Featured Artist - Maryellen of Beetreebyme

http://www.beetreebyme.etsy.com/
Trying to blog about Maryellen of Beetreebyme was a difficult task. On her website, she has the most beautiful pictures of her work. Not only does she sculpt, but makes buttons, caketoppers, bracelets, necklaces, you name it.

I could not pick three pictures; they were all so beautiful. Here's a little about her: She is inspired by almost everyone - artists, jewelry designers, people she meets. Other people’s tastes, interests and emotions show her the world from different perspectives. That leads her down different paths and inspires her to try new ideas.
Nature is her biggest source of inspiration for designs. Almost all of her work is fashioned after realistic or fantasy flora and fauna. Her inspiration for color comes from everywhere. The natural world, magazines and unknown sources. Sometimes color combinations just pop into her head. She said, "I think most of us store inspiration without realizing it. Then we draw from it as needed."

Maryellen has been working with clay since the late 80’s. At that time she had a farm and sold fresh herbs at local farmers' markets. She met a vendor who was making great pins that were collages of cane slices. She experimented and came up with a design for a vase style brooch that would hold a tiny herb bouquet.

The brooch upside down looked like a skirt and that became her angel and fairy design. She never looked back after that. What an amazing artist! You are such an inspiration to us all Maryellen!

Nominated for Award!

I have been nominated for an award called the "Sisterhood Award." Given to me by Lynda of SCDiva. It was given as she thinks my blog is creative and inspirational, and in return, I get to nominate 5 women whose blogs inspire and encourage me. I have chosen Alissa of

http://divadea.blogspot.com/, Jan of http://www.jangeisen.com/, Pippa of http://www.pipsjewellery.blogspot.com/, Laura of
http://www.laurabeestudios.blogspot.com/, and Marcia of http://www.marciapalmer.blogspot.com/. All of these wonderful artists have amazing blogs. Check them out!

Featured Artist - Lynda of SCDiva

Inspiration for polymer clay designs comes from many places, nature, texture, colors, but my greatest inspiration comes from other polymer clay artists. Here is one artist whose designs are so elegant and exquisite, I draw from her creative talents. Lynda of SCDiva (http://www.scdiva.etsy.com/) incorporates semi-precious gemstones with polymer clay to complete the most beautiful necklaces.

Her image transfer pendants are imaginative and different. She puts her own spin on brooches and pendants using Magic Transfer Paper. She is my friend and my teacher. Here is one of her designs.

One of my very favorite necklaces is a newer piece she has just done using gorgeous African jasper slab cut beads and a matching polymer clay pendant of the same colors. Amazing and lovely.

Tyler William Riopel on his Christening Day

Our grandson, Tyler William, in his little tuxedo, Christening Day, Cure of Ars Church, Bellmore, New York, March 15th, 2009. Isn't he adorable?

Magic Transfer Paper

I purchase Magic Transfer Paper from www.polymerclayproductions.com/ to make these pendants. Here I have started the process by transferring these images onto white clay. (I will post new pictures when they are completed.) I wanted to let you know that they are so vibrant and bright because Ilysa of Polymer Clay Productions has a new method of transferring the images onto the clay. Once she has decided on her images, she copies them onto photo paper and then onto the Magic Transfer Paper. It makes quite a difference in the color and clarity of the images. If you would like to know more about this technique, just let me know and I will give you all the information.

Guest Artist - Pippa of Pippsjewelry

http://www.pipsjewellery.etsy.com/

In beautiful village in the heart of Wiltshire, England, lives one of the most inspirational polymer clay artists, Pippa of Pipsjewellery. She has been using Polymer Clay to create things at least since 1990. She describes herself as a bit of a butterfly, and loves trying new techniques in her beads so you will always be able to find something new and different in her shop.

From her blog - "Addiction. Not a word I ever thought I would use in a description of myself! But here I am, addicted to the stuff and loving every minute! Come and share with me the up and downs and ins and outs of trying to be a Polymer Clay Artist."

I definitely think she has succeeded! The one recurring theme that you will find in her jewelry, however, is leaves. She loves incorporating them into jewelry in lots of different styles and colors.

Here's a magnificent kaleidoscope pendant. The precision is amazing - just like the artist.

Guest Artist - Keith Henning - Creativewriting

www.creativewriting.etsy.com

One of our newest members and one of three gentlemen in our Guild is Keith Henning. Keith’s beautiful pens are elegant, classy and have a definite masculine quality. Although he does have one pink one in his Etsy shop I have my eye on. He also makes tie tacks for the discerning GQ man.

He has been been making polymer clay pens for a little over a year and considers himself a rookie in the field. Making pens is something he stumbled upon in his search for a hobby. He changed jobs several years ago and came into a situation where he was no longer working weekends and nights (the normal chef life). With new found time on his hands, he needed to find a hobby. His first choice was woodworking. He says, “The intrigue of power tools growling away in the garage and the man verses wood excitement kept my interest for a few years. During one of my many trips to man world (the Woodcraft store) I saw a demo on pen turning. Suddenly I felt the need to make pens. They were smaller, more intimate, and everyone needs a good one. The first problem I had was no lathe. A lathe is essential when trying to turn something (duh) and not having one wasn’t going to break my spirit. It would have been easier to go buy one, but it was the premise of trying to figure out how to make a pen without a lathe that drove me to polymer. ”

“Wood has many constraints and I wanted to make pens that were only limited to my creativity and imagination. I grew up around polymer clay and usually helped my mom kneed it when her hands were tired, thank god for reformulation and pasta machines, and I was curious if it was durable enough to make pens. In my research I came across a few kit pens, but mostly Bic style pens covered with clay. As I delved deeper into the world of PC I started to see different techniques and uses than what I remembered as a kid. Faux effects, mica shifts, caning and that was only the beginning - I was hooked. So here I am making pens and having a ball. The power tools and memories of man-world are gathering dust, except for a few (tools not memories) I still use for my pens.”
He now scans the newspapers for clay sales and hangs out at Michael’s - just like the rest of us.