These beads look like the composite or faceted eyes that some insects have. The use of mica powders gives the whole piece a nice shine and colour variation. Andrea Machler, the author, refers to the mesh she uses as tulle … Read More ...
Tutorial: Mediterranean Landscape Cane
Almost all of the polymer clay work I do involves canes – canes to make beads, to decorate bowls with, to add to sculpted pieces. Some of those are simple canes and some are more complex. One type I’ve done … Read More ...
Tutorial: Tiger Skin Cane
Here’s a picture tutorial for a tiger skin cane (what got used to make the nifty beads pictured above I’m betting). Animal skin patterns are often fairly straightforward canes to make and are forgiving of reducing and asymmetry. Tiger and … Read More ...
Tutorial: Polymer Clay Rose Cane
Rose canes are one of those canes I make absolute scads of. I usually use a slight variation on the tru-leigh rose and it works well for me. This one is a more tightly wound rose that would look lovely … Read More ...
Tutorial: Making Roses
When I teach classes for new clayers I always do a variant on this rose to give people confidence. You can make a great little rose bead in moments and if you hate it, squish and try again. Most people … Read More ...
Tutorial: Antiqued Buttons
This tutorial makes a nice, subtle button – you could get a totally different effect with a bright coloured clay and a white wash – to match your sewing project.… Read More ...
Technique: Waterslide Transfers
This is a how-to for a specific product- in this case Using Lisa Pavelka’s Waterslide Transfers – but the concept is good. Transfers are one of those Great Big Fun concepts in clay and for straightforward no fail stuff… I … Read More ...
Making Molds Experiment
Here’s a quick run through of how to use an easily available product – Amazing Mold Putty which I’ve bought at Michael’s I believe – to make quick, useful molds.
Minor issues with your pulls can be teased into … Read More ...
Mokume Gane Experiments
I love seeing what folks are trying out in clay and even seeing what folks are doing with tried and true techniques. Somehow I find almost everyone puts their very own spin on the work they do, whether they intended … Read More ...
Tutorial: Covered Flatware
Here’s a simple tutorial for covering flatware and little household items. The author covers how to make the canes, the pattern sheet to use and some steps on how to bake it. I would probably just bake this nestled in … Read More ...
Tutorial: Polymer Clay Pens
There are pretty much as many ways of covering pens with clay as there are pens out there. I usually create sheets, cover the pen barrel and gently repair the edge or add tiny slices to obscure it. The method … Read More ...
Tutorial: Jellyfish Making
This project isn’t for the faint of clay-heart but it makes these great, ethereal jellyfish. The tutorial appears step by step on Agnes’ Flickr photostream beginning here and proceeding a series of photos in the stream. You have the chance … Read More ...
The Art of Color Polymer Clay Bootcamp
Heather Powers – who makes luscious beads over at Humblebeads and used to be the editor for this here blog – has an online class coming. It’s called the Art of Color and it will be a bit of a … Read More ...
Tutorial: Stamped Clay
Clay goes so well with all sorts of other tools including stamps, inks, paints and powders and it’s fun to see what crafters from other mediums do with them and clay. Chrystel pulls out a little of her stash of … Read More ...
Tutorial: Inside Outside Pressed Flower Beads
Using molds creatively is a great addition for your polymer clay toolbox. Rebecca, who makes fabulous beads, shares how she uses a mold to make both the innie and the outie of a bead… and then combines them to form … Read More ...