Blog Roll- It's a Bug's Life!

I know it's been a while since I've posted here, and for that I must apologize.  I've been going through some personal issues, having problems with my hand (a very bad thing for a sculptor!), and having problems with my internet connection.  In spite of all this I'm going to try to keep up with the Smooshers!
This week's theme for the Blog Roll is It's a Bug's Life!  I happen to be very fond of most bugs myself.  I've always been a bit of a tomboy, so I was out there in the woods with my brothers collecting bugs, watching ants go about their business, and being amazed by spiders spinning their intricate webs.  As an organic gardener bugs are vital to the health of my flowers and veggies (and there are far more "good bugs" than "bad bugs" out there).  The variety of bugs in nature seems limitless, and the same can be said of bugs made from polymer clay!  Here are just a few samples created by the talented members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild.
Here are some cute little bookworms from Amazing Designs.  When I was young I raised earthworms and sold them at the local bait shop, and now I encourage them to call my garden home.  They help aerate the soil with their tunnels, and earthworm castings (poop) are excellent fertilizer.  I'm also an avid reader, so I really like these particular bookmarks!
 
Unlike many people, I have no fear of bees.  I find them fascinating and I always welcome them in my garden.  They're such industrious little creatures!  And for all the time I've spent with bees buzzing all around me, I've never been stung.  I respect their space, and they don't seem to mind my presence among the flowers.  I think they appreciate the delightful floral buffet I offer ;-)  This Steampunk bee pendant from Desert Rubble is just awesome (and you know this one will never sting- LOL)! 
Dragonflies are another of my favorite bugs.  When I was younger and lived near a lake I would spend all day swimming with the dragonflies cruising over my head.  Sometimes they'd even land on my outstretched hand to take a little rest.  Now they patrol my vegetable garden and hunt other insects for me.  I've got a few regular visitors that hang out with me all summer long.  The way they cock their head when I talk to them (yup, I talk to bugs- LOL) I swear they're listening to me.  This beautiful necklace from Dragonfly Serenade is a wonderful way to show your love of this delightful creature! 
And who doesn't love butterflies?  Dainty, delicate, fluttering through the air, stopping briefly to sip nectar from a flower before floating off again.  In spite of their delicate appearance though, these creatures are surprisingly tough.  Monarchs fly many miles (all the way from Mexico to the US!) on their yearly migration.  Strength and beauty all in a tiny colorful package ;-)  This butterfly wing pendant from Drunkenmimes makes me think of the Monarchs I see fluttering around my back yard every summer.
 
And those are just a few of my favorite bugs, as seen in polymer clay.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful creations these artists have to offer!  You can click on the pictures to be directed to the product listing, and click on the shop name to view everything they have for sale.
Have a great weekend!

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Smooshers Blog Roll- It's a Zoo Out There!

The Smooshers have been doing the Blog Roll for some time now and I've decided to change it up a bit so the members who write blog posts get more exposure.  The way the Blog Roll works is that Art Asylum comes up with a new theme every week and the members that choose to participate write a post on their personal blogs relating to that theme and feature the work of other guild members in their post.  Normally I would write my post on my own blog, but I think I'm going to start writing it on Smooshers blog and include links to the posts that the other members write.  This should help get more exposure for the items featured and the member's blogs.
That being said, this week's theme is It's a Zoo Out There!  Of course when I think of zoos I think of animals.  I have always loved animals of every sort and taking a trip to the zoo was an extra special treat for me as a child.
This Pink Starfish pendant from Drunkenmimes reminds me of the aquariums where you could view all sorts of weird and wonderful sea life.  I was able to view creatures I would probably never see otherwise.
 
And then there was the polar bear exhibit, where you could watch the bears lounge and play on dry land, or, even more fun, watch through a large glass window as they swam through the water.  Sometimes the zoo staff would give them floating toys or chunks of ice with food frozen inside.  They were like kids in a pool and were an absolute delight to watch!  That's what this Polar Bear sculpture from Fantasy Clay  reminds me of- playful polar bears ;-)
 
The kangaroos and koalas were always so much fun to watch as well.  I was amazed at how those tiny little joeys spent so much time in their mother's pouch, and how big they ended up getting.  Watching mother and baby grazing at the same time (while baby was still in the pouch) was such a comical sight.  And I love the way the baby koalas clung to their mother's back.  It was like they were stuck there with velcro- LOL.  That's what this adorable Ode to Australia bracelet from Fyrestorm Creations reminds me of.
 
And then there are the pandas, who always look so cute in their black and white pajamas.  They seem like such peaceful creatures as they sit there munching on bamboo.  This pair of pandas from Grumpy Grandmas Gift Shop have a bit of extra color and design added, making them even more appealing!
 
To see more great zoo themed posts featuring the Smooshers visit http://dreamweaversdesigns.blogspot.com/,   http://wyverndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/02/its-zoo-out-there.html, http://valeriesstuff.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/its-a-zoo-out-there-and-the-polymer-clay-smooshers-guild/, and  http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com/2012/03/its-zoo-out-there.html. Thanks for visiting our little polymer clay zoo!

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How to make a basic Skinner Blend

Creating Skinner blends is one of the basics of working with polymer clay.  This technique allows the even gradient blending of two or more colors and was developed by Judith Skinner.  You'll need two colors of clay, a 3" by 4 1/2" cardboard template (an index card works well), a straight blade, and your pasta machine.

Step 1: Using the largest setting on your pasta machine, roll out two contrasting colors of clay.  Make sure you have enough clay- usually at least half a block per color.

Step 2: Cut each rectangle diagonally from corner to corner using your clay blade.

Step 3: Stack the same color triangles, one over the other, to make double thick triangles of clay.  Be sure they match perfectly.  Re-form the triangles together with both colors so you have a rectangle again.  Run this through the pasta machine on the largest setting.

Step 4: Fold the rectangle in half and run it through the largest setting on the pasta machine.  After folding before each pass make sure that the side edges of the clay are identical in color.  The clay should always be inserted in the pasta machine fold first.  This helps to avoid any trapped air bubbles between layers of clay.

Repeat step 4 until you get the color gradient you want to achieve.  This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 passes, all depending on the effect you're looking for.

And there you have it- a fairly easy technique that has all sorts of uses!  Here's a link to a great tutorial from Smooshers member Drunkenmimes that shows how to use a Skinner Blend to create a leaf cane: Polymer Clay Skinner Blend and Leaf Cane Tutorial.  Get creative and see what you can make using the Skinner Blend technique!

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The newest Meet the Smooshers video

And here's the next in our Meet the Polymer Clay Smooshers video series!  This video features the work of Desert Rubble, Desert Wind Designs, Dreamweavers Designs, Drunkenmimes, Fantasy Clay, Gems PC Creations, and Grays Crafts.  These are all wonderfully talented polymer clay artists, with shops full of beautiful handmade items!

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