Connections. . .

I've been trying out the "extruded snake wrapped around base bead" thing (as I wrote about recently) and am planning to play around with it some more, soon.

That's connected to:

This entry on Le Blog de Perlchen that illustrates how to use scrap clay, a clay gun, and a pasta machine to make an interesting effect.

. . . and . . .

This entry on Parole de Patê, which combines the extruded-clay-wrapped beads with a faux ceramic effect, very prettily. (There's also a link at the bottom to my faux ceramic tutorial and a similar one that was featured on the Polyzine back in 2004. Just goes to show, even if you think you're writing something "new", chances are pretty good that it's been done before. (g))

. . . which is connected to . . .

Something I saw on the Polymer Clay Central message board, back a couple of weeks ago when I stopped by. Someone (I forget who it was... Ok, looked it up. On the forums, she goes by carlierae26, so I assume her name is Carlie Rae, or something similar...) had shared photos of some recent work. It was yet another variation of faux ceramics. She'd used a base of black clay, with opaque glaze, with some nice results. She wrote that she started with opaque liquid clay, but if you have translucent clay, you can always tint it with something opaque. I know oil paint will work, and I think that powdered pigments (mica or just ground up pastels) also yield opaque color.

I'm definitely going to have to give all of these a try! (Maybe I'll remember them, now that they've been blogged...)

On another subject-- Here's a link to a new-to-me polymer clay blog edited by Heather Powers: Polymer Clay @ CraftGossip.com.
Seriously, there are so many great polymer-related blogs out there, and more popping up all the time, that I can't keep up with them all! I'm already way behind on my blog-reading, as it is. But I can't resist, so I'll be adding this to my reading list, too... You guys really don't want me to have time to play with the clay, do you? ;o)

Ok, got to go medicate the dog. . . (No, really. Daisy needs her pills. She's epileptic, poor thing.)

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten polymer clay tools

Because I'm feeling lazy today (and because I have a zillion things to do besides blog, right now), I'm choosing an easy one. Here's a list of. . .

My Top Ten Favorite Polymer Clay Tools
(in no particular order)

1. Pasta Machine-- Not exactly original, but true. Before I had one, I wasn't sure I really wanted one, but it's a wonderful time-saver. (Now I'm even daydreaming about getting another one so that I can reserve one for translucent clay and avoid having to clean a machine every time I want to use translucent clay.) Making uniform sheets of clay (in a variety of thicknesses) is so easy with one of these things!
   
2. Needle Tool-- You really have no choice; if you're going to make beads, you need a needle tool of some kind, be it store-bought or just a regular sewing needle baked into some scrap clay. Needle tools aren't restricted to making stringing holes, either. I use mine for stippling texture into clay, drawing lines in the clay, and so on.
   
3. Darning Needle-- At least I think that's what it's called... Back when I was "setting up house", I bought some cheap packs of needles. Some of them were odd shapes that I've never found much use for-- but one of them was a nice, fat, fairly blunt needle that I've found plenty of uses for-- with polymer clay. It's great for making larger bead holes, smoothing seams (sometimes), and more.
   
4. Craft Knives and Tissue Blades-- I'm cheating a bit by lumping these two together, but they perform very similar duties. However, I do suggest getting them both, if you haven't already. The tissue blade, while essential to cutting thin slices (as in mokume gane) and very useful for making long, straight cuts, is a bit unwieldy in certain other circumstances. For cutting off small bits of clay and other more delicate tasks, I constantly reach for my craft knife. I've also found the "end" of my craft knife (the end without the blade in it) to be very useful for smoothing seams and blending away marks in the clay.
   
5. Shape Cutters-- I get the impression that some people think that using shape cutters is a sin. (g) Or at least that anyone who uses a shape cutter must have limited artistic skill. These days, if something is referred to as "cookie-cutter"-- cookie-cutter houses, for instance-- it's *not* a "good thing". Well, I for one will admit to a fondness for shape cutters. They're not perfect for everything-- and we shouldn't let them limit us ("I can't make an octagon! I don't have a cutter in that shape!"-- but they're very useful, and sometimes they cut down on the "busy work" side of working with clay. Personally, I love them and will be happy to expand my collection. ;o)
   
6. Ball Stylus-- This tool, I'll admit, has a somewhat limited range of uses, but I've found several already, and will probably come across more in the future. I use a ball stylus to adhere small balls of clay in an "appliqué" technique. (See the marble picture pendant tutorial here for a visual aid.) You can use them any time you need to make a void or indentation-- as when making faux stone (Faux Lava Rock Tutorial) or when making mokume gane. I use them sometimes to add texture to the clay. Stipple them over the clay randomly or place them in a pattern for a "polka-dot" effect. You can also use them to apply nice dots of paint.
   
7. Ceramic Tiles-- I don't know if many people count a tile as a tool, but I do. I have built up a small collection of tiles-- multiple large ones that I leave on my clay table for a safe work surface (because I can't help myself-- I always have several projects out "in progress"), one lovely medium-sized one that just happens to fit perfectly in my toaster oven (and which I leave there most of the time, to help regulate the temperature), and most recently a few small tiles that I think will be useful for working on and popping directly int the oven. (Very) lightly textured tiles may be best for working on, as they make it a bit easier to lift the clay when it's time to move it. Completely smooth ones are useful for baking on when you want a glassy finish on the bottom of your work (as with Donna Kato's faux opal technique).
   
8. Drinking Straws-- Save them when you get fast food, because different restaurants use different sizes of straws. Cut them into shorter lengths, because this makes it easier to remove clay that gets stuck in them. (It also gives you 4 or more cutters per straw.) I use them for making "little bites" in my mini foods. I also like them for punching out holes in pendants. Obviously, they can also be used for cutting tiny circles. If you find one straw that is just slightly smaller in diameter than another, you can put one inside the other and use it as a "plunger" to help push the clay out of the straw. (I can't remember where I read that, or I'd give credit... I just tried it recently. It works, but it does leave a slight circular mark where the "plunger-straw" touches the clay-- or at least it did for me, but it's September in Alabama, and I use soft Premo clay, so it may be less of a problem for others or in a cooler time of the year.)
9. Texture Sheets-- Again, this is something I wasn't even sure I wanted, at first, but I've had a lot of fun with them. I like the Shade-Tex sheets and similar products, because they're so affordable-- much cheaper than buying large rubber stamps. They have the added advantage that you can feed them through the pasta machine with the clay to be textured. Personally, I haven't done that, preferring instead to just roll over the sheet with a brayer or press it down by hand, but maybe I'll give it a try sometime. (And when I do, I'll probably wonder why I haven't been doing it all along... (g))
   
10. Found Texture Tools-- This one really deserves a "Top Ten" all of its own, so for now, I'll just list one-- an old toothbrush. I'd been saving all our old toothbrushes for a few years because I knew that they had uses in cleaning around the house. (They're great for getting in all those little nooks and crannies that a larger scrub brush can't reach. I also keep one in the laundry room for working stain removers into fabrics.) Now, I have a few in the clay room. You can get quite a few different looks from one toothbrush, just by varying the degree of pressure you apply, how many "passes" you make over area, whether you stipple or brush, and so on. And best of all, it's absolutely free. You can't beat that! ;o)
    

Just chatting a bit :o)

I'm still far from completely settled back in, but I'm getting there. It's funny-- I spent hours of my vacation reading the two polymer clay books I brought with me (the new book by Donna Kato and the bead bible-- er, I mean Making Polymer Clay Beads (g)). I day-dreamed about all the wonderful things I would do with the clay when I got back home. I wrote down ideas. I missed my clay table. And now that I'm home again, I'm already back in my old bad habit of not spending my time as wisely as I ought. That didn't take long! ;o)

Joking aside, I have spent a little time at the clay table since returning home. There's one project (based on a project in the new Kato book) that I'm in the middle of. (It didn't go quite as planned, but I'm going to try to make lemonade.) Then I've also been using up some scrap clay and taking advantage of the opportunity to try out some of the bead shapes I admired in the Blackburn book (as well as online, in my contacts' Flickr photostreams).

I've taken a few photos of my first attempts at that "new-to-me" style of bead. I'm not sure what the name for this style of bead is, if it even has one. Basically, it's just a base bead covered in one long string of extruded clay. To jazz them up, you usually use a few different colors of clay to make the extruded snake.

I was excited to finally try my new homemade clay gun leverage tool. My husband made it for me based on the design I found on-line. (You can see the page here: http://kelliesklay.homestead.com/pusher.html.) It doesn't look like much, but it works like a dream. I had only used the clay gun once before, and it was so difficult that I never cared to try it again. Now, with this nifty tool at my disposal, I see more extruding in my future. ;o)

Here are my first attempts. I was using up some scrap clay and didn't realize that my color choices were so similar that there wouldn't be much variation in the extrusion. There is some variation, but it's very subtle and may not be visible in this photo. . .

Next, there are a few more from that first batch, in a slightly different color.

As you might have noticed, I decided to experiment a little with the basic idea by adding some texture to the beads. I used rough sandpaper and a toothbrush (my favorite texture tools, and also some of the cheapest I have (g)).

Oh, and I also experimented with whitewashing/antiquing a few from this group. I used white acrylic craft paint. I don't like the fact that they even further dim the colors, but I think this might work well for some styles of jewelry. They remind me of some pottery I've seen. . .

These in the next photo aren't even baked yet, but by the time I made these, I had at least managed to choose colors that didn't completely blend in the extruder. ;o)

While I was taking photos, I snapped a couple pictures of my clay table. At least it looks like I've been busy, right? ;o)

Before I decided to try the "extruder beads", I was using some scrap clay by playing around with some stamps and acrylic paint. . .

Oh, and I made a few of one of my other new favorite bead shapes (which I also admired in Blackburn's book). I've always loved spiral seashells, so this shape has a strong appeal for me. :o)

This photo definitely leaves something to be desired. I'll have to give it another try the next time I'm "really" taking photos. (This was something of a spur of the moment photo shoot.) This is something I made before our vacation. I was just in the mood to try something different, so I tried my hand at applique. It's a bit time consuming, but enjoyable. (Probably would be more enjoyable if I put it up on a taller surface so I wouldn't have to hunch over it.)

Here's another in the same style. (Actually, I think I made this one first.) I'll have to give this another try, someday. Maybe think up some new flower shapes. . . Planning would probably yield better results than just free-handing it.

So, what's in my near future, clay-wise? I need to start work on a special order double cheeseburger. There are a couple other custom order things I need to look into, as well, not to mention that I really ought to list some new items in my Etsy shop, as it's dwindled down to nearly nothing. I have a tutorial in the works (nothing ground-breaking and it has definitely "been done", but I don't think anyone has dibs on it. . .)-- plans for at least two more tutorials/projects to work on-- and I've spotted some glaring errors in my last tutorial, so I need to fix that. (It's nothing sunstantial-- just an accidental repetition in the instructions.) Then there are a few things I really want to try soon, just for fun.

Plus there's all that other stuff-- you know, the rest of my life. ;o)

Vacations are nice, but it's good to be home again!

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten ways to reduce fingerprints in clay

Unwanted fingerprints are a huge annoyance to many clayers. Our hands are our most valuable and versatile tools, but they also bear those pesky loops and whorls that help identify us as unique beings-- marks that can mar the smooth finish of our creations.

One school of thought suggests that the occasional fingerprint is nothing to worry about. Our work is done by hand, so why not celebrate that fact and leave our imprint-- literally-- on what we make?

However, there are still many who prefer to disguise or remove fingerprints. The following is a sampling of the techniques polymer artists employ in this pursuit.

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Fingerprints in Clay:
(In no particular order, despite the whole "top ten" thing...)

1. Wear gloves.
If you can stand wearing gloves, they'll help you cut down on fingerprints. Even if you don't wish to wear them the whole time, you can still slip them on for last few steps before curing your project. A good, tight fit is preferable, as any looseness in the fingertips can cause crease marks in the clay, which can be just as frustrating as the fingerprints! Many people use latex gloves. Others, worried about developing a latex allergy, prefer vinyl, nitrile, or other materials. If you absolutely cannot stand the feeling of gloves, you might want to try finger cots, which fit over fingers individually.

2. Smoothen your fingers.
If you simply aren't going to use gloves, no matter what, you can still improve matters by smoothening your hands. Try an exfoliating scrub to gently remove dead skin every few days. Work moisturizing hand lotions into your daily routine. Lotions keep your hands soft, which can reduce their "grab" on the clay.

3. Use firm clay.
Firmer brands of clay tend to take fingerprints less readily than soft brands. Fimo Classic and Kato are two of the better clays for avoiding fingerprints-- particularly if you have warm hands or live in a warm climate. You can also try leaching very soft clay to increase its firmness to some degree.

4. Keep things cool.
The warmer the clay and your hands are, the more fingerprints you'll leave. For this reason, it's a good idea to allow the clay to sit a while before you do the final smoothing of your work. If possible, you might even put the clay into the refrigerator to chill. For those with warm hands, try cooling them in a bowl of ice water (or with an ice pack, etc.) before putting on the final touches.

5. "Pet" away fingerprints.
Prior to curing, try to pet away as many fingerprints and other marks as possible. Use a light touch, and experiment with short, soft strokes and circular motions to find what works best for you. Some artists dip their fingertips in water or powder to aid in the smoothing.

6. Burnish away fingerprints.
You can burnish fingerprints away with a variety of tools-- anything from an agate burnishing tool or clay shaper tool to a simple piece of deli paper, plastic wrap and bags, or baking parchment. Gently rub the burnishing tool in small circles over the clay to smooth away imperfections. Put the paper or plastic against the clay (being careful to avoid creases) and rub your finger against the piece "through" the paper.

7. "Brush down" the clay.
This technique is particularly popular among sculptors. Brush (or wipe) down your piece just before curing, using any of a variety of materials, including everything from a mixture of diluent and rubbing alcohol to lighter fluid or acetone. A couple other suggestions are baby oil and waterless hand cleanser, which consists largely of alcohol. (You can read more about brushing down on this page of Glass Attic: Sculpture.)

8. Apply texture.
For certain applications, the best approach may be to remember the old saying, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" That is, rather than trying to remove all vestiges of your fingerprints, go the other way and add texture to the clay. Make polymer clay's natural tendency to accept texture work for you. Mask undesired texture by imprinting a new texture on top of it. Popular choices for this technique include sandpaper, salt (which can be dissolved away with water after curing), brush bristles, and heavily textured fabric, but a variety of other materials will also work.

9. Look, don't touch. ;o)
Be careful about handling clay that's still warm from the oven or fresh from the buffing wheel. In this warm state, even cured clay can take a fingerprint (and leave you baffled when you later discover it).

10. Remove prints after baking.
For those times when you can't avoid leaving fingerprints, you can always remove them after curing. Not many of us enjoy sanding, but there's no arguing with the results. In addition to the usual wet/dry sandpaper most clayers use, you may want to look into the possibility of trying another material or sanding technique. Some people pawn the task off on their rock tumblers (using bits of sandpaper instead of the abrasive materials required for polishing stones). Others swear by polishing papers, sanding sponges, emery boards-- even jeweler's files. (You can read more about sanding on Polymer Clay Web and Glass Attic.)


With these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to avoiding-- or at least removing-- fingerprints. Unless, of course, you choose to leave your mark wherever it may fall. ;o)

Top Ten on Tuesday -- Tips for Using Liquid Clay with Miniature Foods

Hey there! I'm back home after a long vacation. Not quite back in the groove, yet, but I'm getting there. ;o) My next "assignment" is getting back into the habit of blogging, so here goes!

I've suggested before that someone interested in making realistic miniature foods (out of polymer clay, at least) really ought to get some liquid clay and play around with it. Today, I'll offer a few insights that I've gathered so far in my own experiments with liquid clay in mini-making.

Top Ten Tips for Using Liquid Clay with Miniature Foods
(in no particular order)

1. Often, when working with teensy things, you'll find it helpful to cure them in stages. (That way, you'll have something to hold on to without constantly worrying about leaving fingerprints or completely squashing your carefully sculpted work.) A dab of liquid clay (hereafter shortened to "LC") acts as a glue between cured and raw clay, when you're ready to continue working on a partially cured piece.

2. Adding a little mica powder (pearl is a good all-around choice, but others can work, too, depending on the application) lends a slight sparkle to your LC mixes. This shimmer can be useful in duplicating the appearance of sugary glazes, certain gravies, and so on.

3. Know the properties of different brands of LC and use them to your advantage. Kato and Fimo liquids are clearer than TLS, so use them when you need only the slightest hint of color.

4. Another hint related to the one above-- For more transparent food items (glazes, translucent syrups, jams), tint your LC with alcohol ink, when possible. This yields more transparent colors. (Obviously, you'll also want to use a brand of LC that cures clearly-- Kato or Fimo.)

5. For opaque food items (chocolate sauce, nacho cheese), try oil paint or powdered pigments to add more opaque color. (In this case, you can use any brand of LC-- clarity is not an issue.)

6. While I generally prefer to use cheap mineral oil for mixing my icings, you can always use LC for that, too. Just mix a few drops into regular clay of the color you'd like your icing to be. Continue mixing and adding LC (a drop or two at a time, as needed) until you like the consistency of the mix. (If you get the mix too sticky, you can thicken it back up by adding more regular clay to the mix.)

7. Don't forget that you can combine regular clay and LC. A gravy made of LC can be poured over tiny "meat and veggies" (bits of regular clay in the right shapes, sizes, and colors) to make a convincing bowl of "stew". (Obviously, in this case, you'd want to use your most translucent LC and coloring agent, or else you may not see much of your veggies through the gravy, and instead of "stew", you'll get "weird, bumpy brown stuff". ;o)

8. Pay attention to sheen. Is the food you're imitating matte or glossy? TLS cures to a more matte finish than Kato or Fimo liquids. If Kato is cured at a higher temperature (or hit briefly with a heat gun), it takes on a higher gloss. (Of course, you can always apply the pc-friendly finish of your choice, once a piece is cured.)

9. If you want a "thick shine" on a piece-- more dimension than you can get with Varathane or Future-- you might try a clear brand (Kato or Fimo) of LC. This could be useful for the suggestion of a little water on top of a pot of veggies, for instance. (You could also use epoxy resin for this, but if you're like me, you may prefer to stick with clay as much as possible. I am going to try resin, one of these days, but honestly, I'm a little scared of the stuff. (g))

10. Don't forget your artist's pastels (or other powdered pigments). Those same powders that make your loaves of bread brown so realistically can be applied to cured LC to add a touch of toastiness. (You'll need to seal the powders in with a pc-friendly finish, if the piece will be handled or worn, as in jewelry.)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I am becoming more and more enamored of liquid clay-- not only for miniature-making, but in other polymer clay projects, as well. The more I see of the stuff, the more amazed I am by the possibilities.

With AT&T, it's easy as 1, 2, 3! ;o)

There’s a recent commercial (from AT&T, I think) that gave me a laugh. A woman is folding quilts, with her daughter and son (I guess) in the same room. Daughter comments on how wonderful the quilts are and wishes that other people could see them. Mother replies that when she was younger, she wanted her own shop. Son looks up from his laptop, has a bright idea, and sets to work. In what appears to be a very brief space of time (the same afternoon, probably only an hour or two), he presents his mother with her very own online quilt shop, complete with a gallery of photos of her handiwork. To top it all off, he casually remarks that she has an order.

(. . .long pause. . .) Hahahahaha! Yeah, right. If only it really were that quick and easy to put together a successful web-store! Set aside for a moment the fact that it does, in fact, take some time to build a decent website and take good photographs—even if you do use a template and have a handy-dandy camera-phone. This commercial is also propagating the misconception that “if you build it, they will come” (and buy)—and in just a few minutes’ time, too!

I’m all for people setting up web-based businesses. Many who couldn't possibly afford to have a brick and mortar shop are now able to run successful part-time (or even full-time) businesses from home. However, this commercial is thoroughly misleading.

Well, at least it’s worth a laugh.

. . .

P.S. How did Son know how much Mother wanted to charge for her quilts? Or did the Eager Beaver Buyer make an “I’ll pay whatever you ask, but I must have that quilt”-style offer, because the quilt is just that good? Hey, this is TV Commercial Land. It could happen! ;o)

P.P.S. If by some chance it turns out that I'm wrong about all this supposedly happening in one short afternoon-- if you've seen the commercial and noticed that they're wearing different clothes by the end of the ad, or something. . . Well, ignore everything you've just read. (g)

Despite the ridiculous speed of the quilt shop's emergence (and the rather annoying, Kill Bill-esque music in the background), I do kind of like this ad. What a nice thing to do for Mother! Even if he did offer her hard work for sale without asking first.

Various & Sundry

A little bit of this, a little bit of that. . .

First-- a little extra information on the faux ceramic technique. (If you've looked at the Polymer Clay Web forum thread on this topic, this won't be new.) I'm still learning how the Kato Liquid works, compared to TLS. One thing I've always heard (and have proven to myself to be true) is that if you hit the Kato Liquid with a heat gun or embossing gun after curing (or bump up the temperature in the oven, briefly), you'll bring out the greatest clarity. It's pretty amazing how well that works. It takes a little while for me, using my little embossing gun, so be patient. Just keep moving the heating tool around, and eventually you'll see a big improvement. Once it starts to happen, it's fast.

Well, anyway, I knew about the heat gun improving the clarity. What I didn't know is that it also changes the finish of the Kato Liquid. I've done a comparison of pieces cured normally and those that I've given the "extra heat treatment", and there's a definite difference. The "extra-heated" ones have a much shinier finish than the others. (I hope this doesn't mean that I've been under-curing the others. . . I'll have to recheck my oven's temperature, just to be on the safe side.)

Here's a photo that (kind of) shows what I mean:

All of these pieces have a Kato-based glaze, but the top two were heated with a heat gun, while the bottom two were not. (The bottom two have more of a sheen than you can tell from this photo, but it's much softer than the shine on the other two.) I think both effects are attractive; it just depends on whether or not you want lots of shine.

___________

While looking around at Parole de Pâte the other day, I was very impressed by this entry. It's been put through a translator, from French to English, but those translating programs leave something to be desired. The translated version refers to powder (Pearl-ex) and resin. Based on the comments, I think they really did use resin (two-part epoxy, such as Envirotex Lite) for the clear coating over the powders, though at first I wondered whether the translating program got that part wrong. (I thought maybe the French word for resin tricked it, as so often seems to happen with these programs.) In any case, I decided to use Liquid Kato, as I'm more familiar with that medium and knew I could get it pretty darn clear with a heat gun.

There's still the slightest bit of a haze in one or two parts of this heart, but it's not bad at all, and I might be able to get it to go away, if I gave it a little more heat. (You could probably also eliminate this problem by doing two thinner coats and clarifying between them.)


It's a simple technique, but the result is very nice. I'm going to have to give this one another try. :o) (And don't forget to follow that link and look at the photos on the other site. They're gorgeous!)

___________

There's another (more recent) topic on Parole de Pâte that also interests me. It's a new take on Jennifer Patterson's "Hidden Magic" technique. Very pretty!

___________

A few days ago, a customer asked me if I "do pizza". Not yet, but it had been on my wish list of mini foods for a long time. I'd been drooling over Milo's mini pizzas only days before-- we got pizza over the weekend-- and now comes this question. . . It must be fate, right? ;o) I decided to give it a try:

There are a few more mini pizza photos on my flickr.

It was rather time-consuming. Miniatures often are, particularly when they're comprised of detailed layers-- and of course I had to figure everything out as I went along, so that took some time. But it was fun, and I definitely see more mini pizzas in my future. :o)

Oh, and for those interested in size, each slice is roughly an inch long. Way too big for 1:12 scale, but ok for "Barbie scale" (assuming that your Barbies like large slices of pizza). Since they have eye pins sticking out of them, I suppose it's obvious that they're really meant more for jewelry than doll houses. (g)

___________

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten tips for making polymer clay jewelry

Though there are more and more artists and hobbyists using polymer clay for an increasing number of non-jewelry applications (home decor, miniatures, evening bags, etc.) , beads, pendants and other "jewelry bits" remain very popular.

I haven't done any research as to why this is, but I think it has something to do with the fact that jewelry is wearable art. It's easier to show off a necklace to a bunch of people than, say, a mask or a vase. When you wear your own handmade jewelry, you never know when you might have someone say, "Wow, what a great pin! Where'd you get that?!" (And then, of course, you proudly-- or modestly-- admit that, in fact, you made it yourself. (g))

For many of us jewelry-makers, the main reason we do it is that it's lots of fun. Maybe you'd like to join us. :o) If you're just starting out-- new to polymer clay jewelry-making-- here are a few tips to help guide you along your way:

Top Ten Tips for Making Polymer Clay Jewelry:

(This week, I've decided not to "count down" from 10 to 1, but just to put the tips in semi-logical order. (g))

1. Gather inspiration.
Keep an inspiration notebook, bulletin board, blog, etc.-- just a place where you can gather and store magazine photos, jotted ideas, print-outs, paint chips, and anything else that inspires you, be it designs, color combos, or polymer clay techniques. Collect links to useful websites, too-- not only clay-related sites, but also general jewelry-making sites.

2. Adapt designs to polymer clay.
When looking through magazines, books, and websites for jewelry patterns and ideas, don't be discouraged if there aren't many designed specifically for polymer clay. Instead, consider how you can adapt the designs to suit your polymer clay beads, pendants, etc. Remember, since you make the beads, you can always tailor them to certain specifications of size, shape and color to fit a design you admire.

3. Plan ahead.
Make sketches of what you want your piece of jewelry to look like-- or at least "think out" the design-- so you'll know how many beads you need, what shapes and colors they should be, etc. (Sometimes it's fun to just make the beads first and design the jewelry around them later, but if you work this way you're more likely to find that you don't have enough beads.)

4. Make extras.
Whenever possible, make extra beads. You never know when one will have a flaw or be lost. With a few back-up beads, you can proceed without having to go back and try to duplicate the lost bead. Leftovers make lovely earrings, or save them to use in a later project that calls for mixed beads.

5. Mix media.
Consider combining time-intensive polymer clay beads with store-bought glass, acrylic, metal, and other types of beads. If you're careful in your selection, you'll not only make the polymer clay beads go further, but you'll also add attractive accents to your handmade beauties.

6. Coordinate the colors.
When ordering beads online or through catalogs, you'll soon find that catalogs (whether online or in print) don't always represent colors accurately. It's best to order beads early and have them in hand before making the polymer clay components of the design. Either that, or take your finished polymer beads/pendants to the bead store with you, so you can be sure to get a good color combination.

7. Weigh your options.
Polymer clay is relatively lightweight, but for very large beads or pendants, consider using an aluminum foil core. This option also uses less clay, which leaves more for other projects.

8. String them along.
Your beads, that is. ;o) Give some thought to stringing materials for necklaces, bracelets and anklets. Choose a stringing material that's sturdy enough to support the weight of your beads and/or pendant. Also keep in mind how the look and texture of the stringing material will work into your design-- especially important in pieces with lengths of exposed string/cord/etc. For example, large beads or pendants generally look best on (and need the extra support of) thicker stringing materials, such as leather thong or heavy rubber cord. More delicate beads probably won't even fit over leather cording and are better suited to tigertail or a thinner cord.

9. Find some findings.
Findings (the metal "bits and pieces" of jewelry, such a ear wires, clasps, jump rings, and eye pins) are made from a variety of metals-- everything from cheap base metal to pricier silver and gold. You can buy them in shops or online-- or even make many of them yourself, from a spool of wire. When you're still learning, it's probably best to use a cheaper material, but eventually, you may want to upgrade to a finer metal. If cost is an issue, you can always reserve the silver findings for your very best work.

10. Get the tools of the trade.
All the sterling silver findings in the world aren't going to do you much good if you don't have the proper tools to use with them. (Try opening and closing a jump ring neatly with your bare hands. Just try it. I dare ya. ;o)) It takes a little time-- time you'd probably rather be spending at your clay table-- but learning how to use jewelry-making tools is an important step in making your own jewelry. Just a few tools (wire cutters, flat-nose pliers, and round-nose pliers) are absolutely required for most jewelry-making, though there are others (split-ring pliers, crimping tool, bead reamer, etc.) that are also useful, in specific situations. If you can master a handful of simple techniques with these tools, you'll be able to follow almost any jewelry design you can find. Once you've gathered the "absolutely necessary" tools, there are a few ways to learn to use them. Books and jewelry-design magazines (on loan from the library or bought), Internet tutorials, videos, classes at your local bead or craft store, a crafty friend with beading know-how-- all are possible ways to learn the basics.


There's something very satisfying about taking a few unfinished materials and turning them into something that you can be proud to wear or give as a gift. Obviously, the most masterful designs are the result of time, practice, and skill (not to mention natural talent), but even a novice can achieve something attractive with a few hours of work. And with every bead you form and string, you're improving your technique-- while having fun!

Kato Color Concentrates -- now available!

For those of you who may not have heard yet (such as myself, until I was catching up on e-mail this morning), Kato Color Concentrates (the new product I wrote about in this post) are now available for purchase.

Again, they're only available in selected Internet shops, as of yet. They're supposed to be at Polymer Clay Express, for instance, though I think you may have to call or write to order them. At least, I didn't see them in the online store, yet. However, I did find them at Prairie Craft Company, where the set of three colors (the only ones presently available) sells for $9.99. I see that they come in 1.5 ounce blocks. For reference, that's half the size of a block of regular Kato Polyclay. A little goes a long way, from all accounts, so it's not surprising that the blocks are a bit smaller.

So, now I'm looking forward to seeing what people will do with this product, now that it's out. :o) I don't think I'll buy any immediately, myself. I would like to play around with it-- see what it can do-- but I've done enough buying for a while, I think. . . Besides, it's been so brutally hot lately that I'd rather postpone clay purchases another couple of months. (Last time I had clay delivered, the mail-lady left it in the car-- with no note about it in the mailbox!! I was rather annoyed, but fortunately the clay seemed unharmed.)

. . . . . . . . .

If you frequent the same message boards and mailing lists I do (though I'm not a frequent "frequenter" these days (g)) , I'm sure you've already heard of the new polymer clay that Polyform's putting out-- Studio by Sculpey. If I understand correctly, it's coming out in connection with the Donna Dewberry instructional system... or whatever it is. It even has its own website (http://www.studiobysculpey.com/), but as of yet, there's nothing there.

I've read bits and pieces about this new brand, but frankly I'm just not terribly interested. I mean, it's great that there's going to be a new brand-- the more selection, the better-- but I. . . well, I just don't care much about this product. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm happy with the brands that are already out there... Maybe it's just this infernal heat and humidity; it sucks the enthusiasm right out of you, some days!

Anyway, a few things I think I remember reading about Studio by Sculpey:

• It comes in a larger package than most polymer clays (...I think).
• It's aimed more at making items for home décor-- not so much for caning, though some report that it is possible to cane with it.
• It will come in 26 "toned down" colors (again, geared more toward home décor, where people are likely to choose "Lavender and Lace"-- one of the actual color names, I swear-- in favor of bold, brilliant purple or fuchsia.)
• It is rather "marshmallowy" in texture, prior to curing, and easily conditioned.
• It seems to be pretty sturdy after curing.
• It doesn't require an armature (for certain things, at least), as it doesn't droop during firing, like most polymer clay does.

Ok, I guess it's kind of interesting... Just as long as Polyform doesn't get rid of my precious Premo in favor of this new stuff. ;o)

A talented miniaturist

I was just taking some time to look through some of my contact's recently uploaded photos, over at Flickr. I don't do it very often-- especially if I haven't uploaded anything, myself, since that's about the only time I'm on that site-- but every now and then I make the time. It's always a treat to see what everyone's been up to. There are so many beautiful, inspirational works of art and craft on that page!! Much of it rivals the nicest work I've seen published in books.

You don't have to have an account (free or paid) to browse the photos, so if you haven't already checked it out, now's a great time. (Same goes for if it's been a while since you were there. There are new photos every day.) I'm sure the other photo-sharing sites are wonderful, too. I ought to look around some of them, myself. . .

One person who's work just blew me away today was minicaretti. She focuses primarily on miniatures, and that's what you see in her Flickr photostream. (She also has a blog. It's written in Italian, but as always, you can get a lot just from looking at the photos.) I know that at least some of her work involves polymer clay, but she may also use other materials. From what I gather, serious miniaturists (the type who make things in scale) are very resourceful and use whatever best imitates the "real thing". This can result in a polymer piece topped with or displayed next to something made in resin, etc.

If you have a minute, go take a look. Some of these foods are so realistic, you'll have a hard time believing that they're miniatures. You'll probably be hungry by the time you're through. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;o)

Faux Ceramics

A while ago, I posted a link to a blog that featured lots of photos of beautiful ceramic pendants and charms. If you missed it before, or have forgotten about it, here it is again: http://bijouxdiva.canalblog.com/
There are links to several albums of "the Diva's" work along the right side of the page.

Those photos-- the luxurious glazes-- reminded me that I'd been wanting to try my hand at a faux ceramics effect. So I did-- and it was fun! :o)


Go to my Flickr account to see a few more photos of my first attempts. I also have a new batch waiting to be properly photographed.

It was interesting to note, during those first tries, that some of the colors I was least enthusiastic about to start with turned out to be my favorites. You never can tell about those things, which is why it's so important to experiment and step outside of your usual routine (as I need to remind myself from time to time). For instance, if I stick to the same color schemes every time, I'll never learn about the other combos that I could be enjoying.

It was also amusing that my favorite texture tool wasn't a texture sheet-- or a stamp. It was something I bought, but I only paid .25 or .50 for it (can't remember which it was, now), and it wasn't even meant to be used for applying texture. It was originally a medallion on a necklace at Claire's, but it was so huge that it made a hideous pendant, which is probably why it was on sale. (g) I bought it with texturing in mind, though, and it was definitely worth the price!

Anyway, I've put up a tutorial for the technique I used. It's nothing very complicated, and I like the fact that it doesn't require much "finishing". Well, you might want to do some extra finishing to yours. . . and I might give one of them a sanding and power-buffing, sometime, just to see what happens. . . but they look perfectly fine as they are, I think.

Here's the link: Faux Ceramic Pendants Tutorial

If you like it and give it a try, feel free to stop by this faux ceramics thread of our forum and post a picture or two-- and a link to your own blog or Flickr albums. :o)

Top Ten Tuesday - top ten ways to use mica powders with polymer clay

Mica powders are very popular with clayers-- one of the top few "extra" materials most of us buy, I'd say. It's no wonder, considering how many things you can do with them and the way that they can turn a ho-hum piece into something shimmering and beautiful.

Top Ten Ways to Use Mica Powders with Polymer Clay:

10. Use it with a stencil.
Place a bought (usually in the paint section of craft stores), found (such as a paper doily), or homemade (cut from cardstock or a thin sheet of plastic) stencil over a piece of clay. (This technique works most easily on flat projects.) Gently tap mica powders (as many as you like) onto the exposed clay. Carefully lift stencil to reveal your pattern.

9. Make a sparkling glaze.
Mix a little mica powder into a small amount of polymer-friendly finish (Future or Varathane) or acrylic medium. (You can mix some in a painter's palette, if you need very little, or use a small paint pot or film canister if you want to make enough to save for another time.) Thin with water to reach desired consistency. Apply over plain or decorated cured polymer clay pieces for an extra touch of sparkle.

8. Crackle it over raw clay.
In order to crackle mica powders, you'll need to mix them into an acrylic medium or polymer-friendly finish. Future Floor Wax works well for this. Mix it (as described above), then paint it onto a sheet of raw polymer clay. Allow the finish to dry, then feed through the pasta machine or roll with a brayer or acrylic rod to produce the crackling effect.

7. Use it in mokume gane.
As described in last week's Top Ten Tuesday, you can use mica powders in mokume gane in a couple of ways. Either apply occasional dabs of it to painted or plain polymer clay sheets, or mix it into Future (etc.) and paint it onto the sheets.

6. Salvage ugly scrap clay.
An unattractive mix of scrap clay (or a color mix gone wrong) can take on a whole new life with an application of mica powder. Just shape the clay and apply the powders before curing. Be aware that certain colors (such as the interference colors) may not completely mask the color of the underlying clay. If in doubt, experiment with a tiny bit of clay and powder.

5. Create faux effects.
Mica powders are useful in a number of faux effects. Metal colors (such as silver or bronze) create an instant appearance of metal. A mix of colors (blue, purple, pink, gold, etc.) "splotchily" blended on black clay imitates the look of raku. Pearl powders make. . . well, pearls. ;o) A touch of these sparkling powders lends a realistic look in a number of faux stone mixes.

4. Tint liquid polymer clay.
Translucent liquid clay can be tinted in a few different ways. Using mica powders as part or all of the colorant gives it a subtle shimmer that's lovely.

3. Tint solid translucent clay.
Translucent clay tinted with mica powders can seem almost to softly glow. Use this mixture "as is" or make a Skinner Blend between two mica-tinted bodies of clay for a ravishing effect.

2. Cover the exterior of a piece.
Using one color or as many as you like, cover an entire piece with mica powders. If you want texture, apply the powder to both the clay and the stamp or texture sheet prior to making the impression. If any portion of the clay remains unpowdered, fill in those spots with the aid of a paintbrush.

1. Highlight textured clay.
For a different look from the "all over sparkle", texture the clay first, then apply mica powders (in however many colors you want) to only the raised portions of the pattern or texture, allowing the clay color to remain visible in the impressions. This can give the appearance of antiqued metal.

Remember: Most mica powders require a coat of polymer-friendly finish (such as Future or Varathane) to prevent the powder from rubbing away-- particularly if the piece will be worn or handled. If you've mixed the powders into Future, Varathane, or another polymer-friendly finish, the extra coat is unneccessary, unless you want more layers for protection or added shine.

Faux Abalone

One day last week, I finally gave myself permission to try a project from one of my polymer clay books. I chose the faux abalone from Carol Blackburn's bead-maker's bible, Making Polymer Clay Beads. (So there won't be a tutorial for this one. )

I stuck pretty close to the instructions on this project, though I think I may have left off one or two of the colors of clay suggested, and since I didn't have abalone leaf/foil and was too lazy to try my own idea of using inks and paints to make my own "faux abalone leaf", I used plain composition gold leaf. I also used the abalone loaf a bit differently that suggested in the book. (I made sheets of my slices and cut them with shape cutters, rather than tearing the slices into pieces.)

I was pleased with the results. (Though now I can think of some things I should've done differently. Well, I'll just write down some notes for next time.)

Here's a photo of what I made with some of my faux abalone charms:

I also took this opportunity to try out one of the magnetic clasps I bought on sale a long while ago. I haven't decided if I like the magnetic clasp or not. I like the idea of it, because so often, putting on a bracelet without assistance is an exercise in futility. I'm just not convinced yet that this particular clasp is strong enough. . . and (as expected) when the clasp is open, the magnets want to stick to the chain and jump rings. I'll wear this one a while to test out the strength of the clasp.

If you're interested, there are a couple more photos of the faux abalone at my Flickr account.

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten products to add to mokume gane

I've taken it into my polymer-crazed head to post a weekly feature here called "Top Ten Tuesday". (We'll see how long this lasts. . . (g)) Every Tuesday, I'll focus on a different clay-related topic. Since this is the inaugural list, I thought I'd go easy on myself and choose an easy one. ;o)

Top Ten Products to Add to Mokume Gane (and Why):

10. Nothing
No, seriously. You can get some gorgeous mokume gane effects with nothing but polymer clay. Try mg with your own special mixes of mica clay and translucent, clay, too. This style of mg looks best, imho, when patterned with deeply-etched stamps. Check out some of what Nan Roche has done with this technique, if you're seeking some mg inspiration.

9. Glitter
If you're a sucker for that glitzy glittered look, why not sprinkle a little into your next batch of mg? There are a couple of ways you can apply it. Sprinkle it over a sheet of translucent clay, if you want just a little. (Putting too much will prevent the sheets of clay from adhering properly.) If you want more, use the glitter as an inclusion in some translucent clay, then roll that into a sheet for the mg block. Very fine glitter will work better than larger-scale glitter, and polyester or glass glitters perform best during the curing process. (Metal glitters can distort in the heat, with unattractive results.) You could also try a thin application of glitter paint on translucent clay.

8. Metallic Foil
Mylar-backed metallic foils (as opposed to real metal leaf) can be used with mokume gane. One example of this material is the line produced by Jones Tones. To use metallic foil in mg, just burnish it onto a sheet of translucent clay, pull off the clear backing, and use either as is or after crackling the foil by feeding the sheet through the pasta machine. Metallic foil comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and "effects" (such as oil slick, rainbow, etc.), so there are lots of possibilities with this product. (The downside is that some foils can be difficult to apply to clay.)

7. Lumiere Metallic Paints
Lumiere paints (from Jacquard) come in a gorgeous array of metallic colors that can be mixed to create still more colors. This paint tends to stretch with the clay-- not crackle. There are two ways to approach this property. First, you can embrace it and not worry about crackling. However, if you've got your heart set on crazing, you can dilute Lumiere paint with water-- up to a 1:1 ratio. The addition of the water improves the "cracklability" of the paint. Apply a thin coat of paint to a sheet of translucent clay. Once it's dried, feed this through the pasta machine or roll it with an acrylic rod to create crackle (or not, depending on the look you want).

6. Posh Metallic Inkabilities
Ranger's Posh Metallic Inkabilities come in two sets. Luminous Metallics (the one I own) contains a rainbow of six colorful metallic inks (blue, pink, teal, violet, green, and red), while the Precious Metals set comes with six "metal colors" (silver, copper, charcoal, rich gold, white pearl, and bronze). These inks come in .25 ounce needlepoint applicators and were originally designed for use with stamping, but they work great with polymer clay, too. Gorgeous metallic colors-- and they crackle, too. Just drop a tiny bit onto your sheet of translucent clay, spread it around with a brush, let it dry, and crackle away.

5. Mica Powders
Mica powders, such as Jacquard's Pearl-Ex line, are popular with polymer clay artists, because they have a number of applications. There are a couple of ways to apply them to mokume gane, as well. First, you can put little dabs of them here and there over a sheet of (painted or unpainted) polymer clay. (Be careful not to put too much, as this will prevent the sheets of clay from adhering to one another.) Another way to incorporate these sparkling colors into mokume gane is to mix them with an acrylic base of some sort. Future Floor Finish works well. Just mix a bit of powder into a few drops of Future until you get a nice paint-like consistency. Apply and crackle (or not, as you like).

4. Metallic Acrylic Paints
A number of brands of acrylic paint include metallic and iridescent colors in their lines. By all means, try what you already have, but if you're still building your stock of art supplies, be aware that you don't have to spend a great deal of money on metallic paints. Every brand behaves a bit differently-- and often there are variations within a brand, from color to color-- but often the cheaper "craft paints" work just as well, if not better than, the more expensive artist-grade paint, when it comes to crackling. My personal stock includes some FolkArt Metallics (from Plaid), some Dazzling Metallics (from DecoArt), and a couple of Anita's Metallics. All will work with polymer clay mokume gane. You'll have to experiment to see which crackle best to your liking, but even those that don't crackle as well can still be very pretty in mokume gane (as well as in other polymer clay applications, such as antiquing and dry-brushing).

3. Alcohol Inks
For a dash of transparent color, you needn't look further than alcohol inks. Alcohol inks have a number of uses with polymer clay, and at least a few of them apply to mokume gane. Jacquard's Pinata Colors come in 17 bold colors, while Ranger's Adirondack Alcohol Inks are available in 24 more subtle, earthy tones. Both lines are beautiful and can be used interchangeably. Here are just a few ways to use them with mg (and you can probably come up with more): First, drop a bit on a sheet of translucent clay and use a brush to cover the whole surface. (You can use straight ink for darker color or dilute it with alcohol or extender for a watercolor effect.) You'll be able to see through this layer of color, in the finished pieces. Second, drop the inks onto metal leaf in order to colorize it. Leave the drops as spatters of color or blend them over the whole surface. You'll be able to see through the color to the metallic sparkle of the leaf. Third, apply a drop or two to some polymer clay. When the ink is dry (after 15 - 30 minutes), condition the clay until the color is distributed through it (either evenly or in a marbled pattern, as you wish). Use this clay as a sheet in your mg stack. It will be colored, but still somewhat translucent.

2. Daler-Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Inks
Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Inks (from Daler-Rowney) are a favorite product of many people, including artist Allison Ingham, who uses them to achieve attractive crazing in her polymer clay work. They come in a range of lovely colors, go on smoothly, and crackle beautifully. I've read that the best way to apply them for optimum crackle is to not shake the bottle, but to drag up the thicker "dregs" from the bottom of the bottle and paint with those. Personally, I do shake the bottle and just dip from the top, and I've been happy with the results I've gotten. Try both methods and see which you prefer.

1. Metal Leaf
It's the classic mokume gane addition, and for a very good reason: combined with delicately tinted translucent clay, it creates an absolutely gorgeous effect. Metal leaf adheres easily to polymer clay and crackles easily. The gossamer shimmer of crackled sheets of real metal-- it's the ultimate draw for those of us with inner magpies. Lindley Haunani is credited with pioneering this style of mg. For a slightly different look, apply metal leaft to sheets of untinted translucent clay. Slices from the mg loaf can then be applied to base clay in any color(s) you want. In this ways, you can make mg beads, pens, etc. in a variety of colors, all from one batch.

The Final Word on MG-Related Products:
Whatever you put in your mokume gane, whether you like to "mix it up" and put a little bit of everything in there or your style is more restrained and classic, don't be afraid to try something new. There's no telling what we'll be adding to mokume gane five or ten years from now, and maybe you'll be the one who discovers the next great product!

Kato's "New Opal"

It's high time for another post. Let's see. . . what can I post about?

Well, here's something:
I tried Donna Kato's "new opal" last week. I've made the opal sheet, but so far haven't done anything with it, beyond cutting it. The results were somewhat disappointing. Oh, it looked ok, I guess, but it was much more brittle than I'd expected.

First, I had a little trouble getting it off the tile. It wanted to crack apart, until I slid a tissue blade underneath to gently pry it up until I could get a good grip on it. Then, when I tried to cut it, the brittleness/crumbliness made things difficult, too.

It's hard to tell much for certain from photos, but the pictures in the tutorial-- and the fact that in her gallery, she's used this faux opal sheet to cover a slightly curved cabochon shape-- look to me like hers were more rubbery and/or flexible than mine turned out.

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for this, right off-- and there may be even more.

First-- I wasn't using the same type of flakes used in the tutorial. I suppose this might have affected my results in more than just appearance. I have yet another brand of flakes (still not the one used in the tutorial, though) that I can try next time, to see if this makes a difference.

Second-- I wonder if I didn't make my sheet thin enough and/or get my mix right. Too many flakes, not enough liquid clay. Ms. Kato describes the correct consistency as being like oatmeal. Unfortunately (in this one instance, at least), I'm not much of an oatmeal eater, so this was a bit of a guessing game for me. ;o)

The tutorial indicates putting the cured and cut opal sheet on top of a base of regular clay. In this step, you have to choose your clay color with care, because some of the base shows through. Well, with my sheet, you can put it on whatever you like, 'cause ain't nothin' gonna show through that sucker. (To put it elegantly. (g)) This is probably another indication that my proportions weren't right and I didn't smoosh it down thinly enough.

All in all, rather disappointing, though I can still try to use the pieces did manage to cut out. I just was expecting to have so much more control over the shapes I could cut from it. (That was one of the reasons I was so excited by this technique.) I suppose one mustn't expect success on the first try with every technique, and once I get this one "down", I have a few twists I want to put on it.

__________________________

Random bit of nothing:
I daren't be explicit, for fear of inciting "flames". . . and of becoming some milder form of a pariah (though, honestly, some days I already feel like one, in some of these silly groups!). . . but I need a vent for my annoyance, even if it's just a muffled, ambiguous little rant on my own personal blog.

So-- You know how "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"? Well, "a little knowledge" has got nothing on "a (very) little power". And. . . I think that's all I'll dare to write here, after all. I'm moving the rest of what I was going to say to an even less public place than this 'umble 'ittle blog. ;o)

Pullin' out the ol' electric buffer. . .

I haven't used my electric buffer (a bench grinder fitted with buffing wheels) for quite some time. (One of the major benefits of making miniature food is that you don't really have to sand or buff that much.) So when I set it up and switched it on again, I had to remind myself how things worked. I was a little nervous. It didn't take long to get back into the groove, but even "the groove" isn't very groovy, when it comes to buffing. ;o) I love the incredibly glass-like shine you can only get by "power-buffing"-- and I like doing a piece now and then just for the fun of seeing the shine pop up-- but I wouldn't mind passing off the bulk of my sanding and buffing to someone else!

So, now that I've gotten the whining out of the way. . . ;o) . . .you may be wondering what I was buffing.

I started working my way through a small pile of mokume gane beads. I've had these things sitting around for I-don't-know-how-long. I know it's been over a month, maybe two. (They were probably sitting on my clay table for a month before I even got around to curing them!) I used a ripple blade a lot in this batch, as you can see from the rippling pattern in some of them. . . What else? I'm pretty sure this batch didn't have any leaf in it-- just various types of paints. The golden-green must be Dazzling Metallics-- Festive Green-- because I got that as a gift back at Christmas, and I wanted to try it out. As for the other paints, I don't remember which I used. Probably Blue Topaz from the FolkArt line of metallic craft paints. . . and a blue-green from Posh Impressions' Luminous Metallic Inkabilities. Oh, and some of my trusty four-colors-a-dollar glitter. (g)

Some turned out better than others, as usual with mokume gane. Maybe the colors were a bit too similar for maximum impact, but I do tend to like monochromatic and limited color schemes.

I also buffed a few "shell-shaped" beads I made a few weeks ago. Well, I call them "shell-shaped". A couple of them are nautilus-shaped pendants (with the wire bit taken out for the sanding and buffing stage), but the first one just makes me think of spiral seashells.

This is my first attempt at a bead shape I admired in Making Polymer Clay Beads. It's pretty simple to get this shape-- just make a snake that's relatively "fat" in the middle and "skinny" at both ends, then wind it around a skewer or rod to shape it. My technique still needs some work, but I had fun playing around. I used scrap clay-- a mostly opaque pale blue with flecks of aluminum leaf in it and a mostly translucent aqua with lots of glitter in it. (Aqua is one of my favorite colors, these days. It's perfect for summertime, I think, and a fitting color for sea-themed pieces.)



Next, here's one of the nautilus-shaped pendants. Again, I used the aqua-translucent clay with glitter, this time paired with a Skinner blend that goes from aqua to more of a periwinkle blue.


One last photo-- another nautilus pendant. This time, I used the same Skinner blend from above, but I switched the glittered clay out for pearl.


Incidentally, I think this was the first time I made a Skinner blend that I was actually happy with. I think I've only tried it once-- maybe twice-- before. (I know, it's shocking. How can someone have used clay for a couple of years without blending?!) Now that I know how to do it, I'm going to have to give it another try. I'm thinking of peachy-orange and pink-- or sunset pink and purple. . . more beachy colors for seashells. :o)

PolymerCAFÉ -- the summer issue

The latest issue of Polymer Cafe arrived over the weekend, and of course it's been "gone through" several times, by now.

Here are a few things that caught my eye:

Page 10-- the Ranger ad regarding the use of embossing powder with polymer clay. (I have to admit, I like looking at the ads in this particular magazine almost as much as the content, sometimes! As I've said before, I "suffer" from a severe craft supply addiction.) I've been interested in trying out embossing powders with clay for a while, and this ad just puts more fuel on the fire! Clever trick, too, the way they force you to go to their website to find out whether the powders are on or in the clay. (g) I penned in the "answers" in my copy, for future reference.

* * * * *

Inside the front cover-- the ad for Liquid Fimo. It showcases a jewelry design by Karen and Ann Mitchell (the authors of the liquid clay "Bible") and gives the basics on how to achieve similar results. It sounds pretty simple-- just mix the liquid clay with a couple colors of glitter (separately), then spread the tinted clay on a bakeable surface, marble it, bake it, and cut it with paper punches. (You could also use scissors or a craft knife, I'm sure, but if you have the punches, they'd make it even easier.) It's very glitzy, and there's no way I'd ever wear this much glittery stuff all at once-- but scaled down a bit. . . quite pretty! Another thing to keep in mind when I'm playing with the liquid stuff. . .

* * * * *

Page 13-- a clay tip from Dotty McMillan, explaining how she uses eyelets "to enhance those special beads". Fun idea-- especially for bright, playful beads. Wouldn't look right with much of what I'm currently doing, but still something to remember.

* * * * *

Pages 44-47-- Lapel Pin Vase. I'm not really the type to wear a lapel pin vase-- wouldn't like right with my casual tops and jeans!-- but I do like the look of it, and this technique can be applied to anything, really-- especially something flat. It's not that different from some things I've tried before, except for the use of the metal leafing pen instead of actual metal leaf. I'm definitely putting this on my "try it soon" list. (More liquid clay projects!)

* * * * *

Page 48-- "Beaded Extruded Cane Bracelet and Earrings", by Francie Owens. That bracelet is so cute! I love the colors, too. (And it uses an extruded cane-- something I've been wanting to try, now that I have one of those homemade "leverage" thingies to use with the extruder.) I can't really see myself learning the bead weaving part right now-- no time to learn yet another hobby-- but this is one of the few times I've ever felt interested in bead weaving, so good job, Ms. Owens. ;o)

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Page 51-- "In Search of the Perfect Mica Shift", by Velina A. Glass. This is an interesting approach to mica shift. It eliminates the need for making a careful cut to achieve the mica shift effect. Ms. Glass refers back to an article by Arlene Schiek, published in a previous issue of PolymerCAFÉ (Fall 2006, if you're interested). However, she changes something from Ms. Schiek's technique, so it's a bit different. The benefit of this technique-- no persnickety shaving with a tissue blade. Particularly helpful for people who have difficulty making a nice, even slice, or for someone who hates handling those sharp blades. The drawback-- you have to do more sanding. It's definitely a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. You just have to decide which thing you hate worse, shaving or sanding. (g)

Beautiful beads abound. . .

. . . in Carol Blackburn's book, Making Polymer Clay Beads.

(Yes, I'm writing about books again, for the second post in a row. I have a group of subjects I've been meaning to write about for a while, but I'm just getting around to it, now. . .)

I really love this book. If you're polymer-clay-bead-makin' fanatic, you need to see this book. If nothing else, try to get it from a library so you can "test drive" it. But honestly, if you love bead-making and have the spare cash, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you buy it sight unseen.

Some of the things I love about Making Polymer Clay Beads include the following:

• So many techniques!! There are lots and lots of techniques. Many of these techniques will be familiar to more experienced clayers-- but hey, who wouldn't like to have them all tucked away neatly into one concise volume? And they're all adapted for use in bead-making, which is great for us jewelry-makers.
• Gorgeous, colorful photos! And lots of them!
• Step-by-step instructions! With photos to illustrate each process, for the visual learner.
  
• Index! Nice, full index so it's easy to pin-point information. Or you can do like I do and flip through the book to find the desired page, only to be endlessly sidetracked. "Oooh, I'd forgotten about this one! . . .Now, what I was looking for before. . .?" ;o)
  
• Gallery and gallery strips!! In addition to your standard inspirational gallery near the end of the book, nearly every page of this volume has a "gallery strip" along the top, crammed full of extra photos. These are rich with ideas for using the techniques demonstrated on each page-- different ways to work the beads into pieces of jewelry, alternate shapes, colors, etc.
  
• Faux effects! If you're a fan of faux techniques, you'll be happy to hear that there's a whole section dedicated to imitative techniques. Sixteen different techniques covering everything from wood, ivory, and veined marble to abalone, mother-of-pearl, and onyx.
  
• "Bringing It All Together"! The third section of the book focuses on taking your lovely new beads and making something wonderful with them. There's an introduction to findings and stringing materials, as well as a short explanation of how to attach findings. Then there are four pages jam-packed with information on designing with beads, including several aspects of jewelry-design to consider. (Oh, and there are pretty pictures in this section, too.)
  

To sum it up, it's just a great book for people interested in making polymer clay beads-- especially those who want a reference book of techniques. There's one more thing you should know, though: this isn't a project book. True, the techniques are written and illustrated in the step-by-step style, but this isn't a book that starts with a picture of a specific necklace, then takes you through the entire process of making that particular piece of jewelry. Personally, I think this is a good thing, because it leaves room for more techniques, but it's something you might want to take into consideration before deciding if this book's for you.

Books about making miniature food

If you're in the market for a book about miniature food-making, here are a few options you might want to check out. (Follow the links for detailed tables of contents and more information.)

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Making Miniature Food and Market Stalls, by Angie Scarr

This book is one of my latest acquisitions. I enjoy looking through it just for the joy of seeing how polymer clay (and a few other odds and ends) can be magically transformed into miniature food. The projects in this book include fruits, vegetables, cheeses, baked goods, meats, and seafood-- followed by a section on making market stalls and miniature crates for displaying the foods.

Incidentally, Ms. Scarr is British, and a few of her food choices demonstrate that, I think. For instance, there are pork pies, crumpets, hot cross buns, black pudding, and kippers-- all of which I, at least, associate with the UK.

One more note-- I was surprised to find that there's quite a bit of caning in this book. These are very interesting techniques that can be adapted to fit a variety of other foods, too.

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Making Doll's House Miniatures with Polymer Clay, by Sue Heaser

As the title implies, this book focuses on doll's house miniatures-- not just food-- but there are plenty of mini food projects in there, including baked goods, vegetables, fruits, desserts, a roast lamb dinner, and more. This is an ideal choice for someone with an interest in miniature-making in general. Have a doll's house to furnish? Then give this one a look!

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The Polymer Clay Techniques Book, by Sue Heaser

Don't buy this book expecting loads of miniature food lessons, but it's a good choice for beginners or anyone who wants an overview of a large number of techniques-- and there are a few helpful tips for making mini foods. If I remember correctly, there's information about using inclusions and artists' pastels to add realism to miniature food.

Updates to Polymer Clay Web

I'm finally learning how to update Polymer Clay Web all on my own, rather than just working on the copy and waiting until my husband has a chance to build the corresponding pages. (I mean, he is a web designer, but even web designers need a break sometime, right? ;o)) I find that the "new to me" programs I'm using aren't really all that more complicated than the ones I've been using for a few years, which is reassuring. I hope my new gain in computer confidence will lead to a steadier flow of additions and improvements to the page, in the near future. :o)

Speaking of additions, there's a new tutorial up-- Marble Picture Pendants.


The basic idea behind the tutorial isn't very complicated, and even someone completely new to clay should have no trouble with it. (If you do, though, there's a thread in the forum where you can ask for help. Now that I'm going to stop ignoring the forum, that is...) With this method, even those who are too scared of (or confused by) image transfers to attempt them, yet, can take a photo or "found image" and turn it into a little pendant.