Inspired by a story or book- PCAGOE September Challenge

This month our members created entries inspired by books or stories. It is great to see how each artist interpreted the theme. Entries had to meet the theme and be made from at least 50% polymer clay.

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. Rivendell, Polymer Clay Pendant by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan
Rivendell is a polymer clay pendant with chains attached by tiny armatures on the back. It evokes the Middle Earth home of the Elves, Rivendell. The pendant is made from one of my signature translucent Stroppel canes.

2. Amelia the Rabbit Princess by Marie of YoungCreative
In this sculpt, I have decided to tell a story, inspired by the dark romantic mood of my favorite fantasy/fairy tale books. In my story, the young princess, discovering that her fairy tale life isn't as secure as she had thought, clutches her most prized possession--a gilded version of the fabled golden egg. Read more: http://marieyoungcreative.com/2013/08/31/amelia-the-princess-rabbit/

3. Little Red Riding Hood Basket by Betsy of PolyClayCafe

Did little Miss Red not see those ears behind that rock?

I wanted to try something whimsical for this challenge as well as continue to learn how to make 100% polymer clay containers (although I did paint the clouds). The basket is approximately 4" in diameter and 2" high. The scene continues around the basket and a little red flower adorns the inside bottom.

4. Caterpillar to Butterfly Wall Hanging by Arlene of Ashpaints
One of my favorite authors is Mary Alice Monroe. She wrote a book called "The Butterfly's Daughter" which explored the journey of the Monarch butterfly from the caterpillar stage to a beautiful butterfly. This mosaic wall hanging captures the spirit of that book in its saying. It reads "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a Butterfly".

5. Not quite what he is cracked up to be! ;-) by Cindy of of ArrowdaleArtStudio

Mr. Dumpty before his great fall.
I confess I was inspired by of all things, a video game where one of the levels is Humpty Dumpty. And the Humpty in that game is so creepy looking, I wanted to make a better one. BTW, I've always wondered what caused our ovoid hero to fall - I think you'll find a clue in my version of the story.

6. Just Keep Swimming Light Switch Plate Cover by Jackie of ThePleasantPheasant
The story I chose is one of my favorites, "Finding Nemo". The part of the story this light switch cover represents is the part where Dori chants, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming". I've had to use that thought to make it through a very tough time in my life, and making this switch cover was my first return to being able to work again, so it means something special to me. Just keep swimming, everyone! :)

7. Paper Bag Princess by Line of PlaySculptLive
My piece for this challenge, please read the blog post attached.
playsculptlive.blogspot.ca/2013/08/paper-bag-princess.html

8. Turtle Island by Beth of CreateMyWorld
 Extruded polymer clay, canvas and inks come together to depict my vision of the Native American story about the creation of the earth. This wall hanging measures 12 ¾" wide by 13 ½" long. For more information on the story and the creation process of this piece, please visit my blog: createmyworlddesigns.blogspot.com/2013/08/creation-story....

Vote Here

Choose your top 3 favorites. The same entry may not be counted more than once. Voting is open to the public the 1-7 of each month. Read the expanded rules here.

Full Name (required for voter prize notification):
Email Address (Required for voter prize notification):
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. Rivendell, Polymer Clay Pendant by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 2. Amelia the Rabbit Princess by Marie of YoungCreative 3. Little Red Riding Hood Basket by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 4. Caterpillar to Butterfly Wall Hanging by Arlene of Ashpaints 5. Not quite what he is cracked up to be! ;-) by Cindy of of ArrowdaleArtStudio 6. Just Keep Swimming Light Switch Plate Cover by Jackie of ThePleasantPheasant 7. Paper Bag Princess by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Turtle Island by Beth of CreateMyWorld
Please select your 2nd choice: (2nd choice must be different from your 1st and 3rd.)	1. Rivendell, Polymer Clay Pendant by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 2. Amelia the Rabbit Princess by Marie of YoungCreative 3. Little Red Riding Hood Basket by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 4. Caterpillar to Butterfly Wall Hanging by Arlene of Ashpaints 5. Not quite what he is cracked up to be! ;-) by Cindy of of ArrowdaleArtStudio 6. Just Keep Swimming Light Switch Plate Cover by Jackie of ThePleasantPheasant 7. Paper Bag Princess by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Turtle Island by Beth of CreateMyWorld
Please select your 3rd choice: (3rd choice must be different from your 1st and 2nd.)	1. Rivendell, Polymer Clay Pendant by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 2. Amelia the Rabbit Princess by Marie of YoungCreative 3. Little Red Riding Hood Basket by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 4. Caterpillar to Butterfly Wall Hanging by Arlene of Ashpaints 5. Not quite what he is cracked up to be! ;-) by Cindy of of ArrowdaleArtStudio 6. Just Keep Swimming Light Switch Plate Cover by Jackie of ThePleasantPheasant 7. Paper Bag Princess by Line of PlaySculptLive 8. Turtle Island by Beth of CreateMyWorld
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 receive the monthly PCAGOE e-newsletter? NOTE: Every month we get at least a dozen requests for the newsletter from those who are already on the subscriber list. Please check your email spam filter and add the following to your Approved Senders: Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy and pcagoe@gmail.com	I already receive it yes no
Our members love comments! Please comment here on the entries and/or the challenge in general.

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August Challenge Winners

And the winners of the August Challenge are:

Public Vote

1st place 

Rousseau inspired Goddess of the Jungle Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls

2nd place

Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid

 

3rd place

Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose

Members Vote

1st place 

Paleo Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld

2nd place 

Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid

3rd place

Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose

 

Drawing Winners:

Barbara Noblett, Peggy Carlan, Susan Worcester

They get to pick a prize from one of our lovely participating shop owners.
http://polymerclayartists.blogspot.com/2013/07/august-challenge-sponsors.html
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:

Best entries yet!
Wonderful work by everyone!
Heard about through Wired Orchid on Facebook!
The Tribal Goddess necklace is one of the most fantastic necklaces I have seen on the the PCAGOE challenge. Great piece
Everyone does really nice work. I LOVE them all.
I always look forward to seeing the results of the challenge! Great job this month!

August Challenge Tribal-Goddess

This month our members celebrated nature with the theme Tribal/Goddess. It is great to see how each artist interpreted the theme. Entries had to meet the theme and be made from at least 50% polymer clay.

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. Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky Tribal Box by Betsy of PolyClayCafe
I love the simplicity and impact of tribal designs. The repetition of geometric patterns in this little box (2 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 1 1/4") portray the tribal designs that I am most attracted to. I selected colors that remind me of the US southwest: rich reddish-copper, dark sienna, turquoise and a light cactus green. The box is made completely of polymer clay and brushed with kiwi Perfect Pearls and Inka-Gold copper to accentuate the carved designs. There is a small pattern of the same colors repeated on the inside bottom. It's always fun to find something when you open a box!

2. Rousseau inspired Goddess of the Jungle Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls
I've always love Rousseau's lush jungle paintings, and so took the challenge in this direction.
The small teapot is covered all around with an assortment of flora and fauna. At one point I wondered if I was taking this too far, then I referred back to Rousseau's paintings and realized there was no way I could go too far with it!

3. Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid
The focal pendant was created with a flower stamp on polymer clay and was enhanced with powders. Turquoise daggers, snowflake obsidian and hematite beads complete the necklace.

4. Carved Bone Choker No. 175 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet
I chose to create a faux bone pendant for this challenge. It was distressed, carved, then back-filled with turquoise polymer bits. Then it was antiqued and accented with copper and sterling plated wires and hung on a three-strand brown leather cord.

5. Paleo Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld
Polymer clay necklace of faux stone and faux rock beads, etched with caveman type drawings. When I set to work on this challenge, I had in mind an all together different concept, I was planning to create a mother earth figurine. While mixing the clay for the figurine, I saw a beautiful crackled blend of colors emerge which begged to be turned into something. Instead of setting that aside to move onto the "planned idea", I let the clay guide me to create this piece. Those are my favorite types of creative sessions... so rewarding! For more views please visit my flickr photostream at: www.flickr.com/photos/createmyworlddesigns

6. Faux Carved Ivory Cuff Bracelet by Arlene of Ashpaints
This cuff bracelet was designed as a result of the Tribal/Goddess theme of the August PCAGOE challenge. After a bit of research I determined that carved ivory was very typical of tribal design. One of the great things about polymer clay is that it is the great imitator! I first created faux ivory, then covered the bracelet and added the "carving". A rich golden brown acrylic paint was used to bring out the details then a sealing/polishing wax was added. A final buffing brought a soft glow and the bracelet was done.

7. Light Switch Cover Blue Petroglyph by Freda of FredaK
These petroglyphs are from tribes way back in time.

8. Nelson Mandela Turquoise, Tembu Tribe, South Africa by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan
I created Nelson Mandela Turquoise to honor the life and work of Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela. Mandela's 67 years of public service focused on Peace and Reconciliation. I set myself the challenge of creating a Turquoise that had the colors of the South African flag: black, red, green and navy. These colors signify unity among the peoples of South Africa. Mandela is of the Tembu Tribe of South Africa. Unbeknownst to me at the time I created Nelson Mandela Turquoise, there exists in South Africa a Turquoise Harmony Institute dedicated to the principles of Peace and Reconciliation.
The tribal necklace has seven beads of Nelson Mandela Turquoise, two "black lava" beads, twelve antique gold polymer clay spacers and hundreds of faux coconut husk polymer clay disks created from a mixture of black, brown and antique gold clays.

9. Sudsy Goddess by Line of PlaySculptLive
I made this one to keep us all clean.

10. Channeling the Goddess by  Carol of CompelledCraft
This piece is a variation of my Bambooya beads from my April 2012 Tutorial in Polymer Café.
The warm mix of earth tones in the cane was then hand shaped to nest into each graduated bead. The goddess is a faux ivory finish using several blended colors and then a patina after it was cured.

11. Garden Goddess by Jill of Jkollmann
I used a black and white image transfer then colored with pen and pencil, did a top layer of translucent, sanded and buffed. The back of the bezel has a well deep enough to add a picture and cover it with resin to make it two sided.

12. Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose
This is my favorite necklace I have ever made. All the beads are polymer except the silver. It is in a tribal style and celebrates the ancient goddess.

Vote Here

Choose your top 3 favorites. The same entry may not be counted more than once. Voting is open to the public the 1-7 of each month. Read the expanded rules here.

Full Name (required for voter prize notification):
Email Address (Required for voter prize notification):
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. Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky Tribal Box by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Rousseau inspired Goddess of the Jungle Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid 4. Carved Bone Choker No. 175 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 5. Paleo Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Faux Carved Ivory Cuff Bracelet by Arlene of Ashpaints 7. Light Switch Cover Blue Petroglyph2 by Freda of FredaK 8. Nelson Mandela Turquoise, Tembu Tribe, South Africa by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 9. Sudsy Goddess by Line of PlaySculptLive 10. Channeling the Goddess by Carol of CompelledCraft 11. Garden Goddess by Jill of Jkollmann 12. Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose
Please select your 2nd choice: (2nd choice must be different from your 1st and 3rd.)	1. Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky Tribal Box by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Rousseau inspired Goddess of the Jungle Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid 4. Carved Bone Choker No. 175 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 5. Paleo Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Faux Carved Ivory Cuff Bracelet by Arlene of Ashpaints 7. Light Switch Cover Blue Petroglyph2 by Freda of FredaK 8. Nelson Mandela Turquoise, Tembu Tribe, South Africa by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 9. Sudsy Goddess by Line of PlaySculptLive 10. Channeling the Goddess by Carol of CompelledCraft 11. Garden Goddess by Jill of Jkollmann 12. Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose
Please select your 3rd choice: (3rd choice must be different from your 1st and 2nd.)	1. Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky Tribal Box by Betsy of PolyClayCafe 2. Rousseau inspired Goddess of the Jungle Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Abstract Dagger Tribal Necklace by Lorraine of WiredOrchid 4. Carved Bone Choker No. 175 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 5. Paleo Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Faux Carved Ivory Cuff Bracelet by Arlene of Ashpaints 7. Light Switch Cover Blue Petroglyph2 by Freda of FredaK 8. Nelson Mandela Turquoise, Tembu Tribe, South Africa by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 9. Sudsy Goddess by Line of PlaySculptLive 10. Channeling the Goddess by Carol of CompelledCraft 11. Garden Goddess by Jill of Jkollmann 12. Tribal Goddess by Suzen of Phoenixrose
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 receive the monthly PCAGOE e-newsletter? NOTE: Every month we get at least a dozen requests for the newsletter from those who are already on the subscriber list. Please check your email spam filter and add the following to your Approved Senders: Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy and pcagoe@gmail.com	I already receive it yes no
Our members love comments! Please comment here on the entries and/or the challenge in general.

Form provided by Freedback.

August challenge sponsors

Thank you to the shops who have so kindly offered to sponsor our August Challenge. Stop back between August 1-7 to vote and be entered for your choice of a prize from one of these shops. 

AshPaints
$20 on anything in my shop, must be used within 60 days, no cash remuneration.
www.ashpaints.etsy.com/

ArrowdaleArtStudio
$20 gift certificate, up to 60 days unless by private arrangement with me
www.arrowdaleartstudio.etsy.com/

BeckySueCreations
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance.
www.etsy.com/shop/beckysuecreations

Beautified Essentials
Gift Certificate for any item(s) worth up to $20 in my shop (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days following date of announced winner.
www.etsy.com/shop/BeautifiedEssentials

Clay Images
Any existing item up to $20, no made to order items. Use within 30 days.
www.etsy.com/shop/ClayImages

marcymPC
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance; use within 60 days from date winners are announced
www.marcympc.etsy.com

KellyPlaysClay
$20 gift certificate to be used within 60 days. No cash refund of unused amount. www.KellyPlaysClay.etsy.com

PolymerClayCreations
$20 gift certificate to be used within 60 days
www.polymerclaycreations.etsy.com/

CreateMyWorld
any item(s) worth up to $20 in my shop (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days www.createmyworld.etsy.com/

11BOLDstreet
$25 gift certificate towards total purchase amount, good for 60 days
www.11boldstreet.etsy.com/

HiGirls
Gift certificate up to $20 to be used within 60 days of date of announced winner.
www.etsy.com/shop/higirls

Young Creative
$20 gift certificate toward anything in my shop (no cash refund on balance) valid for 60 days www.youngcreative.etsy.com/ 

NKdesigns
$20 Gift Certificate
www.nkdesigns.etsy.com/

JKollmann
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance; good any time
www.jkollmann.etsy.com/

PlaySculptLive
Gift certificate of $20 to be used within 60 days of date of announced winner www.playsculptlive.etsy.com/

Peggers
$20 gift certificate (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days
www.peggers.etsy.com/

July Challenge Winners

And the winners of the July Challenge are:

Public Vote

1st place 

Lavender Hope by Lisa of HiGirls

2nd place

Flower Garden Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints

 

3rd place

Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive 

Members Vote

1st place TIE: 

Blue Bird of Hope by Marie of YoungCreative

 

Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive 

2nd place 

Ocean Waves by Lisa of HiGirls

3rd place

Hope Full Bottle by Beth of CreateMyWorld

Drawing Winners:

Trish Hummer, Zan Caperton, Sandy Stout

They get to pick a prize from one of our lovely participating shop owners.
http://polymerclayartists.blogspot.com/2013/06/july-challenge-sponsors.html
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:

--The idea for the little prayer tokens is a very good one.

--Some really high-quality entries! You go, ladies!

--Beautiful bottles!! They are all winners!!!

--I really liked Beth's concept of the bottle being full of Hope.

--Beautiful work on all the pieces. Hard to pick just 3.

--So beautiful, it was hard to choose!

--wow... so much talent, beautiful... each month it gets harder and harder to just pick 3....

Fun

--Those tiny flowers in that beautiful lavender colors inspire me and give me the feeling of hope....

--Beautiful art pieces.

--These BOH's are amazingly beautiful! It was very, very hard to choose just three and then to put them in order.  Thank you all for the wonderful, inspiring eye candy.

--I love that you are supporting a very worthy organization.

--Very difficult challenge, as all of them are so beautiful!

--Love the concepts for these bottles--difficult choice, but I feel my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices really reflect the theme. And they just rock!

--Again really great entries!

--Anyone would feel so special to be given such beautiful works of art.

--beautiful work, Kudos to all.

--Loved # 8 by PlaySculptLive.

--Tough vote this month - they were all so beautiful and original. very inspiring!

--What a wonderful idea! I thought it was interesting to try to convey the idea of 'hope' in a bottle...the question of what hope looks like. That would be very individual..for one is was a praying figure, for another ocean waves...I found it hard to choose.

--Nice job ladies

--Hard to choose a favorite, all bottles so well done and filled with love

--Nice Work everyone!

--cool theme!

--I love the bottles of hope, and all of them are beautiful. It was hard to choose.

--Heard it was voting time from Jackie S. Love all the bottles! I had a hard time choosing too.

--Really tough choice this month... great treasures crafted by all entrants!

--Love the bottles!

--Very nice selection and certainly will give inspiration and hope!

--Really hard to pick just 3 'winners'.

--This was a tough decision. Everyone is so talented!

--Excellent, diverse work!

--Great designs. It’s an amazing charity I make bottles every year. Happy claying everyone.

 

Bottles of Hope July Challenge

This month is our guild's annual charity challenge and we chose "Bottles of Hope" as our theme.

According to bottlesofhope.org, Bottles of Hope are small glass bottles covered with polymer clay and given to cancer patients. They symbolize a wish and a hope for health. This project was started in 1999 by a Rhode Island cancer survivor and has spread internationally. Bottles are made by artists, students, survivors, seniors and many more who volunteer their time and love.

Some of these little spirit lifters created by PCAGOE members will be donated to someone they know and others will be going to lift the spirits of a stranger.

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. Lapis Bottle of Hope by Susan of 11BOLDstreet
For the PCAGOE July Challenge, we are creating Bottles of Hope for cancer victims. I covered a deep blue glass bottle with a custom faux lapis lazuli mix, sanded and buffed it, then added a silver plated wire wrap collar.

2. Lavender Hope by Lisa of HiGirls
Created this for my friend Janet. Lavender is her favorite, so I included a variety of shades and added a little mica pearl for a nice sheen.

3. Ocean Waves by Lisa of HiGirls
Created for my friend Beth who loves the seashore.

4. Hope Full Bottle by Beth of CreateMyWorld
My concept for this Bottle of Hope was based upon the desire to give a bottle that illustrates being filled with love and hope, not empty. But how to decorate the outside of the bottle to allow for the hope inside to show through? This problem was solved by covering part of the bottle with translucent liquid polymer with inclusions of embossing powder, to create a translucent but colored layer. Part of the bottle was left naked, in the shape of a heart on 2 opposing sides, to create a window to see the inside clearly. The spiral lentil on the top of the lid is attached securely to the lid with a screw. And the "hope" that is inside consists of many tiny polymer hearts and spirals in glittery white. It was my original intention that the owner could make a wish on each heart and spiral, or share the tiny tokens with anyone she wants to give a little love or hope. The bottle is tiny, measuring in at 3" tall and about 1" wide at the widest point, the hearts and spirals inside the bottle are about 1/4" wide and 1/4" long. More views of this bottle can be found in my flickr photostream at: www.flickr.com/photos/createmyworlddesigns

5. Filled with Hope by Beth of CreateMyWorld
My concept for this Bottle of Hope was based upon the desire to give a bottle that illustrates being filled with love and hope, not empty. But how to decorate the outside of the bottle to allow for the hope inside to show through? This problem was solved by covering part of the bottle with translucent liquid polymer with inclusions of embossing powder, to create a translucent but colored layer. Part of the bottle was left naked to create a window to see the inside clearly. The heart on the top of the lid is embossed on both sides with the word hope and is attached securely to the lid with a screw. And the "hope" that is inside consists of many tiny polymer hearts of gold, one sapphire blue and one burgundy heart (to match the colors on the exterior). It was my original intention that the owner could make a wish on each heart, or share the tiny hearts with anyone she wants to give a little love. The bottle is tiny, measuring in at 3" tall and about 1" wide, the hearts inside the bottle are about 1/4" wide at the widest point and 1/4" long. More views of this bottle can be found in my Flickr photostream at: www.flickr.com/photos/createmyworlddesigns

6. Bottle of Hope for Robbi by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan
I made this Bottle of Hope to honor my friend Robbi, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 23 years ago. She is a triumphant survivor who has encouraged dozens of other breast cancer patients.
I made this Bottle of Hope to honor her courage in facing chemo and, later, a bone marrow transplant.
Once given a 15% chance of five year survival, is radiantly healthy and serves others battling this disease. I covered an old pharmacy bottle I got in an antique store. The stopper came from another bottle. I covered the bottle with pink "Blush" clay and overlaid the blush with paper thin slices of a translucent Chrysanthemum cane.

7. Blue Bird of Hope by Marie of YoungCreative
I sculpted this free-spirited blue bird over a tiny bottle. His little belly shares a message of "hope." I'm donating it to a dear Franciscan Friar who works with me at Saint Francis University in Loretto. He is a wonderful soul who has spent the past two summers cycling more than 400 miles to raise money for our Dorthy Day Center. He expected to be doing the same this summer but is undergoing cancer treatments instead. His spirit is strong and he hope to be back on his bike soon. 


8. Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive
Made for the Bottle of Hope Challenge for the PCAGOE, this bottle is donated to a yogini friend of mine who's courage is inspirational. NAMASTE

9. Purple Flowers of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
This Bottle of Hope features purple and white flower canes and multi-colored green leaves. It is topped with decorative trim and a flat-top stopper.

10. Aqua and Purple Swirls Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
The bottle itself is covered with variegated shades from a rich purple to a beautiful soft aqua. The bottle is trimmed with a decorative strip and topped with a ball stopper covered with curls and strips of clay.

11. Flower Garden Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
This Bottle of Hope started its life as a tiny bud vase. It is covered with a soft green textured clay. In each of the thumbprint indents, an oval of the same clay but with yellow flowers and leaves was added, then finished off with curls of clay. The stopper is a small ball shape covered with more curls of clay.

Vote Here

Choose your top 3 favorites. The same entry may not be counted more than once. Voting is open to the public the 1-7 of each month. Read the expanded rules here.

Full Name (required for voter prize notification):
Email Address (Required for voter prize notification):
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. Lapis Bottle of Hope by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Lavender Hope by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Ocean Waves by Lisa of HiGirls 4. Hope Full Bottle by Beth of CreateMyWorld 5. Filled with Hope by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Bottle of Hope for Robbi by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 7. Blue Bird of Hope by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive 9. Purple Flowers of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 10. Aqua and Purple Swirls Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Flower Garden Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
Please select your 2nd choice: (2nd choice must be different from your 1st and 3rd.)	1. Lapis Bottle of Hope by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Lavender Hope by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Ocean Waves by Lisa of HiGirls 4. Hope Full Bottle by Beth of CreateMyWorld 5. Filled with Hope by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Bottle of Hope for Robbi by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 7. Blue Bird of Hope by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive 9. Purple Flowers of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 10. Aqua and Purple Swirls Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Flower Garden Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
Please select your 3rd choice: (3rd choice must be different from your 1st and 2nd.)	1. Lapis Bottle of Hope by Susan of 11BOLDstreet 2. Lavender Hope by Lisa of HiGirls 3. Ocean Waves by Lisa of HiGirls 4. Hope Full Bottle by Beth of CreateMyWorld 5. Filled with Hope by Beth of CreateMyWorld 6. Bottle of Hope for Robbi by Susan of LadyFlowersbySusan 7. Blue Bird of Hope by Marie of YoungCreative 8. Bottle of Hope-Lyette-1 by Line of PlaySculptLive 9. Purple Flowers of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 10. Aqua and Purple Swirls Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints 11. Flower Garden Bottle of Hope by Arlene of Ashpaints
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 receive the monthly PCAGOE e-newsletter? NOTE: Every month we get at least a dozen requests for the newsletter from those who are already on the subscriber list. Please check your email spam filter and add the following to your Approved Senders: Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy and pcagoe@gmail.com	I already receive it yes no
Our members love comments! Please comment here on the entries and/or the challenge in general.

This online form was provided by Freedback.

July Challenge Sponsors

Vote and you could win.
Stop back July 1-7, cast your vote for your favorites in our next challenge, and you will be entered to win a prize from the sponsor list below. Three lucky voters will win.

Our July Challenge Sponsors:

NKdesigns
$20 Gift Certificate
www.nkdesigns.etsy.com/

JKollmann
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance; good any time
www.jkollmann.etsy.com/

PlaySculptLive
Gift certificate of $20 to be used within 60 days of date of announced winner www.playsculptlive.etsy.com/

Peggers
$20 gift certificate (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days
www.peggers.etsy.com/
 
AshPaints
$20 on anything in my shop, must be used within 60 days, no cash remuneration.
www.ashpaints.etsy.com/

ArrowdaleArtStudio
$20 gift certificate, up to 60 days unless by private arrangement with me
www.arrowdaleartstudio.etsy.com/

BeckySueCreations
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance.
www.etsy.com/shop/beckysuecreations

Beautified Essentials
Gift Certificate for any item(s) worth up to $20 in my shop (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days following date of announced winner.
www.etsy.com/shop/BeautifiedEssentials

Clay Images
Any existing item up to $20, no made to order items. Use within 30 days.
www.etsy.com/shop/ClayImages

marcymPC
Any one item of your choice up to $20 value; no cash balance; use within 60 days from date winners are announced
www.marcympc.etsy.com

KellyPlaysClay
$20 gift certificate to be used within 60 days. No cash refund of unused amount. www.KellyPlaysClay.etsy.com

PolymerClayCreations
$20 gift certificate to be used within 60 days
www.polymerclaycreations.etsy.com/


CreateMyWorld
any item(s) worth up to $20 in my shop (no cash refund on balance); valid for 60 days www.createmyworld.etsy.com/

11BOLDstreet
$25 gift certificate towards total purchase amount, good for 60 days
www.11boldstreet.etsy.com/

HiGirls
Gift certificate up to $20 to be used within 60 days of date of announced winner.
www.etsy.com/shop/higirls

Young Creative
$20 gift certificate toward anything in my shop (no cash refund on balance) valid for 60 days www.youngcreative.etsy.com/
 

June Challenge Winners

And the winners of the June Challenge are:

Public Vote

1st place 

 Airflow Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls

2nd place TIE

Dancing Flames Soap or Lotion Dispenser by Arlene of Ashpaints

Flaming Embers Necklace by Beth of CreateMyWorld

3rd place

Fire Choker No. 159 by Susan of 11BOLDstreet

Members Vote

1st place:

 

 Airflow Teapot by Lisa of HiGirls

2nd place 

Earth Walk Pendant by Els of Beadelz

3rd place

Dancing Flames Soap or Lotion Dispenser by Arlene of Ashpaints

Drawing Winners:

Sharla Ahrens, Joey Binard, Nancy Thornton

They get to pick a prize from one of our lovely participating shop owners.
http://polymerclayartists.blogspot.com/2013/05/june-challenge-sponsors.html
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:

-Beautiful Teapot!!

-soo hard to decide this month....just beautiful...thanks for inviting me Line :)

-#8 really evokes the mesmerizing feeling of gazing into the flames!

-Love the thoughtfulness and attention to detail in this month's entries - Thanks for the eye candy!

-I think # 7 is very creative and the meaning is so scientific. Great job!

-I love the teapot it is beautiful and a perfect art piece.

-Another tough decision, great work from everyone!

-I am a beginner in Polymer. I love your challenges, I am in awe of the talent!

-That teapot is spectacular!

-all works are beautiful. Hard to choose. Joan

-Hard to choose as always. Every one should be proud of what they made.

-Everyone's work is very creative.

-Wonderful pieces from some very talented people. I thought that the clay teapot is so beautiful and well executed.

-I think lisa rapp is genius....

-Teapot is just fantastic!

-Playsculptlive did a great job. It seems to have a lot of thought put into it.

-HiGirls' teapot is beautiful. A lot of work went into this also. Keeping white clay white is not easy!

-Ashpaints did a superb job with her spirals also. I love this technique.

-Three words: Absolutely amazing works.

-I look forward to this each month.. Thank you.

-Keep up the wonderfully creative work. I love all of your works.

-Beautiful and creative work everyone. Wow love them all. Miss the group. Trying to get healthy. Clay happy, Kimberly Idalski

-Wow! That airflow teapot is so wild! Look at all the detail involved. I can only imagine how hard that would have been to construct.

-I hope they win - as great as the other entries are - I was completely blown away by the teapot.

-I love working with polymer clay. I totally love the items I voted on. Congrats to the very talented people who entered these items . Can't wait to see who wins. bye for now , Jacqueline Marchant

it gets harder and harder each month to just pick 3 great ones, and then i have to decide which one goes first, second or third. I love them all.

-The elements are the perfect theme to let go your imagination. My first choice is the beautiful teapot because air is so difficult to translate. This teapot really feels like "air", well done!

-The entries are all wondrous. I am always amazed and delighted by the genius of PCAGOE members! I love that each artist interpreted the theme according to her own unique artistic vision and unique talents. Bravo!!!!

-I really love the thought and stories behind the pieces. Inspiration can take all kinds of faces, and it's clear that each of these artists demonstrates thought, pride in workmanship and artistry!