Phrases of the Heart

Every year for the past five or six years, the Greater Los Angeles Polymer Clay Guild has done a "phrases of the heart" swap.  We each make a piece that somehow references a phrase containing the word "heart" or about matters of the heart.  This year, I chose the phrase "Hearts afire."  Here's the resulting brooch:

I received this striking brooch titled, "Heart to heart," from Aviva Nizani.  She used a transfer on one and texture on the other, all topped with glossy resin.

Some of my past entries for the swap can be found on my Flickr page here, here, and here.

Book submissions

Mystic Vision Rattle

 Today, I submitted three photos of my work to be included in an upcoming book from Lark Crafts, to be called "500 Gourds."  Hopefully, my gourds will be part of the 500 chosen.  Wish me luck!
The first photo I submitted (above) is of my Mystic Vision Rattle.  The second photo is my Indian Maiden Doll.  She's got a jewelry gourd for her body & head.  The rest is polymer clay.  I built the arms & legs on wire armatures, so they move (at least they swing up and down).

Indian Maiden Doll

The third photo is of the my Fire Flower and Mystic Vision Rattles together:

Fire Flower and Mystic Vision Rattles

The flower and leaves are polymer clay, as are the stoppers and beads on the Mystic Vision Rattle.  For the iris, I painted the back of a glass stone and inlaid it.  Thanks to Mark Mauthner for the beautiful photos!  It would be awesome to be published!