Transparent Polymer Clay

Transparent Polymer Clay

Transparent polymer clay gives you wonderful possibilities as you can see on the photo: this is an egg I covered in polymer clay.
First I took several polymer clay colours (greens, blues and yellows) and rolled them together in a snake. Then I passed it through my pasta machine and wrapped the egg with, decorating it with some red spots.
Transparent Polymer Clay Afterwards I took my translucent flower cane translucent flower cane and covered the polmer clay-ed egg with it. I smoothed out the surface and then baked the polymer clay covered egg.
In the end I sanded and polished thoroughly so that it got a beautiful matte shine.

 

Links:
Translucent Flower Cane

Tutorial moved to: Translucent Flower Cane

Faux Polymer Clay Agate

Faux Polymer Clay Agate

The tutorial on how to make a faux fossilized agatized coral tutorial on how to make a faux fossilized agatized coral was one of the reasons I began to work with polymer clay – and it became one of the first polymer clay canes I ever made.
As seen on the 2nd photo I decorated a jar with this cane which holds a lot of my often needed tools ;-))

Faux Polymer Clay Agate
Links:
Faux Fossilized Agatized Coral from polymer clay
Tutorial moved to: Faux Fossilized Agatized Coral from polymer clay

Polymer ClayCyclopedia: Polymer clay canes description

 

Wrap a Rock

Wrap a Rock

Embellishing rocks seems to be quite popular. Some people paint them, some people embroider them, some people felt them, some people wrap them in lace, some people wrap them in polymer clay, some people crochet them and some people bead them.
And if you want them to be fragrant, check back the previous mentioned Fragrant Rocks.
I never did anything with rocks, because I’m living on sandy ground ;-)
But all those rocks rock ;-)


Links:
Painted rocks (via CraftZine)
Embroidered rocks
Felted rocks
Lace wrapped rocks (via CraftZine)
Polymer clay covered rocks
Crocheted rocks
Beaded rocks

At unikatissima’s:
Fragrant Rocks

Polymer Clay Mica Shift

Polymer Clay Mica Shift

As I saw the wonderful Mica Shift Pendant (which is totally flat!) at craftster.org I felt so inspired.
It is a long time ago that I worked with polymer clay, but I think that I will go back to it soon ;-)
Then I also tried the mica shift technique (links see below), but it didn’t work out satisfactory for any reason.
Perhaps next time? ;-)

Links:
Mica Shift Pendant

Tutorials:
At Polymer Clay Central:
Satin Swirl EggTwisted Rope Mica ShiftTexture Sheet Mica Shift

At pcPolyzine Tutorials:
3-D ImagesMica Shift Jellyroll

At Glassattic:
Lots of additional information about Mica effects

Polymer Clay Flower Canes

Polymer Clay Flower Canes

This Thursday started its first challenge which theme is ‘fresh’.
When I heard about I thought immediately about the little polymer clay box I made long ago but am still fond of (not least because of its freshness ;-))
It is a little cardboard box that I covered with polymer clay and embellished with self-made flower and leaf canes (for links to tutorials see links below).

 

Polymer Clay Flower Canes On this picture you see one side of the box. The finger isn’t there by accident, but to show how small the box is ;-))

 

Polymer Clay Flower Canes This is a close-up from the lid. You can see the purple Hydrangea-like flowers with the Jellyroll center and the leaves.
I made the transparent cane with the white dots to simulate those white flower tufts often used by florists.

 

Polymer Clay Flower Canes Just a last close-up.

 


Links:
Hydrangea-like flowers
Jellyroll
Leaves

Carving Polymer Clay

Carving Polymer Clay

When working with polymer clay I always found the hints and tips at Glassattic immensely helpful.
They also inspired me to try new things.
On the photo you see a detail of a candle holder that I once made. The yellow part was made from a kind of faux jade, then I carved shallow spirals and filled the carvings with black polymer clay.
Although I didn’t make the candle holder safe enough to be given away, I still love it. I sanded and buffed it thoroughly and it became very smooth, beautiful not only to look at, but also to touch.


Links:
Diane Black writes at Glassattic: “The site has many, many. lessons and projects, techniques (and ideas for variations on them), links to examples, tools that might be used, supply sources, tips for problem-solving, and special kids+beginners page and disabilities page.

It also has information on doing polymer clay as a business (shows, auctions, teaching, etc),. seasonal ideas, mixing media with polymer clay, polymer groups, creativity & inspiration, color mixing and making color blends, etc.”

The following links are examples of the many pages about polymer clay at Glassattic:
Faux Jade from polymer clay
Carving polymer clay
Sanding polymer clay
Buffing polymer clay

Bargello

Bargello

While working with polymer clay I found a tutorial on how-to make items with a Bargello-look.

Then I made a little research to know what Bargello is (links see below):
It seems, that the first ‘Bargello craft’ was embroidery, but then the quilters worked Bargello-looking quilts, the polymer clay people made those items with a Bargello-look and the stampers and cardmaking people use this technique on paper. And I made my Bargello digitally as you can see on the picture ;-)
What a versatile technique ;-)


Links:
Embroidery:
Wikipedia: English entry for ‘Bargello’

Defining Bargello

How-to make Bargello needlework:
Bargello Work
Bargello needlepoint

Quilting:
How To Make Bargello Quilt

Polymer Clay:
Tutorial on how-to make items with a Bargello-look
Bargello Swap
Tutorial on how to make a Bargello pattern as cane and as sheet

Stamped Paper:
Bargello (English) (with explaining pictures)

Reducing Polymer Clay Canes

Reducing Polymer Clay Canes

When working with polymer clay you often work with canes. On the photo you see some of mine.
You can create them quite big (and therefore easier to deal with then small ones), but then you must reduce them.
If you simply roll your canes, all those beautiful patterns will be distorted.
At Polymer Clay Central you find answers for nearly all questions about polymer clay ;-) and gazillions of projects, tutorials and ideas.
One is the tutorial on how to reduce canes.
If you want to see other tutorials on canes, take a look at the table of contents of the Cyclopedia and search on the site for ‘cane’.
You will be amazed! :-))
(And if you ask yourself what to do with those canes, take e.g. a look at the bowl embellished with the TrueLEIGH Rose Cane (last photo). This convinced me that it was worth a try ;-))


Links:
Polymer Clay Central – Better look yourself ;-))
Definition of ‘cane’
Table of contents of the Cyclopedia

Tutorial on how to reduce canes