Tag: Maggie Maggio

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Colorful Pinched Petals…

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Several years ago- while Maggie Maggio and I were working on our book- a well intentioned friend mentioned to me (while laughing)… once they find out they need to pinch,fold and pierce over 120 petals to make that necklace!?!

Apparently the labor intensive aspect of that project has not dissuaded dozens of artists around the world from making a pinched petal lei , and in many instances adding their own twist. I am always delighted when I run across examples on Facebook, blogs and Flickr.

The joyful looks on the faces of the women Nepal via A Colourful Journey wearing their versions of my necklace was especially poignant to me –  a shared aesthetic and a wonderful example of out “shrinking” world. Here are some other inspirational examples I found…Nora Pero, Bettina Mertz, Oak Georgia, Kralenia and Allessia Stre.

 

 

 

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Updated Color Chart…

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After our book was published in 2009 there have been several significant changes to the colors that are available to the polymer artist- Polyform products discontinued their  Sculpey Studio line and two essential primaries – Zinc Yellow and Cobalt blue in their Premo line are only available on a limited basis (see my last post). Several pre-mixed “designer” colors are now available: including Pomegranate Red, Denim Blue and Wasabi Green. The recipes for mixing Zinc Yellow and Cobalt blue, as promised, have yet to appear on their web site.

In the meantime many artists, myself included, have been experimenting with the new Polyform colors and exploring the currently available primaries offered by FIMO, Pardo, Kato Clay and Cernit- will keep you posted.

Maggie Maggio has updated her color triangle chart to reflect the changes in Polyform’s product line.

“I’ve started testing the new Premo clays and added the possible primary colors to the chart above. I’ve also added a new category – package colors that have white – because I choose to use colors that are at full saturation and add white if I need it.”

This spring I was designing a project where I normally would have used fluorescent pink to pump up the red in the Skinner blend and since I usually would have added white to the mixture Candy pink was an acceptable substitute.

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Color Consciousness…

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For the past several months Carol Simmons has been posting a series of well thought out and detailed articles on her blog in response to the  discontinuation of two essential  primaries -Cobalt Blue and Zinc Yellow –  in Premo by Polyform Products. For those of us that mix our own colors and teach about color using polymer clay….Denim blue and Sunshine yellow are NOT  acceptable substitutes.

Carol has annotated Maggie Maggio’s color triangle color chart on her site to help illustrate the loss of Zinc yellow and Cobalt Blue.

Note: For the time being the remaining stock of those two colors is available from Polymer Clay Express.

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Cabin Fever 2011 – Supply List Update…

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Polyform Products will be supplying all of the colored clay for my Damascus Ladder Magic Friday pre-conference workshop at the Cabin Fever Clay Fest this February. So, please disregard the instructions for picking your colors, bring four ounces of scrap clay and your two magical hands. There are still a few spaces left in this workshop- for registration information visit the event’s blog here.

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Not so Colorful Changes…

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Life is always full of surprises and challenges…Earlier this fall I received the news that Polyform Products was planning on making changes to their Premo! polymer clay color line. While I imagined that it might be possible that a few of the colors that I currently use might be discontinued- perhaps the fluorescent yellow wasn’t a huge seller?- I wasn’t prepared for the extremely upsetting news  that they are  planning to stop making two very essential primary colors = Cobalt Blue and Zinc Yellow!

“The following colors are discontinued: Red Pearl, Green Pearl, Cobalt Blue, Sea Green, Copper, Zinc Yellow, Frost, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Red and Glow-In-The-Dark – We’ll have recipes for most on our website.”

It will be interesting to see their recipes for mixing zinc yellow and cobalt blue.

  • You can follow the discussion about this announcement on Polyform’s Facebook page here.
  • Carol Simmons has posted “before and after” pictures here
  • Cindy Leitz has started a virtual online petition here
  • Crafty Goat has posted some of her reactions on her blog
  • Amy Crawley has posted here on Moon Room Musings
  • Crafts by Chris has joined into the discussion
  • more here at Tonja’s Treasures
  • there is an ongoing discussion on Polymer Clay Central here
  • here is the contact email for Polyform Products- info@polyformproducts.com

I’m off to take a long warm bubble bath in honor of my personal promise to myself NOT to write blog posts, respond to email and/or answer the phone when…

In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of  Carol Simmon’s pendants- you might have guessed it! =  colors mixed with Zinc Yellow and Cobalt blue .

Continue reading “Not so Colorful Changes…” →

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Colorful Pivot Beads…

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I have many fond memories of the beginning years of the National Polymer Clay Guild. We would gather around dining room tables to hold our board meetings- which very often wouldn’t start on time because many of us had eagerly brought show and tell items to share. Sometimes these were new tools, but most often the were pieces of work made by ourselves and others. We were thrilled to see Lynn Swards early photo transfer pieces, Pat Berlin’s rolled rug beads and Kathleen Amt’s complex cane collage beads.

I would venture that none us imagined that twenty years later we would be able to view and share pictures of the work of others via Flickr, blogs and web sites!

In chapter three of our book- Polymer Clay Color Inspirations– Maggie Maggio designed the lovely pivot bead necklace as the chapter’s project. I was the lucky recipient of her purple version of the Pivot Bead necklace.

Recently, I spotted these two adaptations of the project on the web. Above is a glass and pivot bead bracelet by Svenja and below is a set of necklaces made by Janette Waters.

Pivot beads Inspired by Maggie Maggio
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Colorful Airport Shopping…

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My flight back from Albuquerque was delayed so I found myself in the airport with spare time for shopping… I poked around in several stores and had to laugh as several of the items that attracted my eye…I already had hanging form my ceiling!

I wandered into Earth Spirit and was amazed by the selection of jewelry, ceramics, glass and wall hangings = not the usual things that one finds in an airport. In between the displays of art where hundreds of books on altered art, journaling, collage,creative inspiration and color…and to my amazement! and surprise  our book Polymer Clay Color inspirations.

I ended up buying some lovely New Mexico Pinon Coffee (chocolate cinnamon swirl) and yet, another book about color- as souvenirs of my wonderful trip to Albuquerque.