Gorgeous Polymer Clay Inspirations

Today I’m in the mood for a little jewelry eye-candy, and nothing beats polymer clay when you want to feel a little creative awe. Really great polymer clay designs are like a combination of sculpting and painting, yet they’re so much more than either of those things. There are lots of essential techniques that look amazing when done well, such as canes; there are also many unexpected ways to smoosh that yield amazing results.

Like many of the materials that I’ve sworn off for my own designs, I am often envious of polymer clay designers and the things that they can achieve. I stick by my choice, but I can certainly admire the possibilities! So, I did some window shopping without any particular style of polymer clay work in mind, and hand-picked several pieces that are just sure to make you say “Wow”. These are my favorites.

Polymer clay was around for years before I even knew about beadwork, though back then everyone just called it by the brand name Fimo. Though interesting, I didn’t really take much notice of it until after I had started beading, and came across some polymer clay appliqué designs that were utterly stunning. These pink floral earrings by Sweetystuff use the head-turning appliqué technique to perfection.

Creating your own color blends and sculpting your own bead shapes is a super power, as seen in this statement bracelet by Adriana Allen. Unlike your basic beadwork, stringing, chainmaille, or metalwork, there are no rules or limits when it comes to smooshing.

Oh the wonderful things that canes can do! The technique of using cane slices to make gorgeous motifs has been around for hundreds of years, and is still used in traditional glass studios in Venice. The big advantage that polymer clay canes have over glass is the amazing colors and blending possibilities. You can’t get a gorgeous ombré effect like the one playing across these earrings by Natka Handmade without clay!

This is not your grandmother’s millefiori! Once again the depth and richness of polymer clay colors outshines traditional cane designs in these beads by Sigaliot. Although I love new and vintage Ventian glass a lot, it doesn’t quite have the same pop when it comes out of the kiln.

Unlike other jewelry materials, polymer clay can be transformed into almost anything, be it realistic or whimsical. There are some amazing artists out there that create the most edible looking miniature food you’ve ever seen, as well as adorable food themed designs like these popsicle earrings by Dzy Dzy Design.

More sculptural possibilities are seen in this succulent pendant by sofoxyclay. The colors and shapes are gorgeous, but what really makes this design special after the first glance is its size. This piece is actually quite tiny at just 5 cm, or 2 inches, wide.

One of the best things about polymer clay is that you can use it to create components that perfectly match your aesthetic, and are 100% unique. These gorgeous earrings by boele are actually made with wood clay, but have the same one-of-a-kind ‘oooh’ factor that I wanted to find in my search.

Another great example of polymer clay’s versatility is this adorable pendant by My Mini Munchies. It perfectly captures the look and mood of knitwear in a tiny, colorful package. It’s also a great example of how one can achieve any color or combination with blending – we can’t do that with seed beads!

There are some designs out there that, if you’d never heard of or seen polymer clay designs before, you’d never guess were made with a pasta machine and lots of patience. These earrings by Silvia Ortiz de la Torre are a great example of how intricate and alluring this medium can be.


Do you use polymer clay beads in your designs? Have you dabbled with smooshing before? What styles and techniques are your favorites?

Mortira

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Wardrobe Inspiration: Summer Berry

While putting together our Pantone inspired fashion picks last month, I came across this fabulous chunky bead necklace and bookmarked it for later. It has an amazing palette of deep raspberry, orange currant, cream, and black. The contrast between the neutrals and the incredibly juicy colors was very inspiring, and I couldn’t resist using it for this month’s fashion picks.

Summer Berry by mortira featuring leather handbags

I considered going with a colorblocking theme for this collage, and started with a colorful geometric frock with hints of orange. I loved the purple that it added to the mix, and things just started rolling along from there. I found lots of fun accessories to go with a palette of red, orange, purple, and cream. The damask bangle in bright purple is definitely a favorite.

I wasn’t able to find any tutorials for such a chunky beaded necklace, and that’s okay. Assuming you could locate (or make) the big beads, all you’d have to do is string them. Instead, I found some other chunky necklace projects that are great for summer outfits, and a lovely damask pendant project with an easy painted patina.

I love the ingenuity of DIY jewelry designers.
The magpie in me can’t stop looking at this wrapped stone necklace project by Trinkets in Bloom.




The custom clay beads in this chunky necklace project by Katie at Crafts Unleashed make it really adaptable.
I’d love to see it in lime and turquoise!

The floating glass pearls in Beadaholique’s Sea Treasures Earrings have
the same dew-drop effect as our red leaf ones. Very pretty!




These super-easy stamped polymer clay pendants from Doodle Craft are so pretty
they make me want to drop everything and get out my paints.

What’s your favorite berry-inspired palette?

Mortira

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Inspired Artist: Percee

As beaders, we’re all quite adept at stretching and surpassing the norms of jewelry design. Our methods couldn’t be more different from the classical jewelry of the past. So it’s incredibly exciting to see an artist that takes these unique jewelry ideas even further with unexpected materials and styles. Today’s guest is Pera of Percee, an amazing shop where embroidery and polymer clay combine for gorgeous jewelry designs.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with fabric and embroidery?

Pera: As a child, I've learned some embroidery basics from my mother. And shortly after that, I completely forgot about it and wasn't interested in it until pretty recently, about five years ago. First I started to make greeting cards with embroidered paper on them. And some day I spontaneously begun to embroider on little pieces of felt and some scrap fabric which I found in my home. And with that little pieces of embroidered fabric I was making bookmarks and then one day I just started to make brooches and necklaces.

Inspirational Beading: Have you always been drawn to jewelry design as well?

Pera:Not explicitly. I see a jewelry design as a way to make my drawings and my doodles an object with some purpose. I love to look and admire at various types of jewelry, but I rarely wear it. I don't know why, I love to wear it, but always somewhat forget to put it on.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first wearable piece? Where is it today?

Pera:Yes, I remember. I remember that I was painting with acrylic paint and then just by coincidence I started to paint a tiny tree on a piece of dark grey felt. I don't know how, but I ended up making a brooch. That was 5 years ago and that was my first brooch and my first piece of jewelry. I was wearing it for about two years on my coat and now it is in my jewelry box.

Inspirational Beading: What kinds of beads and materials do you like to use the most?

Pera:I love handmade beads. I love to make them out of the clay or polymer clay. And I love irregular and organic shapes. Also, I just love round beads, I adore circles.
When making jewelry, I use small glass beads and wooden beads too.
And my favorite fabrics are cotton and linen.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for your favorite inspiration?

Pera:An inspiration can be almost anything, I don’t have that special something, I think. All the different shapes and colors. And birds and flowers. Mostly I just look at the ideas in my mind taking shapes and becoming clearer and clearer.
And I always carry with me a little sketchbook to write down various ideas and I just love to draw. So every time that I find myself waiting in various waiting rooms, I draw and often a parts of my drawings become motifs on my jewelry.

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about your design process?

Pera:I think that my design process is not much different than any others. But it is interesting and unique to me because I enjoy it so much. And most of the time I don't know how would my final piece look like and that is what's interesting to me.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Pera:My favorite color is yellow and I must control myself to not use it too often. I remember when I was a little girl, almost all of my clothes were yellow. So, me and yellow have a special relationship all my life.

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your other favorite materials?

Pera:I love to work with clay and making ceramics is something that I'm learning right now. I hope that I will be able to incorporate it in my jewelry soon.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now? What makes it special?

Pera:I think that it's a fabric bird necklace. I love birds so much. I love to look at their colors, their feathers and their eyes so much. And that necklace also has tassels, and I adore tassels.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Pera:I would be happy to manage to inspire just anybody. I think that would be a great success.

You can see more of Pera’s gorgeous jewelry at Percee on Etsy and on Facebook. For the latest designs and inspirations, follow along on Pinterest and Instagram.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Percee
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Inspired Artist: Neat Eats Jewelry

Polymer clay is a fantastic medium for creative jewelry artists, especially for those that design unique and whimsical pieces that inspire our imagination. One such artist works in miniature, fashioning tiny wearable meals for every taste. Today Rhonda from Neat Eats shares some of her favorite inspirations for incredibly realistic food jewelry.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with polymer clay?

Rhonda: I started with polymer clay a couple of years back. I had loved using Plasticine as a child but always got so frustrated that my little 'sculptures' got destroyed so easily and so when I decided to take up a new hobby I realized that polymer clay was the perfect medium to create what I had always wished to do as a girl. I started off making pieces for family and friends but then word of mouth spread and I started to get orders, which led, in turn, to opening a couple of online shops.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first piece? Where is it today?

Rhonda: My first piece was a little pair of donut earrings which I gave to my daughter and which she still wears. Then I decided to make everyone in my family their favorite meal as little fridge magnets. Not such an easy task as the meals varied from blackened sole on a bed of mash to lamb cutlets with all the trimmings!

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for your favorite inspiration?

Rhonda: Mainly (because most of my pieces are food inspired) I look through food magazines, watch cookery programmes or peruse the shelves of local supermarkets and delis. Of course I have to buy pastries and cakes just to make sure I am copying them faithfully, nothing to do with the fact I love eating them!

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about your design process?

Rhonda: In 'real' life I am a full time artist and lecturer and so I think I have carried that over into my clay work. I visualize exactly what I want to create and how it will be laid out, and also exactly how I will make each component, before I even lift a piece of clay, which is exactly how I would go about creating a painting. If I don’t like how a part 'looks' I change it and then work out how the change will be made. Only when I can visualize the finished piece and I am happy with it will I then start to model it.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Rhonda: I don’t really have a favorite color but I have found, since starting to make the jewelry that an awful lot of foodstuffs are yellow or orange which I had never realized!

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your favorite tools or materials?

Rhonda: I prefer the Fimo brand of polymer clay and I also use their soft clay as I find that using the harder clays is too sore on my hands, if I have a lot of it to condition (working the clay with your hands until soft and malleable). I have a large pin tool that is so battered and abused looking but I use it for everything and a couple of little pin tools that I made by just sticking ordinary sewing needles into some clay, molding the clay to make little handles and then baking. I also use a blade cutter and an X-acto knife. I have a couple of old wall ceramic tiles to bake the clay on and little foil pie trays to cover the clay whilst it is baking to prevent the clay from scorching.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now? What makes it special?

Rhonda: I am working on a whole new set of jewelry at the moment, using the polymer clay appliqué technique, which I am very enthused about. These are little pictures made by applying clay onto a clay background and so far I have made these into rings, pendants and brooches and should be listing them in the shops very shortly. At the moment I am working on flower themes.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Rhonda: From the very start my jewelry has made people smile. I discovered this when I attended my first craft fair and set up my stall. After about a half hour it was surrounded by customers laughing at the items for sale. Whether it was because they are so small and unlikely items for jewelry or because people had discovered a piece which was nostalgic for them and made them remember a favorite childhood treat. I loved the way everyone left the stall smiling so that is what I try to do with every piece, make someone smile!

You can see more amazing miniature food jewelry designs or request a recreation of your favorite meal at Rhonda’s Neat Eats shops on Etsy and ArtFire.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Neat Eats
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Book Spotlight: Polymer Clay Color Inspirations

No matter how informative, inspiring, or beautiful an instruction book is, there is no substitute for experience. Though a book can teach us how to do a technique, we must practice and repeat in order to master it. What makes Polymer Clay Color Inspirationsa unique title is a focus on practicing concepts, rather than learning techniques.

Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio have created a primer for working with polymer clay - the type of book that you should read through twice before buying your first brick of clay. Not only is it an incredibly valuable resource for the basics of color theory, but each chapter includes homework assignments designed to help readers absorb and understand the concepts. By making these polymer clay inspiration tools and practice projects, beginners can become familiar with color mixing, conditioning, and baking before starting on their first official design.

The entire book is filled with gorgeous full color photographs of finished jewelry and sculpture that provide examples of the color ideas being discussed. The projects include helpful step photographs and tips to get the best results. Topics include: Polymer Clay Basics, Understanding the Properties of Color, Choosing Colors for a Project, Mixing Colors That Flow, Orchestrating Color Combinations, and Exploring Color Composition, just to name a few.

Although many of the assignments include mixing and baking clay samples, the entire book is a useful color course for all artists and designers. The first project - making an inspiration collage - is an incredibly enlightening exercise in finding one’s go-to palette, and making it work in designs. At the back of the book, artists can find charts and scales to use when making color choices, and a handy resource guide.

If you’re ever feeling like you’re in a color rut, or want to try out a totally new medium with bold color possibilities, Polymer Clay Color Inspirationswill provide a lot of insight into the realm of mixing and combining color.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
Potter Craft/Crown Publishing, Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio
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Inspired Beader: Caprilicious Jewelry

No matter what our favorite materials might be, the most rewarding thing about jewelry design is creating wearable works of art. Today’s guest is Neena of Caprilicious Jewellery, whose designs showcase a wide range of style and talent, while incorporating some of the world’s most beautiful beading materials.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with jewelry design?

Neena: I have always loved jewellery – a couple of years ago, a friend of mine made me a bracelet out of wire having been to a class at the weekend – I wanted to know more and we spent the evening talking about it. As far as I knew, I was not a particularly creative person – my sister was the one in our family credited with that reputation. The fact that my friend could make such a bracelet in a matter of hours, and at her first lesson, was encouraging and I decided to try my hand at it.

I went to a semi professional jewellery school and got so involved in the whole idea of making my own jewellery, I went back over and over again for classes in different techniques and fell in love. Looking for distraction therapy after a family bereavement, I decided to write my own website capriliciousjewellery.com on a free web hosting service, and set up an Etsy outlet and Facebook page - and I was up and away! I had a steep learning curve – I knew nothing about photography, was a newbie at information technology, and I had all these new jewellery making techniques I had to master – all on a shoestring budget.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first piece? Where is it today?

Neena: My first piece was called Dew Fairy Dreams – it was a mixed media piece – I made faux jade gingko leaves out of polymer clay from a book by Tory Hughes.They were meant to be pendants, and each one should have been strung onto a chain singly- but I wasn’t happy with that look. I wired them onto a collar, filling the rest of the space with a cobwebby wire lace, and tiny creamy pearls – a couple of pearls were wired over the ‘leaves’ like dew drops - and that is how the necklace got its name.

I used four pendants on the collar and one more, attached to the extender chain at the back of the necklace – I was so pleased with that piece – it seemed to tell me that I should carry on, that I did have creativity deep within me, albeit well hidden for so many years! It was almost a wrench to part with it - it was snapped up almost straight away and now lives in Manchester with a customer who has come back for more quite a few times since then. Tommy Garrison wrote this poem, and I reproduced it on my blog with his kind permission: Dew Fairy Dreams.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for inspiration?

Neena: Inspiration is all around me – a photograph, a painting, a leaf, colours in the evening sky – all sorts of things are stored away in my little brain, and come out to play unexpectedly. I love mythology, fairy tales, and I enjoy weaving a little tale around each piece I make for my blog. It tickles me when my customers remember the names of the pieces I make – they ask for ‘Isis’ – which is so much better that ‘that yellow and black necklace – you know the one – with a large pendant’ – which could mean anything. The true romantics amongst my customers like the fact that each piece has a concept and a story line behind it. My blog is where I explain my thought process to anyone who is interested, and to my surprise, I find that I love to write and a lot of people actually read what I put down – people are always telling me how much they enjoy my ramblings.

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about your design process?

Neena: I love colour, asymmetry, and contemporary design. I like to think I weave an intricate and elaborate tale into my designs, and have enjoyed writing my blog to verbalise this – I write my blog as I go along the working week – it helps to crystallize my thoughts and brings the designs alive in my mind. Pieces of music, stories from Greek Mythology – the sources of my inspiration are written down – and the piece of jewellery seems to grow from there. I cannot seem to create in dull colours – this has been tested by friends who have given me gemstone beads to work with in browns and greys, for instance – I immediately add a contrasting bright colour that lifts the entire piece to another level.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Neena: Turquoise, cobalt, red – pillar box red, emerald, and more recently an acid Wasabi green, oranges and citrus yellow – this is the Caprilicious colour palate – add black and white, and most of my jewellery is in these colours.

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your favorite beads and materials?

Neena: I design a lot in copper – this used to be because of it’s affordability, and malleability as a wire – but now I find I love the rustic, warm look copper gives you in a piece of jewellery. Silver wire, polymer clay, and precious metal clay – they are all fun to play with – my favourite material tends to depend on the day of the week! For instance, Mondays, and Tuesdays are exhausting at the day job, so if I do pick something up, it will usually be a necklace that I string together, with elements I have already decided on. Wednesdays and Thursdays, I usually play with wire – it is on the weekends that I get time to make elements with polymer clay and precious metal clay.

Polymer clay is exciting – the design options are endless, and the ability to mould colour thrills me to bits. I am in love with labradorite and blue agate, and the raw beauty of geodes and the druzy forms of gemstones appeals to me. Recently, I have discovered Solar Quartz, which is a cross section of a stalactite, and is usually a pale cream, but dyed in gorgeous colours – just yummy!

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now?

Neena: I have a piece called ‘The Sorcerer's Apprentice’. I bought the pendant on Etsy – it is obviously from the Middle East. I made all the main black and white beads myself, and added red Czech glass and a few shells for interest – I think it is a very striking piece, and I just love the simple theatricality of it. I must have been a theatrical personality in a previous life, and most definitely a foodie. I often describe jewellery and gemstones as ‘edible’, ‘yummy’, ‘scrumptious’ and ‘delicious’– a greedy person's terminology.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Neena: I came to jewellery making late – in my late forties – I had no idea that I had a single creative bone in my body, and can sometimes hardly believe that the jewellery on my website is made by me. I am innately shy, and my jewellery is my alter ego – it speaks for me and embodies my inner voice. There must be a lot of people out there who do not believe in their creative talent, and may pick up on my story – I hope they are inspired to try their hand at a creative pursuit – who knows what magic might flow from them?

You can see more designs at Caprilicious Jewellery, and on Facebook. Check out Neena’s blog for insights into her beautiful jewelry inspirations.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Caprilicious Jewellery
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Bead Shops: Rolyz Creations

There’s nothing quite like a handmade bead to make a jewelry project memorable. Thanks to the amazing beauty of polymer clay canes and other techniques, artists can create gorgeous sets and bead ensembles for our favorite jewelry styles and beading techniques. One artist whose work is a pure delight to behold is Roly of Rolyz Creations, a polymer clay bead maker from Israel.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get into polymer clay?

Roly: Few years ago I had to resign my job due to health reasons. I was looking for something that I could do as occupational therapy, and I saw adds for polymer clay classes. I had no idea what it was, but I was willing to give a try, and I LOVED it!

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first bead creation? Where is it today?

Roly: My first beads were a part of keychain/ bag decoration. I gave away A LOT of my early creations, so i have no idea where they are today.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you like to look for new inspiration?

Roly: Pinterest is a great place for inspiration.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Roly: I love all shades of purple. I think it works well with other colors to create great combos.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite style, shape or technique?

Roly: My favorite beads style is swirled lentil beads. They are by far the most time consuming, but I just love the result!

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small handmade bead shops?

Roly: Being able to purchase unique beads to create your one of a kind item. You can also ask for custom orders. Many of the seller will be willing to work with you.

Inspirational Beading: What makes your designs stand out from other polymer clay designers?

Roly: My color combinations and using my own flower canes, which I'm very proud of.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make with your beads?

Roly: Today I focus on creating beads sets. I love it when a costumer shares with me their creation with my beads.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most interesting item in your shop right now?

This is the beads set I'm most proud of: Purple and Fiery Yellow Swirl Lentil Beads

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products, shapes, or styles this year?

Roly: I hope to bring back a best seller from the past - "Van Gogh" rainbow beads.

You can check out more of Roly’s gorgeous polymer clay beads, buttons, and handmade canes in her Etsy shop - Inspirational Beading readers can receive a 10% discount until December 31st 2013, by using the coupon code INSPIRATIONALBEADING during checkout at Rolyz Creations. To see more inspirations and news from the shop, follow Roly on Twitter and Pinterest.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Rolyz Creations
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Outstanding Polymer Clay Inspirations

If you've been reading Inspirational Beading for awhile, you probably already know that I enjoy admiring the designs of artists who work with materials that I can't - or won't - use. I suppose it's one part envy as well, especially when the art is as incredible as this.

Spring Rose Windows Necklace
by Silvia Ortiz de la Torre

I've been a huge admirer of polymer clay since it made its truly big splash in the art world, and came dangerously close to being referred to only by a particular brand name. Back then, everyone just called it Fimo. Everyone wanted Fimo incense burners and macrame jewelry with Fimo beads.

Today, there are many polymer clay brands that stand out, each with their own qualities that make them suitable for different artists' needs. And there are so many amazing artists out there putting them to the best use. These are just a few examples of the types of polymer clay designs that take my breath away, and make me wish - only briefly - that I hadn't sworn off all plastics that aren't thread.

Timeless Opulence by Sabine Spiesser





Rainbow Cat Face Cabochon by graphixoutpost





Polymer Clay Necklace by Silastones





Curley Knot Necklace by Kathleen Dustin





Cyan and Yellow Rose Beads by Rolyz Creations





Little Dove Necklace by Piper Pixie Designs





Tropical Flower Beads by tooaquarius





Mehndi Elephant Necklace by Moonsafari Beads





Out of the Blue Necklace by Design Theory





Dreaming Necklace by Dandelion Jewellery





Butterfly Beads by SevenWestDesigns





Otherworldy Necklace by Silvia Ortiz de la Torre

It would seem I'm particularly fond of millefiori - especially abstract designs - and polymer clay applique. Do you have a favorite style or technique for polymer clay designs?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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