Polymer Clay Workshop

Here are some Coral Reef and Under the Sea canes made by subscribers. I’ve received more beautiful pictures, but these are the ones I have saved on this computer at the moment. The tutorial and video for these can be found on my Patreon page here

https://www.patreon.com/polymerclayworkshop

These beads are by Minky Toms

These cabs are by Peggy Rose.

See many of the patterns in the tutorials in my Etsy shop!

For a long time now, I’ve wondered if I could make edible canes. I tried this recipe for candy clay, and made butterflies from this month’s Cane Builder tutorial. Video on my Instagram and Pinterest.

I’m always looking for good color combinations. I like the colors in this kaleidoscope inspired by this back issue of Cane Builder.

All premo brand.

The two blends are the aqua (turquoise) blend, and a blend that is half ultramarine and half cadmium red like this post.  The yellow is cadmium yellow with a trace of white and the purple mix from the blend. The darkest color is green with a little cadmium red.

Here is my recipe for the Pantone color of the year for 2019. It’s called living coral. The pictures turned out a little darker and redder than the actual clay. You could use more white or orange if you choose. This is premo brand polymer clay. The coral color is

2 parts cadmium red : 1 part orange : 1 part white.

For other fun blends check out this month’s (January) issue of Cane Builder.

My friend Andy is a fisherman. He had these tiny little glow sticks that you can buy online for fishing poles. He asked if we could find a way to use them in a clay creation. This is what we made! It’s a water lily with a glowing center. We pressed a glow stick into the clay to make seven little holes. After we baked the lily, we set glow sticks in all the little holes.

Here are some fun ways to layer canes. These are translucent and solid color canes.

Pansy cane tutorial, Daisy cane tutorial, Butterfly tutorial (hidden in the lampwork tute)

I tried these canes on forms to make hollow beads!

Here is the lace tutorial itself. It happens to come with a fun sparkle cane!

A subscriber, Peggy Rose, sent me some beautiful pictures. Many of you send me pictures and I am very grateful. Here is the tutorial https://www.etsy.com/listing/648780358/polymer-clay-glass-like-murrine

Since all of you who read my blog are artists, and since so many artists are Type 4 on the Enneagram, I thought I’d share some of the personal things I’ve been learning.

It’s your job to bring your creative intense self to relationships without demanding that they see or appreciate or understand or agree. It’s your job to trust that they love you. To let the love in. To laugh with them. It’s your job to trust that they see and appreciate more than you think they do. They are on your side and will champion and protect your creativity even when you give up. They need your perspective, your kindness, your gratitude and your brand of creativity. Let go. You don’t need to protect or control it. It flows from you like a bubbling fountain, a gentle sunrise. You don’t even need to look at it. Trust that it is there.

You don’t need an external endorsement. You are.

It’s your job to encourage and hope and dream. To be a beautiful old soul reminding others of another country.

It’s your job to believe that you are whole. That the longings in your heart do not overpower you but rather are the stars to light your sky. The fireflies right here in your own campground. They are the treasure map you follow right here in the everyday.

It’s your job to delight in your garden. To plant, to delight, to wait. To harvest and eat and call it good.

When you feel depressed and bored and empty, it doesn’t mean that’s what you are. There is no imperative for you to change that to protect your identity or worth.

You can be love. Let the love in.

This back issue of Cane Builder has several flowers. The technique itself has countless possibilities. I don’t think I’ve ever seen polymer clay canes used like this before. When I realized what could be done, I was dreaming in possibilities all night! I was especially surprised with the result when I tried daffodils! Here are my beads and a tin covered by a subscriber, Sylvia DeCosta

This cane is from this month’s Cane Builder, but it could be done with any square cane. I just found out this can be done with plastic eggs as well! Whatever you do, be sure to poke a small pinhole to let the air escape as it expands with the heat.