6 Videos #364 to #369: Unique metal rivet/eyelet construction, much more durable than glue.
After receiving so many requests from many of you, I thought it was about time I showed how to make French style hair barrettes that can be made in any size, any shape, using almost any polymer clay technique that you can think of. And… your barrettes will be constructed in a way that is not only strong, but very professional looking too.
In this Polymer Clay Barrettes Vol-059 tutorial series, I will demonstrate a couple of new techniques that can be used for making beautiful barrettes… lessons that will also come in handy for many other polymer clay projects as well.
In this series there will be lots of opportunity for you to let your creativity run wild. You will end up with your own one-of-a-kind barrettes and jewelry items that you’ll be proud to wear, give away as gifts or sell to customers.
You’ll learn how to work with both cold rivet fastening techniques as well as metal eyelet construction. Easy, strong, durable and beautiful!
Posted just below is a Sneak Peak and overview of this months Polymer Clay Barrettes Tutorial. The rest of the 6 part video series will be posted tomorrow (Friday, April 4th, 2013) in the Vol-059 Section at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library.
BTW, if this French Barette Tutorial looks exciting to you, please do click that YouTube Like button. Many of you have been giving the Thumbs Up to the weekly YouTube videos, which is great… Thank You! However, these monthly intro clips need some love as well. When they don’t get as many likes, it makes it look like they are not appreciated as much… which surely can’t be true with all the nice comments you all leave :)
Vol-059-1: Video #364: Introduction: In this 6 part video tutorial series, you will learn techniques and tricks that will have you creating beautiful, unique and professional looking French style hair Barrettes in any style, size and surface technique you wish. Lessons learned in this tutorial include, silk screening, molding, texturing, layering, using canes, riveting and setting eyelets in polymer clay.
Vol-059-2: Video #365:
Silk Screening On Polymer Clay:
In this video I will show you the technique of silk screening on polymer clay. It can be done on both raw and baked polymer, and can be used for making the Butterfly Barrette demonstrated in the video. This is a very useful technique to add to your general polymer clay bag of tricks.
Vol-059-3: Video #366:
Molded Cherry Blossom Barrette:
In this video I will show you how to use texture plates and silicone molds to create a beautiful sculpted barrette. You can use the techniques learned in this tutorial with all kinds of texture plates and molds that you have access to. The possibilities are truly endless.
Vol-059-4: Video #367:
Canes & Othr Surface Techniques:
Polymer clay barrettes are very well suited for using your own cane designs with, as well as any other polymer clay technique that suits your fancy. Previous tutorials such as Faux Labradorite, Faux Rust, Faux Wood, Aurora Technique, Easy Kaleidoscope Canes, Pirate Canes, Leopard Canes, Zebra Canes are all excellent candidates for making into great hair clips. This video deals with the design challenges you may face when using your own polymer clay ideas and how to plan ahead for the best end result.
Vol-059-5: Video #368:
Nail Head Rivets:
One awesome way to fasten your polymer clay art to a barrette blank is riveting. I will show you when, where and how to use this great little connector so that your piece not only looks great, but functions great too!
Vol-059-6: Video #369:
Using & Setting Eyelets:
In this final video I will show you the ins and outs of setting eyelets in polymer clay, while helping you to put together a finished barrette using the silk screen butterfly we made in Video #365. Here you will learn design and technique tips that will help you to create strong connections with your eyelets that look great on the front as well as the back. As an added bonus I will show you a neat and easy way to add a little bling and sparkle to your eyelets using Swarovski Flat Back Crystals.
Other Supplies:
- Please note you may or may not need all the supplies on this list, or the suggested list above. It just depends on if you decide to do all the different techniques shown, or not.
- Playing cards for measuring thickness settings on pasta machine as well as for riveting.
- Paper towels.
- Dish of water.
- Pencil.
- Old hammer.
- Scrap Wood or thick softer plastic block for drilling and hammering on.
- Old plastic gift card.
- Cutting board or other surface suitable for cutting polymer clay.
- Acrylic Paints. I prefer artist grade acrylics because they are thicker.
By the way, many of the “shopping” links I provide for the various tools and supplies used in my tutorials, are “affiliate” resources. That means companies like Amazon and the other suppliers I refer, pay me a small commission if you click on the links and end up making a purchase at their site. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps in keeping the cost of my tutorials down. And, the prices for products that you may purchase through my links, are exactly the same as what you would normally pay, even if it is a “sale” price. So please feel free to click whenever you need to pick up a few things for your studio. Thanks so much for your support.
The full video series for the Polymer Clay Barrettes tutorial described above, is available in Vol-059 at the Polymer Clay Library.
If you would like to receive 3 free beginner videos right now, plus some free color recipes that get sent out each week in my Friday email newsletter, please click this link: Polymer Clay Tutorials
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… Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my monthly library 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, 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.
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Customer Feedback About Membership Value:
I love your videos Cindy. I’m just a beginner but have already learned so much from you. You always have such beautiful professional looking shapes to your pieces. ~Kathy-T
Cindy your ingenuity is amazing. You think of things that are way outside the box. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas with us, and in such great detail. ~Freda-K
It’s wonderful to be at Polymer Clay Tutor site. I for one, would never leave here!!! Welcome to all the newcomers – hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us. ~Patt-W
I had worked with polymer clay for about a year but just couldn’t get anywhere until I joined Cindys PCT site. It was the best decision I ever made. Hi to all the new clayers – welcome to the greatest spot on earth. We love having you join our community. After I joined, I spent hours reading and looking at everything. I also purchased all the back videos. ~DixieAnn-S
The full video series for the Polymer Clay French Barrette tutorial described above, is available in Vol-059 at the Polymer Clay Library.
If you would like to receive 3 free beginner videos right now, plus some free color recipes that get sent out each week in my Friday email newsletter, please click this link: Polymer Clay Tutorials
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YAY, no more upset customers and embarrassed me ;)
and So Many other techniques you are teaching us this month
Really looking forward to moving my product line up a few notches
btw – had a true blast playing your guessing game – thanx Sherry
.
Can’t wait to see the rest of the videos! I love wearing barrettes…
yay next step in my repetoire for the shop!
I must be slow because I couldn’t figure out Dougs Lyrics but now that I know, this is a very exciting project for me. I have never worked with barettes. I love the steampunk look as well as all the others. The scarf barette is gorgeous Cindy, and the endless ways to do these is exciting. I didn’t see a link though where we can purchase the blank barettes. Do you have a favorite place or can you direct us where to get them?
Hi Dixie Ann, I think I did put a link for some in the Amazon Gadget above. I actually had a few hanging around the studio and a bag of mixed ones I bought at Michaels that I used for the tutorial. A quick Google search for French Hair Clips or Barrettes should turn up something for you. The ones that have Made in France stamped on them are the nicest quality (plus they have a bit more of a ‘cool’ factor). I also saw some on Etsy if you want to look there. If you find a place you like let us know.
Cindy, I couldn’t find an “amazon gadget” so went to Etsy and found them at the Barrett Factory. These are stamped made in France and cost $18.00 a dozen but shipping is free. Rings and Things were out of stock and the other places I looked were all from Asia. The 90mm are almost 4″ long and 10mm in width which I though would be perfect for my first time making these.
Go Dixoe
Glad to hear that you and so many others are going to making hair barrettes .i can’t wait to use Cindy new way of connecting using the rivits instead of the clay on the back.. What a nicer finish to my and everyone else s beautiful work. I’m doing are large Street Fair/Craft Show on the 19th a d have a lot aof my old style ones to sell so I’m not making more right now but will for the Sept Craft Show… Just wonder how does Cindy get the bend in the Clay … I usually lay my clay over the barrette base while its baking …. I don’t remember how Cindy said she baked them…..
On another note I now haven’t very own domain name:www.saftiscreations.com. Now I have to work onthe website… Already have a Flickr.com/photos/saftiscreations.com site ……
I have to start to sell more of my stuff … My beads are starting too collect to many but is south dimpling different design and blends with her clay.
Amd as if I don’t have enough on my plate. I teach A basic jewelry making class once month at the local senior center… Only a few lasies but the enjoy it and so so I
Good talking to you and everyone else
Natalie H aka safti
Hi Natalie,
if you are referring to Cindys technique of aligning the polymer clay to the barrette, from what I understand she just bakes them flat. They are bendable enough to span the curved piece of the barrette. Watch the video again and it will show you each step. Congrats on your new website. Hope to visit when you get it up and running.
Hi Natalie, nice to hear that you are doing well and that you are doing fairs and getting a website going. That’s great!
Just like Dixie Ann said, as far as getting the bend in the pieces, I found most of my pieces would bend nicely to fit the barrette blank, even when they were baked flat. If yours are very thick and they won’t bend after baking, then you could just bake them on top the blank like you have been. That will work just fine. Good luck! Lets us know how it goes for you.
Dix, I popped “barrette factory” into google and got a mess of gun and ammo sites, ahahaha.
Then I googled barrette blanks into the search, and found these French made metal blanks.
Here is a Native American site’s metal blanks, French made barrettes included, and wow, anything on this page could be gorgeous laminated with polymer clay fabric.
Last, Dharma Trading offers some cool blanks originally for covering with silk to dye, but, they would also make great pendants, scarf slides, etc.
cant wait to see it!
very very interested
Really looking forward to this one. My Granddaughter is going to adopt this as her next favorite I am sure. Thank you both Cindy and Doug looking for ward to this set of tutorials.
wow that is so cool! I have made a couple of barrettes using the glue method, but as you rightly pointed out, one of them has already come apart. am looking fwd to getting “stuck” into this one. I am going to be in France in a couple of weeks so i may even some find French Barrettes in France.
Sandra J. are you going over with Dawn, Lorie and Kathy?
Wow a motor home trip through Europe is one of my dream trips! I have always wanted to go to Paris and I’d love to see it in an RV. Definitely on my bucket list! Do let us know about your adventure. We’d love to hear all about it!
certainly will. it is a dream come true for us. i didn’t think wed be able to do this until the kids have left home and we had retired. but thanks to hard work and a lot of research we are on our way. And we are able to take two of three teenagers with us. The eldest is at university so is unable to come.
no, my family are touring a bit of Europe in a motorhome. We fly to from Auckland, New Zealand to amsterdam next thursday and pick up the motorhome and travel our way down to paris, then thru the middle of france to italy and beyond. We are away for four weeks.
I don;t know those people anyway.
Sandy, have a wonderful trip. I really envy you traveling to all those marvelous places.
Hi Sandra,
I live in Paris and would be delighted to meet you if it is possible. Don’t hesitate to contact me !
Francine
i am so sorry to have missed this post! it would have been really neat to meet up with you. We have been back a month now, and it already feels like we never went away. We had a marvelous time seeing the sites and we adored the french country side. We do have plans to go back one day, so if you are still around, and i remember to, i will contact you.
Some really useful info there, Cindy! I don’t do “hair stuff” other than using a _plain_ ponytail holder for sport to ensure I can actually see (!), but the assembly techniques could be applied to all sorts of other things where glue might not hold permanently enough.
And for minimalists like me who wouldn’t want rivet ends or eyelets to be visible, I guess you could use the approaches demonstrated to attach a plain backing piece, and then put your decorative layer on top of that, covering everything you didn’t want to show. (I’m pretty sure the usual approach of applying a thin layer of liquid polymer clay to the cured-and-attached backing piece before applying the uncured decorative layer would give a strong enough bond once the combination was rebaked.)
Hi Cindy,
Loved this set of F.B. videos, (Yes Doug, got it with all your clues). Such a lot of priceless information and different techniques. Have always wanted to do silk screening, so a BIG thanks Cindy you made it look so easy.Love rivets, eyelets and other metal fasteners. Now have to decide what to make first. Also a neat way to use those canes that you haven’t made into beads….love it…….cheers xx…..
What fun I am going to have. I have done a few barrettes before but the glue did not hold and I gave up on that idea pretty quickly. My Granddaughter will be happy that she now gets more barrettes that will last longer.
Can you drill additional holes in the blanks? Just thinking of alligator clips…
You should be able to Karon. If the metal isn’t too hard you may even be able to use a metal hole punch like the EuroTool Power Punch or one of those screw down punches. Not sure if one of the plier-type metal hole punches would be strong enough though, since most hair clips would be made of steel.
Wow, another innovative problem solving technique, Cindy! Love all the designs!
For someone with thick heavy hair, I cannot count the number of over the counter stuff that cracked to bits when I squeezed to stay put for a few minutes. That’s regular store bought plastic, not precious purchased or gifted polymer clay art objects.
The combination of well baked well finished Premo, combined with the rivet/eyelet solution, is going to keep my hard work trying this worth the effort. Thanks for an ingenious solution, kemosabe.
Cannot wait to watch the series….
Cindy you are beyond amazing! How many books would I have to read to gain all the knowledge you have presented here? And then would I actually understand what I read??? It will be a while before I can get back to actually doing these techniques but it always gives me a lift to see what is new and read all the comments. Again, where would we get all this knowledge if not from our clay family. You are all so wonderful and generous. Love you all.
Joyce
Wow – this video set ifs FULL OF INFO!!. You are right -you made the mistakes so we don’t have to. Many thanks for that. What interesting ways of using your methods! Can’t wait to try them.
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE all of your videos. I have used so many in my projects – and will continue to watch FOREVER………..Ty to your whole team. I am addicted ( but in a good way LOL).
Lots of good ideas here. I’ve made a few barrettes with glue and pushing the top pc into the holes. On what did you bake the pieces to get the curve needed?
I just baked them flat Freda. Most designs will bend enough after baking to be attached just fine. If your particular design won’t bend after baking, you could just bake it on top of the barrette blank itself. They are metal and can handle being baked in the oven.
Love this! I really enjoyed the silk screening. Often wondered about trying that technique. Rivets are the way to go. I have made barrettes before and have been able to have good luck keeping them together. Pin backs are a challenge for me. I do cover the pin back with a thin layer of clay and blend it smooth where you barely see it. It is time consuming though and requires double baking. One question, when stringing the beads across the barrette, did you do that before you attached the barrette back to the clay piece?
You have to add the beads after you secure the eyelets Catalina, otherwise the wire would get in the way of the eyelet. It will make total sense once you make one. :)
Another grand slam Cindy! A while ago, I had given up on making Barrett’s because no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t find a way to keep them together! So thank you for doing this tutorial series.
On another note – not sure if all Michael’s Stores are doing this but they have ALL of their clay on sale for .87 !!
Thought I would pass that info on to everyone. It’s worth checking into.
Needles to say I just bought “every” last package of Premo they had left LOL.
A girl can’t have much clay can she? :)
Hi
I just got back from Michaels and stocked up on Premo clay they have it at .87cents for the 2o/z .
All their brands of clay is .87. Not sure how long this sale is .
Barb C
I got in on the Michaels sale here also in Iowa. .87 cents here too. Wow what a great price. Have never seen it that low. I bought out half the supply. If anyone is having a hard time finding the rivets and right size eyelets, I found them both on Etsy really reasonable.
Glad the sale is going on everywhere so we can all get in on this:). They had the clay marked as “clearance”@ 1.29 I guess alot of people went last week and bought at that price. Still had every color just limited amounts I think I landed up buying everything they had left in the Premo.
( people in line behind me were sighing as the girl rang up each block of clay individually lol )
I’m wondering now if the Michaels in my town is going to stop selling clay all together? I also picked up a few Lisa Palvelka items on clearance as well.
I looked for the rivets there also but didn’t find the size I needed. Thanks Dixie Ann for letting us know they are easy to find on Etsy!
What a great group we have here thanks to Cindy and Doug’s hard work !
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :D
Michaels is having a “Best Deal” sale all this week. It’s in their weekly circular, which is pretty standard across the US. Polymer clays are 87 cents each. Clays sell fast so if the rack is pretty empty when you go ask them if/when they get a restocking delivery this week and plan to go back then. A bunch of other items are on sale, e.g. some jewelry items are 40-55% off, and the Sizzix machine, which I believe Cindy used in a tutorial, is half off. (I don’t think this is a bad sign for clay at Michaels.)
If your store runs out of clay or doesn’t have enough you can do a Custom Special Order. You will get the sale price and you can order as little or as much as you want! Plus you can get an additional discount if you order over $50 and another discount when you order over $100!!! It will only take two weeks, or less, to receive your order. I did this a few weeks ago because my store had all the clay stolen!! Third time since Christmas!! I have never seen clay this cheap, so stock up now and have fun!
Yea, I went a little crazy at Michaels. That’s a great deal on the Premo clay. I’m scared to look at the deals for the rest of the week.
If anyone is looking for some molds for barettes, Liza Pavelka has some nice bracelet molds that work great for the barettes.
I found mine in the PC aisle up over the clay. There are 4 styles in each one. I got mine with the Michaels 50% off coupon but since my birthday is coming up this Sunday I went back and slurged and bought myself the other one. I want to try and cover some pens but don’t know where to get the best ones to do this. Does anyone have any advice on where to look? I haven’t a clue where to start.
I think this is funny how you all are taking about making pens while I am preparing for next month’s tutorial about making pens and other items using a new Faux Burlwood technique I have developed! Stay Tuned!!
Sorry Doug… I guess since I spilled the beans, there won’t be any need for your dueling poetry session with Elaine this month, giving away clues to the next tutorial. You were so clever too!
Yeah!!!! I would like to see how you tackle the “pen” issue!! Just made one today! Now, I can’t wait for next month!! Because Even though I have been making these for a while I know I will learn somethig new!!
Oh wow Cindy, that is fabulous. I might just as well wait until then. I was going to try and wing it but this way I’ll get a tutorial that will show me the right way. How wonderful, you just always seem to be in tune with us.
Dixie Ann,
Depends on which pen you want. If you want the “bic” pen type ebay has some great deals.
I use the slim line barrel type that was originally made for wood turning. More expensive but nicer
results and a more “quality” pen . I get mine at the woodworking store – Woodcrafters. They have many styles and most of the time I get them on sale and order fifty each of the pen and pencils. I do turning as well as the polymer clay. These pens require some additional tools such as a pen press. I am lucky enough to have all of that, as I was doing woodworking before polymer clay. Amazing that the techniques and knowledge of other crafts are so transferable to this medium.
Karonkay, can you give me the order no. or pen description of the one you order? I would like to try it. Thanks Doll.
What good advice Karonkay! My brother made me a pen/pencil set out of wood and wondered about using clay with them. I need to work on my cane techniques before I graduate to these.
The “bic” pens work great! I made a few a few years ago and use them at work. They hold up really well. I even had to replaced the ink in them. I can’t lose them either. They always show back up if I miss place them. Everyone knows they are my clay pens :) and pens are so scarce at work.
I would like to be able to wear mine around my neck on a lanyard but the pen will mark up my clothes. Maybe Cindy will find a way to make a cap!! (Hint, hint) :)
Dixie Ann,
For my husband’s pen I used “El Grande Rollerbal pen- #144632- blanks and for mine I use American Classic ball point- slimline pen- #3123108. I will put a hastily taken picture of the two on Cindy’s FB page. BTW the part # is for woodcrafters… you can get them other places also I am sure. If you get the corresponding arbors for the different pens it will help you make the clay thin enough or fat enough to exactly match the pens, otherwise you are guessing at how thick or thin you should make the clay.
You will also need the pen press to fit the parts together snugly. You make me want to get out my penn blanks and make a few. But am knee deep again in flowers. Have fun!
well guess I have not posted pics in awhile cause I went to do it but cannot remember where to post them. My feeble mind somehow remembers that we are not supposed to post to her FB page but cannot remember were TO post them.LOL HELP
Hi Karonkay – The Members Photo Gallery Page at Facebook is in fact the place to post your pics.
Dixie Ann
I just made a bunch of pens for Christmas gifts for my husbands secretaries at his job. I used the BIc Stic pen it worked great! Apparently BIc used to make a white pen which I believe is discontinued but I used the blue ones they area making now. I picked up a pack of 10 at the Dollar Store for a $1.00. They didn’t melt which was my worry. They turned out great. The girls can change out the ink in them by just picking up cheap pens from anywhere now and changing it out.
Hope this helps!
Thanks Doug. I did the search thing and found the post Cindy put there to show us how Glad to know you are always there behind the scenes to help – just in case.
Dixie Ann the picture is posted on FB ,,, not good picture but wanted you to see the difference in the two pens. David likes the fatter pens and I like the slimline. But the roller ball is wonderful. He has used it so long that he has had to replace the filler which is readily available at Walmart.
Thanks KarenKay, those pens are just beautiful. You did an amazing job on them, just like you did your flowers. I don’t really want to have to buy something else to put them together. I would prefer for my first one to just be able to unscrew them and cover them and then screw them back together. Susan mentioned Bic Stick pens but I don’t care for that brand. The Art Museum was very interested in the pens so I would want something with a little more quality but not so expensive if I buy them in quantity. Thanks for posting the pictures, you are a wonderful artist.
Dixie Ann try Boston Clay …sorry can’t remember the rest maybe some body will pop in and fill in the last word for us
—–any way they carry a type that doesn’t require a pen press – you will need a rubber hammer and a bit of wood
Boston Clay Works? Read somewhere that they have been cutting back lately, and Penn Industries has better selection. Think Cindy mentioned it on Tonya’s FB site.
BCWs used to have a huge veneerable inventory, sad if the economy caused this.
Yikes, just remembered those links….will do….
Hi Cindy, thank you for helping get my credit card updated. I love your tutorials and don’t want to miss or lose any of them.
Hi Cindy – your invitation to ask for possible future tutorials prompted me to ask if it would be possible to have a tute on photopolymer plates. Now that professional texture sheets are becoming so expensive this would be a fantastic way to produce our own.
Just arrived back from Florida after a long illness and recuperation, managed to buy loads of stuff from Michaels, Hobby Lobby, et al, for which I would have had to pay high S/H rates to the UK, but I couldn’t find Future floor polish anywhere. Looks as if I’ll have to find something else. But while writing, just thought I’d pass on my experience with Future for anyone who might not be aware: I bought a bottle of Future some years ago but as I would have to carefully preserve it I decided to dangle my beads over a shallow dish in order to catch the precious polish.After I’d finished, I was delighted with the effect, but. anxious not to lose any. I poured the polish back into the bottle. To my utter dismay I watched helplessly as the liquid in the bottle separated!!! I couldn’t believe it, I had only been using it on polymer clay but I’d lost the lot. If I’d known what would happen I would have put a small amount in a separate container, but hindsight is 20/20 vision as they say. When I thought I had a chance of buying more in America (Amazon.com stock it but won’t ship to the UK) I rushed to the supermarkets in several towns only to find it no longer exists. I hope anyone who still has some Future will find this helpful.
My thanks to you Cindy, for the wonderful service you and Doug provide. I have been avidly watching your tutorials but in no state to respond until now.
Marion
Hi Marion, hope you are feeling a little better, I haven’t done much since Christmas as my treatment leaves me exhausted, but hoping to start again soon. I too would love Cindy to do a tutorial on photoplymer plates.
Been busy making molds using plaster of Paris and have had loads of different advice on what to coat them with to stop the raw clay sticking. I know I can use repel gel but as these are quite large wondering if anyone out there has any other cheaper medium that they use? Any suggestions would be very welcome…cheers xx….
I have not ever tried to make a mold from plaster of Paris Elaine so I don’t have any tested advice to give you. Could you try a good solid layer of cornstarch on your clay first? Maybe that would help keep it from sticking to the plaster? Just a guess.
Hi Elaine
Thanks for your kind reply. I do hope your treatment is less exhausting now, I know how difficult it can be to try even simple daily tasks.
Yes, I don’t get tired as quickly now, so I can get a little housework done and spend some time claying. But not long enough for me I get very impatient. Learning to ‘pace yourself’ is something I’ve found very hard. I constantly think I can continue with whatever I’m doing only to discover too late that I can’t!!
I saw a rather inferior video on making photopolymer plates on YouTube and immediately thought how much better a Cindy video on this topic would be! I am always dismayed to find how expensive texture sheets are, but with the (often extortionate) S/H cost to the UK it just becomes unavailable for this senior citizen. Anyway, as you will see lower down this page, Cindy has now put this topic on her list of videos to do!! I am so thrilled, and I hope you’ll find that this will solve your problems in making your own texture sheets. I’ve already bought a couple of sheets, and was pleasantly surprised at their modest cost. This was from a UK source but I’m you will find no end of suppliers in the USA where craftwork is so much further ahead than we are, although we are catching up, slowly….!.
Kind regards – Marion
Hi Marion, it is wonderful to hear from you again!! It has been a while. I know you really like Future Floor finish, but have you tried the Renaissance Wax yet? I think it is far superior to Future any way, so it may just be a blessing in disguise that you are no longer able to source it. The Ren Wax is way easier to apply and has a lovely sheen to it. Here is the link to the video if you haven’t seen it yet: Renaissance Wax For Finishing Polymer Clay
As far as the Photo Polymer Tutorial, that is a great idea!! To make the photo polymer plates you need to have a UV Light Oven, which many of us have for curing the UV resin anyway, so it would be great to use it for this as well. It is such an awesome way to create your own reusable designs for stamping clay as well as paper.
I will add it to the list!
Hi Cindy – Sorry for the delay in replying to your kind message. I seem to be in constant catch-up since being ill. Last year was awful, even the weather joined in – we didn’t get a summer last year! Anyway, thank you so much for your reply, I am so delighted to hear you have put the photopolymer plates on your list. Your videos are so superior to anything else I’ve seen and I look forward impatiently to seeing your take on it. I saw one video on YouTube but it wasn’t a patch on yours, and the recording didn’t have the same degree of visibility that Doug always manages to achieve.. Yours is going to be fantastic, I just know it!
And thanksalso for the ‘heads-up’ on Ren Wax. I will definitely be getting some!
As one of your earlier members can I also just say that the videos you produce are even better now than when I first joined, with each monthly group being in such depth and giving so much information and tips on method, technique and background info. When you first switched to “1 a month” I didn’t know how I was going to cope with the disappointment of not having my ‘fix’ every Friday, but it has worked out so well. So glad I didn’t quit at that time!!
My thanks again to you and Doug. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right! Way to go! Marion
Hi Marion, my sister just moved to Daytona Beach and is telling me I should come over. Not possible this year but perhaps next. I would love to visit all the craft shops Cindy gets her supplies from, so will start making a list.
Ren wax is great, so easy to use but I still use my bottle of “Future” on tiny fiddly beads. I got it in Sainsburys but it is called KLEAR by Pledge a multi- surface wax for brilliant floor shine made by Johnson. I got mine last year and bought two as not sure if it is still available. Too precious to use on “FLOORS”. Thanks for your suggestion of polyphoto plates, I have been wanting to learn this technique for ages. So glad Cindy is going to teach us, shes the best so will wait eagerly for this one as have my UV light and glad it can now mulitask. Its great for silver-clay too. Keep well….cheers xx….
Hi Elaine
You don’t know how lucky you are to be near so many craft stores, some of which I managed to visit during our stay in Florida. Sadly they don’t seem to ship overseas – at least Michael’s don’t.
I didn’t know you had Sainsburys (a UK store) in the USA! I could have checked it out for the floor polish. I have seen KLEAR (with Future) on Amazon.co.uk, but when I looked at the reviews most people seemed to agree that it was nowhere near as good as Future was, so it put me off. Maybe I should try it and see if it works. Meanwhile, I’ve sent off for some Ren.Wax, following Cindy’s suggestion, and am anxious now for it to arrive.
Your pending trip to your sister in Daytona Beach sounds ideal, time to just relax and do some ‘girlie stuff’, and check the local craft stores. Is it very far from where you live? We found that distances in the US are so vast that it can take hours to travel what looks like a narrow piece of land, e.g. Florida!! We travelled from Miami to Naples and the road just went on forever! Your long roads remind me of video driving games where the distant hills never change!
Have a great weekend.
Marion
Thank you so much Marion for saying that about our videos improving over time. That means a lot to both Doug and I!
It sometimes am surprised myself at how far we have come. So many different pieces of the puzzle have been improving bit by bit. The camera work is better. The HD quality in wide screen format. The new look and feel of the title bars and end screens. The beautiful pictures of the projects that Doug takes. The larger more in depth projects. Are all things I can see have gotten better over the years. And I think I sound more comfortable and more upbeat than in those first videos. I guess after 382 videos, we were bound to get better at it. :)
I hope we can keep getting better as time goes on. It is important to always be moving forward, never back. It pleases me to no end that you have stuck around with us through all these years. I am glad that you have kept your passion for polymer clay, even through all your difficult time with illness.
Polymer clay has held my interest longer than any other artistic medium out there ever has. Looks like it has done the same for you!
Hi everyone
Glad all the holidays are over so I can get back to working with my clay. I have down about 50-70 barrettes using E 6000 glue but this riviting looks great Nd more sturdy.
Have been using many of my canes for the designs.. One nifty one use scrape from the Pirate. And and it looks like marble…..
Also I started teaching a regular beading class’s at my local senior center( 2 class so far) first class we made memory wire bracelets with a cool string of multi Color small …stones that were on sale at ACMoore and I told them they could purchase my hands e beads for an cars fee … One bought one for $3 … Was a blue and green elongated beads…. It made me feel good……
This week we made a necklace using more stands of the same beads … They love seeing the. Ecklace and daring I made from polymer clay that just happened to match the colors of their beads…..the center is thinking of getting me a toaster oven by the summer so I can teach polymer clay classes…. My few student (3-5) right now seem very interested…. I did tell them that for clAss in the future( polymer clay or regular jewelry making) they will be given a list of suies that they would have to purchase for the classes…/ they did seem to mind with that idea… If I keep doing all the loop making a joining everything to the chains for them it will take me toooo long…. As it is it took atleast an hour to finish of everyone necklace this week. Glad I’m only doing this once a month …. It gives me time to th k up new projects to do with them… That enough talking for now.
OH …Micheals has the Premo clay on sale for $.88 until Saturay … Hope d edhomd has time to bulk up the supply.. Rigt now I have enough… I hope
Again take care everone
Natalie aka Sacti
Hello Natalie! It’s good to hear your voice. If you do try the riveting on your barrettes, let us know how it goes for you. I would love to hear if it made an improvement to the quality of your pieces and if you had more sales as a result.
Cindy, your videos are well done and informative and probably the best I have see. I like that you explain everything from start to finish and your knowledge is vast. I will definitely be sending people your way.
Cindy – I am finding your videos very informative, and wish I could just stay home from work to play with clay all day. Thank you for keeping your prices very reasonable.
I am doing this for a second time, because I wasn’t logged in when I left the previous message. I need to find instructions for doing a ‘sliding’ closure. It is a sort of macrame’ technique where the knots create a sliding closing on your piece. I don’ t know how else to describe it, and I may have seen it somewhere else. I cold check you-tube, but don’t know how to search for it.
Kelly Beavers
Kelly, Cindy had the sliding closing in the tutorial where she made the celtic pendant. Just go to the search bar and type in sliding cord closure. Something will pop up for you.
Hi Kelly, Dixie Ann is correct. Here is the link to the tutorial if you need it: Celtic Heart Necklace
Note to Marion..
..I live in Essex in the U.K. but love going across the pond, where I first discovered Polymer clay. I used to buy online from the States but now with postage and customs duty I buy from UK sites. Just ordered 5 pen blanks, costing about £2 each including postage as been waiting for this tutorial for ages
I love that Cindy really listens to her members and covers every important detail of each step so we finish up with an item of quality. I look at some of the stuff I had made B.C. (before Cindy) and know that without finding this great site there my venture into PC would have been over. I am now proud of my AC (after Cindy) items and although I have practically every PC book that has been published, Cindy has that special way that makes it easy to follow instructions, and Doug’s camera work is excellent. Have started claying again for craft fair in July and also have been asked to put a show case in a local charity shop with a percentage going to the charity. Well off now to see if I have all the colors to mix up my first Faux Burl Wood veneer. Keep well…..cheers xx…….
Hi Elaine
Sorry, I assumed you were in the USA! Essex is a little distance from where I live in Surrey, but it’s great to hear that you are also in the UK! I am with you re postage rates from the US. Being able to make trips across ‘the pond’ every few years and checking out their craft stores is like being let loose in Aladdin’s Cave! Meanwhile, we have a few more websites to order from, have you seen ‘Clayaround’? Penny is very ambitious to get as much stuff as possible from the USA, I’ve been very impressed by her range and her encouragement.
Congratulations on the show case you’ve been asked to produce. That’s fantastic! You must be making great progress. Well done, keep it up! Any pictures?
I agree with everything you say about Cindy and Doug. They certainly are a very talented pair. They not only create these amazing videos with wonderful close-work that makes it so easy to see, they have also created an atmosphere which is so friendly and helpful; each time I get an e-mail from Cindy I feel very honoured, she takes so much trouble to make everyone feel welcome.
Maybe we can meet up at a show at some future time, you never know….
bfn – Marion
Hi Marion
yep I use Penny’s site for a lot of my supplies I also use DougArts, he has a good range of clays and delivery either overnight or next day. Important when you are in the middle of a project and run out of a color. Free postage when you spend over £30.
I will have to be very nice to my sister in Florida as sometimes a particular item is not available in UK and if I send her the discount coupons for Michaels from the mags I buy I am hoping a couple of her friends will bring them over when they visit the UK..
She has just started with polymer clay, after me sending her and her three daughters jewelry. She didn’t think you could do the things I sent her. Clover, Sweet Pea and Tulip earrings for the girls and a red/white paisley pattern bracelet for her
Now her youngest daughter has booked a booth at the local farmers market and they all all busy crafting. She does amazing bags using fabric paint and micro beads. The other daughter makes cookies, brownies and cake- pops, so cannot wait to see how they all get on
I love Surrey as a county, my parents lived near Tunbridge Wells for a while and eldest daughter near Haslemere a few years ago. We were always motoring on M25 to visit them. Would be good to meet up one day. Sorry my photo ability is rubbish and I don’t do Facebook or any social network sites, not very good with anything remotley techy. DH has complete control of remotes for TV DVD etc. I wouldn’t even know how to switch on!!!! Well sun is out after a storm, so no need to water my seedlings…horay…..Best wishes……………………….Elaine xx
Sorry, I keep starting to reply, but then something happens and I have to stop! Let’s see how far I get this time!
Amazing, I’ve also been sending polymer clay and tools to my niece hoping to get her started before she gets much older. Your young niece sounds like a budding entrepreneur, setting up a booth at the farmers market for crafting! I hope she is the only one offering her particular items, sounds like she will be a great business woman!
Lucky you to have someone send you stuff, some overseas companies appear to make their profit from the postage they charge! But I wish Michael’s would sell on-line! I wonder why they don’t? There’s a ready-made market over here for what they offer. The stores selling craft stuff in the UK appear to be very few and getting fewer, unlike the USA. I used to visit the states a lot when my husband still worked for the airline and I was always surprised by the number of craft stores and beading shops. It’s all taken so much for granted, and people who pursue polycraft push the limits to achieve amazing results. In truth, while I can see how clever their designs are, I wouldn’t want to wear some of them! More than once I’ve made something after seeing a challenging design, only to think once I’d finished it that I couldn’t wear it.
I also have a small library of polymer books. Have you noticed, or is it just me, that most books seem to be divided between beginners or those who are quite advanced. There is a dearth of books for the intermediate clayer, an obvious gap in the market and I wonder why so few have tried to fill this gap. Those who do write with intermediate people in mind are tending to concentrate on one particular technique, and the books are not cheap!
I used to be a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’, flitting between craft subjects, never staying long enough to really get into the topic. And then I found Cindy! – and everything changed. It has been a real eye-opener for me, and now I’m really getting into it. I had a bit of a hiccup last year, but that’s in the past now, thank The Lord!
Like you, I also don’t ‘do’ social networks, ever since I read (Daily Mail) a couple of months ago that any photos, graphics, interesting stuff, became their property which they intended to sell to advertisers. But I suppose I am a bit of a ‘techy’ as I write websites, again for friends, but also for our village. This is taking a back seat now though as I want to get into polyclay more and spend less time stuck in front of this monitor!
I’m not interested in selling stuff, I did the self-employed bit for 20 years so I’ve got the t-shirt and the DVD!. I just like making things for family and friends. I get a real kick out of seeing their delight
Yes, I am happy living in ‘leafy; Surrey too; we built our own house and have been living here now for 38 years! Our grown-up ‘children’ are still fancy free and enjoying life too much to settle down. And that M25 is something else, right? ‘The largest car park in the world’ – ?
Just had a long Skype-chat with my daughter who is returning to England next Tuesday! Can’t wait! It will be so great to have her back here again.
Take care – Marion
Hi Marion,
Loved reading about your life and agree with you about PC in UK. Still things take about ten years to be popular here from UK. When I had my little craft shop many moons ago, card making, journals and other crafts enjoyed in US were unheard of. It took all of 2 months to decide to open half the shop as a Florist and do wedding, funeral and other flowery items. Nearest decent florist was three miles away and I had worked there for a few years so had plenty of contacts and helpful advise from my old boss. But I digress, Like you did many crafts too numerous to mention, taught silver clay for a while and ceramics but now PC has taken over. Love that Cindy has taught us so many different things other than jewelry (spelt the American way) Great techniques for French Barrettes as most of my many nieces have lovely long hair so guess who will be wearing my creations in, Australia, Japan, Germany, France and N. and S. America. The nephews will get PC covered pens. All smallish items so not too expensive to post. Just had fouth phone call but very nice to hear no. 1 daughter from France ans she could be over in a couple of days, if my son-in-law can spare her. Just heard that my short story didn’t win any prizes so will not become another J. K. R. but who needs fame n fortune. Well tea break over, loved your remark about the biggest car park, we were stuck there for ages a few years ago and it took 2 days to reach my sister who lives in Wales, (Usually at most an eight hour journey.) Well tea-break over, back to packing….cheers xx…..
Thanks Elaine for your sweet comments! I love your BC and AC references. I am so glad that I was able to help you to improve your work. I would love to see pictures. BC and AC… I think that would be fun to see! I’m pleased to see you are well enough to start creating again. Hope the craft fairs bring you a nice chunk of change… there are always more clay supplies to buy, isn’t there?
Yes Cindy, most of the cash I make goes straight back into a “must-have” but good to know I have a “kitty” and only occasionally ask for expensive tools etc. for birthday gifts
. I never did get my JoolTool as the lady who was selling it had a family death, and everything came to a halt and didn’t charge me enough shipping. My laptop crashed and I couldn’t get in touch. To cut a long story short I asked for a refund. So I will have to wait till someone starts stocking them here in the UK
On my long list of things to do is to take amazing photos (like Willow) I know one day I will master that skill. My daughter (in Australia) took heaps of photos of my miniature foods, and I have asked her to send them to me as an attachment, as have sold them all, so have no reference. Perhaps when she comes for her next visit she will have time to sit me down and teach me.
I made four different colored faux burl wood canes and just love them. Now waiting for my supplies to make some pens, whoopy!!!…..cheers xx…………………………
Hi Elaine
Many thanks for your newsy reply. You seem to have the world pretty much covered, with all your daughters/nieces living all over. Great to keep in touch with what’s going on in different countries. My daughter arrived home on Tuesday, she was a bit bemused to find 11 degrees with a chill in the air and overcast skies after having left Florence with 24 degrees and brilliant sunshine! But she’s happy to be home. The trouble with teaching English as a foreign language is that language schools don’t pay much. I guess they rely on back-packers if they’re ‘mother-tongue-English’, who move on after a few weeks. Someone who stays and tries to make a life on it, is something else. The last college she worked offered her E10 an hour, which isn’t much to start with given all the lesson plans etc expected. When she asked if they would be paying tax, their response was, “If you want tax paid it comes out of your wage”. That’s the Italian view all over. Inevitably, she’s run out of money having to support herself from savings and so had no alternative.
Our son arrives today, and the weekend will be one big celebration as my husband reaches 70. Hope the weather will be kind.
Yes, you are so right about Cindy; I am constantly amazed at how much information Cindy passes on; I’ve been messing around with PC for some years but she still manages to bring up subjects that seem quite basic until we hear what Cindy has to add. And to be still doing the videos after 4 years is amazing. When I first joined (approx 2/3 years ago) I said I wondered if she’d be able to keep this up; she assured me she would and she has!- and continues to do so. I am so delighted to be part of her ‘family’ and hope to be able to get back into it properly again. So many things seem to have happened over the past year, some not so great, that I’ve been forced to put PC on the back-burner and only keep in touch by watching her videos.
I envy you being so much further ahead, but I’m gettin’ there!
Here’s hoping we get an actual summer this year! – and if you bump into spring on your travels please remind him that it’s his watch!
Cheers xx………..
Loved covering the hair barrettes. This was so much fun and I got a little crazy decorating them. This is next to the largest size barrette so I am going to get some smaller sizes and see what kind of damage I can do with them. :)
Like I said on Facebook, your barrettes turned out awesome Dixie Ann! I especially love the 2nd one on the top row with the dark green calla lily shaped flowers on it. There is something earthy and elegant about it. Thanks for posting your pics!
Hi Cindy: I’ve run into a problem. The eyelets are too short or I made the clay too thick … do eyelets come in longer sizes or are they all standard length? (I did notice they do have different diameters though, from looking online …)
Hi Maria, Amazon has the longer eyelets as well. It is always a good idea to pre-test the eyelets you have against the clay before you bake it. It is easier to adjust the thickness of the clay than to find the right sized eyelets. Hope you were able to find something that will work for you.
Marion, here is a site (VolcanoArts) that provides extra long eyelets in several metal colors.
Hope this helps.
Thank you, Jocelyn – but the link isn’t working …
Maria
Hi Maria – the link is fixed now.
thank you Cindy and Jocelyn ; Wowsa! I am astounded by the variety of sizes these things come in! Michaels only seems to have the 3.1 mm(I think that’s what it was, anyway) size…
You’re absolutely right Cindy – “test before you bake”
a motto we should all have written in big letters above our work-spaces ….
Dixie, I am so delighted with my birthday gift! I got it just a day or so after I ordered it, and I love it, and the packaging and the display card you designed. It is expertly finished and so wonderful because this is the one barrette that holds all my hair up securely. Received many compliments on it today at a meeting.
Folks who’d like to see it can go to Cindy’s Facebook site and see a pic of all of Dixie’s wonderful barrettes, I chose the one on the top row, furthest right, the “Flying Geese” quilt cane design. It’s a gorgeous dark blue base that goes with most of the outfits I wear.
I will cherish this and wear it frequently this summer. Thanks, Dixie!
Hi All
Yesterday I finished making a beautiful ‘cane end’ twisted mirror piece from an old turq and browns k-cane to use as an adornment on a barrette – it turned out awesome—I just Love the look you get by doing it this way
But – decided to use a bookmark that a customer broke as a ‘test’ first it’s the aqua and green barrette that I put on Cindy’s facebook last night
I’m So Glad I did not drill a hole in my ‘good’ piece ( the aqua/brown) before I tested out the 1/16th drill bit (the smallest I have) Cuz it is too big….anyway if you look at the flip side picture you can see where I had to make it ‘work’ by making some little hammered circles to hold on to the rivets I made using video 039-3 Wire Riveting Intro – also the 16ga wire was copper-colored with aluminum guts wow is that stuff soft:)
So now I’m on the prowl for some tiny drill bits, as far as the hole at the end where the bookmark’s tassel used to be – I probably stick a rhinestone over it:)
Another way to save it would be to try and order the eyelets again… that might be best at this point— Or get some real 16ga copper wire:/
This project is amazing Cindy, I love the way you guys separated the videos – very logical – so many tips in just this one tutorial – for 3 bucks !! what a deal!!
I agree … the price of these tutorials is ridiculous — Cindy and Doug don’t read this! : )
|-) … that’s me with my eye closed.
Doug
TY – I laughed SO loudly when I saw what you did
it sounded like a pig snorting thank goodness I’m alone at the moment or that would have been embarrassing :)
Sherry you did a great job on the barrette. It looks stunning. That was a terrific idea on attaching it with the extra little pieces of copper. Nice going. A lot of times when I want the same color metal I will use a sharpie and color over it. It works really good. You can also use some silver, gold, or bronze leaf. I love the cane slices you used!
Sherry I forgot to mention if you are looking for some tiny drill bits, you might check out a hobby store. They have Box Car Hobbies here in Cedar Rapids and they have every size drill bit down to the very tiny ones made. I bought mine there and got to buy them individually. Also Dremel sells a set of drill bits 1/8″ down ot teeny tiny. Good luck.
Hi Dixie
thank you hon:) I’ll look for the dremel bits…and I ‘think’ there is a mini train type hobby store near one of mama’s doctors – I’ll stop in there soon
so the sharpie ink will stay on the wire all by it’s self or do you have to do anything special?
It probably will eventually wear off as with other inks but on the little bit for the barrette I would’nt lose any sleep over it. However, if you are a real stickler, give it a shot of PYMII or dab a little clear acrylic on those spots.
:)
Success Dixie :D
the train hobby store had every little dremel bit anyone would ever need at $1.59:)
I just can’t seem to move on from this tutorial
In the picture (that I’ll post at Cindy’s fb page soon) you can see this small 2 x 2 inch square K-cane slice that I made 5 or so years ago to decorate a flower bud vase…well that was pre-Cindy & it’s strip that held it to the vase broke – I left this piece in the window to see if the sun would do any damage to the colors – no damage:) btw it has been recurred for a whole hour, sanded, buffed & ren waxed
Anyway I wear my hair up a lot and am always looking for different ways to do that-so I thought why not make this into a pony tail holder cover-upper (?) you know so the elastic band doesn’t show…used the 1 1/2 inch barrette clip and Cindy’s nail head technique
It is such a nice feeling knowing it Will Last & Not Fall Apart —- Thank you so much for giving us that feeling so many times through so many of your tutorial:)
This is the first set of tutorials I’ve had a chance to watch since probably March when my husband and I bought our first home. We got married in June so it’s been a REALLY busy year. I have to say….it’s good to be back with Cindy Lietz and all the other clayers!!! Wowza, this tute is AMAZING! It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for and I can’t wait to start experimenting. Cindy – great job, you outdo yourself with every tute!
First question (I’m sure there will be more): Could I use scrapbooking brads to secure the barrette to the clay? Instead of folding them over, I could use a needle nose pliers and roll them? Has anyone tried that?
Hi Karen! Good to have you back, but, it sounds like your life has been a wonderful whirlwind. Congrats on your marriage!
I think you could probably use the longer office style brads but you’d need to make sure that you get plenty of anchorage on the reverse side by having them long enough when you bent them. The clay and the barrette are a thick package. Also, would cover the reverse points in a blob of polymer clay so that they didn’t snag your hair.
The rounded surface of the brad would sure look pretty, so try one and see how it goes. Do let us know as well. Think that’s a neat way to cross purpose materials. All best.
Hi everyone,
I’ve had a chance to experiment with the brads and I’m happy to say they are working out! I have used large ones and small ones (I’d attach a pic but I”m not sure how on here). I’ve both flattened them on the back and curled them under and they both look nice. I’ve tried them out in my hair and have rubbed my fingers and hands all over them at every angle and they don’t cut or get caught in hair. I have to say I do like the look of the eyelet best (haven’t tried this one out yet, I just got my eyelets in the mail) but the brads have worked wel l so far for me.
Anyone else experimenting with that? I’d love to hear how others’ are coming along!
Karen, that sounds wonderful. I am curious as to how you are getting the brads through the barrette hole? Where are you getting your brads? I have not used them simply because the ones I get at michaels don’t fit through the barrette hole. :)
Hi Dixie Ann!
The brads I’m using are Recollections brand from Michaels – economy set #5 I think (4 metallic colors, two sizes each). The barrette blanks are cheap ones I got at Hobby Lobby near the jewelry section to use while I practice. I thought the hole sizes would be pretty much standard but maybe not. I’ve only had two instances where I’ve had to coerce the brad into the hole but I took my flat nose pliers and squeezed it ever so slightly and that worked. It didn’t curve it, but it took the edge of the squeeze.
That’s great Karen to hear that the brads are working for you as an alternative to the eyelets! Thanks for coming back and sharing your results with us!
I’ve found that after baking (at 260-275 for an hour) sometimes my layers “pop off” of each other after I bend the piece ever so slightly to put the barrette on. Nothing has come completely off but I had leaves separate from the center flower. For 3 dimensional pieces, I always use my roller and roll over it a few times before baking to make sure pieces are well stuck together. Should I get in the habit of using bake and bond on 3d pieces? Would that make a difference?
Thanks all!
Karen
So glad you have had success with the Michaels Recollection series brad, which I can not query up on their site to get a pic. Would love it if you could put a pic up on Cindy’s FB site so we could see what you have accomplished.
I was thinking more along the office product line of brads, so that you’d get the extra length to bend over and get the support you need. Here is a link some different types.
Some of these puppies are extra long and thus, will give you the tightness you need to hold the package together under stress when you roll or bend the brad legs. If they are too long, you can certainly clip them shorter.
As a test, surely try the glue, especially a Loctite or Lisa Palveka super glue to bond them prior to adding the brads. If they still pop undone, then maybe moving to a long brad with the legs to hold it firmly might be the answer.
Love your trick of bending the brad the long way to to get it through the barrette package and the finding.
Wish you the best of luck.
I’m so happy that Cindy Lietz taught us how to secure barrettes without glue or clay:) I can now sell these without worry!
Sherry, I so apologize for the delay in posting this, I lost two dear friends/neighbors, both younger men, in a weeks time the week after Christmas, and until recently have been pretty down. Staring at the those empty windows is so hard, and they left me as the only non elderly person in the complex.
Seems always, polymer clay brings me back to “life.” LOL!
Yesterday, I wore your wonderful sunset toned pixelated retro cane barrette to an appt where they look for my polyclay stuff, and was swarmed by staff, nurses and Drs who were amazed by it’s beauty. It has a lovely texture, which reflects the light. For those of you who wish to see the technique sample click on the link in Sherry’s comment above mine, it’s in the lower left corner of the photo.
About a month ago, with Christmas gift money, I was able to purchase three of Sherry’s barrettes and they are all exquisitely finished and gorgeous. The next is made of a blue shaded cane, a technique I can’t identify, but it makes me think of a Monet painting. The last is an oval shaped black and white cane design that to me rings “African.”
They have the smaller French metal barrette findings, which is perfectly sized for when I need my hair up pulled up from the sides and left long in the back.
I searched through all your pictures on FB, Cindy’s FB, etc. and I couldn’t find a picture of them, but, in the process of searching, am just totally stunned by the perfection of your work. If you do have pics of stuff done with the cane patterns I have, please put up a link so that others can see it.
I would love to know how you created the pattern on the blue barrette. For all interested in seeing more of Sherry’s work, this album on her FB page is fabu: facebook.com/sherry.lewis.7568/photos_all
Thank you so much Sherry! I love them.
Bless your heart Jocelyn, that is so very sad -no wonder you have been down hearted
(just so you know you never have to apologize to me for anything, ever)
the note you sent to me was very special and I will keep it always
((((hug))))
The reason I came up with these is because I keep my hair long enough to pull it up and off my neck (surgically induced menopause about 12 or so years ago and with that you get the Dreaded Hot Flash lol) any way when Cindy showed us how to make barrettes that didn’t fall apart — I was off and running – Still wanted to be able to use the no-metal hair elastics (less metal/better for my hair)
…. So my idea was, by using the smallest barrette clips I could find I was able to pull my hair up into a ponytail with an elastic and attach the barrette clip just above the elastic band (with just a small amt of hair in contact with the metal) there by hiding the band and dressing up my ponytail a bit
and I’ll go find the picture I made for you to chose from and post them — take good care my friend:)
okey dokey, it’s posted;)
Yep, it is, and thanks!
For folks who want to see, my oval barrettes come from the middle row…..first pic.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
Cindy,
Where do you find the linger eyelets. All of them that I have been able to find are too small (short) to extend past the barrette and the clay piece. I have done the clay at a #5 thickness on my new Atlas machine which is 2 playing cards thick. I have checked rings and Things, ArtBeads and Amazon as well as my local Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Joann’s. Thanks for the info.
Hi Beth I got mine at Michaels… but it sounds like you are having trouble finding them there. Here is a link I found on Amazon
that has a pack with several sizes of these eyelets. Hope that helps!
Thank you for link. i have made several barrettes using some of the techniques I have learned while watching your videos. I have made rainbow barrettes, translucent and ghost cane ones too. Now I can finish them and when I do I’ll see if I can post a picture or too. Ordered them today, so Saturday will be assembly day after my package gets here.
Could you tell me about the heat gun for the fairy light project. Where would I find one?
Are there different sizes etc.?
Thank you
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn M, I’ll jump in here and answer your question on heat guns.
You can find them in just about any craft store including Michaels, Joanns, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, etc; They are basically all the same size but are made by different manufacturers. They all do the same thing and that is to give you quick hot heat. They are much hotter than a hair dryer and the package will tell you what it’s uses are for. Hope that helps.
Thanks Dixie Ann! Oh just to add Kathryn, you can also get larger heat guns at the hardware store for stripping paint, but they get too hot and can bubble your clay very easily unless you are very careful. The smaller ones at the craft stores are better. They are usually called heat embossing tools and can be found in the Scrapbooking section where the inks and embossing powders are.
Cindy,
I wanted to suggest a different way to clean the adhesive off the stencils. I came upon this when I bought a set of the Paisley Martha Stewart stencils. They were very intricate and difficult to get the adhesive off with the paper towel and alcohol method you described. I picked up a bottle of Goo Gone at the dollar store and paced the stencils into a small coated paper bowl. Then I added a small amount of Goo Gone to the bowl.I let them sit for a couple of minutes, then removed them one at a time, rubbing the adhesive sides between my fingers gently to remove any remaining adhesive. I placed them on a piece of paper towel while I did the rest of the stencils.. I then used a touch of Dawn dish-washing liquid to clean any remaining Goo Gone off the stencils and rinsed in warm water and dried with a paper towel. Stencils are clean as a whistle and none of the delicate parts got stretched in the cleaning process. Give it a try next time.
Beth
Beth I actually found a better product at Walmart call De-Solver which is citrus based and comes in a spray bottle. It is much faster and quicker, less rubbing than Goo-Gone. I was wanting a much larger bottle of Goo-Gone for a large project when I ran across this De-Solver. One or two wipes and it’s gone. You don’t have to rub and rub like you do with Goo-Gone. I still keep a small container of Goo-Gone for spot clean up’s but I am sold on the De-Solver.
Very cool tips guys! Thank you so much for sharing them!!
Hi, could you explain how you secured the wire beads to the barrette through the eyelet? what about using the eyelet hole punch tool? would that work?
thanks
Hi Mel, the wire with the beads on it is secured under the eyelet with another bead. As far as using an eyelet hole punch, that may be possible, it depends on how you decide to put your piece together. The best way to understand how to make barrettes using eyelets and rivets, is to buy the tutorial and go through it. Thanks for you interest!
I recently purchased this barrettes tutorial with the eyelets and rivets. I am having a hard time finding rivets that are as small as the ones you used in the tutorial. Do you know where I can find some? I did go to michaels and hobby lobby with no luck as well as their online stores. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Marina, sorry for the slow response. When you say they are not small enough, are you saying the shaft on the rivet is too thick or too long? Also are you referring to rivets or eyelets? If you’re referring to eyelets, here is some on Amazon (my affiliate link) that should work for you.
For a rivet that is too thick, you can file the hole a little larger with a round file. For a rivet that is too long, you can trim it shorter with your flush cutters. Alternatively, you can make your own rivets using wire.
Hopefully that helps!
Thank you! No problem. I figured it out. I just couldn’t find the nail rivets at the craft stores. I found them on amazon. :)
I too am wondering just which rivets & eyelets to buy & tools needed to set them.
Can you give me some particular links please?
Thanks
Deb
Hi Deb, it took me a while to find links, since the product availability has changed over the years (especially with Covid). But here are some resources that should help depending on what style of rivet/eyelet you want to use:
Copper Nail Head Rivets with Setting Tool and Hole Punch Cutter (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
Copper Round Head Solid Rivets (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
M3 x 6 Brass Copper Eyelets (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
Leather Rivets Set 12mm 8mm 6mm with Hole Punch Pliers and Setter (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
Eyelet Hole Hand Snap Installation Kit (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
Blank French Style Barrette Hair Clip (**Amazon Affiliate Link)
.
Cindy – I have purchased this Vol-059 tutorial and am going to get some rivets for my barrettes. But I couldn’t find any on your website and plus I saw on Walmart that they have some however it was for leather. And also on your video you said you have a video that makes I think you said you can turn small nails into nail rivets well I couldn’t find it. Also can you use the rivet plier at least that is what I called it to that comes with the rivet set.
Billy
Hi Billy, thanks for your purchase of this tutorial! And yes it is currently a bit difficult find the right tutorials on our members site. The new site will have a WAY better search function… which will make all of our lives way easier. Can’t wait till we’re done that project!
Here is the link to the Riveting Tutorial, that uses wire to make your own rivets. It in a package of several tutorials bundled together.
And here is a link to some Copper Nail Head Rivets on Amazon (**affiliate Link).
As far as using leather rivets and riveting pliers, those most likely will work, but you will need to experiment with that.
Have fun and see you at the next Wednesday LIVE Q&A broadcast :)
Thanks Cindy for this reply. I can’t wait to get a ball penned hammer and some nails plus a rivet set. I have never done this before but I am excited to try this. I am like you glueing just might come off and the rivets looks so much better. I can’t wait to put this into our website once i get this down.
Hi Cindy I was going to wait until this coming Wed but I thought I would give this a try. I am having alot of trouble making nails into rivets. I am making barrettes and I need some real small rivets cause I believe the barrettes I have real look good with a small head. Well I got some nails then I discovered these nails are stainless steel and I don’t think I can make a head these cause they are too hard. I hammer and continue to hammer by the way I used a ball pin hammer so I got another kind of nails they look like brass nails they are linoleum nails. So again these nails will not turn into rivets I hammer and hammer and hammer but they still wont turn into rivets they will head some but not enough. I did just like you told me I got three cards to measure the length of the nail then I cut them. Am I doing anything wrong.
Hi Billy, asking questions about a tutorial is better for you to ask here in the tutorial thread, than at a Wednesday LIVE Q&A anyway, so you made the right choice. In regard to using nails, I don’t believe I suggested to use regular nails, but to use Nail Head Rivets. They are made with much softer metal like copper or aluminum. As you found out, regular nails are much too hard to form a rivet on the cut end. Regular nails are made with spring hard metal, that won’t bend easily when you hammer it into wood or what ever material you are nailing into. Conversely, Nail Head Rivets are too soft to hammer into wood, they will just bend. If you need a really small head, you can make your own rivets using copper wire and round out one end (in your vise) first before putting in your piece and then trimming and rounding out the back side. Hope that makes sense.
Thank you Cindy I was afraid that these nails I was using wasn’t the right kind and copper or Aluminum is the right kind I am going try to make my own out of Copper wiring but I did purchase some nail brads from Amazon to do make sure.