Polymer Clay Bead Caps Video – Now Playing – Polymer Clay Library

Polymer Clay Bead Caps Some of the
prettier bead caps in
the bead store can be quite
expensive …fantastic to
be able to make our
own.”
~Cheryl-H

On September 7th, I posted an introductory preview clip for the Polymer Bead Caps tutorial. Today, the full version of this video lesson (Vol-028-2) is available for viewing at the Polymer Clay Members Library. Here is the link: Design and Make Your Own Personalized Polymer Clay Bead Caps

For anyone who is not yet a paid member, if you did not know, the cost works out to only $3.32 per month. This gives you 24/7 access to the full versions of my Friday video tutes. Plus you also receive four A-series color recipe cards. This week’s color is: Red Brick Path (2A) from the Autumn Sunflower Polymer Clay Color Palette.

I thought at first, I couldn’t afford the monthly videos, but man was I wrong. I hardly notice the cost, and it only comes out once every quarter. The help of actually SEEING what Cindy is doing is beyond words. It’s one thing to tell someone in writting how to do a particular technique, but watching it is so much better. I am proud to say that I have now completed my collection of the videos Cindy has made with my purchase of the beginer’s course. It has been worth EVERY cent. Keep up the outstanding work Cindy and Doug. I’m here for the long haul. ~Ken-H

I’m totally with Ken, I don’t notice the subscription fee either. Thanks Cindy, for providing such an affordable service! ~Silverleaf

We pay such a small fee to get inside Cindy’s polymer clay head, and it is so worth it. I also find that if I subscribe to something, I am more likely to follow through and use the information that I am paying for. I highly encourage all of you that are sitting on the edge to jump in and enjoy the polymer clay ride. ~Loretta-C

If you want to become a paid member, here is the link:
Polymer Clay Video Library

Or if you are brand new to polymer clay, the best place to first learn all of the fundamentals is here: Polymer Clay Beginners Course

To browse other video tutorials that are available for purchase without becoming a subscribing member (in other words… just a one time fee), you can go here: Polymer Clay Video Back Issues

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Open Mic… Please use the comment sections of these Friday posts to discuss polymer clay challenges that you need some help with… success stories about your bead and jewelry projects… requests for upcoming video tutorials. In other words, it’s an open mic :-) .

Listed below are the topics that were discussed in the last Friday’s Open Mic comments:

  • Several techniques rolled into one.
  • Beach combing for ideas.
  • Still up at 4am.
  • Story teller at a loss for words. OHHHH!
  • Lots of wheels turning this week.
  • Cursive writing stamps.
  • Dirty pasta machines.
  • Weather finally cooling down.
  • Choosing foils.
  • Mokume Gane tips.
  • Table is no piled with experiments.
  • Thanking of faux agates again.
  • Pleased as punch.
  • Glow in the dark clay.
  • Polka dots and fat flower designs
  • Taking the techniques further.
  • “To Infinity and Beyond,” …Buzz Lightyear.
  • Metallic Mixatives
  • Books vs Videos… What’s your opinion?
  • And more…

If you need to catch up, here is the link to the article where last week’s topics were discussed in detail: Polymer Clay Art Sheets

Otherwise, you can use the comment section below to start talking about some new topics and ideas. Happy Friday!!!

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Cindy Lietz SignaturePolymer Clay Tutor

 

  1. Tanya L, 10 September, 2010

    AWESOME tut again, Cindy! Once again my wheels are spinning! Gotta get that new pasta machine so I can get rolling. Thanks so much to both of you for another excellent tut, and have a great weekend!

  2. Phaedrakat, 10 September, 2010

    Yippee, I’m going to go watch the new video right now on my phone! (Time for bed…LOL)

    But first, I wanted to see if anyone has any experience baking clay in high altitude conditions…and if it has an effect on the process? Blanca Gilbert left a comment on the Polymer Clay Baking Instructions post.

    She’s having problems with her polymer clay masks cracking. Can someone help her?

  3. Ken H, 10 September, 2010

    Now I need to keep my eyes open for additional little cutters, I own the one set that has the flower. Thanks Cindy for the tutorial, I would never have thought of this.

  4. pattw35, 10 September, 2010

    Phadrakat – have spent the summers at 7,000 ft, I can say. The altitude did not affect work with pc. Everything was exactly the same as at 3,000 ft in Az I never did UV, so that I don’t know. Hope this helps !

  5. pattw35, 10 September, 2010

    This tute is great -I have so many ideas floating in my head! No room for cleaning house ETC -LOL. What a neat idea -marbles. I am ready to go……..

  6. Peggy Barnes, 10 September, 2010

    I saw a flower cane I fell in love with. It was a Dahlia cane and it looked like it would be hard to make but who knows if anyone can make it doable it is Cindy. I saw it on Etsy and could of bought the cane but would much rather learn how to make it. So go to Etsy and type in Polymer Clay Dahlia flower cane and see if you would be interested in learning how to make it.Then if this is a possibility and you know how to show us how to make it Cindy – Could you, Would you, want to do a tute for us soon.
    Keep Smiling every day, Peggy

  7. Peggy Barnes, 10 September, 2010

    Sorry please forgive my manners. Please Cindy.

  8. Marlene, 10 September, 2010

    Warning! Warning! Warning! There is grave danger in claying while babysitting. My 3 year old granddaughter was over the other day. I had a series of square tiles set out and ready to bake for a bracelet, but nature called. When I returned to my desk I found Caitlyn sitting in front of the Pasta Machine. She looked at me and stated. “Makin beads gamma.” Squashed in her hand were 3 of them and another 4 already passed through at a fairly thin setting. Well, I guess its never too early to start “Makin beads!”

  9. Cheryl Hodges, 10 September, 2010

    Fantastic video. I have the cutters with the little flower. I would love to get the three leafed one too; Shades of clay did not have them nor did Michaels. The beads will look even more unique now with handmade bead caps. Thanks cind for a wonderful tutorial!

  10. Jeanne C., 10 September, 2010

    Great idea!! I have the flower cutter and I have my marbles that I had as a child! Of course there’s days I feel like I’m loseing my marbles. LOL Have great weekend. :)

  11. Lisa Whitham, 10 September, 2010

    @Ken H. You can get a set called “Geometic Cutters” made by Makin’s at Prarie Craft.com (all one word – lower case)for about $10. It has a lot of little cutters. Donna has a lot of different Makin’s cutters on her site… Hope this helps a little.

    ~Lisa :)

  12. Phaedrakat, 11 September, 2010

    @Pattw35: Hi Patt. Thanks for that…actually, she wrote to Polyform, and they directed her to some online instructions. They told her to bake at a higher temperature. She did, and it helped to solve her ‘cracking’ problem. I’m sure there are/were lots of other factors that came into play…which might be why you never had to make a change in the way you baked your clay “up high”! ;D

    I love this tute! I have the mini-cutter set, but I wish I had a cutter like that 3-prong flower…I can see tell it’s going to be harder to find something like that. Those Polyform cutters are really fragile and bendable…I have a different “flower” set, and the cutters bend very easily. I saw an old tip (from Jocelyn! back in May 09) about taking old pliers, & changing cookie cutters you don’t like and reshaping them to ones you do…Cindy says that she sometimes “tweaks” her cutters, to change the shape only slightly. You can also make them homemade, as mentioned in Marsha G’s spotlight article…where she created her own unique cutter shape to create border tiles to frame her mirrors.

    There’s lots of information on that thread about homemade cutters, if you’re interested. Now, to look through my old cutters and see which ones can be reshaped into something better for these cool bead caps!

    Thanks, Cindy…for such a cool tutorial! ~Kat

  13. Cindy Lietz, 11 September, 2010

    Hi guys Thanks for the nice comments! Pretty busy today, getting prepped for a family party to celebrate Willow and Doug’s Birthdays (lots of Virgo’s in this family). There is also a sleepover with the cousins, so I won’t be around the blog much this weekend. Just thought I would pop in and say something in regards to the poly cutters.

    If you can’t find the Amaco products in stores like Michaels, you can try and ask them if they will bring them in or you can order them on amaco.com now that they have a webstore. They carry lots of great products like poly cutters, bead racks and bead rollers at good prices so you may want to check them out. If you want to wait to next week, I will be showing you how to use the tube bead roller and you may want to add it to your shopping list.

    About the thinner cutters, you are right about them bending easily, but what I really love about them is that because the metal is thin, they leave a much cleaner cut than most cutters. Less work in the end, with sanding the edges.

    And the marbles… check out dollar stores or toy departments.

    Have a great weekend all!

  14. Jocelyn, 11 September, 2010

    Hope you have a great weekend Cindy, the bead caps are adorable.

    Someone asked about marble sizes:

    glassmarbles.com/size.htm

  15. DJ, 11 September, 2010

    @ Marlene
    Oh, what a sad/funny story…but I’ll bet your little Caitlyn had the best time trying things just like Gamma! Funny how those things happen when you leave the room for a few minutes – she sure is quick!! I hope those tiles weren’t precious favorites…

  16. Brenda, 11 September, 2010

    @Marlene

    Your Post just cracked me up… The same thing happened to me with my Grandaughter. It was with my tiny mushrooms. They are still sitting in a ziplock baggy waiting on her to come back so she can add the finishing touches. The look so deformed, but they are hers …

    I made some caps. I will be posting them on FB soon. They are not so pretty.. But oh well the more you do the better you get right ;)

  17. Marlene, 12 September, 2010

    @ DJ Thanks, she is a quick study. She was over again yesterday and sat there saying “Caitlyn’s turn” as she put some beads on toothpicks for me to glaze.

    @ Brenda Glad you enjoyed it. Grandkids can put some real “spice” in your life. I have saved her “creations” too, not sure what I will do with them, but like your idea about saving them for her to finish in the future!

  18. pattw35, 12 September, 2010

    Just a question re: length of time to cure ? Do they really need 1 hr ? They are so thin……. I have some in now to just see how they work. Have the timer set for 40 min……….hmmmmmmmmm. Thanks

  19. Marlene, 12 September, 2010

    @pattw35: I did a batch with Premo and left them in for 25 minutes. They came out fine.

  20. Jocelyn, 12 September, 2010

    You might try using the smaller corner cutters to further embellish circle caps. While the clay circle is on the glass marble, use the tight corners and V’s to cut patterns out of the edges of the clay. Or use an exacto knife to create a notched border.

    Or use the scrapbook scissors to cut around the clay circle for unique edge patterns, but I’d do that off the marble first.

    Had fun playing with this technique today. Can see lots of possibilities…

  21. Ken H, 13 September, 2010

    @ Lisa Whitham – Thank you it does, I was refering to looking in the cooking sections of the craft stores and elsewhere for the small cutters, there are a few I’m looking for to be used with the cooking cutter canes as well.

  22. pattw35, 13 September, 2010

    Marlene -Thanks . So I guess anywhere between 25 and 40 min should do. LOL . Sort of wing it, huh ?

  23. Penny, 17 September, 2010

    I have developed ‘tennis elbow’ (tendonitis) as a result of sanding and buffing beads. I am sure I am aware that others have complained of this.
    Well, I went to an alternative therapist and she gave me a remedy. She said soak a tissue (I used a piece of kitchen towel) in cider vinegar, put it on the elbow, and wrap it in cling film – for at least an hour and preferably over night. Repeat this until cured. (the cling film keeps the heat of your arm in)
    I have had one night smelling of cider vinegar to date – I will let you know when I am clear of the pain.

  24. Cindy Lietz, 17 September, 2010

    Marlene and Patti: It is best to bake your pieces for 1 hour, even if they are thin. I have written about this many times. Because ovens (especially small ones like toaster ovens) heat up and cool down so often, it is difficult for the clay to get the full 30 min cure time. Even when the clay seems to be cured properly, there is a chance that some of the particles have not yet cured. When this happens, the uncured particles ‘eat away’ at the cured particles over time, and will make the clay become brittle.

    When you work so hard to make beautiful art jewelry beads, it is a terrible shame to have them break or become damaged after you have sold or given away your pieces. Better be safe than sorry and bake your clay pieces for a full hour. It is really worth the little extra time and minimal electricity to have a higher quality product!

    @Ken: Thanks for the tip!

    @Penny: Sorry to hear about the injury. Hope you heal quickly with the vinegar treatments. That is definitely an interesting remedy!

  25. pattw35, 18 September, 2010

    Cindy -Thanks for the curing tip -1 hr it is. Hate to have something break if it can be avoided

  26. Koolbraider, 26 September, 2010

    I can’t find any of the marbles we used to have around the house. I’ve lost my marbles!!!

  27. Phaedrakat, 01 October, 2010

    @Koolbraider: Susan, I lost mine, too! That’s why I’m so kooky (and I knew there was “something” about you, too — LOL~) But getting back to the tutorial…are you saying you don’t have any hard, glass, round objects that you can use for baking these bead caps, either? Wait, are you saying everyone in your house is crazy?

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