Polymer Clay Whoopla

 

The polymer clay community this week has been in an uproar with the announcement from Polyform that they would be introducing some new colors, and discontinuing some others. The main colors to be discontinued are Cobalt Blue, and Zinc Yellow. The company after listening to their customers have decided to keep these two colors and provide the recipes for the discontinued colors.

So what was up with that decision? If you read the announcement, then you have read that they say they were listening to their customers (us) and we wanted these colors. We begged for them and you know us artists if there is something we want and a way to badger someone into producing it for us then we can and we will.

How in the world did they not see the effect the decision of eliminating Cobalt Blue and Zinc Yellow would alter the hard work that many artists have put into building their color palate and recipes. There is no way you can mix these two colors and it is from these and other primaries all colors come from. I think that after the uproar of this week that is one of the things this company will not soon forget.

Remember the basics!

All the new colors seem rather nifty but I wonder how long it will take me to try to figure out a similar mixture. Made the move to Kato finally. I am thinking the best way for me to start is to begin the Color Inspirations book. I need to now learn how to do one of the hardest things an artist can do. Rely on her color mixing skills. It is an art that I need to learn.

It brings me back to a vacation where I mixed a green, let me show you the picture otherwise what I say will never make any sense.

I made the color wheel by mixing green and yellow in equal proportions, ending with 6 shades of green.

I then took each shade of green which is the first green next to each set of two rows on the left of the picture, and mixed the top row with black, and the bottom row with silver in equal proportions ending with a but load of greens.  This is me mixing yellow, green, black, and silver can you imagine if that was one of the colors that was to be discontinued and those were all colors that you could lose forever? The colors do not look that good in this picture I will admit but the silver when mixed made some wonderful pearlish colors.

That is a scary thought and I am glad that it is not going to be. Whew off to start the new color journey with Kato. Focus will be on documenting the color recipes in a clear concise manner that I am able to read if I see them in a year. Another think I learned so far is I like silver mixed with color a lot. Wish me luck.

From Polymer to Art

 

Copy of the first cover…..

Now what could be better than that! Making the move from Polymer clay to art sounds easy enough I wonder what this can bring to the polymer community?

Check it out for yourself…….

http://www.frompolymertoart.com/

I like the fact that there are color schemes that is cool and sound so appealing in print.

I like the fact that it gives the impression that it will be art which makes me think they will be harder projects or really finished looking at least.

The only thing I can not justify is the cost if I price it right it would cost $40.81. I do not think there is any way I can justify that cost it just seems way to expensive. I mean I could get a few used books for that price. I guess we have to wait for the reviews and if they are good enough then break down and buy.

The next swap items are arriving it is so exciting. The swap is for Christmas ornaments or holiday decoration. I have some wonderful, talented participants this time and am thinking my entry may not be good enough. I know I know us artists are always finding fault in ourselves and what we make but I am going to stick to what I have done and get over the fear.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate and think of making ornaments for loved ones as I have done it the last few years. (I hope they enjoy them and are not just saying that to keep me quiet)

You know It’s a lost cause when…….

As you know if you follow the blog I am a proud member of City O Clay. This week the conversation got turned to lost causes and how our art can contribute to them and provide humor and head shaking moments with our loved ones. It is a sickness and I am not the only one who suffers look at all the cooks out there!

YOU KNOW IT’S A LOST CAUSE WHEN……..

1. You buy your toiletries for the lid and the clay molds you can make.

2. Your hubby walks into the lounge saying ‘before I throw this away, can’t you cover it?” (In one hand is a newly opened can of baked beans, and the lid in the other).

3. You buy your soda cans according to the size of your wrist. (Kay)

4. You buy broken or dirty objects at garage sales as they have interesting surface textureing. (Jan)

5. You have a list of ten things to do, and the only thing you do is play with clay.

6. You sacrifice your expensive make-up brushes so you can use them to paint clay. (Mozelle)

7. You own five pasta machines, and not a single one was ever used to make edible pasta. (Debbie G)

8. You look at the spices in the cupboard to see what would be fun to mix with clay.

9. Your 1 1/2 year old nephew knows what buttons to push to start your tumbler. (Ashley)

10. You can’t eat mints quick enough, so have to keep them in a zip-lock back so you can cover the tin with clay.

11. You buy coffee in cans so you can use them to make fairy houses. (Christen)

12. Everyone who knows you is looking at bottles and the bottoms of them, to see what can be made from them. (Glitz)

13. You and your family save any sort of packaging (meat trays, muffin boxes etc) because they have ‘cool texture’ on them.

14. You don’t want to do anything on Saturday night as there is a live clay demo on-line.

15. You started your own company because you couldn’t get good supplies anywhere else. (Valerie)

16. You have to make sure to have a plastic bag (preferably more than one) with you, because you never know what you might find whenever you leave the house!

17 Ever your sister-in-law she, on trips to the mountains, drags all sorts of rocks, pinecones, acorns etc along because she knows you’ll love them and can always use them. She will even jump up from the table to get moss from underneath the trees. I have collected 5 bags full!

18. Your ? tries to throw pieces of wood away without you seeing, because otherwise it’ll go back home again from the dump.

19. You cut the hair off your dog’s tail because it’s needed for a sculpt.

20. Your closet is stuffed so full with little found things, from butterfly wings and cicada husks to sorted bags of hair, packing material, and store-bought items that the door won’t close it’s ‘open at your own peril.” (Astrid)

21. You cook a turkey carcass for the bones instead of the broth, just so you can see what kind of molds you can make from the bones.

22. You get caught squatting behind the car, sticking clay into the tyre treads

23. You ask for discount when you only want the tin, but not the Altoids.

24. You try to explain why a blown out lightbulb is more exciting than one that can serve it’s real purpose.

25. You ask your friends and family to save their toilet paper cones for you, so you can make napkin rings.

26. Your husband is not allowed near the trash can.

27. You can’t figure out what to say when someone asks you why you have a coffee can full of pistachio nut shells labelled ‘someday’

28. You bump into someone in the parking lot while your eyes are hovering the ground for bottle caps, rocks with texture and broken parts of anything.

29. You know EXACTLY where all your clay stuff is, but can’t always locate the stove in the kitchen.

30. You’re hollering “I can’t believe you threw it away” with your head buried in the garbage can, as the dog-walking neighbour strolls by.

31. Your kid says he can’t find some of his marbles, and you can’t look him in the eye, because you don’t want to admit that they now reside inside your miniature dolls heads.

32. You purchase the ugliest blouse in the thrift store just because the lace has the exact pattern you need for that clay dolls skirt.

33. You stop dead in your tracks, bend over to pick up a piece of bark, and fart in the face of the person behind. (luny)

34. You pull a few hairs from the dog as it passes by, because you need some to use as whiskers.

35. You want to marry so you can see what your husband keeps in his tool shed. (Adele)

36. You see family members lounging on the couch and you attempt to throw clay under their bums to warm it up.

37. Your family uses your tools instead of theirS, because yours are cooler, and can be found because you put them back where they belong (Julie S)

38. You use your food processor for clay instead of food.

39. You see the guys in Home Depot running the other way when they see you coming down their aisle.

Have fun reading and if you see yourself or family members and friends please pass along that way they know they are not the only ones that have the sickness.