Polymeri Online 22.3.14 | Lorina's tiny flower balls, Tonia's themed fairies, Mary Anne's catch of the day, Adopt a polymer clay husky, Wire end caps tricks, Thought of an artist inspiration video

Larisa (her close friends calls her Lorina) from the Republic of Moldova discovered handmade jewelry 5 years ago, and since then she always try to improve her knowledge and creations. 

Lorina's tiny tiny flowers

She loves to experiment with shades & colors, techniques, assembly methods and materials. Besides jewelry, she likes embroidery.

Look at these little flowers! imagine the time and patience it takes! Her Instagram is full of goodies.

http://instagram.com/lorinellla

http://ruleasya.jimdo.com/lucrările-mele-din-argilă-polimerică/

Tonia's fairies

Italian artist Tonia (Angenia Creations), loves art in all its forms; loves fashion and at the moment she is taking professional graphics courses in Naples and hopes one day to work in an advertising agency and to create illustrations for storybooks.
Her miniature fairies are full of details, tenderness and sweetness. Browse her facebook page to see her process and building her multi-layered fairies.

Thank you Kimberly Idalski for this link!

http://angeniacreations.blogspot.it/2014/03/tutto-quello-che-ce-da-sapere-per.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angenia-Creations/174434059271046

Mary Anne's catch of the day

Mary Anne’s catch of the day are colorful fish made of endless colours, millefiori canes, dots and patterns. Her flickr is “flooded” with wonderful flat fish decorating tin boxes and 3D scary fish – celebration of color!

Take a look at her studio – everything is within an arm reach.

https://maryanneloveless.squarespace.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28608662@N04/12958452064/

Adopt a husky!

Want to adopt a dog? Consider adopting a new husky earring set! 

This sweet video by ArtzieRush!

ArtzieRush is Lizhu and her YouTube channel focuses mainly on polymer clay creation along with other forms of art that she likes to try out. Don’t forget to name your new puppy dogs! ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQsTyVeCw1I

Wire End caps tips

TIP – End caps! Looking for a creative way to end your beads? This tip will sparkle new ideas to use your tools as assistants to curl wire on and create beautiful end caps!

http://www.wigjig.com/jewelry-techniques/findings/499-end-caps

Last link is something for all you artists in your souls out there.

Neil Gaiman gives an amazing, inspiring speech to art graduates.
He is talking in such sincerity about the ups and downs of being an artist, how to deal with our successes, our failures and even gives his no. 1 tip for freelancers (which was great if we were pre-internet era...).

Amazingly powerful.
I was personally touched. I plan to keep this video as a reminder to the fact that we are…human and thankfully we have our art which keeps us happy.  Thank you Melanie Muir for posting this J

https://vimeo.com/42372767

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from The University of the Arts (Phl) on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend!

Polymeri Online 28.6.13 | Jason's Customs, Mavi's cartooned polymer clay portraits, Ewa's Zoo and white feathers tutorial

Summer is officially announced, but here, in Israel it's hot for more than 2 months.

Heat has a tendency to keep me away from my studio (clay is not behaving nicely during the summer...) but I am working on new projects so the AC is working extra hours...;)

I stumbled upon Jason Simpson's work when I opened an Instagram account few days ago, searching for polymer clay hashtags, then I noticed his bold, unique sculpturing.

Jason says his shop is inhabited by things what comes out of his brain through his fingers and into Sculpey material. He is from Canada and have been sculpting and painting for over 20 years. 

His "customs" (what he calls his ooak creations) are made of polymer clay, acrylic paints, pens, pencils, sculpted, carved and painted. His artwork is remarkable. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MongrelLabs

2D polymer clay portraits

Philippines based Mavi crafts are a couple working together creating 2D cartooned style polymer clay portraits, name tags, bag charms and other cute personalized designs. 

Their recent project is magnets for Edgar & Mila's 50th wedding anniversary. So cute!

https://www.facebook.com/mai9380v

Ewa's zoo - polymer clay cow

Sculpturing small animals is pure fun to both children and adults. I remember the day I took a local book teaching adorable animals from Plasticine and tried my skills in creating some. How was I? It was ok, not more :) Even my son did better than me.

Ewa from Poland, on the other hand, is doing a wonderful job in bringing to life scenes from the animals view. Monkey on a tree, cow sitting next to her cow friend, all with her sweet talent and clay balls in all kind of shapes and sizes. How could you not like it? Check out her free videos on YouTube and Facebook -

http://www.youtube.com/user/LetsClayWithEwa?feature=watch

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lets-clay-with-Ewa/525503667502530?fref=ts

white-gold polymer clay feathers

Last link is a simple and easy project I found online. Feathers are very much in fashion lately! If you're looking for a 10 minutes project for earrings, pendant or just a nice charm hanging on a gift, grab some white polymer clay, gold leafing pen/acrylic paints and get busy. Kelli makes it all look so easy!

http://www.100layercake.com/blog/2013/06/07/diy-clay-feathers-by-kelli-murray/

You are welcome to follow me on Instagram, search for "irismishly" and I'd be happy to see you there! I am posting photos from my daily work along with some personal stuff.

B.t.w - This photo is my illustration made by a friend. The great thing is that I got the skin of a 15 yrs old again! no wrinkles or sun spots! ;)

Have a great weekend!

Polymeri Online 23.6.12 | Hunger games polymer, Round PearlEx mirror, Pins curtain display, HUGE candy canes video and Reverse impression tutorial

Hunger Games Polymer
Clay Pendant

Ghie-Trinket Tales, a phillipins polymer clay artist and a chemist by profession presents a nice collection of polymer clay designs in her Flickr gallery - mirrors, pens, steampunk and jewelry, I loved her hunger game themed pendant! (don't tell anyone but I read all 3 books ;)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghienan/
http://trinkettalesbyghie.blogspot.co.il/2012/03/molding-hunger-games-inspired-pieces-in.html

Polymer Clay Round Mirror

After making my own new mirror, I found another beautiful stylish round mirror project (although from 2008) by The Artful Eye (couldn't find her/his name), The finished piece measures 14" in diameter and clay pieces were adhered with  glue. Most of the clay pieces have been painted with PearlEx powdered pigments.
http://www.artfuleye.com/2008/08/polymer-mosaic-mirror.html

Curtain Pins Display

Not sure it's polymer but take a look at m.misheva's wonderful fabric curtain used as a display for pins.
I think the pins shown here are made of polymer clay although she works with felt as well.
This decoration can be used both to your home curtains and as pins display in your studio.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56085107@N02/7079192491/

Reducing HUGE candy canes!

The next YouTube video was recently posted in the Israeli guild site by polymer artist Efi Warsh after returning from Amsterdam.
The video shows Papabubble Amsterdam creation of their HUGE candy canes. Did I say HUGE? These are gigantic canes! amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFfA6FxrDs0&feature=related

Another video posted in the Israeli site was Lisa Pavelka's YouTube tutorial for using her texture sheets to create reverse impressions. Thank you Liat Ripp for this reminder :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI6dCXA0Zd4

Polymer Clay Reverse Impressions

You can also see a design made in this technique by Angela Hickey, she made this barrette by first making a reverse impression using a Lisa's rubber stamp. Next filled in the impression using Kato liquid clay tinted with mica powders.
Her Flickr gallery shows many of her recent creations using this technique -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/polymer_clay_creations/7396625058/

Have a great weekend!

Polymeri Online 8.7.11 | Dori Csengeri in PC, Fantasy art in swirling, mix media with polymer and clay flowers

Art-rukodelie from Russia made a tutorial inspired by Dori Csengeri using stones, beads of different shapes and using polymer clay strips instead of ribbons.
Dori Csengeri is known for her elaborated colorful looking jewelry and this tutorial is another proof that everything is possible with polymer clay! :)

http://art-rukodelie.com/fimo/urok-3.html

Don't forget to check her Puzzle cane tutorial for more fun stuff!

http://art-rukodelie.com/fimo/Uroki-Fimo.html

Jane Priser creates original fantasy art, sculptures, paintings, jewelry, greeting cards and prints. She is all for being confident, express yourself, be special, unique and she is certain that life can be much better with this mind set, it's all a matter of our perspective!

Her sculpturing are filled with thin swirling and twirling lines of many clay colors - spectacular!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auntjanecan/

and her etsy store - http://www.etsy.com/shop/auntjanecan

Maria Ivanova (vokade) is sharing in her flickr website photos from the bulgarian polymer clay workshop with Isabela Nowak and Martina Mahdavi, as well as her unique designs - raffled beads and bracelets, decoupage work and mix media art with polymer clay - fun!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vokade/5460868029/in/photostream

There is something magical about polymer clay flowers, I can almost smell their scent. Katerina is working both with polymer clay and deco craft clay (which is an air dry clay) to create her flowers bouquets.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katerina-klyopa/

and this link will lead you to a colorful flower group using clay, deco clay, cold porcelain and many more -

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1153652@N23/

I'm off to family and friends camping this weekend, tents and sleeping bags - wish me luck! (i'll need it!)

Animal Farm, A peek behind the curtain

It's been a while that i was waiting for an opportunity to create my own animal collection of charms, ever since i saw felt and fabric folks do it, I wanted to make some from polymer clay.

A week ago I got a phone call from a lady, she is a director in one of the collages here in Israel, theater department. The lady asked me if I can create animal keychains, she said that they are doing a play called "Animal Farm" based on a novel by George Orwell, each actor will receive a special gift at the "finale'" of the play featuring his own character.
What a great idea!
Exactly what I was waiting for.

I made about 25 charms, some not even in the play (penguin? polar bear?)

I had so much fun creating them I couldn't stop :)

You can see how 4 of them were made in 2 videos - The pig, the sheep, the horse and the chicken.
It's really all about working with cookie cutters and creating a flat, 2D design, playing with colors, shapes and having fun.

Let the show begin!

Part 1 - Pig and sheep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ9AfsMZy_w&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Part 2 - Chicken and horse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBSGS034cc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

FREE VIDEO! How To Cover Cutlery With Millefiori Canes

Here is a quick free 10 minutes "How-To" Video for covering simple cutlery with polymer clay retro millefiori canes.

Choose your cutlery - small or big and make an original set with colorful millefiori canes!

How about you?

What is YOUR favorite millefiori project?

Pile of crumbs all over your table and floor?

Did you ever try conditioning dry clay and got a pile of crumbs all over your table and floor?

Here is my solution to this mess!

I took a chocolate box and after it's content has vanished (I'm innocent!! ;) ) I used it for storing short canes and I figured that the lid can be used as a small tray under the pasta machine to catch all those crumbs falling from the dry clay conditioning.

This way you don't have to clean the table and floor, and the tray is helping us to collect the leftovers back into the clay sheet, every falling crumb or piece is waiting to be cleaned or back to the clay for further conditioning.

When you're done, all you have to do is take a baby wipe and clean the tray!

Watch my Youtube video demonstrating it! In the video you will find other conditioning tips i am using for old, dry and even fresh clay.

Now, get yourself some chocolate :)

A quick holidays freebie! make your own polymer clay tree decoration :)

Even though it's still hot & dry in Israel, i am joining the festive atmosphere of upcoming Christmas.

Snow? i don't think I'll see any where i live, but the weather man promised rain this weekend! let's hope for some showers :)

Enjoy this free video on making a Christmas tree decoration using a snowman figure, tree cutter and holiday colors!

Shana Tova!

Rosh Hashanah in the jewish tradition is the "head of the year, or the "start" of a new year, one of the foods that is most commonly eaten on Rosh Hashanah are apples dipped in honey, for this reason people like the holiday symbols and this is a good opportunity to create something nice with apples, honey, bees or similar related themes.

In these 2 videos i want to show you how to make a nice apple magnet using an apple shaped cookie cutter and a rubber stamp decorated with a smiley bee. This magnet will look nice on your fridge, dish washer and even on your car door! let's wish every one happy holidays! - Hag Sameach (in hebrew)!

Shana Tova to all my friends and a great year to come!

On TV!

I was featured on a Design oriented TV program called " IZUVIM" which means "Designs" in Hebrew, this show is inviting designers to talk and show their art.

it was finally on air few days ago on the Israeli TV Channel.

For all of you that haven't seen it here it is -One little detail -I'm afraid its in Hebrew......:) It will sound funny but i am sure you will see the photos and see what i demonstrated...

It was a great experience!

http://reshet.ynet.co.il/Shows/Meatzvim_video/videomarklist,170066