MossyOwls

A Charming Exchange Charity Auction

2009-10-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

(Where has half of October gone?! These days are flying by with unsettling rapidity. I meant to blog about this a couple of weeks ago, but better late than never. . .)

You may remember that I was so fortunate as to be included in A Charming Exchange: 25 Jewelry Projects to Create & Share, by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae. (Or more precisely, some of my cupcake, cookie, and Pop-Tart charms were included in a couple of the totally "charming" projects in that gorgeous book.)

Well, this month Ruth and Kelly are auctioning off the pieces featured in the book-- and they're donating 100% of the proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's a great cause, supporting research to find a cure for breast cancer (October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

If you're on the hunt for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift or just want to treat yourself to something beautiful (and support a worthy cause at the same time), please take a moment to look at the auctions.

The Charming Exchange blog has all the information you need, as well as lots of tantalizing photos of the items up for bid. There are some lovely works of art just waiting for that lucky highest bidder. . .

We'd also appreciate it if you can spread the word to any friends who might be interested.

Thanks so much!

Changing Seasons

2009-10-09T07:04:00.003-05:00

After a very brief taste of fall, earlier this month, we here on the Alabama Gulf Coast have been plunged back into a late, hot, humid summer. Relief is supposed to come next week. Until then, I'm staying in the A/C and pretending it's autumn. ;o)

This morning, Ponsawan's beautiful autumn-colored acorns were just the thing to help me pretend! These would be lovely in jewelry, of course, but I think they'd also be wonderful in a small bowl or worked into a flower arrangement or an autumn wreath. (Fall puts me in the nesting mood! How about you?)

(I know I've fallen back into silence-- yet again-- but I have at least one more post already in mind to write, so I'll probably be back later today. Maybe if I can get three in a row I'll pick up some momentum!)

Clay Goodies for Chocoholics

2009-09-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

This morning, I happened across a yummy piece of chocolate in polymer clay, from Perlenküche.

That's realistic enough to make your mouth water, if you're a chocolate-lover.

One difference I see between it and the real thing (also pictured in the blog entry) is the lower sheen in the clay piece. If desired, a slight shine is easily achieved with a light buffing with a denim rag. However, the more matte finish of the polymer chocolate looks like a lot of real chocolate I've seen. (As usual, it comes down to personal preference.)

The accuracy of the stamped brand name is great, and the edges look just like a tab of chocolate broken off a bar. (Boy, I sure hope any chocoholics who see this have a stash to break into. After looking at those photos, you're probably going to need it!)

Every now and then, I notice photos of polymer clay chocolates from my contacts on Flickr. If you're looking for more chocolatey clay goodies to drool over, Flickr and other photo-hosting sites are good places to search for decadent creations-- both dollhouse scale and larger (frequently worked into jewelry).

Songbird Eggs Tutorial

2009-08-28T08:07:00.002-05:00

I've been a bad blogger. I'll continue to try to do better, but we'll just have to see how that works. (g)

If I'm one of your contacts on Flickr, you may already have seen this, but for those who haven't, there's a new tutorial up on Polymer Clay Web.

~Songbird Eggs~

For symbols of springtime, life, and new beginnings, few things can compete with the songbird's egg. Softly tinted eggs are a refreshing reminder of unending potentialities in the world around us.

People often puncture, drain, clean, and dye chicken's eggs with beautiful results, but real eggs are delicate. These polymer clay eggs are much more durable, and you can make them in any size or color you want.

With only a few supplies, you can create a whole nest's worth of polymer clay eggs. They make charming decorations for the home, or they can be fitted with an eye pin and worked into unique pieces of jewelry.

This is a simple project ideal for children and those new to clay.

"Chatty Charms" Tutorial

2009-07-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

("Chatty Charms?" you say. "Really?" Yes, really. I have a penchant for cutesy names. I'd like to say I've struggled with it, but that wouldn't be true. I've merely given in to it-- alliterated myself into oblivion. Oh well. We all have our faults.)

Today, I added a tutorial for "Chatty Charms" to Polymer Clay Web.

You may, perhaps, be wondering what on earth a "chatty charm" is.
Here's an explanation:

Do you have something to say to the world? Feel the need to express yourself? "Chatty Charms" can help you spread the word, leaving your mouth free for other, more engrossing pursuits, such as eating ice cream, smooching, or playing the harmonica. (These are of course only suggestions. If you'd rather whistle, stick out your tongue, or savor some chocolate instead, I won't tell.)

Ideal for beginners, this project relies upon a couple of very basic but versatile techniques. Stamping and antiquing are useful in a variety of other applications, and this is a fun way to familiarize yourself with them both.

Put your monogram on a pendant— create handy label-style keychains— engrave favorite quotations on fridge magnets! Choose words of inspiration, pile on the sarcasm, or opt for something completely off the wall! It's such a simple yet rewarding technique, you'll find it hard to stop.

So as you can see, this probably won't be anything new to people who've been claying a while. It's more geared toward those who are still new to polymer clay. That said, I did try out a couple of new (to me) things, in the process of making the tutorial.

First, I sanded some of the antiqued pendants. In the past, I've always just wiped the paint away before it dried completely. I think both techniques have their merits, but I've gotta say, right now I'm really loving the sanding. Wiping away the paint with a paper towel frequently leads to a vicious circle of wiping too much-- having to reapply the paint-- wiping too much again-- and so on. Since you wait for the paint to dry completely before you sand it, it seems a little easier to remove just as much as you want. (On the other hand, with sand paper you run the risk of scratching/removing some of the texture of the piece.)

Second, I tried using a thin coat of translucent liquid clay over an antiqued pendant to serve as a protection and to increase the sheen. I was very happy with the results-- much nicer (in my opinion) than a regular acrylic finish. I prefer the way the liquid clay feels, and there's no mess with brushes or streaky brush marks. Of course, we'll have to see how well it holds up, but I don't foresee any problems.

Well, that's it for me for today!
Happy claying!

Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Polyform Clay ;o)

2009-07-24T12:40:00.001-05:00

Well, maybe not quite everything, but Angela's (aka CraftyGoat's) most recent blog entry does bring up some interesting points. She shares her notes from a Q&A session Polyform offered at the IPCA retreat, so this is very fresh information. I highly recommend giving it a look, if you haven't already-- especially if you regularly use any of the Polyform clays (SculpeyIII, Premo, Studio by Sculpey, etc.).

I was surprised to read that Premo no longer contains phthalates. I'd heard that Kato Clay had made the switch, but nothing about (most of) Polyform's lines of clay. I'm not sure how I feel about that. If the phthalates really were a significant health risk, then of course it's good to avoid them, but I always wonder how much things of this nature may be blown out of proportion. I also wonder how much of a reduction in shelf life we should expect, now that so many brands are going phthalate-free... (This makes buying in bulk and/or stocking up during clay sales seem a bit more risky. Better get busy using up some of my more recently stock-piled clay, huh? (g))

It was also interesting to read that the recommended temperature is a little bit lower than what you need for optimum strength. (Apparently the manufacturers prefer to err on the safe side. Can't really blame them there, but it's good to have the facts.) I guess people knew what they were talking about, all these years, when they've said you're ok if you don't go over 300 degrees. I know I often find my oven's temperature tends to creep up higher than 275, but I've only scorched something once, and that was because it was too close to the heating element.

Anyway... Good stuff to know! Thanks for sharing the info, Angela!

Curing in Stages

2009-06-23T13:55:00.001-05:00

As I was working on something at my clay table, recently, it occurred to me how much of my work is cured in stages. I can't recall how long it took me to give multiple curings a try, but it has proven to be nearly essential for what I do.

Even if you're fairly new to polymer clay, you've probably read that it's possible to cure things in stages-- to adhere raw clay to cured (baked) clay and put the piece back into the oven-- but you may not see why you'd ever want to do that. After all, it takes time to cure and wait for a piece to cool, and we're all about instant gratification, these days. For many projects, a single curing is all you need. However, there are times when curing in stages is very much worth the extra time and effort involved.

Here are a handful of reasons to consider curing polymer clay pieces in stages:

Ease of Handling. Keeping clay free of fingerprints, nail marks, and other undesired textures can be a challenge-- even when wearing latex gloves (which can themselves leave textures and marks). Pre-curing a portion of your project-- a base, for example-- gives you a firm handle by which to hold and rotate the piece while you work on the remainder of it.
Preventing Dust. As long as clay is "open"-- that is, uncured or raw-- it seems to act like a dust magnet. Even if you're careful about covering uncured pieces between claying sessions, it's common to find stray bits of dust, fluff, and so on that have somehow landed on your project. Removing them can be tedious. Whenever possible, you can prevent dust from ruining your work "so far" by partially curing it. Dust may still settle on cured pieces, but it's easy to wipe away when you're ready to recommence work (or play).
Setting the Plasticizers. One of the reasons we condition polymer clay before sculpting it is to be sure that the plasticizers (the chemicals that make the clay malleable) are evenly distributed through the clay. You may have read (or noticed on your own) that even after clay has been conditioned, it can return to its original (right out of the wrapper) firmer state after it's been sitting around for a while. This is because the clay has cooled and the plasticizers have settled. It's a simple matter to recondition a ball or slab of clay-- just roll it through the pasta machine or scrunch and roll it between your hands. However, it's not such a simple matter to recondition clay that has been formed into a special shape and left to sit for weeks or months. You may cure such a piece and never have a problem, but some suggest that, if the plasticizers settle to the bottom of the clay, the strength of the clay may be reduced. Particularly if you plan to sell or give your work as gifts, you want to be certain that it is as strong and durable as possible. For this reason, I personally prefer to "set" the plasticizers in place by curing sooner rather than later. (When I've neglected to pre-cure, I've even scrapped partially constructed pieces-- putting the clay back to the recondition step-- rather than risk a weaker finished product.) Once cured, pieces can wait weeks, months, or even years for you to get around to the next step in your process.
Ease of Cleaning/Working on a Solid Surface. For some techniques, I find that a solid surface (cured clay) is easier to work with than a soft one (uncured clay). For instance, when I make faux ceramics, I prefer pre-curing the textured "base" before applying the tinted liquid clay. This makes it easier for me to handle without fear of leaving fingerprints. It also means I can more easily wipe away the liquid clay, should I change my mind after applying it.

If you do decide to try curing in stages, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

First, you'll have to decide, on a case by case basis, whether you trust the adhesion between the raw and cured clay to be sufficient. In many cases, it will be. However, when adding larger pieces-- or when the raw and cured clay share only a small surface connection-- you'll probably want to give the connection a little boost. You can use a dab of liquid clay (translucent, usually, but not necessarily) between the raw and cured clay. (Once cured, the liquid clay strengthens the bond between pieces.) You could also add a mechanical joint, such as a twisted piece of wire cured into the first piece and embedded into the second. Another option is curing the second (or third, or fourth) piece of clay separately and attaching it later (after everything has cooled to room temperature) with a cyanoacrylate glue (super glue).

Second, depending on your project and your plans, you can choose either partial curing (curing just long enough to firm up the clay and prevent it from taking fingerprints or dust) or complete curing (curing to the full length of time recommended by the manufacturers for the size of the piece). Partial curing is of course faster, and if you're going to finish the project and re-cure quickly, it's a perfectly good option. Also, there is less risk of color shifting than if you cure the "base" twice the required length of time. (You can reduce color shifting by using an aluminum foil "tent" over your pieces when you cure them and by mixing a little white or other opaque color of clay into colors that tend to shift.) On the other hand, complete curing makes the piece stronger-- less likely to break during any stresses it may encounter prior to final curing. If you plan to leave the piece for a very long time before returning to complete it, it may be wise to cure it completely. I've read horror stories about (accidentally) partially cured clay eventually crumbling (supposedly under the "attack" of unset plasticizers). It's up to you to decide which option is best for your particular set of circumstances.

- - - - - - -

I think that covers the basics. If you've never tried curing in stages, maybe it's time!

Back From a Long Absence

2009-06-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone still visits this blog, these days. (g) Still, I guess it's never too late to try to get back in the habit of occasionally blogging about polymer clay.

Just as I haven't been blogging clay, neither have I been keeping close tabs on all the latest clay news. However, I have taken a peek, now and again.

I was surprised to hear about Pardo-- another brand of polymer clay that is new to the American market-- and then Sculpey's new Bake Shop Oven-Bake Clay, which is a kid-friendly clay designed especially for children. (Angela Mabray-- aka CraftyGoat-- recently posted a review of Bake Shop.) I'm all for new clays (even though I still haven't even tried that formerly new brand, Studio by Sculpey), but I do hope "the powers that be" won't mess around too much (more than they already have) with the established brands.

I've never done much caning, but for a while I've kept it in the back of my mind as a "maybe someday". "Maybe someday I'll really dive into canework, instead of just feebly dabbling." Well, I've noticed a lot of chatter on clay blogs about a new technique that might make my (potential) future as a canework convert that much more interesting. I assume that most readers will already have seen this, but for those who haven't (and for my own future reference), here's a demonstrative video from PolyClayPlay:

This technique was developed by Idit Zoota. Essentially, the idea is that, instead of packing an irregularly shaped cane (like a flower) with translucent clay to aid in reduction, you can pack it with simple Play-Doh (or another water-soluble modeling material). Reduce as usual, then pull away the Play-Doh. Because it doesn't adhere to the polymer clay-- or at least not nearly as strongly as polymer clay sticks to itself-- you should be able to remove most of it easily. Stubborn bits can be soaked in water and gently brushed away with a soft brush.

Pretty neat, huh?
See, this is the kind of thing I've been missing out on! ;o)

Valentine's Day? Already?!

2009-01-29T08:22:00.000-06:00

Ok, it's not quite February 14th, but it'll be here in the blink of an eye. If you're planning to craft a polymer clay token of your affection for someone special, it's time to make your plans. Here are a few links that might help get you on your way to Valentine crafting bliss:

Last year, I compiled a list of ten Valentine project links from around the Internet. (Number 4 from that list is no longer working, but the others are still available.)
Also last year, I posted ten Valentine color schemes (courtesy of COLOURLovers.com).
Angela (aka CraftyGoat) hosts a tutorial for realistic conversation (candy) hearts.
Christi Friesen offers a free download of her Steampunk Clockwork Hearts tutorial.

I'm only a few years behind the times. . .

2009-01-08T14:10:00.002-06:00

A couple of days ago, I finally made my very first "retro cane". Yeah, I'm right on top of all the latest, hottest trends. ;o)

I've been interested in this technique for a while-- another of those things I just hadn't gotten around to trying. If you're one of the other two or three claying people out there who haven't given this a try, yet-- ;o) -- you should really go for it! It was fun and so easy, assuming you have a decent clay extruder. Speaking of which. . .

For a while, I was put off the idea of extruding by the fact that it hurts to push clay through one of the old syringe-style extruders. Then my husband made a bellows-type press for my extruder (using a hinge and two scraps of lumber with strategically placed holes), which worked very well. However, I must've put too much pressure on the poor thing, because one day I noticed that the part that presses the clay through the tube had bent, rendering the whole thing useless.

Fortunately, my Christmas wishlist entry of a new clay extruder (this one by Makin's Clay) didn't go unheeded. ;o) I've only used it a few times so far, but I'm very impressed and can't reccommend it enough. It's much easier to operate than my old one was.

I'm looking forward to using this technique again, soon. So many color combinations to try!

ETA: Of course, you can also make a retro cane without any extruder at all, just by combining several different bull's-eye canes worked in coordinating colors. It's a lot more work than the extruder method, but it's certainly possible.

No Time Like the Present

2009-01-07T12:58:00.002-06:00

There's no time like *right now* to get back to blogging here, even if I don't have much in particular to say. ;o)

I see that when I wrote my last post, I was in the middle of my pre-Christmas flurry of gift-crafting activity-- trying to put into action all the great plans I'd been making months in advance. Yes, I honestly had been making plans for months, but true to form, I didn't put many of them into action until the last minute (or the last week).

As you might expect, I didn't manage even half of what I'd "planned" (i.e. thought "now, that's an idea for ____, and I think _____ might like one of those"), but I guess I got enough done. Maybe if I get my act together, I can put my plans into action earlier this year, rather than putting them off until the last minute. (Maybe...)

Anyway, moving on!

Just as I haven't been blogging much in a long while, neither have I been keeping up with my blogroll. (I know. Shame on me!) Possibly everyone's already seen this (and talked it to death), but I recently happened upon a polymer clay "how-to" book that's due out in June: Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay + Wire Jewelry, by Ronna Sarvas Weltman. If you follow that link, it'll take you to a pretty nice little peek into the book on Scribd. I have to admit that I probably won't be saving my pennies for this one (some of it's just not my style, and I think I know the techniques to achieve the parts of that look that I do like), but I'm always glad to see more polymer clay-related books.

After chancing to find that one, I decided it was time to do a quick search, and it looks like there are a few more clay-related books coming our way by this summer. There are of course the usual handful that mention polymer clay in passing, but there are also titles that seem more focused on our beloved material: Polymer Clay Mixed Media Jewelry by Shirley Rufener (due out in March), the latest in Christi Friesen's sculpture series-- Birds of a Feather (April), Sculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer Clay by Dinko and Boris Tilov (May), Clay So Cute!: 25 Polymer Clay Projects for Cool Charms, Itty-Bitty Animals, and Tiny Treasures by Sherri Haab (July), and Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio (August). There are no preview photos or detailed descriptions for those last two titles, yet, so I guess we'll just have to wait to get a better idea about them. . .

I'm getting ahead of myself, though. I still haven't really sat down to enjoy my latest clay-related book purchase-- Donna Kato's book on millefiori. One thing at a time, Michael! ;o)

Tutorial: Gingerbread Cookies

2008-12-21T20:40:00.000-06:00

As usual, I'm running late, but there's a new holiday-themed tutorial available on Polymer Clay Web. It's our version of gingerbread:

Ever since I made "gingerbread cookie" ornaments and pins for some family members, last Christmas, I've been meaning to fix up a tutorial for this holiday season. Well, I guess that I did. Technically. (g) At least it's there for next year, right? And who says you can only make gingerbread in December? Seriously, these go together pretty fast, and I bet they'd be lots of fun to make with the kids or grandkids.

Now, back to the clay room. I have some gifts to finish by Wednesday! (Can she do it? Will she have to stay up until the wee hours to accomplish her gift-giving goals? Stay tuned to find out! ;o)) I hope you're all enjoying the holidays and not stressing out too much!

Use Up Those Spare Beads!

2008-12-03T17:00:00.002-06:00

Note: Yes, I'm finally back on my polymer clay blog again (!), and I hope to manage to pop in at least once a week for a while before my next unannounced months-long disappearance. ;o) Sorry to have been gone so long, but you know how it is. After you've been quiet a few weeks, it's hard to get back in the habit of blogging. Anyway, on with the clay talk!

If you're anything like me, you've probably amassed quite a collection of polymer clay beads over the years. Many of these are leftovers from old projects and early clay obsessions. (For me, it was crackled paint.) What can you do with all those beads when you have just one like this and only three like that? Plenty! Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Make earrings. If you have matching pairs of beads, this is an obvious solution to using up extra beads.
Set them off with metal and glass (or plastic). Mixing beads made of other materials in with your polymer clay beads stretches them. Also, this helps use up some of your store-bought stash!
Make crazy, wild jewelry. (The craziness and/or wildness of your jewelry will depend on the craziness and/or wildness of your beads.) Mix and match beads for an eye-catching necklace. Combine beads with a similar trait (all faux naturals/organics, all from the same color family, all the same shape, etc.)-- choose a focal and pick beads that coordinate with it-- or go truly wild and put a little of everything together into one zany piece. (Maybe make a game of it. Pour all the beads into a bowl and pick them at random. Do you dare?)
Turn the spotlight on them. Give them another look. Are any of them especially nice on their own? Even one solitary bead can make a striking accessory. One beautiful bead as a pendant or strung directly onto a leather thong makes a simple but powerful fashion statement.
Turn a single bead into a ring with wire-wrapping. (Be warned: This can lead you into a whole new artistic obsession!)
Make beaded bookmarks (a.k.a. book thongs). All you need to make several unique book marks is a selection of (preferably large-holed) beads and some thin ribbon. Cut the ribbon to the desired length. (One and a half to two feet is a common length. Adjust to suit the size of books you wish to use the book mark in.) Apply Fray Check (or plain old white glue, in a pinch) to the cut ends and let dry. Knot one end of the ribbon (double knot, if needed) and string on your chosen beads. (Usually two or three per end will do, but it's a matter of personal preference.) Knot the other end. If desired, knot the ribbon again just inside the strung beads, to prevent them from all sliding to one end of the ribbon.

If all else fails you can always make more beads to match or coordinate with the ones you have left. Sure, you may end up with even more beads rolling around your house, but you're sure to have fun in the process!

Handmade Texture Tools

2008-07-07T15:07:00.003-05:00

As I wrote yesterday, playing around with texture wheels got me in the mood to finally turn some odds and ends I'd collected into real texture tools with polymer clay handles.

Here are the results:

Though you can't really tell in this photo, most of them are double-ended. I have to admit that I have yet to try them out in their finished form. I was just too eager to post about them. (g) (See? I really am getting back into this blogging thing.)

I know people have been turning bits and pieces into texture tools for years. There's nothing cutting edge about it. Still, I have a feeling that there are many others like me who've heard or read about it, thought about it, maybe even gathered promising random bits of metal-- but never actually done it. For anyone interested in what I learned along the way, I've put up a brief tutorial on Polymer Clay Web: Handmade Texture Tools.

Some people enjoy making their tools pretty, and when I made polymer clay handles for my linoleum cutters, I did put a little effort into making them attractive. However, this time I enjoyed not having to worry about that for an afternoon. It's a little vacation from thinking about fingerprints, color combos, and aesthetics in general. Functionality was the only thing on my mind when I made these. Ah, so freeing to use the ugliest "mud" imaginable and not care that it was hideous! ;o)

Latest "Stuff"

2008-07-06T15:45:00.005-05:00

Um, I did say-- a couple of weeks ago, was it?-- that I was going to post more regularly, didn't I?
Ha ha ha! Silly you for believing me! ;o)

No, seriously, I am going to get back into the swing of things. Starting right now!

Though I've been quiet here on this blog, I have put in some time at the clay table. For instance, I've been trying out some new ideas with buttons, such as these "jumbo-sized" buttons:

There's nothing for scale in the photo, but trust me-- they're bigger than my usual buttons. (g) If I remember correctly (not guaranteed, especially when it comes to measurements and numbers in general), the hearts are about 1.25 inches "tall".

I've also been working on some cupcakes:

It's always satisfying to get a group of things done at once. A handful of beads, cupcakes, whatever looks so much more impressive than one-- and they're fun to photograph this way, too. ;o)

Then I got the latest issue of Polymer Cafe and read Irene Semanchuk Dean's interesting article about homemade texture wheels. I decided to give it a try, and she's right-- you will want to make more than one. I'm going to have to make another batch, sometime soon. . .

This little adventure got me in the mood to finally turn various bits and pieces I've been collecting into full-fledged polymer clay tools. I baked several of them this morning and am looking forward to trying them out.

I hope you've all enjoyed a pleasant weekend (a long holiday one, for those of us in the U.S.)! :o)

Couple of Button Photos

2008-06-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Posted a couple of button photos over the weekend. . .

Otherwise, I haven't taken many clay photos, lately.

I have a couple of custom orders that I'll try to finish up today. (They're mostly re-dos of things you'll already have seen-- a hot dog and sugar cookies.) Meanwhile, I need to get back in the habit of photographing and listing things regularly. I was doing alright for a while, but I've slacked off for the past week or two. (Got busy with other things. Was also sidetracked by a foray into crochet. Beginning to suspect that crochet might bring on carpal tunnel syndrome, so may not do much of that!)

I do have more finished buttons to photograph-- and many in-progress buttons. There are also plans for a larger production of cupcakes and some other miniatures.

I think I'm "sounding" as blah as I feel, this morning. (g) Sorry about that. I've just walked up to the mailbox and back, and I haven't fully recovered yet. ;o)

In the mail this morning:

A package of beads headed for the Beads of Courage program.
Five buttons to be photographed for possible inclusion in an up-coming magazine. (We'll see what happens. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, in case they decide not to use them. Besides, it's flattering just to be considered.)

I'm feeling sleepy this morning. . . Probably time to get out of the computer chair and move around a while!

Hope you all had a pleasant weekend. :o)

Testing the Waters. . . ;o)

2008-06-20T16:17:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted regularly here at my "mostly polymer clay" blog. Maybe it's time to stick a toe in the water and ease my way back into the blogging groove.

So to start things off, how about a couple of links?

I'm finally resigned to the fact that I can't keep up with all the great blogs out there. I'll try to read them as often as possible, but I'm sure to miss lots of things. Anyway, today I was catching up on a few blogs, when I came across Paula Pindroh's "documentary" of the sculpture of an unusual breed of dog-- the Chinese Crested. You can see more of her adorable dog sculptures in her Etsy shop.

I'm a dog lover, so how about another dog-related link? Here's another one from Etsy. IttyBittiesForYou (Jennifer) offers "Your Dog as a Superhero"-- a cute little sculpture of a masked, caped canine made in the likeness of your own pup. What a fun idea! (g)

Hee hee. That reminds me of "Bark Kent"-- a stuffed dog my youngest sister had. He was sewn in a lying-down position that was well suited to "flight", and well, you can guess the rest. ;o)

Well, I think this has helped get me back in the clay-postin' mood. I'm feeling hopeful, at least! :o)

Hobby Snobbery

2008-06-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Donald and I were talking over the weekend about how funny it is that no matter what "subject" or hobby you choose-- no matter how obscure it may seem-- you always seem to find that there's already a "community" in place. Somewhere out there is a group of people with very strong opinions about the hobby, whatever it may be. And for some of these fanatics (for whom the flugelhorn or the knitting of leg warmers for dogs is serious business) it goes beyond strong opinion right into snobbery. (What?! You use acrylic novelty yarn to knit your canine leg warmers?! Disgusting! I use only the finest alpaca wool. Anything less makes me shudder just to think of touching. And besides, Fifi refuses to wear it if it's not $$$ Brand. She has such superior tastes-- even by poodle standards!)

Some people!
Give them anything and they'll find a way to make a competition-- a hierarchy-- an "if you don't do it like we do it, you're not cool" clique.

Thank goodness for us sane ones, right? ;o)

Hand-Carving Stamps

2008-05-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

Strictly speaking, this post isn't about clay, but it involves something you can definitely use with clay-- hand-carved stamps!

I once thought carving stamps would be difficult, but it's actually very do-able. (Not to say that I'm now an expert, but I've been able to carve stamps that I'm happy to use.) It's also quite a bit of fun!

Here are a few quick pointers:

Invest in the right tools. (This is especially true if you think you'll want to be carving on a regular basis.) As with so many other things, having the correct tools makes stamp-carving much more enjoyable. Some people can carve detailed stamps with nothing more than a craft knife, but most of us have better control with linoleum cutters. (You can also use them to carve cured polymer clay!)

Remember: 1) It is recommended that you carve with the sharp end pointed away from you. 2) Go slowly. It's easy to go back and remove more later, but if you carve too much, the damage is done. 3) Most people prefer moving the material that's being carved rather than moving the carving tool. Hold the tool more or less "still" and maneuver the carving block underneath it.

Keep the sharp tools away from kids and pets. This probably isn't the best craft for kids. Unless they're old enough to chop vegetables and peel fruit, they probably shouldn't be trusted with linoleum cutters. However, you could always let the kids draw the design, then have an adult carve it for them.
Find a quality carving material. There are a variety of products out there made especially for carving-- as well as erasers, which can also be carved-- but they're not all created equal. I've only tried a couple, so far. Speedy-Cut (which is a pale cream/beige) carves very easily, but it is crumbly, which means that your finished stamps will also be prone to crumbling. After you put all that time into making a stamp, you probably want it to last, so it's worth paying a little more for something better. I've just started working with Speedy-Stamp ("the pink stuff"), which has a better reputation than Speedy-Cut. So far, it does seem better. Maybe a tiny bit firmer, but still pretty soft-- and much less crumbly.
Set reasonable expectations. As a beginner, it's best if you don't start out with a huge, complicated pattern. Instead, let a simple shape be your first project, then go from there. If you like a slightly "rough-hewn", rustic, even "primitive" style, you'll probably love this craft immediately. If you want detailed stamps with smooth, thin lines, you'll need more patience (and practice).

It's a fairly simple process, carving a stamp. It requires more patience than anything else. I'm sure there are plenty of great resources out there, online. Here are just a handful of tutorials to help you get started:

Geninne Zlatkis' Tutorial
Stamp Carving Tutorials from Atlas Quest (a letterboxing resource, but good for any stamp carver)
Thread on Craftster
Speedball Tutorial (how to use photos as stamp patterns)

Good luck, and have fun! :o)

Button Bakery

2008-05-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

All buttoned up. . . ;o)

Ever since I started experimenting with buttons-- mainly for the benefit of a few family members who were interested in making their own polymer clay buttons to use in quilts-- I've been more or less hooked on buttons.

I spend more time thinking about making buttons than jewelry, lately. This is probably partially a "honeymoon period" type thing, but I fully expect to come back to buttons every so often-- just like I do with my other pet projects (mokume gane, mini food, etc.).

I've even opened a second Etsy shop-- The Mossy Owls Button Bakery-- where I'll be offering some of my buttons and other sewing-related creations. I have no idea what kind of market there is for handmade buttons, and I'm still feeling things out, but it can't hurt to try. :o)

If you'd like to see more button-y photos, you can check out the shop (linked above) or the button set on my Flickr. :o)

P.S. I don't know why it is, but Blogger seems to think I'm in a different time zone than I actually am. When I try to publish entries with a time stamp that's several minutes old, it still thinks the entry is "post-dated", and tells me it will publish it later! Pretty annoying, especially since I've checked the time zone setting, and it appears to be right. . .

Faux Leather Tags

2008-05-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make some faux leather bookmarks for gifts, earlier this month, so I played around with a few things and came up with a "recipe" that I liked.

I thought the resultant bookmarks looked and felt like real leather. The recipients thought they were leather-- or at least acted like they did. (Maybe they were trying to give me an ego boost. ;o)) If the faux leather only smelled like the real thing, they'd be perfect. (g)

After making a few bookmarks, I had the idea to make a faux leather tag. I think it was some stamps that I had that got me started thinking about tags. I have some stamps meant to be used with "journaling" or captions in scrapbooks, and they were just the perfect size to be fancy borders for tags.

So I stamped a sheet of the textured clay, put in a few initials, cut out a tag shape, went through the rest of the process-- and I have to admit, I was smitten. I don't think I really need lots of tags around the house, but I'm probably going to be making them anyway. ;o)

(Here are some of the tags I've made so far. That first one's not here. It was a gift, and because I was working right up until the last minute-- shame on me!-- I didn't have time to get a photo before I gave it away. . .)

I love things that look like they've been around forever, so this is right up my alley!

Here's a link to the project on Polymer Clay Web: Faux Leather Tag

I wrote it for tags, but of course you can adapt it to whatever you'd like-- bookmarks, jewelry components (embossed faux leather cuffs?), boxes, photo frames. . . I think I've even seen someone make a faux leather book cover from polymer clay. (I need to learn how to bind my own books. I once made a book cover out of a butter box, but that's been my limit, so far. (g))

I think the style of the stamps you use might be a key to success with this technique. I may be wrong, but I get the feeling that if the stamp (or whatever you use for texture) looks like something you typically see in real leather, it's more believable. You could use actual leatherworking tools, if you have them.

[Hm. Google "leatherworking" and you get lots of links about World of Warcraft and related things. I know nothing about that game, but there certainly seems to be a huge Internet community devoted to it. Makes sense, I guess. . . given that it's the Internet. ;o)]

Well, enough of that. Now I need to go find an excuse to make some tags. . . (g)

Sticky clay!

2008-05-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

I had trouble with too-soft clay, today.

The clay started out a bit on the soft side, right out of the package, but the warmer weather is making it even worse. I'm resorting to leaching, which I hardly ever do. I suppose I could try switching to a firmer brand of clay, but I'm stubborn and prefer to buy my clay at sale prices. . . I may have to start refrigerating projects between "steps".

I'm playing around with the faux leather technique, combining instructions from Carol Blackburn's beautiful bead book and Irene Semanchuk Dean's lovely faux surfaces book-- then putting a little of my own twist on things. Nothing anywhere near done, yet. I'm having fun with it, but it'd be nicer if the clay wasn't a goopy mess. :oP Well, I've been leaching away, so I hope to see some improvement.

Crayons in clay!

2008-05-05T17:10:00.000-05:00

One of the techniques I've played around with over the past month or two is using crayon shavings as inclusions in translucent polymer clay. It's lots of fun and extremely easy-- a great project to share with kids (though you'll want to chop the crayons for them, if they're very young).

I first read about this technique on Lindly Haunani's website. Here's a link: Altering Polymer Clay with Inclusions. She discusses a variety of other inclusions, too, so it's a good read if you're new to the idea.

Here are a few things I noticed and/or did when I made my crayon-inclusion beads:

As Lindly points out, some of the colors can be unpredictable. They may not come out of the oven exactly the same as they went in. Some intensify; others seem to fade. This isn't a problem if you're just having fun, but if you require specific results, you'll want to bake some test chips.
I used very cheap "off-brand" crayons bought on sale. They're pretty worthless as crayons-- very poor performance in coloring books, etc.-- but they still make good inclusions. So if you have a box of poor quality crayons, you might consider trying this technique with them.
I took shavings from the crayons, then chopped those into small bits before mixing into the clay. I then used a craft knife to further chop any larger pieces of crayon in the clay mix. It's not always necessary to chop the crayons that much, but it is the look I prefer. However, all that chopping can be time-consuming and tedious. I don't know how well a food processor would work with crayons (seems a bit messy), but it's an idea, if you need a lot of crayon chopped finely.
I added some embossing powder into my mix for a different look. The beads in the photo above have seafoam white embossing powder as an inclusion in addition to the crayon shavings.
Maybe it was just a lucky chance-- a good batch of clay, cool/dry weather, a fortuitous alignment of the stars ;o)-- but it seemed to me that these mixes of clay were slower to take fingerprints than regular ("inclusionless") clay. Adding certain inclusions (especially powders) does seem to "dry" the clay out a little, which makes it easier to avoid fingerprints-- and the slightly uneven surface resulting from these types of inclusions may make it less obvious if there are prints.

If you haven't tried combining crayons with clay, maybe now's the time. Those tantalizing boxes of color are perfect for getting you in the mood for the approaching summer-- and you probably have everything you need already on hand.

Cupcakes Galore!

2008-04-30T22:30:00.000-05:00

There are cupcakes galore in my clay room, right now! Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate-- purple, green, and pink-- glittered, "confettied" and candy-sprinkled!

And these are just the ones that are done. I have probably twice as many cupcake bases waiting for the cake, icing, and decorations. Waiting for me to get back into a cupcakey mood. (I must be due for one soon, it's been so long since the last one came and went.)

I've had these finished cupcakes sitting around for months. I thought about taking a photo of them now and then, but it was always a bad time-- insufficient lighting, usually, and me too lazy to set up some decent artificial light. So of course now that I finally decided to snap a photo, it didn't turn out that great, anyway. (g) Oh well. That'll give me more incentive to take some good photos soon.

. . . Maybe? ;o)

First Button Test -- Results!

2008-04-30T22:10:00.002-05:00

A looong, looong time ago ;o) I wrote about the fact that I was learning more about making buttons with polymer clay. Initially, it was to prepare myself for any questions some family members might have if/when I taught them how to make buttons for their quilts. (Still haven't done that. I'll have to check and see if they're still interested.) Now I've gotten more interested in the buttons for my own sake. Actually, I'm kind of obsessed with buttons, for the time being. (g)

Anyway, I made up a few test buttons and decided to put them through some tests. I wanted to see how different "finishes" would hold up through multiple washings and dryings, so I sewed them to a scrap of fabric and tossed them in whenever I did a load of laundry. They've been through many washings and heated dryings, by now. I stopped counting at around ten, but I kept putting them in with the laundry. It's probably more like fifteen or twenty, total.

They've been swirled around in the washing machine and knocked about in the dryer. They've been in repeated contact with regular detergent and fabric softeners (both liquid and sheets)-- but I kept them out of loads I washed with bleach. (The bleach might not have been a problem, but I didn't want to be too hard on them, and bleach isn't something you have to use with most laundry.)

And the results?
For the most part, they're fine. In fact, with one exception (which I'll get to in a minute), they're perfect!

Here they are-- the cleanest buttons this side of the Mississippi! ;o) (As usual, you can click on the photo to see it bigger. It's not a fabulous photo to begin with, but it gets the point across. (g))

Starting with the top left and working clockwise:

1) Plain, unvarnished clay.

2) White clay highlighted with mica powder, then glazed with tinted liquid clay.

3) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Only the top was coated with clear liquid clay.

4) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Nothing on top of crackled paint.

5) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. MinWax Polycrylic over the whole button.

6) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Clear liquid clay over top and sides of button.

I had feared that the unsealed crackled paint might begin to loosen or flake away, but it turned out that the only button I had a bit of trouble with was the one coated in Polycrylic (a product similar to Varathane)-- and even that one isn't too bad (as you can tell from the photo). It just began to peel very slightly on one side. I can think of a few possible explanations for this problem. Maybe it needed longer to dry (or go back into the oven for a little while). Another coat might have strengthened it. Or it could be that it just isn't the best product to use on something that's going to be put through the washer and dryer. I'm not a big fan of varnishes to begin with (I usually only resort to them when I "have" to), so I'm not likely to run more tests with Polycrylic.

Today, I started another test with a few different buttons. I'm curious to see how that'll turn out. . . Two loads in, the "subjects" are still looking good. Who knew laundry could be so interesting?! ;o)

Edited to add:
Treasurefield wondered what brand of clay I used for these buttons. (Thanks for asking! :o))

Oops! That might have been worth mentioning, huh? ;o) I used Premo for all the "regular" clay. The liquid clay I used was Kato brand. I imagine TLS would have produced similar results (as far as durability goes), but I wanted the best clarity I could get-- thus the Kato. (For European clayers or anyone else who can't find Kato-- Fimo Decorating Gel/Fimo Liquid is supposed to be comparable to Kato for clarity-- maybe even better.)

I haven't tried making buttons from any other clay, yet. I would expect Kato to yield buttons at least as sturdy as these. Fimo Classic would probably be fine, too-- but I have to admit that I'm a little wary of Fimo Classic after all the talk (a year or two or three ago? (g)) about the new, softer formula. However, we all know that Premo's been reformulated into mushiness, too, so. . . *shrug* When in doubt, it's always best to run a small test first.

More recycling ideas (on other blogs)!

2008-04-22T18:02:00.000-05:00

It feels like forever and a day since I posted a non-10-on-Tuesday entry here! I've either been down (my sweet Eskie-dog died unexpectedly last month) or busy or obsessed with other things ("nature photography", scrapbooking, patio-planning). There's been claying going on, but I haven't photographed it, and I wanted to wait to write about it until there were photos.

Anyway, there will be some more real blog posts soon-- and maybe a break from the Ten on Tuesday thing. It's been feeling more and more like a chore, which translates into less interesting posts-- so maybe I need to focus more on other things. We'll see. . .

For now, if any of you haven't already seen it, Angela (CraftyGoat) has a recycling-related post (with links to other similarly themed articles) on her blog, today.

(Reading blogs is another thing I've fallen [even farther] behind on. It's mainly thanks to Flickr's "From Your Contacts" feature that I saw this in a "timely fashion". Must catch up on blog-reading! Too much fun stuff to do, too little time!)

Ten on Tuesday: Earth Day Edition

2008-04-22T09:22:00.002-05:00

While people differ in their opinions of how best to accomplish it, most folks want their environment to be as clean, healthy, and beautiful as it can be. Whenever possible, we try to make lifestyle choices that work in that direction. Here are ten ideas of ways we clayers can reduce our consumption of raw materials. Many of them have the added benefit of easing the burden on our wallet, too!

Ten on Tuesday: Earth Day Edition

1. Use "cardstock"-style food packaging instead of specially purchased materials. Most boxes that food is packaged in can be used for this purpose-- cereal boxes, the boxes that 12-pack colas come in, etc. Use this cardstock to make accordion-folded bead curing racks, in flat sheets to prevent shiny spots when curing (weigh down the corners to prevent curling), to protect your work surface when painting the clay, etc. (It's best to put raw clay in direct contact with only "unmarked"/uninked paper or cardstock. Clay can sometimes pick up inks, so just use the plain, raw side of the package.)

2. When painting polymer clay, use the lids from old food containers-- yogurt, butter/margarine, sour cream-- as makeshift paint palettes. These lids (and their containers, depending on how much product you need) can also be used when you're mixing or applying glitter to polymer clay-- and in a variety of other situations. Wash them up with a little soap and water, and they can be reused almost indefinitely.

3. Never throw away polymer clay. (It's hard to believe that anyone would, but you never know.) Even scraps and ugly, muddy mixes are valuable. Scraps can be mixed together (with a careful eye) to make very attractive custom blends, and ugly clay can still serve a purpose as bead cores or in other applications where they can't be seen. Not a bead-maker? Use ugly mixes to make homemade texture sheets or stamps-- or as handles for homemade or "found" tools (if you aren't particular about how the tool looks).

There may be hope for even cured clay in projects that didn't quite turn out like you expected. Failed projects can sometimes be used as armatures for another skin of clay. If nothing else, you can use a grater or a craft blade to "shred" the cured clay. Chop (by hand or with a clay-dedicated food chopper) into bits small enough to use as inclusions in raw clay.

4. Use things you'd ordinarily throw away in your clay work. For instance, you can achieve all sorts of interesting effects with inclusions in translucent clay. Here are a few possibilities: dryer lint, past-their-prime (or last bit in the bottle) spices, dried flowers/leaves (when bouquets have finally faded and shriveled), and tiny stubs of crayons (shredded/chopped).

5. Use found/used materials in your work. This can be as simple as turning a used medicine bottle into a Bottle of Hope or covering an emptied eggshell with polymer clay. It can also take polymer clay into the realm of mixed media. Before throwing things away, see if there are ways to incorporate them into a work of art. Mechanical parts/gears, broken china, feathers, a few loose beads, random bits of hardware (nails, screws, washers, nuts, bolts)-- the possibilities are endless.

For a little inspiration, see what you can do with something as simple as a burned out light bulb:
Naama Zamir's light bulb ladies
"colorfull's" Crocodiles/Dinosaurs on Etsy -- Check out the rest of the shop for other cute animals-- lovebirds, octopuses (octopi? (g)), monkeys, and turtles.

6. Store cured beads, buttons, and other little bits and pieces in the reusable plastic containers that so many foods are packaged in. Lidded containers (such as the yogurt, butter, etc. containers mentioned before) are especially good, since they can be closed to keep dust out and to prevent a catastrophic mess, should the container topple over. One of the disadvantages of reusing containers rather than buying them is that old food containers are often opaque. It's a pain opening tub after tub in search of a specific set of beads, but you can fix this problem by labeling containers with a little paper tape and a Sharpie.

7. Use "found" tools as often as possible. They're cheap-- very often free. They'll help make your work unique (because not everyone has access to the same exact "stuff" you do). They make it unnecessary for you to buy as much "stuff" as you might otherwise buy-- and every piece you keep out of the garbage can is one less piece that goes into the landfill.

I've written about this subject before, so see these links for some specific suggestions:
Texturing Tools and other "Found" Goodies
Ten on Tuesday: Places to *Find* "Found" Textures
Links to some interesting related blogs entries

8. Bake "en masse". In other words, if possible, don't run your oven all day long, curing one bead at a time. Instead, try to wait until you amass a number of beads-- a whole sheet or baking rack full, ideally-- then run the oven for a single curing cycle. Electricity costs money and uses up resources, so why use more of it than necessary?

9. Bake at cooler times of the day (in summertime). This may be less of an issue for some people, but where I live, our summers can be brutally hot and humid. Air conditioning makes life so much more livable that I'm not willing to go without it (if I have a choice). However, I do try to keep our electricity consumption (and thus our electric bill) down by setting the temperature at a reasonable level and using fans to circulate the air. Running the oven during the hottest time of the day forces the air conditioner to run more often, thus using more electricity. Putting off curing until the evening (or doing it early the next morning) makes more sense.

10. If you sell and ship your work, try to reuse packing materials, if possible. Save bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, etc. that you get in the mail and reuse them, rather than buying more. You may even be able to reuse envelopes or small boxes in your packaging. Most buyers are understanding-- even appreciative-- of your efforts to conserve resources, but you may want to mention your packing methods and/or offer the option of nicer packaging for gift items shipped directly to the recipient.

If you have a great idea for claying in Earth-friendly ways, please feel free to share it in the comments section!

Hope everyone's having a great week and a happy spring!

Ten on Tuesday: Tax Stress Reduction ;o)

2008-04-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

I think tax-related stress has finally pushed me right over the edge. . . ;o)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Reduce Tax-Related Stress w/ Polymer Clay

1. Pull out the oldest, hardest clay you can lay hands on. Condition it thoroughly-- knead it, punch it, pound it with a mallet, do one of those "pro wrestling" moves where you jump into the air and land on it! ;o) Just keep at it until you're too exhausted to be stressed.

2. Play with the pretty, pretty colors. (After hours of goggling over tax forms and receipts, your mind may be temporarily reduced to goo. Mixing colors may be the most you can do for a day or two.)

3. Make a sculpture of a generic "tax man" (or the IRS in general). Stand back, admire your work, then squash 'im! ;o)

4. As an alternate to #3: Bake your sacrificial tax man sculpture at about 500 degrees, until he's burnt to a crisp. Of course, burning polymer clay can release toxic fumes which can be almost as irritating as the IRS itself. . . ;o) (Obviously, this is a joke. DON'T really burn polymer clay on purpose. It's just a waste of good clay. (g) And a potential health hazard!)

5. Put on a good movie/CD/book-on-tape/etc., find a comfy seat, and put all that pent-up rage to good use by sanding some polymer clay.

6. Paint (or image transfer) a generic tax man onto a sheet of clay. Slowly feed him through the pasta machine and watch with glee as he S T R E T C H E S . . . ;o)

7. Learn a new polymer clay technique. ("Distractionary" measures.)

8. Make a special "good luck charm / only refunds from here on out" pc-covered pen to use for filling out tax forms in years to come. (I suppose you could even use it this year, if you're fast with the clay and slow with the taxes.)

9. Make your own money (coins or sheets) out of clay to replace what the IRS has taken. ;o) No, it won't be "legal tender", but maybe it'll make you feel richer. . .

10. Sell some of your polymer clay work this year; use part of your earnings to hire a professional tax preparer, next time.

My taxes are done for the year! One hurdle jumped-- on to the next!

Ten on Tuesday: "Colorful" Links

2008-04-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

This is one of those days when I haven't come to class prepared. ;o) During yesterday's free time, I felt more like making scrapbook pages than typing at the computer, so this morning I have to start from scratch-- not even an idea as a jumping-off point. Let's see if I can make it to ten before I give out. (g)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten "Colorful" Links

1. Lindly Talking Color-- Lindly Haunani's blog about polymer clay and color.

2. Smashing Color-- "Maggie Maggio's blog for the color curious" (including tutorials)

3. Maggie Maggio's Color Scales in Polymer Clay video tutorial. (There are also parts II and III.)

4. Polymer Clay Cyclopedia entry on color recipes and tips.

5. Here's something to look forward to! Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio are writing a book on polymer clay and color. It's due out about a year from now.

6. Color-related links collected by "beadyeyedbrat" (aka Tommie Howell). She has links to color recipe charts and more.

7. Here's an earlier post I wrote about places to find color inspiration.

8. Even though translucent clay starts out almost colorless, there's no reason it has to stay that way! ;o) One of my favorite things to do with clay is adding inclusions to translucent (or lightly tinted translucent) clay. (Here are a couple more related links, too.)

9. The Glass Attic page about color offers plenty of information on all aspects of color and polymer clay.

10. Betsy Baker (of Stonehouse Studio) wrote this interesting article for her blog after taking a class with Maggie Maggio. (Funny how a couple of names keep popping up in this list, isn't it? ;o) They're the acknowledged experts on teaching polymer clay in terms of color.)

Well, there they are-- all ten of them. And they even kinda sorta make sense as a group! ;o) (Well, maybe the inclusions link was a bit of a stretch. . .)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Uses for Acrylic Paint

2008-03-31T13:17:00.004-05:00

The other day, pulling out the supplies to crackle some paint, I realized that I hadn't devoted a Ten on Tuesday to acrylics. Time to remedy that, because these fast-drying paints have so many uses in a variety of polymer clay techniques! Better yet, you can find them in any arts and crafts store at a wide range of price points. They're so abundant that there's a good chance you have some in your arts and crafts supply arsenal even if you're brand new to polymer clay.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Use Acrylic Paint with Polymer Clay

1. Antiquing
To "antique" something-- whether it's made of polymer clay, wood, or another material-- is to give it an appearance of greater age. This is usually accomplished with a little paint.

Antiquing is most effective with a textured piece. Start with a cured and cooled piece of clay. Apply paint straight from the bottle/tube, covering the entire piece. (Use a color that contrasts with the color of the clay. Dark brown and white are common choices, but you can use any color you like.) Before the paint has had a chance to dry, wipe away most of it with a soft rag. (Try to find a clean, lint-free rag. Otherwise, the lint or dust from the rag can make a mess of things.) The idea is to remove the majority of the paint from the piece, leaving it only in the recesses. Grooves, nooks, and crannies should catch the paint, much as small amounts of dirt and oil remain in the hard-to-reach spots on true antiques.

Play around with it until you're happy with the results. You can continue adding and removing paint until you're satisfied. You can remove stubborn paint with a slightly dampened rag or even a light sanding. (I find a little alcohol is helpful, if water's not doing the trick.)

2. Highlighting
Highlighting is essentially the opposite of antiquing. Instead of trying to leave paint only in the nooks and crannies of a textured piece, you're trying to apply it to only the raised, uppermost portions of a design. This is commonly done with mica powders to emphasize a design, but the technique can also be used with acrylic paints.

Highlighting is not difficult. The most challenging aspect of the technique is patience. Experiment to find whether you have better luck using a paintbrush (perhaps a stenciling brush?) or a fingertip to lightly dab paint (in any color or combination of colors) onto clay (raw or cured). Try not to overload the brush/fingertip with paint, as this can lead to paint seeping down into the crevices. Just take it a bit at a time, tap-tap-tapping (and reloading as needed) until you're done. You can highlight as much or as little of the pattern as you like and can apply as few or as many layers (in different colors, maybe?) as you like.

3. Washing/Glazing
It seems that the terms "wash" and "glaze" are often used interchangeably. I tend to think of them as slightly different things. The main difference (in my mind) is that a wash is matte (almost chalky, even), while a glaze is glossy. However you think of them, here are two related uses for acrylics:

A wash is paint that has been thinned down using either water or an acrylic medium. (Using water to thin the paint can cause the wash to bead up on cured polymer clay. This makes it difficult to use, so some advise against adding water to acrylics. Feel free to experiment to find what works best for you.) Adjust the ratio to get your desired consistency. Use a wash to achieve a matte, translucent layer of color. You can apply multiple washes to build up layers of color to achieve just the right opacity. Let each wash dry thoroughly before applying the next.

You can create a glaze with acrylic paint by mixing a few drops into a little Varathane, Future, or a product made specifically for creating acrylic glazes. The resultant mixture will create a translucent layer of color that will dry with a shine. This type of glaze can be used to cover an entire piece or as part of an antiquing process. Multiple layers are always a possibility. Just give plenty of time for drying between coats.

4. General and Detailing
General painting on polymer clay-- that is, using a piece of polymer clay as an canvas or painting every inch of a piece with opaque paint-- is largely overlooked, but it is certainly possible. You can start with raw or cured polymer clay. (I'd suggest curing it prior to painting, in this instance.) Paint just as you would any other surface, allowing ample drying time between coats. If desired, you can pop a cured piece back into the oven to harden the paint.

Detailing refers to painting the small details in a piece, such as the eyes, lips, and cheeks of a face. A tiny brush and a steady hand are your best aids in detail painting. If you make a mistake, you can quickly remove the paint with a damp cloth. Take your time, and don't forget that you can apply multiple layers to achieve darker or richer colors. A few thin layers (with "dry-time" between each) is better than one globby, thick layer.

5. Tinting Solid Clay
Because polymer clay comes in such a variety of colors and can be easily mixed to produce nearly any color imaginable, there's not really a need to tint it with paint. However, there are some of us who like to try things whether they're necessary or not. ;o)

There are mixed reports on how well acrylic paint works for tinting polymer clay. If there's too much paint in the mix, it can lead to plaquing or maybe even bubbling. For faux effects-- particularly imitations of stone-- a little plaquing doesn't hurt. In fact, some people try to induce plaquing! General knowledge is that you shouldn't use too great a ratio of paint to clay, but I say it can't hurt to experiment. I suggest letting the paint dry on the clay before kneading it in. This should make less of a mess. Oh, and for the greatest bang for your buck, try tinting translucent clay. You can mix paint into opaque clay, too, but obviously it won't have as much impact as with translucent.

6. Dry Brushing
This is another of those techniques that work best on a textured piece.

To dry brush a piece, pick up a little paint on a stiff, flat brush, remove most of the paint by brushing the bristles over a paper towel, then lightly brush the piece, leaving just a hint of color on the raised portions of the design. You can go over a piece several times until you get the desired finish. Consider using different colors in separate applications.

7. Brocade, Faux Gold Leaf, and Faux Silkscreening
Donna Kato's most recently published book, The Art of Polymer Clay: Creative Surface Effects, demonstrates some lovely techniques involving acrylic paint-- faux gold leaf, Silkscreen effect, brocade effect, and pattern overprinting.

Even if you don't own the book and can't get your hands on a copy, you can still enjoy this tutorial based on one of her appearances on The Carol Duvall Show: Polymer Clay Painted Pendant (featuring the brocade effect).

8. Faux Stone
Several faux stone recipes call for acrylic paint. Of course many faux stones are finished with an antiquing of dark brown-- to give then that ancient look-- but in addition to that, black, brown and white paint in particular are used in techniques that replicate the layered or banded effect found in so many natural materials. Agate, turquoise, marble, and onyx are a handful of faux stones that use acrylic paint, for instance. (Check out this older blog post for links to some related tutorials.)

9. Mokume Gane
(I love this technique, and I've written about it on more than one occasion.)

Acrylic paint can be used in mokume gane with beautiful results. Metallic or iridescent paints are more commonly used than regular ones, but anything is possible. Paint is most commonly used in mokume gane slabs made of translucent clay, as this allows the paint to be seen to the best advantage-- but again, feel free to experiment. Simply roll and cut your clay to the desired dimensions, paint, and let dry. Stack the painted clay and proceed as usual for mokume gane. You can make your mg with several layers of the same color of paint, a variety of colors, or in combination with other materials (metal leaf, for instance).

10. Crackling (or Crazing)
This is another technique that I've loved since the first time I saw it.

This is a simple technique that yields beautiful veneers of clay that can be used in any number of ways. It's helpful to have a pasta machine, but an acrylic rod will do in a pinch.

Start with a uniform sheet of clay in any color. Black is a common choice, but don't be afraid to try something different. Skinner blends can create striking results, too. (Here's a little tip: Don't make this sheet of clay too thin. You'll be thinning it more later on.)

Paint the sheet of clay with your acrylic paint. Metallic or iridescent paint is generally used for crackling, but regular paint will also work. You can use one color over the whole sheet or combine a number of colors in stripes, dots, or random squiggles. Combining different brands of paint can make an interesting crackled sheet, as each brand crackles in a slightly different way. You can cover as much or as little of the sheet as you like. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly. (Trying to crackle before the paint has dried will only make a mess.)

Adjust the pasta machine to a thinner setting and feed the decorated sheet through. The paint should crackle in one direction. To crackle it in the other direction, too, turn the sheet, adjust the pasta machine down to an even thinner setting, and feed the clay through once more.

You can also create a crackled effect on polymer clay by using special products designed to create crazing in the paint on any object. You'll need a crackling medium (sometimes in one bottle, sometimes two formulas kept separated in a pair of bottles). These products create crackling through a chemical process instead of a physical process (such as the physical stretching of painted clay, as described above).

Things to consider:

These techniques work just as well with metallic acrylics as with regular acrylics.
Some paints' colors can bleed into the surrounding cured clay, over time. This seems to be a problem particularly with red. Some people report success with sealing the clay before applying paint. Others say that this hasn't helped. It probably varies with the brands of paint and sealant.
Brands differ. Even colors within brands can vary, from one to the next, as to which ones crackle best, will/won't bleed into cured clay, etc. Experimentation is often the only way to find what will and won't work. I think I've had different results with the same bottle of paint on different occasions-- probably related to the time of year and humidity.
Some suggest that you cure painted clay to harden the paint. Some also suggest sealing. What's necessary will depend on what you're going to do with the finished piece. I've put a clay button with unsealed crackled paint through the washer and dryer a few times with no adverse effects (so far), but who's to say it won't come peeling off eventually? Use your own judgment. :o)
There are different opinions as to how different qualities of paint-- craft vs. artist quality-- perform for various tasks. Some prefer one brand, others another. The best solution seems to be to experiment until you find what works best for you.

Here are a couple of useful links:
http://www.angelslanding.com/pushmolds/paint.html
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/paints.htm

Ten on Tuesday: Polymer Clay Buttons

2008-03-25T07:53:00.000-05:00

Button, button, who's got the button? ;o)
Remember playing that children's game?

I have a few family members who are interested in polymer clay. They're already involved in quilt-making, and they're particularly focused on using polymer clay to make buttons to use as embellishments on their upcoming quilts.

Until the last week or two, I hadn't really made buttons before (except for a couple to use in jewelry), but I decided to look into the possibilities, since I may host a "clay day", sometime soon. To start myself off, I did a little research on the subject of polymer clay buttons. Here's some of what I found online:

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Links Relating to Polymer Clay Buttons

1. Sarajane Helm's page on polymer clay buttons
She's tested buttons made of Fimo Classic and Premo. Both held up well to washing (with detergent and warm water) and drying. (She even links to photos of the tested buttons, if you want to see the proof for yourself. (g)) One thing I noticed in the photos of the Fimo tests is that the mica powders seemed to have worn off after washing, even thought she finished them with Varathane. . . One other thing to note-- her buttons have acrylic shanks, but if you use a strong brand of clay, you should be able to make buttons with holes, too.

2. Layl McDill's Silly Milly Polymer Clay Buttons
She mentions (as I think I've heard before) that though pc buttons are "washable and durable", they may not be compatible with dry cleaning chemicals, so you should tell your dry cleaner about them beforehand, to be on the safe side. (Other resources simply state that dry cleaning is a no-no. . .)

3. Polymer Clay Button Tutorial from Crafty Daisies
This is a little video tutorial for making simple, chunky buttons. Personally, I probably wouldn't use Fimo Soft. From what I've heard and read, it's not the strongest brand of clay. (Fimo Classic, Premo, or Kato are all supposed to be stronger.) However, they might be fine if they aren't going to be under a lot of stress.

4. CandyFimoWebTR's polymer clay button video tutorial
Another video tutorial using Fimo (not sure if it's Soft or Classic) to make buttons. This tutorial uses cookie cutters to make some of the basic shapes.

5. CraftyGoat's (Angela's) blog post/video tutorial on button-making
Covers not only making button holes or adding a shank using a jump ring (a very common jewelry finding), but also making a mold from an existing button using Amazing Mold Putty.

6. GlassAttic page on buttons
The good old stand-by. ;o) Here are a few tips I found on this page:

For added strength, bake buttons longer than the minimum time recommended. (I do this for most stuff, actually, unless I'm really concerned about darkening. Of course, I also tent everything with aluminum foil to prevent darkening. . .) This means baking for at least 30 minutes no matter the thin they are. (I usually bump it up to 45 minutes minimum. As long as you're monitoring the temperature, it shouldn't burn even if you bake it for hours.)
To create a raised rim (or an impression in the center, depending on how you look at it), just press something smaller than the diameter of the button into the middle of the button. (As I read in a book recently, this can also help protect the thread, since it will sit lower inside the button and won't be rubbed against as much.)
Make your own shank with a "U"-shaped wire.
You can use a tiny round cutter (even something as simple as a drinking straw) for cutting holes, if you don't want to "poke" holes with a needle tool. (Poking may cause some distortion in the button. It's mostly a matter of preference.)
Holes can also be drilled after baking. (Use a hand drill or even just a small drill bit.)
"Some one suggested using two holes, angled inward toward each other (rather than straight up and down) to decrease the stress on the clay between the holes.... mostly important if the buttons will actually be used as buttons (rather than being decorative)" (Would that really make much difference? It might be worth a try if you're planning on using the buttons in a higher-stress application.)
Washing and drying (even under high heat) should be ok-- just don't dry clean. (Of course, to be on the safe side, it's best to test one or two before committing to a larger project. Sew the button to a rag or something, then toss it in with your regular washing. After it's been washed and dried a few times, you should be able to see how well it'll hold up.)
Buttons may even become a little polished with repeated washing and drying.
One person reports that buttons antiqued with acrylic paint hold up to washing.
Sarajane Helm notes that metallic and mica powders, even if sealed with Varathane, tend to wash off. But if you make a glaze/stain of paint or Pearl-ex mixed with Varathane, they hold up better. (Must be something to do with the layer of powder preventing a good "connection" between the clay and the sealant.)
Alcohol-based inks left unsealed on buttons holds up in the washer and dryer. (But be aware that they'll wipe off with alcohol.)
Future as a sealant may not work well if you use strong detergents or bleach. It can come off.

7. Creative Kismet's (Regina Lord's) button bracelet tutorial
This one's not so much for making buttons to use for traditionally button-y purposes ;o) but it's pretty cute!

8. Polymer Clay Button Cover tutorial by Michelle Ross
Step-by-step for adhering polymer clay slices to metal button cover blanks. Could be useful if you wanted to use your buttons on something that had to be dry cleaned.

9. Polymer Clay Button Cover tutorial by Donna Kato
Another style of button covers.

10. Button hole positioner, by Lisa Clarke
The link above takes you to a photo of this handy tool, and you can read about it (and some other tools) on this blog entry. If you're going to be making lots of buttons with a particular shape cutter, this is a great idea for getting the holes in the same place on each and every button.

These links (and a couple of pages in Sue Heaser's new Encyclopedia of Polymer Clay Techniques) helped me learn most of what I needed to know about polymer clay buttons-- plenty enough to get started. It's always such a satisfying feeling when two or more of your interests coincide. Now I'm all geared up to make some polymer clay buttons to use in my next sewing project! :o) (They can also be cute in scrapbooks, altered books, and other arts and crafts that use mixed media.)

Happy button-making! :o)

Gorgeous moss-green earrings!

2008-03-19T09:53:00.001-05:00

I love these earrings Eliz'art recently posted on her blog. They remind me of the results I got playing around with the faux marble technique in Carol Blackburn's bead book, only these are done up in such wonderful mossy greens! (I am a huge admirer of mossy greens. (g))

Ok, that's all for now. Just had to share the pretty picture. :o)

Etsy Love Stories

2008-03-19T08:32:00.004-05:00

I know that a lot of folks (myself included) are selling their polymer clay (and other) creations on Etsy these days. I knew it was a great place to sell or buy unique handmade items, but it never occurred to me that it could also be a way for single folks to meet and fall in love!

Check it out here: Etsy Love Stories.

I really shouldn't have been surprised. My husband and I met online, too-- on an e-mail list dedicated to discussing books by a favorite author. It just goes to show that you never know what's going to happen when you wander around on the World Wide Web. ;o)

Latest Issue of Polymer Cafe

2008-03-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

Friday afternoon, the latest issue of Polymer Cafe arrived. It doesn't seem long since the last issue came out-- a pleasant surprise in my mailbox, now that the magazine has made the switch from four issues a year to six.

Lots of eye candy in this one-- including plenty of gorgeous photos of Kathleen Dustin's work (like the piece on the cover) and a gallery of work by the authors of projects in this issue. There are a couple of sculpting tutorials and a few jewelry projects, as well as a tribute to Joan and Mike Clipp (the initial publishers of the magazine) and the other regular features. Oh, and quite a few ads. ;o) I actually like seeing some ads-- gives me an idea of what else is out there. I particularly like the ones that have nice photos of potential projects.

So now I have a little more clay-related reading material! ;o)

Ten on Tuesday: Polymer Clay Eggs

2008-03-18T07:21:00.000-05:00

It's nearly Easter again, already! When I was growing up, my sisters and I always looked forward our annual Easter egg hunt at home (and then two more with cousins from each side of the family!). Most of the eggs we hunted were made of colorful plastic, but there was always one "prize egg" for each child, holding a little extra gift instead of the usual candy. In early years, the prize eggs were a shiny silver (still plastic)-- later they were tiny egg-shaped tins.

Those eggs came out of storage just once a year, but decorated eggs needn't be restricted to Easter celebrations. You may have heard about (or even seen in museums) the beautiful Fabergé eggs made of precious materials, for instance. While you may not be able to afford an egg covered in gold or rubies, if you're handy with polymer clay, you can create your own decorative eggs.

Practically any technique can be applied to clay-covered eggs, from mokume gane and thinly sliced canes to mosaic and mica shift. It's mostly a matter of inspiration. Here are some photos to give you an idea of what is possible:

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Polymer Clay Eggs
You can find more eggs in many of these photo streams. :o)

Eggs (set), by polymer_woman
Polymer Clay Covered Eggs (set), byChicki2008
Faux Chocolate Egg, by hambacreations (Amy)
Polymer Clay Egg, by wabi-sabi creations (Pamela Franceschetto)
Birds Nesting Eggs, by divadea (Alissa Plant)
Feathered Egg, by Jael of jaelsjewels
Egg, by Ruth Tarragano
Floral Egg, by polymerclaycreations (Angela Hickey)
Egg Ornament, by made in lowell (Liz)
Sheep Knoll Red House, by Folk Art from the Heart

Ok, I found more than ten, and this time, since it's so easy to add a few more links, I decided to add a bonus of five more Flickr finds. Aren't you EGGstatic? ;o) (Sorry, I can't resist puns.)

Cat Egg, by Muselover (Ann)
littlegod1, by Leslie Levings
GRAMPS, by Gourd Girl
Polymer Clay Egg, by WigglebuttClay
Crimson Fire Egg, by ssneed

Feeling inspired by all those egg-cellent examples? (Again, sorry. (g)) If (like me) you've never made a clay-covered egg before, you may need a few pointers. You can find some helpful information on this page of GlassAttic. Here are a handful of other related links:

Filigree Polymer Clay Egg tutorial, by Joanna Stein
How to Make a Clay Egg, by Byrd Tetzlaff
Embellished Eggs, by Sarajane Helm
Satin Swirl Egg, by Kellie Robinson
Millefiori Eggs, by Katrhyn Sheehan (scroll down past the felted eggs)

Happy claying! :o)

Ten on Tuesday: Springtime Palettes

2008-03-11T07:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but around here, it's starting to feel more and more like spring. When that happens, my thoughts gravitate toward Easter egg pastels and the fresh greens of baby plants.

If your home town is still facing weeks of bitter cold, maybe you need a boost of cheery color even more than I do! And for those of you in the southern hemisphere. . . Well, any time's a good time for a springtime palette. (g)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten (or so) Springtime Palettes

1. springtime chic--
I'm mainly drawn to the apple green and aqua/robin's egg blue combo (I have a real thing for those colors, it seems), but I think the addition of the coral pink and warm brown is nice, too. This combo is cheerful and gives a nod to classic springtime pastels, but it's not "plastic Easter egg"-y, if you know what I mean. (g)

2. Lady Beetle's House--
Here's something a bit brighter. Those greens paired with peach and berry hues look sweet to me. I can almost taste fruit-flavored candy!

3. Spring's Premiere--
This palette looks like a sunny day to me. I love how simple and fresh it is. It reminds me of clean laundry flapping on the line-- little lambs frolicking on the lawn-- little puffy clouds drifting lazily across a baby blue sky. . . Well, you get the idea. ;o)

4. Spring Forth--
This one starts from a similar place as the last one-- the classic combination of yellow, green, and blue-- but it progresses into darker shades of blue. For me, the darker blues take the palette from the sunny afternoon through the twilight and into moonrise (with a liberal sprinkling of stars and a soundtrack of frog song ;o)). Maybe to someone else they're a reminder that there can still be a chill in the air in early spring. . .

Now that I look at this again, I'm getting some Starry Night (Van Gogh) vibes. Maybe not quite greenish enough in the blues, though. . .

5. spring1--
More yellow, green, and blue. I must not be the only one who loves these colors together. ;o) These are all pretty warm, I think, which is fitting for spring, I guess.

6. Spring Salad
These colors do remind me of a salad with lots of lovely, colorful lettuces. Taken on their own, some of these colors (the dark teal and especially the plum) may not seem particularly springlike, but who says you can't have dark colors in a springtime palette? Spring doesn't have to be all pastels (unless you like it that way, of course). A little variety can spice things up.

7. springforward and spring spirits--
This palette is proof that you should "never say never" about a color. As fashion trends shift-- and as our perceptions shift with it-- we sometimes find ourselves liking colors we once thought we hated. If you had told "Teen Me" that I'd someday like "harvest gold" and tints of mustard, I probably would've laughed at you. ;o) While they still aren't my favorite colors in the world, I have to admit that they have a definite appeal in certain applications. For example, this gentle progression from softest pink to champagne and gold warms me right up.

For a golden palette that's less delicate, how about this one?

8. spring velvet and spring--
I'm a sucker for combinations of dark red and light green or pink and green. With these rather bronzey greens, the combo isn't at all childish or "1950s ice cream parlor-ish" (not that I don't like that style, too!). Instead, it has a certain maturity. Or maybe I'm just won over by the word "velvet". ;o)

Ok, I can't leave it at just one, so here's another "red and green" combo:

(sighs) Ah, the perfect "complimentariness" of the spring green with the wine reds. . . Anyone else ever read The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery? I've always coveted Valancy's dress. . .

9. Spring Meadow and spring--
Here's something a bit more "rainbowy". I'm very fond of the softness of these colors in contrast with the medium periwinkle blue. . .

But if you like something a little bit bolder, try this one:

10. vernal woods--
Let's close with something that puts most of the focus on green, the most abundant color of springtime. The ColourLovers site overflows with lovely palettes that demonstrate a very gradual shift in color. These generally appeal to me, but today, I was drawn to this palette with a little more variety.

Also on the subject of springtime color--
If you'd like to see what you're supposed to like this season ;o) have a peek at a couple of color forecasts for spring-summer 2008: Fire Mountain Gems and Pantone Fashion Color Report.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Sign Your Work

2008-03-03T18:51:00.000-06:00

We're probably going to have some bad weather in this area early tomorrow morning, so just to be on the safe side, I'm posting this a bit early. I hope your week's off to a great start! :o)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After pouring your heart and soul into a piece of work, wouldn't you like to "leave your mark" on it? Paintings are usually signed-- literature is printed with the author's name prominently displayed-- why not include your own signature, initials, or other personal mark on your polymer clay creations?

Obviously, this can be a bit tricky if you make small objects like beads-- and personally I never sign that type of thing-- but it can certainly be done. If you make larger-scale items, it's easy to find a spot to "sign" in one way or another. It's just a matter of deciding how to do it. . .

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Sign Your Work--

1. Sign with a pen.
Perhaps the most straightforward way to sign your work is to write your name directly on the object (usually on the bottom of the piece or another hidden, inconspicuous spot). What is less straightforward is what ink works best. Some pens (such as Sharpies) can bleed into the clay over time. This page at Glass Attic contains information on a variety of different pens and how they work with polymer clay.

Before you use a new pen to sign your name on a creation that took twenty hours of your life to make, I'd suggest running a series of tests on small scraps of clay. Be aware that it can take months to determine for certain how an ink will behave on the clay.

2. Sign with paint.
If you have a steadier hand with a paintbrush than I do ;o) , you may want to sign your work with paint. Just as with pens, there's the possibility of the paint bleeding into the clay-- particularly with red paint. Experiment on scrap clay to be on the safe side. It can take a while for the bleeding to become obvious, so date your tests and come back to them every so often.

One extra precaution you can take is to seal your cured piece prior to signing. Seal again (with Future, Varathane, etc.) to protect your signature.

There's more about paints and clay on this page of Glass Attic.

3. Carve it.
One simple way of signing your work is to carve your name or mark directly into the clay. If you do this prior to curing, you can use almost anything from a needle tool to a ball-ended stylus to do the "carving". The disadvantage to doing this pre-curing is that it's easy to distort the clay or mar your work. Carving your name after curing, on the other hand, will require that you use some sharp instrument. You may be able to use a craft knife, but if you have linoleum cutters (such as the set from Speedball), they're better for carving cured clay. (Be careful when you use any sharp tool. Practice using the linoleum cutters on cured scrap clay before trying them on anything special. Go slowly-- move the piece you're carving instead of the cutter-- and keep the cutter pointed away from you and your hands.)

Once you've carved your piece (and cured it, if you carved it raw), you can make your signature more visible by either antiquing it with acrylic paint or backfilling with a contrasting color of clay. (If you use clay, remember to cure the piece a second time!)

4. Transfer it.
I don't know that I've ever seen or heard of anyone doing this before, but I don't see any reason why it couldn't work. There are numerous methods of transferring images. Some require special papers and/or ink jet printers. For others, you need nothing more than a toner copy (think Xerox machine copy), clay (preferably in a light color), and water. Using your preferred image transfer method, you could sign your work with your name in any font you like, with a copy of your own actual signature, or with any "mark" or symbol you like. Just keep in mind whether or not your chosen method of image transfer will reverse the image. If it will, remember to mirror the image before printing it.

5. Make a signature cane.
I haven't heard much about this, lately, but some artists make a cane with their initials, logo, or other signature mark, then incorporate thin slices of it into their work. For larger pieces, you could work a slice of the cane into the design or embed it into the bottom of the object. Making a cane of this type may be a bit daunting for someone new to millefiori, but it's something to consider. This video starring Marie Segal includes information on making a signature cane.

6. Have a custom stamp made.
If you have the cash to spare, you can have your own designs made into a sheet of rubber stamps. You can easily fit a number of small "signature stamps" into one of these, with room to spare. Sarajane Helm has written about her experience having custom stamps made by Ready-Stamps. Use your custom-made signature stamp to leave an impression of your name or mark-- usually in an inconspicuous spot, such as the bottom. To make the signature more visible, you can antique it, backfill it, or highlight it with mica powder, acrylic paint, or rub-on wax.

7. Use a ready-made stamp.
Ok, maybe it's not ideal, but if you're short on funds, but already have an alphabet of rubber stamps, you can use those to sign your work. With larger stamps, you may have room only to leave your initials, but some stamps are small enough that you can fit in your full name. Don't forget the alphabet stamps you can find beyond the confines of the rubber stamp aisle of the craft store! The tiny stamp sets used in address stamps are great for polymer clay. You can also use metal stamps meant for marking serial numbers, etc., in metal surfaces.

If you're planning to sell what you make using rubber stamps, it's a good idea to check out the company's "Angel company policy". This will tell you whether or not it's legal to use the stamped image in artwork you intend to sell. There are variations in policy from company to company. Personally, I feel this should be much less of an issue if the stamp is used on the back or bottom of a piece purely to "sign" the work-- but use your own discretion.

8. Make a "2-step stamp".
You can make your own custom stamps out of polymer clay-- not only of your signature or "mark", but of anything you like! To make a "2-step stamp", start by carving your design. You can use raw clay or cured clay. Just be sure it's thick enough that you can carve your design without going through the bottom. Try to maintain a consistent depth throughout the design. If you need a guide to follow, you could either transfer an image of the design onto the clay or draw it by hand before carving. (If you carved raw clay, cure it before proceeding.)

Step two is to take a cast from your freshly carved mold. (Wait until it has cooled, if you just cured it.) Use a release agent and press raw clay into the cured mold (the thing you carved). This will create a "raised" version of your design, which you can cure and use as a stamp. If you notice that you didn't manage to keep the depth consistent in your carving, parts of your new stamp may be taller than others. You may be able to even things out a little by sanding it against a flat surface.

If you're very good with the carving tools, you may be able to condense this process by simply carving the raised design directly out of the first block of clay. This can be a bit messy, though, if your design is very detailed.

9. Make a "credit card stamp".
This is an idea I found in Donna Kato's latest book. She describes Jacqueline Lee's signature stamp this way: "To sign her artwork, Jacqueline Lee makes a mold from her name on a credit card and then presses raw clay into the mold. She then presses the clay to the piece." I haven't tried it yet, myself, but if your work is of a size to accept that type of signature, it seems like a pretty nifty idea!

10. Make an "extruded snake stamp".
Visit Polymer Clay Central to see Kathy Canuel's tutorial for a custom-made polymer clay stamp using an extruded snake of clay to make a quick and easy stamp. You'll need an extruder, some liquid clay, and regular polymer clay. The tutorial demonstrates making a word stamp ("Hope"), but you can use the same technique for any word, name or symbol you choose. In Kathy's examples at the end of the tutorial, you can see her personal "mark" for signing her work.

As you can see, there are methods to suit every style, budget, and application. I hope you've found one that you'd like to try. :o)

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P.S. You know what they say about great minds thinking alike? ;o) Well, the day after writing this (I sometimes do these in advance, when I'm in a bloggy mood, so that I don't have to scramble on Tuesday morning), I saw that I wasn't the only one inspired by Kathy Canuel's tutorial. Angela (Crafty Goat) has also written about ways to make your own stamp-- including a variation on Kathy's technique. Some of our ideas were the same, but there are other techniques on her list that aren't on mine, so if you haven't already seen that blog post, you might want to head over there and have a look. :o)

Actually, there could be several blogs with posts similar to this, and I probably wouldn't know about it, at the rate I read blogs these days. . . (g) So if it ever looks like I'm copying your blog, please know that it isn't intentional. At the very least, I try to mention and link to the blogs I copy. ;o)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

P.P.S. My temporary loss of internet access was only part of my recent computer-related woes. We also lost all our saved e-mail. I know that I had received at least one e-mail in response to my earlier post, "Any suggestions?". Unfortunately, I hadn't even had a chance to read it, so if that person sees this and is able to resend the e-mail, I'd appreciate it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. At least everything is up and running again, now. :o)

Off-line!

2008-02-27T16:00:00.001-06:00

We're having trouble with our internet connection, so until that gets cleared up, I may be quieter than usual. (Not that I've been all that chatty, lately, anyway, (g)) I have a connection today, but there was almost none yesterday. (Thus the absence of yesterday's Ten on Tuesday.) I hope things will be worked out before too long, though, and I should definitely have a post up next Tuesday.

In the meantime, if you haven't already seen them, here are a few blog entries I'd like to suggest:

Angela (CraftyGoat) has been writing a lot about tools and materials, lately. There are a couple of recent entries about repurposed tools (pumice stone and herb mincer) and one on using scrapbooking supplies with polymer clay. Angela's blog led to my next link. . .
Lisa (from Polka Dot Creations) gave readers a peek at some of her handmade tools, including a nifty idea for a button hole placer.
Elaine (TooAquarius) was inspired by Lisa's blog to share her idea for a handmade baking rack.

Lots of great ideas for handmade and "found" tools! More things to add to your polymer clay wish list! ;o)

I need to catch up on my blog-reading so I don't miss out on all this good stuff!

Any suggestions?

2008-02-20T16:49:00.000-06:00

I'm always trying to add to my list of potential topics for Ten on Tuesday (and for that matter, regular posts, too). While brainstorming, I realized that I haven't ever asked for input from readers. So I'll do that now. ;o)

If you'd like to suggest a topic for a Ten on Tuesday-- or if you just have a nagging question relating to polymer clay-- please feel free to mention it in a comment-- or you can e-mail me, if you'd rather. :o) Your suggestions/questions can be about products, techniques, artists, tutorials you'd like to see-- anything that comes to mind. If you'd like to be credited for your suggestion, be sure to sign your comment. (Or if you e-mail me, but you'd prefer to remain anonymous, please mention that, also. (g))

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything about polymer clay, but I'll do my best to research unfamiliar topics and/or refer you to someone who might be able to help. :o)

In the meantime-- and for even longer, if no-one responds to this call for suggestions ;o)-- I'll continue to try to come up with topics on my own.

I hope everyone's having a great week!

Ten on Tuesday: Mosaics

2008-02-19T04:15:00.000-06:00

Since ancient times, mosaics have been used to beautify the halls and temples men have built. Small pieces of stone, glass or other materials were painstakingly, strategically set in place to reveal a larger collective pattern or image. The art of mosaic design survives today, and for years, polymer clay artists have been getting in on the fun.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Links Relating to Polymer Clay Mosaics

1. Polymer Clay Mosaic Tabletop, by Laurie Mika. Tutorial.

2. Polymer Clay Mosaics photoset, by salbug00. Photos.

3. Polymer Clay Mosaic Pendant, by DSDesigns (Debra). Photo.

4. Polymer Clay Mosaic Book (Cover), by Lisa Pavelka. Tutorial.

5. Freestyle Coaster Project, by Tina Barnes. Tutorial.

6. Create Mosaic Pendant, by Julie. Photo.

7. Liquid Clay Mosaics, by Karen Mitchell. Tutorial.

8. Mosaic Mirrors photoset, by Irma G. Photos.

9. Google BookSearch Excerpt from Totally Cool Polymer Clay Projects, by Marie Browning.

10. Here are a few more books worth checking out if you have an interest in polymer clay mosaics: Polymer Clay Mosaics, by Sue Heaser, Polymer Clay Mosaics, by Krista Wells, and Mixed Media Mosaics, by Laurie Mika.

Don't have the patience for mosaics? ;o) Here's Elissa Powell's Mosaic Cane Tutorial for a "mosaic-like" look without all the little bits and pieces.

Or you could do a "faux mosaic" like you see in this video by CandyFimoWebTR. Okay, technically, it is a mosaic, but most of the "tiny pieces" are simulated by filling in carved lines with grout. (You could also use opaque liquid clay or extremely softened regular polymer clay, in place of grout.)

Whether you tend toward the "shortcut" methods linked above or are inspired to try a time-consuming micro-mosaic à la Cynthia Toops, polymer clay is perfect for using in the mosaic design of your choice.

Kato Polyclay -- Reformulation

2008-02-17T17:40:00.000-06:00

I read today on Donna Kato's website that Kato Polyclay has been reformulated-- "gone green". The phthalates have been removed from the formula.

I'm no chemist, but I know that large amounts of phthalates probably aren't good for us. Because of concerns over the effects of contact with phthalates, more and more restrictions are being placed on their use in goods-- particularly products intended for children.

Donna writes that the new formula will be just as strong as the old one. It's even supposed to be easier to condition-- "but not too soft".

The packaging of Kato Polyclay will also be changing. Instead of the larger 3-ounce blocks, it will come in 2-ounce packages (like Premo and Sculpey III). For those interested in testing the new clay, there will be sample kits of four 1-ounce packages of different (but coordinating) colors. Oh, and Kato Clear Medium will be sold in colors. No idea which colors, but there's something else to be on the lookout for. (I wonder if the colors will be opaque or translucent. I guess we'll have to wait and see.)

I'm not sure when the new formula will hit stores-- or how the change in package size will affect the price of the product-- but it will be interesting to see what happens next. I've barely touched Kato Polyclay, myself, since I've mostly been happy with Premo (which is also easier for me to get), but if the new formula is easier to condition, I'll definitely have to give it a try.

On a related note:
On the Prairie Craft website, I found an update on the status of Donna Kato's upcoming book. I have no idea when it was posted, but the report indicates that the photos are all done and they're working to get final approval before sending it off to be printed. They haven't even chosen a title, yet, or set a release date, but it shouldn't be too long. (Still no mention of it on Amazon, but I guess that's not so strange, considering that it's not even named yet.)

If I remember correctly, this next book's supposed to focus mainly on millefiori. I haven't done much caning, to date. Every now and then I make a very basic cane-- usually for something relating to miniature food. Millefiori can be beautiful, but it simply hasn't appealed to me as much as other techniques. That said, if the new book is anywhere near as lovely as her last, I'm sure it's worth owning-- and maybe it will be the incentive I need to give caning some serious attention. There's a lot to learn!

Ten on Tuesday: Valentine Projects

2008-02-12T07:41:00.000-06:00

There are only a couple more days until Valentine's Day-- but there's still time to whip up a little surprise for someone you love. Here are ten Valentine-themed tutorials/projects available for free online:

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Valentine Projects / Tutorials

1. Candice Mathewson's Valentine's Day Heart Cane. A pretty, lacy heart cane in red, pink, white, and black-- but of course you can make it in any colors you like.

2. If you aren't up to the challenge of the previous cane, Arlene Thayer's Simple Valentine Cane uses a heart-shaped cutter to achieve quick results.

3. Julia Sober's Valentine Hearts. Uses a lettering template to make larger-than-lifesize copies of the famous "conversation heart" candies. (I never did like the taste of those candies, personally, but I guess they're a useful tool for a shy Valentine-hunter. (g))

4. Carol Duvall's Polymer Clay Pins. Doesn't have to be "just" for Valentine's Day, but if you happen to have some Valentine-themed stamps (hearts, flowers, etc.), this is a quick and easy project. (Note that you'll also need Rub 'n Buff, acrylic paint, or mica powder-- anything to highlight the design of the stamps.)

5. Elissa Powell's E-Z Hearts. Again, not "just" for Valentine's Day, but since hearts are so popular this time of year. . . ;o) Here's one easy way to make a heart shape.

6. Christy Sherman's Glazed Heart Pendant. Another "not just for Valentine's Day" project. Shows another way to make a heart shape that isn't a flat cookie cutter shape.

7. Carly Seibel's Valentine Heart Beads. Textures, a shape cutter, mica powder, and teensy marbles-- all in one bead!

8. Sarajane Helm's Polymer Clay Hearts Project. Similar to the beads above, but a bit easier (mainly because they're decorated on one side only and don't involve the tiny marbles). The hearts can be turned into pins, earrings, decorations for cards, etc.

9. Jeanne Rhea's Polymer Clay Valentine Card Project for Young Children. As the title suggests, this project is great for little kids. Combines clay with paper crafts to create an adorable card that's sure to be treasured for years to come.

10. Karen Prince's I Love You Photo Holder. Also uses the shape of a hand, this time shaped into the sign for "I love you". Though this tutorial uses a hand-shaped cookie cutter, you could easily make a paper template by tracing someone's hand. (There are a few more Valentine-themed projects on the Sculpey site, too.)

I hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day this Thursday! And if there's no-one else around this year to be sweet to you, don't hesitate to treat yourself to a little token of self-appreciation. :o)

Beads of Courage

2008-02-08T15:40:00.000-06:00

After reading on Tina's blog about the Beads of Courage program, I felt inspired to send them some beads, too.

Click the link above (and download this pdf) for specific information-- but in a nutshell, they distribute hand-made beads to children with serious illnesses (and their families). Each bead marks a step on the child's journey through treatment.

While I was still on my spiral bead kick, I made up a handful of larger-holed beads. (See the pdf; they need beads with at least 1/16-inch holes, preferably 3/32-inch holes. I found that that's larger than what I usually make in my beads.)

I also went through my stash of previously-made beads to find some with larger stringing holes. Now I just need to pack them up and get them in the mail.

Once I get over that little twinge of "are they good enough?"-- or maybe it's more "are they what the program wants?"-- it's a nice feeling, doing something kind for someone else. (And I figure that even if they can't use them in their program, they can still give them to a children's hospital for use in arts and crafts.)

I like this program because it's so easy. Bottles of Hope (another very worthy cause) is a bit intimidating to me. I haven't covered much with clay, before (and there's also the issue of where to get the bottles and how to distribute them, etc.)-- but I have plenty of experience making beads. All you need is some clay, postage, and the address.

If you have the means to do so, I hope you'll consider sending along a batch of your own beads. It truly does give you a wonderful feeling to make something for someone in a simple gesture of caring.

Studio Friday: The Heart of My Studio

2008-02-08T14:27:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's prompt for Studio Friday:

"Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space? Is it your desk or maybe a special piece of furniture, a window, a piece of art on the wall, your idea board, or one of your tools, a jar with ribbons on the shelf...? "

Part of me feels like the heart of my studio/craft room should be something "deeper"-- more meaningful, somehow-- than simply where I spend the most time when I'm there. . . But when I stood in the room and looked around, nothing really jumped out at me. My supplies are important, of course, but there are so many of them-- and they're so dispersed across the room-- that to say that my supplies are the heart of the room would be like saying the whole room is one big heart. (g)

I don't really have a "mascot" of any sort, either-- no muse-- no object that is my all-of-the-time inspiration source. I have an inspiration board, but honestly, I rarely touch it. I like to look at it from time to time, but it's more of a wall decoration than a constantly-changing canvas. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it's just me in a room full of craft supplies and the things I've created. (And quite a few books of sheet music, too, but mostly I just ignore them. ;o))

So I decided to be prosaic and say that the heart of my studio is where I do the work. Whether I'm claying, sewing, stringing beads, or scrapbooking, 99.9% of my time in this room is spent with my derrière settled on one of two identical chairs, such as the one pictured below:

(Notice how I tried to make it seem a little more artistic by getting down on the floor to snap the photo? ;o) Did it work?)

There's nothing inherently special about these chairs. They're just decently comfortable pieces of furniture. They came to me from my parents' house; I grew up sitting in these chairs. (Back then, they hadn't yet made the transformation from stained wood to aqua.) I didn't even make the strawberry-print cushions myself. They're hand-me-downs from my grandmother-- but they're comfy, and they serve the purpose.

Practicality with a dash of fun (aqua and strawberries)-- I think I can live with that as the "heart" of my room.

~*~*~*~*~

While looking at others' submissions for SF, I found a link to a very impressive studio. The colors are so beautifully soft-- but also playful. I love the green island.

Though I certainly don't need a room like that in order to create, a room like that sure is pretty to look at!

Polymer Clay Blogs

2008-02-08T11:00:00.001-06:00

I'm rearranging my blog a little bit, today. My list of polymer clay-related blogs (formerly to the right) was taking up so much room that I decided to move it all into a single blog post. I'll put a link to this post over there, instead. :o)

I never use this list, these days, anyway, since I subscribed to them all over at my Google Reader account. This list is missing some of the blogs I discovered more recently, but it'd probably be a huge pain to figure out which ones aren't included here, so I make no promises to fix that. (g)

If you have a polymer clay-related blog (or know of one) that's not included, please feel free to comment. I'm always happy to add to my list, even if it takes me months (or years (g)) to catch up on my blog-reading. :o)

Ali di Libellula

All Things Metal Clay

Amanada's Musings

Ann de Rodegain Digne Dingue Donc

Avec des Couleurs de l'Imagination

Créaprovence Création

Desert Designs by Barbara

Des Nouvelles des Etoiles

Imagine Uncommon Things

Jael's Jewels Blog

Just Me and My Creations

Karina's blog

KC's Krafting Korner

KIWI Handmade

La Mélancolie du Caméléon

L'atelier de Trukabul

Laura's Blog

Le Blog de Dodo

Le Blog de Flo

Le Blog de Lilli Prune

Le Blog de Mamezelle Cat

Le Blog de Marie

Le Blog de Palatena

Le Blog de RERE

Le Laboratoire de Melle Cookie

Les Bijou de Perlchen

Les Créations de Miss Zabeth

Les Fimoteries de Maniguette

Les Frivolités de Caty

Les Petites Manies de Sarajana

Les Petit Monde de Stéphanie

My Life with Polymer Clay

Mystical Ring

My Sweet Little Corner

NanjoDogz

Objets d'emotion

Oolong's Zoo

Overstimulated Undercaffeinated

Parole de Pâte

Pearls of Whimsy

Peguintrax's World of Whimsy

Philadelphia Area PC Guild Reporter

Polka Dot Creations Blog

polyblog

PolyCréations

Polymer & Fimo Clay News @ CraftGossip

Polymeri Online - Iris Mishly

polymermania

Polymer Paula

Polymers et Oceans

Ponsawan's Tutorial Blog

P'tits Cailloux

Queen of Clay

Quilted in Clay Rambles

Smashing Color: Maggie Maggio

Tina T.'s Polymer Clay

Wes Warren's Polymer Clay Garage

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Mask-Related Links

2008-02-05T08:39:00.000-06:00

Apart from being "Super Tuesday", today is also Mardi Gras (aka "Shrove Tuesday" or "Fat Tuesday"). It's the last big hurrah before Lent, and here along the Gulf Coast, there will be plenty of celebrating going on today. There will be jazz music in the air (along with moonpies, beads, and other trinkets), purple, green, and gold everywhere, extravagant costumes, and parades meandering their way over city streets. There will also be lots of masks.

In honor of Mardi Gras, then, I bring you ten links relating to polymer clay masks. Maybe they'll inspire you to try making a mask of your own, whether to wear or to decorate your home-- or both!

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Mask-Related Links

1. Saltandpaper/Natalie's Octopus Mask is a fine example of how some creative thinking can lead to an unexpected mask. Hallowed-Mask, by Michelle of Gabriel Studios, is another opera mask with a very unique form.

2. Polymer Clay Tribal Mask Pendant, by Debra of DSDesigns. Photo of a mask-shaped pendant that has a great metallic finish. She has many more photos of mask-themed pieces, so be sure to browse!

3. For a change of pace, visit TheoJunior's Flickr photostream, where you'll find unusual (and often disturbing (g)) faces/masks, such as Maori Mask.

4. Check out the mask gallery on Linda Weeks' website. (There's even one with a Mardi Gras theme!)

5. Michelle Davis Petelinz's masks, such as Matuko, are designed to be wall art. Some of them have a coordinating shadowbox; others in her photostream are attached to panels for display.

6. DIY hosts Anne Igou's tutorial for a Polymer Clay Mask, originally shown on Craft Lab.

7. Anne Igou's Leaf Mask tutorial was originally aired on the Carol Duvall Show.

8. Here's yet another tutorial by Anne Igou, this time for a Polymer Clay Mask Barrette, originally on DIY's Jewelry Making.

9. If you liked her mask tutorials (above), then check out the gallery of maskwork on Anne Igou's personal website.

10. Sarajane Helm's website offers some pages devoted to polymer clay masks-- both full size and miniature. (Please note that there are links to more mask-related pages, at the bottom of that first page.) In case you haven't heard, Sarajane has a book coming out this summer-- The Art of Polymer Clay Masks.

If you're still hungry for more photos of masks, search Flickr for "polymer mask". You'll find all the photos and artists I simply couldn't fit into my little list of ten. :o)

Happy Tuesday, everyone, and laissez les bons temps rouler! ;o)

Ten on Tuesday: Photography Tips

2008-01-29T12:33:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit later than usual this time, but here's my weekly list of ten. :o)

Whether you want to sell your work online, share it with others (without sending the actual object), or start a photographic record of what you've made, sooner or later you'll probably want to photograph your polymer clay creations.

Photographing polymer clay art seems simple enough-- until you actually try it. There are a number of common problems that can detract from the beauty of your work, but there are also solutions. You'll soon find that getting a great capture is as much of an art as the polymer clay techniques you used to create the gorgeous object you want to photograph! It takes time to learn and perfect your photographic technique, but with a few good pointers, you'll soon see dramatic improvements. What follows is a list of ten tips to get you started in the right direction.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Tips for Photographing Polymer Clay Artwork

1. Learn how to use your camera.
Sure, it sounds obvious, but let's admit it: Most of us are so excited to try out our new toys that we don't always spend the time it takes to learn all the features. It can be intimidating, at first, but give it a try. Now is a great time to take out your manual and give it a closer look. If you know someone with camera know-how, ask them to show you some of what your camera can do. Experiment with different settings-- something beyond the automatic setting. Look for a message board or other online community where you can ask questions about your specific model.

If you have an out-dated camera-- or one that is strictly point-and-shoot-- now may be the time to consider shopping around for a new one. You needn't spend a lot of money to get a good digital camera, depending on what you want to do with it.

2. Be sure you have good lighting.
A photograph is captured light, so if you start out with poor lighting, you'll have poor photographs. I like to experiment with lighting-- take photos of the same object in a few different kinds of light. Sometimes I'm surprised by the results-- and with digital cameras, it doesn't cost much more than your time to take a few extra shots.

Natural light is almost always better than artificial light-- and it's free-- but you can also purchase special studio lighting. When photographing in natural light, it's usually best to have indirect light. In other words, you don't want the sun shining directly on the object. One way to achieve this is to use a diffuser. There are a number of ways to diffuse light. You can purchase a special box for this purpose (such as the EZ Cube), but you can also create your own "shield" from vellum, white fabric, or something similar. The idea is to let some light through to your object, but to soften it.

I made my own diffuser by cutting a hole in the bottom of an old gallon ice cream bucket. I simply place the bucket upside down over my bead (or whatever I'm photographing) and take the photo through the cut hole. The "frosted/clear" plastic of the bucket filters the light beautifully! (I first read this tip on PCC, but I can't remember whose it was. . .)

If you need to photograph with artificial light, you'll get the best results by using special lights in combination with a diffuser. (I don't know much about that set-up, myself, so I won't attempt to explain it. (g))

3. Use a tripod.
If you don't already have one, a tripod is a good investment. It doesn't have to be an expensive one, so long as it's easy enough to use that you'll actually use it. A tripod can help you cut down on blurry photos. Once you have your camera in place on a tripod, you don't have to worry about holding it the whole time-- and you more easily find the same spot time after time, if you're photographing a series of several similarly sized objects. A tripod also allows you to take longer exposures without blurring the photo. A longer exposure means that the shutter is open for longer than usual. As long as your tripod and camera hold still, this can give you a brighter image with a wider range of focus.

4. Get up close and personal.
If you're photographing small-scale objects like beads, earrings, or miniatures, you can easily "lose" your subject in the photo. A huge photo with a tiny bead in the middle isn't very impressive. Try to get as close to your subject as possible (without ruining your camera's ability to focus properly). If your camera has a macro setting-- or better yet, if you have a special macro lens-- now is the time to use it.

Macro lenses allow you to focus much closer to your subject than you can with a standard lens. For example, close-up photos of flowers and insects are usually taken with a macro lens. You'll find macro lenses at a variety of price points. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a macro lens that will take good photos of jewelry, beads, etc., but of course you can, if you'd like to. ;o)

If you don't have a macro lens and can't afford one right now, just get in as close as you can without sacrificing focus. (If you find, when you download your photos and see them big on the monitor, that they look a tiny bit blurry, go back and give it another try from slightly further away. Getting closer is no good if you end up with blurry images!) If your camera has a zoom function, don't forget to use that. Even if you can't fill up the whole photo with your subject, you can always crop the photo later. (I'll talk more about that later on.)

5. Be aware of your background.
So far, we've been putting all the focus on your subject, but it's also important to give some thought to the background. No matter how great your piece looks on its own, the right background can improve a photograph of it. Which background is "right" will depend on the subject (its color(s) and style), the purpose of the photo, and your personal taste.

For a very formal photo, you may want a solid black or white background-- or a gradient (look here for an example), which you can buy or print out on your home printer.

For something less formal, you can play around with brightly colored and/or patterned paper (scrapbook paper, for instance), fabric, leather, glass, brick, stone-- anything interesting that goes nicely with the color(s) of your subject. You can even give your subject a little "set". This is especially popular among some jewelry artists. A necklace draped around a vase-- earrings in the fold of a large, lushly green leaf-- a bracelet nestled on the silken folds of scarf. These "sets" usually are chosen for visual interest and/or to convey a certain mood (freshness, femininity, youth, etc.). Sometimes they show the subject in its "natural surroundings"-- i.e. a piece of jewelry on a woman's dresser, near her perfume.

Sometimes people like to include something in the photo for scale-- a coin, a ruler, or a grid to quickly illustrate the size of the object for sale.

The main arguments against using strong patterns, "sets", or rulers in photographs is that they may distract from the main subject. This is a matter of personal taste, so experiment to see what you like. If you have trouble deciding what looks best, show some friends a few options and ask which set-up they prefer. Try to notice the background/composition of product photos you admire. You may learn a few tricks that way, too. Eventually, you'll find the solution that meets your needs.

6. Clean up your act! ;o)
It's amazing what shows up on your computer monitor! All the dust, fuzz, lint, etc. that you didn't see when you were happily snapping photo after photo "magically" appears when you're looking at the pictures full size. Try to eliminate some of these annoying distractions by giving your work a quick polish-- or a puff of air-- right before photographing them. The same goes for your background and "set"; if they've been sitting out for a while, they can get dusty. (Some dust can be done away with during post-processing, but if there's much, it's a real pain-- not to mention that it can be tricky, if it's on the main subject of the photo.)

If your camera has a feature that allows you to zoom in and see your photo larger (on the camera, before downloading them to the computer), you can take advantage of that. It might save you the annoyance of having to completely redo a shoot.

7. Look at things from different angles.
If you're photographing your work to sell online, you'll often have the option of sharing more than one photo of each piece. In that case, it's a good idea to take photos from different angles.

Even if you're just photographing for your own sake, you may find that changing things around a little gives your photos a fresh look. Instead of taking every photo from straight on, try lowering the camera so that you have a different view of the piece.

If photographing with a view to sell the object, you'll want to provide as many different views of the piece as possible. Show the front, back, and sides of the piece. Consider taking a close-up of any special details that may not be obvious from a photo of the whole object.

Remember, one of the benefits of digital photography is that you can take as many photos as you like without having to pay to develop them all, so keep an open mind and play around.

8. Do a "stand-up job". ;o)
(Ok, I'll admit it; I have a weakness for puns! (g))

If you're photographing a special bead-- or any other object that doesn't easily stand just the way you'd like-- you can give it a little help. It depends on the look you want, but sometimes having the bead "just lying there" isn't exactly inspirational. Maybe you want it tilted back a bit with the prettiest side showing. Maybe you just want to give it a little more stability so that it's not constantly falling over or rolling around.

Different artists suggest a few different solutions for this problem. One idea is to use the teensiest bit of poster tack (the stuff used to hang posters on walls without nails or pins). Roll a tiny ball of the tack, then press your bead into it. With a little practice, you should be able to position your bead perfectly with none of the tack showing. You can also use "prop wax", which is made especially for this purpose. When photographing larger items, you may be able to prop them up against something-- anything sturdy, but small enough that it won't be visible in the photo. Experiment to find what works best for you.

9. Do a little post-processing (as needed).
Whether we know it or not, most of the images we see these days have been "processed", to some degree. The already-skinny model has had a few more pounds shaven away digitally; the covergirl's little blemish has been erased with a few clicks of the mouse. I'll leave you to form your own opinions on that subject (g), but in many cases, a little post-processing can improve a product photo.

Post-processing doesn't have to be intimidating. Once you learn the steps and create a routine of your own, it's easy. You'll need some type of photo-editing software. Adobe Photoshop (including the cheaper, more basic Photoshop Elements) is the best-known, but it's certainly not the only program out there. Your digital camera may come with a very simple program that allows you to crop and rotate photos, but you can also purchase photo-editing software. You can even find useful programs available for free online. (I don't know much about programs other than Photoshop, but in a recent blog entry, Christie mentioned one called GIMP. I'm sure you can find other options with a little research.)

Once you have your photo-editing software, you need to learn how to use it. Fortunately, you don't have to know every single function to get started. There are plenty of tutorials and message boards online where you can learn how to use most programs-- or you may be able to find an instructive book (maybe even at your local library). If you're very lucky, you might know someone who can give you a lesson in person. Just take your time, take notes, and remember that it will get easier with time.

The following are some of the functions I find most useful in Photoshop:

Crop-- Allows you to select which portion of the photo you want to stay and which part should "go away". Particularly useful for shifting the focus back where you want it, if you couldn't get in close enough when you were taking your photos.
Resize-- If you don't need your photo to be huge, there's no sense in keeping it huge. It just takes longer for the program to process; it also takes longer to upload. However, you don't want to make them too small. How big they'll need to be depends on what you'll be doing with them. For instance, at Etsy, 1000 pixels wide is suggested. If you're not sure what size you'll need for a certain application, you can probably find advice in the FAQ or a forum.
Unsharp Mask-- There are a variety of ways to put a little extra sharpness on a photo. This is the one my husband (who just happens to be an Adobe Photoshop certified professional (g)) suggested that I use. (Note: If you find yourself relying too heavily on post-processing sharpening filters, it's time to work on your photo setup. Work to get a good, sharp focus when you take the photo, because no amount of post-processing can entirely compensate for a poor-quality photograph.)
Cloning tools-- This type of tool (Clone Stamp Tool, Healing Brush, etc.) allows you to copy one part of the photo and paste it over another part-- or to take an average of the surrounding pixels and "paint" over in a similar color and texture. (Each tool has its own pros and cons. Once you've played around with them, you'll know which is best to use for a given task.) These tools are amazing time-savers. With them, you can remove small blemishes with a few quick mouse clicks. However, if you're using your photos to sell your work, you'll have to be careful to remove only photographic blemishes (dust, for example) and not something that is a permanent element of the piece (fingerprints and similar). Remember that your goal should be to make your work look as good as it truly does-- not to give a false representation of it.
Color adjustments-- You can adjust the colors, brightness, contrast, etc. in a number of ways. (Look under Image>Adjustments.) Which is "best" depends on who you ask. Some people swear by Levels. Personally, I usually turn to Curves first (because that's how my husband taught me (g)), then maybe follow up with Color Balance (which is good way to pull down the yellow in artificially lit photos). You have the most control over your results if you manually adjust the colors, but if you're in a hurry or just aren't very particular about it, you can also use the auto adjust features, such as Auto Levels, Auto Color, and Auto Contrast. (There's also the option to select "auto" in the Curves box.)

10. Learn the tricks of the trade. (Study at the feet of the masters.)
We can learn a great deal from professional photographers. If you're feeling very ambitious, you can sign up for a class, but you can also learn a lot from a good book or from the many free tutorials, articles, and communities available on the internet.

Here are a handful of interesting links I found with just a few minutes of researching:

Jewelry photography articles at Ganoksin.
Information on photographing jewelry, beads, etc. (Yes, it's from a supplier of photographic equipment, but the information's free. (g))

This one's about glass, but I think many of the tips are just as useful for polymer clay-- especially translucent pieces.
Here's one about photographing jewelry in general.

Don't forget about the GlassAttic page on photographing polymer clay.
Rena Klingenberg's "Tips for Photographing Jewelry".
Syndee Holt offers some photo tips on her website. Also, if you have access to old issues of PolymerCAFE, you can find a couple of related articles she's written for the magazine. Look for Vol. 5 No. 1 (Winter 2006/07) and Vol. 5 No. 2 (Spring 2007). There may be more related articles in up-coming editions, because the second article is labeled "Part 2 of a series".

And of course there are many, many more just waiting to be found! Remember that the tutorial/article doesn't have to be written expressly for polymer clay artists. You can adapt many of them to suit your personal needs.

Isn't it wonderful how one hobby (polymer clay) can lead you into so many other interests? :o)

After Cleaning

2008-01-25T17:07:00.001-06:00

After Cleaning
Originally uploaded by MossyOwls

Well, I finally got around to uploading the before and after photos from my craft-room clean-up. You can click the photo above to be taken to my flickr account, if you want to see more.

(This is one of those times when I wish that my family didn't know about my flickr account. (g))

I still have a few problem areas to work on, but for now, I'm done with cleaning this room! It's good enough! ;o)

It does feel more inviting like this, but I wonder how long it'll last?

Just daydreaming about AQUA. . .

2008-01-24T08:45:00.001-06:00

New studio redo, originally uploaded by *jenny b allsorts.

I'm making serious progress in the big Craft-Room Clean-Up of '08. ;o) I think that if I'm determined, I can have photos ready to share by the end of the day.

In the meantime, though, I took a break to peek into some other craft rooms and studios, via a search on Flickr. There are some real beauties out there. I love the colors and sense of playfulness in the studio pictured above! That aqua wall color is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the vintage feel of the red and white details!

I don't have any plans of repainting my craft room/studio anytime soon, though. It's just too much work! (g) I don't even want to *think* about moving everything out of the room, now that I'm getting the last things put away.

It's a wet, grey, and dreary day, around here, and I thought that sharing this photo would be a good way of brightening up my blog, at least. :o)

Happy Thursday!

Very, very early spring cleaning? ;o)

2008-01-22T19:28:00.000-06:00

This afternoon, I decided it was high time to give the craft room a major overhaul-- not so much moving around large pieces of furniture, but clearing away accumulated "stuff" and maybe coming up with some new storage solutions. A few other rooms in the house could also use a good "deep cleaning", but the craft room is the worst of the bunch (at least as far as clutter goes), and it's also more fun to go through art and craft supplies than it is to scrub toilets (Anyone know a good way to remove extremely stubborn rust stains?), wash out the inside of the refrigerator, and clean dusty baseboards. ;o) (Anything to postpone the more serious cleaning!)

I even took a few photos to document the pre-cleaning horrors. We'll see if I'm brave enough to post before and after shots. ;o)

So far, I don't think you can see a whole lot of difference. There are a couple of large boxes out of the room, now, but to be completely honest, they've just been moved into another room! (I'll have to deal with them later. . .)

Part of the problem is that there's just so much clutter-- so many little bitty things that have no real "place". If something has a place, it's just a matter of putting it there. It takes a little time, maybe, but it's not too bad. Just pick it up, identify it, and put it away. But with things that have no real specified "home", you have to stop and think. Is it something worth keeping? (If it has no obvious use, that can take some time to figure out.) Where would it most logically go? Do you need to rearrange things to make it fit? Moving just one item off the table can potentially lead to a "sub-task" that takes ten or fifteen minutes. I'm trying to organize things while I clean, and I find myself constantly being sidetracked.

I've barely touched the clay table, which is a huge mess. I'm down to a clear area of less than six square inches, I think. Everything else is covered with mixes of clay, containers of stuff (glitter, flocking, tools), and WIPs (works-in-progress, for those unfamiliar with the abbreviation). However, at least I've sorted through the majority of the loose beads and "bits and bobs" of cured clay. Every little bit helps!

I hope this will teach me not to let things get into this bad a state of disorder again-- but I doubt it will have any lasting effect! (g)

Ten on Tuesday: Places to Find "Found" Textures

2008-01-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

In the world of art, it seems that people are always referring to "found" things-- "found" objects, "found" images, "found" textures. Found textures can be especially useful for the polymer clay artist, as the medium is so receptive to texture. Using found objects for texture appeals to the modern impulse to reuse/recycle/"repurpose" whenever possible-- and whatever is "found" is usually dirt cheap (or even free)-- so it's an appealing concept all around.

But-- have you ever wondered where these things were found in the first place? The beauty of the "found" is that you can happen upon it almost anywhere. All you need is an open mind and the willingness to experiment. If you need a little push in the right direction, keep reading.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Places to Find "Found" Textures (and Tools)
(Each place is followed by some possible things you might find there and potentially use to texture polymer clay. There's no real rhyme or reason to the ordering of these items.)

1. The Kitchen.
meat tenderizers, forks, dish gloves (the "traction" patterns, especially), cheese grater, colanders, paper towels, sponges, hard foods (pasta, hard candy, nuts), cut/pressed glass (drinking glasses, bowls), trivets, fridge magnets, food packaging (deli boxes, mesh bags, jars with interesting textures), silverware patterns, candy molds, cake decorator tips, cabinet hardware.

2. The Toolbox.
screwdrivers, screws, nails, sandpaper, nuts, bolts, hex tools, keys. Almost any tool will have some sort of texture-- possibly several. Look from all angles.

3. The Great Outdoors.
leaves, ferns, twigs, bark, stones, nuts, cut wood, seashells, garden art, bricks, snail shells, pine cones, tire treads, pet collars and ID tags, fencing materials (whether wood, wire, cast iron, etc.).

4. The Bathroom.
hair clips/barrettes/pins, medicine bottle caps, toothbrushes, combs, make-up brushes, hair brushes, perfume bottles (especially those with raised or indented patterns), safety pins, cabinet hardware, cut/pressed glass containers. Also check deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, and make-up containers for possible interesting textures.

5. The Home Office.
bubble wrap, paper clips (as they are or bent into new shapes), pen/marker caps, erasers (for carving your own small stamps), mouse pads, coins (domestic or foreign). Some older hardcover books even have textures impressed upon the covers-- but I wouldn't advise trying to use a book for a texture unless it's has no real (or sentimental) value, as the clay could possibly color or damage it.

6. The Closet (or Chest of Drawers).
textured buttons, zippers, soles/treads of shoes, belt buckles, belts (especially those with a more detailed texture, such as braided or stamped leather), drawer pulls, clothes hangers. Some fabrics (lace, for instance) also have enough texture that they can be used as a texturing tool. However, it would be best to try this technique with old garments that are past their prime-- not your favorite, most expensive blouse or your great-grandmother's wedding gown.

7. The Jewelry Box.
textured beads, medallions, brooches. Even clasps can potentially have interesting textures. The box itself may, too.

8. The Craft Closet/Corner/Room.
bits of lace or rickrack, fabric scraps, stamps (not quite "found", but not necessarily bought to use with clay), buttons, zippers, leather tools, beads, cords, wire (that can be bent into "brands"/"stamps" of your own design), scissors, marker caps.

9. Yard Sales / Thrift Stores.
These can be great sources for cheap, unusual items with great textures. Kitchen gadgets, toys, costume jewelry (textured metal/glass), and all sorts of odds and ends. Just keep your eyes peeled and your fingers crossed!

1o. The Waste Basket.
Yes, that sounds a bit odd. (g) What I really mean is this: give things a closer look before tossing them. Ask yourself if there's any possible use for the item-- any unusual texture. If you think there's a chance (and the object isn't filthy or too hard to clean), it's simple to press it into a sheet of scrap clay and see what happens. Possible waste basket rescues include the following: used-up pens (and their caps), disposable food packaging (like deli boxes or glass/plastic jars), broken toys and gadgets. (Take apart old watches or timers to find all kinds of interesting bits and pieces.)

Remember, while you're looking for textures, that raw polymer clay can be sticky and often leaves a residue on whatever it touches. You'll want to thoroughly clean objects after using them as texture tools. Some surfaces may be more difficult to clean than others, and raw clay can stain or otherwise react badly with certain materials (fabrics, finished wood, some plastics). Consider the possible after-effects before putting polymer clay on anything valuable. It is also generally recommended that kitchen tools-- or anything else that comes in direct contact with food-- be dedicated to clay/crafts only, once you use them with clay. Use your own judgment, but try to err on the side of caution.

Here's a related post I wrote last year: Texturing Tools and Other "Found" Goodies.

Clay sales this week!

2008-01-20T09:22:00.000-06:00

Just a quick notice for those with Michaels or Hobby Lobby stores nearby--

Both places have polymer clay on sale this week. The standard 2-ounce blocks will be $1 at Michaels and 99 cents at Hobby Lobby. (Kato brand isn't included in the sale, though. I guess that would be too much to hope for, considering that the blocks are bigger.)

I need to look through my stash and see if I'm running low on anything. . .

To jump back to the subject of the new brand of clay-- my sweet husband checked for me at the JoAnn store in Mobile. He didn't see any Studio by Sculpey-- clay or tools. I'm not surprised, as that store's pretty small, and the clay department is fairly sparse to begin with. Still haven't checked Pensacola. I think it's a bigger store, so maybe they'll (eventually) stock the new stuff. However, I hardly ever go to P'cola these days-- too many traffic nightmares and I don't really know my way around town that well. Wouldn't want to make a special trip without knowing, but I guess I could try to call and see if they have it. Either that or order it online, one of these days.

Heaven knows I have enough craft supplies already to keep me busy in the meantime. ;o)

Studio by Sculpey

2008-01-15T19:59:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading a few different bloggers' opinions of the new brand of polymer clay-- Studio by Sculpey. (Angela-- aka CraftyGoat-- has a review, as well as a few links to other bloggers' opinions.)

Angela writes that from what she's heard, Studio (or am I "supposed" to call it by its full name, Studio by Sculpey, every time? (g)) will be sold at JoAnn stores, but not Michaels. I wonder what the chances are of Hobby Lobby carrying it? Pretty slim, I'd imagine, but it'd be so great if they did. The nearest JoAnn stores aren't very convenient for me, so I hardly ever go. I wouldn't mind trying the new clay, but honestly, I'm even more interested in the tools. (g) The "Style and Detail" tools look particularly interesting. I also like some of the shape cutters and texture sheets.

I was going to write that I wondered what the price range would be for the tools, as I didn't see any of the Studio stuff up on the JoAnn website, yet. However, the retail prices are listed at MunroCrafts.com. The Style and Detail tools (set of three) are listed for $10. . . The set of four blades with handles is $12.99. . . The textures sheets (2 per set) are $7.99 for each set (kind of pricey). . . and I don't even see the shape cutters listed. So the tools aren't quite as expensive as I'd have expected (with the exception of the texture sheets).

It's always interesting when something new comes along, isn't it?

Spirals and Slices

2008-01-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

I'm having a hard time getting started today, but at least yesterday I finally took some photos of new items so that I can list a few more things for sale. I also took a few quick photos of other things I've been working on, just so I'd have something new for this blog.

I wrote a week or two ago that I was having fun making spiral beads, so I'll start with photos of several sets of those. There are more in different colors, but this will give you an idea, at least, of what I'm talking about.

There's nothing in these photos to use for scale, but they're all relatively small-- under an inch long, and some about 3/4 of an inch long.

It's especially fun choosing the colors for each new batch. I usually have at least one large ceramic tile covered with a variety of clay mixes-- everything from "straight out of the package" solids to hand-tinted translucents with glitter inclusions. Looking over that selection, trying out different combinations, deciding what's lacking (and then mixing up whatever that might be) is a good way to play around with colors and perfect your color-mixing skills.

More recently, I've been working on a new batch of pizza slices. I made a new pepperoni cane because I needed some bigger pepperonis for these larger slices (which are destined to become magnets). I can't decide whether I prefer the new pepperoni or the old one. Both will "do" just fine, but I ought to decide which is better, for future reference. These larger pizza slices are about two inches long:

And now I need to get up and do some housework so that I'll have time later to sit at the clay table. (I also need to work on listing an item or two. . . and spend some time figuring out the system at the new online shop!)

Ten on Tuesday: Valentine Color Schemes

2008-01-15T07:03:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day may still be a month away, but if you're planning to make Valentine-themed objects from polymer clay, the time is now! (Or better yet, a month or two ago, if you're selling them online.) I made another visit to ColourLovers.com in search of Valentine-themed color schemes, and I didn't come up empty-handed.

Whether you think of Valentine's Day as a 24-hour love fest-- a good excuse to eat lots of chocolate-- a commercial nightmare dressed in pink and red-- or a painful "rub it in my face, whatdoncha" taunting of single folks everywhere ;o)-- there's a color scheme for you! (g)

Note: I find that the color palettes are much more powerful when viewed larger and against the darker background of the original site. To get a better feel for the colors, click the palettes to open up new windows.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten (or so) Valentine-Themed Color Schemes

1. Hardcore Valentine. Reds tending toward black, with a nice watermelon-y punch in the mix.

For a similar (red-themed, going from dark to light) palette, take a look at MBV Loveless. Again, we start with an almost black shade of red, but this time we lighten toward magenta for a very different look.

2. Still My Valentine. Here, we turn the whole focus on those delicious watermelon and salmon pinks. Sweet and warm, but more mature and restrained than you'd expect from a palette so dominated by pink.

3. Restless Valentine. Purples and dark mauves are cooler (in tone) than the traditional reds and pinks.

4. Valentine Kiss. Spicy orange-reds, sophisticated pink, and rich scarlets.

5. My Secret Valentine. A different take on Valentine pink. I'm fond of the way this muted pink fades into a soft, minty green.

6. Atomic Bombshell. Youthful, fresh, and full of energy! This combination of pinks and purples-- with a dash of bold red-- screams "teenage girl" to me, but I don't think you have to be a teen to appreciate this palette.

If you like the excitement of Atomic Bombshell, but prefer to leave purple out of the equation, why not try Heart Beat. Lots of steamy hot pink grounded by a maroon that's flirting with pitch black.

7. Neutral Valentine. Dark, velvety reds accented by understated golds. They combine to make a palette that is understated, mature, and elegant.

8. Chocolate Valentine. This palette uses pink very sparingly, instead putting the emphasis on sweet-toothed creams and browns. The single rosy accent is all that's needed to define this as a Valentine color scheme.

9. Nostalgia Valentine. Muted colors, with a couple of pastels. There's more grey and blue in this palette than you'd usually find in Valentine-themed color schemes, which gives it that slightly sad feeling you'd expect from something described as "nostalgic". ;o)

10. Love Hate Love. Ranging from dark, plummy purple to red-hot red, this color scheme can go either way-- passionate love or hatred. ;o) Personally, I love it.

Didn't see one here to suit your personal tastes? Why not go over and run a search of your own? Or better yet, make up some of your own! :o)

ColourLovers patterns--

2008-01-13T15:48:00.000-06:00

This isn't necessarily related to polymer clay, but you could apply it to clay.

ColourLovers.com, a website I've mentioned a few times before as one good place to find color schemes (or generate your own), now has a pattern feature. You can choose from a number of patterns (everything from flowers to plaid) and select the colors you'd like for different elements of the design.

Just be aware that it's addictive:

Here's another cool feature that I just now noticed: If you find a palette (or pattern-- or just a single color) that you lovelovelove, you can easily select it for your desktop background. Just look for "Get This Pattern Image"-- or "Palette Image" or "Color Image", depending on what you're looking at-- to the right of the pattern, palette or color. What a great way to remind yourself of a great palette that you want to incorporate into your next project!

Hope everyone's had a wonderful weekend! :o)

Flocking as an inclusion?

2008-01-11T16:47:00.000-06:00

Are you a bargain hunter? I am! There's a definite "rush" when you get something for next to nothing. Have you ever bought something not knowing whether or not you'd actually be able to use it, but just because it was so darn cheap you couldn't pass it up? (g) I try not to do that, but sometimes I'll still get things figuring that I'll find a use for them, sooner or later.

Yesterday, I was looking through Hobby Lobby's marked-down Christmas stuff-- all 90% off-- when I came across these:

Plastic bottles of colorful flocking. Originally $1.99 for two bottles; at 90% off, about 10 cents each (not counting tax (g)). I wasn't sure if they'd be useful with polymer clay, but I figured I could use them for card-making or scrapbooking, if they didn't "go" with the clay. At that price, I decided to get all the colors I could find, so I now have 8 grams each of dark blue, white, red, dark green, light green, and pink.

I was thinking mainly of using the flocking as an inclusion in translucent clay. I think I've read about people putting dryer lint into clay to mimic Granitex polymer clay (albeit with mixed results), and I thought this might be an interesting alternative. Now that I google it, I see that I'm not the first to have this idea: Gale Ann Hartman's lion figurine. Even more people have written about using flocking as a surface treatment on cured clay: here and here, for instance.

I've given the inclusion method a test run already, earlier today. I put a mixture of the dark green and blue flocking into translucent Premo. I haven't used Granitex (yet), so I can't really compare my results with that. One interesting thing was that a few bits of the blue apparently didn't mix in completely, so there are a few flecks of very dark blue here and there. Over all, though, the color is fairly uniform-- not quite as different from "regularly" tinted translucent clay as I'd expected/hoped. Of course, I'm sure you can vary the look in any number of ways-- for instance, by using a greater or lesser ratio of flocking to clay. Sanding and buffing would probably improve the translucency, too.

I took a few photos of one piece, but they were all too poor quality to bother uploading. Once it's been completely finished and I'm taking the time to take decent photos, maybe I'll have something worth showing.

(On a side note, I think I may have gotten a speck of flocking in my right eye. At least, it feels a bit irritated . I'll have to be more careful next time!)

Until next time, then!
Good luck in your own bargain hunting! :o)

Translucent Layers

2008-01-09T11:29:00.000-06:00

I've admired Kathleen Dustin's incredible layered translucents ever since I first saw photos of her work. I love the way she incorporates so many different techniques-- many of them involving translucent clay-- into one cohesive whole.

Today, while taking a look at Elise Winters' new website, Polymer Art Archive, I was interested to see a post from Kathleen herself. She writes about how her work evolved into the style that is today so easily recognizable as her own. Very interesting stuff-- and some great inspirational photos, too. I love the elegance of the bead by Lori Feiss, and I'm fascinated by the possibilities demonstrated in the layered clouds in the larger bead in this photo of Dustin's first experiments with layers of translucent clay.

I'm amazed all over again by the versatility of polymer clay. Such scope for the imagination!

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Mica Powder on Clay

2008-01-08T06:53:00.000-06:00

Mica powder is great to use with clay! As you can see from this previous list of ten, there are numerous ways to incorporate this marvelous product into your work. All you need is an idea and the willingness to experiment. How about a little "clays meets mica powder" eye candy to add a little shimmering inspiration to this Tuesday?

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Mica Powder on Clay

1. Mica Garden, by Julie Picarello

2. Single Parents 001, by Elizabeth Bonura

3. Carnival Glass Look-a-Llike, by Ruby Shoes Sam (Sandra Miller)

4. Blue Glasses Silver Vines, by MaevinWren (Morgan)

5. WISH-ornament, by tejaesart (Tejae Floyde)

6. Flower Earrings, by beadworx (Bettina Welker)

7. Mistress Maggie's Metal Garden, by dcdesigns (Denise C.)

8. The Critters, by nancymesaaz (NancyMicheloni)

9. Enchanted Tree Pendant, by chickiegirlcreations (Janet)

10. Lumière sur des Effets de Lumière, from Parole de Pâte
(I'm not sure which individual person made the ones in the photo at the top-- Françoise, perhaps? but the photo further down the page is from Tewee. If you go to her blog, you'll find still more pictures of pretty combinations of mica powder and clay.)

You may have noticed that the mica powder was on the surface on all of those objects-- or on the "surface" under a protective clear coating of some sort. Don't forget about all the other ways to use mica powder-- mokume gane, inclusion, etc.

Happy creating, everyone! :o)

Happy First Birthday!

2008-01-07T07:27:00.001-06:00

What with other celebrations, I didn't notice until today that this blog just turned one year old, on January 2nd!

It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since I decided to give myself a little place to "talk clay". Time is tricky that way. ;o)

Here's to the future, and many more blog posts to come, I hope!

Studio Friday: Brand New!

2008-01-04T08:29:00.000-06:00

I haven't participated in Studio Friday for a while, but this time I thought about it in time (and had time to respond). :o)

The topic for this week was as follows:

A new year!!! Exciting! All new things, experiences, flavours, people and things are waiting for you to be met and greeted.How about your studio and creative space? Are there any brand new items, materials, colours, paints, papers, wooden logs, clay, journals... waiting for you to be unwrapped or unpacked?? Maybe there is a new project or idea waiting to be polished and executed? Or you may have set a new goal for yourself or a resolution?

Ah, new supplies! A subject so very dear to my heart!! ;o)

Because I have the unfortunate combination of a slight addiction to art supplies and a hesitation to actually use most of them (for the first time), I actually have a quite a few things waiting to be unwrapped-- or used. But for this post, I'll focus mainly on the things that are new since Christmas.

Here's a photo of some (but not all, if you can believe it) of my craft-related gifts this year:

In case you can't see everything: new packages of polymer clay (You can never have enough!), eyelets, three colors of embossing powder, little shape cutters, a texture sheet, Amazing Mold Putty, blue-toned confetti-style glitter, and a watch (of the type that you make your own wristbands for). :o)

I'm going to have fun with all this! With the exception of the watch, everything there was on my pc-related wish list this year. And I could use some pc with that, too, if I really wanted to, by using polymer clay beads. (g) This'll be a good opportunity to use some of my stash of storebought beads, though. :o)

I'm excited to try everything in the photo. (In fact, I've already tried the embossing powders!) I'm holding back on the mold-making putty-- want to make sure I use it on something that's "worth" it-- but I'm really looking forward to using that, too.

I bought the confetti glitter for myelf, with a coupon. I thought it looked a lot like the colored Arnold Grummer flakes. I have plenty of the regular/clear iridescent flakes-- though not the AG brand-- but I haven't seen any colored ones around here before, so I was happy to find them. If only they'd had mint green. . . But the blue is gorgeous, too. I'm going to give Donna Kato's liquid-based faux opals another try, one of these days, and these beauties will come in handy then!

I just remembered that when I took the photo I forgot to include the lovely "queue" of rose petal-themed fluid chalk inks I received (Clearsnap brand, I think). They're wonderful colors. I have no excuse not to try some of the inked beads in Donna Kato's book, now. ;o)

In addition to the clay-related supplies, I now (since the great day after Thanksgiving sale at JoAnn Fabrics) have a stock of pretty flannels that I need to use. I'm venturing into the world of sewing/quilting, starting with flannel rag quilts. I've already made one rag-quilt-style bag and started on a flannel and denim rag quilt, but I have many more projects lined up-- and plenty of flannel to keep me busy for quite a while!

Here's a photo of some of my favorite prints:

Such happy, pretty colors! I love the colors in the polka dot fabric, and the floral print reminds me of the illustrations in William Steig's The Amazing Bone (which I used to read to my youngest sister). It makes me happy just looking at it. :o)

So I have plenty of new supplies to kick off the new year creatively! Now it's just a matter of deciding what to do with them all! :o)

ETA: Sorry about the disappearing photos. I don't know what happened. I guess Blogger ate them, somehow. Hope these copies stay in place for a while! (g)

Christmas cookies (almost)

2008-01-02T17:33:00.000-06:00

I made up a batch of "gingerbread cookies" / "gingersnaps" for this Christmas. Most of them were turned into pins, but a few took the tree ornament route instead.

This is a pretty poor photo, but I should have a better one in a day or two.

For those who might be wondering, the pig shapes come from a small cookie cutter my mother-in-law, Britt-Marie, gave me while we were in Sweden. For some reason, the pig is a traditional shape for homemade gingersnaps, in Swedish homes. (I have no idea why they use the pig shape, but I've read about another holiday tradition involving pig-shaped goodies. I think it was a Victorian custom to smash and eat a pink peppermint pig.)

It's a bit late for gingerbread men, but I didn't want to post photos before Christmas, since there were various family members getting these with their gifts. I was planning to make a tutorial for these. (Not that they're extraordinarily unique, but I did put a few of my own twists on the basic idea. ) However, I ended up running out of time, so maybe I'll do that next year, instead.

I think I have quite a few little things that I need to photograph, so maybe I'll work on that tomorrow. Yesterday I spent some time making twisted spiral beads-- such fun to make. Well, all except for the texturing, which I do to cover my fingerprints. That part (and getting them in the oven without the bead-loaded pins falling off the rack) isn't the best, but every other part-- choosing the colors, "doing the twist", and spiraling them onto a pin-- is a blast! :o) I love that shape, too. It's so reminiscent of the seashells I love to find on the beach. It was really nice to make something with the clay without there being a deadline or the feeling that I was supposed to be doing something else. (Ok, so technically I could've/should've been cleaning something, probably, but you know what I mean. (g))

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Male PC Artists

2007-12-31T16:10:00.000-06:00

It's not quite Tuesday, yet, but since it's New Year's Eve (and there's no telling when I'll wake up tomorrow morning, or how long it would take me to remember that it was Tuesday), I thought I'd post this a bit early. :o) I hope everyone has a happy, safe New Year's Eve!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Maybe it's because so many polymer clay artists make jewelry, which tends to interest more women than men. Or it could be that more women are "into" arts and crafts to begin with, so there are simply fewer men . Whatever the reason, the majority of polymer clay-obsessed people you meet online are women. However, there are men active in the world of polymer clay. This Tuesday, I thought it might be fun to focus the spotlight on the male component of the polymer clay art scene.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Male Polymer Clay Artists
(in no particular order)

1. Steven Ford and David Forlano. (Technically, that should count as two men, but since they work collaboratively, it makes sense to group them here, I think.) They're big names in the polymer clay world, so you've probably heard of them before. You'll find various articles by googling their names (or simply "Ford Forlano"), but for starters, you might try their own website.

2. Dan Cormier. He's half of a design and teaching duo. (The other half is his partner, Tracy Holmes.) Check out their bio and a few photos on the NCPG website, then head over to this polymerclayworkshops.com press release to learn more about their latest class, Beyond the Blend, coming in February. You can find more photos here and there throughout the web, such as this one on Grant Diffendaffer's blog.

3. Dinko Tilov. He sculpts amusing characters with lots of personality. He has a book, if you're interested in his style of sculpture, or you can try out one of his free tutorials. Chess enthusiasts will love his chess sets, too. (He writes that he and his brother Boris both make the "critters" for sale at claywizard.com, by the way. So there's yet another male pc artist for you. (g)) Dinko writes about the process of making the chess sets on this blog.

4. Alan Vernall. This English polymer clay creator works works with canework and sculpture-- often combining the two. You can find photos of some of his work here. There are several tutorials and articles by Alan here and there on the web and in print. Here's one. Here's another. And another. (You can find more by googling his name.)

5. Jeffrey Dever. He creates jewelry and vessels, often combining organic, podlike shapes with fanciful colors. Check out some of his work here. (There's also a link to a little biography, near the bottom of that page.)

6. James Lehman. Visit his website, Painting in Space, to see a gallery of his vividly colored, glasslike bowls and other decorative objects. You can also read Deirdre Woodward's 2001 interview with Lehman over on the Polyzine archives.

7. Garie Sim. We go to Singapore to find our next "polymer clay man". Garie teaches children to sculpt with polymer clay. He also seems to have a scientific mind, which is good news for the rest of us, as he's always experimenting with new ways to use polymer clay. Browse the "Clay Creations" portion of his website for samples of his work. Visit this page (or the pages linked at the bottom) for some of his polymer clay experiments. He's also published a book of twelve projects for children (or the young at heart).

8. Bob Wiley. (A.K.A. "FimoBob".) Take a look at his clay gallery, then pop on over to HGTV for a closer look at how he does his faux wood inlay. (Or see his faux wood inlay tutorial on the Polyzine.)

9. Wes Warren. He's a master of millefiore canework. There's a blog, a flickr account, and his website. (He also has a new tool coming out around April 2008. I'm still not 100% sure what the tool is or how it'll work-- either it's a bit of a secret or I'm just out of the loop (g)-- but it's supposed to help with the caning process.)

10. Grant Diffendaffer. He describes himself as a "contemporary jewelry artist, author, and teacher". You'll find his portfolio here. In addition to a 2005 DVD on mica shift (aka "ghost imaging"), he has a new book coming out just about now-- January 2008. (That link takes you to the listing on Amazon. You can also order it through his blog.)

Of course, this is just a list of ten. There are many more, I'm sure. If you'd like to give a little recognition to another "pc man" (particularly one with an online presence, so we can admire some photos of his work), please feel free to mention him in a comment. You can also find a list of male pc artists on this page of Glass Attic.

Faux Barbed Wire

2007-12-28T21:14:00.000-06:00

Have you seen Camille Young's latest entry on how to make faux barbed wire using craft wire, jewelry wire and Lumina clay?

It really does look like barbed wire!

I don't know much about Lumina. From what I've read online, I gather that it's no-bake (air dry), remains flexible after drying, and is waterproof-- or is it just "water resistant"? In any case, I'm not sure how well polymer could perform in the place of Lumina, for this type of technique. . . I know that the bendable polymer clay, even when cured, is still flexible enough to be woven into baskets-- but it wouldn't hold the shape of the "barbs" on its own, would it? How would it work if cured over wire? Would it bend without breaking, if you tried to bend it after curing, or would you have better luck getting it into the barb shapes before curing?

Just some thoughts. . . :o)

"Tattletale Santas" -- polymer clay project

2007-12-18T07:44:00.002-06:00

Well, it turns out I am blogging again before Christmas-- and just a few minutes after my last post. ;o)

I completely forgot to mention that my husband has put a new tutorial (or "project", if you prefer) on Polymer Clay Web. I still need to proof it (and give him credit), but it's up in time for Christmas (for those of you who don't already have a hundred projects in the works).

"Tattletale Santas" are something my husband (who grew up in Sweden) remembers from his childhood. Little elf-/gnome-like figures were placed around the house to keep an eye on the children of the home. They'd report to Santa (or the Swedish equivalent) on the behavior they witnessed-- hence the "tattletale" part. Wherever they sit and "watch", they're a little incentive to the kids to mind their Ps and Qs in those crucial last weeks before the Big Day. ;o)

Of course, these cute little Santa figurines can be used in any other way you like-- peeking out of holiday floral arrangements, on wreaths, in a miniature "Christmas village" (if you scale him down a bit more), and so on.

So, whether you're looking for a fun holiday project for this year-- or getting a head start for next December-- you can find Donald's Tattletale Santa tutorial here. :o)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Use Alcohol Ink

2007-12-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

Continuing on last week's theme of alcohol ink . . .

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Use Alcohol Ink

1. Faux Stones
Many faux stones (jade, agate, opal, etc.) look best if they're somewhat translucent, but most require some source of color. You can use small pinches of colored clay, but another option is alcohol ink. Because the inks are transparent and vividly colored, they're a natural choice for faux stone recipes. Of course, you can use ink-tinted clay for any other technique you like, as well.

2. Mokume Gane
As I mentioned in (I think) the first of these "lists of ten", you can use alcohol ink in mokume gane with lovely results. Put the ink on sheets of translucent clay in any way you like-- drop different colors and let them bleed together, brush or dab it over the whole surface for a more uniform look, and so on. Let the inks dry before layering the sheets of clay, then proceed through your favorite mokume gane technique. (For a different look, try layering metal leaf between layers of alcohol ink-tinted translucent clay.)

3. Multi-colored Metal Leaf
Composition gold or silver metal leaf are beautiful on their own, but if you'd like to spice things up a bit, you can tint them with alcohol ink. (Alcohol ink will add brilliant color but its translucency will allow the metallic look of the leaf to shine through.) Because the leaf it so delicate, I suggest first adhering the leaf to a clay base. Once it's been smoothed down to your satisfaction, apply the ink in any way you prefer. Let the ink dry thoroughly before proceeding. Metal leaf, whether inked or not, needs to be sealed lest it rub off the cured clay. You can seal it with any clay-friendly finish (Future, Varathane, etc.), or you can protect it with a layer of liquid clay or a very thin layer of regular translucent clay. (There's at least one project that uses alcohol ink on metal leaf in Donna Kato's new book. One great technique among many in that book.) You can also use your tinted metal leaf in mokume gane or crackle it.

4. Ink as Paint
Use alcohol inks to paint on raw clay. They work similarly to watercolors, but because they are alcohol-based, they'll dry very quickly. Thin the inks (and extend your working time) with either extender or plain rubbing alcohol. You can either cover the whole surface or leave some untouched, depending on the look you want. If you paint on a sheet of translucent clay, you can apply the dried sheet (painted side down) to another sheet of clay, encasing the inks. Viewed through the translucent clay, your painting will be softened, but still visible. (See Donna Kato's new book for more on this technique.) You can also seal in the painting with a thin layer of liquid clay or a clay-friendly varnish. (Actually, I'm not sure if it's absolutely necessary to seal alcohol inks at all, but my instinct says it's probably best to do so, especially for something that will be handled or worn. If the piece ever comes in contact with rubbing alcohol, for instance, the color might come off.)

5. Ink as Stain
Stain is thinner than paint. Generally, you can still see some of the original color of a piece after it's been stained. Create interesting effects by using alcohol inks as a stain for cured clay. Apply the ink straight from the bottle for darker color or soften the effect with rubbing alcohol or alcohol ink "extender" or "blending solution" (a product manufactured by the same company that makes the inks). You can also make stains by mixing alcohol ink with Varathane or Future (for a shinier finish). These thin washes of color can be applied in as many layers as you like to gradually build up color on a cured piece. (Be sure to store any leftover "stain" in a tightly lidded container.)

6. Faux Ceramics
I've written about this before. ;o) There are several tutorials online for a variety of faux ceramic finishes. Since the last time I wrote about this subject, I've found yet another version in Ellen Marshall's Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes (pg. 94-97). The essentials of most faux ceramics are as follows: 1) Make a patterned or textured shape in polymer clay (usually white); 2) Apply a glaze of liquid clay that's been tinted with alcohol ink; and 3) Cure. Here are the tutorials I've found so far: Parole de Pâte version, Christy Sherman's version, and my version.

7. Tinted Transfers
Transform plain black toner transfers with the addition of alcohol ink. (Use them as watercolors, as described in number six.) You can blend them-- or layer them, allowing time for each color to dry between applications. It's best to seal the painted transfer. Use a thin sheet of translucent clay, a coat of liquid clay, or your favorite finish. (Or use the encased toner transfer method I mentioned in the previous item-- the one from Donna Kato's new book. You can also learn about similar methods at Glass Attic.)

8. Faux Stained Glass
With a few products, you can have the beauty of stained glass with much less fuss than real stained glass requires. There are different ways to do it, but essentially, you make your "leading" from regular polymer clay (usually black), pre-cure it, then fill in the "cells" with tinted liquid clay and re-cure. In this tutorial, Barbara Poland-Waters teaches you to make tile beads with a stained glass theme. And in this project by Ann and Karen Mitchell, the faux stained glass is applied to a real glass vase. (Note that in that project, the Mitchells use oil paint to tint the liquid clay. However, there's no reason why you can't use alcohol ink instead. Alcohol inks will increase the translucency of your clay, giving you the look of translucently colored glass.) Faux stained glass would make beautiful sun catchers.

9. Miniature Food
I've mentioned before that alcohol inks are a great product for getting translucent color in liquid clay. Consider alcohol ink for anything that requires color but a certain degree of translucency-- such as maple syrup, soup, and some sugary glazes.

10. Faux Cloisonné / Enamel
Yet another technique combining alcohol ink with liquid clay! Tint the liquid clay and use it to fill in "cells" in a variety of surfaces. Try it with deeply textured clay (raw or cured). For a metallic shine that takes full advantage of the clarity of the liquid clay, line the clay base with metal leaf-- or go over it with a leafing pen. If you prefer, you can combine it with the thicker embossing foil that's available in most craft stores.

And there are other polymer clay techniques that use alcohol ink, too. (You may find some on this page of Glass Attic.) Overall, these inks are a great "extra" to have on your clay table.

Since next Tuesday is Christmas, I'll be taking a week off from Ten on Tuesday. (And with any luck, soon afterwards things will calm down enough that I'll be posting here more than once a week. (g))

In case I don't "see" you all before then, let me wish you Christmas that's merry and bright! :o)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Things to Know about Alcohol Inks

2007-12-11T08:16:00.000-06:00

Alcohol-based ink is one of those "extras" that go so well with polymer clay. Alcohol ink has many uses-- some of which I'll describe next week. In the meantime, let's go over some of the basics about this product.

Ink can be confusing. There are so many types out there, and they're not just different brands, but for different uses, with different chemical "bases": solvent-based and alcohol-based-- dye inks, pigment inks, chalk inks! It's a bit overwhelming. (I'm still learning, too!) If you've been afraid to try inks with polymer clay, I hope this information will help you understand how at least the alcohol-based inks work and what you can do with them. (Maybe I'll tackle other inks later on. (g))

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Things to Know about Alcohol Inks:

1. What "alcohol ink" is.
Just as the name implies, alcohol ink is an ink with an alcohol base. They are dye inks that, according to Glass Attic, are "soluble resin in alcohol" (if that means anything to you (g)). Basically, the alcohol "carries" the color. It evaporates away-- quite quickly-- and only the dye is left behind. One of the appeals of alcohol ink is that it can be stamped (or painted, or whatever) practically anywhere-- not just on paper, but on even slick surfaces like metal and glass. Another major appeal is that it combines vivid color with transparency. (You can see through it to whatever's underneath.)

Though you can also find pens that write in alcohol ink, you usually buy alcohol inks in small (1/2-ounce) plastic bottles-- either individually or in sets, depending on the brand and the shop. Speaking of brands-- the only two brands I know of are Ranger's Adirondack line and Jacquard's Piñata (formerly "Fiesta") line. The two brands work in the same way and can be used interchangeably. Which brand you purchase will likely be based on availability and your personal color preferences. The 24 Adirondack colors are more muted and earthy than the 17 brilliant Piñata colors.

If you are lucky, you may find alcohol inks locally. (Both Michaels and Hobby Lobby carry some of the Adirondack line, in my area, but no-one has the Piñata line. In both stores, alcohol inks are stocked near the ink pads in the rubberstamping aisle.) If you can't find them locally, you can order them from numerous sources online.

2. A little goes a long way.
Seriously, these colors are intense, and you don't need much for most applications. That's important to know, if you're on a budget and want to spend your recreation dollars wisely. Those little 1/2-ounce (that's 0.5-ounce, in case my fraction looks weird) bottles may not look like much, but you can do quite a bit of crafting before you'll run out.

If you're fortunate enough to find them in a local Michaels or Hobby Lobby, you can use a coupon and save some cash. If you use a 40%-off coupon on a $10 set of three Adirondacks, you get them for around $2 a bottle. Even at the regular price, you'll get your money's worth from this product.

3. You can mix the colors.
If you can't find the exact color you want, you can mix the existing colors (even between brands) until you you get it right. Start slowly, though. As I wrote earlier, these are powerful inks, so you can easily overshoot the mark if you aren't careful. To combine colors, just apply drops from different bottles of ink onto the medium of your choice-- in our case, usually polymer clay-- then mix as usual. (Continue reading to learn about how to mix the inks into polymer clay.)

4. You can mix the inks into polymer clay.
In addition to using them on the clay (cured or raw), you can also mix alcohol inks into the clay. Of course you can mix them into any color clay you like, but mixing with translucent clay gives you the most bang for your buck. The bold but transparent inks create especially lovely tints of translucent clay. This is probably the best way to get translucent color in polymer clay. (Don't forget to quench the cured clay in ice water to further enhance that gorgeous translucence!)

To mix alcohol ink into polymer clay, roll out the clay or just "smoosh" it down flat (so the ink won't run off). Drop a few drops of ink onto the clay. Remember-- a little goes a long way. You can always add more later, if you want it darker. If you want to combine colors, go ahead and drop different colors at the same time-- either on the same piece of clay (if you're confident about the proportions) or on separate pieces that can later be combined a bit at a time.

It is generally suggested that you allow the ink to dry before mixing it into the clay. This could possibly prevent plaquing (though it's not certain whether wet alcohol ink leads to plaquing in the first place), and it definitely decreases the likelihood of staining your hands with the ink.

When the alcohol has evaporated, condition the clay thoroughly to evenly distribute the ink. If you prefer, you can also pre-condition the clay before adding the ink. Then you can mix in the inks just to the point of marbling.

5. You can mix the inks into liquid polymer clay, too!
Yep, that's right. Alcohol ink works great for tinting liquid clay.

Follow the same basic principles as when mixing it with regular clay. Put a little liquid clay into a clay-compatible container. Put a drop or two (or more, depending on the amount of clay you're using and the intensity you want) on the surface of the clay. Combine colors of ink as desired. (Again, you can always add more later, so go slowly. Of course, if you accidentally add too much, you can balance it out by adding more liquid clay.)

It's a matter of debate, but some people think that it's best to allow the alcohol to evaporate before mixing the ink into the liquid clay. (They worry that mixing it right away could lead to bubbles, I think.) If you have the time and patience, I say it's best to err on the side of caution. (Either that or run your own experiments.) Once you've mixed the ink into the clay, you can add more until you're happy with the color.

Note: Until you pull it out of the oven, it can be difficult to tell exactly how liquid clay will look when it's cured-- especially where translucency is concerned. It's always a good idea to test a tiny dot of your mix before committing to it for a big project.

Liquid clay tinted with only alcohol ink tends to have very translucent color. This can be a great feature for some projects-- not so great for others. Keep this in mind. If you're mixing enough that you'll have some left over, consider labeling your mixtures. I like to know what brand the clay is (because they each have their own characteristics and best uses) and what I used to tint it with (if not the specific color and "recipe", then at least the basic product-- alcohol ink, oil paint, mica powder, etc.). Otherwise, you may find that you forget in two or three months, and then you'll have to either guess or cure more "test dots".

6. Some colors behave differently from the others.
Yes, I know I said that you can mix colors from different brands, etc., and that's true. However, there are a couple of things to know about certain colors. For instance, I've noticed that some colors never seem to mix completely with polymer clay. The clay does take on some color, overall, but there are also tiny dark particles that stay suspended in the clay-- kind of like embossing powder or another inclusion. This could make some interesting faux stone, but it may be annoying if you were going for a completely smooth color. I'd suggest testing each new ink for this tendency before mixing it into a lot of clay. Based on my experience (and what I've read at Glass Attic), this may been more of a problem with a few of the darker Piñata inks-- "Rainforest green, Sapphire blue and the brown colors", according to Glass Attic. So far, I don't think I've come across this trait with the Adirondacks I own, but again, if you're concerned, test the inks first.

A second potential problem is that there can be some color shift with the red alcohol inks. I'm not sure which colors are more prone to this problem. I tried to search for information, but I can't find anything right now, even though I know I've read about this before. I've also seen it, myself, but I have very limited experience with it and don't know which specific colors shifted. Just be aware that the reds might tend to shift during curing-- meaning that they come out of the oven a different color than when they went in. In my experience, I think the red-tinted translucent clay looked pink before going in the oven, but came out more orange/gold. If it's important to you, it's simple to test a small bit of ink-tinted clay and see how it behaves.

7. You can apply the inks in layers.
Sometimes you might want layers of colors on a piece. You can achieve this by applying one color to the surface of a piece, allowing it to dry, then applying the next color. Repeat as desired, but be sure to let each coat dry before adding the next. This prevents the colors from mixing and possibly muddying. With this technique, you'll probably want to apply each layer of ink in a "splotchy" way, so that some of the previous layer(s) still show. When you're done applying ink, let the piece dry again. Anytime your project has alcohol ink right on the surface (not mixed into the clay), you'll probably want to protect the ink somehow. (Otherwise, it can potentially be marred if it ever comes in contact with alcohol.) You can seal the inks with a very thin layer of translucent clay or a little liquid clay (before curing) or a polymer-friendly finish like Future or Varathane (after curing).

8. You can thin alcohol ink.
If you want a softer color for a watercolor effect-- or want to get a few drops of to stretch a bit further-- you can dilute alcohol ink. Here's a little information about some of the products you can use (based on manufacturer's website, Glass Attic, and a little personal experience):

Piñata "Claro Extender": Extends drying and working time. According to the manufacturer, this product doesn't change ink colors, but Glass Attic info says it makes them more translucent. Ink mixed with it dries shiny.
Adirondack "Alcohol Blending Solution": Dilutes and lightens ink. Useful for blending. Removes ink from slick surfaces, hands, and tools.
regular rubbing alcohol: Dilutes and lightens ink. Ink mixed with it dries to a more matte finish. Useful for cleaning hands, tools, work surfaces.
Piñata "Clean Up Solution": Behaves similarly to rubbing alcohol. Is pure alcohol with brush conditioners (for the health of your paint brushes).

9. You can clean up alcohol ink (sometimes).
Both manufacturers of alcohol ink make a product specifically for this purpose: Adirondack's Alcohol Blending Solution" and Piñata's Clean Up Solution. These products and good old rubbing alcohol work well at removing ink from most tools and work surfaces. Avoid getting it on your clothes or other fabrics, though. As with many arts and crafts, it might be best to not wear anything nice when working with something like alcohol inks. Even when just applying drops from the bottles, I sometimes end up with spatters over my work surface. These are easily wiped off a ceramic tile, but I don't think they'd come out of fabric as well. (If it were to happen, I'd try alcohol first.)

If you get ink on your hands (and you probably will), you can first try "conditioning" it off. Knead some clay. Use scrap clay or, if you're tinting some clay anyway, use the clay you're tinting with the ink. Some of the ink may come off as you condition the clay. You can try removing what's left with one of the cleaning products mentioned above. Depending on how much ink there is and if it's found a place to hide in the nooks and crannies of your fingernails, you may not be able to get it all off at once. Don't worry; it'll come off in a day or so of normal washing. Wear your "artist's hands" with pride! ;o) After cleaning your hands with alcohol, they may be more prone to drying and cracking, so don't forget to follow up with a little soothing lotion.

10. Raw alcohol ink-tinted clay may behave oddly.
It seems that any time you mix a non-clay product into polymer clay, your best bet is to use it (i.e. cure it) as quickly as possible. The longer it sits around, the more likely it is to start doing odd things. According to Glass Attic, Alan Vernall reports that ink-tinted clay may tend to crack after a few weeks of sitting around (in the raw state-- not after curing). This isn't much of a problem most of the time. You can just recondition it-- maybe add a little diluent or mineral oil to soften it, if necessary. However, if you've made up a whole batch of canes with ink-tinted clay, it might be frustrating. Another problem Alan had was that the darker, "more vivid" colors of ink-tinted clay bled into surrounding areas of the cane. Keep these things in mind. It may be best to make small canes that you can use up quickly. Either that, or don't use alcohol ink to tint clay for your canes.

So, there are ten things to know about alcohol ink. Next week, ten more specific ways to incorporate alcohol ink into your polymer clay projects. :o)

Busy busy

2007-12-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Lately, it seems I just poke my head around the corner on Tuesdays, then disappear for the rest of the week! I've been working on some clay-related things, but I can't show any photos, yet, because they're all gifts. (I doubt that some of the recipients-- my father-in-law, for instance-- look at this blog, but it's best to be on the safe side.)

I suppose I ought to try restocking my Etsy shop, considering that this is probably the busiest shopping season of the year, but I think I may be too late, anyway, and at this point, I have my hands full working on the handmade gifts on my list. We'll see. . .

My husband and I each have an idea for a holiday-themed tutorial/project for Polymer Clay Web, but honestly, I'm not sure if we'll get around to them in time. There's just so much else to do!

In the meantime, there are a few Christmasy links I'd like to share. :o)

One of my Christmas projects that I probably won't get around to this year is to make some "candy" from polymer clay to use on picks in a floral arrangement I'd like to make for my table. One type of candy I'm planning to try is ribbon candy. It has such a fun shape-- and great colors-- and it seems like it'd be very easy, too. PCC hosts one ribbon candy tutorial written by Arlene Schiek. There are a variety of candies (including ribbon candy) in this HGTV-hosted tutorial by Maureen Carlson. Elsewhere on HGTV's site, you can view a short video clip of Maureen demonstrating how to make the ribbon candy. To find it, go to HGTV's "Video Guide", type "polymer" into the search box, and browse the list that pops up.

While looking for ribbon candy tutorials, I came across a couple of cute gingerbread house projects. The tutorial at Polymer Clay Express is for two-dimensional (flat) gingerbread houses-- perfect for ornaments or magnets. A tutorial for a three-dimensional gingerbread house-- great for a tabletop decoration that will last year after year-- is available at Sculpey.com.

One last link-- something that I found this morning while reading a few blogs: Elaine Robitaille's latest blog entry describes her process for making poinsettia ornaments with raised detail. There are photos to illustrate the steps, too. :o)

Well, off to get started on something else!
Have a great weekend, everyone! :o)

Ten on Tuesday: Winter-Inspired Color Schemes

2007-12-04T13:16:00.000-06:00

I'm taking it a little easy this week. (I've got things to do around the house and at the clay table! (g)) Just for a little fun, I revisited ColourLovers came up with this week's list. . .

Ten on Tuesday: Winter-Inspired Color Schemes:

1. Norwegian Lake
When I think of winter, one of the first things to come to mind is snow. That reminded me of the snow we saw this summer in Norway, so I decided to play around with that idea.

My first try didn't quite capture the feeling I was going for, so I gave it another try:

2. Ice Cave
While looking for inspiration photos, I came across one of an ice cave. The beautiful aquas in the ice surprised me. I had forgotten that ice can be aqua, because I generally associate that color with warmer climates. I guess it can "do" for both!

3. Snowy Birches
Thinking about Norway reminded me of Sweden and a couple of macros I took of birch bark. Those birches weren't snowy when I saw them, but I imagined they'd be lovely in snow-- the cream and grey (with just a bit of brown) against the white. . .

4. Snowless Winter
Despite all this talk of snow, I really haven't seen that much of it, myself. Where I live, near the Gulf of Mexico, we don't get snow very often. So that made me think of a "snowless winter" as a theme. . .

5. Winter Sunset / Winter Twilight
I know I'm not alone in feeling that sunset (and the twilight that follows) is a magical hour. It's the end of a winter's day. The still, silent air is cold-- maybe even a bit damp. You know you probably shouldn't stay out much longer, but those colors in the sky!

6. Glowing Embers
After being out on a cold evening, it's nice to warm up again. While nothing's so merry as a blazing, crackling fire, the hypnotic glow of embers is also inviting.

7. Christmas
I can't think of winter without thinking also of Christmas. I made a few different Christmas-themed palettes-- and then I found one I'd already made that could also pass (with a shove) as "Christmasy":

And then Christmas made me think of toys, so. . .

8. Winter's Night
Just a couple of palettes inspired by the idea of a wintery night. . .

9. Tartan
Thinking of cold makes me think of scarves, which makes me think of plaid/tartan. . .

10. Happy New Year!
Festive color schemes based on celebrations of the new year:

Have a great Tuesday! :o)

Other Polymer Clay Blogs

2007-12-04T12:12:00.000-06:00

Coming back to this blog after months away, I noticed that my blogroll (via Google Reader) had disappeared. Don't ask me how. I'm only too thankful that I figured out again how to add it back. However, upon putting it back, I saw that it is huge-- too long, really, for my sidebar. So, for the time being, I'm going to try putting it here in a single "entry", then link to this in the sidebar.

So, if you're looking for some more polymer clay blogs to read, here are the ones I've found:

P.S. I'm fibbing on the date so that this won't appear on the front page of my blog. It's actually December 4th, 2008, but I'm going back to 2007. (g)

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Faux Effects in Polymer Clay

2007-11-27T07:14:00.000-06:00

Polymer clay is an excellent mimic-- and it's lots of fun to make something so realistic than people think it's the real thing-- so it's no surprise that faux effects are a popular group of polymer clay techniques. Here are ten different faux effects you can achieve with polymer clay. Wherever possible, I've included links to multiple lessons or tutorials.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Faux Effects in Polymer Clay

1. Opal
This one's a classic, as far as I'm concerned. (It was one of the techniques, if not the technique, that made me interested in trying out polymer clay in the first place.) Different "recipes" call for slightly different products, but most of them start with lightly tinted translucent clay and glitter. There are several different faux opal tutorials available online: my version, Linda Geer's "opalgeers", Barbara Reider's version, Kathy Weinberg's version, Susan Fadl's faux Australian opals, and Donna Kato's version. There are others, too, but this will get you started.

2. Jade
Another classic. You'll need translucent clay (again-- as you will for most faux stones) and something to tint it (usually green), whether you use clay, alcohol ink, powdered pigments, mica powder, embossing powder, or something else. Here are a few ways to make faux jade: Parole de Pâte version (in French), Lynn Krucke's version, Adria Filion's glow-in-the-dark jade, and Vyxxan's version.

3. Lava Rock
This is something I made a tutorial for fairly recently. It's a simple technique that doesn't require much more than black clay and a few texturing tools. Here's my version: Faux Lava Rock. And here's Ponsawan's version, which uses rock salt and earthy colors of clay: Faux Lava Rock Beads.

4. Turquoise
Yet another popular faux stone. Most tutorials require turquoise clay. Many also call for translucent, black, and/or white clay-- sometimes other blues, greens, or yellows. Acrylic paint is another common "ingredient", and sometimes even mica powders make an appearance. Try these tutorials for starters: Jeanne A. E. DeVoto's version, Kathy Halverson's verison, Mary Lyon's version (with a faux coral tutorial further down the page), The Clay Store's version, and the eHow version.

5. Sparkling Moss Agate
Not all faux stones have to stick strictly to the parameters set up by nature. Don't be afraid to put your own spin on a faux technique. Don't have the "right" color of something? Why not experiment with the colors you do have? Desiree McCrorey's sparkling moss agate tutorial turns translucent clay, black clay, and "sparkling copper" Pearl Ex into beautiful faux stones.

6. Agate
Sliced agate comes in a gorgeous range of colors. It's used not only in jewelry, but also in home decor. Read Jenny Cox's faux agate tutorial to learn how to make your own. There are other versions of agate slices in at least two books. (See more on that below.)

7. Fossilized Agatized Coral
I hadn't heard of this stone until I saw Tinidril's tutorial. It's quite pretty, and if you weren't concerned with absolute accuracy, I imagine you could create great effects using different colors, too.

8. Amber
Because polymer clay doesn't cure to complete clarity, it's not as good as resin at mimicking the type of amber that's so clear you can see bugs trapped in it. However, the more opaque amber has its own beauty. Recipes vary, but usually they start with translucent clay tinted in various shades of yellow and honey. Tutorials often call for ink or acrylic paint to give the "stones" an aged appearance. Here are a couple of sites to visit for more information: Faux Amber at Polymer Clay Express and Faux Bone and Ivory by Michelle Ross.

9. Bone/Ivory
Although bone and ivory aren't the same thing, they are often grouped together in tutorials, because they look much alike. Most faux bone and ivory "recipes" require translucent, white, and ecru or beige clay and use a layering or caning technique to imitate the striations in natural bone or ivory. Antiquing with acrylic paint gives the illusion of age. Visit these tutorials for more specific advice: Desiree McCrorey's faux bone/ivory, another tutorial by Desiree, Emi Fukushima's version, and Kim Cavender's version.

10. Abalone
The beautiful colors of this seashell makes it a popular candidate for "fauxing". Here are a few ways to imitate abalone: Polymer Clay Express version, Jenny Cox's version, and Marie Segal's version (three pages long, so don't forget to hit the "next page" button!).

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

There are many more faux techniques out there-- in other tutorials, in videos, in books-- and goodness knows how many more still waiting to be created! Several books include lessons on a few faux effects, but as far as I know, there are only two that are solely dedicated to the subject: Irene Semanchuk Dean's Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay, and Victoria Hughes' Polymer: The Chameleon Clay. For the bead-maker with a penchant for faux, I can also recommend Carol Blackburn's Making Polymer Clay Beads. The second section of the book focuses on faux techniques-- sixteen of them.

Here are a few related websites you might also want to check out:

Glass Attic has lots of information about various faux techqniques.
Elizabeth Campbell's pdf on "Faux Looks".
Transcript of a chat with Kathy Gregson on the subject of faux effects.
Mary Tafoya's examples of 14 faux finishes (with a few general tips).

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Clay in Comfort

2007-11-20T12:13:00.000-06:00

Oops! I forgot to post a "Ten on Tuesday" yesterday! (I've been sidetracked by a sick dog. I hope she's on the mend, though, so maybe I'll be able to focus on regular things again soon.)

Like any other craft or task that requires repetitive motions and long periods of sitting, claying can lead to stiffness and soreness. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help keep claying fun.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Ways to Clay in Comfort
(in no particular order)

1. Don't get burnt.
It may seem obvious, but it's important to keep in mind how easy it is to burn yourself when working around an oven. Be sure to use an oven mitt or pot holder when removing hot cookie sheets, ceramic tiles, etc. from the oven. Also, resist the temptation to touch clay that's fresh from the oven. If you need to move hot clay, do so carefully.

2. Handle blades with care.
Again, it seems obvious, but you can't let your guard down where sharp tissue blades and craft knives are involved. It's especially easy to cut yourself with a tissue blade, because the sharp and blunt edges look so much alike. Some clayers bake an edging of clay along the blunt side or apply a little paint or fingernail polish to make it simple to tell quickly which side is safe to handle. Always store blades and knives out of reach of children and pets.

3. Use a pasta machine.
Pasta machines make conditioning clay easier on the muscles and joints in your hands and fingers. A pasta machine motor saves your hands even more work. For many, this is a wonderful convenience. For some, it's the difference between being able to clay and having to let go of a favorite hobby.

4. Use the "right" clay.
Of course, the "right" clay depends on your personal preferences and the requirements of your projects. These days, it's not as much of an issue as it used to be, as most brands of clay are relatively soft. However, if your muscles or joints give you trouble, you may find it helpful to experiment with different brands of clay. See if one of the softer brands might suit your needs. You can also soften clay by gently warming it right before opening the package. Sit on it or put it in a pocket. Your body heat will warm and soften it. On the other hand, if you have very warm hands or prefer stiff clay for some other reason, you may find that you can lower your blood pressure by sticking with a firmer brand of clay. ;o)

5. Sit up straight.
Your mother always told you not to slouch, didn't she? ;o) Poor posture can lead to back pain.
Try to notice every so often whether you're sitting up straight. If you pay attention to this, it will eventually become a habit to sit properly. (Personally, I've fallen into a pattern of slouching, but as a pre-teen, I was much better about sitting up straight-- after being told to do so to avoid any tendency toward scoliosis-- so I know it can be done. (g)) Paying attention to posture not only makes you feel better, but it can also make you look thinner. Maybe that's just the motivation you need. ;o)

6. Buy ergonomic furniture.
I haven't done this myself, but if you already struggle with back pain or if you're going to be sitting for long periods of time, it's something to consider. Most people sit while they work with polymer clay. This can add up to a lot of extra time in one chair. With this in mind, it's worth investing in a chair (and possibly a table or desk, too) that's designed to improve posture and ease muscle tension. Do some research or ask advice of someone you trust before making a purchase. Just because something is labeled "ergonomic" doesn't necessarily mean it suits your personal needs.

7. Put the clay up on a pedestal.
No, literally put the clay on a pedestal-- or a box-- or anything else that brings it closer to eye level. If you're working on small details and need to see something up close, you can either stoop over the table (very bad posture, which can result in serious pain) or bring the clay closer to your face. I've been guilty before of stooping over my clay (trying to place tiny pepperonis on miniature pizzas, for instance), only to pay for it later in the evening with back aches. Trust me-- it's worth taking a minute to find something to put the clay on top of. If you prefer, you can also use a magnifying glass to make it easier to see fine details without bending over the clay. There are devices made specifically for this type of thing, with magnifying glasses mounted to support arms, or you can rig something up for yourself.

8. Let there be (adequate) light.
A well-lit work area may also prevent you from a tendency to stoop over the clay. Good lighting can help you avoid eye strain, as well. A room with just a ceiling fixture can appear to be well-lit, but a little task lighting (closer to the area where you work) makes a world of difference. Even an inexpensive lamp is better than nothing. Place it so that it shines down on your work surface. For daytime claying, windows are a wonderful source of free, natural light, but you'll want a way to control the amount of light that comes in (such as mini blinds, curtains, or shutters)-- especially for south-facing windows.

9. Hand off the sanding.
If you suffer from arthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome, or any other condition that causes pain in the hands or wrists, you are probably limited in the amount of sanding you can comfortably do. ("Comfortably" being a relative term!) There are a few possible solutions for this problem. First, you can learn to love the clay's "natural" matte finish and cut out the sanding altogether. If you insist upon sanded clay, you might try tumble sanding. If you can handle some hand work-- or aren't ready to invest in a tumbler-- you might try sanding with sanding sticks or sanding sponges, which some find easier on the fingers than regular sandpaper. There are also electric and battery-operated tools (such as toothbrushes) that can be modified to help with the work of sanding. (See this page at Glass Attic for more info on sanding sticks, sanding sponges, and other sanding-related tools.)

10. Take a break.
As much as we love the clay, it's important to take a break every so often. Get up, stretch gently-- maybe even take a short walk around the house-- the yard-- the block. Even if you don't have time for a walk, standing and stretching for a minute can make a difference. Use these moments to stand back and look at what you've done. You may find new inspiration by looking at things from another angle.

If you have another tip for claying in comfort, please feel free to share it. :o)

Tumble Sanding-- with river rocks?

2007-11-14T18:03:00.000-06:00

I was just doing a little advance work on a "Ten on Tuesday" topic when I came across something interesting-- and relatively new, too, I think.

For those of you who tumble sand (or are looking into the possibility), you might want to check out Desiree McCrorey's latest "article" on the subject. She writes that she's switched from sand paper to river rocks!

Very, very interesting stuff!

Ten on Tuesday: ten food-inspired color schemes

2007-11-13T07:45:00.000-06:00

After finding COLOURlovers while researching for a previous Ten on Tuesday, I went back, registered, and starting playing around. Making and naming color palettes is addictive! If you "have a thing" for colors, you might enjoy it, too. Even if you aren't interested in making your own color schemes on the website, you can enjoy browsing those posted by others. Here are ten of my own creation:

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Food-Inspired Color Schemes

1. Neapolitan
Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Not only are they a classic flavor combination, but they also make a pretty sweet feast for the eyes.

2. Banana Split
Continuing with the ice cream theme. ;o) From the banana itself to the cherry on top. Just add in some vanilla/cream and you're good to go!

3. Spring Salad
After all that ice cream, it's time for something healthier. How about a nice salad? I like the contrast between leafy greens and tomatoes or radishes.

4. Peas & Carrots
Peas, carrots. . . and maybe a little corn, too, if you like.

5. Hot Dog
Start with a bun (toasty on the outside, lighter inside) and a wiener, the top with mustard and pickle relish (optional (g)).

6. Girl's Birthday Cake
Back to the desserts! ;o) Of course birthday cakes come in as many colors as you can imagine. This is just one take on a girl's birthday cake. "My" girl is unicorn-obsessed, spends hours happily choosing just the right clothes for her dolls, and knows that pink and purple are the best colors in the whole wide world. Oh, and she loves chocolate cake. (Duh! (g))

7. Bacon & Eggs
Crispy bacon. . . Eggs made sunny-side-up. . . Breakfasty goodness!

8. Watermelon
Juicy, sweet-- summertime on the vine. Add a sprinkle of black seeds for variety.

9. Cantaloupe
Fresh from the garden and tasting of ripened sunshine and long summer twilights.

10. M&Ms
These colors are a flashback to the good old days (i.e. when I was a kid), back before the blue M&M had come along. Of course, back then, there was a tan M&M, too, but I was only allowed to pick five colors, so. . .

Faux Marble

2007-11-07T17:42:00.000-06:00

I finally gave myself permission to try the faux marble technique from Carol Blackburn's book (Making Polymer Clay Beads). I'd been admiring it ever since I got the book. Of course, I didn't follow the directions precisely, but that's what makes it fun. ;o)

This technique even made sanding fun-- for a while. Now that's worn off, though, and I'm back to hating sanding, like a normal person. (g)

I have many more that have yet to be sanded, buffed, and photographed. Some are destined to be earrings, some pendants. . . and some were going to be earrings, but turned out to not match closely enough in size. (Grr!) So they'll be. . . I'm not sure what, yet.

Here are a handful that I did manage to photograph, this afternoon:

I like this first batch-- especially the heart on the bottom. I think the colors are nicer than the photo suggests. I probably should've stuck with the heart shape instead of making that odd one, though. It looks like a pair of legs in curly-toed elf shoes. Or something. (g)

These are less translucent than the others. That was partly planned, but I didn't think they'd be quite so opaque. I still like them, though-- again, they look better outside the photo. (Next time, I'll have to be a bit more careful to get decent shots.)

Best parts of this technique:

The element of surprise. They go from such ugly ducklings, all covered in paint, to very presentable beads and pendants-- right before your very eyes.
How well they buff up. (The buffing really makes all the difference in the world.)
Being able to make "stone" in any shape you want, without the trouble of chiseling, etc. ;o)

Worst parts of this technique:

Can be rather time consuming, what with all the sanding and buffing.
All the sanding and buffing. (g)

Liquid Clay Info

2007-11-07T17:28:00.000-06:00

In case some of you aren't familiar with this particular blog, I'd like to recommend today's post by Chris -- wonderful reading for anyone interested in a comparison of the qualities of different liquid clays-- particularly Kato and Fimo (both of which are much better than TLS, in terms of clarity). I haven't worked with the Fimo gel before, so there was plenty of useful information in there that was new to me.

Those liquid clays certainly are exciting! All the possibilities!

Ten on Tuesday: ten gift ideas for clay fanatics

2007-11-06T07:25:00.000-06:00

Christmas music's been playing in certain stores for weeks already, and though some of us might think there's still plenty of time, it's never too early to get started on your holiday shopping.

If you're like me, you have a hard time coming up with gift ideas for most of the people on your list. Here are a few-- well, ten-- suggestions for gifts, if you know someone who can barely leave the polymer clay long enough to scarf down supper.

(Well, if you're reading this, chances are that you are that person glued in front of the clay table, so you might "accidentally" leave this page open for someone else to find. ;o) Or see if it helps you make up your personalized clay-related wish list.)

Ten Gift Ideas (in no particular order) for Clay Fanatics:

Disclaimer: What your clay-loving friend needs will depend on whether s/he is just getting started with polymer clay or is already a confirmed clayaholic. If at all possible, sneak a peek into the recipient's studio/clay closet/etc. to make sure s/he doesn't already have these items before making a purchase. Otherwise, it's always safest to save receipts.

10. Pasta machine
If they don't already have one, they'll probably be thrilled to get one. Possibly of less interest to a sculptor, but it can still be useful for conditioning clay (softening it up/mixing it properly before using it).
Similar items, different price range: Acrylic rods and brayers are cheaper than pasta machines, but they serve a similar purpose. Most people eventually want a pasta machine and a rod or brayer. The pasta machine is the easiest and most precise to use, most of the time, but occasionally, a rod or brayer comes in handy.

9. More clay!
We can always use more clay! Most of us who've been doing this a while prefer a certain brand, and we use more of some colors than others; however, most of us will eventually use it, no matter what color it is. Peek into the clay stash, if possible, so you can see if s/he uses only one brand. Generally speaking, Premo, Kato, and Fimo Classic are more durable than Sculpey III or Fimo Soft, so they're probably safer bets, but everyone has her own personal preference. (Of course, you can always give a gift certificate or cash, if you think s/he'd prefer to choose the brand and colors.) If you're buying the clay in person, give each block a little squeeze to make sure it isn't rock hard. (That might indicate that it's been on the shelf too long and will be difficult to work with.) Be sure to store it in a cool, dry place. Leaving it in a hot car is a definite no-no.

8. A "big ticket item"
Maybe you've heard your clayer talking about things she'd like to have "someday". A few more expensive gifts would be a new oven (a toaster oven or possibly a full-sized oven, if you have the extra room), a rock tumbler, or a buffing wheel. If there's room for a clay studio, maybe she'd like a good quality lamp, a new table, ergonomic chair, or a special storage solution. You may even decide that it's time to buy a new camera (especially useful for people who sell their creations online). For these bigger ticket items, you might want to consider asking for in-put from the clayer herself. It may not be quite the same as surprising her on Christmas morning, but I'm sure she'll be thrilled no matter when she finds out about your generous gift!

7. Guild membership
If your friend is the type who'd enjoy some social interaction with other clayers, you might consider buying him/her a guild membership for a year. I actually haven't checked this out, but I imagine that you can buy a polymer clay guild membership in someone else's name. If not, you could at least see if there's a guild in the area and put the money or check in a pretty card with a homemade "gift certificate".
Similar ideas: Enroll him in a class (if there's a class you know he'd love to take)-- or give him cash for the class/retreat/etc. of his choice. (These can vary widely in price-- anything from $20 for a basic class at a local shop to hundreds of dollars for a multi-day workshop.) Buy her an account at flickr or one of the other online photo-hosting communities. Not only do they provide a place for her to show off all those polymer clay creations she makes, but they're also a fun way to make new friends. (You can use many of these sites for free, too, but there's a limit on how many photos you can put up and how you're allowed to arrange them.)

6. Books (or instructional DVDs)
If you know there's a book or DVD s/he'd like, they make great gifts. There are new books coming out every few months, these days, so if you know your clayer's area of interest (jewelry, sculpture, everything), you can be fairly certain of pleasing with a freshly-published book. If you're not sure which books s/he already has, you might consider a gift certificate to a favorite bookshop (or cash with a "choose a new book for yourself" note).

5. Magazine subscription
There's currently only one magazine devoted entirely to polymer clay (and the occasional air-dry clay project), and that's Polymer Cafe. This is a nice gift, if you know that s/he isn't already a subscriber. A few other magazines also feature polymer clay-related projects on a regular basis. Look here for more information: http://www.polymerclayweb.com/magazines.asp

4. "Clay Coupons"
Remember making this type of coupon for your mom on Mother's Day? "This coupon is good for one breakfast in bed"-- that kind of thing? Well, why not do something similar for your clay-obsessed loved one? This is a great idea-- not just for children, but for anyone whose wallet is going through a lean period. The coupons will of course vary based on your circumstances. Tailor them specifically to your loved one's needs. If the recipient is a busy mom who barely has time to clay these days, give her a few coupons that entitle her to a carefree hour (or two-- or whatever) to spend with the clay while you keep the kids occupied elsewhere. Maybe one coupon could entitle her to a clay-friend (i.e. you) for an hour (unless, of course, the clay is her escape from the rest of you crazy people (g)). Or-- and this one would be worth gold to many of us!-- make a couple of coupons that volunteer your services as a bead-sander. Consider one that reads, "This coupon is good for one full meal prepared while you play with clay". . . and so on! Have fun with it-- but remember, if you make the coupon, you should be prepared to ante up-- cheerfully, or it's no good. ;o)

3. "Crossover" tools or supplies
If you know that your friend doesn't have a particular tool (say, a wavy blade or some shape cutters), by all means, go for it! (You can read about many polymer clay-related tools here: http://www.polymerclayweb.com/tools.asp.) Better yet, there are some tools and supplies that serve double duty. That is, they can be used for polymer clay, but also with another hobby or medium. For instance, stamps are great for polymer clay, but you can use them for scrapbooking, card-making, and other hobbies, as well. Linoleum-carving tools will carve through polymer clay in addition to linoleum and other stamp-making materials. If you know that the recipient of your gift loves paper crafts and polymer clay, some nice stamps might be just the thing that she can use in both hobbies, while the linoleum cutters would be ideal for someone who'd like to try making her own stamps. Someone who makes polymer clay jewelry might like some jewelry-making tools or a selection of lovely beads or findings, which can also be used to create non-polymer jewelry. Keeping all of your friend's crafty interests in mind might help you narrow down your list of gift possibilities.

2. "Stocking stuffer" goodies
You know your "target" better than I do, so you'll have to make a judgment call-- but many of us who make jewelry with polymer clay are absolutely addicted to all the "extras" that we can work into our polymer clay designs. Paints, glitter, mica powder... Embossing powder, metal leaf, metallic foil... Leafing pens, ink (both in ink pads and in re-inker bottles)-- and the list goes on. If you think your friend's a magpie (someone who loves sparkly, glittery things), you can find some wonderful "stocking stuffer" size gifts in the glitter and embossing powder section of the craft store. (Look in the stamp section for embossing powder. Sometimes there will be glitter there, too. Otherwise, check out the fabric-decorating aisle for the high-quality glitter that is sure to work well with polymer clay. Cheap metal glitter isn't a good idea; polyester's better.) For more information on these types of things (and specific brands that are proven to work with polymer clay), look here: http://www.polymerclayweb.com/materials.asp

1. Cash! (Or, if you insist, a gift certificate...)
I've mentioned this one a few times already, but it's worth saying again. After all, who wouldn't like to go on a little shopping spree?! Cash is really best, since your friend can use it absolutely anywhere, from an Internet-based shop that specializes in clay-- to the local bookshop-- or even a hardware store, if it's time to finally get that clay-related power tool she's been dreaming of. However, if you're convinced that cash is too impersonal, a gift certificate to her favorite craft/art-supply store will be more than welcome. We crafters can always find something we'd love to have from those places! (g)

So, that's my list of suggestions. I hope it's given you a few ideas or helped you come up with some of your own. If you're still feeling terribly confused or uncertain, maybe you could ask for a wish list. Many of us have such extensive ones that we'll still be surprised, even if someone shops from the list! ;o)

Oh, and when you're out shopping, don't forget to check out sales and coupons. Get the most for your money! Happy shopping! :o)

And I thought I was falling behind before. . .

2007-11-03T14:56:00.000-05:00

I just added several more polymer clay blogs to my list (both here at this blog and at my Google Reader account). A couple of them I hadn't seen before this afternoon, a couple more I'd had jotted down until I was in the mood to update things, and there were even a couple I thought I already had added. I've been missing out on months of posts, thinking all along that the blog owners were just being quiet!

So that's even more blog reading I need to catch up on. (g)

One of these days I'll catch up. Probably. . . ;o)

Ten on Tuesday: ten places to find color inspiration

2007-10-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

Most of us have certain color combinations that we're particularly drawn to. For whatever reason, we find ourselves repeating them again and again. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but every now and then, it's nice to expand our horizons and try something new. If you've found yourself in a bit of a rut, color-wise, today's list of ten is for you.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Places to Find Color Inspiration

1. Nature
It's the original source. Take a quick stroll-- or a long hike!-- and stop every so often to just look. So often, we're too busy getting where we need to be that we don't take the time to see the world around us. Absorb some of the colors. Take notes of what you like, or better yet, snap a photo. If you live in a city and can't make it to a park, you can still find new color ideas by focusing on the hues of the city around you. Buildings-- window displays-- the unusual fashion choices of that girl who just walked past you: all are opportunities to be inspired.

2. Your closet
Say the weather's miserable (like it's been here for the past day or so). You don't really want to be wandering the countryside in search of color today. Well, take a peak into your closet, instead. This is a trick interior designers suggest for finding colors in your comfort zone. The colors you wear are probably the colors you're most at ease around, so they're natural choices for wall colors, etc. Of course, this may mean that you'll see the same color combinations you've been using over and over again in your polymer clay work-- the ones you're trying to take a break from. If so, then it's time to move on to the next suggestion. . .

3. Fashion magazines / catalogs
(Or any magazines, really.) Maybe you noticed, while peeking in the closet, that you need a few new items for your winter wardrobe. In that case, you can tackle two tasks at once. ;o) Any magazine or catalog that is more photos than text is a great place to browse for new color combinations. Those that feature fashionable "ensembles" or carefully decorated rooms are especially useful, since we know that color-savvy designers put them together. If you're not yet confident in your own color sense, you can rest assured that at least someone thought these colors went well together. (g) Bookmark the ones you like-- or tear out the page and put it into a "color/design inspiration" binder that you can refer to as needed. (You can also look at Internet-based catalogs with a similar goal in mind.)

4. Shopping
Internet-/catalog-shopping not your thing? (I like to look, but I'd really rather see things in person, myself.) The next time you take a shopping trip, keep colors in mind, too. This article on Crafty Places, while focusing on scrapbooking, has suggestions that can be useful for clayers, too. Silk floral arrangements and the bedding department provided two sources of inspiration for the author, and the possibilities don't end there. Browse a fabric shop for pretty prints or the interesting juxtaposition of bold solids. Look more closely at the colors used in the china, glassware, and pottery aisles. Even the packaging of products can spark a new idea. Take note of anything that grabs your eye. Shopping with a friend can also be helpful. Notice what s/he gravitates toward. You may tend to overlook things in favor of your tried-and-true colors, so let your friend be another pair of eyes for you.

5. Paper
Are you a paper addict? Scrapbookers, bookbinders, origami artists and others share a fascination for paper. Many of us have a nice stock built up. Take half an hour to page through your collection. Patterned paper can be an instant inspiration-- or spread out several solid colors, layering them in different ways and taking note of the combinations that catch your eye. (It's often easier to know that we like when we see it, rather than visualizing it beforehand.) If you have some scraps to spare, paste them into that inspiration binder I mentioned before.

6. Works of Art
The masters of the art world have this color thing down pat, so why not look to them for inspiration? Of course we can look at the colors polymer clay artists use, but there's no reason to limit ourselves to just polymer clay art. Glass, pottery, paint, metal, quilts-- whatever medium you like can awaken you to new possibilities in color combinations. There are photographs to be viewed for free online, or if you prefer, you can buy or borrow books of photos of works of art. Remember that you needn't use all the colors in a work. You can narrow it down to the two, three, or four most dominant colors, to simplify things. (Here's an entry on COLOURlovers that offers several examples of color schemes drawn from paintings, if you need help.)

7. Color Blogs
The blog I linked to in item #6-- COLOURlovers-- is just one example of a "color blog". (Check out this entry on Hallowe'en colors!) There are lots of color fanatics out there, and many of these folks are quite generous with their color schemes (or "palettes"). Browse them until you find one you like. And don't forget that you can tweak them to suit your tastes. Drop, add, shift the colors as needed. There are a few other cool features on this page, too, in addition to the blog, including color trends, discussions, and a color/palette search function. What a neat, fun resource! I'm sure there are other similarly great blogs out there, too, just waiting to be found.

8. Color Scheme Websites
There are a variety of color scheme-generating websites out there, but I'm going to play favorites and focus on one in particular. (Hey, my husband designed it-- and is still working on it-- and I know which side my bread's buttered on. (g)) This site-- http://www.colorsontheweb.com/-- offers a few different ways to find color combos, in addition to info on color theory and terminology. See reader-submitted color schemes (and grade them or submit your own) in the "Color Schemes" section. Spin the Color Wheel to get random color combinations. (If you like one or two colors, but not all of them, you can keep the ones you like and keep spinning until you hit a combo that is thoroughly satisfying. You can also see how the colors work together in a sample bit of web design. You can even decide which color takes each position in the sample.) Finally, use the Color Wizard to submit your own color (enter a hex code, adjust the RGB sliders to find your perfect color, or randomize the whole thing) and instantly get colors that coordinate with it. Scroll down and select different types of color schemes (i.e. analogous, complimentary, split complimentary, etc.) to see several options. Click any of the hue, saturation, or tint/shade variations to instantly reset the base color. Play around with it and see what you come up with. If you'd like to see some other color tools online, you have only to make a quick search.

9. Color Scheme Books
If you prefer a book to a computer monitor, you can look in your local library or bookstore for books of color schemes. These fall into a variety of categories, so be sure to look around. You'll find books full of color combinations designed for use in crafts, graphic design, web design, house decorating, and so on. They're all fair game! (You can also find a more limited selection of color schemes in or near the pain chip section of home improvement stores. If you have a fascination for paint chips, you might find BEHR's website interesting. The "Explore Color" feature is pretty neat.)

10. Photos (Flickr, Photobucket, etc.)
In the past, I've linked to photos from Flickr to illustrate color combinations I like. Well, you can do the reverse, too. Browse the photos at Flickr (or your photo-hosting website of choice), looking for something that grabs you. There are many, many groups and pools of photos at Flickr-- in addition to the search function-- so it's fairly easy to start your search. When you find a photo with colors that speak to you, it's as simple as deciding which are the most "important" colors in the photo. If you need some help with this, there are some handy tools that take all the guesswork out of it. Copy the URL of the photo you'd like to "decode". (The URL must end in ".jpg", ".gif", etc. If you're trying to find the URL for a photo at Flickr, click on "All Sizes", above the photo, then scroll down to locate the URL near the bottom of the page.) Go to Color Palette Generator (or Color Hunter, which is very similar). Paste in the URL, hit the magic button, and up pops the photo and the coordinating color scheme (complete with hex codes, if you're into that kind of thing (g)). You can also use the Palette Generator at Big Huge Labs, which gives you more colors per photo than the other two programs do. This tool also provides a way to quickly and easily browse the photos in your Flickr or Photobucket without working in another tab or window.

Here's an example, the result of submitting one of my photos to the Palette Generator:

With so many color combinations to discover-- and work into polymer clay designs!-- and so little time, what are you doing here, still?! ;o)

Faux Ceramics Experiments

2007-10-27T14:56:00.000-05:00

I wrote earlier about the toner transfers I've been playing around with. One other thing I've been trying is different variations on faux ceramics.

I think I mentioned that I tried the "put tinted liquid clay on beads covered in extruded clay" technique with less than stellar results. (It dripped a bit so that there was very uneven coverage, even though I thought I'd heat set the liquid clay.) I may give that another try sometime, but not for now.

I also tried the "use a black clay base with opaque liquid clay" variation. Again, not the results I'd hoped for-- partially because some of the liquid clay I thought would be opaque turned out not to be. I used oil paint to give it more opaque color, but for some reason it just didn't work that well. Probably not enough paint in the ratio-- or maybe I should have included some white paint. . . I guess that next time I ought to test-cure a little drop to check for opacity. Anyway, the ones I made that were opaque still didn't thrill me, so I decided to go back to the more translucent liquid mixes.

These two were the result of making a base bead (in plain white clay), adding some appliqué flowers (also in white), texturing, and glazing with alcohol-ink-tinted Kato. After curing, I used a heat gun to bring out the shine in the glaze.

I liked the way those turned out, but before I could give it another try, I came across that interesting idea in Tina Holden's blog (which I posted about before). She uses mica powders under the glaze. I'd thought of mixing the powders into the glaze-- haven't tried it yet, though-- but not of just touching them to the clay base. That uses less powder, lets you combine different colors of powder (and gives you more control over where they go), and probably adds more depth to the piece than if the entire glaze is full of mica particles.

First, I tried it on a couple of flat pendants. The leaves are just white clay stamped and touched lightly with a couple of metallic colors of Pearl-Ex. I then glazed the piece with Kato liquid tinted with Lettuce alcohol ink. (All the colors of alcohol ink I mention in this post are Ranger Adirondack brand. I like the muted earthiness of the Adirondack line-- plus, because I can get them at the local craft store, I can use a 40%-off coupon on them. Brings the price down nicely!) The butterfly was pearl clay stamped and touched with duo red-blue Pearl-Ex and topped with Eggplant-tinted Kato. You can't really see the mica that well in this photo, but it does show up in "real life"-- especially when the light hits it from certain angles. (This is one of those times when using a more translucent clay is probably a good idea. I'm not sure how well the mica would show through tinted TLS. . .)

I'd like to play around with this some more, too. Different "themes"/patterns-- different color combinations. Paying close attention to the compatibility of the colors (of the mica powder and the tinted liquid clay) seems pretty important with this technique, since you're seeing the powders through the filter of the colored liquid clay. I don't know if any of the combinations would ever be exactly ugly, but I imagine some are more pleasing than others.

I took the technique one step further and applied it to the flower-appliquéd pendants. (I want to improve my appliqué skill, now. I'd like to expand my repertoire of flower shapes beyond what I've done so far. (g) I have a flower catalog-- I just need to sit down and study it.)

All three (in the photo below) started with a base of pearl clay. The butterfly pendant is duo blue-green Pearl-Ex under Stream-tinted Kato. Because the powder had a blue color, it's more subtle under the similarly-colored liquid clay. I dusted the same powder over the rectangular pendant, but because I used a green liquid clay (Meadow, I think), you can detect more of the powder on it. The heart had interference gold powder (I think. . .) topped with Currant-tinted Kato. Again, the effect is subtle, but it's definitely there.

There are so many possibilities! What am I doing here at the computer when I could be experimenting?! ;o)

MossyOwls

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