I’m a big fan of Halloween- always have been. And when I learned about Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos), I was even more smitten. To celebrate both, I created these glow-in-the-dark Calaveras of polymer clay, my version of the traditional sugar skulls. I’ve made a few photo collages to help you learn how I did it. You don’t need much- some Glow-In-The-Dark polymer clay, scraps of colored clay, and a frame of your choosing. […]
PRODUCT REVIEW: Swarovski’s Ceralun Epoxy Clay
I received a sampling of Swarovski’s Ceralun Epoxy Clay to test out. I don’t make a lot of things with clay, since I normally manage to ruin it during baking. However, this clay is self-hardening! Got to love that! This particular clay was formulated to use with the Swarovski chatons, when making jewelry. The chatons have a cone bottom and faceted top. Though it was made for the chatons, you can use it with various small objects. I tested it […]
Clay Extruder Comparison on Polymer Clay Tutor
One of the things I love about the world of crafters is that there is SO MUCH good information out there! Recently I came across a great video comparison of the Walnut Hollow polymer clay extruder and one that is manufactured by Makin’s. I actually have the Makin’s one and LOVE it- but isn’t it great to know that Cindy Lietz has compared the two for us? You can see her whole post here, but all of the pertinent information […]
Jacquard Pearl Ex – New Colors
Jacquard Pearl Ex pigment powders are extremely versatile supplies for any artist or crafter. They now come in over 30 colors. I’ll be testing some of the brand new Chromatic Colors: Citrine, Emerald, Magenta, Sapphire Blue, Scarlet and Dark Brown. This collection is a really gorgeous intense set of jewel tones with a deep lovely brown. Here’s a description from Jacquard’s website: “Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments are our most versatile product! Jacquard Pearl Ex is a safe, pearlescent, non-toxic, inert […]
Polymer Clay Shamrock Pin (St. Patrick’s Day Craft!)
This post has actually been around for a few years here on CTD…but I have added new photos and a step-by-step video tutorial for you! Who doesn’t need another St. Patrick’s Day craft idea or a super-cute Shamrock pin? Wanna play? You’ll need: (handy affiliate links:) black polymer clay translucent polymer clay metal leaf (silver or gold is ok) alcohol inks in yellow and green mini heart-shaped cutter (found in the cake decorating aisle) 2 part epoxy resin (I like […]
How-To: Make Earrings from Crafter’s Clay
I’ve been a jewelry maker for about 15 years. It’s funny, because almost everything that crosses my desk is fair game to become a piece of jewelry. Martha Stewart Crafts Crafter’s Clay is no exception. I molded some leaves, and they just spoke to me- so I turned them into earrings. They are pretty easy to make, but you do need a day in advance to mold the leaves and let them dry thoroughly. You’ll need the following products and […]
How-To: Make Impression-Glazed Faux Ceramic Polymer Clay Buttons
Valentine’s day is right around the corner- who doesn’t need a little heart-shaped button or two? With this “faux ceramic” technique, I’m going to show you how to use rubber stamps to make an impression into clay, glaze it with tinted liquid clay, and then finish it into a durable button using resin. Of course, you can also use this technique to make pins and pendants, too. Let’s get started! You’ll need: white (or other light-colored polymer clay) coordinating clay […]
Comparison of Polymer Clays in Making Veneers
Last week I showed you how I cut polymer clay with my Cricut– basically, I made a very thin sheet of polymer clay and cured it, making a veneer that I could then cut with an electronic cutter. But I got to wondering- which brand of polymer clay would make the best veneer? You need it to be strong, but flexible, and not too brittle. So I took three common brands of polymer clays- Premo, Sculpey III, and Pardo Jewellry […]
How to Cut Polymer Clay with the Cricut
A while ago my pal Lisa Pavelka was showing off her fabulous Pardo Jewellry Clay by Viva Decor at CHA Winter 2011- it’s so flexible after baking, you can actually use a paper punch to cut it! So I got to thinking- why not cut it with a Cricut? I played around a bit, and actually got it to work. Here’s how you do it. wp_ad_camp_4 Condition your clay well– I actually used scrap clay from various projects, so it’s […]
Father’s Day Polymer Clay Keyfobs
Here’s a great, quick Father’s Day gift you can whip up in no time. I originally published this tutorial on CraftsUnleashed, but I thought it should be shared here, too. These would also be cool zipper pulls for luggage or backpacks, too! Sometimes it’s a little, functional gift that shows Dad how much you care- and you can make these in an hour or so with just a few colors of polymer clay! Polymer clay is a wonderful medium for […]
One Little Word: Polymer Clay “CHOOSE†Pendant
Ali Edwards came up with the “One Little Word” concept- picking one word to guide your intentions, resolutions, actions. As an artist/crafter/maker, sometimes one little word is all you need as a springboard to inspire you. I decided start the year off with a project featuring one of my favorite mediums, polymer clay. For this project, I used: Pardo polymer clay in Olivine, Gold, and some Sculpey black metal bookplate jade beads cheap craft wire white acrylic paint metal letter […]
Polymer Clay 101
Last Saturday we had a GREAT Polymer Clay 101 class at Grand River Beads (check out their website for their calendar.) We had 6 enthusiastic participants, and we covered the following: brands of clays and their properties prepping clay texturizing release agents application of pigments tools curing ….and some of my own little tips! We jammed a lot into the 3 hours, and I wanted to share what I made as samples… I made the hearts to demonstrate texturizing clay…. […]
Free SteamPunk Polymer Clay Heart Project
I am a big fan of Steam Punk, and a big fan of Polymer Clay… so how much am I loving the two together??!! Yeah, about that much. So I’m really excited to share that CF Originals is offering a FREE download of the SteamPunk Heart project (among some other free-bees and “for-cost” projects, as well as some tools/materials.) Not to mention eye-candy.
When Good Crafts Go Bad- Salt Dough Ornaments
You have to check out this video from Ana Arujo… it’s a hoot. She’s trying to convince her daughter that dough ornaments are a good thing… and her daughter is not enjoying the mess. That being said, bread dough ornaments ARE fun, easy, and cheap!!!! They would be fun to make on a snow day, or to minimize the wait, you could always make up the “blanks”- baked circles- and then just have the kids decorate them. Wouldn’t this be […]
Mokume Gane Wire-Wrapped Pendant by Eva
I’ve been making Mokume Gane pendants and beads, and my dear friend Eva (who owns Grand River Beads in Rocky River, Ohio) used one of my beads to wire-wrap for a group she’s in. Her group, Creative Wire Forum, is doing a “piece a week” project, encouraging members to make-yup, you guessed it- one piece of wire jewelry per week, often offering prompts or suggestions to spur creativity. Anyway, Eva posted this piece she made…and I’m so proud she used […]
Polymer Clay Resources
I had a lovely class last night at Grand River Beads, and we had a great group of 5 ladies making polymer clay beads for bangle bracelets. As usual, I was so “in the moment” that I forgot to take any photos! I did promise, however, to put some of my favorite resources up for polymer clay. If you are new to clay and need technical assistance, or just need some fresh inspiration, you might want to check out these […]
New Mokume Gane beads…
I’m finishing up a new batch of Mokume Gane beads, and I fell in love with this one so much I stuck a “taco bail” right on it and started wearing it. I have a gazillion beads in this color way, so I took some over to Eva at Grand River Beads, and she’s going to sell them there. Which makes me just want to make more beads! I’m also going to teach a version of Mokume Gane in polymer […]
Polymer Clay Halloween Votive Candles
I found this cool craft using glass votive candle holders, and my old favorite, polymer clay. This comes courtesy of PCPolyzine circa 2003. Check out the link for the step-by-step, but I’ll give you the basic gist. You’ll want to find a glass votive and cover it with a uniform thickness of orange polymer clay, smoothing it onto the glass and trimming off any bulk at the bottom. In this version, the author traced on a face with a stylus […]
Planet June is Crafty!
And I mean that as the highest compliment… she took a normal, cheap-o electric toothbrush, and turned it into a detail sander for polymer clay. (Although it would be handy for any small, detailing job.) She went from this: to this: to this: How clever is that?? I need to get over to the dollar store ASAP… I’ve got some lentil beads that need sanding, and I’m thinking that this is just the ticket. Surf on over to see her […]
New samples of “Luscious Layersâ€
I taught my “Luscious Layers” class at Grand River Beads on Thursday night. We had a lovely turn out of 4 ladies, all new to my classes. They made great pieces! I was only prepared for 3 (we had one last-minute drop-in), so I had to use some scrap black clay for the base, instead of the usual white to do my demonstrations. I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! I loved the black even more than the white. Here are a few […]
