Inkandescent Public Relations

Artisan Stephanie Ponder

I have always liked to keep my hands busy. I’ve cycled through latch hook rugs, bubble gum wrapper chains, cross stitch, knitting and finally the pendants and other pieces made with resin.

But when I saw examples of resin on Scrabble tiles, I knew it was something I had to try making. In the last couple of years, I’ve battled with errant bubbles, resin that doesn’t cure, and paper that isn’t sealed properly. Nonetheless, each imperfect piece was a learning opportunity.

At last, I have mastered the art of adhering art to Scrabble tiles. It’s amazing to see how an image will read when it’s reproduced in such a small format. It doesn’t hurt that the resin helps images pop. It’s also fun to see the effects of a little well-placed glitter.

The result of my effort is a collection of fun and easy-to-wear pendants, hair clips, pins, bracelets, and earrings. It’s the art of featuring art on jewelry, and my work includes images from birds and pin-ups, to butterflies and fun geometric designs. If it were up to me, it would be all hedgehogs, squids, and sightings of Bigfoot — but I do try to appeal to as many tastes as possible.

I’ve also found that the tiles work really well with photos that have been resized. I’ve done several commissioned pieces—on the letter(s) of choice. So if that’s what you fancy, send along an image of your favorite piece of art, your husband (or wife), your new baby, college grad, or your grandma, and I’ll see what I can do.

One of my favorite things about making the titles has been selling them at local markets here in Washington State. I’ll never tire of hearing people’s thoughts on the ones they like best. Everyone’s tastes are so different.

Another perk is that making the tiles is something very different from my day job as a writer and editor. I’m able to get away from the computer and explore with my design skills. I have three degrees: B.A. in German and Masters degrees in Library Science and Journalism. After all of the emphasis on words, playing with images just makes my brain feel good.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with dominoes, large beads, metal bezels and polymer clay as substrates. I’ve also created my own small collages and made image transfers with acrylic mediums.

The tiles start out at $10 each—or three for $20. Bracelets are $15 and the big hair barrettes are $25. See those below. To order, send me an email at seponder@hotmail.com.