I created this millefiori cane to have an African textile appearance. The tiny, smiling face was created from a mold made using an original miniature sculpture I made years ago. It peeks out from the center, framed inside of black polymer clay. The rim is simply stamped with my "Crackle" texture sheet. Both the face and the raised area of clay border were highlighted by dusting Copper Perfect Pearls mica pigment powder by Ranger, over the surface to compliment the colors of the cane.
Today on this day of remembrance for those who've served our country to ensure our freedoms, I offer this jar in thanks.I especially like to thank my eldest son, Jeremiah for his service in the National Guard (with Stateside and Afghanistan deployments) and my nephew Bob Freed, who is currently serving with the National Guard in Kuwait, after spending time in Afghanistan. Our flag is flying proudly outside of our front door in your honor! Today's lid is made primarily from polymer clay, including the millefiori camouflage design that serves as the base underneath the clay "dog tag and medal.
Taking a break from flittering around, this polymer clay butterfly made up of millefiori cane slices rests atop the hand sculpted clay flower. The rim of the jar was the first element of this design. I was using the last little bit of a mirror cane that I thought would make a nice covering along the side. To me, the pattern inadvertantly resembled a butterfly. From that I decided to make a mini sculpture on the lid that would compliment the cane.
...cabochon that is. I took a jewelry finding that developed a lovely antique patina, and re-purposed it for a Mokume Gane cabochon made from polymer clay. Flex of gold leaf sparkle though the rounded surface. The base is a textured gradient clay circle of clay made using the Skinner Blend technique. Around the rim is black clay overlaid with Beadalon's, black Artistic Wire Mesh.
While sewing isn't my forte, I do enjoy working with fabric and notions. That was the inspiration behind today's lid. I haven't embroidered since high school. I chose a style often seen in a Mexican blouse for this small canvas. To cover the gap between the zipper and the lid, I used Silver Silk Gold flat woven wire.
...it's a Winner! This pinwheel design is one I incorporate in some of my jewlery, both in polymer and metal clay designs. Blowing gently sets the sparkling fins in motion. The top of each fin was embellished with glitter-infused UV resin. A SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS flat back crystal is glued on top. The base is a mostly concealed circular checkerboard. The rim is a raised pattern made using my "Tumbling Leaves" texture stamp and the Sutton Slice (as seen in "The Complete Book of Polymer Clay").
This millefiori cane was inspired by Ernst Haeckel's (1834 - 1919), Art Forms in Nature." He was a renowned naturalist who's renderings and illustrations of sea life and other creatures can be found in many books devoted to his artwork. a visit to Amazon.com yields many that are still in print or currently available. The soft muted tones of the pattern evoke the mood I feel when perusing his work. This particular pattern reminds me of amoebas and Primordial ooze. I love the organic and fluid feel the cane took on as well how the ecru softens the red. I only wish I had made a larger version of this cane. I added hot fix nail metallic and pearl nail heads to accent the top/center and the rim. Kandi Corp is a great resource for hot fix components.
A lithe Buddha-esque figure rests of a meditative pose atop a variegated background of silver, gold, and copper metal leafing. A small cultured pearl crowns the figure. A mold was created for this figure. Along each side are one word affirmations stamped into clay. I created these tiny panels using my sections from my "Framed" texture stamp and black ink over white clay. A textured clay background sits beneath. Along the rim is a rough checked pattern of silver foil over black clay. This was created using a texture plate over foiled clay. The foil on the raised surface was removed using the technique I discovered and was christened "The Pavelka Peel" by a friend of mine. This technique can be found in my book "The Complete Guide to Polymer Clay Technqiues."
Today's lid features one of my favorite cane techniques. I actually have three names for this method. The primary name is "Smoosh Cane," as it involves smooshing or compressing the cane elements with fingers and a roller. There is no pasta machine involved in making this cane. The basic composition for the cane can be used to create kaleidoscope canes, repeating borders or in this case, a mirror cane. The are numerous variations for "mirroring" the primary cane component to create a repeating pattern. This particular effect results in intersecting sections that appear like an "X." I often refer to this pattern as a "Zeh" cane (the sound of electricity arcing). It reminds me of the icons used to designate electrical current. Other patterns that emerge depending on the assembly of the basic cane component are sometimes called "Tie Dye" cane, as that is what those patterns remind me of. It's a favorite technique to show to people who are new to polymer clay as it's fast and easy to learn, yet create complex patterns in only minutes. I feature this technique in my most recent book - "The Complete Guide to Polymer Clay Techniques." Experienced clayers have told me how much they've enjoyed learning this for the ease and quickness with which they cane create a myriad of cane designs. Scaps from the cane ends were used to create a deckled effect along the border of textured blue clay. SWAROVSKI ELEMENT flat back crystals were embedded into the center of the "X's."
Kitty's got a brand new collar. This lid features a single slice from a millefiori cane of a cat's face. The cane was reduced to the desired size before cutting. This was set over a textured black clay background and framed with a pewter ring. Low profile spiked studs are attached along the rim to simulate a pet collar. This lid honors all the pet lover's out there!
