Welcome to Sarajane’s Polyclay Gallery!

Here you will find all sorts of artistic eye candy, information, projects and tutorials about polymer clay, ceramics, metal, graphic arts, textiles and many other media. This is the blog page with all the news, and there are many pages listed in the drop down menu above. Please do explore!

Boxing with Color

Sep 10, 2017 | color, creativity, wood, wood. laser cut

I’ve wanted to put the colorful birchwood and the inks on metal together in boxes for a while–I did one prototype, learned a lot and moved on to other smaller wood and metal projects. But the other day at Tinkermill with time booked on the laser cutter, it all started to come together for some lovely little boxes.

I took all the whole sheets of 10×10 inch wood that I had left from the last batch, and built a template for a box that is 4″x4″x2″.

Then I cut out thirteen sets of pieces. As soon as the colorful piles started to build up, I wanted to mix and match them–which I will do next time! This time I wanted to see one color, a simple side design and a place for the metal in the lid would look. I glued them all up this morning. Then I got to pick which metal pieces went with which box.

That part was a lot of fun, and quick work, too. There were more than 50 from which to choose, but we did not have to look that far before finding great partners for the wood.

I like the results and already have ideas for more and different kinds of boxes and framed pieces!

Metal, Moving Towards Fall

Aug 30, 2017 | color, metal

We’ve been having many hours of filing the brightly colored aluminum pieces, and I’ve been moving towards the heavier stuff…I’ve got a new batch of brass, bronze, copper and nickle silver that I’m etching and coloring with patinas. These I am cutting into earrings, pendants and cuff bracelets.

Once cut out, I will have many days of grinding fun while the beautiful end-of-summer weather makes it easy to be out in the workshop. Not too hot, not too cool….and when it IS too hot, we sit in the shade and file. And file…I’m glad to now have filing help!

So far I have lots of beautiful fall color happening–reds, golds, browns and silvers. I want to do more with combining multiple pieces this time as well as making simple things. I like the way the different metals and finishes look together.

There are more greens and blues coming also, but they take longer to happen. Patience is a virtue in metal working! In the meantime, there’s plenty to do with finishing these.

In a Metal Mode

Aug 22, 2017 | art, color, metal

We’re having a great time creating new art, music, and writing here in Wyoming. I have both indoor and outdoor work spaces. The light is great (got a little dark during the eclipse, but that was only a minute or two!) and I’ve been having a grand time getting ink on metal pieces started, cutting up etched and treated metal that I have standing ready, and getting the new batch of metal prepared for etching, hammering, and a patina.

Then we will have plenty of time over the winter months to cut, grind, file and sand pieces for making pendants and earrings.

Because I am selling the components and also setting aside pieces for decorating boxes, I am making 8″x6″ rectangles of metal and then cutting it up. In this batch I made 50 pieces, and I took photos to use in digital artwork later. I’ve been so busy making more that I have not had time to finish up any jewelry with it, but that is coming up soon, along with the boxes, which I’ll try out next time I am at Tinkermill to use the laser cutter. Metal pieces will go to decorate the box lids. I will be sure to show them off here when they are done.