August Polymer Cafe!

polymer_cafe_31_t The August issue of Polymer Cafe has arrived, with lots of treats to inspire and instruct. The “Random Layers Pendants” by Christi Uliczny featured on the cover show a fantastic way to use an assortment of both translucent and opaque canes.

If you’re interested in expanding your repertoire to include Precious Metal Clay, the “Fish Frenzy” pendant by Shirley Rufener would be an excellent place to start.

This was an excellent issue for learning new skills, as the “Steampunk Business Card Case” by Eugena Topina also includes clever instructions for working with small amounts of resin as a finish on polymer clay. Also in the steampunk genre was the “Just the Gears” article by Lisa Heller. The idea of being able to make my own custom polymer clay “gears” for any Steampunk projects is tickling my muse already.

Other projects include an elegant “Altered Jewelry Box” by Michelle Herren, a stately ” Mayan Necklace” by Jacqueline Josten, and cute as can be “Play-on-Words Pots” by Laura J. Schiller.

Congratulations go out to the winners of the “Touchy Feely Challenge” winners, Cheryl Watt for her “Leafy Leah,” Reanna Bower for her “Twysted Roots,” Jennifer Miller for her “Ocean Tides,” and Cathy Clark for her “Here, Fishy Fishy.” And as always, the Reader’s Gallery is full of eye candy and inspiration!

Technorati Tags: polymer cafe august issue

Read These Next

Unique Stitch Crafts is a Turkish designer that has a couple of main interests in their cross stitch designs: travel and Christmas stockings.

By far the biggest category in their storefront is Christmas stockings, with more than 100 options to choose from. There are fully stitched fronts with designs classic and whimsical (like an alicorn and a pastel rainbow, or a bunny in Harlequin costume playing violin to a mushroom) and designs that just go across the cuff of the stocking. There are ornaments with a Nutcracker or Frozen theme, New York City stockings and stockings for your dinosaur.

As an example, here’s a stocking covered with mini holiday designs, which you could also use as ornaments if you wanted. The full design is 165 by 255 stitches, which comes out to 10.3 by 16 inches, or 26 by 40.6 cm on 16 count fabric. The pattern just makes the front of the stocking so you need to grab some fabric for the back of the stocking and sew it together yourself.

There’s also a large collection of travel cross stitch patterns, including national parks designs both large and mini, and travel poster style designs for many US states and cities. (There’s not an Arkansas, which is my standard test since I live there, but there is a pattern of the Mississippi River bridge in Memphis, which is technically half in Arkansas.)

If you’re more of a world traveler you’ll find more of the travel poster style designs for cities and countries, including Thailand and China, Berlin, Sydney and Marrakech.

In addition to all of that, you’ll find patterns called retro, which includes a wide range of designs, but many seem to be food and coffee related; folk art designs (lots of flowers and birds); and famous paintings translated to cross stitch. Smaller categories include Christmas, Halloween, animals, kids and castles.

Check out all the fun designs at Unique Stitch Crafts on Etsy.

[Photo: Unique Stitch Crafts]

Read These Next

Have you read?