Polymer Clay

Fimo and clay tips and tutorials

Artist Spotlight: Emma Ralph

by

claricebeadcloseup.jpgUK artist Emma Ralph has branched off into many mediums in her beadmaking explorations over the years, but she is still best known for her work in polymer clay.  Collected by jewelry designers around the world, Emma’s work has appeared in numerous publications and in her own polymer clay books, Get Creative with Polymer Clay and Step by Step Polymer Clay in a Day. 

In today’s artist spotlight Emma shares a little bit about her creative journey and inspiration.

What was your first polymer clay project?

I first used Fimo when I was a kid, around 8 or 9 years old. I used it to make a brooch, wrapping some black clay around a “bouquet” of beads on headpins. It looked quite funky as it happens! I must re-create that project one day. But I didn’t really start to use Fimo in earnest until my teens when I started to use it to make beads.

Besides a pasta machine, what polymer clay tool can’t you live without? Wooden toothpicks are my most used tool I think. I use them for piercing beads, supporting beads if I am varnishing them and so on. I also would have a hard time living without my tissue blades and my Kato marxit tool!

What inspires your polymer clay creations?

I have always been inspired by art, craft and the history of design. So really, living in the UK its hard to find something that doesn’t inspire you creatively. With polymer clay though, it is colour that does it for me. I find clay such a perfect medium to explore colour that really I can’t see beyond that these days. My beads are all about playing one colour against another – I never seem to get bored and find myself dreaming up the perfect “Holy Grail” colour combinations!

hh50_med.jpg
Would you share a color recipe with us?

I love to mix custom colours to use as the base of my beads or as canework accents. Particularly I like to mix my colours with a fleshtone base – it creates the most wonderful muted colours. Another favorite trick is to mix a touch of a colour’s complementary colour in with it. It somehow breathes a bit of life and soul into the colour. Try mixing just a touch of orange into apple green – delicious! Just like the leaves of a beech tree in Spring.

You can view more of Emma’s beautiful work on her website.

ee17_med.jpg

[tags]polymer clay, beads, art beads, Emma Ralph, jewelry[/tags]

Have you read?

DIY Doily Pinch Bowl Set with Matching Platter

There’s something so satisfying about creating a whole handmade set that feels like it belongs together. After experimenting with my grandmother’s doilies on flat slabs of clay, I wanted to see how they would look when pressed onto a curved form. That’s how this set of three doily pinch bowls was born—each one textured on the outside with lace, glazed in soft tones, and displayed together on a matching pink speckled doily platter.

It’s a beautiful way to combine sentimental textiles with modern pottery design. The finished set makes a charming serving arrangement for nibbles, dips, or trinkets, and it doubles as a decorative centerpiece when not in use.

Materials You’ll Need

  • White pottery clay (stoneware or porcelain) 
  • Rolling pin 
  • Crochet doily (preferably a smaller one for consistent texture) 
  • Sponge and water 
  • Small bowls or your hands (to form the pinch bowls) 
  • Knife or clay cutter 
  • Plastic wrap 
  • Kiln access (or community pottery studio) 
  • White glaze 
  • Pink speckled glaze (or white glaze with pink oxide) 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Prepare the Clay

Cut your clay into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball about the size of a small orange.

Step 2: Form the Pinch Bowls

Using your thumbs, gently press into the center of each clay ball and pinch outward, rotating as you go, until you form small bowl shapes. Keep the walls fairly even, but don’t worry about perfection—pinch bowls are meant to have a rustic, organic charm.

Step 3: Press the Doily Texture

Drape a crochet doily around the outside of each bowl. Gently press it into the surface with your fingers or a rolling pin. Carefully peel it back to reveal the lace impression. Each bowl will carry the delicate detail of the doily, almost like a frozen textile pattern.

Step 4: Refine the Shape

Smooth the rims with a damp sponge, rounding off any sharp edges. Leave the outside textured, but clean up the insides of the bowls so they’re smooth for glazing.

Step 5: Dry and Fire

Let the bowls dry slowly until bone dry. Bisque fire them with the platter if you’re making the full set together.

Step 6: Glaze and Finish

For a cohesive look, glaze the pinch bowls in soft white or cream, allowing the doily texture to stand out. Place them on the matching pink speckled doily platter (created using the earlier technique) for a complete serving set.

Styling Ideas

  • Serving Set: Use the three bowls for nuts, olives, and dips when entertaining. 
  • Jewelry Dishes: Perfect for holding rings, bracelets, and earrings on your dresser. 
  • Decorative Accent: Place them on the platter as a centerpiece with seasonal décor inside (dried flowers, crystals, or potpourri). 
  • Gift Idea: Wrap the full set as a handmade, one-of-a-kind present for weddings or housewarmings. 

Why I Love This Project

These bowls carry a story. The lace impressions remind me of my grandmother’s hand-crocheted doilies, yet the final design feels fresh and modern. Displayed together on the platter, they become more than functional—they’re a handmade heirloom set that blends memory with everyday beauty.