Let's Go Fishing!

This week I am all crazy about my aquarium and I am looking and looking for fishes, information about taking care of them, dreaming of my summer holidays by the sea, and all this made me think of polymer clay again. Not like I don't think about it on a daily basis anyway, but today it was different. I went today to the online ocean of polymer clay fish on my make-believe boat and put my creative echolot into the waters of many clay artists :) Here is what I caught!

I also realised that I've never made a fish from clay! How weird is that knowing that my father is a fisherman!

Photo Credits: 1 - Liat R 2- Adrienne Lindsey 3- Clay figurine from Amazon.com 4 - Denise Graham 5 - Christina A Kapono 6 - Liat R 7 - Desert Rubble 8 - Susan Lomuto 9 - Liat R 10 - Pamela Carman 11 - Joanie Croyder 12 - FourWinds Jewelry 13 - Christina A Kapono 14 - Unknown artist  15 - Sue Corrie

Organic Spring

Let's go organic this Spring, shall we?
I am looking for all possible and impossible ways to make myself and all of you inspired! It is hard when all I see is grey. This is why I am so grateful to have the Internet and have access to all the places on the Planet with just a click of a button. Here are my little research results for organic coral shapes. Enjoy and stay inspired.. and perhaps make something ^^

Photo Credits: (1) HunkiiDorii - Dori Janki (2) Diane Lublinski (3) Anne Goldman (4) Cocoa Vintage (5) Mandarin Moon (6) Katsumata Chieko (7) Loeke Pam (8) JoAnn Crafts.com (9) Artist Unknown (10) unikatissima (11) Wendy Wallin Malinow (12) Marlene Brady (13) Barbara Stutman

Spring Emeralds

Hello everyone and welcome to Spring!
Yes, maybe it is still cold and some parts of our Planet are definitely covered in snow, but as artists we should never pay attention to appearance of surfaces when looking for deep spiritual inspiration.
So today I want to present you with one of the most beautiful and precious stones - Emerald.
It's color is definitely very unique and there are only a few other elements on this planet that are naturally the same color.
I did a little research and found these Spring Emerald creations from polymer clay by various artists.
Emerald is the Pantone Color of the Year so make sure you own at least one Emerald, be it crystal or clay.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INSPIRATION

Photo Credits: (1) DivaDesigns1 (2) Jennifer Slattery (3) Rozibuz (4) Katy Szczerbaty (5) Anna Ingegerd Fjellborg
(6) Makayla Jennings (7) Knightwork Studio (8) Georgia Turin (9) Joann K Barrack (10) Design Theory (11) Dawn Schiller (12)okajewelry (13) Mandarin Moon  (14) Fulgorine (15) Biesge (16) Luiza Dragonescu (17) SandrArt

Inspiration From Nature



This microscopic view of a Basswood Stem by National Geographic photographer Greg Dale inspires me to make colorful, organic clay canes, perhaps with alcohol inks.

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]



Cozy Woolies

Recently, I was browsing through some cool ideas for something I never tried before and I found out that you can knit from polymer clay! I know it could be nothing special for some of you advanced polymer clay knitters, but I got so surprised that I decided to share this amazing option with you. Hope it will inspire you a lot. I know, winter season is almost over, but in some countries it will be cold and snowy for another 2 months or more, so it's not too late to create some polymer clay cozies and to warm up your day with winter designs. And believe me, next winter is not as far away as it seems :) Time flies!

Photo Credits: (1) Claire Wallis (2) IrenkaR (3) Claire Wallis (4) Enchantress (5) Claire Wallis (6) Cofanetto (7) .Ines (8) Cynthia Tinapple (9) Claire Wallis

Pasta Machine Storage Solution

It's exciting to learn that Sterilite Corporation is still making two particular storage containers that seem specially designed for polyclayers. The small size ShowOffs™ container easily holds a pasta maker--including handle, clamp, and noodle attachment; and the next size up let's you add your motor, as well. Here are some photos from 2004 of the smaller container with one of my pasta makers resting in it quite comfortably. The newer model is a lovely green.

Best price we found is a 6-pk for $20.45 at www.plumbersurplus.com. 

Sterilite products are made in the USA.

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Yayoi Kusama Connects the Dots

Inspiration attaches itself to feelings of joy and exhilaration. Just as easily it finds dark passages to draw us in for whispers and secrets. Look down the rabbit hole of Yayoi Kusama and  you will find inspiration wrapped in an enigma. Does art deepen her suffering or does suffering embroider her art? Polka dots are the tip of her essence. Her soul is filled with caves, each hiding a magical facet created over eight decades. She is a suspense novel sure to stir your muse in mysterious ways.


[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Polymer Clay Inspiration From Flea Market Finds

The fabulous Ann Tuominen collected crocheted pot holders from flea markets in her native Finland for a 2012 exhibit at the Nordic Watercolor Museum in Sweden. Can you see the polymer clay cane possibilities in her work? 

It's Saturday, treat yourself to more of Anu's art on her website: www.anutuominen.fi/.

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Looks as if Hellboy is Getting in on the Extruder Disk Craze

Just one more reason to love this guy!!

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Polymer Clay Inspiration from Ceramic Wall Pieces

The intricate designs on each element of Kelly Jean Ohl's ceramic wall pieces are individually handcarved and can be grouped to make stunning triptychs. Can you imagine similar designs made smaller in polymer clay?

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Mosaic Cane Nail Art

We are thrilled to see the Mosaic Cane as nail art. Unfortunately, we don't know whom to thank. Do you?


Watch Aniko's video tutorial on our YouTube channel and learn to make a Mosaic Cane. What will you cover with it?


[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Happy Hanukkah!!

Do these lovely machine embroidery designs inspire you to make Star of David canes? Using an extruder will simplify the task and save your energy for eating more latkes.

These designs are copyrighted by Elia Creations, so you will need to use your imagination and create your own unique versions. Design sets are available on eBay under user name embroideryil and on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/eliadesigns.

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Our Newest Video Tutorial on YouTube!!

Still haven't sent your holiday cards? In our new video tutorial, Aniko makes cute and easy last minute cards for everyone on your list. CLICK HERE TO WATCH

[Posted by Aniko Kolesnikova and Jeannie Havel]

Snowflaked Mood Board

Today I got up and looked out the window and the feeling that I was overflown with was happiness and excitement. Yes! I saw snow! It melted away in an hour but my mood stayed wintery for the whole day. I decided to make this little "Snowflaked" mood board for you guys!

Look how cool snowflakes are! You can use them in paper works, bakery, origami, making cakes and cupcakes, clay artworks and room decorations. December must be the best month to take those scissors out, fold that white paper in a little sharp triangles and start cutting :)
I already have all my windows covered in snowflakes :) If there is no snow outside it doesn't mean it can't be inside :) Or inside our hearts?

CLICK HERE or HERE for more snowflake madness :)

Photo Credits to follow[Posted by Aniko]

Welcome

Welcome to our new blog for pcPolyzine fans and followers. We hope you will enjoy visiting us and will find inspiration in our tidbits of information. Just like you, we are always on the lookout for something to cover with clay, a new pattern or texture or technique, color inspiration, and one more reason to move that gadget from the kitchen to the studio. And by studio, I mean large, expanded spaces perfectly organized with every arts and crafts supply ever invented, to a stolen corner of the living room, half of a spare bedroom, or the top of the coffee table with any type of tool that squishes the clay into new shapes and designs. We clay where we can with what we have. That's who we are. That's how we roll...clay. :))

[Posted by Jeannie Havel on behalf of Aniko Kolesnikova and the Team at pcPolyzine.com]

DYSWIS (Do You See What I See?)

Once a polyclayer, always a polyclayer. My mind interprets the most innocent of objects into something about clay. For example, you might look at this image and see the lovely yard art of Mar Vista, California's Cathy Engel-Marder. I see Stroppel Cane slices dancing in the sunlight. Do you see what I see?

[Posted by Jeannie Havel]

Knitted Patterns

There is so much inspiration around ... I don't even know where to start :)

This time I decided to play with something absolutely unusual to get inspired. 

Yes. Winter jumpers!

Looks how many ideas for canes, Mokume Gane and mosaic techniques you can get from just these 9 pictures. If you want more - just CLICK HERE TO ENTER KNITTER PARADISE

Enjoy! ^^

Photo Credits to follow
[Posted by Aniko]

Winter Palette

Winter is officially here and I am eager to show you little inspirational collage I created.

I was inspired from beautiful cold tones of snow and ice and warm tones of feather, fur and some plants. By combining all of those together I achieved some nice combinations of cold and warm, saturated and plain colours.
Please enjoy. I hope it is useful and I can't wait to see if someone of you will create something from clay inspired by these colors. Please let me know if you do! I want to hear from you! ^^

Click on picture to enlarge.

Photo Credits to follow[Posted by Aniko]