Video #224: “For a future tutorial, I would love to see your famous pirate cane… arrrhh!” ~DJ

Ahoy Matey’s!!! Tis finally the hour, t’ be learnin’ me Pirate Cane!

So all ye scallywags who have be beggin’ fer ’tis tutorial can be grog-filled ‘n titulation that ye have finally got what ye asked fer!

OK, so I missed the deadline for getting this tutorial published in time for the official Talk Like A Pirate Day… but at least we made it in time for Halloween (though personally, pirate stuff works for me at anytime of the year).

PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE CINDY when are we going to have a tute on your great PIRATE CANE? These would be just great for Halloween and you DID say you would teach us soon. ~Elaine-F

OOOOOooooo, I second the motion on a Pirate Bead Tutorial!! I’ve been dying to learn Cindy’s technique. I tried it myself and had sooooo much scrap clay by the time I finished. So, *begging nicely* Please, Please, Please Cindy, teach us the Pirate Bead Cane for Halloween. ~Lisa-W

With Halloween just around the corner I was wondering Cindy if you were going to teach us how to do the Pirate crossbones beads like you made for your lanyard? I loved it and would love to know how to do it. You talked about making a tut for it. Please, Please, Please?! Thanks. ~Kerri-C

This Pirate Cane is a signature cane for me. I never have been able to keep anything I’ve made with the pirate cane for very long. You may remember the story from a ways back, of my skull and crossbones beaded lanyard that I used for carrying my YMCA Membership Card… it sold right off my neck when I was taking a class there.

And if you’ve been around the blog for awhile, you may also remember this cool Pirate Beaded Bracelet and this Pirate Hemp Bracelet.

So… coming up tomorrow (Friday October 7th 2011) in the Vol-041-1 members video at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library, I will be showing you how to make all the components of this quirky polymer clay Pirate Cane (Part 1). And in next week’s Part 2 (October 14th 2011), I’ll demonstrate how to put the whole thing together. Ye goin’ lust ’tis scurvy pirate cane!!!

***********************************************************************************************

Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my weekly tutorials is that you have a good understanding of the polymer clay basics, including: conditioning clay, using a pasta machine, clay blade and other simple tools, making Skinner Blends or Teardrop Blends, baking clay, as well as sanding and finishing. If you need help in these areas, my Polymer Clay Beginners Course will get you up to speed quickly. There is also plenty of free information on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page to find articles on specific topics.

Supplies & Tools: Video-041-1 Pirate Cane Part 1:

• Polymer clay in the following colors:
  - 5001 White Premo Sculpey
  - 5042 Black Premo Sculpey
  - 5392 Raw Sienna Premo Sculpey
  
• Pasta Machine
• Acrylic Roller
• Clay Blade
• Ruler
  

Side Note: Not needed for the tutorial, but used in the bracelet that I show in the tute, is a gorgeous Handmade Textured and Patina Copper Clasp made by Melinda Orr of orrtec.etsy.com. If you’re looking for unique findings and metal supplies, do check her site out. Her stuff is gorgeous!

 The full version of the Vol-041-1 Pirate Cane Part 1 video will be posted in the Polymer Clay Members Library on Friday October 7, 2011. But if you would like to see a sneak peek intro clip right now, scroll down the page a bit to the video player below.

Here’s That “Link Below” Referred To at End of the Video
Polymer Clay Tutorials

The full version of the “Pirate Cane” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-041 Back Issue Pckg.

Customer Feedback About Membership Value:

I am always amazed at how you even simplify what on first glance seems to be a simple process. This is why you make the mistakes so I don’t have to… so worth the modest fee of your site. Thanks for so many great tutorials. It’s the high point of my weekend! ~Sue-W

I absolutely agree. I’m a teacher too and I can recognize good teaching. Cindy is the best teacher. I’ve watched a lot of other jewelry videos and read books but it makes a big difference watching Cindy. You can pause the video and actually go along with her. She makes things so simple and easy you simply get encouraged and motivated to try it out . And Doug’s photos are amazing – the clarity and angles. It’s certainly worth every cent and the cost is a real deal. I would encourage anyone to definitely sign on and buy the membership. I have bought the whole collection and I’m so glad I did. ~Cheryl-H

Hi all, I’m a bit of a newbie … so I just purchased some back issues … if there are any other newbies out there – seriously consider doing this – just when I think I know when the video is going Cindy does something completely different than I thought she would and it’s sooo much easier and it’s like – well duh. ~Desiree-J

The following topics are included in this week’s Polymer Clay Tutor Library, Halloween Pirate Cane Part 1 video tutorial:

• See examples of canes, beads and jewelry projects using this super cool Pirate Cane Design.
• Discussion of the tools, supplies and techniques needed to create this intermediate level cane.
• Find out how simple it is to make this cool picture cane, if you just follow the step by step instructions.
• Find out why this is such a forgiving cane, even if this is your first picture cane. With this cane, a little distortion only makes it better!
• Plus, with some creativity and ingenuity, there are many ways to come up with other unique designs of your own.
  

The full version of the “Pirate Cane” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-041 Back Issue Pckg.

***********************************

1: Starlight
2: Golden
3: Pale Gold
4: Buried Brass
5: Monarch

Today’s post is for all the Kato Clay people who follow this blog. Sue Fisher, a valued member from Australia, has provided another one of her original, Kato Polyclay color palettes. This was in called, Royal.

Cindy, I’ve been using lots of metallics recently doing Christine Dumont’s Butterfly Beads along with your Polymer Clay Art Sheet Technique as pictured in this photo. Although I’ve used regular colours too.

The art sheet butterfly beads don’t use my “Royal” Kato Polyclay Palette. They actually don’t have anything to do with it, except for the fact that the butterfly bead shaping techniques have had me using metallics much more than I’ve ever done in the past.

I actually made the art sheet on those butterfly beads back in September so it was a bit difficult to work with, even though I tried to warm it up in my hands and “condition” it by bending it gently. Since the art sheet clay was no longer properly conditioned it tended to crack rather than stretch while I was shaping the beads, which is why the flared ends aren’t as thin as they should be. I still like the overall effect though, and I’ll try it with some new art sheets when I get a chance.

I’ll be using the “Royal” palette on a feature piece once I figure out how on earth I’m going to cure what I have in mind. I’ll also be using it directly on some other beads, and it should be good for your blend and switch technique too.

Listed below are a few of my currently-favoured metallics recipes. The blue and the red are quite luxurious which is why I’ve called the palette Royal. NB: Most of these recipes require Kato Concentrates!

~Sue-F

SF-007-1 Starlight (Metallic)

• 1 part Blue Concentrate (Kato)
• 1 part Red Concentrate (Kato)
• 2 parts Pearl (Kato)
  

SF-007-2 Golden (Metallic)

• 6 parts Gold (Kato)
• 1 part Green (Kato)
• 4 parts Yellow Concentrate (Kato)
• 12 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-007-3 Pale Gold (Metallic)

• 1 part Gold (Kato)
• 3 parts Yellow Concentrate (Kato)
• 1 part Silver (Kato)
• 24 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-007-4 Buried Brass (Metallic)

• 5 parts Gold (Kato)
• 1 part Turquoise (Kato)
• 5 parts Yellow (Kato)
• 2 parts Black (Kato)
• 6 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-007-5 Monarch (Metallic)

• 20 parts Red Concentrate (Kato)
• 5 parts Gold (Kato)
• 1 part Black (Kato)
• 26 parts Translucent (Kato)
  

To download a blank recipe card that can be duplicated and used for keeping your collection organized, click on the following link: Polymer Clay Recipe Card

If you like receiving these Kato color recipes, be sure to let Sue know in the comments section below. It takes a lot of time and energy to create polymer clay color palettes. So I would like to say thank you very much Sue, for sharing your work with everyone.

***********************************

1: Coffee Bean
2: Solitude
3: Blue Black
4: Slate Blue
5: Parchment

Today’s post is for all the Kato Clay people who follow this blog. Sue Fisher, a valued member from Australia, has provided another one of her original, Kato Polyclay color palettes. This was in called, Harbourview Highrise.

When I sent the Seaside Cottage palette to you last year I mentioned that I had a city-contemporary version of it as well. It’s higher contrast, bluer, and less saturated than the beach-ey version, and I’ve called it Harbourview Highrise to stick with the same naming theme.

This set of colour chips was rather hard to photograph… if colours 1 and 3 both look black they’re actually a very dark brown and a very dark blue!

~Sue-F

SF-006-1 Coffee Bean

• 8 parts Brown (Kato)
• 2 parts Violet (Kato)
• 1 part Red (Kato)
• 7 parts Black (Kato)
  

SF-006-2 Solitude

• 4 parts Blue (Kato)
• 1 part Black (Kato)
• 44 parts White (Kato)

SF-006-3 Blue Black

• 4 parts Blue (Kato)
• 1 part Violet (Kato)
• 2 parts Black (Kato)

SF-006-4 Slate Blue

• 4 parts Blue (Kato)
• 1 part Violet (Kato)
• 1 part Black (Kato)
• 2 parts White (Kato)

SF-006-5 Parchment

• 9 parts Brown (Kato)
• 1 part Yellow (Kato)
• 1 part Black (Kato)
• 44 parts White (Kato)
  

To download a blank recipe card that can be duplicated and used for keeping your collection organized, click on the following link: Polymer Clay Recipe Card

If you like receiving these Kato color recipes, be sure to let Sue know in the comments section below. It takes a lot of time and energy to create polymer clay color palettes. So I would like to say thank you very much Sue, for sharing your work with everyone.

***********************************

1: Espresso
2: Baby Blue
3: Tropical Lagoon
4: Robin’s Egg
5: Chamois

Today’s post is for all the Kato Clay people who follow this blog. Sue Fisher, a valued member from Australia, has provided another one of her original, Kato Polyclay color palettes. She calls this one,  Seaside Cottage.

Here’s another original Kato colour palette for you. I called it Seaside Cottage because it reminds me of a whole raft of similar colour schemes I’ve often seen in coastal properties. This is the beach-ey version… I also have a city-contemporary version which I’ll send along later as another palette. ~Sue-F

SF-004-1 Espresso

• 1 part Brown (Kato)
  
• 4 parts Orange (Kato)
  
• 1 part Blue (Kato)

SF-004-2 Baby Blue

• 1/2 part Blue (Kato)
  
• 1/4 part Turquoise (Kato)
  
• 12 parts White (Kato)
  

SF-004-3 Tropical Lagoon

• 5 parts Blue (Kato)
  
• 1 part Turquoise (Kato)
  
• 3 parts Green (Kato)
  
• 1 part White (Kato)
  

SF-004-4 Robin’s Egg

• 5 parts Turquoise (Kato)
  
• 1 part Green (Kato)
  
• 9 parts White (Kato)
  

SF-004-5 Chamois

• 4 parts Brown (Kato)
  
• 3 parts Yellow (Kato)
  
• 18 parts White (Kato)

To download a blank recipe card that can be duplicated and used for keeping your collection organized, click on the following link: Polymer Clay Recipe Card

If you like receiving these Kato color recipes, be sure to let Sue know in the comments section below. It takes a lot of time and energy to create polymer clay color palettes. So I would like to say thank you very much Sue, for sharing your work with everyone.

***********************************

1: Scarlet Satin (Pearl)
2: Basically Brass (Mtl)
3: Indigo Ice (Pearl)
4: Persian Green (Pearl)
5: Bronze (Metallic)

Today’s post is for all the Kato Clayer’s that read this blog. Sue Fisher, who lives in Australia, has sent in another one of her Kato Polyclay color palettes. She calls this one, Rich Metallics.

Here’s another original Kato colour palette for you, called Rich Metallics. I wanted to use pearlised or metallic colours this time to tie in with your recent Blend and Switch technique, but I had a hard time avoiding colours with Kato concentrates! In the end I chose a palette with one colour that needs them.

The red in this palette cannot be mixed as a pearlised colour in Kato without the use of Red Concentrate, so if anyone who doesn’t have Red Concentrate wants to use a red with the other colours I’d suggest plain Red straight out of the packet. It will be very close to the intended colour, just not pearlescent. The other four colours are mixed with ordinary Kato and look nice on their own too, so another option is to drop the red for a four-colour palette that is more sophisticated but less bold. (The best option is to get the concentrates, however… they are wonderful!)

~Sue-F

SF-003-1 Scarlet Satin (Pearl)

• 1 part Red Concentrate (Kato)
  
• 2 parts Orange (Kato)
  
• 1 part Pearl (Kato)

SF-003-2 Basically Brass (Metallic)

• 5 parts Gold (Kato)
• 1 part Turquoise (Kato)
  
• 2 parts Black (Kato)
  
• 6 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-003-3 Indigo Ice (Pearl)

• 2 parts Blue (Kato)
• 8 parts Violet (Kato)
• 5 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-003-4 Persian Green (Pearl)

• 2 parts Turqoise (Kato)
• 1 part Green (Kato)
• 2 parts Pearl (Kato)

SF-003-5 Bronze (Metallic)

• 1 part Gold (Kato)
• 2 parts Black (Kato)

To download a blank recipe card that can be duplicated and used for keeping your collection organized, click on the following link: Polymer Clay Recipe Card

If you like receiving these Kato color recipes, be sure to let Sue know in the comments section below. It takes a lot of time and energy to create polymer clay color palettes. So I would like to say thank you very much Sue ,for sharing your work with everyone.

***********************************

“She went into the
hospital on 13th June
for an operation on her
neck which should have
been over in 4 days,
but…” ~Penny-V

This is not a post about polymer clay. It is about a friend who very much needs us right now. Those who have been around the community for a while… know her as Ritzs.

After reading today’s sad news, please take a few moments to show you care… by sharing in the comments section at the end of this post. Your thoughts, stories, inspiration, blessings and prayers, will be printed out and given to our dearest Ritzs, and her supportive husband John.

Here is what happened…

Cindy – you put on your blog that you were concerned about Ritz. I emailed her and got a brief reply from her husband today. It seems she went into the hospital on 13th June for an operation on her neck which should have been over in 4 days, but it went wrong and paralyzed her and she is still in hospital in a therapy unit and will be there until at least October. It seems she has no use in her right arm (and she is right handed) and has very little use in her right leg, and is exceptionally weak. She is permanently in a wheel chair.

When I rang John, her husband, I discovered that he is not really computer literate – he reads through her emails to see if there is anything important and sent me a one liner. I think it would be rather good if you published this news on your blog (and incidentally I did ask for his permission) and if we get lots of greetings for her, that I lift them, and put them into a document so they could be sent to him to print off to take to her.  She is in hospital in Cardiff which is almost 100 miles from where he lives (in Wales, where I live too, there are very few hospitals and that, for Britain, is a very long way to travel). What do you think?

~Penny Vingoe (ClayAround, UK)

Penny – Thank you very much for reaching out like this. It is so sad to hear about the complications that happened with Ritz’s surgery. I agree… this definitely definitely needs to be posted. I’ll make it a priority.

~Cindy Lietz

Here are a few links to where Ritzs has shared some of her thoughts, insights and photos here at the blog…

August  21, 2009: Makins Extruder, Modified Handle

August 30, 2009:  Lazuli and Malachite Beads

September 25, 2009: Dogwood Flower Cane

October 7, 2009: Copper Wire Jewelry Findings

October 24, 2009: Chandelier Wire Work

November 29, 2009: Mica Shift Jewelry

March 19, 2010: Swirling Left Over Mica Shift Clay

March 29, 2010: Cracking Beads

Jun 13, 2010: Surgery Scheduled for Wednesday

I have to admit I am not looking forward to the surgery. As you said, Kat, one hears so many things but I am  a very determined character and if half the pain is taken away at the end of it that will make it all worth it. I think the cause of it was 45 years of machine knitting also heavy lifting as we have a small holding, alas no animals anymore. We just got to old to do it. Now its all leisure LOL. I will at least be able to look forward to all the video’s etc I feel like you are all my extended family. It’s wonderful! ~Ritzs

If you want to read more about Ritzs, just type her name into the search box. She has over 15 pages of links to click on.

And… please do take a few moments to write some words of support and encouragement in the comments section below. Your thoughts, stories, inspiration, blessings and prayers, will be printed out and given to our dearest Ritzs, and her husband John. Thank you so much for doing this. It is important!

We all love you VERY MUCH Ritzs!!!!

“My only
problem is that
the PearlEx powder is
coming off some of my
beads even with the glaze
on them.” ~Mary-G

These “Spot” features are for you guys to display your accomplishments, share stories of inspiration and even ask for assistance with challenges that you may be experiencing. The projects are based on techniques learned from articles here at the blog, as well as from tutorials at the Polymer Clay Video Library. My hope is for these “Show and Tell” features to help everyone get to know each other a bit better, thanks to this wonderfully artistic medium of polymer clay. And… by participating, you can win some beads too!

	Hi Cindy, I’ve attached some of my newest projects – 4  bracelets. I made the beads using the Amaco tri-bead roller. The grey bead bracelet is one of my favorites. I wanted them to resemble grey pearls. I made over 80 beads so that I could make a necklace and bracelet. I used white clay and then I dipped the beads into a baggie with PearlEx silver powder. After they baked I used “Diamond Glaze” to finish them off. My only problem is that the PearlEx powder is coming off some of my beads even with the glaze on them. I needed to use a bead reamer on a few and it chipped the grey right off the area where the bead holes were. Any suggestions? Would adding the powder to the treated clay and then blending the clay and powder together be a better method? Out of the over 80 beads I’ve made, at least half of them are chipped, or the grey powder is rubbed off. Also, is there any way I can salvage them? Thank you for all your much appreciated help. ~Mary-G

If you are interested in sharing pictures of your polymer clay projects with the community, please follow these 2 simple steps:

1) Email several of your photos to me as attachments. My email address is shown in the “From” line of the weekly Polymer Clay Newsletter that gets sent out each and every Friday morning.

2) Include a description and/or story about your pieces, being sure to reference the tutorial(s) or blog article(s) that provided at least some level of inspiration for your work.

Don’t be shy. Everyone is VERY friendly here.

In the comment section below, please do compliment each other; Offer encouragement; Ask questions about the techniques used; And in general… be social. This is your community! It’s up to you to make it a fun and supportive place to hang out. All of you are amazing and it’s wonderful to have everyone here!

With clay, you have so much… creative freedom to pick up on colors and shapes and experiment with them. You don’t have to reproduce things exactly how you see them. And sometimes there are exciting results to those experiments! ~Linda-K

One would think anything would work with pearl / silver / white / black, but you would be surprised at how many of my colour combinations that seemed logical have ended up looking like mud or baby poo! ~Suzanne-C

“Just sold 3 pairs
of those Faux Jade
rose leaf earrings shortly
after posting them on
Facebook. I am so excited
right now!” ~Brenda-M

These “Spot” features are for you guys to display your accomplishments, share stories of inspiration and even ask for assistance with challenges that you may be experiencing. The projects are based on techniques learned from articles here at the blog, as well as from tutorials at the Polymer Clay Video Library. My hope is for these “Show and Tell” features to help everyone get to know each other a bit better, thanks to this wonderfully artistic medium of polymer clay. And… by participating, you can win some beads too!

	Hi Cindy, Here are pictures of the rose leaf earrings I made after watching your Faux Jade Vol-023-2 video tutorial. I absolutely love Jade! My husband bought me a green Jade ring for Christmas this past year. I had purchased some Rose Leaf Embossing Cutters from Michaels. I used it make the earrings,  Which are quite nice. They turned out a little dark. I didn’t have the exact shades of green that you did in your tutorial.The bird I made using the Makin cutters. More of a traditional type pendant. Now I can make some jewelry to match my ring. :) I have also included some pics of my Ivy Leaf Charms based on your Vol-024-1 video tutorial. on Mothers Day while visiting my Mother In-law, I noticed that she had Ivy vines in her flower garden “Yippy” I was in heaven. She allowed me to pick some leaves. I got to work as soon as I got home. Cranked up my eighties music and made me some Ivy Leaves. I really love how they turned out. I just could not figure out what to use them on. So I attached them to some jars that I had for decor in my kitchen :) ~Brenda M PS: I just sold 3 pairs of those Faux Jade rose leaf earrings shortly after posting them on Facebook. Thank you for all that you teach us. I am so excited right now!

If you are interested in sharing pictures of your polymer clay projects with the community, please follow these 2 simple steps:

1) Email several of your photos to me as attachments. My email address is shown in the “From” line of the weekly Polymer Clay Newsletter that gets sent out each and every Friday morning.

2) Include a description and/or story about your pieces, being sure to reference the tutorial(s) or blog article(s) that provided at least some level of inspiration for your work.

Don’t be shy. Everyone is VERY friendly here.

In the comment section below, please do compliment each other; Offer encouragement; Ask questions about the techniques used; And in general… be social. This is your community! It’s up to you to make it a fun and supportive place to hang out. All of you are amazing and it’s wonderful to have everyone here!

I feel that everyday here at your Polymer Clay Tutor site, I get closer to my claying friends. Starting to remember names and faces… man wouldn’t it be nice if we all lived closer? So that we could give each other big bear hugs. ~Brenda-M

“Polymer clay
has become a
passion – an addiction.
Never before have I been so
engrossed in a craft.”
~Hanne-R

These “Spot” features are for you guys to display your accomplishments, share stories of inspiration and even ask for assistance with challenges that you may be experiencing. The projects are based on techniques learned from articles here at the blog, as well as from tutorials at the Polymer Clay Video Library. My hope is for these “Show and Tell” features to help everyone get to know each other a bit better, thanks to this wonderfully artistic medium of polymer clay. And… by participating, you can win some beads too!

	Cindy, I am from Denmark and discovered polymer clay last summer. I’ve always loved colors and wanted to create something, but I didn’t know what. I tried sewing, knitting, painting – it was fun but not quite it. Polymer clay has become a passion – an addiction. Never before have I been so engrossed in a craft. Then your Puffy Bead video arrived and fired my imagination even further! The gold ones are mica shift and as you can see I used the shavings inside on the black background. The green one with a stone is Cernit Glamour – polished with some great pads I found recently. Sanding and buffing really turned me off, but the pads make it so much easier! The white and green hearts: the gold is acrylic paint painted on a plastic bag, where it separates into fascinating shapes which I transfer to the unbaked clay and smooth down. The white pendant with the 3 stones is stamped with a mixture of Lumiere metallic paints from Jacquard. Thank you for all your inspiration! Now, I always look forward to your Friday videos!! ~Hanne-R

If you are interested in sharing pictures of your polymer clay projects with the community, please follow these 2 simple steps:

1) Email several of your photos to me as attachments. My email address is shown in the “From” line of the weekly Polymer Clay Newsletter that gets sent out each and every Friday morning.

2) Include a description and/or story about your pieces, being sure to reference the tutorial(s) or blog article(s) that provided at least some level of inspiration for your work.

Don’t be shy. Everyone is VERY friendly here.

In the comment section below, please do compliment each other; Offer encouragement; Ask questions about the techniques used; And in general… be social. This is your community! It’s up to you to make it a fun and supportive place to hang out. All of you are amazing and it’s wonderful to have everyone here!

I used to look forward to Fridays for payday now I look forward to Fridays for clay day. ~Sandy-T

“The tip on creating
a beveled edge using
plastic wrap has made my
mirror tiles look so much
more finished.”
~Marsha-G

These “Spot” features are for you guys to display your accomplishments, share stories of inspiration and even ask for assistance with challenges that you may be experiencing. The projects are based on techniques learned from articles here at the blog, as well as from tutorials at the Polymer Clay Video Library. My hope is for these “Show and Tell” features to help everyone get to know each other a bit better, thanks to this wonderfully artistic medium of polymer clay. And… by participating, you can win some beads too!

	Cindy, Here are some pictures of the mirror tiles I’ve been working on. The close up photos show gold foil applied onto black clay. I then used acrylic paint and painted different colors onto the foil in random patterns. Then I rolled the clay to create a crackling of the foil. The tile shapes are created with cutters I made myself, using metal stripping. I finished with Varathane gloss. I used Weldbond to glue to the glass, which I scored a little first with rough sand paper to aid in adhering. I used 3 metal mirror brackets which are hidden when the mirror is hung. Two around the bottom and one on the top of the mirror. I carved out a little space for them in the tiles so they could slide in when hung. Your “Polymer Clay Bead Making for Beginners” video course has helped a lot. I absolutely love it and have picked up so many tips. I had made about half a dozen different types of necklaces and earrings mostly learning from books and drawing on past pottery, jewelry making and sculpture experience. Your videos have been such a help in conditioning the clay properly, mixing colors, sanding and finishing, using scrap clay, etc. Each one has taught me something that I may not have learned on my own for some time. The tip on creating a beveled edge using plastic wrap has made my mirror tiles look so much more finished. Who knows if I’d have ever discovered that technique on my own. I like the length of each video. The short segments are easy to go through and at my convenience. Thanks for your warm, relaxed style of communicating and detailed instruction.  I also appreciate your encouragement to experiment endlessly and find your own techniques. This is so important and is where the real adventure is found in any creative experience. The course has very much enhanced my enjoyment in working with polymer clay. As far as improving it? There are endless techniques you could include, but I think this has great content and is just right for someone at the beginning stage of working in this medium. It covers the basics very well. I’m so glad I found your site. I have begun a collection of books that are very helpful and instructive, but it’s great to have a site to go to for more in-depth instruction. Thanks Cindy. ~Marsha-G

If you are interested in sharing pictures of your polymer clay projects with the community, please follow these 2 simple steps:

1) Email several of your photos to me as attachments. My email address is shown in the “From” line of the weekly Polymer Clay Newsletter that gets sent out each and every Friday morning.

2) Include a description and/or story about your pieces, being sure to reference the tutorial(s) or blog article(s) that provided at least some level of inspiration for your work.

Don’t be shy. Everyone is VERY friendly here.

In the comment section below, please do compliment each other; Offer encouragement; Ask questions about the techniques used; And in general… be social. This is your community! It’s up to you to make it a fun and supportive place to hang out. All of you are amazing and it’s wonderful to have everyone here!

Most of my inspiration comes from everything / anything around me. I adore the fact that polymer is the medium that it is. My family groans when I get that look, and when I break out the purse note pad to start sketching and jotting away. ^.^ Poor babies. ~Denise-D