Polymer Clay Smooshers

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Fine Art Paintings

How to make a basic Skinner Blend

2012-01-24T20:27:00.000-06:00

Creating Skinner blends is one of the basics of working with polymer clay. This technique allows the even gradient blending of two or more colors and was developed by Judith Skinner. You'll need two colors of clay, a 3" by 4 1/2" cardboard template (an index card works well), a straight blade, and your pasta machine.

Step 1: Using the largest setting on your pasta machine, roll out two contrasting colors of clay. Make sure you have enough clay- usually at least half a block per color.

Step 2: Cut each rectangle diagonally from corner to corner using your clay blade.

Step 3: Stack the same color triangles, one over the other, to make double thick triangles of clay. Be sure they match perfectly. Re-form the triangles together with both colors so you have a rectangle again. Run this through the pasta machine on the largest setting.

Step 4: Fold the rectangle in half and run it through the largest setting on the pasta machine. After folding before each pass make sure that the side edges of the clay are identical in color. The clay should always be inserted in the pasta machine fold first. This helps to avoid any trapped air bubbles between layers of clay.

Repeat step 4 until you get the color gradient you want to achieve. This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 passes, all depending on the effect you're looking for.

And there you have it- a fairly easy technique that has all sorts of uses! Here's a link to a great tutorial from Smooshers member Drunkenmimes that shows how to use a Skinner Blend to create a leaf cane: Polymer Clay Skinner Blend and Leaf Cane Tutorial. Get creative and see what you can make using the Skinner Blend technique!

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How To Make a Stamped Heart Pendant- tutorial from CreativeCritters

2012-01-20T17:09:00.000-06:00

With Valentines Day just around the corner many of us are either buying or creating handmade hearts of all sorts. In this video tutorial Michelle of CreativeCritters shows you how to make a beautiful polymer clay heart pendant which is stamped and then colored with Pearl Ex powder. This is a fun and easy project that just about anyone can do, and it requires very few supplies.

I hope you enjoyed this project and will come back for more!

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Featured Smoosher Vall Dawns Jewelry Designs

2012-01-17T14:25:00.000-06:00

Valerie is the creative lady behind Vall Dawns Jewelry Designs. She gets a much of her inspiration from family, friends and the world around her. When she was younger Valerie says always had to follow a pattern precisely and without any deviation. She's always been a perfectionist and if she didn't get it she just wouldn't do it. Over the years, however, she's become more relaxed and has come to realize that everything doesn't have to be 100% "perfect". Valerie says "I still have very high standards and hold myself accountable for my craftsmanship but, realize that nature (and people are not perfect)." Sometimes it's those little imperfections that make a piece a work of art. She loves to mix different colors, and elements together to create gorgeous jewelry. Below is just a sample of the beautiful jewelry that can be found in her shop.

Vall Dawns Jewelry can also be found on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and her blog. Be sure to stop by her ArtFire shop and check out all the wonderful items she has available!

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Hold on to my Heart- lovely Valentines collection from the Smooshers

2012-01-15T14:52:00.001-06:00

Check out the wide selection of beautiful hearts created by members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild!

Hold on to my Heart

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Handmade Gifts

To view the listings for these items simply click on the picture. Any of these great pieces would make a lovely Valentines Day gift!

How to make a striped pen- polymer clay tutorial by Kael Mijoy

2012-01-13T08:47:00.001-06:00

Covering pens in polymer clay is a fun way to jazz them up and this Striped Pen tutorial from Smoosher member Korrina of Kael Mijoy is an easy project that even beginners can do.

Korrina writes:
This is a really quick and easy way to cover a pen that can be quite striking in the right colors. It's also a good way to use up any strings you have left laying around from your last filligree project. You can find out more about covering pens in this blog post and more about extruding polymer clay strings in this one.

Supplies Needed:

1 Bic Round Stic pen or similar

Several colors of clay strings (about 6-7 feet altogether)

Tools Needed:

Round-nose pliers

Extruder (unless you've already made your strings)

Sharp craft knife (a tissue blade will work but I prefer my X-acto knife for more precision)

Directions:
Extrude your clay (if you haven't already). I'm using strings leftover from a filigree project. You won't need near this much, it's just my leftovers.

This is only the beginning of the tutorial, but if you want to see how this multicolored polymer clay spaghetti turns into a pretty pen go to http://www.kaelmijoy.blogspot.com/2012/01/polymer-clay-tutorial-striped-pen.html. You'll find plenty of other interesting and fun tutorials on this blog as well!

Kael Mijoy can also be found online on Flickr, Twitter, http://www.kaelmijoy.blogspot.com/, and her ArtFire shop.

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It's Time to Clay! collection created by Wyvern Designs

2012-01-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

WyvernDesigns put together this wonderful collection featuring members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild. You can click on any of the pictures to be taken to the listing and learn more about these great items.

Its Time To Clay

Curated By: Wyverndesigns

Fine Art Photography

This guild is just full of talented Smooshers! ;-)

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The theme for the next Smooshers Challenge is Valentines

2012-01-09T09:40:00.001-06:00

Well, it's a brand new year and I thought now would be a good time to schedule the first Smoosher's Challenge of 2012. We all took a break from the Challenges during the holidays, since most of us were simply too busy to participate. From the very beginning our original guild master, ColtPixy, stopped scheduling Challenges in the Fall, and resumed again after the holidays.
This is my first Challenge as the new guild master and I chose Valentines as the theme. Many of us will be making Valentines items in preparation for Valentines Day anyway, and hopefully the Challenge will bring added attention to all those pieces.
The rules of the Challenge are as follows:

You must be a member of the Polymer Clay Smooshsers guild on ArtFire in order to enter
You may enter up to two items
Your entries must incorporate polymer and be relevant to the theme
You have to have these items listed in your shop

You need to leave a link to your item in this forum thread http://www.artfire.com/guild_forums/view_thread/531
The deadline for entries is February 1st.

I'm very excited about his Challenge and have already started working on my first entry. I was very pleasantly surprised to see some of our members had already completed at least one item for the Challenge. One of the things I love about these Challenges is that they bring out the creativity in all of us, often pushing us to try new things and test our skills in new ways. It's always interesting to see other people's interpretation of the theme. You can be sure to see plenty of unique, beautiful , and often whimsical pieces from our members!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters
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Featured Smoosher WyvernDesigns

2012-01-07T14:27:00.001-06:00

Nancy, of WyvernDesigns is one of the very talented member of the polymer Clay Smooshers guild. She's a graphics and jewelry designer who loves trying new materials and new techniques and is absolutely addicted to polymer clay. Although being totally addicted to polymer clay isn't a requirement to be a member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers, it sure does help! While polymer clay may be her first love, she also enjoys knitting, crocheting, drawing, and painting. Below is just a small sample of the beautiful and unique creations that can be found in her shop.

I love the wide range of things you can find in this shop- everything from cute and whimsical, to beautiful and elegant. You can also find WyvernDesigns online on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. Be sure to stop by her ArtFire studio and see all the wonderful items this multi-talented artist has to offer!

Winter Blues- a collection of beautiful blue items from the Smooshers

2012-01-04T13:43:00.001-06:00

These beautiful blue items from the Polymer Clay Smooshers are sure to cure your winter blues!

Winter Blues

Merry Christmas from the Polymer Clay Sm...

Vintage Fashion

You can view the listing for any of these items by simply clicking on the picture. Thanks for stopping by!
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How To Make Landscape Jasper- Faux Stone Tutorial by Tina Holden

2012-01-02T13:35:00.001-06:00

This post was written by Smoosher member Tina Holden of Beadcomber.
Tina Holden’s Faux Stone Tutorial- Landscape Jasper
Jasper is often named according to its pattern: landscape jasper, the most popular, offers a small panorama in stone. Often the name Landscape or Picture is interchanged for this type of Jasper. I’ve devised a simple way to recreate it with polymer clay. You only require clay, some chalk, your hands and fingers for this technique. No blade, no machine, not even a roller! This maybe the shortest tutorial I have ever written as well, lol. Stone examples:

Polymer Clay bead:

Materials:
Ecru polymer clay
Chalk/Artist soft chalk pastels in beige, rust, brown, dark brown, black
Tools:
Pasta machine or Acrylic Roller (optional)

1) Condition and roll clay on largest setting of pasta machine or use an acrylic roller to roll to about a 1/8” thickness. You can also flatten the clay using your fingers as the objective isn’t a smooth flat sheet, but rough strips of clay. Let it rest a bit or put in the fridge/freezer for a couple of minutes as warm clay doesn’t tear up easily. Tear strips, various widths and sizes.

2) Crumple the pieces up and smoosh them together. Don’t roll smooth, you want the rough edges.

3) Apply the various chalk colours on the outside of the rough pieces. Start with the lightest colour and add darker colours last. Your finger is the paint brush. Don’t worry if your piece has fingerprints, they actually are an added feature here, creating a nice matrix that won’t look like a fingerprint in the finished bead, but more like speckles!

4) Roll or shape your piece flat and again. Again, let rest or put in fridge or freezer to cool. Tear into strips and pieces like before.

This time, before assembling and smooshing the pieces together, apply dark brown and black on the rough edges of some strips. Then smoosh together and roll into a ball for a bead, or flatten and smooth for a pendant, or create
another shape. Now is the time to smooth away any fingerprints as well, sorry, lol. You may find it helpful to use a dusting of cornstarch on your hands and fingers. Cornstarch clogs up those fine crevices and ridges in your fingers and hands and make the smoothing process easier
.

What do you think? Simple, huh?
You can also use other base colours and other chalk colours for this Landscape technique.

You can find Beadcomber online at http://beadcomber.artfire.com , http://beadcomber.blogspot.com,
http://facebook.com/beadcomber, http://flickr.com/tinaholden.
Thanks for reading!

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Featured Smoosher XPressions Dolls

2011-12-30T13:20:00.001-06:00

Smooshers member francine, of Xpressions Dolls on ArtFire.com sculpts expressive and whimsical art dolls in polymer clay. Each of these delightful dolls are one of a kind creations which were crafted by hand and are highly detailed. The imagination and creativity that goes into each one makes them a unique gift from the heart. Can't you just imagine the delight of unwrapping one of these wonderful characters? Francine has been sculpting these fun character dolls for eight years. She says that making them helps her relax and get rid of the stress of every day life. She finds great pleasure in being able to give each character a human-like expression that makes them a bit different from the norm. As you can see, Francine is one talented polymer clay artist! These dolls each have so much personality and each one is sure to bring a smile!

And this is just a small sample of the amazing creations you can find at Xpressions Dolls! Be sure to stop in and meet all the wonderful characters created by this talented Smoosher!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Meet Smoosher member KaelMijoy

2011-12-28T14:01:00.001-06:00

Smoosher member Korrina, of Kael Mijoy creates beautiful one of a kind polymer clay jewelry, home decor, and more. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and share a little bit about her passion for polymer clay.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I didn't- it chose me. Actually, I've been crafting since I was big enough to hold a pair of scissors. I tried everything I could get my hands on and couldn't stick with anything for more than a few months or a year at most. Tried polymer clay and couldn't put it down. That was 9 years ago (about the same time that I started homeschooling, as a matter of fact) and I don't see an end in sight.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
Internet. I had a little bit of clay and wanted to mess with it but couldn't figure out much on my own. So, on a whim (didn't really think I'd find much), I Googled it. My first project was a lace cane that I made beads out of. Then I started buying books and checking them out of the library. Now, I still read every book I can get my hands on and am constantly searching online for new ideas.

What is your favorite tool to work with?
There are a lot of tools that I couldn't live without- I don't think I could pick just one. Pasta machine, a good blade, my extruder and its pusher, and my heat gun are probably at the top of the list, though.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
Not really- I do crochet when I need something portable to keep my hands busy and once every few months I will dig out the quilt top or my cross stitch (both of which were started about 10 years ago) and work on one of those for a few days.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
Filigree- no, wait! Micromosaic... no, relief sculpture. Um, caning? I really don't know. It depends on my mood at any given time, although, I do tend to go in bursts. I'll spend days (or weeks) on one technique, only to wander off and come back to it a month or so later.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Sculpting tiny stuff. I just can't keep my hands steady enough to do it. I could never be a miniature artist.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
My dream is to go on a pc retreat. I would love to meet other polyclay artists. There isn't anyone in my area who does it besides me. I love architecture and eventually I'd like to sculpt Hogwarts castle and do some of the LDS temples in relief sculpture.
Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Almost always. I use Kato- the color choices are limited. Even when I do have a lot of color choices available, I can seldom find one that's "just right." I'm super-picky about color.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I almost never make the same things twice. I follow my mood. Our art won't invoke feelings in others unless we put a bit of ourselves into our work. My best pieces are the ones that I felt the most vulnerable emotionally during their creation.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
When I get stuck, I watch for beauty around me (there's plenty of that up here in the Grand Tetons), I watch for inspiration in the books I'm reading, I pay attention to the colors and textures of the things around me that I've taken for granted, I flip through my art books and surf the internet for images that catch my eye. And if all else fails, I clean my craft room, discover some supply or tool that I've been meaning to try and forgot I had, (or notes on a technique I want to try) and my muse comes back to me.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
Kato is my favorite- Fimo and Premo are my backups. I would use Kato exclusively but I can't get it locally and I don't always plan ahead enough to get it online in time. I love the texture of it, love the pureness of the colors for mixing, love the way it feels when it's baked. My only complaint with it is how hard it is to sand. That's the one thing I prefer the others for.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
With all of my responsibilities as a wife, mother of 6 kids, homeschool teacher to 5 of them, nurse to the one with diabetes, owner of one small business, and partner in two more, polymer clay is my therapy. I seriously think I would go completely crazy without it.

You can also find Kael Mijoy online on Flickr, Twitter, and her blog. Be sure to check out all the wonderful creations this very talented artist has to offer!

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How To Make a Teddy Bear Christmas Ornament in Polymer Clay

2011-12-26T14:25:00.000-06:00

This video tutorial, made by Michelle of CreativeCritters, will show you how to sculpt a miniature teddy bear ornament in polymer clay. This cute little bear, complete with Santa hat and warm scarf, will make an adorable addition to your Christmas tree!

I hope you enjoyed this video and will go on to make lots of little Christmas bears! ;-)
CreativeCritters can also be found online on Flickr, Facebook, her blog, and YouTube.

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Meet Smoosher member Tonja Lenderman

2011-12-20T20:47:00.000-06:00

Smoosher member Tonja, of Tonja's Treasures makes beautiful creations in polymer clay and was kind enough to share a bit about her work with us!

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
It's versatility. I was working with many different types of crafts, but once I found polymer clay I got rid of all that other stuff and jumped in with both feet.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
I saw Donna Kato make a pansy and leaf cane on the Carol Duvall show. I immediately went out to buy some clay and a pasta machine. That was over 12 years ago. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, I heavily depend on the internet, books and videos to learn new techniques, especially since they canceled Carol Duvall. That was a dark day in my life

What is your favorite tool to work with?
Hmmm, that depends on what I am working on, I guess. If it's Mokume Gane I'm working on I must have my clear stamps. But overall I suppose I would have to say my Scumbuster. I use it to wet sand my work and I definitely could not live without it.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
If you can count making clear stamps for my business. But they are made out of a clear polymer material. LOL

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
I love making faux / imitation stuff. Top of that list is Mokume Gane. A close second for techinques is mica shift. Love my metallic clays.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
I have little patience for caning, but I wish I did. For now I'll just keep buying canes from my friends I call it supporting my clay community

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
I just blogged about this subject. I want to learn to Lisa Pavelka’s faux batik, Sylvie Peraud’s faux denim, this really cool deep crackle technique that requires a heat gun, and Jana Roberts Benzon's Bargello technique.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
I do sometimes, but like caning, I don't have a lot of patience.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
Most of my work come from happy accidents. Just experimenting and letting go. That's how I discovered my Scrap Mokume Gane technique.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
If I had the answer to that I would be soooo much more productive . Do you know the secret?

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
I use Premo and have used it for over 12 years. I love the color palette, that it's easy to condition and strong once baked.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I have been published a few times in Jewelry Crafts magazine (sad it's not printed anymore ) and I was on the cover of Polymer Cafe. My dear hubby is always the first just jump into a conversation and proudly tell people that fact, even when I forget about it. He's a keeper.

Tonja can also be found online on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, http://tonjastreasures.com/, http://tonjastreasures.com/wordpress/, and her ArtFire Shop. Until Christmas Eve use coupon code 20OFF to receive 20% off jewelry, silk screens, ornaments, and supplies in Tonja's Treasures!

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Merry Christmas from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild!

2011-12-16T01:26:00.000-06:00

Christmas Creations from the Polymer Cla...

Fine Art Photography

The Polymer Clay Smooshers have handmade gifts for you!

2011-12-13T17:42:00.000-06:00

Find wonderful handmade Christmas gifts created by the very talented member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild!

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Meet Smooshers member Fantasy Clay

2011-12-09T17:44:00.000-06:00

Smooshers member Susan, of Fantasy Clay, has been smooshing polymer clay for over 10 years and was kind enough to share a bit about her work and her methods for creating these wonderful pieces.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
Polymer clay lets me explore almost anything- I can play with colors, textures, form and that is just the beginning. I can make almost anything I can think of, I am limited only by imagination. Even better, I don't need a kiln, it's inexpensive, it bakes in my oven in about an hour, and it's non-toxic.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
I first started with a kids book which taught some basics and had simple projects that encouraged taking trajectories. From there I hit the net. I got a big boost when Dinko Tilov's book came out in 2004. I had known his work from PCC so I couldn't wait for it and it added a lot to my toolbelt of knowledge.

What is your favorite tool to work with?
My hands are my favorite tool, I like to squish and touch. With a needle tool and my hands, I have the basics to do a decent sculpture.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I've used other mediums including oil and water painting, pencil, yarns, wool- but now I just use polymer clay (and what I need for embellishments)

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
I love sculptural and textural techniques. I love the freedom and the creativity, even when I have a defined goal, like a cake topper made to order. When I am doing something like my dragon necklaces, anything goes.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Caning. Precision is key, 'Nuff said.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
My biggest "to do" is to try to find a focus and really hone my skills in that area and perfect it.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
I HAVE to mix my own colors, if only because I love the exploration of color. I love using analogous palettes, like shades of one color, mixing your own colors is the only way to get those shades. Even more, the colors define my work- my colors are mine, I think the worst thing Polyform does is advertize its new Premo colors as "we did the mixing for you". Hands off, that is my job and joy.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
Are my designs fresh and original still? I'm not sure. I keep trying new techniques and sculpting different things, often just doing a different pose requires new skills.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
When I get in a rut, I usually need a kick start. I go back to making some of my basics, usually one of Christi Friesen inspired dragons. The shape is simple, just simple snake, mix up colors, make a face, add some more color and it starts rolling...
I make sure I don't focus on a sellable piece but just enjoying myself.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
If I could only have one brand, it would be Premo. The clay is firm but giving. It also has the best mica colors of any brand. They've dropped some of their crucial colors, actually the 3 most primary colors - magenta, cobalt blue and zinc yellow but it still has many of their original artist colors.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
You have to do what you love. And keep trying to do it better.
Copper and Blue Mosaic

You can also find Fantasy Clay online on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Indiepublic, YouTube, and her blog. Be sure to stop in and check out all her wonderful creations! And right now she's offering free shipping on all items from her ArtFire shop!

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Mica Shift Pendant Tutorial- written by DreamWeaversDesigns

2011-12-02T18:23:00.000-06:00

This tutorial was written by Smooshers member DreamWeaversDesigns, originally on her ArtFire blog. She was kind enough to share the post with us as well.

Mica Shift pendant tutorial.

The above necklace and earring set were made using the mica shift technique. Finished pieces were placed on memory wire. Black crystals and white glass beads were used to complete the look.

I love mica shift!! Mica shift is a polymer clay technique that shows up as a 3D or ghost image. There are certain clays that have mica particles in them and when these particles are manipulated {by rolling the clay in one direction over and over with a pasta machine}, the mica lines up. When stamped, shaved, or just cut, the clay has areas that are darker and those that are lighter, giving a two toned effect. The images one can capture are amazing; the 3D effect is awesome. Pearlized clay can also be used to achieve the ghost image. The following is my method for getting this great look. I wanted to make this tutorial for those who may be interested in the technique, but were hesitant to try it. I hope it's not too long!!

Start by assembling your tools. I used Premo pearl clay, cranberry Adirondak ink, a flexible blade, a non flexible blade, an acrylic roller, stamp of choice and my pasta machine.

Cut off the amount of clay you think you will need. I used 1/4 of the 2 oz pack, which is plenty for the pendant I am making. I then roll out the clay on the widest setting to get ready for applying my alcohol ink to tint {This was a great tip from one of the Smoosher's!}. Note, you can darken the clay by reapplying more ink after the first coat has dried. Placed your prepared clay on your tile.

After the ink has dried on your clay, fold it in half and start running it through the pasta machine. Inserting the fold first will express all the air in between the 2 halves. I rolled my clay through the pasta machine about 30 times to make sure the ink was thoroughly mixed.

Once you have selected your stamp, impress the prepared clay. {Make sure you apply even pressure so the design is deep enough. Sometimes this takes practice. The great thing about polymer clay and this technique is, if you make a mistake, you can start all over.} Once I was satisfied with my stamped impression, I began the slicing process. Due to the pressure used to imprint the stamp, my clay is good and stuck to the tile. I hold the non-flexible blade at an angle, starting at the side farthest from me. Then I drag the blade across the piece, slowly shaving off the raised layers of the stamped impression. {This too takes practice. I have made many mistakes and sliced too deep.} Once you have been doing it for a while, you get a feel for how to hold your hands to make the right depth slices. The goal is to shave off all the raised areas so your clay is fairly smooth.

After I have shaved off all the raised areas, I used my acrylic roller to flatten the piece even more. {Some people prefer to roll their piece through the pasta machine to achieve a smooth surface; I prefer using my roller} Use a light hand when rolling and change directions to avoid distorting the image. Because of the pressure to apply your stamp; then the slices you take off, you are left with a thinner sheet of clay. Gently use your blade to remove the prepared clay off the tile.

I like to use the remainder of my tinted clay, rolled through the pasta machine at the widest setting, to use as a backing. Place the shaved sheet over the plain sheet and roll with the acrylic roller to remove any air bubbles. Next I cut out my shape using the flexible blade, gently push down the edges of the piece and smooth by running my fingers down the side. I feel this gives the pendant a more finished look. Then I pierced the top for stringing the piece, embellished with a flat back crystal and baked according to the instructions on the clay pack in my convection oven. For this piece I baked it for 40 minutes. Note: please observe all safety precautions when working with clay, sharp tools and the oven. Keep the area well ventilated and never use tools, utensils or ovens for food items after used with the clay.

Once my baking was done, I immediately placed the pendant in an ice bath. I feel this brings up the image. After soaking in ice for 20-30 minutes, I was able to use my micro mesh pads to sand the piece, than I buffed it to a high shine on my power buffing machine. Here is the finished product, ready for stringing.

Thanks for taking the time to review this, my first, written tutorial. Feel free to let me know what you think!!

You can also find DreamWeaversDesigns online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-mw/, and http://dreamweaversdesigns.blogspot.com/.

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2011-12-02T13:36:00.000-06:00

Meet Smoosher member My Polymer Clay Canes

2011-11-29T14:15:00.000-06:00

Janie, of My Polymer Clay Canes on ArtFire, creates a wide variety of gorgeous canes and beads. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her work for us.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I love the versatility of polymer clay. Most of all, I love the possibilities of what you can create with it. It is endless. You are only limited by your own imagination. And, that there is no waste. If something doesn't work out the way you want, you can just smoosh it all up and start over.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
I began by just experimenting. When I started, there wasn't much out in the way of books, or classes. That all came later.
What is your favorite tool to work with?
I could never confine myself to just one tool...but if I had to, I guess it would be my pasta machine. Simply because it makes the conditioning so much easier and faster. On second thought, make that the pasta machine motor! I can no longer live without that.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
Definitely! My other love is precious metal clay. I mainly work in silver. It comes in a clay form also, but is .999 pure fine silver after firing, versus sterling which is .925. The only draw back to it that I've found so far is the expense. Luckily, my customers don't seem to mind. I stay very busy year round in my local area with custom orders for silver pendants and earrings. I also work in resin. I will usually use resin to make dried flower or found object pendants.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
I love to make canes the most. Every single cane I make fascinates me after the reduction. It doesn't make a difference what type of cane it is either. My other favorite thing is making keepsake boxes. It's a great way for me to use my canes. I think I love putting the patterns and colors together. I especially love the ones that end up looking like quilt patterns. Like this one:
http://lifeartdesign...m-old-cane.html

It doesn't matter what type of cane you use to make these boxes. It's all about putting the slices into a pattern. That is, if you're going for a "quilty" look.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Conditioning the clay, especially Kato clay. It takes to long and it's hard on my hands which are becoming arthritic. Oops, I guess that's not really a technique. I suppose sculpting would be my least favorite. I don't know why though, because I love doing that in silver clay.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
I think there will always be a million things on my to do list! To many things to list here. The latest thing that I just added to my list is Alice Stroppel's new caning technique. It can be seen in this Polymer Clay Daily feature:
http://polymerclayda...olymer-strudel/

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
I almost always mix my own colors. I think it gives your work a more authentic look. So, I have this big bin of colors left from clay that I have previously mixed for past projects. Well, those end up getting mixed or blended for other things...and on and on. That bin is always full. Which is great, because when I need to make colors for a cane, they're already there usually.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
By exploring and experimenting. I also think working in different mediums besides polymer clay helps. It gives your brain a chance to rest from that and refocus.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can end up in a rut. It can be very discouraging. But, I view it like a writer's block. For some reason, I think it's just a part of the creative process. At any rate, it helps me get my studio cleaned! Because that's usually what I do when it happens. Once I get my tables all clean and things back where they belong...BAM! Next thing you know, I'm back at it with new ideas.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
Kato is my favorite for caning and strength. Premo is a close second. It's just easier to use and condition.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
One of the things I love most about polymer clay is the community of people I have met. My first place of finding that community was www.polymerclaycentral.com . Those people and many others that I have met online, (and some of them in person), are the most caring, sharing, wonderful people! It has turned out to be that way with almost all of the polymer clay folks I have met so far. I think the more we all share, the better we all get, and the further our craft advances as an art medium.

Janie

You can also find Janie online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeartdesigns/ and http://lifeartdesignsbyjanie.blogspot.com/. Her work is truly amazing!

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The new ArtFire Guild Halls are now open!

2011-11-23T14:26:00.000-06:00

It's been a long wait, but ArtFire has finally opened the new and improved guild halls! And the wait was certainly worth it! The forums, which are accessible to guild members only, are exactly like ArtFire's main forums, making them easy to navigate and familiar to most guild members. The public section of the guild hall is pretty awesome too. Here is the link to the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild on ArtFire http://www.artfire.com/guilds/polymer_clay_smooshers. Here you can view our collections, browse sales and specials being offered by guild members (I love that feature!), read more about the guild, and apply for membership. The requirements for membership in the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild are fairly simple: you need to have an active shop on ArtFire and you need to have at least 3 polymer clay items for sale (this helps us promote your shop). Our members range from people who have only been working with polymer clay for a few months, to members like myself who have been smooshing for over ten years. And we all learn so much from one another! No matter what your level of experience is, you can be an asset to this guild! It's all about learning and sharing, and I believe that the learning never stops.
We'll be moving our forums from http://polymerclaysmooshers.invisionzone.com/ to http://www.artfire.com/guilds/polymer_clay_smooshers/info in order to simply things for guild members. Nothing will be deleted from the invisionzone forums however.
I want to thank you all for supporting the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild and invite you to continue to share our creative journey!
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How To Make a Polymer Clay Poinsettia Cane by Artmakers Worlds

2011-11-20T23:07:00.000-06:00

This post was written by Jen of Artmakers Worlds on her own blog located at http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog/ArtmakersWorlds and she was kind enough to let me share it here as well.

Just for fun, the making of a poinsettia cane.

You can find this cane listing by clicking here.

I won't walk everyone through every single step in cane building, in fact I didn't even think to photograph this until I had a good start. But if you want an idea of how canes are made, there is plenty of info here.
Enjoy.

The petals and leaves are all made the same way. It's a basic leaf cane. In short, you run a few colors side by side through a pasta machine, fold and run over and over. This is called a "skinner blend." Roll that up and you have a "plug." Each end of this plug will be a different shade. Well what I want is a plug that runs one color along one side, not each end. So I compress the ends together and stretch the sides until I have a plug with colors side by side instead of end to end. Cut that and add the veins, and I'll show this later in the demo.

The center part is simple. Make a log of one color, wrap it with another. Reduce, cut into several equal sections, put them side by side, reduce again. Do this as many times as you need to get the number of center dots you want.

So I've made my basic leaf in red, reduced that long enough to cut a dozen sections. The first six got tacked to my center piece,
Now I snug the next six around those. And that's our flower.

Next, I need to find a green to use for the leaves. As it turns out the only green I have on hand is a real bright one. Too bright.
Well before I got into polymer clay I was a painter so blending colors is second nature to me. The way to "tone down" an obnoxious shade of anything is to use a bit of it's opposite on the color wheel. The opposite of green is red. Just a touch of red will bring down the yikes factor just enough to make a nice leaf. The scraps I had from the ends of the flower part is perfect. The photo shows the green I started with and what a touch of red blended in makes.
Now I have enough to make the dark leaf veins as well as some shadow at the base of the leaves.

So again, I made a plug, then compressed it and pulled it sideways to make a plug that is dark on one side and light on the other.
As with any basic leaf, slice this in half and insert a sheet of dark green. Slice both sides and insert sheets as the leaf veins. Voila. Now reduce that long enough to make six or seven sections.

So here I've added the reduced leaf sections. How many you add at this point is not that important. Note I have two leaves side by side on one spot.

Now it's time to start packing with translucent. Being careful to make triangular shapes that fit between the leaves so their shapes don't get mushed together.

And here is my cane fully assembled and ready to start reducing.

Note, I'm not covering how to reduce a cane. Basically I start by simply squeezing this thing. Squeeze, turn, squeeze, turn. Once it grows in length enough I start squeezing the center until it forms sort of a waistline. This is how all canes get reduced. It's time consuming, and sometimes it's a bit of a work out. Just gotta go slow, compress from the center out towards the ends. All those air spaces will be squeezed out and the design gets compressed together.
Never roll a cane to reduce. That will twist the design and trap in any air pockets.

Here is my smiling mug (yikes) holding the cane just before the reducing process. Gives you and idea how big cans are before they get shrunk and stretched. This one is actually a medium size. I've made a few that were twice as big as this. If not larger. those are such a work out to reduce though, every time I end up with one that big I say to myself "self? Don't DO that again."
This one was not a problem to reduce. Good size.

And finally, here are my freshly reduced and cut pieces ready to be wrapped and stored until some wonderful customer decides to buy and turn into creative things.

Hope you enjoyed the life of a cane.

Jen

Find Artmakers Worlds online at http://www.flickr.co...rtmakersworlds/, http://twitter.com/#!/artmakersworlds, and http://artmakersworlds.com/.http://artmakersworlds.com/.

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Brown makes DreamWeavers Designs think of the holidays

2011-11-19T22:46:00.000-06:00

Jan of DreamWeavers Designs wrote this post.

Brown

This weeks Smooshers topic is brown. Thinking of the holidays coming brings to mind a lot of brown. Now, some of you may be thinking...brown??? what brown? With colder temps, the leaves will be turning brown and falling in piles on the lawns. Think golden brown turkey. Umm, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite and a staple around Christmas. And, some people love fruit cake. {Yes, I happen to be one of them} This holiday, browse through the Smoosher's ArtFire shops for truly one-of-a kind, handmade items. I'm sure you will find the perfect gift for that someone special. I recommend you search early so you don't miss anything!

Speaking of leaves, check out AmyCrawley's shop to see more unique works like this light switch cover.

Cynthia Blanton Studio has several mixed media pieces.

May not be all brown, but how cute are these Christmas mice from QuernusCrafts!!

Don't forget to check out our ArtFire shops. Just go to http://www.polymercl...s.blogspot.com/ Hope you have as much fun looking at all the wonderful, creative pieces that I did.

Til next time, remember:

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.": - Henry Ford (1863-1947); Follow DreamWeavers Designs blog at http://dreamweaversd...s.blogspot.com/, and visit her ArtFire shop at http://www.artfire.c...mWeaversDesigns; Find the Smooshers on Facebook Visit the Smooshers Blog Join the conversation on the Smooshers forums

A Collection of Christmas Creations from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild

2011-11-16T17:25:00.000-06:00

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Fine Art Paintings

Grays Crafts shares how to make a polymer clay cameo

2011-11-14T19:28:00.000-06:00

Recently one of our guild members asked how to make a polymer clay cameo and Grays Crafts replied,

"If you need it in one piece (without background), that's what I do. Get translucent and ecru clay, roll out on thickest setting each of them. Stack on top of each other and roll through machine again. Tear in half, stack and roll. I usually stop when there is 30-60 very thin layers. Then create striped cane - slice stack in parts, stack parts, so stripes become the working surface.

Get a good carved cameo (or your best doll face if you only need a face), spritz with water/automotive protectant and press into the molding material. Molding material - 2 part molding compound or Bake and Bend clay. I make all my custom stamps out of this clay. In case with component, let it set. In case with clay - bake with piece in place, if it can be baked or carefully pull it out. Don't bake clay in clay .

Slice piece off the striped cane thick enough to fill the mold and push it into the mold. You want to spritz clay or the mold. Or both . Stripes will get distorted. In my opinion, it gives them a more natural look. Make sure the back is level and generally decent and carefully pull out of mold. Bake, antique, heat set the patina, buff.

Imitates the look of ivory. You can add scratch-like marks before baking to make it look distressed. You can also create background for your cameo from the same faux ivory if you want.

Good luck! "

So there you have it- a fairly easy way to create your own polymer clay cameos! A big thanks to Grays Crafts for sharing her knowledge with us!
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Find unique handmade gifts from the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild

2011-11-12T01:41:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for something special for your family and friends this holiday season, look no farther than the shops of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild! This video features the work of guild members Grumpy Grandmas Gift Shop, Gundowerks, Handmade Specialties, Harrison Hollow Designs, Illusion Everything, Into The Dawn, and Jaels Jewels. Whether it's handcrafted jewelry or distinctive home decor, the Smooshers have what you're looking for!

Thanks for having a Handmade Holiday with the Smooshers!
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Meet Smooshers member Sharp Art by Dawna

2011-11-09T17:55:00.000-06:00

Dawna, of Sharp Art by Dawna on ArtFire.com, creates one of a kind pendants and unbaked canes. She was kind enough to answer a few questions and allow us a look into her world of polymer clay.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I had lost my job and had to move to a smaller place. I needed to start a home based craft business with a small studio. I chose polymer clay for lack of space. Never dreamed I'd love it so much!
How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
Internet was my main source for learning. Then I found facebook and bounced questions off the pros. I wasn't able to watch any dvds or videos until 8 months into my learning stage. I tried to learn as much as I could at a very fast pace.
What is your favorite tool to work with?
A double pointed knitting needle. I seem to use it for every piece I make. Very handy indeed.
Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I love creating designs on silk and landscape painting.
What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
I have so many. It really depends on what mood I'm in. I go through phases. One of my favs is making canes. I also love working with foils, inks and translucent clay. Then the Mokume Gane bugs bites and off I go on that.
What is your least favorite technique and why?
Haven't found a least yet.
What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
Dan Cormier's techniques.
Mica Shift
Janice Abarbanel's Crackling Lentil Beads
Grant Diffendaffer's lathe turned beads
Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
For the most part yes unless I need pearlized colors. I can custom create what I want plus I feel like I save money. I love to stock up on cobalt blue, yellows and red. I like to buy Fuchsia and Violet though as they are hard to mix.
How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I try NOT to copy other's work although I do get inspired from looking at it. I don't know...things just come to me. I rarely even look at books.
What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
I'll make something off the wall like a light bulb critter or something different.
What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
PREMO! PREMO! PREMO! It is flexible for bangles, strong in solid pieces like my pendants and it buffs to a glass like shine. Especially the black.

If you are new to clay give yourself time to learn. You had to learn to walk before you could run. Never give up. It can be quite a rewarding adventure!

You can also find Sharp Art by Dawna at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolphinplay7/, on Facebook, and Twitter, as well as her ArtFire shop. Any of her gorgeous and unique pendants would make a wonderful gift this holiday season!

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Book Review: The Art of Jewelry Polymer Clay

2011-11-06T20:56:00.001-06:00

This post was written by Anna of Grays Crafts

The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay by Katherine Duncan Aimone.

152 pages, soft cover, full color.

It is a wonderful book for intermediate to advanced clayers. I do not recommend this book to beginners. The projects in the book contain just a few illustrations each, and in most cases steps are not described in full, since, being an advanced clayer, you are supposed to know how to do elementary things. I have heard some negative reviews about this book, and they mostly came from beginners, which is understandable. If you are just starting your journey into the wonderful world of polymer clay, you may become disappointed and overwhelmed by this book and may be better off with simpler projects at first, reserving this one for the time when your skills will reach the next level. However, if you are an intermediate to advanced polymer artist, this book would be a sheer delight to you, as you would have a chance to challenge yourself while using well-familiar techniques and learning new ones. Following the instructions in the book, you would truly be making art jewelry, of quality and beauty such as to be easily displayed in an art museum.
The Art of Jewelry, as its title implements, is a jewelry-making oriented book, in other words, all projects in it are polymer clay jewelry. The book contains:
- 12 necklace projects;
- 7 pendant projects;
- 7 brooch/pin projects;
- 6 bracelet projects;
- and 3 earring projects.

Techniques you will be using (and learning) include:
- sculpting;
- forming;
- texturing;
- embossing;
- image transfer;
- transfer etching;
- screen printing;
- freeform mica shift;
- color blends, including Skinner Blend;
- caning, advanced caning and millefiori;
- faux tesserae mosaics (clay embossing);
- faux glass;
- faux ceramics (Celadon glaze);
- faux fresco (gelatin coating);
- creation of hollow forms;
- molding;
- antiquing.

Some of the projects require use of general metalsmithing skills, such as soldering, wire work and riveting.
The book’s cover states Katherine Duncan Aimone as the author, however she is the compiler and the author of the introduction to the book. The introduction is followed by the polymer clay jewelry basics chapter by Mari O’Dell. In that chapter, you can find information on:
- polymer clay, its properties, conditioning, storing and curing;
- materials that can be used with polymer, such as embossing powders, metal leaf, heat set inks and so on;
- an overview of basic and special tools used for working with polymer, including advice on making and using your own molds;
- finishing options and surface treatments;
- use of findings in polymer jewelry, including excellent instructions on attaching a pin back to polymer brooches.

Projects themselves start from the page 24. Artists whose projects are featured include:
- Judith Skinner (3 projects);
- Jacqueline Lee (3 projects);
- Pier and Penina (4 projects);
- Louise Fischer Cozzi (2 projects);
- Mari O’Dell (3 projects);
- Jennifer Bezingue (3 projects);
- SL Savarick (2 projects):
- Stephanie Jones Rubiano (1 project);
- Sandra McCaw (1 project);
- Lindly Haunani (3 projects);
- Jeffrey Lloyd Dever (1 project);
- Leslie Blackford (2 projects);
- Julia Converse Sober (3 projects);
- Wendy Wallin Malinow (2 projects).

The beautiful cover piece, Snow Flower Brooch by Sandra McCaw, is included in the book and is an advanced caning project.
Book contains a lot of useful tips. There is a wonderful inspiring Gallery section which alone makes book to be worth its price. You can learn things by just looking at these beautiful high quality photographs. Pieces presented in the Gallery are advanced to ultra advanced. At the end of the book you can find short bios of the artists whose projects are featured, alone with their contact information. And like all of that already was not enough, the book also contains a metric conversion (inches to centimeters) chart.

I got my book on Amazon.com for $12.76 and, since my husband is a Prime member, shipping was free.
I would give this book six stars out of five and highly recommend it to advanced clayers interested in jewelry projects.

Below you can see a picture of a project I created after reading this book:

You can find Grays Crafts online at http://grayscrafts.com/, on Facebook, Twitter, and her ArtFire shop.

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All Things Polymer Clay curated by Sharp Art by Dawna

2011-11-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

This beautiful collection features the work of some of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild members and was curated by Sharp Art by Dawna.

All Things Polymer Clay

Curated By: SharpArtbyDawna

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Fine Art Photography

You can click on any of the pictures to view the listing, and while you're there be sure to check out the entire shop. You never know what delights you might find!

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Meet Smooshers member Grays Crafts

2011-11-02T07:04:00.001-05:00

Polymer Clay Smoosher member Anna, of Grays Crafts creates a variety of unique and whimsical items, from jewelry to home decor. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and let us take a peek into her creative world.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?

Because it is easy to sculpt from. I do a lot of sculpting. It is also awesome as mosaics foundation and tesserae material, and I love mosaics. It can mimic any material of Earth or I can make something totally alien out of it. I used to work with and sell works made out of plasticine as a child and teenager and then with fondant to do food sculpture, so I was very glad when I found polymer clay. If you use it right, it is just very beautiful.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....

Experimenting definitely would be the first. I am an experimenter. I made an Etruscan ship as my first project. Nobody said I have no ambition . Not sure I would dare to do it now . It took me 4 remakes and 1 week of work, but I did it. There was no instructions available simply because nobody else made them. So, I was on my own. Then I went to Internet and watched and read all free tutes available. Then I bought Lisa Pavelka book. After that I bought some more books . And then I took Christi Friesen class.

What is your favorite tool to work with?

My hands.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?

Yes, with a lot of them! Pearls, gemstones, wire, wood, paper, glass, acrylic - you name it. I love to recycle items, that's why I established my "Cycle of Recycle" series. One of the latest things made for it is an ocean view necklace and earrings made of suction cup and drinking tubing. Hey, somebody uses these "Go 360 Clean" things? Don't throw the sponges away; they make awesome brooches!

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?

Micro-mosaics obviously. I LOVE extruded canes! Although I generally don't like caning since I bores me. No offense to caning people - I just like things that differ from one another. Mokume gane, especially freeform planned pattern. Mica shift - try using shallow cutters as your stamps - you'll be amazed. If you haven't already . I've invented a couple of my own, such as faux grout micro-mosaics, so I obviously like to use those. Sculpting is awesome, you can't beat 3D!
Why they're favorite? Because they yield awesome results.

What is your least favorite technique and why?

Caning - see above.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?

Work with PMC - I don't have a kiln yet. Perfect my metalsmithing skills, because now, frankly, they suck . Buy professional lapidary equipment - we go on mining trips with my husband sometimes, and right now it's very hard for me to polish these gems. Learn to be more patient and accepting.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?

Always! It's just fun to do. To match little magic happening.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?

I don't. They keep themselves . After certain point they acquire life of their own and do what they please with it. Generally, I don't repeat things. Even mass-produced designs will always look a bit different. I've always sucked at copying, had real problems with it in school. But here it pays off.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?

I hear a lot about creative rut, but frankly don't know what it is. Please, don't think that I show off. I have hard time sleeping, as new ideas keep pushing in my head. I generally create 10-30 designs per week, and 4-5 of them always are totally new. And that's been going on for at least past 5 years.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?

"Premo! Sculpey" and "FIMO" - they're just awesome. Easy to condition, stay fresh, don't crack (mostly ), have amazing colors. More than I need.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Don't try to show results of your work, but the beauty of your idea. We all have beautiful ideas inside. Let them out and let them live. Have fun! And thank you.

Link to my work: http://www.artfire.c...es/Polymer_Clay

What a wonderfully creative lady! Grays Crafts can be found online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/grayscrafts, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grays-Crafts/175931129085558, http://twitter.com/#!/grayscrafts, http://grayscrafts.com/, and http://www.etsy.com/shop/grayscrafts, as well as her ArtFire shop. Be sure to pay her a visit!

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The newest Meet the Smooshers video

2011-10-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

And here's the next in our Meet the Polymer Clay Smooshers video series! This video features the work of Desert Rubble, Desert Wind Designs, Dreamweavers Designs, Drunkenmimes, Fantasy Clay, Gems PC Creations, and Grays Crafts. These are all wonderfully talented polymer clay artists, with shops full of beautiful handmade items!

The Beauty Within

2011-10-29T17:32:00.001-05:00

This beautiful collection was created by Grays Crafts and features the work of some of the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild.

Beauty Within

Curated By: GraysCrafts

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Unique Gifts

Halloween by DreamWeaversDesigns

2011-10-27T00:48:00.000-05:00

This post was written by Jan of DreamWeaversDesigns.

Halloween

The topic this week, for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's, is Halloween. Thinking of this particular time of year makes me want to hunker down near a fire, with a good book and some tasty tea. For some reason, no matter how warm October is, this day is always freezing! I love the colors, fragrances {think apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice candles}, and yes, the decorations in preparation for trick or treating. For those of us that do craft fairs, the rush is on for upcoming shows in November. There are so many wonderful artisans in our guild, take a look at some fun Halloween pieces.

How cute is this kitty and pumpkin by Buttonwilloe?

Are you into spooky wearable art? Check out other pieces from Mortimer Inc.

What would Halloween be without The Raven?? Wyvern Designs has plenty of holiday themed pieces to choose from.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at some of the fantastic work from the Polymer Clay Smooshers. Feel free to check out our blog, at http://www.polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/, where you can browse all the artisans shops on ArtFire.

Til next time, stay safe and don't let the goblins get ya..

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Meet Smooshers member Gundowerks

2011-10-25T10:19:00.001-05:00

Teresa of Gundowerks creates everything from jewelry to beads to home decor, and so much more! She was kind enough to answer a few questions about how she got started in polymer clay and what inspires her work.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?

The versatility and the learning curve. With PC you can get your first package of clay and after a bit of fiddling create something you like. With more study, more experimentation, more trial-and-error you can create more and more amazing and beautiful pieces of art. With clay the sky's the limit, there is always something new to do and learn. You can create so many things – you can faux all kinds of different things from nature to ancient pottery and metalworking. You can make your own colors, you can add different media – clay can help you create the visions in your head. It's amazing stuff.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....

Trial and error! My first book was Nan Roche's “The New Clay” and at first all I could do was just try to mimic what I saw. In the late 90's I found Delphi Forums and Polymer Clay Central and a tremendous amount of my knowledge came from my friends there. Then in the 2000's there were books and magazines that began to hit the market, making new techniques and ideas far more accessible.

What is your favorite tool to work with?

I love too many tools to choose one! Molds are amazing, scalpels are vital, the pasta machine is indispensable. I love my heat gun with a passion and I am never without a clay extruder.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?

Paint, markers, fabric, beads, paper – I love to do mixed media work.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?

Faux Mokume Gane. It is magical, the effects are stunning, and you never come up with the same piece twice. You can use it for everything from covering boxes to molding items.

What is your least favorite technique and why?

Representational caning. I hate the waste primarily, I also don't like the risks of reducing, and color bleed, and all those other things that can leave you with pounds of mud. Just not my thing, but boy do I respect the people who do it well!!

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?

I would like to learn a bit of sculpting, just faces for cabs and such. It's way down on my list, but it's on there. Other than that it's primarily just learning and growing with what I'm already doing.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?

I do at times. Not according to anyone's formulas usually. I'll just mix a tiny bit at a time for something I need at the moment. I'd really rather not reproduce anything exactly – that's why I make things like MG in tiny quantities, and another reason I eschew representational caning.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?

Small quantities. I don't do anything on production scale, I'll work on a few things at once and then move on. If I make MG (as I said above) it's in tiny quantities because I don't like having a huge chunk of something that makes tons of “look alikes”. The same with mixed colors, I just don't like to have a lot of anything hanging around.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?

A short attention span! Well, a forced short attention span... I have a seven year old, two hounds, four cats, a husband and a big house. I don't get to sit in my studio a lot, and when I do it's not for a long time. I'm jumping back and forth a lot and that helps keep me from getting in a rut.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?

Premo (the old formula) has always been my favorite. I still have a lot of old clay, but after I run through it I'm going to need to re-evaluate clay brands. I also am crazy about Fimo Trans, I love the glowing milk-white color I achieve with it in my MG.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I am crazy about polymer clay! I'm always thrilled to be in contact with other PC artists, I love to learn and grow and teach in this community.

Here is a link to one of my favorite items: http://www.artfire.c...ct_view/1057181

You can find Gundowerks online on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog, as well as her ArtFire shop. And right now she's offering free shipping on all her items through October 31st, so hurry in and do a little early Christmas shopping!
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Meet more of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild members

2011-10-23T11:27:00.001-05:00

Here's another video sharing some of the very talented members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild! This video features Blue Morning Expressions, Buttonwilloe, Classon Creations, Clay Harmony, CreativeCritters, Cynthia Blanton, and Danas Jewelry Etc. These artists create everything from jewelry to miniatures to home decor, and so much more. Be sure to stop by their shops and see all they have to offer!

Christmas will be here before you know it! Why not delight your friends and family with handcrafted gifts from the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild?
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Have a Heart- Collection by Fantasy Clay

2011-10-21T17:41:00.001-05:00

Susan of Fantasy Clay put together this beautiful collection of hearts created by members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild. To view the listing, simply click on the picture, and while you're there spend a little time browsing the shops of these very talented artists!

Have a Heart

Curated By: FantasyClay

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Handmade Gifts

Meet Smoosher member StrangeWhimsy

2011-10-19T08:20:00.001-05:00

StrangeWhimsy creates unique and beautiful jewelry, and was kind enough to answer a few questions about her inspiration and work with polymer clay.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I have a degenerative spine disorder and last summer I had to have back surgery and after that I was couch bound for what felt like forever (4 months) so I had to figure out something I could do that could release that creative energy but I couldn't sit up for very long and everything just felt so hard. I found a book by Christi Friesen about polymer clay dragons and I was sold. You don't have to keep it wet like natural clay (so it didn't matter if I got tired in the middle of a project) and you don't need a kiln to bake it.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
Books and experimenting mostly.

What is your favorite tool to work with?
I have a set of denture making tools that I've had since high school. They worked very well for greenware so I figured they would work with polymer clay also. Since they are made of metal and sharp I get clean lines and less distortion when carving.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I love to do stained glass windows and sun charms. I would love to get back into natural clay. I enjoy metal working and just started getting back into beading and wire-work. Unfortunately I think I'm one of those people that needs to be making something and I love to create beautiful things.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
Re-baking. Being able to bake a piece over and over again without damaging it, is a great way to create very delicate artwork.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Caning...I can't do it. I will say though that when I was trying to get the hang of it, I discovered some amazing color combo's that I might not have found otherwise.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
I would like to learn how to make beads out of polymer clay. I know it should be easy but I think its like canes for me, something my fingers just don't want to do.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Oh yes! I live the beautiful Pacific Northwest and we have this wonderful color palette of greens, browns, greys, muted blues and whites. I also have a thing for antiqued metal colors and the wonderful thing about polymer clay is that it mixes like paint. I like to keep a block of burnt umber around to warm up colors for instance.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I get out into nature and I like to jump around with styles, one day I will make a bunch of floral pieces and another day I'm all about the metal and barbed wire in my work. I think not staying with one ideal keeps things moving creatively for me.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
Stopping what I'm doing. If I find myself sitting at my desk just staring at a pile of clay and nothing is happening, I will go do something else. Sometimes even just doing the dishes or whatever, that usually works out the kinks in the creative side of my brain.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
Sculpey Premo. I like it because the range of colors and the durability after baking. Some colors can be a little soft but I just leech them.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Make sure that if your going to add beads or embellishments to your polymer clay creations, nothing you add is acrylic...found that one out the hard way

I couldn't pick a favorite but I chose this necklace because it's made from the same base color (Premo copper). The leaves have black and burnt umber added for instance. I think its a good example of the adaptability of polymer clay.

You can find Strange Whimsy online at http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/StrangeWhimsy, http://www.flickr.com/photos/strangewhimsy/, http://www.facebook.com/StrangeWhimsy, http://twitter.com/#!/StrangeWhimsy, and http://www.strangewhimsy.com/. Be sure to stop by and see what she's creating now! ;-)

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Meet some of the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild

2011-10-17T07:48:00.000-05:00

This video features the work of Amazing Designs, Amy Crawley, Artfairly Aware, ArtmakersWorlds, Averilpam, The Beadcomber, and BLeeKreations. Each is a very talented artist with plenty of wonderful items in their shop. Be sure to pay them a visit and see all they have to offer!

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Autumn Rain by CreativeCritters

2011-10-15T11:16:00.001-05:00

Autumn Rain was the theme for the Blog Roll, created by Polymer Clay Smooshers guild member Art Asylum. I'm sitting here listening to the Autumn rain patter on the roof right now, so I'm certainly in the right frame of mind! ;-) This is what I think of as "Halloween-y weather". The leaves are starting to fall and crunch underfoot, the air has that crisp smell and is starting to become cooler. And I just love smell of woodsmoke in the Fall: it takes me back to when I was a kid and we would sit around the campfire in the back yard. My brothers and I would gather fallen sticks from the woods surrounding our house, then we'd roast marshmallows over the fire. The dogs and sometimes the cats would hang out with us, and it was just such a happy and peaceful time. Sometimes on rainy Autumn nights when I was cozy and dry in my bedroom I'd be lucky enough to see the owl that hunted the woods around my house. He'd sit up in the big Oak tree next to my window. Fall was the best time to spot him, because the tree had lost most of it's leaves and he stood out clearly. This Owl Pendant from Art Fairly Aware reminds me of him ;-)

And I can't think of Fall without thinking of pumpkins. These pumpkin earrings from Blue Morning Expressions are probably the prettiest pumpkins I've seen!

One of my favorite things used to be sitting out on the dock in the lake and watching the rain fall in the water. Looking across the lake the trees that lined the opposite shore were wearing their beautiful Autumn colors. This Raku pendant from Danas Jewelry Etc. reminds me of the patterns the rain made on the water, which reflected the colors of the trees.

Yes, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! So enjoy these rainy Autumn evenings and spend some time browsing the shops of these talented artists!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Meet Smoosher member DreamWeaversDesigns

2011-10-13T09:19:00.002-05:00

Polymer Clay Smoosher Jan, of DreamWeaversDesigns creates beautiful, colorful polymer clay jewelry and was kind enough to answer a few questions about her work and how she started smooshing clay ;-)

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I chose polymer clay on a whim, just to see what could be done with it. I honestly thought it would be something like play-doh, and am so glad I was wrong. To be able to mimic so many things is amazing.
How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
I am self taught and used all the resources I could get my hands on to learn everything I could. The internet is fantastic for researching and with You-Tube, you can virtually learn anything. I also started my own library, grabbing every book I came across! It's great to go back through them now and understand what everything means.
What is your favorite tool to work with?
I don't know that I have a favorite tool yet, but, I could not live without my pasta machine. I also recently purchased a buffer and just love how it makes my pieces shine.
Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I did dabble in some wire wrapping and made several pieces. I'm now using a kumihimo loom and am making braided strands for my pendants.
What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
So many techniques, so little time! Right now I am working at perfecting the mica shift technique, and think this may be one of the top favorites. I love the 3D effect and after sanding and buffing, the glassy shine is incredible. I also like mokume gane for the different surprises that come with every slice. One cane can make so many different looking pieces.
What is your least favorite technique and why?
I don't necessarily have a least favorite technique, as I haven't been able to try them all! I must say that getting the perfect kaleidoscope cane is not that easy for me. I would love to be able to make the crisp, clear, colorful works of art I have seen others make.
What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
I really want to learn how to make boxes. Also, just coming up with the perfect design to showcase the piece is always a goal.
Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Right now, I haven't mixed any colors "on purpose" to incorporate into a design. When I have mixed, it's random and usually as a means to use up left overs.
How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I am always looking at jewelry and browsing the internet. I usually don't have a specific design in mind when I start working with my clay, and really try to focus on making one of a kind pieces. I just go with the flow and technique and decide how it's going to look as I continue working.
What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
I recognize that everyone gets in ruts and I'm no different. If I find that I'm not making a piece that makes me happy, I'll stop for a while. Then I may go browsing and pick up my polymer clay books, or just visit some sites of famous polymer clay artisans and I can feel that "getting excited" spark.
What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
I mainly use Sculpey Premo clay as I find it fairly easy to condition and I like the results. Recently, I have bought some FIMO, if I couldn't find the Premo in the color I wanted.

Be sure to check out all her beautiful creations!

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Autumn splendor in polymer clay

2011-10-11T21:37:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share this awesome collection of Fall items from the the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild members ;-)

Autumn Splendor from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild

Curated by CreativeCritters

Collection Curator

"A collection of splendid Autumn items from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild ~ enjoy!"

It's blog ring time again! Subject: Autumn rain.

Autumn Rain and The Polymer Clay Smooshers by ArtAsylum

2011-10-09T10:54:00.001-05:00

This post was written by Kris of ArtAsylum. Visit her her shop at http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/ArtAsylum and follow her blog at http://withinmyartasylum.blogspot.com/.

The recently closed Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild through ArtFire of which I was a member and loved - is now reopened - WOOOOO- HOOOOO!!! So to celebrate and honor us being a guild again I dedicate this blog post entitled: AUTUMN RAIN to all the talented artisans that are a part of that wonderful group!

When the weather turns to grey skys and the rain starts to come - the clouds start to swirl - and the autumn colors come alive in contrast to the steely blue/grey sky - I love the look and feel of the Autumn rains. You can see in these next 3 pictures not only the colors I am talking about but the talent these artisans have with polymer clay!!!

Look at the color - and the swirl -

The purple hues of an autumn stormy sky with fall color contrast -

These beautiful fall colors pop against the Autumn rain!

Look at the talent of these artisans - and look at the colors I have described - now picture - My Autumn Rain sky!!

Thank you for stopping by -

Have a great week.

Autumn Rain- by StrangeWhimsy

2011-10-07T10:23:00.001-05:00

This post was written by StrangeWhimsy. Visit her ArtFire shop at http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/StrangeWhimsy and follow her blog at http://www.strangewhimsy.com/ .

So after a brief absence the Polymer clay smooshers guild is back up and running smooth, so without further ado this weeks blog ring subject.....Autumn Rain.

I know I'm starting off a little predictable but this is a REALLY pretty leaf. The crystal's look like dew drops and there is a copper loop on the back for easy attachment (copper chain, black turtle neck...just a suggestion...wink wink). Classy Clay Creations on Artfire is the artist behind this gem.

This lovely pendent has hammered gold and copper swirls. I do love my metal :) I'm in love with the graduation of colors from a reddish bronze to that gorgeous yellow. Amazing Designs on Artfire created this fantastic piece.

I have a thing for leaves, what can I say :) This wall hanging is from Creative Critters on Artfire. Not only is it a pretty amazing leaf but there's a fairy! I normally don't make my love of fairies known to the general public but this is for a good cause :)

This is just a small offering of the wonderful artists and art featured in the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild. Please check out the blog for a complete list of artists and links to their Artfire shops. Thank you for reading.
*clicking on the pictures will take you to the artists Artfire shop*

A collection of wonderful creations from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild

2011-10-05T15:53:00.005-05:00

Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild

Curated by Wyverndesigns | Collection Published on 09-30-2011

Collection Curator

"An homage to the awesome talent contained in the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild."

Thank You Desert Rubble for our new Smooshers widgets!

2011-10-04T16:28:00.001-05:00

I have to give a big Thank You to Lynn of Desert Rubble for designing and creating new widgets for the guild members shops and blogs! This is what she came up with for Smooshers to put in their shops. One links to the blog and the other one links to our new forums.

And here's the widget for our blogs. Looks good, doesn't it? =)

One of the reasons the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild has been such a success is because of the way the members work together and share their knowledge and skills, whether it's polymer clay, or creating widgets. ;-) I truly appreciate the way everyone has worked so hard to keep this guild going strong. Guild members, don't forget to check into the forums every so often to keep up with the latest news and be included in various promotions.
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Meet polymer Clay Smoosher member GemsPCCreations

2011-10-03T17:09:00.001-05:00

Lupe, of GemsPCCreations, loves smooshing clay and creates beautiful jewelry, pendants, and more. She was kind enough to share a little about herself in this interview.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
I chose Polymer Clay as a medium once I found that I could make my own beads. pendants and jewelry, since I happen to love string beading and designing jewelry. It is so versatile which is a huge plus for me...there's just no end to it!
How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
I first learned about Polymer Clay when I was volunteering at the Glendale Bead Museum (which is no longer...sad to say!). I took a class with Christi Friesen that was hosted by the museum and I was hooked! Then I joined a local polymer clay guild and I bought more tools and more clay and I haven't stopped!
What is your favorite tool to work with?
Gosh, my favorite tool...that is a tough question because I have so many! I guess the one I use the most would have to be the pasta machine. Blending various colors of clay with that makes "playing with clay" so much easier!
Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I love string beading and macrame.
What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
My favorite techniques are: image transfer and Mokume Gane...thanks to some wonderful teachers! I like that you can make a polymer clay piece a personal piece as well, by transferring photos onto clay, and also taking a beautiful piece of art and transferring that on to the clay. As for the Mokume Gane, I love the designs that you get when you slice into that cane...never know what you are going to get!
What is your least favorite technique and why?
My least favorite technique...well, I haven't come across that one yet. I happen to love them all!
What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
On my "to do list" is sculpturing and miniatures of course. I have dabbled in it a little but would love to learn more.
Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Sometimes I like mixing my own colors but have used recipes when I have been in a hurry or didn't have the right color on hand.
How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
I love looking at blogs to see what the trends are and what is the latest craze. It is great getting ideas, but you still want it to have your own flair, so I try an incorporate my own style. Polymer clay is great because you can design one of kind pieces. I think participating in challenges helps you to think outside the box which helps in designing original creations.
What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
I love reading and gardening, so when I experience a creative rut, I take a break and read a book and so some gardening. I love to look at art in general for color schemes and ideas...nature is great as well. I think for many of us, color is a challenge...what colors do I use and how to put them together. This usually will get us in a slump, well, it does for me. If I have some colors to play off of, my creative juices start rolling. And again, checking out blogs or websites help out as well. One more thing, taking a class or trying out a new tutorial also help get those creative juices flowing again.
What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
I would have to say that Sculpey Premo is by far my favorite brand of clay, although sometimes I like using Fimo clay as well.
Here's just a sample of what can be found in GemsPCCreations. Be sure to stop by and see all the beautiful items she has to offer!

The Polymer Clay Smooshers guild is lucky to have such talented members!

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How to sculpt a polymer clay rose- part 3

2011-10-01T22:45:00.002-05:00

This is the third and final video in the three part series on how to sculpt a polymer clay rose, from Michelle of CreativeCritters. Once you've sculpted and baked your clay flowers they can be used to decorate all sorts of things, like a picture frame or a plaque. The delicate looking roses would make lovely jewelry as well. You could make a matching earring and necklace, or a pretty bracelet. The possibilities are endless!

How to sculpt a polymer clay rose- part 2

2011-09-30T01:47:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's part two of the three part video series from CreativeCritters on how to sculpt a rose from polymer clay.

Stay tuned for the final installment of the series! Happy sculpting!

Let CreativeCritters show you how to sculpt a rose in polymer clay

2011-09-28T19:18:00.000-05:00

Polymer clay is the perfect medium for creating beautiful and delicate flowers. In this three part video series Michelle of CreativeCritters demonstrates how to sculpt a rose, which can then be used for earrings, pendants, and so much more. This is part one of the series. Stay tuned for parts two and three!

A colorful collection from the Polymer Clay Smooshers

2011-09-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Polymer Clay in the House

Curated by ValeriesStuff | Collection Published on 09-26-2011

"The Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild is back! Please enjoy this collection of housewares by our members."

Meet Polymer Clay Smoosher member AmazingDesigns

2011-09-26T01:53:00.000-05:00

Marlene, of AmazingDesigns, is one talented Polymer Clay Smoosher! She was kind enough to answers a few questions and let us get to know her a little better.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?
It is the most versatile medium ever created. It can mimic just about any of the others, and is completely forgiving, reusable and adaptable.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....
On a dare. My son was using it for his creations, and when I suggested making jewelry with it, he said "You do it", so I search the Internet, bought some books, and blocks and I was hooked.

What is your favorite tool to work with?
My pasta machine. The blends that come out of it are amazing and very often surprising. I can get a whole new inspiration, just from what comes out of it.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?
I would have to say my current passion is for wire wrapping, and making chains, to complete some of my creations.

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?
I don't really have a favorite, as I often switch from one to another, but the most used one I like is making canes. Taking slices of them further into a completed design really gets the creative juices flowing.

What is your least favorite technique and why?
Haven't found one yet.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?
Sculptures.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?
Yes and no. I primarily use Sculpey Premo, which has a wide color selection, but of course, there are often times when a different hue, value, or saturation is needed for a palette.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?
Keeping my eyes open, observing current trends, and, the biggest one, taking inspiration from nature.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?
We all have times of "brain drain", but what works for me is just a little down time. Taking care of grandchildren, tending to my orchids, working on my photography, or just keeping up with others in blogs and chats, all help to get new inspirations.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?
As mentioned Sculpey Premo. I use it almost exclusively. Some would say it is too soft, compared to others, but I have no patience for conditioning the others to the extent they need, and often the softness can be overcome by just letting it sit, or place in the 'frig, for a while.
Here are a few beautiful pieces that can be found in AmazingDesign's shop. Be sure to stop in and see all she has to offer!

The Polymer Clay Smooshers guild is lucky to have such talented people among our members!

blue, purple, and pearl polymer clay mica shift cuff bracelet

Thanks for stopping by!

The Polymer Clay Smooshers guild is BACK!

2011-09-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

The Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on ArtFire.com has gone through some changes lately, starting with our original guild master having to step down because of personal issues, and a short time later, the replacement guild master deleting the guild. It was quite a shock for many of us Smooshers to suddenly discover that our guild, which had been one of the most active guilds on ArtFire, no longer existed. I have been a member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild for 3 years, and I couldn't stand the thought of such a great guild disappearing. So I decided to keep the guild going and become a guild master for the first time. It's a big job, and a big responsibility, but I think I'm up for the challenge. And I'm not doing this alone. I have the help and support of the rest of the wonderful members. Luckily the original blog, and all it's posts, the Facebook Fan Page, and our Flickr group were all saved. Our private forums on the zetaboards were lost however, which is why I set the new forums up on invisionzone. I can already see many benefits to this site, and I have high hopes that the Polymer Clay Smooshers will continue to be a very active and popular guild. Whether you're a member, or just a guest interested in polymer clay, we welcome you to visit and share in some Smooshers fun ;-) Guests can visit this site and learn about polymer clay, view the work of the Smooshers, find out who's having a sale, etc. I have a lot of ideas for moving forward with the guild, and I welcome your suggestions as well.
I know that being a guild master is a huge responsibility, but I'm willing to take that on in order to keep the Smooshers alive. A lot of people were very upset when they learned the guild was gone, and many members were quick to jump in and offer their help once I decided to give the guild a new start. A guild is a group of people with similar interests working together to learn, grow, and share their creativity. I only hope that I can do the Smooshers guild justice
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Closed

2011-09-16T05:11:00.002-05:00

The Polymer Clay Smoosher's Guild has closed.
This will mean there is no Masquerade Ball this year.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all our members and fans for the support over the last 3 years. Even though the guild is not going on, the talent members are still creating wonderful pieces, many of which are available on ArtFire.

Thank you again
Haffina

Studio Stroll - Creative Critters

2011-09-14T03:33:00.000-05:00

Post by Creative Critters

I was going to wait until I had my craft room cleaned up, but since that's such a rare occurrence I just took pics of the "real" craft room ;-) I consider myself very lucky to have an entire room dedicated to my crafts. This is a spare bedroom and gets lots of light all day long.

This is where I do all of my clay sculpting. Just about everything I need is within easy reach. I have plastic boxes filled with all sorts of molds, two lazy Susans full of sculpting tools, texture plates, an organizer with all my clay cutters, a metal box full of stamps, and of course my pasta machine is clamped to the table. This was an old computer table I got for next to nothing at a garage sale.

There's a little printer stand on wheels that pulls out of the desk, and that's where I store all my jewelry tools. I used zip ties to attach a metal rack to the top and the handles fit quite nicely. On the shelf above that is a box with all my acrylic paints, which I use quite frequently on sculptures. You can see one of the lazy Susans loaded with tools and paintbrushes. Next to that are some of Lisa Pavelka's foils, which add incredible color and shimmer to unbaked clay. I used these on a few projects so far. I cut off the top of a large cereal box and store all my texture plates in there.

This plastic dresser sits next to my clay table. On top I have a few of my larger molds, my sewing thread, and a plastic box where I store my clay. I make sure to put any opened clay in plastic bags. Sometimes certain types of plastic can react with the clay, so the bag keeps everything safe (and clean). The drawers of the dresser have some of my fur fabric and plush animal fabric in them, along with with all my trim. I often cover the bottom of my sculptures with fabric, so it's handy to have everything in one spot. Sometimes I'll use fabric trim on my pieces, and some of the fur fabric can make really cool hair.

This rack, which I got free from from a relative, is mounted next to the dresser and holds my Gallery Glass, Pearl Ex powders, fabric paint, embossing powder, and glass containers. I've used Gallery Glass with polymer clay with some very nice results, and I adore the shimmer of Pearl Ex on clay. The glass containers can all potentially be covered in clay to make vases, candle holders, and other things.I keep a lot of glass of the landfills like this!

And this is where I have all my craft books and magazines, as well as pictures I cut out of magazines for inspiration. I have books on human and animal anatomy, clay sculpting, jewelry making, fantasy artwork, knitting, sewing, dollmaking, stuffed animal making, and much more. I'm self taught, so books have played an important role in furthering my skills. When it comes to polymer clay, some of my favorite authors include, Christi Friesen, Maureen Carlson, Lisa Pavelka, Katherine Dewey, and Boris and Dinko Tilov. They're all amazing artists and wonderful teachers.

This dresser (which Gramma gave me) is filled with beads, findings, wire, candy molds, buttons, and all sorts of things I might have a use for someday. When Gramma gave me the dresser she left all her vintage beads in it as well. I store my sewing patterns in the bottom drawer. I have a fluorescent light hanging over the dresser, and I use the top to photograph my items for sale. I use different colors of scrapbook paper as backgrounds for my smaller pieces and large pieces of fabric for the larger items.
And here's a picture of the work space in use ;-)

Thanks for taking the grand tour of my craft room!

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Accidental Creations with Polymer Clay

2011-09-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

Post by Valerie's Stuff

There are times when I sit down at my work table with a clear mission-a picture of

an end product I want to create in my head. Sometimes, I want to try an new technique or

revisit a favorite - for example, mica shift cuff bracelets:

Other times, I feel like playing with alcohol inks. Or maybe I want to work with a new clay or am drawn

to a color. Then there are times when stuff just happens.

One day, a little while ago, I was all excited to try a new clay - in fabulous colors I might add - so chores done, errands run,

I plopped myself down for a nice long clay day. It would have been lovely. Except the clay I had bought was crumbly. Not hard

like Kato, rather it felt as though it had been sitting on the store self too long and had begun to dry out. I was determined

to make it work. After much cajoling, (and a little clay softener), I finally had a smooth beautiful surface. All was right in my

little world...until I accidentally dropped little scraps of clay onto the pristine surface. I couldn't believe I had done that! I reached for

my brayer and then I looked at the clay again. I thought..."Hmmmm. You know that's kinda interesting.....". I arranged a few scraps

on top of my discs and added a bit of texture to the sides and faces. Here is one of the end results:

My Flora and Fauna tone on tone necklace is one of my personal favorites. It reminds me of how much I like this very forgiving medium and how much fun it is to create with polymer clay.

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Studio Stroll - Bewitching Dreams

2011-09-07T03:22:00.000-05:00

Post by Bewitching Dreams

My studio is rather small. I have commandeered the "dining room," since a normal dining room table and chairs no longer fit into this space with all of my other furniture I have inherited.

My main workspace is on my antique desk that came out of my grandparents' Maytag/gift store in West Virginia. I spent many a summer sitting at this desk, "helping" with floral arrangements, setting up my own items to sell on the main street sidewalk or eating chili dogs delivered from a local establishment.

DSC02328 by Bewitching Dreams

The fact that I can now use this desk to continue my business, 20 years later, is something I'm very proud of. I know my grandfather would be very pleased to see his desk being utilized in this way. Oh, and see that chair? That is the "chair of death." If you lean too far back, you can flip it. I've done it, my grandfather did it...it's family tradition. It tries to kill us all until you learn how to properly "tame it."

The desk drawers are very deep and store a lot of my supplies out of sight. This includes the majority of my polymer clay, all of my paints, pearl powders, as well as my Dremel, thank you tags and other items.

I have multiple surfaces I use to work on. Everything from that small glass dish, to the porcelain coated butcher's tray that is stacked on top of the white three drawer chest (hidden by my multiple bead stringing boards). I save every pie pan to use as a baking platform and every takeout dish to use in an attempt to remain organized. The white drawer chest stores scrap clay at the bottom and finished projects in the top two drawers, so they are protected from dust and accidents.

DSC02330 by Bewitching Dreams, on Flickr

My pasta machine is always ready-to-use in a single moment. All of my jewelry finishings, pendants, etc is stored and labeled in the gray multi-drawer set. That was the best purchase...ever. I can quickly grab a drawer and retrieve what I need, inventory what needs to be purchased next and if traveling, dump it into the proper storage container and I'm ready to go! Sitting on top is my letter organizer, with address labels for packages and other important items. Also keeping watch is my owl from ColtPixy

All of my paintbrushes and clay tools are stored in a Marjolein Bastin cup, whose work I love and find an inspiration. My beading tools are stored on the smaller blue cup, along with scraps of tinfoil and clay.

DSC02329 by Bewitching Dreams, on Flickr

To the left of my desk, I have a three shelf unit. The top shelf consists of my polymer clay oven and then my collection of rubber stamps that I've had for too many years. On top of that, sits my stacks of organizer trays, where I keep my stone beads and other random items that I think will look great in projects.

The second shelf has my light box (converted photo storage box), more storage containers and small trash can.

That is the tour of my work area. It isn't much, but I love that it is organized (mostly) and on (almost) every occasion, I can sit down and find what I need when I am working. Unless someone has borrowed something, then I have to tear apart my house to find it.

By the way, these photos were taken in between projects, right before I had guests coming to visit. Trust me...the top of the desk is barely visible when I am working on items LOL

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Member Monday - valldawnjewelrydesigns

2011-09-05T03:14:00.001-05:00

This Monday's member post is being hosted on valldawnjewelrydesigns own blog.

You can read her great post here

Final Challenge for 2011 - Autumn

2011-09-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

For the month of August the Polymer Clay Smooshers were handed the challenge of creating Autumn inspired pieces for the last monthly challenge of the year. Check out the wonderful results.

Amazing pieces from everyone.

Please remember to vote for our next theme, which will feature on our blog in the new year.

Stay tuned for October when the Polymer Clay Smooshers blog will be taken over by this year's Masquerade Ball!

Anticipating Autumn

2011-09-02T21:25:00.002-05:00

Anticipating Autumn

Curated By: DreamWeaversD...