October Southwestern Challenge

For our October challenge we are featuring Southwestern designs. Vote for your favorites. Three lucky voters will be chosen in a drawing to win a gift certificate from one of our sponsor shops.

To see larger images visit:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1089891@N25/

1. Turquoise Coral Earrings No. 126 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet
Faux blends of turquoise, coral and a back (not visible) in faux ivory, intermingle as inlays with black. Classic "Southwest"!

2. Coaster Tiles - Southwestern Theme by Marcia of marcymPC
This is a set of 4 polymer clay covered tiles with a Southwestern theme. The pattern was created using a Jacob's Ladder cane. Adjacent slices were matched to produce a mirrored kaleidoscope type design.

3. Southwest Native American Kokopelli Faux Stained Glass Suncatcher by Angela of polymerclaycreations
This suncatcher was made using tinted liquid clay. I first made the outlines on a piece of glass with silver clay then filled in with the liquid clay.

4. Southwestern Skull Wall Art by Lisa of HiGirls
This faux skull was created with 100% polymer clay. The base is slightly molded to add dimension. Faux tiles, rope and Native American inspired "bead work" made this a fun project for this native Pennsylvanian to experiment with! It measures 9 inches across the horns and 9 inches tall.

5. Turquoise and Orange Celestial Sun Business Card Case by Marie Young of YoungCreative
The fiery orange sun is hand-stamped onto translucent clay spiced up with dried paprika and inks. I sculpted the 3-D elements to lift the image from the background because I can't leave anything flat!

6. Covered Tin by Berit of ClayImages
To me Southwestern means bright reds, oranges, terra cotta, green and blue, as well as geometric patterns. I made this cane in a workshop with Julie Eakes.

7. Ancient Drinking Bowl by Line of PlaySculptLive
Read more here: http://playsculptlive.blogspot.ca/2014/09/ancient-drinking-bowl.html

8. Friends with Southwestern Style Heart by Arlene of Ashpaints
This mini-mosaic is one of my "Friends" series and features a heart with Southwestern designs. The color on the heart is a burnt orange acrylic glaze and a turquoise glaze was added to the designs. Each mini-mosaic measures 4 inches square by 3/4 inches thick and comes with a self-easel.

9. 4 Directions Dreamcatcher by Beth of CreateMyWorldDesigns
Polymer, liquid polymer, string, acrylic paints and embossing powders create this dreamcatcher/medicine wheel. The wood frame, leather and even the feather are all faux and made with polymer. To read more about the process of creating this piece, please visit my blog:
http://createmyworlddesigns.blogspot.com/2014/09/catching-dreams-in-four-directions.html

Read the expanded rules here.

   

Full Name (required for voter prize notification):
Email Address (Required for voter prize notification, you will not be sent other e-mails unless you sign up for our e-mail list):
For current Dues-Paying PCAGOE Members: What is Your Etsy Shop Name?
Please select your 1st choice: (2nd & 3rd choice must be different from your 1st.)	1. Turquoise Coral Earrings No. 126 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Coaster Tiles - Southwestern Theme by Marcia of marcymPC 3. Southwest Native American Kokopelli Faux Stained Glass Suncatcher by Angela of 4. Southwestern Skull Wall Art by Lisa of HiGirls 5. Turquoise and Orange Celestial Sun Business Card Case by Marie Young of 6. Covered Tin by Berit of ClayImages 7. Ancient Drinking Bowl by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Friends with Southwestern Style Heart by Arlene of Ashpaints 9. 4 Directions Dreamcatcher by Beth of CreateMyWorldDesigns
Please select your 2nd choice: (2nd choice must be different from your 1st and 3rd.)	1. Turquoise Coral Earrings No. 126 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Coaster Tiles - Southwestern Theme by Marcia of marcymPC 3. Southwest Native American Kokopelli Faux Stained Glass Suncatcher by Angela of 4. Southwestern Skull Wall Art by Lisa of HiGirls 5. Turquoise and Orange Celestial Sun Business Card Case by Marie Young of 6. Covered Tin by Berit of ClayImages 7. Ancient Drinking Bowl by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Friends with Southwestern Style Heart by Arlene of Ashpaints 9. 4 Directions Dreamcatcher by Beth of CreateMyWorldDesigns
Please select your 3rd choice: (3rd choice must be different from your 1st and 2nd.)	1. Turquoise Coral Earrings No. 126 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Coaster Tiles - Southwestern Theme by Marcia of marcymPC 3. Southwest Native American Kokopelli Faux Stained Glass Suncatcher by Angela of 4. Southwestern Skull Wall Art by Lisa of HiGirls 5. Turquoise and Orange Celestial Sun Business Card Case by Marie Young of 6. Covered Tin by Berit of ClayImages 7. Ancient Drinking Bowl by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Friends with Southwestern Style Heart by Arlene of Ashpaints 9. 4 Directions Dreamcatcher by Beth of CreateMyWorldDesigns
How did you hear about the PCAGOE challenge?	Please choose one - thanks! I am a PCAGOE member PCAGOE newsletter Etsy A Blog (Please tell us whose blog in the comments) PCAGOE.com website Polymer Clay Central CraftGossip Facebook (Please tell us whose in the comments) Flickr Word of mouth from a PCAGOE member Other (Please tell us where in the comments)
Would you like to join our email list? (former Newsletter subscribers already included!) monthly reminder to VOTE in our Challenges, along with important Guild announcements. Please add pcagoe@gmail.com and pcagoe.news@gmail.com to your approved senders.	I already signed up yes no
Our members love comments! Please comment here on the entries and/or the challenge in general.

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Featured Artist Ilysa Ginsburg

 

 

Meet Ilysa Ginsburg

PCAGOE featured artist for the weeks of September 29 through October 12

Please go check out her highlighted works on the PCAGOE Facebook page!

Ilysa Ginsburg has been working with polymer clay for over 25 years and creating her whole life. We actually have Ilysa to thank for founding the online etsy group which is now PCAGOE. Ilysa has traveled around the USA participating in art shows and fairs and has won numerous awards for her work including "Best Of Show" category awards. Her work can be seen in several polymer clay books and national magazines, including Cloth Paper Scissors. Ilysa has written a book called Polymer Clay Art Jewelry which is available here: http://tinyurl.com/polymerclayartjewelry

Ilysa has also designed projects for several companies, has produced instructional DVDs, and co-hosts (with Kira Slye) an online show called Polymer Clay TV, where they create online courses, downloadable videos and DVD's.

Find more of Ilysa and her work at these online locations:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ilysaart and

http://www.polymerclaytv.com/ and

http://www.emeraldearth.com/ and

http://www.ilysag.com/ and

https://www.facebook.com/ilysag and

https://www.facebook.com/KiraCraftyLink and

You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/polymerclaytv

— with IlysaandKira GinsburgandSlye and Ilysa Ginsburg.

Featured Artist Linda Clay

Meet Linda Clay

She's our Facebook Featured Artist through September 28. 

Please go check out her highlighted works on the PCAGOE Facebook page!

Linda is a native of West Michigan. She has always loved doing arts and crafts including: beading, embroidery and painting on many surfaces. Linda has attended silversmithing and creative painting classes, and has studied floral design. Linda's work shows a love for creating mixed media sculpts where she cleverly combines polymer clay with gemstones, shells, rhinestones, polished rocks, beads and other finds.

Linda shares her story of her polymer clay journey as follows: "While working with glass paints and ornaments one day, I picked up an issue of 'Expression' magazine. The issue featured a polymer clay item that was three dimensional, colorful and had lots of beads. The trifecta! After a trip to the store for polymer clay I was hooked. That was about eight years ago and I have been creating with polymer clay ever since. My Etsy store reflects my love of polymer clay and mixed media. "

Find more of Linda's work at these online locations:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Claymation3d 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/claymation3d 
www.facebook.com/Claymation3d 
www.claywomandesigns.webs.com

Featured Artist Sage Bray

Meet Sage Bray

She's been the featured artist on our PCAGOE Facebook page for the past two weeks.  

Please go check out her work!

For the weeks of September 1st through September 14th, we had a special PCAGOE artist feature: Sage Bray, polymer artist at The Sage Arts and Publisher/Editor of The Polymer Arts magazine!
Whether wielding the pen or manipulating polymer to shape her ideas, Sage has been blessed with creativity and vision. Sage balances her two passions of art and writing and merges the two in The Polymer Arts magazine. The magazine publication continues to be a great source of inspiration and information for the polymer community, not only through the quarterly periodical, but also through The Daily Polymer Arts Blog.

Sage says this about her passion for polymer and the balancing act of publishing a magazine: "I had never been as obsessed with an art material as I was, and still am, with polymer clay. Four months after picking it up, I entered my first art show and sold out the handful of pieces I brought. Two months later I was juried into the country's biggest genre art show, DragonCon, selling all but one piece at that show. I then gave up my job, transformed my attached garage into a studio, and took on a life as a full time artist and freelance writer. That was almost 7 years ago and I'm happy to say, I'm still at it.

I now combine my love of this art form and my writing in the polymer centric magazine, The Polymer Arts and The Daily Polymer Arts Blog and will continue to do so in upcoming polymer and craft related books. I am also committed to returning to the studio this year to get back to creating my own pieces rather than simply developing techniques which has usually been in support of articles for the magazine these past couple years I am returning to teaching with my first hands-on class in two years at the new Great Create in Denver, CO on the 11th and 13th of this month. Yes, I stay busy (maybe a bit too much!) but I love the life I have and hope I can do this until I take my last breath."

The Polymer Arts magazine celebrated its 3rd anniversary this August! PCAGOE brings you this feature as a celebration of the magazine and the woman who continues to inspire us.

Find more about Sage and The Polymer Arts magazine at these online locations:

The Polymer Arts magazine: www.thepolymerarts.com and
http://www.thepolymerarts.com/blog/ and http://www.thesagearts.com/ and
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Polymer-Arts/175620935829948 

September Challenge Winners

The winners in the PCAGOE September Challenge "Little Black Ball" are:

Public Vote

Top entries selected by the public:

1. Chopped Metallic Polymer Pen with Black Ball No. 142 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet

2. Black and White Swirls Polymer Clay Box by Angela of polymerclaycreations

3. Filigree Swirls Decanter and Bottle Stopper by Arlene of Ashpaints 

Member Vote

Top entries selected by the public:

1. Chopped Metallic Polymer Pen with Black Ball No. 142 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet

2. Black and White Swirls Polymer Clay Box by Angela of polymerclaycreations

3. Filigree Swirls Decanter and Bottle Stopper by Arlene of Ashpaints 

 View all of the entries:
http://polymerclayartists.blogspot.com/2014/08/little-black-ball-challenge.html

Congratulations to the drawing winners. They get to pick a prize from one of our lovely participating sponsor shop owners.

Corrine Tripamer
Bob Young

Marilyn Buehler

Comments from the voters:

I could hardly choose, these are all wonderful!

A very interesting challenge idea!

Another great challenge! One of these months I'll get my act together and make something. Nice work, ladies. :)

All so beautiful! It was a difficult decision. Congratulations to all…you are all winners!

This one was a challenge in its true sense...stretching our members to create within their style while maintaining that little black ball.

Nice job from everyone! Talented group!

So many great items.

Very nice job on this, ladies! Not an easy challenge theme!

What a difficult challenge with such varied entries - very impressive. I loved the humor of the cut ball in Black and White impressions.

Seems whenever I look over the pieces to vote Hi Girls' work always jumps out at me. Like her style. This time when I saw the split ball I just knew that had to be her work!! Love it.

This was a tough one I thought but everyone came through once more with interesting ideas.

Beautifully done everyone!

Absolutely wonderful works of art. Was really a challenge to pick.

What a different challenge.

Very interesting pieces for what I consider a rather difficult challenge!

While I would have expected this to be an "unusual" challenge, the artists, as always, rose to the occasion & produced some really cool projects. Thank you PCAGOE for continuing these challenges!

Amazing what can be started from one little black ball! Great work.

Interesting challenge. I love seeing how different people interpret the same directions. We'll done ladies!