New Things

I have been wanting to try new techniques and revisit some ideas I had a few years ago.  I was first introduced to polymer clay in the 90's and wasn't too interested.  I guess in my mind I always thought polymer clay to be "cute," and I don't do cute.  I try to go for something classic and different with an edgy twist. 

Most, if not all, of my pieces have a vintage element, not just vintage-inspired, and polymer clay is most definitely not vintage.  So what could I add to it to keep it true to my aesthetic and stand apart from others'?   I looked around at my entire vintage supply inventory and came up with the idea to merge the old with the new in an entirely different way:  petite polymer clay frames surrounding vintage Scripture, music score, and solid brass crosses under a "glass" of resin.  Miniature Masterpieces. 

In the process I discovered that I LOVE WORKING WITH THE POLYMER CLAY! Probably more so than the etching.  I love that the results are more predictable than etching and the forgiving nature of the clay allows me to smush something that doesn't look right and start over.  With etching, once you actually start the etching process there's no going back. 

There are a lot steps/details that go into making these pieces, but I hope you'll agree with me that the end result is totally worth the effort:

 

 

 

Vintage West German Crystals

 

 

I also set Vintage Scripture in old solid brass bezels I came across and used them and some old rhinestone to embellish vintage copper coated lockets I have been holding onto for a while:

 

 

All of these pieces are listed in the shop.

 

I will never give up etching the solid brass, but I so enjoy trying new things and incorporating the techniques seamlessly into my exiting line. 

 

I will be at the Hyde Park Art Show this Sunday.  Hope to see you there!

 

Sara