January 2014 Challenge Winners

And the winners of the December Challenge are:

Public Vote

1st place 

Recycled Filigree Tree by  Beth of CreateMyWorld

2nd place

Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene  of Ashpaints

3rd place

Eye Pencil Shavings Pendants by Marie of YoungCreative

 

Members Vote

1st place
Recycled Filigree Tree by  Beth of CreateMyWorld

2nd place
Recycled Vessels by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 

3rd place
Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene  of Ashpaints

Drawing Winners: 
Ginger Petraglia
Marilyn Buehler
Jane Elder




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


Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who voted and supports our challenges each month.

A sampling of comments left by voters:

-Wonderful job everyone! Too bad we can’t pick all of you! This is harder than choosing colors of clay when you can’t afford them all! Good luck everyone!

-Beautiful work by all of you...

-All of these artist's made great use of recycled materials and polymer clay!

-I loved the theme!

-All I can say is wow for all of them but #11 looks like real shells.

-It is so difficult to vote because all the projects are so attractive and well thought out..

-I think that 8 was the most unique use of a recycled item...a beater? Really? Awesome!

-I love the mosaic on the cigar box. So many canes, such lovely colors, and a beautiful saying as well!

-I love the recycled vase. The water looks just lovely. What an interesting technique. I have some sand from my favorite beach and you have inspired me to use it in a polymer creation!

Awesome.

-I think that the mixer beater is so very clever of an item to recycle, plus the tree is just adorable! Hope this piece wins!

-It was difficult to choose a winner this month--so many really nice projects.

-I am always amazed and delighted by the amount of hard work that member puts into these challenges. How they manage this and the rest of their busy lives is beyond me! Good on them!

-What a fun challenge! Everyone had such original ideas! I totally enjoyed viewing your work.

-Excellent!! Creative solutions to reduce, reuse,, and recycle.

-Great selection this month.

-I love polymer clay, seeing all the creative ways everyone uses it to express themselves is so exciting.

-I love the diversity!

-Very creative. I hope to participate more in the New Year. Happy New Year and happy claying to all!

-Fantastic work everyone! Love the diversity and creativity!!

lots of really lovely items!

-All very creative ideas! I especially liked the filigree tree made from the old mixer beater Beth!

Featured Artist Tonja Lenderman

 

Introducing Tonja Lenderman of Tonya's Treasures
PCAGOE feature artist for Jan. 6 through Jan. 19
(Her work will be featured on our Facebook page throughout this time period.) 

 
Tonja is a self taught artist living in North East Washington State. She loves to make jewelry and enjoys quiet time in her studio, reading and surfing the Net. Tonja also has a small business designing and making clear stamps, which grew out of her frustrations in wanting more texture choices, than those that were available to purchase, for her own polymer creations.

Tonja's publications and accolades: She has been published in Jewelry Crafts magazine 4 times and was featured on the cover of Polymer Cafe. Her mini masks can be seen in two books by Sarajane Helm, Celebrations in Polymer Clay and A Collection of Polymer Clay Masks. She tied for first place in "Best use of Product" category at the 2006 Amaco 3-D Memory Trends Designer's Challenge.

You can find her project tutorials online at http://www.polkadotcreations.com/book/showNALL_Lenderman,%20Tonja.html

Find more of Tonja's work at these locations: www.tonjastreasures.etsy.com
www.tonjastreasures.com/wordpress
www.facebook.com/tonja.lenderman
www.flickr.com/tonjastreasureswww.flickr.com/tonjalenderman

From the Recycle Bin: PCAGOE January Challenge

This month PCAGOE artists were given the theme, "From the Recycle Bin."  They could create anything that contained at least 50% polymer clay and fit the challenge criteria - recycled, repurposed, reused. 

 
Vote and Win!
Three lucky winners will be selected in a drawing of all non-member voters and will be able to choose a prize offered by our member shops sponsoring this month's challenge. See the list of participating sponsors and prizes. 

And the entries are: 

1.  Nest Egg Jar by Betsy of PolyClayCafe

This is a repurposed creamy horseradish jar. I was thinking a little jar for change when I started. Then I decided to put a bird's nest on the lid with pretty blue eggs. Result is the "Nest Egg Jar"

2.  Vintage Daisy by Charlie of MaisieClay
Vintage hand stamped polymer clay beads mixed with an up cycled vintage necklace.

3.  Beneath the Surface by Janet of RussellAmarillo
This vase has 2 distinct sides to it. One side has vivid colors. Both in the yellow with purple fish, and coral below. The second side is shades of green plant life, with more pastel coral. Also, rock is Mokume gold leaf in translucent clay. This fish is done in pewter, silver and antique gold. There is beach sand mixed with the clay I used for ocean bottom and the off white coral. Black sand is scattered along with actual shells from the beach to complete ocean floor.
Water background was done with Blue Diamond liquid glass.

4.  Calico Clock by Marcia of marcympc
Recycled millifiori canes created this design: discarded pansy and cornflower canes were extruded into square snakes. These were then stacked randomly into a new cane 5 squares high x 5 squares wide. Slices from this new cane were applied to a sheet of grey/lavender clay that was used to cover a ceramic tile. I was surprised to see that tiny flowers still appeared within the pattern. Pinks, blues and reds from the original flower canes combine to give an overall purple effect from a distance.

5.  Northern Nativity by Line of PlaySculptLive
For this recycling challenge, I decided on a bowl. To make the form of the bowl I used the paper I get from the books I order. there is always lots of that stuff. I shaped the paper like a bowl and covered it with clay. I wanted to go for the look of ice and all its variant colors of blue. In the bowl there is a crystal sculpture of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It belonged to a glass nativity scene that broke in storage. Reusing at its best.

6.  Recycled Vessels by Susan of 11BOLDstreet
I used plastic caps from shaving gel cans as the base forms for these two lidded vessels. They are covered with previously sheeted polymer mokume gane in colors which coordinate with the purple and orange caps.

7.  Eye Pencil Shavings Pendants by Marie of YoungCreative
These pendents are created using shards of eye pencil shavings that I retrieved from my sharpener. The shavings became inclusion bits mixed into translucent clay, adding texture and color. 

8.  Recycled Filigree Tree by  Beth of CreateMyWorld
Using an old beater from a hand mixer that died, covered with liquid polymer and adorned with "quilled" polymer scrolls. To read more about the story behind this creation, please go to my blog post: createmyworlddesigns.blogspot.com/2013/12/recycled-christ...

9.  Rose and Gold Necklace by Lisa of HiGirls
This time of year in my house there are a lot of burned out bulbs-this year they ended up on the clay table! The large pendant is a candle bulb which utilizes a vintage end cap. The smaller charms are miniature light bulbs. Even the clay has been recycled on this piece, as it is a re-made mokume mix that I think looks a lot like some kind of stone with metallic soft gold and shades of red and rose. Sanded and buffed to a soft sheen.

10. Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene  of Ashpaints

This recycled wooden cigar box is sporting a new look with a custom mosaic design featuring one of my favorite sayings: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a Butterfly. Isn't that a beautiful thought. The mosaic design uses mostly blues and greens but has touches of the rainbow. A fleur-de-lis border finishes the edges.

11. Pink translucent petals with recycled pink pearls by Mary of Maryclaires
The pearls are recycled from the Oakland Museum annual junk sale and the petals are polymer clay.

12. Garden Kaleidoscope Vase by Jill Stone of Beautified Essentials
Reused maple syrup jar into a vase. All my original canes (leaves, sunflower, and flower petals combined to make the kaleidoscope cane).

Vote Here

Choose your top 3 favorites. You must select 3 different artists for your vote to count. Voting is open to the public the 1-7 of each month.  

Note: After voting, please wait through the brief ad page on the voting form and hit "Continue" at the top of the page to make sure your vote is in. 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. Nest Egg Jar by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Vintage Daisy by Charlie of MaisieClay 3. Beneath the Surface by Janet of RussellAmarillo 4. Calico Clock by Marcia of marcympc 5. Northern Nativity by Line of PlaySculptLive 6. Recycled Vessels by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 7. Eye Pencil Shavings Pendants by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Recycled Filigree Tree by Beth of CreateMyWorld 9. Rose and Gold Necklace by Lisa of HiGirls 10. Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Pink translucent petals with recycled pink pearls by Mary of Maryclaires 12. Garden Kaleidoscope Vase by Jill of Beautiful Essentials
Please select your 2nd choice: (2nd choice must be different from your 1st and 3rd.)	1. Nest Egg Jar by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Vintage Daisy by Charlie of MaisieClay 3. Beneath the Surface by Janet of RussellAmarillo 4. Calico Clock by Marcia of marcympc 5. Northern Nativity by Line of PlaySculptLive 6. Recycled Vessels by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 7. Eye Pencil Shavings Pendants by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Recycled Filigree Tree by Beth of CreateMyWorld 9. Rose and Gold Necklace by Lisa of HiGirls 10. Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Pink translucent petals with recycled pink pearls by Mary of Maryclaires 12. Garden Kaleidoscope Vase by Jill of Beautiful Essentials
Please select your 3rd choice: (3rd choice must be different from your 1st and 2nd.)	1. Nest Egg Jar by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Vintage Daisy by Charlie of MaisieClay 3. Beneath the Surface by Janet of RussellAmarillo 4. Calico Clock by Marcia of marcympc 5. Northern Nativity by Line of PlaySculptLive 6. Recycled Vessels by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 7. Eye Pencil Shavings Pendants by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Recycled Filigree Tree by Beth of CreateMyWorld 9. Rose and Gold Necklace by Lisa of HiGirls 10. Recycled Mosaic Treasure Box by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Pink translucent petals with recycled pink pearls by Mary of Maryclaires 12. Garden Kaleidoscope Vase by Jill of Beautiful Essentials
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.

Form provided by Freedback.

January Challenge Sponsors

Thank you to all of our artists who volunteered to sponsor the January Challenge. Please see their prize offers and stop back on January 1 to vote. In the meantime, Please explore these wonderful finds from their shops: https://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODI0ODcwNHwyNzIyOTE2MjY3/january-pcagoe-challenge-sponsors

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODI0ODcwNHwyNzIyOTE2MjY3/january-pcagoe-challenge-sponsors

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the PCAGOE

Faux Wrought Iron Christmas Tree Polymer Clay Tile Mosaic 13015

by Arlene of Ashpaints

Featured Artist: Susan O'Neill

Introducing Susan O'Neill of 11BOLDstreet
PCAGOE feature artist for Dec. 23 through Jan. 5
(Her work will be featured on our Facebook page throughout this time period.) 

Susan has been designing in one form or another for most of her life. After college art came a developing interest in the larger spaces around her, which lead to 28 years in structural and architectural design. When Susan discovered polymer clay in the early '90s, she did some initial experiments but didn't fully begin to explore the possibilities until 2007. Amazed by the evolution of the media since her initial introduction to it, plus the possibilities when combined with other media, she is continually inspired to experiment and create in her own unique style of strong, bold colors, textures and patterns. In her own words: "The limitless possibilities of polymer on its own are staggering, but when combined with traditional beads and findings, wire wrapping techniques, metal clays, natural materials, textiles…well, those implications haunt me (in a good way) on a daily basis! I carry a sketchbook, recording inspirations from my travels, nature, art - and just knocking around in my backyard!"

Susan is well known in the polymer community especially for her liquid polymer soaked gauze fabric creations. With this special technique she has created everything from bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants, to home decor items. 

Susan has been published in the Polymer Arts Magazine several times and made the cover of Polymer Cafe Magazine in August 2010. The story of her creative journey was published in MORE magazine in 2009. In 2011 she was awarded a 1st and 3rd place in Voila's Polymeristas of the month. And she was awarded a Category 1st Place for one of her neckpieces in the 2009 Bead Star annual contest.

Find more of Susan at these links:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/11BOLDstreet
http://11BOLDstreet.comhttp/://www.flickr.com/photos/11boldstreetand become a Facebook Fan at www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/11BOLDstreet/135292221717
#PCAGOE #polymerclay #artist

Holiday Shine

Holiday Shine Treasury created by PCAGOE member Lisa Rapp of HiGirls

Featured Artist: Jill Kollmann

Introducing Jill Kollmann of JKay Jewelry Designs
PCAGOE feature artist for Dec. 9 through Dec. 23
(Her work will be featured on our Facebook page throughout this time period.)

Jill is a polymer artist and jewelry designer from Orange County, California. She is a member of the Orange County Polymer Clay Guild and is our current PCAGOE President. Jill is also the featured polymer clay artist at The Artists’ Studio at The Palos Verdes Art Center. She has most recently been featured in “Polymer Café” with her micro sculpt applique, and occasionally writes for “The Polymer Arts” magazine. She credits her sister with starting her working with polymer. And she attributes learning how to refine techniques and master her skills to other clayers. Jill often incorporates her love of wire techniques into her intricate designs. In her own words, "My work is heavily influenced by stories my grandmother used to tell me about ladies' afternoon tea and "at home" days when callers would be received and entertained. That was back when those sorts of gatherings were dutifully reported in the Society Page of the local newspaper, and always fun to read. When I'm not indulging myself with floral applique, I enjoy a wide range of polymer clay techniques that result in different looks, some more contemporary, and always finished with attention to detail." Her signature Flower Basket Beads exemplify the evolution of her work in this direction.

Jill has been working with polymer clay for over ten years, primarily creating beads, jewelry and treasure boxes. She particularly enjoys making artisan cabochons, which she sells or makes into a finished piece using wire work or seed beading techniques. Jill constantly hones her artistic skills with varied techniques, and her diligence with this wonderful medium shows in the gorgeous focals, beads, jewelry and treasure boxes that can be found in her shop, along with her specialized tutorials.

Find more of Jill's work here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jkollmann
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23743478@N05/