Polymer Clay Cuffs

This post has come because I feel the need to proclaim my new found love for polymer clay. I have been steadily working with the material for almost 2 years now, but I went thru a period where I was lacking some motivation and creativity when it came to coming up with new stuff...until recently.

I can't to stop making cuffs. I love them! There are so many possibilities when you are working with clay. I can mix pretty much any color I can imagine, use many different stamps in many different ways and then accent the design with any paint color I chose. If I mess up, I just roll up the clay and start over.

There is nothing like rediscovering a favorite material and becoming inspired by it all over again. The kind of inspiration that makes you feel like you have just stumbled upon something new that kick starts your creativity triggering a marathon of new projects. A domino effect that all crafters, artists and designers understand.

You might be familiar with a material and think you know all that you need to know about it, but sometimes there is a moment when you are introduced to it an a whole new way. Maybe you accidentally mixed the wrong color...or haphazardly sliced your clay in an unintended angle, or prematurely pressed down on an imprint leaving the design off center...What do you do when this happens? Roll up the clay and start all over? Sometimes, but most of the time I just go with it because I have learned by now that these are the moments that often produce my favorite pieces.

This green floral cuff was a "happy accident". I have had this large flower stamp for awhile, I just never really looked at it until the other night. I was actually trying to work on something other than a cuff, and I was only experimenting with the stamp in some spare green clay I had sitting on my work station.

I'm pretty sure this might be one of my favorite cuffs so far. Everyone I have shown it too seems to be just as enamored with it as I am. Too bad I sold it last night. I will make another one...or eight!

How I make my cuffs...

First you have to condition the clay. I have come to realize that I must be patient with this step. Sometimes I am too excited about my idea and I do not work the clay long enough, but it really is worth the time. Run it through a pasta machine (designated only for polymer clay), roll it and work it with your hands, turn on a bad 80's movie or anything that stars Schwarzenegger and hand it to the man hanging around. He'll be so zoned out watching the movie that he won't realize how long he has been working the clay.
What..? My hands hurt after awhile...his are bigger and stronger!
He has mixed some pretty bad ass colors for me...Thank you, Jeff!

After the clay has been sufficiently conditioned I run it thru the pasta machine again. Then I use a rolling pin to gently smooth any lines the pasta machine has made. I will trim my piece a bit at this time, but not down to the exact size that my finished cuff will be because when I press down with the stamps it will distort the edges and you will have to trim again.

Then stamp it up, bake it and paint it.

What? Did you think I was giving away all of my secrets? :-) Leave a comment if you have any questions about my process.

Here are some more of my favorite cuffs...
If you want to see more, visit my Etsy shop and my facebook page.

Screw Jared's. He went to Michaels!

Gift giving can already be a pretty difficult task. Add into the mix that your girlfriend designs jewelry and that automatically scratches one of the go to ideas off the list. Don't get me wrong, I will always enjoy something sparkly, but when the occasion just calls for something small like a pair of earrings or a bracelet, it doesn't make sense to buy me one when I can make it myself.

So what do you give your jewelry designing girlfriend?

Well this Christmas, our first Christmas, my boyfriend figured it out. He wrapped up polymer clay tools, jewelry supplies, pendants and findings so I can make my own jewelry! Not only did he venture into the craft store, but he went into the jewelry aisle where any man would feel out of sorts and clueless. This could not have suited me any better. He earned points for several reasons...going to Michaels, understanding that it really is the simple things that make me happy while also thinking outside the box and not going the typical route most guys do when it comes to gifts. He also scored some style points by selecting items I am actually able to work with.

He tells me I am supposed to make jewelry out of these gifts to sell. How am I supposed to take something so thoughtful and meaningful and give it to someone else? I won't be doing this. At least not this year. This year I am making jewelry for myself to wear. Wear proudly because I have such a thoughtful man in my life.

So what am I going to make?

The first thing I made out of my awesome Christmas gifts was a necklace using the dragonfly pendant Jeff gave me. I have been wanting to take a break from my orders to make a new necklace for myself, and this gave me the perfect excuse. It has been a long time since I had a sentimental piece of jewelry. One of the downfalls of making your own is that I can't say oh this necklace was given to me by...when I...to celebrate...Of course my jewelry is special to me because I made it, but I am a sentimental sap and I always like a hidden meaning in things. The plan was to use this pendant in an "everyday" necklace that I can wear frequently. so I chose to accent the dragonfly with brown beads to keep it neutral. I chose the the converter design so I can wear it with many different outfits.

Why am I calling this a converter necklace?

Because it is 2 necklaces in one! I use the loop of a toggle class as a decorative and functional piece. I just double up the chain and slide the bar through the loop when I want to wear it as a short necklace. I will be using this design often so I can offer my customers a piece that they can get the most use out of. I am looking forward to discovering the possibilities.

"Antiquing"

This Saturday my Stepmom and I made a trip out to Adamstown, Pennsylvania. Known as the "antique capital of the U.S.A." Adamstown is located near Reading right off of exit 286 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. If you like perusing old stuff, I would definitely make the trip. There are tons of antique shops and outdoor markets. I would suggest going on a Sunday if you can because some of the places are only open on Sundays.

I myself am not really into the fancy old expensive antiques. I hate saying that I am going "antiquing" because people seem to associate the term with stuffy old trinkets that smell of mothballs. I like old crap, but I can't really say I am going to spend my Saturday routing and rummaging through old junk without also raising some eyebrows. I bet some of you would be surprised to find how much fun you would have doing this. I have a few friends that I know would really enjoy spending the day at one of these markets, but because of the stigma associated with it they moan and groan whenever I suggest the idea - Losers...it's cool...go green! Reuse!

I usually head to the junk in the corners or the stuff set outside. On this visit we headed straight to Shupps Grove. It is a huge outdoor market and my favorite place for digging and dealing. I like old vintage slightly beat up items that I can either refinish or love as is for all of their flaws and history.

When you are visiting the antique markets, it is OK to have an agenda and specific item in mind, but do not be afraid to veer off and discover items you never thought you would love. If you find the piece you were looking for...fantastic and congratulations! But be patient and don't allow yourself to be disappointed if you don't. I have done this. Focusing on finding one type of item closes off my creativity and prevents me from discovering the possibilities in something else. It took my Stepmom 10 years to find a washing stand for her antique pitcher and bowl set - she finally found it this weekend and it was worth waiting for. Mainly, I love looking for old jewelry that I can work into a new piece. 

A few items that are always on my list:

• Jewelry
• Props for my jewelry displays
• Old glass bottles
• Beer cans- recently added to my list after this weekend. I began collecting beer cans and I have a feeling it is going to become a new obsession. Not something I am entering into for monetary purposes. I just love them. The marketing ploys companies used back in the day are hilarious.

Meet Miss Olde Frothingslosh- Apparently she is a trapeze artist who loves arm wrestling, soap carving and of course the 1969 "pale ale with the foam at the bottom" Olde Frothingslosh from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ain't she a gem!
She is the one who started it all for me.

What is Olde Frothingslosh? 

I can't wait until I find an old rusty pbr can! Classy huh?I have since been reading a lot of good information about collecting beer cans. I am excited to see what I can find now that I will be looking.

More importantly I did find some really good jewelry pieces. Some are old and some just struck and inspired me. You may look at them now and wonder what the heck I liked about them and what on earth I plan to do with them (after I clean them up of course) well you will see...

I try to ask the vendors if they have any broken stuff hidden away. Since I am going to break everything apart anyway, I can get some really good deals asking to see what they didn't expect to sell in the first place. 

My favorite find from Saturday is these 2 little buddies. The charm was actually hanging on and old bottle no where near any other jewelry and just by chance I found it. I am not sure why I love it so much, I just think they are adorable. Stay tuned to see what I make with it...

Another good one is this silver leaf my Stepmom spotted. Leaves are big this year in jewelry and will make for a perfect fall accessory to any wardrobe. The detail is beautiful. Looks just like a real leaf!