Build A Line Challenge from B'sue Boutiques, Maria Clark of Sweet Willow Designs, Part One

Hi All, I'm Maria Clark of Sweet Willow Designs.  Welcome to Part One of the B'Sue Build a Line Challenge hosted by B'Sue Boutiques.  I was encouraged by new Facebook friends to join the Challenge when I posted some of my polymer clay jewelry.  In part one of a three part series in this master class, I'll tell you a bit about myself and my jewelry making journey as well as share my process and progress as I, and my classmates, create a five piece line of jewelry.

Each of the 57 participants in the master class has identified a theme for their jewelry line which won't be revealed until the last blog hop in March.  So, the suspense will build as we share our thoughts, design decisions and our final pieces.  For my line I'll be combining polymer clay and the great filigree and stampings from B'Sue Boutiques.  I'm not entirely sure how this will turn out!

My studio in Colorado is in the basement I share with my musician husband.  We're at opposite ends but can see each other which makes pursuing our individual creative outlets a kind of together time.  I can hear the lilting sounds of his music and he can sometimes detect the wafting scents of burning clay - just kidding, that rarely happens :)

Here are a few pics of my studio.  You'll note how tidy and organized it appears as thankfully you can't see the mess on the floor and the hazard cones that mark off my space.  I made my own photo box from a plastic box and some rip stock cloth which works well.  Learning to use the camera is really where I need to spend more time to get great quality photos.

 I can't wait to see what all the participants create for their jewelry lines.  Below are the links for each participant.  Be sure to stop by, leave a comment, ask questions and encourage the artists.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  On to the next!

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques

Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Marcia Tuzzolino

Aurora Designs

Jann Tague

Clever Designs by Jann

Judy King

Apt to Wander Studio

Linzi Alford

Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales

Cynthia Wainscott

Exotic Peru

Carole Carlson

Beadsophisticate

Lynn Stinten

Dragonzwench

Marica Zammit

Bead Lovelies

Catherine Shattuck

VRBrose

Michaele Collie

The Vintage Gem

Mary Craig

Jewelry Alchemy

Lee Koopman

Strega Jewelry

Erin Whitacre

Shattered Time Jewelry

Monica Casady

MJCasady Copper Works

Leila West

Leila Nicole Designs

Cindy Peterson

Howling Dog Jewelry

Leila Belcher

Leila Bee Designs

Gloria Allen

Wings and Beads

Pamela Anger

Novegatti Designs

Tammy Adams

Paisley Lizard

Lynda O'Mara

LOmara Creative

Elizabeth Hildreth

MadScientistsDesigns

Dana Hickey

Wind Dancer Studios

Janet Calardo

Jan Lea Designs

Maria Clark

Sweet Willow Designs

Lori Beekman

B. Accessorized

Jennifer Kroeger

Relic Charm

Amy Jorgensen

Hoarder's Corner

Robin Reed

Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs

Ingrid Anderson

Lilis Gems

Louise O'Shields

Desire Divine Jewels

Susan Killam

Killam Creative

Mary Katherine Deis

The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

Nike Bottalico

Nike Bottalico

Susan Bowerman

Woodside Wireworks

Kristy Le

Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs

Jan Peters

Stylized Vintage

Mitzie Crider

Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog

Gina Hockett

Freestyle Elements

Linda Anderson

From the Bead Board

Alexandra Sefton

Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Melida Boman

The Journey of Pens and Things

Teresa Shurter

TreeZ's Treasurs

Melissa Latimer

Smithed Up

Renee Hong

Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art

Nadine Edris

Moondance Jewelry

Lori Meyer

Parisienne Girl

Jennifer Merrill Williams

Artists of All Stripes

Denise Lussier Poirier

Jewelry by Denise

Renee Allen

Small Stuff Design

Autumn Adams

Autumn Dawns

Elizabeth Owens

1996 Shabby Lane

Kat BarronMiller

Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry

Sandra Ballard

Mama San's Mojo

Coral Law

ab:coraldesign

Dear Fergus

I don't post a lot of personal stories on my blog but our dear pet, Fergus, passed away after 19 years with our family.  He was a great friend and companion to our three children and Steve and I.  We'll miss him and are quite sad here in Denver.

Get Your Swirl On! Polymer Clay Valentine Swirl Pendant

Here's a Valentine's Day swirl pendant with a "Be Mine" sentiment and red hearts.  I'm going to be doing a series of these holiday swirl pendants so stay tuned for more!  Hope you enjoy this video tutorial.  Leave me a comment, subscribe and let me know how you enjoyed this video.  Tools and materials lists follow the video.

Tools

Pasta machine
Oven
Extruder (Optional)
Extruder die - 19 hole
Alpha stamping set
Cutter - 3/16" heart
Paintbrush - stiff
Needle tool or hand drill
Clay blade
Craft knife

Materials

Polymer clay - Premo! - small amounts of white, red and pink blend
Acrylic paint - red
Sandpaper - wet/dry 400 grit
Varnish - recommend Varathane or comparable
Jewelry findings - pinch bail or jump ring, necklace finding

Polymer Clay Sculpted Channel Set Hoop Earrings

In one of my recent trips to the local craft store, I came across these neat earring findings with a channel that are used to add beads or rhinestones.  Of course, they make the perfect setting for polymer clay!  This video tutorial will walk you through using these findings to make a pair of sculpted earrings.  Hope you enjoy.

Tools
Pasta Machine
Clay blade
Craft knife
Needle tool
Embossing tool or end of paint brush
Texture sheet or coarse sandpaper
Cutters - 3/16" teardrop and circle - there's a tip for sculpting without cutters in the video.
Paintbrush - stiff

Materials
Polymer Clay - Premo! small amounts of Ecru, Pomegranate and Turquoise
Channel earring findings
Burnt Umber acrylic paint
Paper towel
Sandpaper (optional)
Sealer (optional) - Varathane or other

Sweet Willow Designs 2014 Year in Review

It's time to reflect on 2014 and look forward to 2015.

In the last half of 2014 I spent more time in my studio than I had in the last three years due to work commitment and travel.  It was good to be home and able to spend time on creative projects.  I was also able to reconnect with my local guild, the Mile High Polymer Clay Guild, which was rewarding and nourishing creatively.

Creating tutorials and filming them for YouTube videos was one of my primary creative outlets.  Sharing techniques and interesting projects with a larger community was one of my top goals for the year.  I had published one video in 2011 which was to have been the first in a series.  I wasn’t able to create the next installments of the series until October of 2014 – over three years later.  Wow.  All in all I published 10 polymer clay videos on a variety of projects including silk screening, making a pendant, three types of earrings, a bracelet and a jewelry making tool during the year.  These videos were well received and I grew my channel subscriptions from 66 to over 300 by the end of 2014.  Not huge numbers by any means but a nice trend.  The comments and words of encouragement have kept me going.  I appreciate every one.

Social media has never been a focus for me although I recognize the opportunities offered by using Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and others.  In 2014 I made a concerted effort to improve my use of social media by posting more regularly.  I have seen how social media drives engagement and community so I’ll work on improving in this area.

My goals for 2015 include developing more tutorials, publishing an article or two in a polymer clay or mixed media magazine and better use of social media.  To push myself I’ve signed up for a couple of art related challenges that keep me creating on a daily basis.  These challenges feel like a lot of pressure right now but I’m hoping that they motivate me to spend more time in the studio.

Wishing all a creative and prosperous new year.  Happy New Year!

Winter Storm Snowflake Polymer Clay Pendant

This week's winter snow storm in Colorado inspired this polymer clay pendant project. Join me in my studio as we make a swirl bead and add snowflake embellishments. I used extruded clay strands applied to a clay base to make my swirl beads. This simple technique is great alternative to using cane slices for those of us who don’t make many canes. Upcoming projects will use this basic technique for more swirl effects. Hope you enjoy this. If you enjoy the video, subscribe to my YouTube channel, give me a thumbs up or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Below the video are the tools and materials used in the project. 

  Tools 

Extruder 

19 hole die 

Clay blade 

Needle tool 

Acrylic or glass block 

Jewelry pliers

  Materials 

Polymer Clay – white and 2 shades of blue 

Pearlescent powder – silver 

Jump ring 

Sandpaper – wet/dry 400 grit 

Sealer – Varathane or other

P.S. I’m always trying to improve my videos. I use Adobe Premier Pro Creative Cloud software to edit my videos and with this one I wanted to keep close to the 5 minute mark. It’s always a learning process and fun. Stuff I learned while making this video:

• How to speed up a clip

• Overlay comments on a clip

• Record audio outside the main video

2015 Polymer Clay Challenge

Starting the new year and thinking about how to be connected and creative.  I've decided to join the KatersAcres 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge to complete one polymer clay project per week.  This is a lot of pressure but certainly motivating.  I'm nervous but committed.  Let me know if you're joining in.  Happy New Year!