Are You All Snowed In? Why Not Take Some Time To Play With Your Clay.

Look at it out there! The photo is of my backyard. I've never seen snow pile up like this out here on the Canadian West Coast… and then last for weeks on end.

Although it's not such a great idea to venture out onto the roads right now, it is an excellent time to hunker down inside with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and a table full of Fimo or Premo Sculpey clay!

Our usual snow fall in the Vancouver area is a light dusting early in November, followed by rain. Then a heavy snowfall in January that is just enough to cause chaos for our inexperienced winter drivers. But this year is something different!

Instead of the white stuff falling one day and the rain washing it away the next. This snow keeps falling and stays there. I have shoveled the driveway more times in the last week or two than I probably did in several of the last few years all combined. It's warmed up only enough to get a bit mushy and then freeze solid again… which can make shoveling difficult.

Oh well… it is very pretty. And since my husband and I both work from home, we don't have to worry about driving too much.

I find that this type of weather makes you turn your thoughts inward. The Christmas tree has now been taken down; The stockings are put away; And you have given your family all that you can give them.

It is now time to think about yourself and what makes you happy. Time to look forward. To rejuvenate and let your creativity sing!

What would you like to make this year? What new technique have you been dying to try? And what kinds of things could you do to feel more organized in your space?

Now that I'm basically 'snowed in', I'm working on new video courses, fresh techniques and fun ideas to get more balance in my life. If you haven't yet read the article where I posted my new years resolutions, here's a link: Polymer Clay Tutor 2009 Projects

So does January bring the same feelings for you? Or is it completely different? I wonder what happens in places like Australia, South America and South Africa… where it's actually summertime right now. Please do share your stories and insights below from whatever part of the world you live in.

Featuring Cool Adirondack Ink From Tim Holtz and Ranger:

Did you get any new craft supplies for Christmas? I sure did and one of my stocking stuffers was a 3 Pack of Tim Holtz' Adirondack Alcohol Ink. The set I received is called 'Nature Walk' and includes the colors Wild Plum, Butterscotch and Stream (See Photo). Tim Holtz from Ranger is one of my favorite crafter's out there. He has the coolest line of products!

Here is an Amazon link if you want to check out his inks:
3Pack-NatureWalk-WildPlum-Butterscotch-Stream

I have been 'dyeing' (hehehe) to get my hands on some 'real' alcohol ink because my homemade alcohol ink recipes are just not strong enough for some of the techniques I have been wanting to try out.

One of the things I really love about working with polymer clay is the crossovers it has between many of the different craft media's.

Scrapbooking supplies such as alcohol inks, pigment inks, embossing powders, rubber stamps, glitters, punches, embossing plates, eyelets, brads, stencils, powdered pigments, papers and much, much more, can all be used with polymer clay!

And it isn't just scrapbooking that is compatible with polymer clay. There is also painting, screen printing, woodworking, beadwork (of course), wire working, sewing, knitting (buttons and beads), jewelry making, collage, mosaics, mold making, sculpting, dollhouse miniatures, dried flowers rosary making, and on and on!

So if you like to work in any of these media's, you may want to consider adding polymer clay to your craft supplies inventory! Or if you are already working with polymer clay, you should consider combining it with some of other things listed above. Polymer clay is the mixed media artist's dream!

It is a new year! And with every new year comes new possibilities. One of my 2009 goals is to come up with some creative ideas for using alcohol inks in my polymer clay bead making techniques! Ooooh the possibilities!!

Do you use Tim Holtz' Adirondack Alcohol Inks with your polymer clay projects? If so, feel free to share your tips and stories below. I would love to hear them.

Mod Canes; Retro Canes; Dot Canes; Lazy Woman's Mokume Gane… All Different Names for the Same Cool Cane!

From the research I've done, it appears that Nan Roche was the first polymer clayer to make the mod cane… though I think she called it an extruded mosaic cane. Since Nan's original work, there have been many different clay artists making this cane and giving it their own unique twist on the name and design. I've heard them called Retro Canes, Dot Canes, Mod Canes and even Lazy Woman's Mokume Gane. So you will have to choose which one you like best.

I love this particular cane design because you can create hundreds of unique combinations from the same technique, just by changing the colors. What could be more fun than that!

The extruded mod or "modern" cane is built using a polymer clay extruder such as the Makins Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder. The clay is loaded into the barrel in sections of different colors, like a wide striped snake.

Depending on the thickness of the stripes, the results of the extruded log will vary. But the color of the clay closest to the disk will always wrap around the outside of the other colors until it runs out. This wrapping effect leads to many cool cane possibilities!

Making a Clay Extruder Mod Cane is a cool way to create a simple polymer clay cane with one of your color pallets. For example, say you're making a set of beads using my Winter Polymer Clay Color Palette (Snowy Mountains). You can build a Mod Cane to make jewelry beads that are individually unique in design, but that also all flow together color wise.

If you would like your mod cane to have dark outlines, you would make a clay snake the size of your extruder barrel with stripes of the colors  'Craggy Mountain', 'Winter Sky', 'Snow Banks' and finally 'Deep Pine'. Making sure the 'Deep Pine' was the color at the end closest to the extruder die.

Use a medium to large round die (though you can use any shape for a different effect), and squeeze a long log of clay from the extruder until all the clay is used.

Depending on how thick you made that dark stripe by the die, most of the log will look dark on the outside. As you cut into the log the different colors you used will show in rings… like bulls eye canes.

These rings change a little as you go down the cane. Cut the long snake into equal sized logs and stack into a block or square cane like you see in the picture above. The cool thing about making a cane like this is how different each slice of the cane looks because each log is changing as you go down the length.

To get a Mokume Gane effect you can slice this cane at a severe angle so the rings are more oval in shape. Using marbled scrap clay can also be effective with this technique.

The Clay Extruder Mod Cane is one of the polymer clay cane courses slated for filming. So that I can gage your level of interest in this mod cane project, please do let me know in the comments section below.

Credit to Valerie Aharoni For Sharing This Cool Photo Transfer Technique:

As you may already know, I am a big fan of polymer clay techniques that are inexpensive, easy to do and that use supplies which are commonly available. That is why I like the toner method for transferring images onto polymer clay. This toner transfer technique allows you to use images from a laser printer/copier on regular paper. If done properly, you can have great success doing polymer clay image transfers cheaply and easily.

Well just the other day, I discovered another photo transfer technique as presented by polymer clay artist Valerie Aharoni. At her blog, she describes how to use kitchen parchment paper instead of copy paper. Very interesting! Her technique works with both laser printers AND ink jet printers. This is very exciting to me since inkjet printers are much more common than laser printers… at least in the home environment.

As it turns out, some people were attempting to use freezer paper for transfers. The theory being that since freezer paper has a waxy side, the ink would not stick as well to the paper, and it would therefore transfer more easily to the clay. The problem is that the ink beads up on the waxy layer, which can cause images to blur or become fuzzy.

From what I read, it looks like Valerie solved the ink beading problem by using parchment paper as a less waxy alternative to the freezer paper. And her idea worked with every type of printer she tested… laser and inkjet. Plus she found the technique to work with both water based ink as well as with water proof inks. Way to go Valerie!!!

What a break through! Imagine… no more running to the copy store for Xerox copies. No more borrowing your friends printer. No more ordering special papers on the internet!

Go check out Valerie Aharoni's site. She has pictures of parchment paper image transfers to polymer clay using an inkjet printer. She also has an earlier December 18th post that shows samples of using laser copies and how she came up with the technique. Leave her a comment and please do tell her I sent you.

Also give it a try yourself and come back here to let me know how it worked for you. I am so excited to try it myself…  problem is I used up all my parchment paper baking for the holidays. Looks like I'm going to have to do a Costco run for another mega-roll of parchment for the studio. Stay tuned… I'll post more about this new image transfer technique soon.

Happy New Year! Another Silly Episode From The Polymer Clay Tutor:

Everyone learns differently. Some like books. Some prefer classes. Video is great… even if you forget your glasses. As you can see, rhyming is fun. So hang onto your hat. This post has just begun.

Learning Through Poetry - A Beads And Beading Diddy
by Cindy Lietz

The one thing you'll find,
Making polymer clay beads,
Is their incredible ability,
To suit all your needs.

Whether big beads or small.
Or dainty or chunky.
Or maybe some charms,
That are shaped like a monkey!

Premo, or Fimo,
Or even Sculpey III,
Will have you claying
and beading with glee!

So many techniques,
You can learn with your clay.
Lentils and Canework,
Mokume "Gah-nay".

Why settle for ordinary,
Jewelry at best?
When you can add Artbeads!
Stand out from the rest.

So learn to make beads,
With the PolyClay Tutor.
Besides… she writes poems,
Could she be any cuter?! (Sorry couldn't resist!)

May your New Year be filled with silly poems, happiness, and of course polymer clay!!

It's Going To Be A Great Year For Polymer Clay… Even If There Is A Recession!

I've never really committed to formal New Years Resolutions before. Always just had a vague, good intention sort of approach to the whole idea. But since I've been writing regular blog posts, I find myself putting more things in writing these days. And that's a good thing because it holds you accountable to your promises.

While sitting down to write something for the last post of the year, I thought to myself… "What do I want for my business and my personal life for 2009? What went right this last year and what should be improved on for next year? Maybe if I post about it, I would have a better chance of achieving it." So here goes…

Polymer Clay Tutor New Years Resolutions:
2009 Business:

• Specifically for the Polymer Clay Tutor Members Library, I will continue to add 4 new weekly tutorial videos and 8 new color mixing recipes per month. You may have already noticed that the most recent Volume-007 tutorial videos have been getting longer and going into more detail on specific techniques. You can definitely expect more of this format and style for future tutorials.
• Continue to develop the absolute best online support resource for beginner and intermediate polymer clayers. A place where you know you can come for trustable information all in one place, in a friendly and caring community environment. My goal is to always be there for you when you need help.
• Continue to write one new blog post every day, adding as much value and tips as I possibly can to bring the total number of posts up to 674 by the end of 2009. Wow that's a lot of content. If you have topics you want covered, you know what to do… leave me a comment to let me know.
• Release 1 new full course per month. This was the original plan, but figuring out how to set up a membership site took more time, effort and money than anticipated. So getting the courses filmed was delayed a bit. Sorry about that.
• Start a free audio podcast so that I can connect with all of you on a more personal level. Just think, you will soon be able to listen and learn from me on your iPod… when you are having your morning coffee, walking the kids to school or just out doing errands.
• Make up more finished jewelry to have on hand. If I take the beads and findings I have and make something new everyday (even while watching TV), several good things will come out of it:
  

  Using up extra supplies. More items to photograph and share on the blog. Inventory will build up for direct local sales and possibly an Etsy store. Become more skilled at designing and producing product. Practice makes perfect. Bring in extra income so I can write about how you can make money from your projects too.

• Book 2 or 3 Craft/Jewelry Fairs. I know they are not the best way to make money if you sink too much time getting prepped for them. But if there is inventory already made they can be worth doing… especially when you figure some cool jewelry niche marketing angles.
• Add a section to the members library for uploading and discussing polymer clay project photos [the link will take you to a recent discussion about possibilities of a "What-Was-I-Thinking" or "What-Went-Wrong" section for the photo gallery].
• Add another section to the library for uploading videos from other experts and teachers so that you can learn from more than just me. This idea fits in nicely with the second bullet point above… about building the best online support resource for beginner and intermediate polymer clayers. I think having everything all in one place would be helpful for many of you. It would save a lot of time searching all over the internet for answers and then having to determine whether to trust the information or not.
• Improve skills in polymer clay techniques, bead making, jewelry making, photographing beads, writing posts, filming… more close ups so you can see the details better… and less pointing at things with my middle finger ;-}. Please know that my often unorthodox finger pointing style is never meant to offend. Really it's not!
• Become more efficient so I don't have to work so many hours. Burning out is just not an option so at some point soon I will need to hire some assistants. Can't wait for this!
• Continue connecting and building friendships in the polymer clay industry as well as branching out to jewelry making, crafting, scrapbooking and wire working industries.

Cindy Lietz New Years Resolutions:
2009 Personal:

• Continue to exercise and eat healthier. I am seeing the results of this last years' effort having lost 20 pounds and experiencing way less back issues. I look forward to even more improved health.
• Spend more time relaxing with my kids and husband. Would like to go camping at least twice next summer for more than just three days. Also would like to take more weekends off completely.
• Connect better with my friends. Email the long distant ones every month and walk with my local friends and our kids to school every day.
• Make time for getting the yard work and house renovations on track. This bullet is a whole 'nother article on it's own… but I won't bore you with the details. I'm sure you have your own list of personal resolutions that are a lot more important to you than mine are :)

That's a pretty big to-do list I know. But now that it's written it out and publicized, I know the chances of getting everything accomplished are far greater. Happy New Year to all of you and may all of your resolutions work for you too! Thanks so much for being part of the Beads and Beading community.

If you have any New Years Resolutions or well wishes you would like to share, please leave a comment below! I love all of your comments!!!

There's Definitely More Than One Way To Bake a Polymer Clay Bead:

When it comes to baking your polymer clay beads and pendants, there are many different "heat-safe" surfaces you can bake on. Getting creative with these baking surfaces can add texture and/or form to your pieces.

For example, in the photo above you can see a cupped cane slice bead placed on an old incandescent light bulb. The bulb is stabilized on a bed of cornstarch in a container that can be placed into your your polymer clay oven or toaster oven for baking.

To see an example of a jewelry pendant made using this unique, light bulb baking technique, click here: Silverware Jewelry Flower Pendant

Other Baking Surfaces To Try Out:

• smooth ceramic tile
• textured ceramic tile
• different light bulb shapes
• glass and metal marbles
• silicone and metal chocolate forms and molds
• textured card stock
• bed of cornstarch
• bed of sand
• ceramic cookie molds
• metal belt buckles
• textured or smooth glass
• upturned bowls, plates, cookware
• heavy drinking glass
• cardboard tubes
• wooden dowels
• terra cotta pots turned on their side
• rocks
• bark
• coarse and fine sandpapers
• drywall sandpaper
• drywall mesh tape
• window screen
• wire made into shapes and swirls
• tin cans or any shaped metal
• molded plaster
• rattan placemats
• etc. etc.

Some of the above surfaces may need a release agent such as cornstarch or baby powder in order to prevent the clay from sticking. You should always test on a small scale to be sure.

Also be certain that your surfaces are in fact heat safe BEFORE you bake. Safety is priority one!

Some plastics will be fine at polymer clay baking temperatures, but some will not. Place your baking surface in the oven on a tile by itself and bake for 20 minutes or so, watching carefully to see if its going to work for you. You don't want a melted gooey mess in your oven or bad toxic fumes!

Have you ever baked polymer clay on any of the items listed above? Do you have any suggestions to add to the list? Would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below!

Vid #87: How To Care For Your Most Useful Polymer Clay Tool, The Pasta Machine:

Although you can technically "survive" without a pasta machine when making polymer clay beads, I can't imagine myself doing that! I love using this versatile tool for conditioning Premo and Fimo clay, mixing colors, rolling flat sheets and making Skinner Blends.

If you use your pasta machine as much as I do,  be sure to clean it regularly. Light cleanings can be done using rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. This will work to clean the surface of the rollers. However, tiny bits of clay also become lodged behind the scraper blades and in the crevices where the rollers meet the sides of the machine. The only way to get at this lodged clay is to take the whole machine apart, clean off the scrapers from the inside, and then reassemble the machine.

Now you would think that since these machines were originally designed for processing food grade pasta, they would be quite easy to take apart and clean. But this is not really the case! Actually, taking them apart is not so difficult. It's putting them back together again that can get tricky.

The people who assemble these machines must either have two sets of hands… or some special assembly jig. I'm guessing it is the later :-)

I had a heck of a time putting my pasta machine back together before I found out that removing the fins made the reassembly process much more manageable.

Since the process of taking apart and reassembling your pasta machine would be difficult to follow in a written tutorial, I have decided to show you with a video. You can see a preview of the presentation below.

Here's That "Link Below" Referred To at End of the Video
>> Polymer Clay Tutorials <<

The full version of the "Pasta Machine Cleaning" preview video shown above, is included in Volume-008 at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library [Click Link For More Info On How To Become a Member]. The price works out to less than $3.32 per month… about the cost of one block of polymer clay. If nothing else, your subscription will pay for itself just because you'll be wasting less clay, not having to figure out new techniques all on your own.

In the "Pasta Machine Cleaning" video I show how to properly disassemble, clean and reassemble your pasta machine. Other topics covered in the video include:

• Common hardware tools you will need for completing this maintenance project.
• Tips for keeping track of the parts so you can put them back together again in the right order.
• How the scrapers work and why they are important for keeping your pasta machine rollers clean
  
• Why I think leaving out the fins during the reassembly process is a good idea.
  

Coming Up With Artsy Names, To Help Identify Your Beautiful Canes:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell just as sweet." …Shakespeare. And so it can be for naming polymer clay canes as well.

With so many polymer clay techniques and color choices to choose from, there are probably a gazzillion different types of rose canes you could make.

So what do you call them all? Rose Cane #1, Rose Cane #2, etc? Kinda boring. Or perhaps you could name them by the technique you used to make them, like: Skinner Blended Jelly Roll Rose with Indented Petal Cane. A bit of a mouthful!

Well… I've decided to start giving my rose canes proper girly names, dedicated to the type of personality I think fits best. Silly maybe, but hey… I'm an artist and I can go about naming my things however I like. Besides it will be more fun to refer to something like Rose Cane Jane, rather then say, Rose Cane #2.

And speaking of Rose Cane Jane, that will be the name I give the flower cane in the photo above. It is a simple, graphic rose that is easy and fun to make jewelry with. It isn't a perfect or fussy rose. It doesn't pretend to be better than all the other rose canes. What you see is what you get with this Rose Cane Jane.

If learning how to make this cane is of interest to you, let me know below. Your comments will help me to determine which tutorial videos to put together next.

This Polymer Cane May Look Complex, But It's Easy To Make With the Right Tools:

Pictured here is a gingham polymer clay cane. It can be made fairly easily with some help from a clay extruder tool fitted with a square shaped die piece. As you can see the colors include white, blue and a white-blue mixture of the two colors. The individual square logs extruded from the tool were put together to form the traditional Gingham pattern.

If you want more information about how to use a polymer clay extruder tool, click on this link: Makins Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder. At this link you will also be able to see a video clip which shows some blue gingham beads made from the cane pictured above.

You may have noticed in the photo above, that the cane grid pattern is a little wonky. That's because it was the tail end of a cane that had already been reduced significantly. I happen to be a fan of "wonky" so it doesn't bother me. However, you should realize that the pattern can also be made with a great deal of precision when you use an extruder tool.

I have made this cane in all the traditional gingham colors including yellow and red which also make really great looking jewelry beads. For more info, here's another article from a while back: Blue Gingham Polymer Clay Cane Designs

So tell me… do you already know how to make Gingham beads and canes? Or should I be putting together some video tutorials to walk you step by step through the process?