Be Sure to Read to End of this Post to See a List of Upcoming Tutorials – Need Your Input:
I realize not everyone likes subscription services. That is why my polymer clay tutorials are also available as stand alone back issue packages. And today I want to let you know that the Vol-012 back issue package has just been posted in the Polymer Clay Library!
If you did not realize it, each volume represents a month of videos. And since three are 12 months in a year, the release of Vol-012 means that the Library is now officially a year old… cue Birthday music LOL.
I’m happy to say that the topics in Vol-012 have proven to be very popular indeed. I judge this by the number of related comments that have been posted to date. So far there are 127 of them. Thank you very much to everyone that shared your thoughts, questions and ideas!
The photo at the top of this post shows the thumbnail images for the 4 videos included in the Volume-012 package. And below are some bullet descriptions for each tutorial:
Vol-012-1 Faux Pebble Beads: How to create faux rock beads that look just like pebbles off the beach. The video will show you quick tips for creating several realistic looking stone effects using clay, sand and a broken real rock for texture. As well, explanation is provided on how to shape and finish your faux pebbles for jewelry.
Vol-012-2 Ink on Crackled Gold Leaf: How to combine alcohol ink, metal leaf and translucent polymer clay in very creative ways. Tricks for working with the inks, crackling the leaf and encasing in translucent clay are discussed. As well, examples of pendants and earrings are shown.
Vol-012-3 Hammered Copper Wire: How to make a hook and loop clasp for your jewelry making projects using inexpensive tools and wire from the hardware store. Artificial aging of the copper to achieve rich patina finishes, is also shown.
Vol-012-4 Making Ghost Canes: How to make two different styles of ghost canes. Adding slices from these canes onto your beads creates a very unique floating affect. Tips and tricks on the special uses and qualities of this kind of cane, as well as color variations, are also discussed.
To see preview video clips and read customer reviews for the four tutorials listed above, click on this link: Polymer Clay Tutorials (Vol-012). The polymer clay color recipes for the Betta Fish Palette pictured to the left, are also included in this Volume-012 back issue package.
On Another Note… I Need Your Input:
Below is a list of techniques and polymer clay projects that I would like to feature in upcoming video tutorials. Please look over the list and let me know your top three picks. If I’ve missed a topic that you want to see, feel free to add it as one of your picks.
I know it can sometimes be tough choosing favorites… but please pick just 3 to help me prioritize the list. If you want to provide more detail about each of your three picks, please do that. I really want to provide you guys with the information that you desire the most. Here’s the list of topics:
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All topics are so interesting, hard to chose! I would probably go with Embossing Beads, Wire Wrapping and Resin Techniques :) I have bought myself a few tutorials on wire wrapping from Etsy, have to try them soon.
Any of them sound great, but have always wanted to see the brain cane demonstrated. So many pattern possibilities with this cane!
Next, that lava bead sounds pretty interesting. And last the faux opal. So many ways to do it, but, to get a truly great one I am going to put my money on Cindy’s upcoming method.
I would like all of them but the three I pick would be Embossing beads, Lava Bead and Faux Opals.
Watercolor Technique, Shaving Cream Beads and Graffiti Beads sound good to me!
Its a difficult decision as all have their possibilities but I will go with Brain Cane, Kaleidoscope Canes and Wire working. No matter how the vote goes I will enjoy the techniques as you present them Cindy. Thanks for the opportunity to vote.
Geee, hard to pick!
I’ll go for embossing, watercolor (I am hit or miss on this technique) and buttons.
We can only pick 3?
3 votes for Faux Raku-that should not be a surprise.
Spliced Flower Cane
Rose Cane
1. Faux Raku Technique… if you mean the deep crackle faux raku from 16 January! (If you don’t, the deep crackle faux raku is my “Add Your Own Topic”). I have a couple of ways of doing this kind of thing but would love to see your version.
2. Resin Techniques. I haven’t played with resin yet, but I keep looking at it every time I order supplies.
3. Watercolor Technique. There are two totally different effects that I’ve heard called “watercolor technique”… they both looked interesting although I’ve only tried one.
Faux Opals, Watercolor Technique, and ANY of the canes woudl be great. I love canes.
Wire Wrapping(specifically bails), Faux Raku, Faux Opal
So hard to choose JUST 3, the bails would be really useful for setting not only PC pieces but other things as well.
Watercolor technique and faux ceramic beads. Also, I’ve seen textured (as from a rubber stamp or texture sheet) tube beads that remain round and wondered how the heck that’s done, so I’d love it if you could shed some light on it.
Canes. I still don’t get these so any help I can get on this topic would be great. Also like the faux Opals. I love the faux stuff. I have never done any resin so that would be cool to learn some of too.
@Linda – One of my books has beads like you describe (in faux jade, very pretty).
You need bead piercing pins or bits of stiff wire – make the clay into a snake that’s a little wider in diameter than you want the beads to be, and pierce it lengthwise, leaving the pin/wire in place. Then you roll the clay over the stamp by holding the pin so you don’t press on the clay and ruin the texture.
My book shows a long snake which is cut into individual beads after curing so you get a squared-off end, but you could also make individual beads with a couple on each pin if you wanted rounded ends.
Kind of hard to describe in words but pretty easy to do.
Faux Opal (Absolutely my #1 pick, I would absolutely love this as a tuturial)
Faux Raku
Texture Sheets
Hi Cindy, I love all of the techniques but I would like to see:
1,Spliced flower cane
2.Resin techniques
3.Gerber flower technique.
Actually I will be happy with what ever you teach, but those are my picks
Hugs
Adrienne
Wire working, Beaded Lanyard Project and one on 10 best tips. Being brand new my input may be skewed, but that’s the risk I take. Ha
I hope eventually you’ll get to all of them! But for now I guess I’d like to learn…watercolor technique…faux opal…wire working. I love learning everything you teach. Thanks!
Cindy, I would like to see the resin techniques, faux raku, and rose cane. But I enjoy it all, so no problem if you don’t pick mine.
Cindy,
I would really like to see the Faux Raku Technique and the Resin Techniques.
I love all of your videos !!!
Faux raku and faux opals really fascinate me.
I am not sure what the following are and might be interested if I know more:
Twisty Beads, Memorial Keepsake Beads, Lava Beads, Resin Techniques and
Shaving Cream Beads.
Short and sweet: embossing, wire wrapping and watercolor technique! :)
Cindy,
When do our votes have to be in by? I would like to think about it a little more today.
Thanks :)
Jennifer
Faux Raku, Wire Wrapping, Resin Techniques
Love canes so it would have to be Rose Cane, Gerbera Flower Cane, and Spliced Flower Cane.
Cindy,
My votes go to 1. Faux Raku (have been looking forward to this one since you introduced it awhile back) 2. Watercolor 3. Faux Opal.
MJ
My vote is:
Faux Opals
Resin Technique (I’ve done it and it never works.)
Faux Ceramic Beads
Thanks for letting us vote!
I am in desperate need to learn how to do canes, so my votes are:
1) Rose Cane
2) Gerber Flower Cane
3) Spliced Flower Cane
Resin techniques, faux opal and a topic not really on the list – cane planning. That is, for the times when I can’t clay but want to play in my head, how to plan the basic log or roll to become the tesselated/repeated motif cane. I’m not sure that makes sense but I’d be happy to elaborate!
I vote for resin techniques, embossing beads, and watercolor technique. It was hard to pick just three, they all looked interesting. Lynn
I am interested in any type of faux stones- opal, turquoise, marble, jasper, etc.
I am new to this I really want to learn canes and faux stones any of these would be great.
Ken H. @ 8:04 am
The following website should get you started with making the bails you desire. They are designed for the Wigjig but can be done without the jig I believe.
wigjig.com/jewelry-wire/bail.htm
MJ
Thanks MJ, that is one of the things I’m talking about, and I’m going to try making one this weekend,but there is a new book out by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong titled “Wirework” where there is an emerald pendant that I assume is made from wire, including the setting for the stone. Bails are just one (please excuse the pun) facet of the wire work I would like to learn.
You are most welcome Ken H. Let us know how it goes. The entire Wigjig site is dedicated to wire wrapping and is a wonderful resource.
MJ
Hi Cindy: It was a very tough choice, but her are my top 3 for upcoming tutorials:
kaleidoscope canes
spliced flower cane
faux raku technique
As an aside, I love the raku look so much, that I have bought myself a small kiln so that I can make ceramic raku beads. I love the fact that many things I have learned using polymer clay can transition very nicely to ceramics.
Three first choices: faux opal (my original reason for starting poly clay play), faux raku, and embossing. Then: brain cane, watercolour techniques, and faux ceramic beads. Thanks for asking our opinion!
Love all your videos so far and have really gotten into making some simple Mokume Gane pendants. Just on the first stage of sanding, but it is making a HUGE difference in how they look as opposed to just putting varnish on them. The three techniques that I would love to see would be Faux Raku, Watercolor Technique and Texture Sheets. Thank you so much for your time!
Dear cindy, i would be happy with any, but anything with cane work or wire work would be terrific
all the best
cara
Hello Cindy
My top three requests
Faux Raku technique
Memorial keepsake beads
Resin techniques
Thanks!!
Cheryl
I posted this in todays thread, but so the word gets out to more people, I’m reposting my comment here as well.
Sorry for the off topic post, but I think Michaels has the clay on sale again 4 for $5. I signed up for an email ad from them, not sure if it’s online or in the stores.
Dear Cindy I would love to learn about …
Resin Techniques
Faux Cloisonne Technique
Watercolor Technique
Thanks for everything you do for us and I love you for that:)
hugs
Tania
WOW! This is very helpful guys! I’m starting to formulate a plan as far as what videos to shoot next. Will need to get some more supplies and start working on samples. Thank you so much everyone for your input!
Hi Cindy,
I’m enjoying and learning from every tutorial you do, but right not my learning curve is making canes, so any of the flower canes would be great. I am also ready to learn how to do wire wrapping.
Thank you for all the wonderful information you provide us.
Louise
Hi Cindy – hope I’m not too late to vote, but it would have to be Kaleidoscope, Resin (not tried that but am very interested) and wire work. Have begun to make eye pins, jump rings and earwires in sterling silver wire but am always interested in learning alternative techniques. In fact any cane work particularly Millefiori would be great – just keep them coming!
I am interested in any kind of cane work, I would especialy like to make some
animal print canes: giraffe, tiger, zebra and cheetah and apply to beads. I am really enjoying your website!
Thanks
Hi Cindy, These three look the most appealing to me, especially since I have just started working with canes, and lets say they leave a little to be desired… Would love to see more tutorials on cane making… Thanks, Nancy
Graffiti Beads
Gerbera Flower Cane
Spliced Flower Cane
My choice would be:
graphiti bead, resin technique, and brain cane
Hello – i’d like resin techniques and lava beads sound fun, no idea what they are but would like to find out, thank you.
Thank you everyone for your fantastic feedback! It makes a huge difference when I go to plan the next set of videos!
Is is too late to put in a request? I want to learn animal print canes! Zebra, leopard, tiger, etc.
It’s never too late for requests Jennifer! I’ll put that on thee list of possibilities!
Hehehe I just noticed I wrote ‘thee’ instead of ‘the’.
I’m Rockin’ it Old School!
I second the request for animal print canes! They’re fun on their own and would go well with other recent videos like the tribal cane and faux carved bone. And you can still be creative with colour… for instance, tiger canes look really cool with a blue base instead of the usual tawny orange!
Right, Sue F! Colorful animal is fun. I love me some hot-pink zebra! (Well, that’s just my p.j.’s, but still…lol)
Animal prints are really popular right now. My sister (who steals for herself, yet sometimes sells, my jewelry) has made several zebra requests…
Hi Cindy,
I second (third?) the animal prints.
I am also interested in how to get the watercolor effect.
And I am right now in search of anything on resin.
I am enjoying and look forward to your video tutorials every Friday and I try to keep up with your Polymer Clay Tips on Twitter as well.
@Louise Traylor: I think that makes it a fourth motion. Cool, because Cindy treats comments like these votes, and this would make a very good video tutorial.
Thanks guys for the animal prints suggestion. I’ll put them on the list!