Have I mentioned lately that I’m a craft-a-holic?  I love exploring all sorts of crafts!  And this weekend I fell down a crafty rabbit hole. 

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I had an idea, which led to many, many, many hours of playing with polymer clay.  In the end, my original idea ended up in the trash.  You win some, you lose some.  But I ended up with some fun new jewelry.  Plus I have some new skills to work on and a lot of new ideas and I love when that happens!

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I still don’t get the sanding stage and most of my canes turned out a little bit wonky and my shoulder is killing me from conditioning clay.  But man, did I have a good time making lots of mistakes and learning all sorts of new things!

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look. Julie works in layers, both physically and metaphorically, exploring what is visible and what is concealed. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops and her online classroom at MyArtPractice.com. Julie's achievements include high-profile clients, multiple publications - including her book, “Carve Stamp Play” - and exhibits in New York City and throughout Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Brown University.

90 thoughts on “Playing with Polymer

  • Polymer clay is fun to work with. Great jewerly.

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  • Polymer clay is fun to work with. Great jewerly.

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  • Polymer clay is fun to work with. Great jewerly.

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  • Polymer clay is fun to work with. Great jewerly.

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  • Polymer clay is fun to work with. Great jewerly.

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  • I love the jewelry! Will you be selling it?

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  • I love the jewelry! Will you be selling it?

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  • I love the jewelry! Will you be selling it?

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  • I love the jewelry! Will you be selling it?

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  • I love the jewelry! Will you be selling it?

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  • Great job on the jewelry! I love that you ventured into polymer clay. I have a total fascination of the stuff, but like most things, I am chicken to just let go. You have that “just let go” gene and do great work as a result. I look forward to seeing more of what you do with this medium!

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  • Great job on the jewelry! I love that you ventured into polymer clay. I have a total fascination of the stuff, but like most things, I am chicken to just let go. You have that “just let go” gene and do great work as a result. I look forward to seeing more of what you do with this medium!

    Reply
  • Great job on the jewelry! I love that you ventured into polymer clay. I have a total fascination of the stuff, but like most things, I am chicken to just let go. You have that “just let go” gene and do great work as a result. I look forward to seeing more of what you do with this medium!

    Reply
  • Great job on the jewelry! I love that you ventured into polymer clay. I have a total fascination of the stuff, but like most things, I am chicken to just let go. You have that “just let go” gene and do great work as a result. I look forward to seeing more of what you do with this medium!

    Reply
  • Great job on the jewelry! I love that you ventured into polymer clay. I have a total fascination of the stuff, but like most things, I am chicken to just let go. You have that “just let go” gene and do great work as a result. I look forward to seeing more of what you do with this medium!

    Reply
  • you are so cute! Love the jewelry!

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  • you are so cute! Love the jewelry!

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  • you are so cute! Love the jewelry!

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  • you are so cute! Love the jewelry!

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  • you are so cute! Love the jewelry!

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  • Isn’t it funny how the idea we start out with is rarely the idea we finish up with? I love it. I haven’t worked with polymer clay but have wanted to for a long time. Your creations are now inspiring me to go play some too!

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  • Isn’t it funny how the idea we start out with is rarely the idea we finish up with? I love it. I haven’t worked with polymer clay but have wanted to for a long time. Your creations are now inspiring me to go play some too!

    Reply
  • Isn’t it funny how the idea we start out with is rarely the idea we finish up with? I love it. I haven’t worked with polymer clay but have wanted to for a long time. Your creations are now inspiring me to go play some too!

    Reply
  • Isn’t it funny how the idea we start out with is rarely the idea we finish up with? I love it. I haven’t worked with polymer clay but have wanted to for a long time. Your creations are now inspiring me to go play some too!

    Reply
  • Isn’t it funny how the idea we start out with is rarely the idea we finish up with? I love it. I haven’t worked with polymer clay but have wanted to for a long time. Your creations are now inspiring me to go play some too!

    Reply
  • The texture on that last piece is awesome and you do seem to have fun when you play with art supplies Julie!

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  • The texture on that last piece is awesome and you do seem to have fun when you play with art supplies Julie!

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  • The texture on that last piece is awesome and you do seem to have fun when you play with art supplies Julie!

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  • The texture on that last piece is awesome and you do seem to have fun when you play with art supplies Julie!

    Reply
  • The texture on that last piece is awesome and you do seem to have fun when you play with art supplies Julie!

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  • LOVE your jewelry!! You are SO talented. Just love seeing what you come up with next! I tried your glazed earrings idea with paper punched leaves. (I needed some Fall-looking earrings so I paper-punched small leaves.) People who have seen them couldn’t believe I made them. I told em “Julie showed me how to do it!”
    Thanks for sharing your talents.
    Grandma Nancy

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  • LOVE your jewelry!! You are SO talented. Just love seeing what you come up with next! I tried your glazed earrings idea with paper punched leaves. (I needed some Fall-looking earrings so I paper-punched small leaves.) People who have seen them couldn’t believe I made them. I told em “Julie showed me how to do it!”
    Thanks for sharing your talents.
    Grandma Nancy

    Reply
  • LOVE your jewelry!! You are SO talented. Just love seeing what you come up with next! I tried your glazed earrings idea with paper punched leaves. (I needed some Fall-looking earrings so I paper-punched small leaves.) People who have seen them couldn’t believe I made them. I told em “Julie showed me how to do it!”
    Thanks for sharing your talents.
    Grandma Nancy

    Reply
  • LOVE your jewelry!! You are SO talented. Just love seeing what you come up with next! I tried your glazed earrings idea with paper punched leaves. (I needed some Fall-looking earrings so I paper-punched small leaves.) People who have seen them couldn’t believe I made them. I told em “Julie showed me how to do it!”
    Thanks for sharing your talents.
    Grandma Nancy

    Reply
  • LOVE your jewelry!! You are SO talented. Just love seeing what you come up with next! I tried your glazed earrings idea with paper punched leaves. (I needed some Fall-looking earrings so I paper-punched small leaves.) People who have seen them couldn’t believe I made them. I told em “Julie showed me how to do it!”
    Thanks for sharing your talents.
    Grandma Nancy

    Reply
  • Love the jewelry! The first pair is so cool with all the twists of color. What were yountrying to make.

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  • Love the jewelry! The first pair is so cool with all the twists of color. What were yountrying to make.

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  • Love the jewelry! The first pair is so cool with all the twists of color. What were yountrying to make.

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  • Love the jewelry! The first pair is so cool with all the twists of color. What were yountrying to make.

    Reply
  • Love the jewelry! The first pair is so cool with all the twists of color. What were yountrying to make.

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  • Very cool! The first pair remind me of some sort of sea turtle cross section. I love when you get unexpected, cool results. Rest that shoulder, and then have some more fun!

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  • Very cool! The first pair remind me of some sort of sea turtle cross section. I love when you get unexpected, cool results. Rest that shoulder, and then have some more fun!

    Reply
  • Very cool! The first pair remind me of some sort of sea turtle cross section. I love when you get unexpected, cool results. Rest that shoulder, and then have some more fun!

    Reply
  • Very cool! The first pair remind me of some sort of sea turtle cross section. I love when you get unexpected, cool results. Rest that shoulder, and then have some more fun!

    Reply
  • Very cool! The first pair remind me of some sort of sea turtle cross section. I love when you get unexpected, cool results. Rest that shoulder, and then have some more fun!

    Reply
  • That’s it…I’m a craft-a-holic too. I love art supplies, which sometimes gets in the way of staying focused on making art. 🙂

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  • That’s it…I’m a craft-a-holic too. I love art supplies, which sometimes gets in the way of staying focused on making art. 🙂

    Reply
  • That’s it…I’m a craft-a-holic too. I love art supplies, which sometimes gets in the way of staying focused on making art. 🙂

    Reply
  • That’s it…I’m a craft-a-holic too. I love art supplies, which sometimes gets in the way of staying focused on making art. 🙂

    Reply
  • That’s it…I’m a craft-a-holic too. I love art supplies, which sometimes gets in the way of staying focused on making art. 🙂

    Reply
  • Those are beautiful! and so ‘Julie’ which is a great thing!

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  • Those are beautiful! and so ‘Julie’ which is a great thing!

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  • Those are beautiful! and so ‘Julie’ which is a great thing!

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  • Those are beautiful! and so ‘Julie’ which is a great thing!

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  • Those are beautiful! and so ‘Julie’ which is a great thing!

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  • You are indeed a lady of many talents! Thanks for sharing with all of us…Ann M

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  • You are indeed a lady of many talents! Thanks for sharing with all of us…Ann M

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  • You are indeed a lady of many talents! Thanks for sharing with all of us…Ann M

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  • You are indeed a lady of many talents! Thanks for sharing with all of us…Ann M

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  • You are indeed a lady of many talents! Thanks for sharing with all of us…Ann M

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  • Wonderful colors and designs! These are great pieces to add to your jewelry collection. Wish you luck in perfecting this craft. In my humble opinion, from what I see, your designs are totally marketable! Hmmmm. 🙂

    Reply
  • Wonderful colors and designs! These are great pieces to add to your jewelry collection. Wish you luck in perfecting this craft. In my humble opinion, from what I see, your designs are totally marketable! Hmmmm. 🙂

    Reply
  • Wonderful colors and designs! These are great pieces to add to your jewelry collection. Wish you luck in perfecting this craft. In my humble opinion, from what I see, your designs are totally marketable! Hmmmm. 🙂

    Reply
  • Wonderful colors and designs! These are great pieces to add to your jewelry collection. Wish you luck in perfecting this craft. In my humble opinion, from what I see, your designs are totally marketable! Hmmmm. 🙂

    Reply
  • Wonderful colors and designs! These are great pieces to add to your jewelry collection. Wish you luck in perfecting this craft. In my humble opinion, from what I see, your designs are totally marketable! Hmmmm. 🙂

    Reply
  • I love that very first set of earrings. Looks like slices of prosciutto! Yummy

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  • I love that very first set of earrings. Looks like slices of prosciutto! Yummy

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  • I love that very first set of earrings. Looks like slices of prosciutto! Yummy

    Reply
  • I love that very first set of earrings. Looks like slices of prosciutto! Yummy

    Reply
  • I love that very first set of earrings. Looks like slices of prosciutto! Yummy

    Reply
  • I’ve had my clay and tools for a long time but took my first steps about 4 weeks ago. It was so much fun – I can only imagine how much fun you had! ‘Cause those colors are the best!

    Reply
  • I’ve had my clay and tools for a long time but took my first steps about 4 weeks ago. It was so much fun – I can only imagine how much fun you had! ‘Cause those colors are the best!

    Reply
  • I’ve had my clay and tools for a long time but took my first steps about 4 weeks ago. It was so much fun – I can only imagine how much fun you had! ‘Cause those colors are the best!

    Reply
  • I’ve had my clay and tools for a long time but took my first steps about 4 weeks ago. It was so much fun – I can only imagine how much fun you had! ‘Cause those colors are the best!

    Reply
  • I’ve had my clay and tools for a long time but took my first steps about 4 weeks ago. It was so much fun – I can only imagine how much fun you had! ‘Cause those colors are the best!

    Reply

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