Ringing in the (Lunar) New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year! May the Year of the Ox be a healing one for all of us. Thanks to everyone who sent me get well wishes. I feel as if I've been gone forever but I believe I'm beginning to rejoin the land of the living due in part to all the beautiful new work I've been seeing online. Polymer clay rings, like this one from Susan Turney, are popping up all over the place.

Jana Roberts Benzon has been on a recent ring making binge, as well. This one was made for the lucky man that happens to be her hairdresser.

I ran across this ring from Nemesia while I was checking out some new photos on Flickr. She's been using recycled flatware to make spoon rings and other new jewelry. Very clever!

Seeing all of these rings reminded me of my own collection of rings that I've recently acquired from other artists. I gathered them together to take a group shot and realized just how many creative ways there are to construct these fun jewelry items. Zsuzsa made the green eye ring using a purchased adjustable metal ring blank. I've seen similar blanks for sale from various online companies. The small band ring in the foreground was made by Donna Kato who's been using some sort of ceramic base to form and bake her rings on. Leslie Blackford sculpted this cool party animal and used an oversize o-ring for the band. The pretty ring with the flower cane slices was made by Kathy Caldwell, a member of the Kentucky/Tennessee Polymer Clay Guild. Below is a photo of the socket she confiscated from her husband's tool box and adapted for use as a form to both build and bake her rings on. I love this idea. It would be so easy to make rings in the exact size you need using this method.

I think a trip to the garage to look for a socket set is in order. Keep warm and stay creative!

Edited to add: If you'd like instructions on making the flower and leaf canes like the ones on Kathy's ring, you can find them here.

It's Hip to be Square and other things

My most recent post was about Sharon Solly and her use of Kato liquid clay as a finish for her polymer pieces. Yesterday, Sharon spent some time getting acquainted with the new colored Kato liquid and I just had to share a photo of her results. I love everything about these pieces - the colors, the shape, the dots, the cut-outs, the subtle shading around the edges - fabulous eye candy to end the week!

For some reason, I couldn't find the colored liquid clay on Donna's retail site but, I know it's available in several different colors if you're interested in trying it for yourself. And, here's some exciting news! Donna's long-awaited DVD is finally finished! Tips, Tricks, & Techniques in Polymer Clay is a 2-disc set with 3 1/2 hours of claying goodness and you can order it now through Prairie Craft. Donna also has some beautiful pieces of jewelry for sale here but I'm betting they won't last long.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, talented, and gorgeous son Daniel who turns 18 years old today!

Crossing the Pond, Polymer Cafe, and TMI

After several years of doing the Clay Carnival in Las Vegas, it's time to head across the pond! The "Euro Clay Carnival" is set to take place August 1-3, 2008 in Nottingham, England. This event will be a bit different since we have added 2 instructors from England and 1 from Spain. There will be a total of nine different classes included in the package and you can read more about all the details on Donna Kato's website here. I've never been to Europe and I'm really looking forward to meeting all the wonderfully talented artists there who work with polymer clay. Sign ups are starting to come in quickly so, if you'd like more information, visit our good friend Helen Cox for all the registration details. I've already heard from several of my online pals from Spain and France and it's going to be a fabulous time! My class, shown in the picture above, is "A Pigment of Your Imagination", also known as "life's too short to eat cheap ice cream". According to many of the people who've taken this class in the past , it's highly "addictive". To me, the best thing is that it's fun and stress-free with wonderful results.



Speaking of wonderful results, I hope that you've had the opportunity to see the April 2008 issue of Polymer Cafe. Connie Donaldson, the new editor, has done an amazing job with this issue. After
talking to her and hearing what she has planned for future issues, I'm certain it's only going to get better and better. Be sure and give some thought to being a contributor, if you haven't already. The guidelines for submission are on the magazine's website and Connie has offered her help to those who are a little unsure about how to get started.

A couple of weeks ago I was "tagged" by two friends on the same day. I didn't really even understand what this meant until I did a bit of research. Basically, I was supposed to list 6 or 7 (depending on who was tagging me) unimportant or little-known facts about myself and then "tag" three other bloggers to do the same thing. The friends who tagged me made it clear that there was no pressure and it was just for fun if I wanted to participate. So, I've decided I'm going to "kind of" participate just this once. I'm not going to tag anyone else but I'll list thirteen (because I like odd numbers and they both asked) little-known and incredibly boring facts about myself. The two wonderfully talented ladies who tagged me were Debbie Tlach (her work is above) and Linda Peterson (see her work below). I highly recommend visiting their blogs and checking out their artwork. Love you both and my apologies for not playing exactly by the rules!

Here are my 13 things:

1. I think people who abuse children and animals are the lowest life forms on the planet.

2. When I was a kid, my mom had to force me to go outside and play because I only wanted to read books all day long.

3. The places I want to see most in the world are New Mexico, Arizona, Egypt, and Spain.

4. When I was in Jr. High school, I was madly in love with Elton John and named my oldest son after his song, "Daniel."

5. I think about my dog Buster (he died almost 2 years ago) every single day and sometimes I still cry.

6. My career goals have fluctuated wildly throughout my life and have included being a librarian, a writer, a geologist, a lawyer, a teacher, and an artist. I wonder if it's too late for law school?

7. I have a really sarcastic and wicked sense of humor which sometimes gets me in trouble.

8. My favorite comedians are Jerry Seinfeld, Kathy Griffin, and George Carlin.

9. My favorite TV show is Project Runway.

10. I prefer white chocolate.

11. The first thing I ever made with polymer clay was a carrot nose for a fabric snowman.

12. I need music to live. Some of my favorite bands are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, U2, and the Beatles.

13. I LOVE chai tea, pomegranate juice, and Bailey's Irish Cream, but never in the same cup!

I won't be around for the next week or two. My kids are on spring break and I want to spend some time with them, I have lots of projects I need to finish , and, as usual, I still need to get the dreaded income taxes together. In the immortal words of Tim Gunn, "carry on." I'll see you soon!