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Total matches for "polymer clay": 19

Light Remains

Light Remains

I've tried repeatedly to summarize the person who inspired this, or to put our friendship in simple terms, but I've come to think that's basically impossible. I will simply say that there is a light so bright and sustaining that I feel the need to share it in whatever ways I can.

A personal piece, shall we say. Deeply so; before the greedy bastard called cancer showed up, my friend Zellie was eager to encourage creativity and expression. She made a particular impression when it came to sending me random things to use and be inspired by, and one of those happened to be a collection of beads. The silver and abalone beads, along with the blue AB "crystals", were some of them. I'd been wanting to do something special with them for 9 years, and here finally everything came together.

As for an explanation of the pendant, something about Carbuncle had always reminded by of Zellie. She loved "ocean colors" and enjoyed "adorable monsters", but also Ruby Light and Aura were just... very much her. Sustaining, protecting. Without specific spoilers, when FFXV's Carbuncle and the Platinum Demo came around, it all very much aligned. So I used the abstract shape of Carbuncle which has shown up in official merchandise, and filled it with tiny abalone chips I've had laying around for probably quite a few more than 9 years, matching the necklace band itself. I thought the other beads, some stainless steel chain, and a little stainless steel chainmaile were just the things to finish the piece off.

And for the curious, please do feel free to check out Lightning Spliced by Zellie Blake, her only completed novel. To this day, all profits go to the American Cancer Society.

(For Sale. One half of the profit will be donated directly to the American Cancer Society.)

Date: 29 October 2019
Orb Guardian Pendant Set

Orb Guardian Pendant Set

Orb Guardian pairs have come to be a symbol of partnership and trust. One feels affinity for the lighter stone, the other for the darker, both of them representing one half of a universal whole.

I hadn't actually seen these coming. I know, big shock. I just wanted to pick up a little polymer clay since it had been so long, and before I knew it... well, these. I'd intended them to be simple, and they did turn out to be... relatively so, but then I decided to complicate matters. They started out as very flat and smooth and I found that... boring. So I rounded them out, added texture and iridescent pigment, and of course a Swarovsky rhinestone each. I've also reinforced the wings to stand up to any possible hair or clothing snags, as well as balanced/shaped them in such a way that they carry the majority of their weight in the stone and the bottom of the tail so no one gets poked in the neck or chest while wearing them. Seemed kind of important to me.
(For Sale)

Date: 07 December 2014
Evalis

Evalis

Evalis, while still being considered a rather young and technically "immature" Decce, acts as Guardian of the South Sea Temple.  His desire to protect the temple is out of gratitude to the servants for raising him after having found him seemingly abandoned as a hatchling.  He's well-suited to the lifestyle, as far as he's concerned, spending most of his time enjoying the sea breeze, watching over the temple servants and enjoying whatever gifts of food the devoted bring for him.  (He likes cherries, clearly.)  Fierce as he may look, it will take another hundred or so years for his horns to mature in full, as well as the stinging barbs on his tail and the backs of his legs to be at their most potent (though it should be noted that the barbs are only activated in defense; otherwise they're perfectly harmless).

Some have come to believe that the Decce are actually related to the Celestial Turtle.  While their "shells" aren't fully hardened structures, the longer the Decce live, the more hard gem-like structures grow onto their shells.  They don't normally fuse and become fully hard until after a Decce dies; this is where the tales of heroes using Decce shells as shields come from.  Rather than the hero fighting and conquering a Decce, a Decce tribe or family unit would grace someone they felt worthy with ancient artifact so important to them that it is literally a part of their history.  While they were once linked with mages, these days they've become exceedingly rare to the point where not even the great mage circles know whether or not a whole tribe of them still exist.  It's a sad fate, but some argue it's also smarter to hide until humans figure out how to stop destroying themselves.

Evalis was one of those off-and-on projects that I worked on in large pieces interrupted by a week here, a commission there, and a necessary break so that I wouldn't wind up getting stabby here and there and everywhere.  So... what I know is that he took some number of weeks to complete.  Not quite a month?  But definitely more than two weeks.  About three?  Maybe a little more?  Time, what is it?  I did a lot of new things with the internal structure, and I'm sure you'll notice the paws/claws.  I'm so happy with how those turned out, you have no idea.

I can't express how much work went into this.  The entire length of his body from head to tail, legs, and each toe are individually wired and poseable, and boy is he a big fella.  From tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, he's about 20", standing casually at about 8" to the top of his horns.  His claws and horns are polymer clay, and his eyes are a gorgeously red-dyed jade stone.  There are plenty of glass beads and painted highlights using iridescent pigments, as well.  I mean, you know... shiny.

(For Sale)

Date: 06 June 2013
Carry Us Home

Carry Us Home

Some charms are painstakingly created over years, magic and materials carefully selected, crafted, moved into place so very delicately.  Others are made quickly and with desperation from nearby materials for a single-minded hope and purpose.  It is the opinion of some mages that both types of charms can be equally effective.

As happens so often, I was just going through materials and staring at a few of them and then... er, this.  Plus a little story in my head.

A few days previous, I had been playing with polymer clay and the "stone" effects I might be able to get, and then "antiqued" bronze wire, pressed metal wing charms and that copper diamond came in to the picture.  Things happened.  For all the simplicity, I really enjoy how it came out.

 (For Sale)

Pray for the One-Winged Angel

Pray for the One-Winged Angel

And so two fascinations come together: prayer beads and Final Fantasy 7. ...No, I didn't think the connection existed before now, either. It was all because of Pray for the Planet's beads that I got this idea in the first place. These particular beads are black and beautifully textured, with tiny silver "cracks" running through them. Much more beautiful in person. So is the rainbow obsidian "black materia", which actually manages to have a silver glowing accent to it. Awesome.

And in case you're interested in the symbolism... Three groups of ten beads represent the three pillars/columns/"the three lines", and the ten steps/branches of the Sephirot. The black materia is just that--but the drop from it represents the "11th step/branch" which represents the abyss (but it's kind of blasphemous, ha ha, but then so am I). It seemed... appropriate for Sephiroth's symbol to rest on the edge of the abyss.

The original is sold, but I can take commissions for more.

Date: 26 January 2012
Dissidia Charm Bracelet

Dissidia Charm Bracelet

And now that the gift has found its way to its owner, I can talk about the hell I went through to make this bracelet. *grin* Well, it was... a trial. A very, very big trial. I was juggling techniques, trying to figure out exactly how I wanted to do this and what I wanted to make it out of. I was actually disappointed at first, because a few things couldn't be exactly accurate due to what the clay kept doing/annoying me with, but now... yes, I've had time to step back and appreciate it. I want to make more, but the charms will have a slightly different style. This is definitely one of a kind.

And because I am me, and have to interpret everything, I rather liked the idea of the silver wire wrap around each crystal. It sort of represents Cosmos' energy and influence, the silver working its way through the chain and the eternal loop. ...Yeah, stop looking at me like that.

If you're not familiar, Dissidia is a "Final Fantasy fighter" that I keep meaning to take breaks from but keep picking back up for "just another couple of battles", so that should tell you something.

Date: 26 January 2012
Sparkly Hylian Shield

Sparkly Hylian Shield

So. Um. What insanity. 34 Swarovski crystals. Hand-set. So, as you can see... Ocarina of Time still has a place in my heart.

For those of you who are not insane Legend of Zelda fans, this is the shield carried by Link, the Hero of Time. Well, it's mostly the shield. It's sort of an abstract of an abstract with SPARKLY but... yeah.

(Sold)

Date: 26 January 2012
Spiritual Stones

Spiritual Stones

"The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. And, in order to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones." - Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

I've made a number of these sets over the years and still manage to constantly be improving the design and stability.  I can also always be commissioned for them.

Date: 26 January 2012