I thought I’d keep writing PCD occasionally but my inner 5-year-old defiantly stomped her feet and said, “No.”  There was no coaxing her back to the computer. Abandoning artwork and artists gathered over 18 years didn’t feel good either. That’s a lot of water under the bridge! How to solve the dilemma? My mind wandered back to the beginning of my art adventure…the Columbus Guild, the National Polymer Clay Guild. Each step got me closer to the IPCA which was fortuitously rebuilding their website. IPCA said yes! PCD and much more are only a click away thanks to Amy Brown and her amazing gr ..read more

Holidays are a perfect time to try something fun, easy, and no-fail. Hello, mokume gane! Problem is there are variations nine ways to Sunday! You’ve got your deep, shallow, scrap, ghost, and natural methods. For your holiday polymer pleasure, follow this free link from the UK’s Jane Hewitt, who gathers a slew of approaches to the technique into one nicely-illustrated .pdf booklet to download. If you feel like giving to Jane’s charity, that would be lovely. Donate on the LimbBo page ..read more

As I layered up for the snow today, I figured out why I had these plain Jane earrings in my collection. They’re the companions for this Karen McCorckle beautifully caned angel pin that I love. Oh, that goes back a couple of interesting decades! Karen told us that she conditioned clay when she went to the movies with her family. In the darkened theatre, she could twist and knead the stiff version of polymer that we used back then. Her production schedule was so tight that she couldn’t waste any time. Can anyone update us on Karen ..read more

When Ron Lehocky asked me several years ago who made this dotted square pin that I was wearing, I replied confidently, “Dayle Doroshow.” He corrected me. “I made that,” he said. This is a Ron Lehocky collector’s item! Long ago and far away when Ron first started dipping into polymer, he made pins that weren’t heart-shaped and weren’t made from others’ scraps. That was 51,000 hearts ago! Hard to believe he’s raised that much for The Kids’ Center for Pediatric Therapies! Ron pointed me to his 2015 tutorial on PCD that shows how to turn a heart into a Christmas tree. That was from when he had ma ..read more

Every once in a while a polymer artist like Vasso Tizma (ClaylandStudio) from Greece makes us think that we can all be polymer clay sculptors. You’d think we’d learn that “making it look easy” is a trap. I’m trying to resist rolling out some red and green clay and giving it a go. Is there time to become an expert before the holidays? Hope springs eternal. Plan B is her Etsy shop ..read more

Ohio mother-daughter duo Keri Parker and Mikayla Beavan (kurumi_kodama) created these haunting, earthy walnut tree spirits using shells with round polymer bellies. “I found some walnut shells on the ground back in our woods and thought they looked like little disembodied faces. I knew somehow I needed to give them bodies,” says mom Keri. These magical creatures appear every week or two on their site and disappear quickly. Discover more polymer magic in the weekend StudioMojo. For your free sample, shoot me an email ..read more

New York’s Susana Martinez popped up in the feed today wearing a big bold necklace she made for a Santiago event. I went on the prowl to get to know her. She had been in the fashion industry for over 20 years when the pandemic forced her to create a land of her own, SusanaLand. It houses her jewelry collections, her fashion line, and even showcases her mother’s hand-woven wares. Her mokume gane meets geodes meets resin in a wonky, cheery jumble of styles perfect for today ..read more

Saskatchewan’s Jude Radwanski (Firefly Art Jewellery) scratches and scribes polymer jewelry as she works to create jewelry that enhances the designs of clothing manufacturers and retailers. “Polymer clay is extremely durable and suits my commitment to reduced obsolescence,” she says defiantly. No obsolescence here at PCD either. I’ve skittered around the globe and across the country, checking in with polymer friends around the globe in a burst of post-pandemic energy. Were you beginning to worry? Nah, I’m fine and ready to settle in at the computer after one more trip west this month.  P ..read more

Colorado’s Diane Kremer packages up fall in a simple pair of earrings. Subtly textured shades of orange/red/gold circles stack like a pile of leaves. The wire that ties it all together is featured front and center. Why not? This week’s StudioMojo wraps up my last event as I head out for another one.  We’ve been cooped up too long! All that pent-up energy has to be unleashed! Come on over and see what’s new and where it’s coming from ..read more

Maintaining the shape of extruded polymer clay flower canes as you reduce them is nearly impossible. At a recent gathering, Minnesota’s Jenny Patterson reminded me of a clever workaround. She extrudes her canes and slices them after they’re cured! Jenny sells at big shows (she’ll be at the Balloon show in Albuquerque) so her production skills are well honed. She cuts the cured extrusions once they’re cool or slightly re-warms them to make them pliable depending on the brand of clay. Try it both ways to see what your clay prefers. She punches a hole in each thin slice with hole punch pliers ..read more