A Gateway Tutorial to the World of Polymer Boxes

April 25, 2015

polymer_clay_tutorial_-_matchbox_amulets_part_2_-_inner_sanctum_8b1de758I figured there were a number of you who might have been intrigued by the containment form of adornment this week but thought it would be too much work to get into it. However, I have found a ‘gateway’ tutorial that might just get you addicted to the idea of making container necklaces. Then, you might find yourself moving onto purses or who know what else. In any case, if you like the form, you really should give it a try.

These matchbox amulets, as Tina Holden calls them, address both the inside and outside of this form. They have a slider similar to inros, but a construction that may be a bit more accessible to the novice box maker. She sells a two-part tutorial on her ArtFire page for those of you who want to jump in with pretty much guaranteed success. If you have already played around or you create container adornments, this could be inspiration for a new form.

You can find the two-part tutorial on this link here, or, if you don’t want to dive in wholly at this point, you can get Part 1 here, and then go for Part 2 later when you see just how addictive it is! She has a lot of other tutorials to offer, so if you aren’t up for boxes right now, still stop by her shop to see if something else piques your interest.

*Update: If you want to try your hand at another polymer matchbox design, Randee Ketzel sent this link to an older tutorial where it is opened by moving the outside of the box up the cord rather than pulling the inside up. This would not be ideal to hold loose objects (if the outside gets jostled up, items could fall out) but looks to work great as an amulet with hidden items secured inside. It is free so you can give it a try before you buy something more detailed like Tina’s tutorial: http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2000december/matchbook.html  Thanks for that Randee!

 

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

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The Form of a Box Pendant

April 21, 2015

enkhe box as pendantsHere is another take on the inro form; although, the creator has labeled these “Box as Pendant” pieces. Enkhtsetseg Tserenbadam’s versions are not as heavily decorated as what we saw yesterday, but the variety of forms is a pleasure to see. The interest lies in the surface treatment and color combinations, which subtly accent the primarily organic forms.

Enkhe’s work is often hollow, although, not always in order to hold something and not always as a jewelry. She makes purses and table top boxes. She does play a lot with hollow forms in her jewelry but with many a revealing opening. Her largely minimal palettes make her forms particularly important, and that is where most of her focus lies.

Enkhe’s work can be found online, primarily on her art website.

 

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

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A Round Take on a Traditional Case

April 20, 2015

Pavla-Beatle Inro boxWhat would you say to a week of small, wearable containers? I personally have a very particular interest (maybe a tiny bit of an obsession) with things that little treasures and secrets can be stored in. So, I’ve been digging up a number of interesting examples of wearable cases, and there is more variety in this than I would have thought.

This little beauty is styled after an inro; a traditional Japanese container that would have been hung from a waist sash. Traditional Japanese dress did not have anything like pockets, so the inros would be the method by which small necessities could be carried. They grew from purely functional objects to works of high art and have, obviously, been adopted for adornment beyond what would accompany traditional Japanese dress.

This inro style container is by Pavla Cepelikova. She created a series of these over the last couple years that she calls Beatle Inro Boxes. I believe the reference would be to the insects not to the band, but I could be wrong. The wing-like shapes created by the polymer inlay is certainly reminiscent of a beetle. The flat top works as a cap, sliding up the cord as an inro top would. Yes, we would usually see the inro in more of a box shape and with an overlapping cap, but this does work the same way. The shape and surface decoration make for an original and charming version of the traditional case. It’s a good example of taking a traditional idea and moving beyond what is usually done with it.

You can see the rest of the series on Pavla’s Flickr pages along with many other little beauties. Enjoy!

 

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

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

A Gateway Tutorial to the World of Polymer Boxes

April 25, 2015
Posted in

polymer_clay_tutorial_-_matchbox_amulets_part_2_-_inner_sanctum_8b1de758I figured there were a number of you who might have been intrigued by the containment form of adornment this week but thought it would be too much work to get into it. However, I have found a ‘gateway’ tutorial that might just get you addicted to the idea of making container necklaces. Then, you might find yourself moving onto purses or who know what else. In any case, if you like the form, you really should give it a try.

These matchbox amulets, as Tina Holden calls them, address both the inside and outside of this form. They have a slider similar to inros, but a construction that may be a bit more accessible to the novice box maker. She sells a two-part tutorial on her ArtFire page for those of you who want to jump in with pretty much guaranteed success. If you have already played around or you create container adornments, this could be inspiration for a new form.

You can find the two-part tutorial on this link here, or, if you don’t want to dive in wholly at this point, you can get Part 1 here, and then go for Part 2 later when you see just how addictive it is! She has a lot of other tutorials to offer, so if you aren’t up for boxes right now, still stop by her shop to see if something else piques your interest.

*Update: If you want to try your hand at another polymer matchbox design, Randee Ketzel sent this link to an older tutorial where it is opened by moving the outside of the box up the cord rather than pulling the inside up. This would not be ideal to hold loose objects (if the outside gets jostled up, items could fall out) but looks to work great as an amulet with hidden items secured inside. It is free so you can give it a try before you buy something more detailed like Tina’s tutorial: http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2000december/matchbook.html  Thanks for that Randee!

 

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

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

Read More

The Form of a Box Pendant

April 21, 2015
Posted in

enkhe box as pendantsHere is another take on the inro form; although, the creator has labeled these “Box as Pendant” pieces. Enkhtsetseg Tserenbadam’s versions are not as heavily decorated as what we saw yesterday, but the variety of forms is a pleasure to see. The interest lies in the surface treatment and color combinations, which subtly accent the primarily organic forms.

Enkhe’s work is often hollow, although, not always in order to hold something and not always as a jewelry. She makes purses and table top boxes. She does play a lot with hollow forms in her jewelry but with many a revealing opening. Her largely minimal palettes make her forms particularly important, and that is where most of her focus lies.

Enkhe’s work can be found online, primarily on her art website.

 

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

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

Read More

A Round Take on a Traditional Case

April 20, 2015
Posted in

Pavla-Beatle Inro boxWhat would you say to a week of small, wearable containers? I personally have a very particular interest (maybe a tiny bit of an obsession) with things that little treasures and secrets can be stored in. So, I’ve been digging up a number of interesting examples of wearable cases, and there is more variety in this than I would have thought.

This little beauty is styled after an inro; a traditional Japanese container that would have been hung from a waist sash. Traditional Japanese dress did not have anything like pockets, so the inros would be the method by which small necessities could be carried. They grew from purely functional objects to works of high art and have, obviously, been adopted for adornment beyond what would accompany traditional Japanese dress.

This inro style container is by Pavla Cepelikova. She created a series of these over the last couple years that she calls Beatle Inro Boxes. I believe the reference would be to the insects not to the band, but I could be wrong. The wing-like shapes created by the polymer inlay is certainly reminiscent of a beetle. The flat top works as a cap, sliding up the cord as an inro top would. Yes, we would usually see the inro in more of a box shape and with an overlapping cap, but this does work the same way. The shape and surface decoration make for an original and charming version of the traditional case. It’s a good example of taking a traditional idea and moving beyond what is usually done with it.

You can see the rest of the series on Pavla’s Flickr pages along with many other little beauties. Enjoy!

 

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

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

Read More
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