Get to know Kacie Landis Bourque

Get to know artist Allie Burton Art!

Collaborations have been one of my most favorite parts of this creative journey that I am on. Each collaboration that I have been a part of has been so special - each one has pushed me out of my creative comfort zone, challenged me to try new color palettes, and exposed me to new styles and ideas. This collaboration with Emily Anne Art Studio is no different. I want to take you behind the scenes into the process of this collaboration from the beginning all the way to the launch. I was first introduced to Emily's work through my friendship with Greta Lindquist - one of the greatest things about being friends with other artists is you are always getting exposed to other artists. I loved Emily's artwork immediately - her ability to be loose and free with her brushstrokes and create beautiful marks blows me away. I also loved that she was a boy mama - like me. I followed her and watched her for quite a while - simply enjoying the peace and tranquility that her artistic process offered.  This past Summer, Emily started a new series in which she painted "mini" pieces of artwork. Tiny little abstract works of art. She continued to challenge herself to paint smaller and smaller and as I watched this progression - suddenly it clicked. If she likes to paint small - why not paint on earrings?? I immediately sent her a message - literally one of those like, "hey girl..." messages - I didn't even know if she knew of my work at all. I just asked her if she would ever be interested in creating some earrings with me and  to my relief, she responded with almost more enthusiasm than I had at that time. Actually, the first thing she said was, "I am 100% on board." She was so excited, which made me even more excited. We started planning the collection and talking color palettes right away.  We knew we wanted to stick with neutral and muted colors. We decided to go very neutral with the clay colors - to give Emily a completely blank canvas to add any colors she felt drawn to. I hand mixed and conditioned the clay into a soft and beautiful ivory. I also decided to add some speckle into some of the pieces - which ended up being Emily's and my favorite.   Once the clay was mixed and properly conditioned, I had to decided which shapes would best compliment Emily's work. I cut the clay and then baked the clay pieces. This beginning part of the process (mixing, conditioning, cutting, baking) can take upwards of 3 hours. I always bake clay for longer than the recommended time and place the clay between sheets of paper and clay tiles to reduce shininess and bubbles.  After the clay cooled, I sanded the pieces and got them ready to send to Emily.   I carefully packaged them up and mailed the pieces off to Emily. When Emily received the pieces, she immediately began experimenting. I have only ever used acrylic paints on clay and she did not want to use acrylics - she had other ideas and she was determined to make it happen. It took a little trial and error (RIP to a few clay pieces) but Emily was able to prep the clay in a way that allowed her to use many different mediums to create her artwork.  There was nothing I could do from thousands of miles away except impatiently wait for Emily to share photos and videos of her process. In my opinion, she was working literal magic. I love the freedom of her brushstrokes and her mark-making is breathtaking. I could not have imagined more beautiful work for these pieces. She also signed each pair on the back - so each pair is an official, signed piece of wearable artwork. She ended up varnishing the pieces before mailing them back because sometimes painting with certain mediums on polymer clay can result in a slightly sticky feel. She also bagged them individually to further ensure that they would arrive safely.  When I received them - I literally screamed. They are TOO beautiful and I was so excited to get to work finishing them. Finishing earrings is one of my favorite parts of the artistic process - adding resin and earring components elevate the work so much.  My first step to finishing these earrings was to resin each piece - which is lengthy process. I applied UV resin to each piece, carefully smoothing it out and spreading it to the edge. I then torched each piece to get rid of any air bubbles and then cured them under a UV light for about 3-5 minutes each. Then I got to choose the composition of each pair of earrings. Which earrings should dangle? Which earrings should remain studs? Should I use brass components or wood? I had to choose earring components that not only complimented Emily's work but elevated it. I laid each pair out and switched out components and compositions until I found the perfect designs.  I drilled the pieces that needed to be drilled, adhered stud posts, and attached earring components. I slowly watched the collection come to life. And it was gorgeous. This collection was special. I gained a new friend and got to be a part of making something truly beautiful.  It launches Saturday, October 9th 2021 at 1PM cst.   I am always looking for collaboration ideas so if you have an artist that you think would be interested in creating a possible collaboration - reach out and let me know! 

Creating with polymer clay has had a definite learning curve for me - particularly because every maker has their own way of doing things. When I was researching best practices and tips for making with polymer clay, I was getting tons of conflicting information. In all honesty, my journey with polymer clay has been a lot of trial and error. A lot of experimenting. A lot of ruined pieces and wasted clay. I still have a lot to learn, obviously. The difference is that now I am very confident in the quality of my creations and I truly believe that the jewelry and accessories I create will last. I know that they are beautiful and have value. If I could somehow go back and tell myself 10 things that I know now creating with polymer clay - this is what I would say: 1. Buy quality polymer clay. It is important. In my opinion, all polymer clay is not created equally. Buying quality clay is worth the investment (in both time and money). During the pandemic, polymer clay has been extremely hard to find. I finally had clay delivered in early March 2021 that I had been on a waiting list for since August of 2020. I just got creative with color mixing and used the colors that I was able to get. Personally, I enjoy using Sculpey Souffle, Sculpey Premo, or Cernit. 2. Baking time is important. Polymer clay breaks almost always because baking time was incorrect. Polymer clay is actually a plastic (similar to PVC, polymer polyvinyl chloride) and will bend before it breaks if it is baked for the correct amount of time. The clay packages have suggested baking times on them and they vary slightly for different brands of polymer clay. However, I have learned that it is pretty difficult to overbake clay and the longer that I bake the clay - the more durable my pieces are. I make sure that my oven is fully pre-heated and I bake my clay pieces for 60-90 minutes at minimum.  3. The Lucy Clay Machine is a good investment. I invested in a Lucy Clay Machine in September of 2020 and 100% wish that I would have done it sooner. The Lucy Clay Machine is a hefty investment (more than $600), but it completely changed the way I create with polymer clay. First of all - it is a quality piece of equipment and will last for a very long time. I have not had a single problem with it so far. It is easy to clean and so easy to use. It can condition an entire bar of clay at once, which is something that other pasta machines could not even come close to accomplishing. This has reduced color-mixing and conditioning time so much - which has improved my enjoyment of the entire process. It is also so smooth - I never get ripples or waves in my polymer clay, which is a huge issue with other pasta rollers. I definitely wish I would have invested sooner. 4. Invest in quality cutters. Good quality cutters are so worth it. I have had the most success with 3D printed cutters, as they have the sharpest cutting edge. A sharp, clean cutter will leave a smooth edge that requires little to no sanding later. You can definitely use any cutter - it just increases your sanding time so you can still get that smooth edge! A lot of other polymer clay earring makers have started designing and printing their own 3D cutters and the quality has been great!  5. Buy a micro-dremel for drilling. When I first started making polymer clay earrings, I was poking my holes into raw clay with a toothpick. The holes were not consistent in size or shape, which not only looked unprofessional, but it also made assembling earrings more difficult. The moment I purchased my micro-dremel and began drilling holes into baked clay pieces - my earrings looked a million times better.  6. Sanding is essential. I literally cringe thinking of all of the months that I was selling earrings that were not sanded. You HAVE to sand your edges (but never the top). The finishes are so so important to achieving an earring that looks finished and professional. I use my micro-dremel with a wool buffer attachment to sand all of my clay pieces. I also wear a face mask so that I don't breathe in all of that clay dust!  7. Save every piece of scrap clay. This tip is especially important due to the pandemic-fueled polymer clay shortage. I save every single scrap of clay that I can. You can get the most beautiful, muted colors by mixing the most random pieces of scrap clay. Some of my most beautiful custom colors have been from mixing my scrap clay. NEVER throw it out! 8. Take quality pictures. I primarily sell my work through my website, so quality photographs are so important. Taking beautiful photos is the only way that I can elevate my jewelry and convey its beauty and value to my customers. I am not a professional photographer, but I have learned a few tips. I always make sure to take photos in good lighting, usually by a big window or outside in a shaded area (if weather permits). I use simple props to create beautiful flat lays. I use eucalyptus branches, ribbon, and ceramic coasters the most often. I also always edit my photographs to make sure that they look finished and professional.  9. Price your work appropriately. In the beginning, I was under-pricing my work compared to other polymer clay artists. However, the quality of my work was not great either. As I continued to learn and become more skillful, I gradually increased my prices. I struggle with having my work remain at a price point that is accessible, while also honoring its value. I believe my work is valuable and beautiful and I am working to price it that way. I need to price my work in a way that is sustainable - a way that honors the investment made in materials, my time, and the value of the work.  10. Be creative. Don't be afraid to try new things! Try new techniques. Play with shape. Experiment with texture and color. One of my favorite creations to date came from my playing with polymer clay and dried flowers - a little bit of experimentation led to my dried floral polymer clay hair clips.