My entry for the PCAGOE April Challenge - Wall Art

I set aside some time this month for creating another challenge entry, the idea of which happened upon me by accident. 
Here's how I came up with the idea (with a photo of the trial which led me to my final piece)....  I had a few strips of extruded clay from another project on which I was working (I will post about that project sometime in April).  I was going to just press the left-over strips back into a slab, but before doing so, I played around with them and created this small 2 1/2 inch tree which I liked so much, I baked it.  I think it likely that I will eventually add some leaves and turn it into a pin or maybe even a pendant.   This photo was taken while the tree sat on my ceramic baking plate, so it's not the greatest photo, but it's just to give you an idea of my thought process in creating my final piece... here's the item which sparked the idea for my challenge entry:

This little tree got me thinking, "Wouldn't it be fun to make a larger tree and add places for displaying photos - sort of a Family Tree - for a wall hanging".... and so my PCAGOE Wall Art (for the April Challenge) idea was born.  This piece measures 10 inches tall and 9 inches wide.  I incorporated a heart shape into the "bark" design of the trunk.  And here is the photo of my entry for the Challenge:

For a peek at all of the April Challenge entries go to:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/1089891@N25/
I will be posting again about the challenge, in a few days, when it's time to vote. 

A lovely Prize from the PCAGOE... by artist Lisa Rapp of Hi Girls Design

I was pleasantly surprised to win placement in the March PCAGOE Challenge, but was even more pleasantly surprised to receive a lovely pair of earrings from the PCAGOE for my winning entry!  The earrings were made by PCAGOE member Lisa Rapp of Hi Girls Designs.  Here is a photo of them:

I love the colors and fun design of these earrings.  It was such a sweet surprise for me to receive them!

So since I am sharing this with you, I thought I'd feature Lisa on my blog.  She is a gal after my own heart, as she not only makes polymer clay jewelry but she also sews and makes handbags.  Like myself, she enjoys incorporating polymer clay design elements into her hand made bags.  And if those similarities aren't enough, she too is a Pennsylvania gal!    Here are 2 more of my favorite items from her etsy shop which you can find at this address:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/higirls

This first photo is one of her bags, perfect for the upcoming warm weather season.  I love the design of this particular bag with the outer diagonal pocket and the polymer clay button, as well as the fun fabric pattern.  

And this last photo is one of her beautiful necklaces that is for sale in her etsy shop.  I love the vintage look of this piece partnered with a great color scheme. 

So, go check out Lisa's etsy shop (link above).  And give her some love on facebook by liking her business page at this link:  https://www.facebook.com/higirlsdesigns#!/higirlsdesigns?sk=wall

March PCAGOE Challenge Winners Chosen

Many thanks to all who voted for the PCAGOE Challenge this month.  I was surprised to have my work awarded 1st place by the guild members and 2nd place by the public!  All of the entries were wonderful works of art, and each participant should be honored for submitting their time, ideas and materials to such a worthy cause.   The Voter choices are as follows:

THE WINNERS VOTED ON BY PCAGOE Members:

1st Place - Beth of CreateMyWorld


2nd Place - TIE Susan of 11BoldStreet and Sage of TheSagesArts



3rd Place - Jackie of ThePleasantPheasant



WINNERS VOTED ON BY THE PUBLIC:

1st Place - Angela of PolymerClayCreations



2nd Place - Beth of CreateMyWorld



3rd Place - TIE Phoebe of HappyCreations4U and Sage of TheSageArts

 

If you'd like to see more info on this challenge, including the 5 voters selected to win a free prize, go to this link: http://www.pcagoechallenge.blogspot.com/

Time to Vote! March PCAGOE Challenge "Bottles of Hope"

To vote for your favorite entry for this month's challenge please go to:  http://www.pcagoechallenge.blogspot.com/

This month our members were challenged to create an entry for Bottles of Hope.  The Bottles of Hope is one of our ongoing PCAGOE charities.  Members are encouraged to create these bottles throughout the year.  The bottles are donated by the members and sent to PCAGOE Guild Member Jackie Sieben of ThePleasantPheasant who delivers them to St. Mary's Cancer Center and the Nevada Cancer Institute in Reno. These centers give a bottle to each person as they complete chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Jackie has collected hundreds of bottles donated from the guilds with which she associates.  The hospital stores the bottles in a glass wall case that is right outside the chemo treatment rooms. The patients look at them and pick their favorites in hopes that particular bottle will still be there when they finish their final treatment. 

Please vote for your top three favorites at the link listed above.  Only one vote per person, please. One (1) vote consists of choosing a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entry. If you choose an entry for 1st place, please do not also vote for it as your 2nd and/or 3rd place choice. Duplicate votes will not be counted.

Voting is open to the public and to PCAGOE guild members. Voting begins March 1, 2011 and ends at midnight, Eastern U.S. time on March 7, 2011. The winners chosen in each category and the voter prize winners will be announced at www.pcagoe.com around March 8, 2011.

Five (5) lucky public voters, chosen at random, will also win a beautiful polymer clay prize created by one of our many talented artists. Please note that winning voters will have one week from the date we contact you and ask for your mailing address so we can send you your prize.




MARCH CHALLENGE ENTRIES:





1) FAUX LEATHER BOTTLE by 11BoldStreet

Susan's description of her entry: "I created a faux leather polymer version for this Bottle of Hope, in hopes that it might also appeal to a male patient."


2) ABUNDANCE OF LOVE by MaggieDayStudios

Maggie's description of her entry: The top of the bottle is functional and when opened reveals a small gold chain with a gold charm at the end that says "love." Koi represent "abundance;" the lotus blossom on the lid is the symbol for achievement, enlightenment, and inspiration to continue to strive through difficulties. The fish on this bottle are swimming around and upwards from the bottom (hard to show in only one photo).


3) MUSHROOM & GNOME BOTTLE by HappyCreations4U

Phoebe's description of her entry: This adorable gnome and mushroom set were not made with the same tiny bottles as the other entries but a bottle is a bottle and who would not hope to receive this great pair.


4) LILAC GARDEN BOTTLE by KellyPlaysClay

Kelly's description of her entry: First I covered the bottle with green leaves and pressed them until smooth. Then I added one large flower to the front and mutiple small flowers around the back and sides. I used the flower petals to make the bottle top and draped a ribbon of purple around the neck of the bottle.


5) MILLEFIORI BOTTLE by PolymerClayCreations

Angela's description of her entry: I chose to do a colorful floral theme because, what could be more hopeful than a garden brimming with newly bloomed flowers? Signs of bright life bringing hope and joy to whoever sees them.


6) TEXTURED BOTTLE by ThePleasantPheasant

Jackie's description of her entry: Bottles of Hope are a special labor of love for me, since I help supply them to the Nevada Cancer Institute/St. Mary's Cancer Center for distribution to cancer patients.

7) ROSES & HOPE GROW by CreateMyWorld

Beth's description of her entry: My entry for this month's PCAGOE challenge came from an idea revolving around the quote, "Where hope grows, miracles blossom. I thought this was the perfect quote for a Bottle of Hope, to remind its recipient to keep hope strong. With the metaphor of growing and blossoming, I wanted to use the symbol of roses, with a gradual blooming of the rose going up the bottle to the full bloom on the top of the cap. The banner encircling the bottle contains the quote which inspired me... "Where hope grows, miracles blossom."


8) HOPE FILIGREE BOTTLE by TheSageArts

Sage's description of her entry: All silver polymer clay with mica, except the gem and the bottle, of course


9) SUNFLOWER JOY BOTTLE by AshPaints

Arlene's description of her entry: People with cancer need all the sunshine and joy in their lives that they can get. To me the sunflower is a symbol of both and I wanted to share that with a cancer patient. This sunflower started with a marbled blend of soft green to which texture was added. The next step was adding slices of a leaf cane. The petals of the sunflower were made by combining a complex flower petal cane several times to get the rich density of color. Each petal was individually shaped and laced to give a dimensional look. A rich coppery brown was added in the center for a beautifully finished sunflower. The cap sports a smaller version of the leaves and sunflower.


10) KALEIDESCOPE CANE by ArrowdaleArtStudio

Cindy's description of her entry: My entry for the March Challenge of the PCAGOE Bottles of Hope Challenge is made from scraps blended together and then formed into a cane. I liked the result so much you see it here.



March Prize Pool:



1st row, L-R: ClayCenter, ArrowdaleArtStudio, RenGalSA, PipsJewellery
2nd row, L-R: HiGirls, , MarciaPalmer,
AlisonEKurek,

As this month's challenge entries are being donated as noted, you will not find these for sale in our members' etsy shops, but you can check out more one-of-a-kind works of polymer clay art.

You may also sign up for our monthly e-newsletter when you vote. We would love to be able to tell you about our upcoming challenges and special promotions and our charitable projects.