MINIMALISTIC

I love these Zig-Zag brooches and pendants by Petra Novakova (crazyday.etsy.com). Isn't it amazing how a few simple manipulations can produce such stunning designs in polymer clay? Beautiful and clever!

Find more works by Petra on her web site and in her photo-album.

PAINTED

Lynda of ArtByLynda.etsy.com uses polymer clay pendants as tiny canvas for her acrylic pendants. The resulting pendants are as original as they are lovely. From my own experience, I can add that painting on such a small scale is a very special skill, way more difficult than it looks.

ABSTRACT

These beautiful pendants and earrings in fall colors are by Nata Nei, an Israeli artist. To me, they look as if they were made out of highly-polished agates or some similar stones. Great colors and great designs!

Nata, as many other artists, values polymer clay for its versatility. She says:”Polymer clays seem to offer unlimited potential to a creative person. It is very thrilling to discover its magic every day.”

You may find more pictures of Nata's works in her Etsy shop and in her photo album.

MAGICAL

I could not find any information about the artist behind one of the new Etsy shops, Pixiefy.etsy.com. One thing I can say for sure: these beautiful creations were definitely inspired by the works of a Norwegian artist, Lorianne Jantti, (which you may remember from my February post).

ENCAPSULATED

Dave Sheely (davesheelydesigns.etsy.com) uses polymer clay in the most unusual way – he encapsulates his polymer clay tiles in industrial grade urethane to make his beautiful rings and pendants.

There are more pictures of Dave's work in his Flickr photo album.

POLISHED

These monochromatic pendants by Jeanette of clayhappy immediately caught my attention not only by their beautiful designs but also by the way they are made. Jeanette does not coat her polymer clay creations with anything, but rather sands and polishes them to this high shin, and I have a lot of respect for people who can do that.

VERSATILE

Sculpted creations by Mary Ellen (Beetree by M.E.) portray the versatility of polymer clay itself. I am amazed by the array of her creative ideas. Here are just a few of my favorites: Heads and Tails refrigerator magnets, fairy pendant, and a mini-vase pin that can hold real flowers. Visit her shop and blog for more.

EDUCATIONAL

These original hair sticks and Steampunk Squid necklace are from the shop of Sheryl Westleigh, noadi.etsy.com.

Sheryl is inspired (in her own words) “by a love of marine animals (especially the cephalopods), science, and all things weird and wonderful” and is eager to share her knowledge. The listings in her Etsy shop read like a fantastic illustrated encyclopedia of marine life. Here is for example, an excerpt from her description of the octopus hair sticks: “Octopus are cephalopods like squid, cuttlefish and the nautilus. They are extremely intelligent non-vertibrates including having problem solving abilities. There are over 300 different species ranging from the penny sized Octopus Wolfi to the 14 foot diameter North Pacific Giant Octopus”.

CONTRASTING

Contrast between smooth and rough is a signature element of Jan Geisen.

...At least for now! Jan says: “Polymer clay is such an amazing medium that I still haven’t exhausted its possibilities, so you will probably see my style change as I discover new ways of working with the clay.”

I love Jan's current designs and hope the future ones will be as interesting as these.

See more of Jan's work at her web site, www.jangeisen.com.

GEOMETRICAL

These geometrical designs are made using the phototransfer technique by Irene MacKinnon from curlygirldesigns.etsy.com.

Here is her story: "About a year ago my sister gave me a beautiful pendant with a photo transfer on it. I was so impressed with this technique I started experimenting with transfers on collages and on marble tiles. Then I read about polymer clay and transferring images on to it. Once I tried it I was hooked and now love working with the medium. I love experimenting with clay and trying new techniques".

METALLIC

Faux Metallic – I decided to continue this topic with the works by Dottie Hoeschen from Stonebrash.etsy.com. Not only are her faux metallics amazingly convincing, but they are also beautifully incorporated into more complex designs.

More about Dottie and her work is on her web site, www.stonebrashcreative.com

G I V E A W A Y

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and for your interest to the works of polymer clay artists featured in this blog!

We have the winner of April giveaway. It is Sue Barton from
bartonoriginals.blogspot.com

Here is your pendant, Sue. Congratulations and thank you for taking time to write your comments!



Next month I will offer a different pendant, but the rules are the same: leave your comments on any post in May, and you will have a chance to win the pendant. The more you comment, the greater your chances!

I composed a slide show using pictures of the beautiful polymer clay creations featured here in April. A silent version of this slide show can be found in the right bottom corner of this blog, and the one with music is here. Enjoy!

FUNKY

These funky face focal beads/pins are from the shop of Kim Cavender.

Kim says: “My philosophy is that life's too short to eat cheap ice cream and far too short to be ordinary.” These focals are surely not ordinary!

You can see more of Kim's artwork in her blog and photo album.

PECULIAR

I love the simplicity and clean designs found in this shop: PeculiarForest.etsy.com.

“Peculiar” has many meanings, but I think the one meant here is “exclusive, belonging only to a particular person, place, time, etc.”

Louise, a young artist from Essex, UK, is the author of these original designs. See more of her work in her photo album.

MOLDED

Today I am inviting you to visit Rueschka, an eclectic jewelry store by Laurel Steven.

Laurel found an unusual way of using vintage jewelry – she makes molds for her polymer clay pieces out it. Her pendants built from strips of different textures created in such molds are very interesting. I also love her molded hearts, all formed in the same mold made out of a vintage pendant and made from polymer clay in various colors or resin.

More of Laurel's work may be found in her photo album.

BRIGHT

Today's collection is coming from France.

The colors... I do not have enough words to describe these fantastic colors! Cathy, who sells these pendants in her shop dumauvobleu.etsy.com, came up with a clever way of arranging relatively simple canes so that the results are simply breath-taking. I admire her sense of color. And look at these textures – again, simple techniques, but applied to strategic places in her compositions, they create a great visual impact. I think if I did not work with polymer clay already, I would have started after seeing these pendants.

See more of Cathy's works in her photo album, and be sure to check out her paintings as well. They have the same cosmic feeling and amazing vivd colors as her pendants.

TRANSFERRED

These bright colors are from a Californian artist, Laura Milnor Iverson. Laura is full-time artist. As far as I understand, she is a painter first of all. The images on Laura's pendants are color transfers of her own acrylic paintings. Isn't it a clever business idea?!

Laura sells her polymer clay pendants, as well as her paintings and prints, in her shop, laurali.etsy.com.

EXOTIC

I continue following the list of artists in my Etsy treasury created on January 7, 2009.

The next artist on my list is Marcia Palmer form Georgia, USA. In her shop, marciapalmer.etsy.com, you will find an exotic mixture of polymer clay pendants, bracelets, pins, and other jewelry. I also love her switch plates.

Marcia likes to experiment with different techniques.

Find more pictures of her work in her photo album on Flickr.com.