Polymer Clay Productions: Podcast, TV, and Classroom

My favorite tools for polymer clay – Wax or dental carving tools!

// October 31st, 2007 // No Comments » //

I thought I would share my favorite tools today. A long time ago, whilst shopping at Utrecht art supplies in Boston, I found a curiously shaped piece of stainless steel. It had a lethal-looking pointy end, and the other end was a smooth spoon-shaped pointy thing. The whole effect was of an interesting yet dangerous and smoothly shiny thing that I just had to take home with me and stick into some clay (I’m part Raven, you know, so keep your shiny things well hidden.)

Anyway, stainless steel is cool, generally smooth, and works wonders with polymer clays of all types. I especially like it for sculpting tiny things- doll faces, bird wings, and the other sculpture work that I do.

So here are a few links to the wax carving tool sets you can find. I think these are used to carve wax for wax-casting jewelry, and I also think cosmetic dentists use them for something (not sure what, though!)

Send In Your Bottles Of Hope & Make Someone Smile!

// October 30th, 2007 // No Comments » //

Most of you probably have been touched by cancer sometime in your life, maybe with a family member, friend, co worker or even yourself. It is a horrible disease for someone to go through. The Bottles of Hope program is a way for polymer clay artists and others to create a bottle to be given to a cancer patient. There is no skill level required, just the desire to do something nice for someone else. I have been in touch with a woman named Barbara Reider and she is organizing bottles to be given to the patients at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Massachusetts. If you have been wanting to get involved with this great program, now is the time. Here is the info where you can send your Bottles of Hope:

Barbara Reider PO Box 143, N. Scituate, MA, 02060

Barbara is also looking for people who want to help out with a workshop/class at Dana Farber. If you are interested in helping out, please e-mail us and we will put you in touch with Barbara. polymerclaypodcast@yahoo.com

Here are some photos of Bottles of Hope that were created by a group of kids Barbara’s sister organized. Aren’t they great! If they can make them, so can you, so get out your supplies and start creating!

See you Friday for Polymer Clay Podcast!

Polymer Clay Podcast This Week Working with Inclusions & PCAGOE Challenge

// October 29th, 2007 // No Comments » //

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. This week we are talking about using inclusions in polymer clay. There are so many things you can include into the clay. I have used dye ink, spices,crumbled up clay,pigment ink, powdered pigments, leaves,glitter and so much more. Just play around with it and see what you like working with. I like to add inclusions to translucent clay for a really neat effect. Make sure to come back Friday and listen to our discussion on working with inclusions. Next Friday will be a demonstration on working with inclusions. We will be drawing our monthly winners soon so make sure to sign up for the newsletter if you haven’t done so and you will automatically be entered to win. The Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy PCAGOE is having the monthly challenge and this month it was masks. Make sure to head over to the website to check out the entries.

Polymer Clay TV Episode #10 Creating Polymer Clay Masks Just in Time for Halloween

// October 25th, 2007 // No Comments » // Vodcasts

Since Kira had to go out of town I am posting this weeks new episode of Polymer Clay TV. Since I have never done it before, I hope everything comes out OK.  Halloween is just around the corner and you can make your own mask this year, we show you how to get started.  This is our first Blooper show! Hope you have lots of fun creating some masks!

Visit Polymer Clay Classroom for the full project, Making the Medusa Mask.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

New Episode of Polymer Clay TV Tomorrow On Making Masks

// October 25th, 2007 // No Comments » //

Tomorrow is Friday and this week we have a new episode of Polymer Clay TV. We show how to get started creating your own mask. Polymer clay masks are a fun and easy way to add to a costume and make it stand out in a crowd. A lot of people collect masks so they make great holiday gifts too! Have fun and experiment with yours.

Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter as we will be drawing our monthly winner soon. There are still a few days to enter the Call For Creativity so make sure to upload your photos to the forum or the Flickr group. Speaking of the forum, make sure to introduce yourselves if you have not already done so. We look forward to sharing with you and answering any questions you might have.  See you tomorrow!