Sparkle on the Tree

December 14, 2013

One area glitter and sparkle can comfortably reside is on the holiday tree and in holiday home decor. Jainnie Jenkins was making these ornaments a couple years back but they certainly have a timeless quality about them.

6491650853_906f007d62

These ornaments are polymer clay overlaid over glass bulb ornaments. Jainnie creates this almost antique effect by layering Pearl-ex powders on the clay. After curing, she scrubs off a lot of the Pearl-ex leaving enough powder to accent the textures and shapes. She has also created similar effects by layering on metallic paints. She found that metallic paints make her work feel a little more loose or organic. Now how often do you hear the words metallic and organic together?

Have a look at more of Jainnie’s work on her Flickr photostream and her blog.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

Outside Inspiration: Glitter, Resin and Wireworks

December 13, 2013

Is there any material better for showing off the shimmer and shine of any surface effect than crystal clear resin? It allows for light to fall on metal foils, glitter, mica powders and and any other shiny material locked under it’s clear layers. A tasteful addition of well worked wire and crystal accents keep the glittery resin of these dainty wing earrings created by Christina Allen Page from going overboard.

il_570xN.461507522_6rm2

If you haven’t worked with resin yet, it’s a fantastic finishing product although it takes a little practice to work out bubble-free applications and to avoid the potential mess it can create. ALWAYS wear gloves when using resin and preferably on a dedicated work surface. For one, it is a super powerful adhesive. And secondly, you can become suddenly and severely allergic to the chemical if you allow regular contact with your skin. I know this to be true because I am one of those this happened to. It is no fun, not to mention pretty darn scary and now, to work with resin, I have to don the equivalent of a haz mat suit. Quite a drag. The chemical BPA is in high concentrations in all resins before it cures–it’s what allows the hardening of the liquid. So be good to yourself and take precaution so you can continue to use it for many, many years because it is great stuff.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

Glitter and Shine

December 9, 2013

With the holidays upon us, things are shining and shimmering everywhere we go so I thought we’d have a week of looking at tastefully using our shiny, glitzier options.

It can be hard to make glitter look sophisticated. It is often tossed randomly onto an accessory to make it stand out, especially in commercial items, but it certainly can’t compensate for designs that are done poorly or are lacking in interest in any other way. The sparkle from glitter also has such a strong draw for the eye, so it can easily overpower and even ruin a good design. However, we do like our sparkle and, when used judiciously, it can be a great added element.

Katy Schmitt did a fantastic job on this little purse, keeping the focus on the color and swirl but mixing in just a bit of glitter to some, but not all, the colors to tastefully glam it up.

7288269406_2d3f9dff45

 

Most of Katy’s work leans towards simple and understated yet visually powerful pieces. You can find more of her work on her Flickr photostream and her own website.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

Sparkle on the Tree

December 14, 2013
Posted in

One area glitter and sparkle can comfortably reside is on the holiday tree and in holiday home decor. Jainnie Jenkins was making these ornaments a couple years back but they certainly have a timeless quality about them.

6491650853_906f007d62

These ornaments are polymer clay overlaid over glass bulb ornaments. Jainnie creates this almost antique effect by layering Pearl-ex powders on the clay. After curing, she scrubs off a lot of the Pearl-ex leaving enough powder to accent the textures and shapes. She has also created similar effects by layering on metallic paints. She found that metallic paints make her work feel a little more loose or organic. Now how often do you hear the words metallic and organic together?

Have a look at more of Jainnie’s work on her Flickr photostream and her blog.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
Read More

Outside Inspiration: Glitter, Resin and Wireworks

December 13, 2013
Posted in

Is there any material better for showing off the shimmer and shine of any surface effect than crystal clear resin? It allows for light to fall on metal foils, glitter, mica powders and and any other shiny material locked under it’s clear layers. A tasteful addition of well worked wire and crystal accents keep the glittery resin of these dainty wing earrings created by Christina Allen Page from going overboard.

il_570xN.461507522_6rm2

If you haven’t worked with resin yet, it’s a fantastic finishing product although it takes a little practice to work out bubble-free applications and to avoid the potential mess it can create. ALWAYS wear gloves when using resin and preferably on a dedicated work surface. For one, it is a super powerful adhesive. And secondly, you can become suddenly and severely allergic to the chemical if you allow regular contact with your skin. I know this to be true because I am one of those this happened to. It is no fun, not to mention pretty darn scary and now, to work with resin, I have to don the equivalent of a haz mat suit. Quite a drag. The chemical BPA is in high concentrations in all resins before it cures–it’s what allows the hardening of the liquid. So be good to yourself and take precaution so you can continue to use it for many, many years because it is great stuff.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
Read More

Glitter and Shine

December 9, 2013
Posted in

With the holidays upon us, things are shining and shimmering everywhere we go so I thought we’d have a week of looking at tastefully using our shiny, glitzier options.

It can be hard to make glitter look sophisticated. It is often tossed randomly onto an accessory to make it stand out, especially in commercial items, but it certainly can’t compensate for designs that are done poorly or are lacking in interest in any other way. The sparkle from glitter also has such a strong draw for the eye, so it can easily overpower and even ruin a good design. However, we do like our sparkle and, when used judiciously, it can be a great added element.

Katy Schmitt did a fantastic job on this little purse, keeping the focus on the color and swirl but mixing in just a bit of glitter to some, but not all, the colors to tastefully glam it up.

7288269406_2d3f9dff45

 

Most of Katy’s work leans towards simple and understated yet visually powerful pieces. You can find more of her work on her Flickr photostream and her own website.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
Read More
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