Day 6~ Write 31 Days ~ Fall Leaves Themed Polymer Pendant

Used a gold paint and added glass leaf beads

Polymer has been a play toy of mine for many years. I took it less seriously than I should have. Such vibrant colors, endless possibilities for design, durability, and just plain fun when they are used, are reason enough that I would like to use them more, now. I still create very plain objects, well usually. This pendant is very plain. I like it, in person it might be better, since the colors are very nice, but it needs something, possibly, I will set a crystal or rhinestone of some sort into the leaf. Maybe polish it up a bit, or add some gold leaf to it, we'll see what I come up with!

Think it needs a rhinestone set in the leaf

It came out really plain 😖

Starting out with polymers, I just couldn't see past making cute shapes for incorporation of items such as napkin rings, package tags, or even a whimsical brooch for a holiday. Now I look at the years of playing around and wonder, why? Why didn't I see the endless possibilities for the medium?

The past 15 to 20 years, I have made more with polymer clays that are more art forms, from containers to masks,

Cernunos mask out of polymer clay

but still the medium is mostly unexplored for me. The past couple of years, I started making a few items as jewelry. Oh, I made jewelry out of polymer before, just not pieces that I would consider to be 'nice' enough to wear for any occasion.

This looks like a spider from a kids cartoon... gotta save it

Beginning of a skull for Day of the Dead project

What I mean to say is that I've always considered what I make as whimsical, like the brooches I make that are cute, but not something I'd wear to any occasion. I love the molds that Bobbi Couch makes, especially her Hummingbird molds. They are adorable... and why could you not create them in a nice gold or silver, give it a crystal eye, and it not be more than adorable, possibly a piece worth wearing out to a nice diner, or you could cover one in pave type crystals, that would be more than adorable, possibly even glamorous.

box of components I make out of polymer

So, I love polymer, but just usually don't have the time to work with it, or if I do, it is just to create a lot of small components to be used in something else.Today, I'm making a pendant that can be worn on  a chain or incorporated into a beaded necklace. I probably will work it into something else that I am working on, but I want the options to be open with this piece.

There are so many wonderful tutorials out there, I am not doing a tutorial... I'm just sharing what I have made, then  I'll post a few tutorials by people that work with clay all the time, who are really great at what they do.

Me? I'm an amateur who loves to create!

I love using real leaves as templates, or even fake fall leaves, silk or polyester, whatever they are made of now.  I love real leaves though, because you can get a good imprint usually and have the veins showing. Or, sometimes, I just want something to look like whatever... so I draw my own.

I like making my own patterns

 

rigid mold by Lisa Pavelka, Flexible mold by sculpy, plastic mold Makin's Clay

 

Hummingbird mold by Penni Jo Couch, this is my favorie! You can tell I use it a lot!

I use a lot of molds, I love the ones that Penni Couch makes, they are durable and have a lot of detail... which is what I love.  I use molds from all over, but like hers the best.

candy molds can be useful

There will be a link to her page as well at the bottom of this page.

You can also use candy molds, sometimes they are hard to pull the clay out of, so use a release of some sort. I started out using really hard molds, they were the worst! The idea that soft clay should pull out of a hard mold is logical, but it isn't. The clay gets stuck or the shape distorts when removed... use some sort of release if you use a harder mold. One of the molds above, by Lisa Pavelka, is rigid, however, since it is a channel, the clay does not get stuck as easily, I still use some release. I also use a wire down the center of this type mold. Just gives it some extra strength.

Some of my polymer clay is old. I am the worst about buying more than I will use, then put it away for a while, come back and it might be dry. I found recently that I can use a glass jar to store it in, baby food jars work well, but I also use  pimiento jars. If it is really dry, use some of the softening agent or some liquid clay. I love the liquid, since it can be used in molds to help make the mold a bit more accurate in colors, especially with molds like Penni Jo Couch makes, they are detailed and you can apply the liquid clay into the little nooks and crannies. At least, with a really good mold you can do that. I wouldn't suggest it in a brand that you are unfamiliar with. One that can be put into the oven at a temperature that will be compatible with the clay, is the best type to use. 

I chopped up the caramel color and the canary color

Still working on this one.

because they were so very old, I actually pulverized a good bit of it, mixed it with some of the liquid clay to create this sign
















Good tutorials for working in polymer clay:

Ginger Davis Allman- The Blue Bottle Tree
Marily Ray Knopic- From the Bench

from a mold made by Penni Jo Couch

Penni Jo Couch - Using flexible molds

Best Flexible Molds, by Penni Jo Couch