Crafts Photographs

Polymer Clay

I have recently discovered the world of polymer clay--oh what fun! Here's a brief pictoral tour through the projects I have made. I hope you enjoy it!

My very first project, magnets (March 2005)

I made a simple flower cane, and attached it to the back of a flat glass marble, then glued it to a magnet. I also marbled purple and white clay and attached cut-out sections to some other marbles.


My second project: Chrysanthemum Cane (March 2005)


I made a chrysanthemum cane and used slices to cover a hollowed-out chicken's egg. I then baked and sanded it. Unfortunately, the pearl mica particles aren't lined up right and it isn't very sparkly and looks rather dull and yellowish. This is because I used premo clay. Apparently premo's pearl is much more yellow than Kato's. A lesson learned.

I made another egg for my mother-in-law's birthday, this time covering the egg first with a pink-pearl, then the chrysanthemum cane slices. I didn't take a picture of it, though.

To compensate for the dull pearl, I reduced half of the cane. I then sliced thick slices that I pressed and flattened until shiny, then applied to a surface.

This Chrysanthemum cane is very useful. I used it to cover some bic pens:

The purple pen is covered using the old purple flower cane, and is a gift for my friend Kristen. I gave my friend Suzanne a pen with the pink pearled background under the 'mum' cane, but forgot to photograph it, too. These pens were baked and then covered with Sculpey glaze, and have made nice gifts.


My third project: Hippo Pin (March 2005)

My friend Lawanda really likes hippopotami (or hippopotamuses, both are correct!), so I made this pin for her June birthday. I used a little rubber stamp from Big Lots and "Staz-On" inkpad. I later glazed the pin with Sculpey glaze, but that was after this photo was taken.


My fourth project: Buffalo Magnet (May 2005)


Well, if you know me, you know I like the American Buffalo (Bison). This is my first try at a sculpture, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.


Next project: Barrettes (May 2005)

Oh, what fun! I like to cover barrettes! Here is a lovely green-pearl swirled with silver marble that I really like (actually left over from the hippo background). The other uses that first flower cane, and a few leaves with the leftover green and silver marble. These were baked and covered with Sculpey glaze. I made some large marbled barrettes as gifts for Julie (orange and pearl) and Kristen (purple & pearl), but forgot to photograph them.



Next project: vases (March, June 2005)

These were a wedding gift for my good friend Kristen and her husband, Mark. I covered a small glass votive and a small glass vase with slices of the chrysanthemum cane. I actually started these back in March, but it took a while to complete because I had to cut thick cane slices and painstakingly work and press each one in order to re-align the mica particles (to get the sparkle). But they turned out great!



Next project: fan pulls (Aug. 2005)

These were a wedding gift for my brother and his new wife, Julie, for their new home. Each color was blended with pearl to give it a little extra sparkle, then they were marbled together and a pull chain was inserted and baked for a long time. The hardest part of these was the sanding. Chris was a dear and helped me sand a lot of these (before I wore my hand off).



Next project: Dachshund Pen (Oct. 2005)

This idea came from a Carol Duvall episode, and was a gift for my brother's birthday--he likes dachshunds. His rear end comes off and serves as a cap for the pen. Isn't he cute?



Next project: Woodstock Magnets (Nov. 2005)

These were a gift for Jessica, an officemate who is fond of Woodstock (from Peanuts). I used some rubber stamps with the images, the StazOn permanent ink pad, an exacto knife, some flower-shaped clay cutters, and strips of magnetic tape on the back (and some Premo clay, of course!). The "white" one on the left is actually a very light blue, but the mica particles reflect a lot of light, making it appear white in every photo.


More pictures will be posted as I complete more projects--stay tuned!

All photos © 2005 Elaine Godfrey
Last updated November 4, 2005