Favorite Tool: cake decorating tools

By gamekitty

One of my favorites at the moment is using cake decorating tools to make pipings:



I use this with a mix of poly clay + TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) to make the royal icing consistency, then carefully pipe it into my creations.

Here is an example of a meringue tower I made with this technique:



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*gamekitty, itty bitty supplies and live-mini are all copyright to Betty Hagen

averilpam's fiber arts

Before I started making jewellery I made bags and handwoven scarves from homespun wool. Spinning was one of my earliest craft passions though I learned to sew as a child - making clothes for myself.

Click images to see more photos.




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AmazingDesigns' favorite creation

This is a Chinese inspired love pendant. It started when I stretched and thinned a slice from a feather cane, which reminded me of a Chinese print. So, I made it into a PC picture frame, and then looked up the Chinese symbol for love. I carved that out of black PC (no small task) and added it to the pendant. The chain was done to resemble a celebration banner and is attached to the pendant with twisted gold thread (a hand down from my fanstastically creative mother). It is a simple piece, and although it is on my Artfire, I will be sad when it goes.


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Spotlight on ClayItAgain

Visit ClayItAgain and see a very large variety of work created with polymer clay.

Polymer Clay Smoosher ClayItAgain

Curated By: ColtPixy

ArtFire.com

Unique Gifts

ClayItAgain's Studio part 2

by ClayItAgain (you can click images to see a larger photo on flickr)

Shelves and bins and trays, Oh My!...
the more bins you have the more stuff you can stash :)



plastic meat trays make great (cheap) storage trays





For hard to reach shelves, I use lazy susan's, load em up, then I can spin the things around to me and not have to try and reach to the back of a shelf. That's a huge beige one on that shelf.



A small tv and vcr/dvd combo so I can watch craft tapes all day long if I want to. I used to be a HGTV junkie and have 100's of hours of craft shows taped. Wish there was some way to share the gold mine I have in tapes.



My polymer clay books above and see that tote marked 'material'? It's overflowing with fabric I "had to have"...and I don't even like to sew! I've used old drawers as containers and store them on a cart, and they still pull out like a drawer.

and FINALLY the Pièce de résistance



a multi speed heated massage chair...

Hope I gave you some new inspiration. Just because it's a basement with no windows, doesn't mean it can't be tranformed into the coolest room in the house. Seriously! In the summer, my studio is the place to be...always a cool 65 degrees. My clay never gets overheated, stays fresh longer,and when working the softer stuff, the cooler temps help me out ALOT. And I didn't spend a fortune to do it. I got the wallpaper remnants, desk, claystation, cassette cabinets all at the thrift shop for less than $50. I bought a 5 gallon bucket of paint for $30. The linoleum remnant was the most expensive thing at $90. The rest was all elbow grease I put into cleaning and brightening it up.



One quick shot before I go...I love my studio.

ClayItAgain's Studio part 1

by ClayItAgain (you can click images to see a larger photo on flickr)

We have a very tiny house (762sq ft) and part of that footage includes these stairs that lead down to my studio/our basement...



BTW, those stairs were painted over 5 years ago with cheap acrylic paints I bought at $1 store. I covered with a coat of Future floor wax and I have never touched it up. And we have had a series of plumbers,gas men,and repair guys tromping up and down those stairs with muddy boots and equipment for the last 2 years!
Welcome to my world :)



The entire space is 16 feet x 8 feet. At chest level is an additional 16" ledge all around the entire room which I use as book/storage shelves. My studio is just right for short people ..all others have to



I wish I had a pic for you to see what I started with, but imagine dimly lit, spider webs, dirt, coal dust, and everything creepy crawlies love. Half the basement is dirt (called the 'darkside') and the other half has an uneven unlevel somewhat cement floor. After I had cleaned everything out, I painted all the walls white, I stapled light colored wallpaper to the ceiling slats (here's a small before/after shot on the ceiling).



What a difference a few wallpaper remnants did to brighten things up.
Next I layed a years worth of newspaper over the bumpety floor, and bought a linoleum remnant for my flooring. The newspaper padded the rough floor so that the linoleum isn't broken to bits when I roll my chair around. Everything is bright and I can see a spider coming from any direction...although not many have made it past the 57 spider traps I have under and behind everything :) sorry spidey lovers

My main work areas are at the easel (painting) ,which you saw earlier, and at my "ClayStation"



It is a used computer desk that has pull out shelves.





I bought used cassette cabinets to store my opened clay and canes. I can store flat pieces in stacks on parchment paper in the drawers and I don't have to bother with as much plastic wrap that way.

Tamed on water effects

I've used scenic water, to try and create a puddle it sets kind of rubbery and not totally clear though. This was a practice early sculpture when I'd first started.



I've also just used polymer clay, a mix of transparent over foil to create the water on my dolphin.


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ArtmakersWorlds water effects

ArtmakersWorlds used polymer clay to create this water effect.


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BewitchingDreams on water effects

I tried to use a product called Quick Water, which is available at Michaels. It's in the floral area and is a resin designed for doing permanent floral arrangements in a "water" filled vase. I was really excited to try this product, but I must have messed up mixing the resin, because it's been almost six months and it has yet to set properly

This was what I was attempting to do with the Quick Water. You can see all the bubbles in the resin too..I apparently stirred it too much. Now, I have to see if I can salvage the scuba froggie and create something else with him for my dad.





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ClayItAgain water effects

Cobalt Blue glass plate and then cobalt flat marbles for water.



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mypolymerclaycanes, Lifeartdesigns favorite creation

I make a lot of different types and shapes of boxes. This is still my all time favorite. It was part of a custom order that included matching earrings and a necklace. A guy had me make it for his girlfriend's birthday. She breeds monarch butterflies.

He had me take it to our local gift shop where I sell my jewelry. We put it on a shelf with an assortment of other things. He knew when she saw the butterflies that she would pick it up and look at it. Inside was a special note to her from him. It was very special moment to be a part of. The look on her face was priceless!



Visit mypolymerclaycanes.artfire.com and Lifeartdesigns.artfire.com

Tamed's favorite creation

I've been umming and ahhing, to choose, but I think this is mine.



She was a commission but I really liked the sculpture underneath the fur. The way her feet are crossed etc, I think it really captured her pursonality.

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mypolymerclaycanes, Lifeartdesigns

mypolymerclaycanes and Lifeartdesigns

I have another medium that I work in, and love just as much as polymer clay. It's metal clay. It involves many of the same processes as polymer clay such as forming, sanding, and finishing. Except for the curing or firing, which requires high temperatures in a kiln. Although, with some of the newer metal clays, you can fire them with a torch as long as the piece is not to large and doesn't contain gemstones or glass. Right now, I am using all silver clay, which is .999 fine silver after firing. Recently I purchased some bronze clay. I plan on trying that next.

I sell my silver clay pendants and jewelry in both my Art Fire shop and my Etsy shop. Here are a few from my Art Fire shop:







I also have another medium I work in (you'd think two would be enough, lol), which is resin. Here is some of my resin work:





Visit mypolymerclaycanes.artfire.com and Lifeartdesigns.artfire.com

Introducing popnicute

popnicute

What got you interested in polymer clay as a medium?
I think it's a versatile medium and most of all is waterproof. Paper clay was my first clay medium but it's not waterproof and so soft so it's kind of limiting for me. Polymer clay was not widely available in Indonesia so I stopped doing it for more than 10 years. Ever since I got polymer clay in my hand I loved it! The stiffness work for me as it holds its shape so well. It opens up so many possibilities.

What inspires you to create?
Nature, challenges, something people said.

Do you have a favorite technique?
Ribbon sculpting.

Of everything you have created which is your favorite?
Probably my latest creation as it combines so many different materials.



What do you prefer to make out of polymer clay and why?
Whatever I feel like to do at the moment. But most likely I prefer to do more of sculptural objects.

How do you decide what to make?
Whatever my muse told me to do :)

Is there something you wish you could make in clay that you have not yet?
Complicated canes.

What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
Holds its shape well, waterproof, strong after baked, versatility.

What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
Always experimenting for something new.

Visit popnicute.artfire.com