Sunday, July 7, 2013

Polydoodles

Last post I told you about my conversion from polymer virgin to polymer slut.
I had been referring to buying supplies then. Well, something happened to me last week when I was recommending Blue Bottle Tree's tutorial on making rustic beads with polymer clay.  I was purchasing the tute for a friend that I thought would like it and then I started looking into it myself and thought I'd try my hand at it. She also sells it in her Etsy shop

This first face is an homage to my inspiration Paryb Happy Fish ( Jana) from HappyFishShop on Etsy
She has been a great inspiration to me.

I started with what I was familiar with...headpins of course. I used copper just for a change of pace and made them nice and long so you could get a few extra wraps in 

These came out pretty well I think considering that they looked like brown turds on a stick before I set to a'painting on them.

Why not one honking bigg'un. I haven't gotten to drilling holes in the pendant pieces yet.

Those stamping supplies that I have neatly tucked away for my mixed media and collage work came in handy.

bar bar bar barbar barbedwire

These are smaller than they look. Don't you love macro though?
I love mackerel too...reminds me of a time in my youth....oh never mind...stay on track, Kim

I had a palette of Michael DeMeng* colors from a workshop that got cancelled. I think I may have inadvertently stumbled across some of his tremendous color formulas
*warning creepy doll head blog






Remember my clay pieces that I couldn't fire because of the wire and then I painted them to see the effect? Well now I know it was just one step toward the inspiration for these.

Pastel Rustico

Egyptian

Dermabrasion

I think these were a pair of my favorites from the bunch


I had started out with a sampler set of colors to begin with. Red white and blue, which has to be one of my least favorite color combinations not very patriotic of me but it was the 4th of July.

It was a strange day Saturday.  I woke up early from a dream about being pregnant.  Not bloody likely at my age and I was pondering the meaning of this dream when I realized that it was my son's 30th birthday. The dream had occurred at about the exact time I gave birth to him.
Then we start on our 100 miles trip to the farmer's market on a cool and clear day and drive through a wall of smoke right near the air force base. Turns out this particular fire was caused by artillery shell practice and it's threatening neighborhoods now and may be still growing. I knew I was in for a day of being lightly and fragrantly smoked like a fine scotch or smoked salmon ( forgive me  the repetition my facebook friends, I only have so much material floating around in my head)
It turned out to be the worst day of sales that I can remember. My one order from Etsy yesterday even topped it. I was feeling mighty discouraged but some cool things happened. People visited, someone brought me some ephemera that was included in one of their Etsy orders that they had no use for, the Ukrainian lady at the Honey Bakery felt sorry for me and gave me some slices of her famous pies....and  then an old flame from way back from over 30 years ago handed me this picture which I don't even recall seeing before
That was some of my embroidery work in my sweatshirt.

And this picture of the old homestead shack I lived in for two years with no electricity or running water.
The day ended with a wedding of a couple that had been together over 30 years ago that had reunited  only just recently. It was a reunion of sorts as well. It seems that a lot of history of my life was presenting itself to me that day.

And then I danced!
Can't you tell I had fun!






19 comments:

  1. Can you catch polymer sluttiness? I think I feel it.....Love this post.....it's the little things...right?

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  2. i wanted to say ~turds on a stick.ohhh, yum kim!~ but then you went on and shared such wonderful prose and pictures that now i'm thinking that that all trumps turds on a stick. great photo from 30 years ago! you gotta lotta 30 years ago going on.xoxo

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  3. Great post Kim - not sure where to start with comments, as there is so much to comment on.. . . Your polymer pieces are fabulous! Now you have plenty of focal pieces for your necklaces. Especially love the rusty swirl headpins. Interesting dream about giving birth... I was a bit worried since I know Dave's dream came true a week ago - but I guess it was a dream from the past. Happy Son's birthday! Sorry to hear about your discouraging farmer's market day... perhaps too much smoke for people to get out to shop. Although it still sounds great that you went due to all the cool things that came about. Love the old pics and the dance pic. When I can enjoy music again, I am going dancing!!!

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  4. Polymer clay has been known to have that effect on people. So glad it was you who got infected so we could see these fantastic beads and pins. These are so great that even my husband Gary was going all oooh and aaah, and pointing out which ones he liked. At least you didn't have dreams about being pregnant with kittens, that's what happens to me. And I can't believe you lived in that shack for two years without LIGHT. The smell of kerosene would have done me in, I think. Thank you SO very much for the shout-outs and mentions. I'm really glad you decided to try the tutorial and even more glad that the results came out as well as they did. I give you an A+!

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  5. oh my goodness thanks for a good belly laugh on the turds on a stick line.
    I just adore your look from that picture. Great style!!
    It is so amazing the journey your head takes you on and then comes to a full circle moment once diving in deep.
    So cool.
    Really loving the faces you are making with the clay.
    Amy

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  6. This post makes me so HAPPY! Because you had SO much fun, and so many experiences at that Farmer's Market, plus you made some pretty extraordinary pieces! I promise I will post pictures of what I've been doing - lots of turds on sticks too, with paisley designs - plus some pendants. I want to do some pods tomorrow, too. Am thinking being out on the water with the otters stoked the creative fires :) Way to go, Kim! xoxo J

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  7. Turds on a stick, is that like pigs in a blanket only chocolate - LOL YOU crack me up. They did come out great thought....Sorry about the farmers market - I can now relate to that feeling of sitting there all day....Looky at you as a young babe...cut pic. xox

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  8. must be going around... I got the itch to do polymer last month and have been buying all kinds of stuff.. Got the tutorial and today is the day for me to make and play with it all.

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  9. Oh my.. it is going around... I too am a Polymer Slut.. may have to try the turds on a stick.. lol.. I have ideas lots of ideas and today I get to play with all the clay I have. And don't we all have some butt ugly clay colors that painting is the only solution to?!

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  10. I love the polymer pieces! Polymer is so versatile! You can make it look like anything. It looks like you and I have a lot in common. I too lived for a few years in a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running water. When we finally got electricity my kids ran up and down the dirt road screaming "ice cubes", "ice cubes!" LOL.

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  11. yes! looks like you had great fun! and LOL over turds on a stick!!

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  12. I love polymer clay ! Many happy memories.
    When daughter was younger we would sit at the table and make animals, Pokemon figures and just have the best time. I also make pins with dogs and cats that came on a card with the clay. I painted them in flat bright colors and they sold really well.
    But the fun was making them with daughter.

    cheers, parsnip

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  13. looks like we all caught the bug hard....
    addicted! such a variety and lots of great work Kimmo.

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  14. Welcome to the clay side of the force.
    Love the turd on a stick metaphor.
    I also lived in the woods for several years, in a 40 foot travel trailer. No running water, electricity or phone. Was in the best physical shape of my life then.

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  15. A wild guess: Your barbed wire song was to the tune of 'Fazon" by Sopwith Camel.
    PS - I dig your primitive look. The beads, not you.

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  16. Any blog that ends with those words, "And then I danced!" has my undying devotion. I'm not big into polymer clay but I am a lampworker and jewelry maker. Love the earthy feel of your pieces - certainly very nice for a newly slutted virgin. And then I danced!

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  17. Congratulations on being featured on Polymer Clay Daily! Love your sense of humor and creative work in polymer!

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  18. You went for a bunch of colors...something in my brain won't let me do that. hehe I have to buy more tomorrow...I'm getting my daughter in on this. Maybe I need to try to actually make a piece of jewelry before I go any further. ;)

    I like your face pieces a lot! And I love to dance! (All by myself in my studio with the music cranked.

    Polymer sluts unite!

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  19. Another wonderful post, your style of writing makes me feel as if I'm there with you on your adventures or experimenting in the studio. Great fun! Slow sales have nothing to do with your talent. Obviously! Love the polymer! Keep dancing.

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