Where to start? There were so many possibilities, it was hard to decide which direction to take. I really thought I was going to make some hollow beads, but I lost interest quickly. Fortunately the translucent polymer clay needed to be conditioned and colored, and the mindless task of running it through the pasta machines opened our minds to using some copper wire as a form for the clay.
Holly worked with circles.
I went for leaf shapes.
Holly’s daughter, Maia, joined us and inspired us with some of her own ideas.
Neither of us knew that leaving an edge of clay around the wire was called a “shadow cut,” until Maia told us. Her design of the tiny beads inside the wire, with a shadow of clay around the outside, was my favorite of the day.
Of course the day ended too soon, even though we worked into the night. We’ve taken workshops together, but this is the first time Holly and I have been together, in one of our studios, just to bounce ideas off each other. We had a blast. We each ended up with some ideas about translucent polymer clay that we’ll continue to explore. Thank you my friend! I can’t wait to see what you make next. My own explorations will have to wait until after my visit with Susie in N.Y.
Barbara S Fernald Jewelry 
So great to see the two of you ( and Maia too ) playing and creating together in Holly’s studio! Looks like great fun! A big hello from Rome…
Off to Amsterdam…our last stop tomorrow. Hope you can both come and play in our Waterloo studio someday!
xoxo
Marly and Angie
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It’s like you guys have MOVED to Europe or something. It looks like such a fabulous trip. I know we would love to come play in the Waterloo studio someday!
It was hard to just be together for one day. Better scheduling next time.
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i know a little someone who will be tickled to have been mentioned in your blog! just got back from my field trip at the aldrich museum where i was bamboozled into agreeing to give a pmc workshop for museum members (wth?!) in october….how did my school trip turn into THAT?! there are some fast talkers in this world! please let me go home now and work on transparent polymer!!! xoxo
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ok, i wasn’t really BAMBOOZLED-that is a misrepresentation of my inability to say no thank you fast enough!
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Ha ha. You sure you wouldn’t want to do a little workshop? I’m sure they would pay you well for your time……
Miss you. We’re heading into the city soon to go to the SOFA thing. I’ll send a report! (I know they don’t allow cameras…)
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Barb – looks like you all had fun. Looks like you made lollipops – 25¢ each, right? Are the circles lying on the light bulbs so they arc a little bit? Do the molds also arc?
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It was a great time Sally. The “lollipops” are part of a necklace design I think. You are right. The lightbulbs provide a way to bake the clay pieces so they will be convex/concave. Then two halves could be put together and rebaked to make a hollow lentil-shaped bead.
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I love what you both have done with the translucent clay. These pieces will really have a place in your new work, I am quite sure of it.
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You know it Roberta! I really want to explore more with the wire frames and the translucent clay, and then find a way to combine a little silver in the mix for earrings and necklaces. I’ve got some ideas…
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