Poly Gnomes by Cass

 

Welcome to the enchanting world of Poly Gnomes by Cass.

Introducing Australian Artist; Poly Gnomes by Cass.

Where the whimsy of imagination meets the tangible touch of artisan craftsmanship. Cass, an Australian polymer clay artist, creates each gnome with a heartfelt blend of creativity and precision, ensuring that no two figures are alike.

Cass invites us into her unique artistic journey—whether she's working under the open sky or at her kitchen table, her hands shape more than just clay; they bring to life an array of colourful characters, from garden companions on sticks to playful game board tokens.

Each piece, vibrant and detailed, is not just crafted but lovingly brought to life, complete with its own quirky hat twists and distinctive beard shapes.

Join Cass as she delves into the details of her creative process, the spontaneous choices of colors, and the meticulous glazing that makes each gnome a standout creation.

Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.

I love creating my polymer clay gnomes (the little fellows), watching them come to life from blocks of polymer clay, mixing and twisting the colours, with no two ever the same.

I like to work outside whenever possible, but otherwise I don't have a dedicated space to work - usually on the kitchen table.

I never know what colours I'll use until I sit down and start creating.

I'll have maybe a dozen coloured polymer clay blocks in front of me, but it's not until I sit and get going that the 'colour/s of the day' will grab my attention. Sometimes I'll go with bright colours, other days I'll use softer, more muted tones, but every creative session is different.

Sometimes I'll create just gnomes on sticks for plant companions, other days just game board tokens, or maybe just toadstools, or I can have a day when I'll make them all.

I've honed my processes for consistency, even down to weighing the clays I use, though the uniqueness of each piece remains. Apart from the different colours, every hat twist is different, every toadstool spot is unique, and the beard and nose shapes always vary slightly in size and shape.

Almost as time consuming as making the gnomes is the glazing.

I use UV resin, which requires a good day to get out into the sun for curing. The glaze makes the colours really 'pop' and I love the result. (While the resin requires UV to cure, the creations are for indoor use only as sun can fade/discolour the clay).

Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.

I was playing around with playdough when my daughter was little (she's now 26) and it kind of progressed to polymer clay. I made a few little bits and pieces for fun, mainly farm animals (we lived on a dairy farm back then).

I thought nothing more of it until I found some of those old creations during Covid lockdowns and started to play around again.

I made a gnome, loved the little guy, and made a few more. Then a few more... and then a few more! How many did we really need around the house??!! I HAD to start selling. I joined MadeIt in May 2021.

The quality of my pieces has improved since then, as have my processes, and the style has changed slightly because of that. I started selling gnomes to sit under house plants, then added toadstools.

About six months ago I added game board tokens to the mix, and have recently started putting my gnomes on sticks (removable) to take them into the leafy 'canopy' of house plants.

What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?

I’m blessed to have a hubby who loves to see me doing something I love. The pleasure he gets from seeing my creations when he comes home from work is almost inspiration enough.

Despite the clay I work with being a plastic, seeing the colours 'pop' with the resin finish always turns my mind to nature. It’s like wetting a beautiful rock and seeing the colours come out that you didn’t realise were even there.

Where did you learn your craft?

I'd love to say 'my Grandma taught me', or it's something that 'I did with my Mum', but I guess 'learning my craft' was more like playing with my daughter when she was a little tacker.

Like playing with playdough as a child, creating with polymer clay is fun! It's like letting my inner child out. I've honed my processes over the past 12 months or so, finding what works, what doesn't, what makes the process easier, and learning how my oven temperature used to spike and burn my pieces (I know my oven now!)

It was all a learning process and I'm sure there's more to come. Bring it on!!

Why is handmade artistry so important to you?

Handmade = love.

With any handmade product you know that each creation holds a little piece of the artist’s heart. When I post off an order of my little gnomes or toadstools, I feel like a little of my own love is being spread to the world.

Being a handmade artist myself, I really do appreciate the love that comes with every handmade piece I own.