Meet Smooshers member Gundowerks

Teresa of Gundowerks creates everything from jewelry to beads to home decor, and so much more!  She was kind enough to answer a few questions about how she got started in polymer clay and what inspires her work.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?

The versatility and the learning curve. With PC you can get your first package of clay and after a bit of fiddling create something you like. With more study, more experimentation, more trial-and-error you can create more and more amazing and beautiful pieces of art. With clay the sky's the limit, there is always something new to do and learn. You can create so many things – you can faux all kinds of different things from nature to ancient pottery and metalworking. You can make your own colors, you can add different media – clay can help you create the visions in your head. It's amazing stuff.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....

Trial and error! My first book was Nan Roche's “The New Clay” and at first all I could do was just try to mimic what I saw. In the late 90's I found Delphi Forums and Polymer Clay Central and a tremendous amount of my knowledge came from my friends there. Then in the 2000's there were books and magazines that began to hit the market, making new techniques and ideas far more accessible.

What is your favorite tool to work with?

I love too many tools to choose one! Molds are amazing, scalpels are vital, the pasta machine is indispensable. I love my heat gun with a passion and I am never without a clay extruder.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?

Paint, markers, fabric, beads, paper – I love to do mixed media work.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?

Faux Mokume Gane. It is magical, the effects are stunning, and you never come up with the same piece twice. You can use it for everything from covering boxes to molding items.

What is your least favorite technique and why?

Representational caning. I hate the waste primarily, I also don't like the risks of reducing, and color bleed, and all those other things that can leave you with pounds of mud. Just not my thing, but boy do I respect the people who do it well!!

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?

I would like to learn a bit of sculpting, just faces for cabs and such. It's way down on my list, but it's on there. Other than that it's primarily just learning and growing with what I'm already doing.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?

I do at times. Not according to anyone's formulas usually. I'll just mix a tiny bit at a time for something I need at the moment. I'd really rather not reproduce anything exactly – that's why I make things like MG in tiny quantities, and another reason I eschew representational caning.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?

Small quantities. I don't do anything on production scale, I'll work on a few things at once and then move on. If I make MG (as I said above) it's in tiny quantities because I don't like having a huge chunk of something that makes tons of “look alikes”. The same with mixed colors, I just don't like to have a lot of anything hanging around.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?

A short attention span! Well, a forced short attention span... I have a seven year old, two hounds, four cats, a husband and a big house. I don't get to sit in my studio a lot, and when I do it's not for a long time. I'm jumping back and forth a lot and that helps keep me from getting in a rut.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?

Premo (the old formula) has always been my favorite. I still have a lot of old clay, but after I run through it I'm going to need to re-evaluate clay brands. I also am crazy about Fimo Trans, I love the glowing milk-white color I achieve with it in my MG.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I am crazy about polymer clay! I'm always thrilled to be in contact with other PC artists, I love to learn and grow and teach in this community.

Here is a link to one of my favorite items: http://www.artfire.c...ct_view/1057181

 
You can find Gundowerks online on Facebook,  Twitter, and her blog, as well as her ArtFire shop.  And right now she's offering free shipping on all her items through October 31st, so hurry in and do a little early Christmas shopping!
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Meet more of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild members

Here's another video sharing some of the very talented members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild!  This video features Blue Morning Expressions, Buttonwilloe, Classon Creations, Clay Harmony, CreativeCritters, Cynthia Blanton, and Danas Jewelry Etc.  These artists create everything from jewelry to miniatures to home decor, and so much more.  Be sure to stop by their shops and see all they have to offer!

Christmas will be here before you know it!  Why not delight your friends and family with handcrafted gifts from the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild?
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Have a Heart- Collection by Fantasy Clay

 Susan of Fantasy Clay put together this beautiful collection of hearts created by members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild.  To view the listing, simply click on the picture, and while you're there spend a little time browsing the shops of these very talented artists!

Have a Heart

   Curated By: FantasyClay

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

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Meet Smoosher member StrangeWhimsy

 StrangeWhimsy creates unique and beautiful jewelry, and was kind enough to answer a few questions about her inspiration and work with polymer clay.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I have a degenerative spine disorder and last summer I had to have back surgery and after that I was couch bound for what felt like forever (4 months) so I had to figure out something I could do that could release that creative energy but I couldn't sit up for very long and everything just felt so hard. I found a book by Christi Friesen about polymer clay dragons and I was sold. You don't have to keep it wet like natural clay (so it didn't matter if I got tired in the middle of a project) and you don't need a kiln to bake it.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
Books and experimenting mostly.


What is your favorite tool to work with?
I have a set of denture making tools that I've had since high school. They worked very well for greenware so I figured they would work with polymer clay also. Since they are made of metal and sharp I get clean lines and less distortion when carving.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I love to do stained glass windows and sun charms. I would love to get back into natural clay. I enjoy metal working and just started getting back into beading and wire-work. Unfortunately I think I'm one of those people that needs to be making something and I love to create beautiful things.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
Re-baking. Being able to bake a piece over and over again without damaging it, is a great way to create very delicate artwork.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Caning...I can't do it. I will say though that when I was trying to get the hang of it, I discovered some amazing color combo's that I might not have found otherwise.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
I would like to learn how to make beads out of polymer clay. I know it should be easy but I think its like canes for me, something my fingers just don't want to do.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Oh yes! I live the beautiful Pacific Northwest and we have this wonderful color palette of greens, browns, greys, muted blues and whites. I also have a thing for antiqued metal colors and the wonderful thing about polymer clay is that it mixes like paint. I like to keep a block of burnt umber around to warm up colors for instance.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I get out into nature and I like to jump around with styles, one day I will make a bunch of floral pieces and another day I'm all about the metal and barbed wire in my work. I think not staying with one ideal keeps things moving creatively for me.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
Stopping what I'm doing. If I find myself sitting at my desk just staring at a pile of clay and nothing is happening, I will go do something else. Sometimes even just doing the dishes or whatever, that usually works out the kinks in the creative side of my brain.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
Sculpey Premo. I like it because the range of colors and the durability after baking. Some colors can be a little soft but I just leech them.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Make sure that if your going to add beads or embellishments to your polymer clay creations, nothing you add is acrylic...found that one out the hard way

 

I couldn't pick a favorite but I chose this necklace because it's made from the same base color (Premo copper). The leaves have black and burnt umber added for instance. I think its a good example of the adaptability of polymer clay.

You can find Strange Whimsy online at  http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/StrangeWhimsy, http://www.flickr.com/photos/strangewhimsy/, http://www.facebook.com/StrangeWhimsy, http://twitter.com/#!/StrangeWhimsy, and http://www.strangewhimsy.com/.  Be sure to stop by and see what she's creating now! ;-)

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