Polymer Garden

Inspired by nature and magic, Arbel's work is a mix of nature meets fantasy, with a healthy dose of craftsmanship. Her style is very organic and flexible, allowing creativity to flourish. The beauty of creating in polymer clay is that the possibilities are endless. We create something out of nothing, with our creativity, we breath life into a blank block of clay, that is magical. Arbel has a BFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute, and is a GIA certified Gemologist. She was one of the pioneer beadwork teachers in the 1980's, teaching at the "Orb Weaver" bead store in Oakland CA. She is a guest teacher on the PBS show "Beads Baubles and Jewels" and on the Fire Mountain Gems and beads videos. She studied metalworking at the college of Marin and worked for Jewelry designer Janet Alix. From 1990-2002 she designed and created silver and gold jewelry using both fabrication and casting. For 13 years she was the designer and coordinator of the Fire Mountain Gems print ads, displaying in all major beading, polymer clay and crafting magazines. She left FMG in 2014 to become an independent designer. Arbel lives in Berkeley CA with her husband and two Tibetan terriers.