1: Ivy Leaf Charm
2: Leopard Cane
3: UV Resin Technique
4: Zebra Cane
Well another month has gone by and it’s time to announce which tutorial videos will be posted in the Polymer Clay Library during the month of May-2010 (Vol-024). This time it’s getting a bit wild… as in wild animal prints! Plus there are a couple of other cool topics as well.
Volume-024-1 Ivy Leaf Charm: This lovely sculpted leaf charm gets its natural looking shape from a real ivy leaf. The technique can easily be adapted to create other leaf shapes as well. Plus you can add a curly tendril of wire “vine” as an artistic accent.
I love the idea of knowing how to do different kinds of leaves. I could make fall leaves as “welcome beads” for my next year’s class. I am so happy about all the coming tutorials. ~Jill-V
Volume-024-2 Leopard Cane: This funky animal print, polymer clay cane is not only wild in pattern, but it can be wild in color too! You choose the color of spots for your leopard, whether it be the natural browns and tans of a real Leopard, or wild and crazy purples, blues and pinks. Whatever the color, this cane is very fun to make!
Purple Leopard Print… what fun! I love the idea of animal prints using fun colours so this is definitely a YES from me. ~Susan-B
Volume-024-3 UV Resin Technique: Adding a layer of resin to your polymer clay pendants and charms adds a watery glass-like coating which gives strength and incredible beauty to your art jewelry. Working with a UV Curable Resin has many advantages, but there are a few tricks to getting a flawless finish. This video will show you how to use the UV Curable Resin called UltraDome, but many of the techniques can be adapted to other resin brands as well. This resin technique requires the use of a UV Lamp or good strong cloudless sunlight such as the kind you find in Arizona. Not the kind you have here in Vancouver where I live :-)
I am super excited about this, both the product and the tut. I love the effect of resin covered pieces but had experienced so much frustration from the products I tried on my own that I gave up. ~Elizabeth-S
Volume-024-4 Zebra Cane: One of the reasons for the popularity of this particular wild animal print, is because the bold black and white patterns goes so nicely with all other colors. Make it funky by pairing it with purple. Or tone it down by matching it with brown. Once again, it’s your choice which colors you choose. But but no matter what, you’re gonna love this simple and fun project!
I LOVE the zebra beads in the lanyard! I’ve been begging for zebra for months! I adore these beads, especially with purple cores. Really cute! The lanyard is gorgeous, as well, especially with purple-core’d ZEBRA beads! ~Phaedrakat
I sincerely hope you enjoy all of the new Vol-024 video tutorials. Through out the month of May-2010, preview clips of each tutorial will be posted here at the blog, usually by Tuesday each week. Then on Friday’s, the full tutorials will be posted for paid members at the Polymer Clay Library.
Also don’t forget about the great new color recipe palettes that will also be available during the month of May:
- Vol-024-A Series (for paid members):
Stargazer Lily Polymer Clay Color Palette (Premo Sculpey) - Vol-024-B Series (free for everyone):
Purple Wallflower Polymer Clay Color Palette (Premo Sculpey)
If you are interested, here’s the link to become a member at the Polymer Clay Library. Chances are you won’t be disappointed…
Disappointed Yes, Happy Yes. I wanted the lanyard tute to be included in Vol-024, but have to admit if it needed to be substituted by anything I am very grateful for the Zebra cane. As I’ve said before, Cindy, you have a way of making a technique seem much easier no matter how many times I have done it before. This is why I don’t think I would ever be able to say no to a tute from you. I learned this from the get go when I felt I already knew enough that the beginners course would not benefit me. Yea Right!!. I still to this day go back and review that course and get something new from it every time. There is no such thing about knowing enough when it comes to anything. Certainly not PC. For now I will have to be happy googling the lanyard and finding out what I can about it there. It will not be the same though. THANK YOU Cindy and Doug for any and all you share with us. You need to raise your prices!!!! uuuuuuugggs. ~Peggy-B
We are getting such an incredible value. 4 awesome new videos every month for less than $1 each. And they’re so helpful/inspirational! Cindy does so much for us, yet we pay such a small amount. In fact, the price we pay for 3 months of vids is about the same other artists charge for just one written tute. I am thrilled about the low membership fee. ~Phaedrakat
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| ** Did You Know… Members with current subscriptions to the weekly tutorial videos are always entitled to a 10% discount when purchasing 6 or more back issue packages in a single transaction. If you are interested, let me know which back issues you would like and I will send further instructions on how to complete your order. |
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Looks like an exciting month! :D
Exciting indeed!! A beautiful month of color and tutes.
Friday Cindy and Doug are giving up a day off for us once again. I thought it would be a teriffic idea if we could all do something in return for her. ADVERTISE by word of mouth. I was at Hobby Lobby looking for a butane torch of which they didn’t have. When asked what I was using it for I not only said a resin project but I told the lady all about Cindy’s blog and tutes. She doesn’t work with PC but has a friend who does so I wrote the information down for her and asked her to do her friend a big favor and tell her all about it. So I am hoping soon there will be yet another Iowa member. We need to share this wonderful community with all clayers. The more the better not just for Cindy but for us. So lets try to dedicate part of this Friday and other days back to Cindy and tell a friend, stranger or whoever all about this wonderful community Cindy and Doug have brought us. If you are in a store buying something for a tute let the salesclerk, another customer, the cashier etc. know how wonderful this PC lifeline Cindy and Doug have shared with us is. Give back to the wonderful Lietz team who keep giving to us. Let us do some of that great team work also. So many already do this but lets all give it a try.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggs to all, Peggy
@Peggy Barnes:Leave it to you, Peggy, to come up with so wonderful an idea. You are right, it is the perfect opportunity to return some of what Doug and Cindy have done for us. I love it!!
@Peggy Barnes: Excellent idea, Peggy. I just posted some of my clay pieces to an online one-stroke painting group that I belong to. There were several responses from people who wanted to learn how to work with clay…so I told them all about Cindy, her blog, and her videos.
Sorry, I know I was long winded but I forgot to mention. If you advertise for Cindy and Doug share with us on the blog how you have done this. Maybe it will help someone else to share the same way.
Thanks for putting up with me and helping spread this wonderful news!!
Uuuuuuuggggs, Peggy
Great idea Peggy! I belong to the NYC Polymer Clay Guild and at last month’s meeting, I talked about Cindy and her Polymer Clay Tutor. As a matter of fact, another guild member also subscribes to this website. It is so easy to promote Cindy. Her course is extremely informative and her weekly newsletters are chock full of great ideas and tips! I can’t wait for May!!!!
Like I always say when I get together with my girlfriends “Happy Happy Joy Joy”!!!!
Thanks again Cindy!
Looks like a great month of tuts and I’m super excited because 2 weeks next month I will be off work recovering from surgery and will be able to spend lots of time sitting and playing with clay!
@Melinda Herron: Take care Melinda! A “semi-speedy” recovery time to you – (got to get clay time in too :)
@Peggy Barnes: Thank you SOOOO… much for saying what you did about the word of mouth advertising idea. I can’t tell you how much Doug and I appreciate that.
I know that you, as well as several others, have suggested I raise the price of what it costs to receive the weekly video tutorials. You can’t imagine how rewarding it is to hear customers say, “We’re not paying you enough!”
Based on the enormous number of hours that Doug and I are both putting into this little venture, you can be sure that the topic of pricing has come up many times at the boardroom table (aka kitchen table). But so far we have resisted.
We would much prefer to be able to keep the price as low as it is, to allow the door to stay open for as many clayers as possible to benefit from high quality online video instruction. Even during a recession, or for those on fixed incomes, $3.32 per month is VERY doable.
But we are not “there” yet. And to tell you the truth, there have been many, many times when Doug and I have had to remind ourselves (and our kids), that everything WILL work out in the end.
Reaching the end goal of building a large sustainable community of incredibly gracious clayers (i.e. adding more members just like those of you who have already come on board), hinges so much on the concept of word of mouth advertising.
So once again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Peggy, for making the suggestion that you did. Any and all assistance to help get the word out, so to speak, would be greatly appreciated!
The benefits of helping to grow this polymer clay community go far beyond just being able to keep the price of membership so affordable. An equally important upside is the increase in the exchange of creative ideas, support and friendships.
Although this community revolves around polymer clay, as many of you regulars already know, it also goes much, much deeper than that. I love ALL of you very much and THANK YOU for the kindness that has become such a huge part of what is happening here.
I thank you for the kind words. Cindy you and Doug are like the Energizer Bunny you just keep going and going and going and giving and giving and giving. I know many many people already spread the word of you two whenever they can as Linda and Hobokenmary. But just imagine on Friday if each one of us could do this at least once more, twice or three times we still would be no where near what you two have done for us. So I hope Friday we can give as the two of you are giving. Free lesson for us, free advertising for you.
Way to go Linda and Hobokenmary great job.
Melinda great news for you 2 weeks of claying. Just too bad you have to have surgery to get the time off. I will put you in my thoughts and prayers. Know you will enjoy your time with clay.
Wonderful idea, Peggy! I will try to find other ways to promote Cindy & Doug, and the wonderful gifts they’ve given us. The amazing videos, both in quality & content, the color palettes, the advice, the ideas, the projects, and the inspiration to use them all — that’s just some of what they’ve given us. I love this community they’ve built, I feel connected to you all, like family! That is because of the Lietz’s!
In my search for a food processor, I met a woman who saw my jewelry & wants to put my work in her shop — and that’s just the beginning! (Of course, I need to feel good enough to do more work first! LOL) This could end up being a good source of income for me, which would be a life-changer. I will be promoting these two along the way, that’s for sure!
I agree with you all that Cindy and Doug are very special people and if someone admires my jewelery I tell them its PMC they ask what is that I just give them Cindy;s details and say make sure you have a look so even if they don’t want to make jewelry themselves their is always that chance they to could get the bug and join us.also Melinda the very best for your surgery and speedy recovery
Yeah, I keep telling people. And have been “tagging” Cindy in Facebook photos of jewellery I’ve made using her techniques as well.
Melinda, sending prayers that your surgery goes well and that you get to spend the entire two weeks claying!
@Melinda H.: Ditto what Maria & Linda K. have said! I’ll be thinking of you, and can’t wait to see what you create with your “free” time!
I’ve been thinking about approaching my local bead store about my newest polymer clay work. I’ve sold my lampwork beads to her in the past. While considering this, I also thought about the possibility of mentioning additional classes she could be offering (I’m thinking polymer clay and/or resin). And my full circle thoughts brought me back to advertising this wonderful community. Even if the store owner isn’t interested in offering classes that feature polymer clay, this site is worth offering to all her customers. However, the advertising of the site would likely be more successful in the store if it were advertised in print. You just never know who is claying (or wants to be) and a poster, brochure, flier, or even a small 1/4 sheet card with a little info would be nice to have in an environment like that. So, I was thinking…is there anyone out there with any interest/background in graphic design that might have a bit of spare time to take a stab at making Cindy a small flier? I’d do it myself, but I don’t have my program for it (and I’m working 60-75 hours a week right now :\… ). Jeepers, that was awfully long winded. I guess I just wanted my entire thought process listed? Any thoughts on this guys?
@Ellabella: I think that’s a fabulous idea! I’m not the graphic designer you’re looking for, but those are the exact people who would benefit from Cindy’s website! Perhaps Cindy herself has something that she hands out at craft fairs (or – I’m guessing! – one of her many other pursuits,) that could be used or copied…?
@Cindy, do you have printed material, or a downloadable file that we could print out for people to whom we want to “spread the word?”
@Ellabella: That is a wonderful idea! It was not long winded at all, in fact I love this kind of post. Thanks for putting that out there.
Phaedrakat: No, I don’t have anything like that yet, but I am definitely open to the concept, should there be any volunteers! :-)
Oooo, I can see it now pieces made with the Tribal cane, leopard and zebra pattern all in their natural colors. I Just can’t wait.
@Ken H: Oh, yeah! Awesome… I’m looking forward to them, too. I’ve been wanting the animal prints (and the resin, too) for a long time. Natural colors or bright & sassy, it’s going to be lots of fun!