# Mesa Pens~Millefiori Polymer Clay



## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

These are my first pens I have made that were not Slimelines or Fountain Pens. This is the Mesa pen from Woodworkingz.com. I love the way they look and feel a great weight(IMO).


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## Pioneerpens (Mar 11, 2010)

Absolutely stunning!


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Thank You Jennifer!!!


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## snowman56 (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni
You do very nice work.


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## Chief Hill (Mar 11, 2010)

Yes you do beautiful work.  You should post a video one day on how you do your art one day.  It looks very time consuming.


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## Dustygoose (Mar 11, 2010)

Looks great Toni. I agree with the video


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## skiprat (Mar 11, 2010)

I've also been watching your PC pen posts and I'm as amazed as everyone else. I can't even begin to imagine how you do the floral pattern. Stunning!!:biggrin:


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## Old Lar (Mar 11, 2010)

You are definitely making changes in how people are going to do poly clay pens.  They are the greatest!


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## johncrane (Mar 11, 2010)

Awesome work, like i said Toni best i have ever seen.:biggrin:


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## David Keller (Mar 11, 2010)

Looks great...  Looking forward to more pens from you.


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## LEAP (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni,
Thats an excellent choice of kit. It really displays your work well. Oh and did I say that they are beautiful?


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## creativewriting (Mar 11, 2010)

Show off:biggrin::biggrin::wink:!


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## mbroberg (Mar 11, 2010)

Very beautiful!!


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## Seer (Mar 11, 2010)

Absolutely beautiful work great job
Jerry


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## jttheclockman (Mar 11, 2010)

Get yourself some Elegant Beauty kits which are basically in the Sierra family. They would look fantastic on them. Your work is top shelf and the process or technique you use is pioneering in our field. Thanks for showing and glad you found the site. Keep showing these great pens. Enjoy looking at them and I am sure they would be huge sellers.


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## Jim15 (Mar 11, 2010)

It's already been said but I'll say it again, those are awesome.


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## nava1uni (Mar 11, 2010)

Exquisite work.  Amazing craftmanship.


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 11, 2010)

beee-you-tee-ful


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## cnirenberg (Mar 11, 2010)

Excellent work.  That purple pen is simply gorgeous.


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## clraney74 (Mar 11, 2010)

*Very beautivul*

Very, very nice pens. I also would love to see a tutorial on how you make them.


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## thewishman (Mar 11, 2010)

Beautiful! Are those the :wink: tutorial :wink: pens???

My mail box has been waiting for a box from Kiwi country - can't wait to see your work first-hand.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Thank you Everyone for the complements!! Much appreciated.

As for a video thats pushing it a bit Dont have a video camera for one and I sound dreadful.

I have every intention in doing a tutorial on how they are made, I have been quite busy this week with bead orders(how awful to have to do something other than pens).  Hoping next week I can start working on it.

I dont know which pen design I will use for the tutorial, I have tubes for Sierra and Slimelines and one more Mesa pen. Your choice!! unless I can get some Sedonnoa's.

Love the Elegant Beauty pens!!!! I WILL be ordering them, saw them on BereaHardwoods, is that the best place to get them from?

The wishman~I to am waiting for you to recieve them, quite nervous actually, hope its glowing feedback:biggrin:


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## LEAP (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi Toni,
Just got your pen in the mail today, I have to say it is even more impressive in person. I know the boss will be more than happy with it. I'm sure she will be sending some orders your way when her coworkers see it. You better get busy!


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Phil~I was hoping the pens would be arriving today, should be interesting to see fi the other members who purchased will recieve them as well.

I am relieved that you are impressed(even though its a Slimeline).  Please let me know your wife's feedback.  I will have some new ones today to post:biggrin:

Hoping everyone on the board doesnt get sick and tired of me posting, BUT I LOVE PENS!!


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## Pioneerpens (Mar 11, 2010)

I'm patiently waiting for you to post your pens..


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## workinforwood (Mar 11, 2010)

They look great Toni.  My wife was sure admiring them, but they were sold out on your Etsy site and you never PM'd me back for me to purchase one.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Jennifer you are evil:devil:

Workinforwood~omg I am soo sorry i must have missed it alot of members have been messaging me(for pens..sigh).  You get first pick of this lot!! Hows that, so get your wife ready!!


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## Pioneerpens (Mar 11, 2010)

me? evil? Never  but I do want to get one too,


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

you saw the tubes on facebook last night/morning..LOL

I will get the photos up now


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## jskeen (Mar 11, 2010)

fabulous stuff, I must say.  True "art" pens, as opposed to those of us who have to make do with competent craftsmanship and hope for the occasional brief stroke of original design inspiration.  I'm very curious, just how "mature" the market for your work is in the bead/locket/broach department as opposed to pens.  Are there a couple of artists doing caning in pc that consistently reach your level of excellence, or a couple dozen, or a couple of hundred?   I understand that things may be a little different "down unda" vs back home in 'Joisey, but would someone see work at your level at several booths at a major show, or would you (honestly, now, if you please) expect to outshine anybody out there at any venue you chose to attend?    

I am pretty confident that if nobody on this forum has come forward to say "yeah, neat, I saw a few of those at my last show at (insert major craft venue here)" that's because nobody has decided to apply canes of your caliber to pens and show them anywhere so far.  If the members here haven't seen it, it's probably not being done, period!   So you can feel fairly confident of having a monopoly for a little while longer, anyway.  And people around here have a rather odd and anachronistic tendency to buy from whoever introduced a new product first anyway, as long as they can.  

Sorry if my curiosity bump got me in trouble again, you're welcome to tell me to mind my own darn business (it's happened before), I don't mind.  Or, you could PM me if you don't want to reply in open forum. 

Thanks
James in Houston
(that's in Texas, btw


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## sparhawk (Mar 11, 2010)

Those are beautiful! Great work.


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## Pioneerpens (Mar 11, 2010)

i did, and they are beautiful!  so i wait....


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## Kaspar (Mar 11, 2010)

Beautiful, Toni.  

I've been looking into how it's done.  Those canes are complicated, but I get it.  I may give it a try myself at some point.  

I don't know if you saw that last PM I sent, but the offer still stands of you need help getting anything from AZ Silhouette.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Kasper thank you so much!!

Sparhawk thank you!!

Oh boy...James you said a mouth full, loved the "Joisey":biggrin: I will reply here to your questions, BUT you would be better off asking Keith aka creativewriting this question as well, hopefully he will see it.

I used to sell alot of my work when I lived in the USA mostly jewelry, pens at that time were not what I was "INTO". I sold tons of Eggs(made over 400 eggs,so when I find something i like I to do..I DO IT!) I have been published many times in magazines, newspapers and have had a few pieces of my work in the gallery section of books. Also, placed in a few contests(ok Keith, Rock star go for it). 

the art/craft venues I have been to I have not seen any polymer clay work and I have never had a booth till I moved here and it was awful!! I cant answer that question honestly.

Next..the dreaded question...Polymer clay is huge,there are thousands of people that work with it, to reach my level(whatever that is) takes years, unless you are truly gifted) I do not consider myself a Rock Star and I do not know how many are as good as me as I see the ones that are better than me(low self esteem issue here). I "AM" known in the "Polymer Clay" circle as an amazing artist, I take HUGE pride in my work and go the extra mile, also I am approachable, have a great sense of humore and am honest. Dont know if i have answered your question.

Oh and there are alot of pc people out there doing pens, go on Etsy and do a search"polymer clay pens" and you can see some of the other work out there and you can be the judge as to how my work rates:biggrin:

I think the art I do to the pens is not a fad, its been sold in the pc world for over 10 years, maybe you just havent seen anyone as good as me(omg did i just say that??)

Let me know if I missed anything and you didnt upset me in the least..


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## creativewriting (Mar 11, 2010)

Hey Rock Star!:biggrin:  You know I had to do it.  As for the questions about PC and other artists I will try to keep it short.

Polymer clay is growing at a very fast pace.  The growth is mainly due to the versatility of the medium (i.e. jewelry, statues, furniture, pens, etc.).  There are several forums, guilds, and other sites with some fabulous artists doing some amazing work.

Toni is correct in saying learning to cane, with the detail in which Toni canes, would take years.  It is part vision, part science, and a whole lot of patience (which I have none of).  Toni's canes are some of the best canes out there at the moment.  There are some other great artist out there doing what she and I do.  

Polymer has been around for a while and I don't think it is going any where.  My mother was a polymer artist for years.  She has been out of it for quit some time, but I can remember the artists back in the '80's that were doing shows and publishing books.  PC has come a long way and is just now getting past being labeled a kids toy.

I am not sure if that answered anything or added to Toni's insight, but it is my $.02.

Toni your still a show off....:wink:


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## Kaspar (Mar 11, 2010)

I've been poking around the net looking at canes and tutorials for a week or so, and while there are plenty of people willing to share info, I have not seen any canes that look as good as hers.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Love yah Keith!! Thanks for your 2cents!!


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## Drcal (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni,
Do you turn these at all?  Or do you just smooth them our by hand?

Carmen


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Carmen~they are not turned at all!! I am going to make a post somewhere on the board about how they are made.  I would very much like to explain, where should i make the post?  They are sanded through multiple grits up to 2,000 and then buffed on a muselin wheel and coated with a clear polish to keep the shine.


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## Russianwolf (Mar 11, 2010)

And Toni, Congrats on the cover photo.


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## creativewriting (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni, I would post your tut in the advanced forum!


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

RussianWolfe thank you it was quite the surprise, I didnt even know how you got there.

Keith~I havent written the tutorial yet but I wanted to explain a bit how it is done.


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## Glenn McCullough (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni,
    I dont do polimer clay and havent seen any that encouraged me to try it. I wouldnt attempt what you do, they are beautiful...pm sent.


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## bitshird (Mar 11, 2010)

I've always sort of looked down my nose at Polymer Clay pens, but you really opened my eyes to some rare beauty. Thank you for showing these wonderful creations.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Ken~WOW that was an honest comment to make, but you are right many people put it down because its a man-made clay, also has the reputation its for kids.  Guess I am a kid at heart.  Thank you for the complement I love what i do.


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## Russianwolf (Mar 11, 2010)

Toni said:


> Ken~WOW that was an honest comment to make, but you are right many people put it down because its a man-made clay, also has the reputation its for kids.  Guess I am a kid at heart.  Thank you for the complement I love what i do.



I think the other reason is that people associate it with the bic pen wraps that look very wierd to most. By putting them on the tubes of component pens they look 100000000 time better.


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## Toni (Mar 11, 2010)

Mike~been there done that, I can show you some of my bic pens if you want and guess what? they arent girlie...LOL


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## theHullTurn (Mar 11, 2010)

Simply amazing!!


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## altaciii (Mar 11, 2010)

Congrats on the featured pens on the IAP, Toni.  Your pens are beautiful works of art.


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 11, 2010)

Front page!  WOOHOO!!


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## TheRealSmith (Mar 11, 2010)

You got Center Stage :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

waiting by the mailbox everyday for my box coming from far away.....


Dan
Burlieve it or Knot

www.therealsmith.com/pens


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## chriselle (Mar 11, 2010)

bitshird said:


> *I've always sort of looked down my nose at Polymer Clay pens*, but you really opened my eyes to some rare beauty. Thank you for showing these wonderful creations.



Well, I'm glad Ken said it first..:wink:  

In the same complex as my pen shop there is a lady with a PC art business and I was always impressed with her work...to a degree.  I have also been quietly lurking around the various PC threads that have popped up around here lately but still......nah..not for me.  BUT today I log in and BAMM there are these absolutely wonderful pieces adorning the cover page.....SPRING has SPRUNG !!  Fantastic work!  I can't wait to get a glimpse into your creative process in rendering these stunning works.  

Thanks for sharing,

   Chris


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## Freethinker (Mar 12, 2010)

bitshird said:


> I've always sort of looked down my nose at Polymer Clay pens, but you really opened my eyes to some rare beauty. Thank you for showing these wonderful creations.



I second that......most of the clay pens I've seen in the past were pretty ho-hum.....

...but THESE...??

WOW. Simply a work of art.

Incredibly beautiful. My highest compliments to the artist, Toni.


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## Toni (Mar 12, 2010)

thank you so much for the wonderful complements!!

I just may convert all you wood turners to use clay or a collaboration??


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