2013/10/24/how-to-make-rustic-buttons-even-when-it-all-goes-horribly-wrong/

Shulamit Raanan's Dreidel

One of my Israeli colleague, Shulamit Raanan is already organized her shop for the holidays - both Christmas and Hanukah with fun dreidels and ornaments. Every year I want to make my own dreidel and every year something is keeping me from doing it... maybe this year?
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShuliDesigns

Polymer on planes?

Thomas Otto is covering air planes! No, seriously, it's not United Airlines planes, they are a bit smaller, He then add a cool looking pilot (mouse!) and Tada!
He shares his process of creating an armature with wire and aluminum foil and after the base is ready, he is covering it with clay.
Looks like a lot of hard work!
https://www.facebook.com/thomas.otto.100

Moon and stars cane tutorial on YouTube

Teresa Pandora Salgado published a video on YouTube showing you how to create beads. It is a basic class but it is always nice to see new ways of work and Teresa mentioned a new material she is using as a finish to her polymer clay pieces - Aleen's Jewelry Pendant Gel. She mentions it in her next Reversible necklace video. Teresa is also recommending to save your coffee lids to use as side support while reducing your canes. Recycling!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJzkzmUlwWc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Dragon heads by Makosla

Makosla Creations (Canadian artist Astrid Ayora Carvajal) focuses on Dragons and fantasy sculpture. She is doing mainly dragon heads but you can find cats and other designs as well.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MakoslaCreations
http://makosla.com/polymer-clay-jewelry/

Have a great week! Weekend is only few days away :)

Polymeri Online 15.7.12 | "Not for the serious" jewelry, Simple truths pendants, Millefiori house cane tutorial, Crochet cabochon and my new rug in process

Polymer clay "Flip my pages, Honey" Bookmark

Nelli Kivinen from Helsinki Finland says her jewelry are for the not so serious people, she creates a world of cute polymer clay animals - penguins, bears and other adorable animal earrings, she is also working with recycled paper.
Take a look at her polymer clay bookmark in a speech bubble comic geek text - "Flip my pages, Honey!"
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NellinShoppi

Polymer clay "Make a wish" pendants 

TesoriTrovati is the creator of "Simple truths" - pendants and charms carrying an inspiration message or an image. Something to think about when wearing.
I love inspirational quotes, they are all so touching and true :)
http://www.treasures-found.blogspot.co.il/p/simple-truths.html
You can see her process - working with white clay and painting with alcohol inks -
http://www.treasures-found.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/simple-truths-celebration.html
and her Flickr gallery - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tesoritrovatijewelry/

Polymer clay millefiori house cane tutorial 

This website was spotted at the Israeli guild website - A fun colorful and abstract house millefiori cane tutorial made into a beautiful bangle and pendant -
http://www.livemaster.ru/topic/93495-sostavlenie-risunka-iz-polimernoj-gliny?msec=1?

Polymer clay crochet pendants

Crochet cabochon in polymer! Pilar created a wonderful design using extruded strands wrapped around a polymer clay millefiori bead, how lovely!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amatista/7378880288/

My crochet "sheet" rug

Speaking of crochet, I took several days off polymer to create a crocheted rug using old colorful bed sheets of mine, it's a fun project and everyone in the house is complaining about the noise I am making when tearing off the sheets into strands. These strands are connected into a big "sheet-yarn" ball and crocheted like regular yarn. I will keep you updated on my final project when I am finished.

Have a great week!

Polymer clay crocheted heart/flower decor - Free video tutorial for Valentine!

In our family, a fridge is not just a place to put your groceries. It's a photo album+.

Photos, magnets, memos, test schedule, special announcements, calendars, bills - thank god that fridges are so big you can place items on all 3 sides of it ;)

Anyway, it's a while now that my mother asked me for REAL photos of my kids. Not digital photos - real ones.

In the digital age we hardly make photo copies any more, almost all of us have gazillion photos in our hard drive and almost none in our albums and guess what - although this happen we keep buying the newest camera on the market.

So I decided, it's a good time to make 3 special photo decorations for my mom's fridge with all 6 grandchildren photos - mine and my 2 sisters.

For a while now I wanted to combine my basic crochet skills in a polymer clay piece so this was a fun project that can be a last minute gift for your loved ones, Valentine or any occasion, this decoration can be used as a big magnet on a fridge, a wall hanging ornament, a key-chain, bag charm, beads for a necklace or even part of a gift wrap!

The great thing about doing this project with polymer clay is that you can apply any technique you like on it and you'll get an original design. Of course it can be done with paper, air dry clay and many other materials as well, just keep in mind the holes and the hook size.

Basic crochet knowledge is recommended but if you do not know how to crochet you will get the idea by watching me work plus a recommended YouTube channel for many crochet tutorials. This channel taught me so much! I really recommend it.

So mom, even though Valentine is a holiday you mostly celebrate with your other half (mine is going to be abroad) - this one is for you :)

Polymeri Online 20.12.11 | Christmas & Hannuka, Poinsettia cane tutorial, Lemon's teeth, Crochet "finger" and Christmas tree ornament tutorial

Everywhere I go online I see Christmas or Hannuka designs and ideas, dreidels, Christmas ornaments, menorahs - Festive and holiday-ish! :) Here is another decor celebration by CrazyKwilter made with the Stroppel cane,

and Filigree decorations by Amber Elledge

Gifts, decorations - Lot's of preperations for the holidays! I hope you're not too exhausted!

Another holiday themed project is offered in Sandy's blog - A Poinsettia cane tutorial

I also loved her idea for the Flower variegated cane tutorial -

http://blog.simple-inspirations.com/2010/05/flower-variegated-cane-tutorial-week-20.html

Moving to another thing -This lemon bag is something. I found it in Teia Fetescu blog and had to take another look. Teia is so funny and writes so well! The story starts with a dog called lemon who started to loose it's baby teeth, Her friend came up with an idea to incorporate them into a clay piece to preserve them so he made a lemon head around a metallic tea strainer and used Lemon’s tooth for the face. When it was ready he used it a scented bag in his car. What was surprising to Teia is that the teeth were not oven proof! they cracked while baking! A bit funny - don't you think? This is such an original idea I had to share with you!

http://claycorner.hubak.ch/blog/?p=749

And last, more related to the previous holiday - Halloween - take a look at this polymer "finger" crochet hook by Marlene Brady. It's so funny! She almost fooled me! :)

http://itsallaboutcreating.blogspot.com/2011/10/polymer-crochet-hook.html

Really last - I am reminding you about my free Christmas tree ornament tutorial offered in YouTube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMTc4CNcYPY

Have a great Hannuka and a Merry Christmas!

Polymeri Online 5.3.11

Dimitra is a greek living in the Netherlands, since she can remember herself, she was always creating things with her hands. she has worked with different kind or materials : oil and acrylic paint, papier mache, wire, porcelain, wood,and many others. Polymer has always been her biggest passion. Take a look at her colorful circle shape beads necklace using millefiori canes

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51640107/circles

Polka dots sheet tutorial by Grgalina from Russia, and there are several more in her blog

http://grgalina.livejournal.com/99194.html#cutid1

Polymer clay crochet hook handles are one of the hundreds ways we can use millefiori canes, UK artist Cara made these lovely decorated hooks

http://surfingcatclay.blogspot.com/2010/05/crochet-hooks.html

Tapestry blog also posted about covering her crochet hooks with polymer clay and have a video showing it, she says crocheting with a hook that has a handle is better than crocheting with a naked hook. Not only do you look very cool crocheting with a one-of-a-kind work of art, the handle makes crocheting tightly much easier.

http://www.tapestrycrochet.com/blog/?p=398

To tell you the truth, i am starting my affair with crochet, you'll be hearing about this soon, this is one craft i can take with me anywhere!

FloRaeMe decorated drill tools handles also using colorful millefiori canes

http://floraeme.blogspot.com/2010/11/tool-handles.html

You may also want to check her Makeshift light box post on how to photograph her art

http://floraeme.blogspot.com/2011/02/makeshift-light-box.html

Have a great weekend!