“Cindy as much as I love your videos I hope you will be taking Christmas day off.”
~Peggy-B
Well Christmas has finally arrived. And although you may be reading this post today on December 25th, thanks to the magic of Internet (and auto-posting features), my computer is turned off and I am spending time with my family. Peggy, your kind words and consideration are so very much appreciated…
Cindy as much as I love your videos I hope you will be taking Christmas day off. You and your family so deserve it and I’m sure we can survive thru the withdraw just fine. Maybe instead of a lesson we could all take a few moments to tell you about our favorite lesson of the year or something funny or special that has happened to us with polymer clay. Just a moment to share and be Thankful for the Holiday Season. Just an idea. Warm thoughts for everyone. ~Peggy-B
What a wonderful idea, Peggy! I have a feeling The Christmas Day posts will be very special!!~Elizabeth-S
Thanks Elizabeth, I’m hoping we can all make the blog special for Cindy Christmas day. She has made all the other Fridays very special for us. ~Peggy-B
And along this theme of sharing favorite stories and special experiences, I am including a summary of links to the Spotlight Features that have become so popular since they began back on July 12, 2009. There are a lot of them, so I’ll split them up over the next 4 days. Hopefully everyone will get a chance to read them… they are all very inspirational.
Thank you for your dedication and inspiration. I feel like this is my clay home too and an extended family. I read this blog in the morning most times wish I could skip work and stay home to Clay. I love spotlight features and the quotes form other clayers you include. These things make this more of a community rather a place where ideas are filtered through the blog owner. ~Anna-S
July 12, 2009: Melinda Herron:
Jupiter Beads Made With a Clay Extruder, Scrap Clay and Old Canes — “This is my first lesson… OMG!!! In my 2 days off I made a ton of fabulous beads.” ~Melinda-H (Helena, Montana, USA)
July 15, 2009: Elizabeth Schydlower:
Anjou Pear Fruit Beads for Charms + Handmade Polymer Clay Jewelry — “I am summoning my courage and adding a photo of my d’Anjou pear, and 3 little pearlets.” ~Elizabeth-S (El Paso, Texas, USA)
July 18, 2009: Arlene Harrison:
Hammered Copper Wire Hookmark with Polymer Clay Beads and Ribbon — “My daughter is a definite bookworm and I wanted to make her something special.” ~Arlene-H
July 23, 2009: Carrie Williams:
Making Jupiter Beads, Faux Raku plus Mod Canes for Fun and Profit — “Your selling tips paid off… Now my jewelry will be traveling across the country.” ~Carrie-W
July 26, 2009: Tania Kathuria:
Rose Bead Jewelry – Polymer Clay Rose Pendant, Necklace, Earrings — “It feels a lot like school days show-and-tell to me.” ~Tania-K (Texas, USA)
July 31, 2009: Catalina:
Polymer Clay Studio Design Ideas | The Perfect Bead Making Set Up — “My husband claims if we ever move, this will go with the house… I won’t ever move!” ~Catalina (Allen Park, Michigan, USA)
Links to All 4 Articles in this Spotlight Summary Series:
Polymer Clay Spotlights (Part 1) 2009-07-12 to 2009-07-31
Polymer Clay Spotlights (Part 2) 2009-08-07 to 2009-09-11
Polymer Clay Spotlights (Part 3) 2009-09-18 to 2009-10-23
Polymer Clay Spotlights (Part 4) 2009-11-06 to 2009-12-18
Cindy: Thank you for teaching me through this blog, for all your encouragement, and for including my work in this spotlight. I highly recommend your videos and articles to anyone getting started or wanting to improve with polymer clay bead making! You’re the best!!! ~Marsha-N
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Hi Everyone,
This Christmas is definitely different than last years. Here I am sitting at my computer 5:30 in the morning with my coffee, anxious to see whats new. This past year has been full of up and downs as most of you know. But looking forward every Friday to Cindy’s wonderful Videos is always the first thing I do. She is such a kind and wonderful teacher. I know she probably does not realize how important what she did for me was. I know it made the difference on whether or not to unpack my clay or give it away. I am happy that I did not give it away. Well things are starting to happen fast here with me, and its due to the support and kindness of Cindy and every single person in this community. So if anybody reading this has the opportunity to become a member please do so. You will not regret it. I am truly lucky to have found this site. So Cindy thanks again and Happy Holidays to everyone. :-)
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays Everybody!!!!
Cindy, I couldn’t be more glad to have found your site. You (and everyone in our clay community)have given me so much inspiration. I can’t thank you all enough. I might have given up clay myself if it weren’t for you Cindy, and all the rest of you here… And I’m looking forward to what’s in store for 2010..!!!
God Bless You All,
~Lisa
Merry Christmas to Cindy and her family and all the members of Cindy’s site! I have nothing noteworthy to share on anything I’ve made this year but I have had a wonderful time reading Cindy’s blog everyday and looking forward to the wonderful videos! I love them! My New Years resolution is to do less “just reading” and more claying! Really getting into it! And to do that I have just this morning given myself the gift of Cindy’s Begiiner Course videos!! Yah! I can’t wait till tomorrow to start watching and learning and doing! (Having company today or I would start today).
I wish you all a wonderful Christmas season and a Happy New Year! I’m glad to be part of the family!
I too would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a clayful New Year. Thanks for all the wonderful tips and tricks that you all help with, but especially to Cindy for all the marvelous videos and knowledge she shares.
May Jesus abundantly bless each one of you. This is my first Christmas without my dear Don. We were married for 43 years and it is truly heart wrenching to be without him. Jackie, I couldn’t agree with you more. Cindy and all of you have helped me to stem the tide of sorrow. When I watch Cindy’s videos – and then put them into practice – I seem to end up in another world … one that is peaceful and serene. I was first introduced to polymer clay not long after Don went to the Lord. Before that I had concentrated on my wire art – and making beanbag frogs. Now I want to make clay frogs and I look forward to combining my talent for wire working with my developing (slowly) talent for clay art. I’m real glad to see Cindy including more wire working, which gives me even more ideas about how to combine the two. I’ve set up my clay ‘station’ at one end of my long kitchen … and now I have Don’s laptop on the counter so that I can follow right along as Cindy teaches. Cindy, I pray for special blessings on you for all you have done for me. I am hoping that I will get to know more of you through this blog – as we learn together. Peace and blessings!
Christmas day is coming to an end and it has been a lovely day. Contact with family who received my first clay gifts proved to be encouraging. They loved the hookmark/bookmarks with charms including a book at the end. The gingerbread family ornaments of four (clay of course) was well received, to be put on the tree with clay ornament hangers. So it is thanks to Cindy especially for the tuturial on making the book charm as well as all the other information she and you have shared. There wasn’t enough time to try the little snowpeople so I hope to do that soon and look forward to what is coming in 2010. Happy New Year everyone.
Our blessing for Christmas is that my daughter was unhurt when her truck slid off the icy road as she travelled to work. As there were fields all around her all that was needed was to get the truck back on the road, two travellers helped with this and as this pointed her back in the direction of home she elected to return there. She was shaken emotionally but safe and sound with her family. Someone covered her shift and she will make up the time on Saturday. We are so very thankful for this blessing, it could have turned out so differently.
Finally, a few minutes at my computer.
Carolyn, I am deeply touched by your story and send warmest wishes for continued healing. Like Jackie, your art will provide a powerful catalyst to continue moving forward through your grief and I hope we here at the site can serve as continued support, too.
Joyce, to you I say, thank God that your daughter survived her harrowing experience. What a blessing indeed!
I’m not sure I have a remarkable favorite story. I will share that as gifts for my husband’s staff this year I opted to create hand-made items by covering plain glass ornaments using five different techniques I learned from Cindy. I think I did Cindy proud-they turned out very pretty, each one different and the recipients absolutely loved them. They were some of the most meaningful gifts I gave this year, and I think it was partly because they represented how much I have grown from Cindy’s
teaching and from my association with all who are part of this site family.
I wish each of you joy in the coming year.
Well I didn’t get here on Christmas day but I still want to wish Jesus a Happy Birthday. I also want to wish Cindy and my clay family a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
I am very thankful to Cindy for each and every blog I have read and video I have watched. I have been most touched by the book bead video. I used this video to make many Christmas gifts for family and friends. My grandchildren made book bead markers for their school teachers with the initial stamps and the cross stamp for their sunday school teachers. My youngest grandchildren made the most book beads. My daughter their Mommy started out teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Because of this sign language is big in their family. So we used the sign laguage letter stamps on Mommy and Daddy’s book mark beads.
I received a wonderful gift from my husband – laptop computer. When I told my youngest grandaughter who is 6 she said Momma we can have Cindy in the craft room with us now while we work on our clay. Before I had to watch the videos in my husbands den which does not have room for me to do my clay in there. Now I can just back the video up if I forget how something is done while I am working. This is a blessing for me. So watch out Cindy you will be spending 2010 with your favorite fan in my favorite room in the house. Thank you Cindy for all of everything you put into this wonderful clay family.
Thank you for being you.
God bless us all
ADDED NOTE: Peggy continued her story here:
6 year Old Granddaughter, Liberty
Sorry guys, I just realized I hadn’t responded to all of your special comments yet. Thank you so much for taking the time to post on Christmas Day. That means the world to me!
@Jackie: My heart is warmed by your comment Jackie. I am just so pleased to hear you decided to unpack your clay instead of giving it away. You mean a lot to everyone here and are an inspiration to others who have found themselves in similar heartbreaking situations. We are all here for you and are grateful to have you as part of our community.
@Lisa: I am so glad to hear that because of this site you have kept going with your clay pursuits and haven’t given up. That gives me such an amazing feeling of gratitude, that you can not imagine. I’m looking forward to 2010 too! It’s gonna be fun!
@Maureen: Thank you so much for your comment! It is so exciting for me to hear the passion in your voice! This is going to be a great year and I see tons of excellent beads in your future. So glad to have you here!
@Carole Anne: Thank you so much! You are a real sweetheart. I hope this New Year is a fun one for you!
@Carolyn: I know that this must have been a hard holiday for you Carolyn. I want you to know that we are all thinking of you. It is so pleasing to hear that you can find peace and an escape from your sorrow in the videos. To be part of your healing process is a very humbling thought. Keep doing what you’re doing and reaching out to the community that is forming here. May this New Year bring you peace, joy, friendship and love.
@Joyce: I am so relieved to hear that your daughter is OK. You must be so thankful that her accident wasn’t worse. Sounds like your presents were a hit though! Good job! I am looking forward to an exciting clay year ahead as well. So happy that you will be along for the ride!
@Elizabeth: Your ornaments sound lovely. Did you happen to get photos before you gave them away? Would be nice to see them. Your handmade gifts most likely were as meaningful to their recipients as they were to you. Every year when they put the ornaments on the tree, they will think of you and the care you put into making them. A special memory indeed!
@Peggy: What a great comment! It made me smile picturing you and your grandkids watching the tutorial videos together and making polymer clay beads! You have given me the best Christmas present anyone could give. Thank you!
I wanted to tell you that I really love the beginner course. This is the first that I have worked with clay and I think you are a great teacher because I think I’m doing great! I enjoy it so much that I have been making beads most of my time. It is easy to understand and a lot of fun. I’m so glad I found you.
One day I will send you a picture of the memory beads that I’m making.
Thanks a lot!
Linda
Lindalou,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write those very kind words. Sharing feedback like this really gives others great insight about what they can expect from the video tutorials and the beginners course. I truly appreciate your help and am very much looking forward to hearing more about how your memory beads and jewelry projects are coming along.
~Cindy