Aurora Technique (Northern Lights) | Polymer Clay Tutorial [Video]

Ditto! And thank you for the link to the Premo color mixing guide. Not only do you make our “class lessons” super simple, you even help with our homework! It would have taken me a hundred clicks to find the guide on my own. You truly are one special team!!!

Are you kidding me??? Did the beginning of my day really include this breathtaking video and beautifully penned story about the inspiration for our next learning opportunity?

Wow, what an awesome looking technique! And another Cindy original to boot! I can’t wait for tomorrow. Looks like I’m going to have a busy weekend playing with my clay. I have several tutes to try out!!

What a wonderful video. The time lapse photography and the music made me think it was like watching a ballet by the angels.

Cindy, your beads truly DO look like the Aurora Borealis. This might be my favorite technique of all!

Now I have even more incentive to finish transferring a floor plan to AutoCAD so I can use my fabulous new craft/drafting table to work on clay tomorrow! So excited!

Oh these are soo gorgeous!! I just love the waves of color you’ve achieved Cindy. I think what I enjoy the most – and what keeps our tutorials fresh – is the sense of curiosity and detail you share with us. With your own twists you create such beautiful techniques….as we preview the next lesson we can just hear the enthusiasm in your voice, AND it’s simple too!!? Can’t ask for more than that, a treasure trove of inspiration at such a reasonable cost. Just can’t wait for tomorrow!!

Been to the Tucson Gem & Mineral shows lately. When I cm home. Lo and behold an amazing tute coming tomorrow. Who neat, love the shifting colors. How fun………….Hurry Friday…………… TY Leitz team

I think they’re called the Aurora Australialis I beleive

@Ken H.: Cool!!

Seeing the Northern Lights in person is #1 on my Bucket List. What an amazing video. Thank you so much for sharing it with us Cindy, it took my breath away to watch that miracle. By the way, I THINK IT’S FRIDAY NOW, right???????????????? Just kidding, but I can’t wait to learn this new technique. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Yes Ken, aurora australis is our southern equivalent which I have seen a few times in my life, as a child I lived in the southern-most part of New Zealand. My memories of the colours are red-orange and blue-green at the edges.

Wow! When Cindy was doing this and extruding the snake, I thought, uh oh, only the black shows. Not very pretty. But then after shaping into a bead and sanding, amazing…the colors came ALIVE! I love this technique and working with “pearls”. Thanks, Cindy!!

Clever technique, Cindy! :)
I look forward to trying it.

Lovely technique. One which I will certainly make use of.. being that I live in Lapland, Finland – within the Arctic circle… and am ultra lucky enough to witness the Aurora on a frequent basis.

My husband sees it even more than I, as he is willing to walk our dog Dexter deep, deep into the forests around us, very late at night, which is when it is best seen… especially when it is super cold outside. In fact, he sees all sorts of unusual sky happenings, when he is where it is so dark and unaffected by social lighting.

This year in particular, the sun is very active and so the aurora is also so.. as it relys on the suns magnetic activity and solar winds, to show up well. It goes in cycles. For all those that want to see it.. it truly is worth trying to get to see! It is indescribable.

I live a five minute drive from Tähtelä, an observatory specifically designed for aurora investigation. Although I am currently not updating my blog… this link below is an old blog discussing the aurora from 2009 when the aurora was quiet. On it I have some photos of the aurora and Tähtelä. If it helps anyone mimic the aurora better.. I have added it here!

arcticrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/02/northern-lights-of-lapland-sadlynot-so.html

Thank you for this Cindy!

This is such a beautiful and original technique and the beads are just astonishing! Thank you for sharing with us the results of your hard work!

This looks like a fun technique. Can’t wait to try it!

Wow!!! I’m amazed at this technique of yours Cindy. When I saw the black snake coming out of the extruder I was wondering where were all those beautiful colors. It’s so magical those colors coming to the surface when you roll it and then sand the bead.

I can’t believe how easy it is to create such beautiful beads…guess what I’ll be doing this weekend????? Yep…you guessed it!

MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!!!!! I love pearls my favorite by far. I probably have 60 – 70 bars of plain pearl and love to add just a small amount of ink or mica powder or even a little colored clay. Yep I was very upset when polyform confirmed discontinuing pearl colors. Thank God they did replace them with a few beautiful new ones. Cindy and Doug you two just keep giving and giving so much of yourselves I just can’t thank you enough for all you have given us ever moment of every day.

Cat I seem to have better luck on my pearls if I use less sanding and more buffing. My sanding I start out with 600 and go to 1200 and it doesn’t seem to need much sanding in between grits but a little more buffing and the mirror effect comes shining thru.

Thanks for sharing some of God’s best artistic creations with us.

Many Uuuugggs. Peggy

Hi Cindy,
I like this technique very much, but I have a question. Have you tried this also without the clayextruder? Is it possible to make it without and role it with your hands, you see I don’t have a clayextruder, but if it is not possible without I will certainly buy one.

Thank you Cindy
Louise

@Cindy Lietz from Makin’s Ultimate Clay Extruder: Well, you have convinced me, Cindy. I am going to put in an order with Terry! I need more UV resin anyway. I guess I’ll wait to try this technique till I get the micro mesh pads. He has so fast shipping that I bet I will get it by Wednesday if I go right now and order some! Thanks a bunch!!!!

Hi, Cindy:

I’m interested in purchasing this vid, but I’m not altogether sure I have the required supplies. The list includes:

“Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder with large round die”

I’ve got that … ‘cept for maybe “large round die” thing, perhaps. In the video, you’re holding beads that’re as large as your little finger, but my largest round die has a hole about 5mm. That won’t make anything *approaching* little finger territory. Do I need to buy one of the add-on sets of dies before I can make use of this vid? I don’t believe I’ve lost any dies, and I’m quite sure I’d know if I’d lost a huge round die (!), so I’m kinda confoozelated here. Wouldja clarify for me? Thanks!

Binky

Cindy, it’s *fiendishly* simple, and the payoff is _marvelous_. I love it, and since I pretty much rob Michaels of all its Premo Accent line every Monday and Thursday when they get deliveries, I can sit here making this stuff until global warming ends our ability to see the REAL Aurora Borealis. (And then people will hafta pay US to see it in BEADS! Mwahaha! (rubbing hands evilly))

Thanks ever so much for the coolness. Guess what I’m doing this weekend?

I have some Northen lights curing in the oven ,as we speak. They are different colors though, I am a Orange,green,purple sort of gal. So I guess, not EXACTLY Aurora -tee hee. Can’t wait til they are done. pant,pant……

Oh, Cindy – this new technique is just genius – not to mention amazingly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

@Elizabeth K.: Hi Elizabeth! Just wanted to let you know how sorry I feel about the Cyclones…and all the terror & everything else you all are going through. I can’t imagine how scary it all was (and still is)…thank goodness your fears were eased a bit by Cindy’s cool tutorial, as well as the Northern Lights video. Please know my heart is with you & your countrymen/women. Boy am I happy you were not in the eye of it! I’m sending positive thoughts, hugs, & prayers your way. It will take time, but I’m hoping you all will rebound from this very soon. With the harsh weather & other phenomenon going on all over the world…I can only hope & pray for my friends in those areas, too…for everyone affected by tragedy. Stay strong, my dear friend! My very best to you & your neighbors. By bonding together, you will eventually recover from these tragic circumstances. 1000 Hugs to you, Elizabeth! XXX Love, Kat

This tute was a gift for many reasons, even beyond the beauty of the finished beads as it was kind of a sad week-end here. My son and family adopted a little dog who had suffered a crushing throat injury as the result of abuse or an attack from another animal. Jackson had surgery on Friday by a wonderful compassionate vet who did everything he could to correct the injury. Sadly, although the surgery went well in that the vet was able to repair the damage he died during the night whle still in the animal hospital. I can’t tell you how attached I had become to this little guy in the short time I knew him. As I often do when I am troubled or sad I headed to my craft room where I had recently finished baking my first aurora beads. Still reeling with the news of Jackson’s death I somewhat mindlessly started to sand them and before long the aurora beauty started to show just as Cindy promised it would. I don’t know why but it gave me comfort, maybe because this technique mimics one of the most beautiful phenonomens in the universe to which Jackson’s brave spirit had returned. Who knows? I do know that I will never give these beads away as they are the perfect representation of the beauty of this little dog’s short life.

Thanks for listening.
Love,
Elizabeth

@Laurel: Thank you Laurel! That means a lot coming from a pro like you! :-)

@Elizabeth K.: Elizabeth I am so relieved to hear that you are OK. It must have been very scary for you and your family! I can’t imagine what that must be like. To be first concerned for your families safety and then to be worrying too about what the kind of damages you may have to face when you return home. Of course life is the most important, but everyone has worked hard for what they have been able to build for themselves. I just picture myself running all over the neighborhood, trying to find my polymer clay and beads strewn all over the place. That would be heart breaking to lose everything at once like that. I am so glad you were spared this kind of loss and feel for what all your countrymen and women have had to endure. Continued protection to you and your loved ones. Take care Elizabeth. We are all thinking of you!

@Phaedrakat: Thank you sweetie for your kind words! I would love it if you all were to spread the word. There are still many people who have never heard of this site, who would surely enjoy the help and inspiration for such a reasonable price. I am still shocked when we someone balks about the price or sends a mean email about how we are just trying to rip them off. Clearly they have no clue what they are getting for the price. Oh well, you and a ton of others get it, and that is all that matters. (They probably just sat on a tack or something and need someone to take their frustration out on! lol) Coming up with ideas for the weekly videos is definitely a challenge, but it is exciting and I find that one idea leads to ten more. So trust me… I’ve got videos planned for the whole next year and every week tends to bump something down the line, to make room for a new one. So this creative streak won’t be ending any time soon! :-)

@Elizabeth S.: Oh sweetie I feel for you. That must have been difficult. :( It was so touching to read how you are dealing with the pain by working through this Aurora technique. What a lovely idea to use these beads as a link to this special pet who held such a big part of your heart, even if only for a brief moment. You are such a kind and loving soul. You’re in my heart and as you can see, in the hearts of many others here as well.

@Ken H, Phaedrakat and others: I meant to come in here right away and thank you guys for your wonderful comments above… but I got sidetracked… sorry for the delay.

To read what you guys have said means so much to me. I know that many of you have been members for several years now… and that the tutorials continue to have value for you after all this time, makes me feel wonderful inside. It goes to show just how truly creative this medium really is.

Thank you so much for your love and support. I feel as though you are all on this journey with me and I appreciate your friendship, varying views and cool ideas. Looking forward to spending many more years ahead with all of you… full of creativity and fun!

Oh Elizabeth….I’m so sorry about your loss. We have always had dogs which were part of the family. I understand your sorrow especially since Jackson had such a rough beginning. He is smiling down on your family I am sure.
Andrea

@Elizabeth S.: Sweet Elizabeth I am so thrilled to be able to call you my friend. So many friends I have met here on Cindy’s blog but not in person, yet I feel closer tothe ones here then ones I grew up with most of my life. So many of you are all so close and dear to me and you, you are definitely a keeper. My heart goes out to you and your family. Your family means so much to you. That is what makes you so very special. You put them first never yourself. I have you and your in my prayers, please if there is any thing else I can do for any of you let me know.
Love and Uuuggggs, Peggy

@Elizabeth S.: I am truly sorry Elizabeth…what happened is especially sad given the lengths you went to save brave little Jackson. You’re a wonderful person, and I hope you’re able to find lots of beautiful things (like the Aurora phenomenon–clay and/or real) to help heal your heart after this loss. My thoughts are with you, dear friend!

@Peggy Barnes: Dear Peggy — you are a “keeper” too! You are also one of those selfless people, the kind who would do anything for anyone. You put yourself last, even though you live with so much pain… Bless you, your kindness and lovely enthusiasm always make this a happier place. You’re Cindy & Doug’s biggest cheerleader, always pointing out the good in everything. But you are pretty darn wonderful yourself!!! I, too, would love to give you real “Uuugggggs” one day… :D

Wow, Cindy…I can’t believe anyone would email you about ripping them off! I still think the best thing we can do is spread the word. I know when I first came upon this site, and saw the preview videos…I wanted “more”, but was afraid to join. I didn’t know if the site was “legit” or worthwhile at first. I was ignorant of online tutorials at the time, and hadn’t purchased one before. There are people out there who just want to hear someone they know or trust say it’s OK, and that you really DO get “all that” for under $10. I think Cindy has kept the price low because it’s easier for someone to commit $9.95 to something “unknown.” It worked for me, and now I try to tell everyone about it! If her price goes up, the hesitation of new members would, too. If we want to help Cindy (and other clayers, ‘cuz they’ll love it if they try it!) then we should tell our friends & fellow clayers how great it is… Blog about it, put “inspired by Cindy Lietz’s ____ tute” under photos of your work in Etsy, etc. That’ll make others know it’s the real deal!

I ALMOST FORGOT I LOVE THIS TUTE !!!!!
This is going to sound silly to some but Cindy your tutes remind me of my marriage and how much I love my husband. I love him so much I can’t imagine how I can love him any more the next day. Then the next day comes and yep I love him even more. Well that’s how your tutes are to me. I can’t imagine liking another one any more than I like this one it is so good but the tomorrow comes and yep I watch the tute and yep I like it more than the one I did yesterday. Yep I love the Northern lights tute.
THANK YOU TWO SO VERY MUCH!!!

We have never discussed this but I wouldn’t be opposed to a modest raise in the prices. We have several on here with fixed incomes so it would have to be up to the majority but not lose them. Isn’t it funny to be asking to pay more ??? is it the fumes from the clay do ya think……lol.
Andrea

I finally got a chance to play with my clay today. My washing machine broke and needs to be replaced because it’s going to cost over $400 to fix it. So I went to my mother’s (who is wintering in the south) with all of our laundry and spent the day there in peace and quiet and had fun with my clay. One of the first things I did was try this technique. It is sinfully easy!!! I kept thinking there should be more to it. Again, thank you so much Cindy. Your tutorials are worth every penny and more!!

How exciting, we may see the aurora here in the UK this week!

Apparently if we’re lucky it will be visible Thursday night because there’s a massive increase in solar flare activity and shouldn’t be much cloud.

How cool is that??

@Ken H: I live in Chesterfield, Latitude = 53.2362, Longitude = -1.4392. Hope that’s in the right format!

I’m really hoping I’ll be able to see something at least, I’ve never seen the aurora before.

@Ken H: The aurora forecast website I use says there’s no major geomagnetic activity today. :( But I’m hoping for the future, because the next few years will have much more activity than normal.

I am new to polymer clay work. This Aurora technique is awesome!!! It alone was worth the money I paid for the videos. I can’t wait to view the others. Keep up the great work!

@Dorene: Thank you Dorene for saying that! It means so much to hear from people new to polymer clay. Enjoy the process… it’s a fun one!

@Julia B: Oooo your tweaks of the technique sound wonderful Julia! I’d love to see them posted on our Polymer Clay Facebook Gallery page. One of the things I was determined to do as a teacher of the arts, was to teach in a way that others would be able to find their own artistic voice through the learning process. There is no point in teaching a whole bunch of people to become clones of yourself. I want people to find that joy of creating inside themselves. Sounds like you have found that joy… Way to go!

change the c to a t

…and remove the “l”, too?

(if “excluded” is s’posed to be “extruded”, I mean…)

Just teasing you, of course. Your meaning was clear, and think everyone understood what you meant!) ;D

@Jocelyn: Good for you, Jocelyn. Keep on expressing!

@Silverleaf: LOL!!!!

@Jocelyn: Jocelyn, I do not detect anything “off” with you at all…what comes through (at least IMO) when I read your comments is a great, fun personality. I love reading your comments filled with smart ideas and interesting things you’ve tried. I hope you haven’t taken my comments as picking on you — that most definitely isn’t how they were meant. I was just teasing you…we all make mistakes in our rush to join in on the fun here…me just as much (sometimes more!) than anyone. You must know that I adore you, Jocelyn! Hugs, Kat

@sandra: Jocelyn answered this beautifully for you Sandra. If the colors aren’t quite looking right, you have either used dull colors or you haven’t done quite enough sanding. Maybe sand with a courser grit like 320grit to start with, or use the blade scraping technique Jocelyn mentioned. The cool thing about this technique is that it is so quick and easy to do and uses not a lot of clay, so you can always try it again until you get it exactly how you want it. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Thanks guys. Yes the lilac was a dull lilac and I think that was the main problem. I keep forgetting to “Try before you do” ie the teardrop method for trying colours. You’ve told me that before Cindy. I did so much sanding that it went down to the core clay. hence the question. I will have to go back to the drawing board and test colours out.
Appreciate the help, thanks again.

I finally tried the technique after hemming and hawing. Wow! It does give me goosebumps. I am going to use maybe one less black circle because the strip of black would not be sanded away even when I started with heavy duty drywall. BUT, after the sanding, buffing on old jeans, and future (brushed on, I remember your comment on dripping Cindy) they are still stunning. I’m going to put them on handmade earwires, big ones and maybe add some shiny beads.

I plan to keep on practicing (I bought so much of the premo pearl colors at polymer express since they’ll soon be gone) and experimenting. I’m starting to get the hang of this. And really loving it. Thank you Cindy for all you give and to all the Lietz “family” on this blog who have, through advice and their own struggles, have taught me soooooo much. Stay healthy and happy everyone.

Thank you Jocelyn, love clay attic. Heading there now. 3 a.m. and I should be heading to bed……after the attic!

Ok, so who saw the auroras last night that dipped as far south as arkansas? I missed them AGAIN because I didn’t know they were going to happen.

I just heard about them, too! I missed it! We need to have some kind of alarm to let each other know. Now, I’m just going to have to make some of these beads to help me get over it. Did anyone else see any and get any photos?

You know I would have lean over the person and prayed they didn’t wake up!! LOL!! I remember flying at age 5 to Denver and wanted to sit near the window but didn’t have the nerve to pick that seat. The lady that sat there let me sit on her lap to look out. It was great but, I felt cheated because I didn’t have the guts to sit near the window. So, now I alway request a window seat and act like a tourist taking pictures the whole flight! LOL!!

It’s a rare event for them to be seen outside of the arctic yet alone as far south as Arkansas and Alabama. You never know, this was an exceptional magnetic storm that erupted from the sun on Saturday and took two days to reach the earth. If anyone is interested check out Space.com, they have photos up on that site, some of the ones from Michigan are absolutely stunning.

I can’t catch a break, it was cloudy last night and early this morning, I’m beginging to think Mother Nature is trying to tell me something.

Well we have untill 2013 for this current cycle of solar storms, the sun runs in an 11 yr ramp up to what is called solar Max, and then 11 yr decline to solar min., solar max this time is in 2013, so we’ve just got to keep our fingers crossed or plan a vacation to above the artic circle

I’d like that. :-)

Well, seems like there might be a good chance to see the Aurora Borealis tonite in more southerly locations, see the link: swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/globeNW.html

If you are lucky enough to have clear skies and are up late, by all means take a look at the sky.

Good luck!!!

Fascinating Doug, great find and thanks for the share. The nite light concentrations make it look like the planet is on fire.

Stayed up late the last two nites because there was a slight chance the display would come to Connecticut. If it did, it was when I wasn’t looking.

Wow, another chance for us lower in lats, LOL!!! June 14, 15, and 16th, 2012

Good luck, and hope some of you get to see it!

gse-aa mailing list

A significant event located on the Sun facing Earth took place on July
12. The effects of this event will begin to reach Earth early on the
14th of July GMT.
Observers in North America should watch for aurora on the nights of
the 14th and 15th local time. Depending on the configuration of the
disturbance, auroras may be visible as far south as the middle tier of
states.
Activity may remain high also on the 16th. Auroras should be
visible Southern New Zealand, Tasmania, and of course, Antarctica

Sure hope so Ken. For those following this thread, grant you a Huffn’Puff source, but a good article on the upcoming display.

Not that every pic in National Geographic isn’t wonderful and inspiring, but, if you follow this link, I think you folks will be blown away by this brand news series of aurora photographs:

Hope you come away with some great ideas, and re-watch the tute. It is amazingly simple to do, and the results are spectacular.

What gorgeous colors!! TY for sharing

thank you Cindy! Great tutorial!!!.
The very first time I made this, they came out wonderfully!
Fantastically!
Beautifully!
and easily!!!
I’ve also covered some Crochet hooks for a friend, and she absolutely loves them!
..I wish I could post a picture here to show off to everyone!
Thank you so very much. I just love being the envy of all my crafty friends when I showed them what I make. I also told them what a cool web-site you have with all the great classes! I certainly have gotten my money’s worth!!!

I searched the thread so I hope I’m not repeating this, but I have a question regarding layout of the final product. If I want to make something flat, say like a barrette or pendant, what’s the best way to do this without wasting the aurora clay if I want the backside of the barrette to be a solid color? What I did today was rolled a large chunk of aurora clay into a bead (just like the video) and flattened it out but it took a lot of clay to do it. Could I slice off a section of aurora clay or layer them differently to still achieve the same effect? I was thinking I could roll it out flat instead of rolling it into a bead first. I’m not sure I would get the same cool striations, however. Suggestions? Experiences?

Thanks for asking this question! Having re-watched this tutorial today, it was just what I was going to ask too! I want to try this on the pen barrels, instead of the faux wood tutorial.

Do you have clay suggestions for your aurora cane since some of the original clay colors are no longer available. Thank you, Pat

I tried this technique and made some beads. I thought a little part of the extruded bit got a bit messed up but i used it anyways and was actually quite please with the result. I sold it yesterday.

For those of us dying to see the real deal, tonite’s readings are the highest they have been in a long time. Good luck, and if anyone does get a peak of a spectacular display while celebrating St. Paddy’s Day tonite, please post some cellie video.

Fingers crossed.

Hi Pat! I find I can use any mica major clay colors (Premo, Kato, et.al.). Using Cindy’s color shifting and color blending recipes you can pretty much create any blues, yellow, and reds that you like and experiment.

Google “color shift” “color blending” and “mica colors” here and you will get loads of blogs tutes and excellent comments where folks share their experiences.

Good luck and all best….Jocelyn

Jocelyn is right, you can make whatever colors you want. Try mixing pearl with the other Premo colors in a 50:50 mix and you should get some pretty good results. You can also add mica powders like PearlEx to make the mica content even higher. Cobalt Blue and Pearl mixed will give you the old blue pearl… though you can only get cobalt online or in the multipacs. Good luck! Let us know if you come up with some nice Northern Lights!

Hi Cindy!

Happy New Year to you and yours :). I did this tute today to kind of lift the post-holiday blahs and I’m enjoying it. I just hit a bit of a snag. I made my beads to resemble the ones you do in the tute, that are sort of “tablet” shaped, like long flattened barrels. I am on the verge of piercing them, but I’ve never pierced such long beads. The longest I did with this technique are about 2, 1/4 inches long. I used the bead rack pins with cornstarch, but I’m having trouble keeping the hole straight. Any tips please? I’m DYING to get to the step after baking when I can sand them and get the big reveal. Thanks in advance!

Karen

Thanks! I totally understand you being swamped and I appreciate you finding the time to answer. I will give your suggestions a spin, Cindy :). And if all else fails, I can always pierce them front to back! Having said that, I am gonna try. I do really like how they look pierced from end to end.

Awesome job Karen! It looks like you got them perfectly aligned. Way to go!

Need help! I love this tutorial but wondering if I’m missing a step when adding the Aurora blend to the bracelet? I got as far as running the clay log through the pasta machine at mid setting but the strip still has the ribbon like stripes and not that beautiful swirl pattern as shown on the video. I keep re-watching the video but this part of the tutorial shows the strip already done. What did you all do when you made this? I appreciate your guidance:)

Hi Mare,
Thanks for your help!
I only rolled the strip of clay through the pasta machine. I will now try rolling it into a log and then put it through pasta machine, in the back of my mind I thought this was what to do but was afraid of turning it into mud. Thanks for answering Marie! I have messed up so many times at different techniques & even though you can always reuse clay I sometimes feel like all I do is mess up! I probably worry too much about going through my clay without producing a good product!!
Chris

Hi Marie,
Ok, I understand that’s what you need to do if you’re making beads but I want to add this to the metal cuff blank to make the bracelet that’s in the next video. The video on this just shows the aurora strip already rolled out & Cindy didn’t show how she did this. She did say to add the strip to a piece of scrap clay but my strip now doesn’t have the wavy pattern even after adding it to scrap clay & running through PM several times. So I’m wondering if I need to make a barrel shape & roll a bit first to get the wavy pattern.
Thanks Marie!
Chris

Hi Guys, great discussion here! You are on the right track! The thing about the extruded snake is that in order to get those kind of swirls you are talking about, the rows of snakes need to be distorted a bit. On a bead that is kind of simple because as you rolll it around in your hands, the rolls get kind of pushed out of shape.

When you want to do a larger strip like for a cuff, think about putting those rows in kind of squiggly. Maybe push some of the ends one way and some the other with your hands. You could even curl some of the rows a little or drag s tool along them to distort them.

Don’t worry so much about messing up. It is part of the learning process. If you ‘screw it up’ just mix it up and use it as one of your colors in the stacking process. If it is really dark, it could even be your black if you wish.

Try again and let us know how it goes!

That is excellent news Chris! Glad to be of help!

Hmm… part of what makes that technique look so cool is the fact that not every last trace of black is removed when sanding. I assume that you are sanding by hand? A power sander would help. Try using a coarser grit to start with so you are removeing more material. Also… a thought did just pop into my head that may work… but it is untested… what if you tried to remove some of the outside with rubbing alcohol while it was still raw? That may reduce some of the inital sanding though you would need to do the rest of the sanding to get the irridecent effect. I understand what you are going through… I have had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and know the pain you are dealing with. Even now if I work too long my wrists ache. Hopefully that helps a little. I will see if I can think of anythign else that will help.

Hello Jennifer, so nice to meet you! Glad you are enjoying the tutorials. As far as my favorite extruder that would be the Lucy Clay Czextruder HDXXL. It is the strongest and best value for your dollar, but it is a bit pricey if you are on a budget. The next best is either the Walnut Hollow or the Makins Professional Hope that helps!