Metal Clay Monday - Polymer and Metal Clay Mix

I love my polymer clay, especially Sculpey, so I don't plan to abandon my ventures with this versatile medium when my metal clay gets here.  I really want to incorporate Sculpey into my metal clay pieces, so I thought I would show you guys some of the lovely pieces I found on Pinterest that combine metal clay with polymer clay.

These Machu Picchu earrings by Christine Damm are lovely and tribal looking.  I love how the polymer clay adds color to these earrings!   See more of Christine's work on her blog Stories They Tell.  She makes the most lovely textured and colored polymer clay pieces.

How about this wonderful piece by Staci Louise of Staci Louise Originals?  It is wonderful, like all of her other pieces.  The bronze centerpiece is cast from a mold of a real fossil, and the black piece is polymer clay.  She also incorporates drawing as texture with her metal clay work, and I love the handmade and artistic look of them.  I did not realize how much of the pieces I like and have pinned are her pieces until I looked around her shop and blog.  

I also love this ring by Celie Fago.  It is a ring made of PMC and polymer clay.  See the back of the ring HERE.  See more of her work on her website.  Lovely and inspiring!

My loan went through and I got my debit card last week.  I ordered everything I could off my list (and made a list for another day).  I received some of my packages Saturday, and the remainder will be here Wednesday.  I can't wait to get my kiln and get started!  

Metal Clay Monday - Lorena Angulo

The first time I saw the lovely pieces by Lorena Angulo, I knew metal clay was for me.  I fell in love with her sculpted treasures and started daydreaming about kilns, PMC, COPPRclay, and sugar skulls immediately.

I joined Flickr in 2009 for the stamp carving community, but soon stumbled across Lorena's photostream and was truly captivated.  I create mixed media art and handmade books and have several articles published, but jewelry really has become the bread winner of all my hobbies.  Now, with two children, I have the choice of going back to a 9 to 5 job (missing my children and giving half my pay over to daycare) or making my own living.  With capital coming soon, I will be investing in a kiln and all the tools and supplies I need to make metal clay jewelry.

Lorena is a spectacular person and I highly recommend you stop by her website and check out her blog.  She is a Mexican artist living and working in Texas.  She is also a thyroid cancer survivor!  Such a strong and beautiful woman.  Her artwork is filled with imagery from her home county, including such iconic images as milagros, calaveras, catrinas, the tree of life, and other Mexican folk art symbols.  I also adore her use of patina, adding the perfect finishing touch to her beautiful artisan jewelry.  She is a certified Qualified Metal Clay Artisan and active member of the PMC Guild.  To see more of her achievements, check out her bio.

Besides whooping cancer's ugly butt, she has been busy; her book Behind the Brooch: A closer look at backs, catches, and pin stems, will be available February 2014, and she also has made several templates for Paper Picado's QuickArt (TM) Template line.  You can find them here.