Davis, a metal clay Master Instructor, handcrafts and sells the Finger Brush – a tool she invented when she got tired of “Putting down the file, picking up the dry brush to save the precious silver dust.Then putting down the brush and picking up the file.Then repeating the whole process over and over again…… and over and over again.”

Cool beans. You can get one too. Right here.

Then a visit to Marsha Neal’s blog revealed a post about how she makes porcelain shards. I like the way Neal uses two wood texture plates to make the spiral ridges. I’m sure the texture boards can be used with materials other than porcelain. Maybe Miss Marsha will share her source for the serious looking texture mats? 

In the meantime, although you can’t buy the texture plates from her, you can purchase the porcelain shards.  This way please – booth #806.

We are dedicated to evolving polymer clay through creativity without boundaries, quality without compromise, design with intent, and innovation with integrity. And we want to have fun doing it. Dan Cormier & Tracy Holmes

Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes have been busy sprucing up their website - adding new work, making cool videos, sharing exciting news about the Sh.A.R.K. family of tools (see below) and refining a mission statement (that’s it above, but read more here).

Polar Pin, 2009, polymer clay

When Cormier has a new idea for a piece and discovers that it requires a tool he doesn’t have, he gets to work making the tool and the whole community benefits. He has been sharing his Cutting Edge line of precision tools with us since 2005 when he introduced the Peeler Collection, adding the Sh.A.R.K. in 2008 and now the Great White Sh.A.R.K. and more to come later this year.

The Sh.A.R.K. is “a magnetic ‘moveable wall,’ a sheet adjuster that turns your single-width pasta machine into a versatile ‘any width’ tool for sheeting, mixing, blending, and reducing polymer clay.” The original Sh.A.R.K. was made to fit the Atlas 150 pasta machine, but now everyone can enjoy the benefits of this little fin-that-could with the new Great White Sh.A.R.K., which fits the Amaco, Makins, and Atlas 180 machines.

The video below is a comprehensive look at what the Sh.A.R.K can help you accomplish in your studio.  Beautifully executed, it takes the concept of a ‘brochure’ to a whole new level. Fun, informative and enticing.  I have a Sh.A.R.K. and while I love the way it adjusts the size of the sheet of clay, I admit that it wasn’t until I saw the video that I truly understood that I had a powerhouse sitting on my pasta machine!

Want your own Sh.A.R.K. ? You can purchase a Sh.A.R.K. Kit here.

For me, my tools and what I do with them have always been intertwined. It’s not about the latest gimmick or trick. It’s more fundamental, evolving organically out of some need I find through my dialogue with the clay. A new idea requires a tool I don’t have. So I make that tool. Once I have it, I can usually do the thing I wanted to do, which is great. But even better, it continues the conversation. Suddenly I see something I couldn’t see before, something I hadn’t even imagined. Like cresting a hill, I get a new view, a new perspective, a new take on my medium. Dan Cormier

Congratulations to this dynamic duo – it certainly does look like they are having fun (see mission statement above) while elevating the medium with their innovative tools, work and techniques – a win/win combination for all.

For those of us who long to see the color and texture of plant life again after a long, bleak Winter, Sherrill’s flowers offer hope. More images at the Ferrin Gallery.

In addition to being an artist, sought-after lecturer and teacher, Sherrill is also the creator of Mudtools, a line of innovative clay tools for the ceramic artist.

During my years of working in clay, making pots and art, I have often had ideas that required working outside “normal” processes. I found that the available “clay tools” did not serve my ideas well. So, out of necessity I would make a tool, or modify an existing one to suit my needs. These new tools quickly became indispensable and were always the first thing to come out of my toolbox. Naturally, I would show these off at a workshop, and as a result I found that people were interested in buying them!

The bucket bag is made from repurposed yoga mats and discarded scraps from the companies that make yoga mats.  I’m not sure that designer Merle O’Brien had art supplies in mind when she created this one, but the  minute I saw it I knew it would be perfect for the job.

The mat’s PVC material makes it easy to wipe down, the bag is deep enough to hold a variety of materials, there are mesh pockets all around the outside of the bag for more supplies and seeing the mat material is really a daily reminder that I must practice my yoga more often.  I love it!  Check out her story here and see some of the collection of bags here.  More designs are  sold in stores across the country.

My bag is a marriage of three things that I love:  organized art supplies, yoga and recycling.  Can’t go wrong there – and besides, O’Brien is a Grateful Dead fan.  ‘Nuff said.

I opened an Etsy shop!

textmessages.etsy.com offers text-related materials for artists and crafters.  I love words, text, quotes and use them often in my art so this was a natural progression for me.

I’m pushing polymer again!  This time through vintage brass.  Click the image!

At textmessages.etsy.com you will find vintage typewriter keys, brass letter stencils, vintage vocabulary cards, text collage sheet downloads, letterpress wood type and a variety of other text-related supplies to help you add another layer of meaning to your art. It is still evolving and I have lots more to list so visit often! You can access the site through the links in the sidebar on the right or the links in this post.

Vintage French vocabulary cards.  Click the image!

Come back this afternoon for my regular post featuring smashing good art and tomorrow morning I’ll be announcing a BIG BOOK giveaway to celebrate textmessages.etsy.com. Stay tuned!

Dear Susan,

I wanted to write and thank you ENORMOUSLY for your amazing blog/musing.  I am an artist and art professor at Clark University in Mass.  For some years now I have been teaching a class called Exploring the Natural World – a combination of field drawing, printmaking and mixed-media.  The other day I stumbled across your site while searching for examples of work for inspiration.  I have to say, your site is THE BEST resource I have found so far.  I don’t have a ton of time to research as I’ve got the teaching to do, so your site is an amazing help for me.  THANK YOU!  I love the work you’re including as they are great examples of a broad range of materials and mediums.  I probably won’t venture too much further than your daily blog and archives this semester and will require my students to do some research there to help with generating ideas.  Again, thank you!

Valerie Claff

DAMuse as required reading for art students.  I like it!  I look forward to seeing Valerie’s students’ work before the end of the semester.

Then yesterday I was scrolling through Canadian based Shades of Clay’s online store looking at Helen Breil’s latest product line.  I was delighted to see that Helen credits a post on Daily Art Muse as the inspiration for her new flexible textures stamps, Tango and Mambo.  Which post sparked the idea?  Zentangles, of course!

As always, Helen’s work is beautifully designed and executed.

Helen Breil’s Mambo Texture Stamp and Mambo Leaf Bracelet

Helen Breil’s Tango Lentil Pendant and Tango Texture Stamp

Come back this afternoon for more DAMuse-inspired work and words.  And do tell – what has DAMuse done for you lately?

Each week Spoonflower’s Kim Fraser shows off the latest designs – watch Week Two’s video below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHXBFkmzv6M[/youtube]

Spoonflower gives individuals the power to print their own designs on fabric that they can then use to make quilts, clothes, pillows, blankets, framed textile art and many, many other things that might surprise you.

Seems to be by invitation only right now but you can get on their list.

This video explains the Spoonflower process.

See dozens of designs in the Flickr Spoonflower Fabric Designs Pool.

I’m loving this one.

via decor 8

Use the pressure of your thumbs to easily bend and shape metal into bracelets and rings without altering the existing patterns and textures. Make a parallel bend without rotating your piece. With this amazing tool, you can easily shape anticlastic, synclastic, corrugated and other surface designs without hammers, stakes or mandrels.

For more bending options Ronna sent along these links:

Bracelet Bender

Artway Angle Jig Kits

Delphi Glass Bracelet Mold

Any of these tools will help you craft a bracelet blank that you can cover with polymer clay. I’d love to see the bracelets that you make using one (or more) of Ronna’s picks!

Whether you are using polymer clay, buttons, resins, beads, paper, fabric, felt, photo’s, paint or anything else that strikes your fancy, nothing shows off your work better than a beautiful frame. And these frames are truly different.

Focal Frames are made from maintenance-free and lead-free pewter. Made in Canada to Helen’s exacting standards, Focal Frames are available in either Satin or Antiqued finishes…..both are individually hand polished.

Breil has included an exciting feature that many polymer clay artists will appreciate: Most of the designs have openings that match Kemper cutter sizes. Now that’s one smart cookie! Click on the pictures above to see the Shades of Clay Focal Frames Galleries and to read more about this new product.

Congrats to Helen and Shades of Clay on another great product!

Now if only I could find some brass filigree sheets to cut down and bend…

“This Bracelet Bender is designed especially for bending bracelets into shape in just a few seconds without the use of a hammer or mallet.”

You can find the bracelet bender at Dick Blick.

At Synergy I caught a glimpse of Carlson’s new Puzzle-Face Molds and I realized that this new generation of mold is more than just a mold – it is also a teaching tool. Puzzle-Face Molds are basic pieces that make up the structure of a face. In my opinion, they create a starting point for understanding the concepts related to sculpting a face. Once you are comfortable with the individual pieces, you can manipulate them to create different expressions, teaching yourself the next step in sculpting faces.

From the website:

Maureen has designed 4 rubber molds to quickly form the basic shapes that make up a face. Use polymer clay or any other medium that can be used with a rubber mold and put the pieces together, like pieces of a puzzle, to complete the basic face structure. Because it is easy to change the exact size and shape of each piece, you can use the molds to create characters that are uniquely your own.

Sh.A.R.K = Sheet (SH) Adjuster (A) Ruler (R) Kit (K)

Contact Cormier and Holmes at hoco@island.net to order yours today. They’ve got more tools in this fab new line…coming soon.

The lovely leaves above were made with…

The handle of a disposable razor! Sweet!

This is the image that I used to create the kaleidoscopes above.

If you can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em, right? Clever, clever, clever!

You can buy the cups here. A bit pricey, yes, but do you see the polymer clay possibilities? Still chuckling? More from this designer here.