Polymer Clay Art Jewelry: How to Make Polymer Clay Jewelry Projects Using New Techniques

2013·3 MB·english

by  Ginsburg

POLYMER CLAY
ART JEWELRY
ILYSA GINSBURG AND KIRA SLYE
KP Craft
Cincinnati, Ohio
contents
introduction
materials and tools
polymer clay basics
techniques
jewelry techniques
chapter 1: nature
stone posey brooch
flower bib necklace
butterfly bling necklace
bird on a vine necklace
chapter 2: bohemian
unchained heart necklace
floral fantasia necklace
bohemian bangle bracelet
henna bollywood necklace
chapter 3: renegade
she ain’t no ball and chain bracelet
fly away home sparrow necklace
capture and rapture necklace
heavy metal bracelet
chapter 4: vintage
garden bird cuff bracelet
dressmaker’s torso earrings
keyhole necklace
rhinestone lariat necklace
resources
dedications
acknowledgments
about the authors
copyright

introduction
Polymer clay has changed our lives. It is difficult to imagine that a medium so simply
made from pigment and PVC could have such an impact, but we can’t imagine our
lives without it. We both discovered polymer clay over twenty years ago on our own
personal journeys as artists, and it brought us together with a little help from the
“magic”of the Internet.
In 2006, we opened Etsy shops. By December, Ilysa had found that there were many
polymer clay artists on Etsy, but no street team to get them together. She posted a
message in the forum for interested shop owners who would like to start a team and
build a website, and Kira answered quickly.
After working on the PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy) together, we
discussed putting together a podcast all about polymer clay, and Polymer Clay TV was
born. From there came our online community, called CraftyLink.com, where we
feature our polymer clay and art teaching videos online in a community classroom
setting.
Since our adventure began, we have been around the world and back without ever
leaving our homes. Technology has allowed our free demos, project videos and blog
into homes in the United States, China, Russia, Africa, France, Spain, Japan and
beyond. It always amazes us that people around the globe have shared our journey
this way and new people keep finding us all the time.
Our experiences traveling to retreats and conferences, sharing information on blogs
and forums, and starting the PCAGOE have taught us that people everywhere want to
learn about the art and craft of polymer clay. And we, too, have learned so much along
the way. We can honestly say that in all the years we have been creating with polymer
clay, we are still learning new things because it is a medium of infinite possibilities.
In this book, we share techniques, tips and tricks we have learned on our journey,
many of which are at an intermediate level. We are always looking for new ways to
work with polymer clay and the abundant supplies in our art studios. Many of these
supplies are not necessarily meant to be used with clay; nonetheless they work very
well in our clay designs. We love to try out paints, foils, molds, cutters, papers, glues,
fibers and other fun media, and see if we can stick them in, on, or under our clay. We
have experimented with items made for jewelry, scrapbooking, knitting, needle arts,
cooking, paper crafting…. You name it, we’ve tried it. We can’t wait to show you the
things we have discovered!
If you are a beginner, you may want to refer to one of the many polymer clay 101
books available to get started, or feel free to visit our instructional podcast located at
www.PolymerClayTV.com.
But even if you have never picked up a bar of clay, you should have no problem
following the projects in this book. Through step-by-step instruction and detailed
photos, we guide you through the different processes and mediums we use to create
one-of-a-kind jewelry. We incorporate a myriad of techniques, media and a bit of
ingenuity to help you create beautiful finished pieces of art jewelry that you will be
proud to wear or to gift.
We hope, too, that the projects in this book inspire you to design and develop
polymer clay jewelry pieces of your own. With a medium as interesting and adaptable
as polymer clay, you can develop a personal style for your art jewelry.
What are you waiting for? Grab your supplies and a couple bars of clay! Let’s get
started—we have a lot to explore.
Ilysa and Kira