Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

First it was rocks and now it is lizard tails!  In Julie Picarello’s book ‘Patterns in Polymer –Imprint & Accent Bead Techniques’ I spent a day playing with her ‘lizard tail’ project.  Now, I have real  lizards and their tails really do not look like these!  Nevertheless these were great fun to make and to slice open.  Would you believe the outside is the stripe and the inside the intricate spiral pattern?   Basically you stack your colors of clay, roll them into a cone shape (the direction of rolling is very important) and cut the cone in half.  Yes, there are great directions for this technique in the book…and pictures!  I wanted a piece to show the inside and the outside of the cone I made and I think this piece succeeds.  Very tribal looking.  I have to finish the cord insert and put wires on the earrings.    I turned the tails into beads, into pendants, into earrings and into buttons.  Absolutely fas...

What a good idea I had bringing all my polymer clay (well a lot of it) and tools to Tucson for my self imposed 'Personal Polymer Clay Workshop'.  I decided to make a big change from yesterday's rock and explore imprinted techniques. I love the various effects and the surprise of each cut.  One of my favorite books is by Julie Picarello Patterns in Polymer - Imprint & Accent Bead Techniques. Beginning with the ‘Basic Imprint Technique', I picked a color scheme of Fimo Orange 04, a Skinner Blend of Green 05 and Emerald Green 56, Turquoise 32, and Glitter Gold 112.  Following the directions on p.33 of Julie’s book, I built my stack of colors, selected my tools to imprint and planned my design.  I love the star cutter and used it for focal point of the design.  I also like the dimension created when some circles were removed to create missing shapes in the design. Consistent slicing is one of the most difficult procedures for me....

Look Closely On the Path Ahead Man and nature on the same trail Interacting, overlapping

My father loved rocks.  He was happiest when he was rock hounding or cutting and polishing rocks.  As a child, I did not want to have anything to do with my father's hobby of rocks or rock hounding.  And that was definitely my loss.  Today I have many cabochons that he cut and polished.  It is why I started designing and making jewelry.  One day I came across Cynthia Tinapple’s information on making rocks and I took her Craftscast class http://www.craftcast.com/class-or-recording-item/166269-making-beach-pebbles-from-polymer-clay .  I've been collecting tips from other polymer artists and I decided that would be my first project for my ‘Polymer Clay Personal Workshop’!  Before Curing - nature's rocks in center I can almost hear my father say, ‘You made rocks?  Why?  You can just go out and pick them up!”  I guess my answer would be, ‘Because I can!’   I remember him being astounded that I bought large r...

You may have noticed that it has been quiet in my corner of the Facebook world.  That’s because my Peter was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had robotic surgery in Tucson.  We know so much about prostate cancer and the choices for treatment available now.  Peter is doing well, going close to full tilt on his projects and helping me with mine.  We started building a bookcase before all this happened and today we finished it, moved it into the studio and I’m starting to organize and fill it. Of course that entails emptying the bookcase next to it and incorporating all the boxes of wire, metal, metal clay, polymer canes and clay and all the tools.  I’m sure it will be better and that I will be able to find things easier.  We will see.  ! Thought you might like to see the improvement! This is  quick before shot just after I returned from "Metal Clay on the Bay" and lots of things live on the floor. This is after the bookcase is...