KCPCG

More Kashigata Play Day Info

2012-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to add that the Old Mission United Methodist Church is a Beautiful Large Church on Shawnee Mission Parkway just East of Mission Rd on the South Side of the street in Fairway, KS

RE Clay to bring for Kashigata

You can use any two colors or more of your choice of clay. Black, Gold and Red or Orange look nice. So does Black, Gold and Blue or Purple. Black and one or two other colors of your choice will work. Come with your clay conditioned if possible.

Bring twice as much clay of one color or scrap clay
You can also bring any foils: Silver, Gold, Copper, Verdigris
Wet Dry Sandpaper in 300, 500, 1000 grit or anything close.
4 x 4 ceramic tile for baking. Bring extras if you have a few to share

February 2012 PlayDay

2012-02-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

February is our first quarterly Saturday PLAY DAY, which replaces our monthly Tuesday evening meeting. SO, NO MEETING on Valentines Day (2-14-12). Instead, we'll gather on Saturday, February 11, from 12 - 4pm to play with clay!

Robin Young will bring all her many Kashigata Molds (Japanese Sugar Molds) for us to use and she'll guide us in making bracelets, pendents and more using these fantastic, detailed molds. This is a hands-on day so bring your clay and tools.

Things to bring:

Materials

♢ 2 oz black clay
♢ 2-3 oz red clay mixture: 2/3 part red (such as cadmium red Premo--), 1/3 part burnt umber

(if using Kato, try blending 4 parts Brown, 1 part Red, 1/2 part Black, as per http://shadesofclay.com/more/Color%20Recipes.htm)
♢ Metal foil, optional

Tools
♢ Basic tool kit (including pasta machine; roller; work surface; blades)
♢ corn starch pounce if available

NOTE: We do have a location change.

The meeting will take place at the old United Methodist Church, 5519 State Park Road, Fairway, KS 66205. Enter in the front doors. You can take the elevator straight ahead and go down 1 level to the left. The stairwell is to the right when you walk in the front. Go 1 level down and it will be on your right.

October Meeting Demo

2011-10-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

The October meeting will take place Tuesday, October 11, at Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa...our usual meeting place. Anne Rowe will lead us in a creative exploration for ideas and inspiration....

Sound intriguing? Read her description below!
HANDS-ON DEMO: Bring some scrap clay and hand roller, tile or work surface

Anne: "Looking around for ideas - polymer clay, mixed media and where did you say you found THAT?"

Hear about the rubber fish that got away - a fine art opportunity missed, I'm afraid.
Hands on demo involves heat guns, miscellany and scrap clay. Yes, you, too, can make a custom clay stamp in under 30 seconds - no mixing chemicals, cutting, carving or baking. No sanding, buffing or otherwise fussing around. No polymer clay or mixed media art experience required.
Bring a lump of scrap polymer clay and clay roller (hand rollers only). We'll be testing our stamps on scrap clay so there will be ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE TO SUCCEED on the first, or any try!
There will be valuable, my-trash-can-be-your-treasure freebies and door prizes.

Sounds like fun. See you there.

August meeting is a Saturday Play Date

2011-08-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Once per quarter we get together on a Saturday to have more time for a hands-on learning experience. So get ready for Saturday, August 13 - from 12 - 4 at Heartland Bead. Robin Young will teach us about Kashigata mold use with polymer clay.

To participate bring these Materials:

♢ 2 oz black clay
♢ 2-3 oz red clay mixture: 2/3 part red (such as cadmium red Premo--), 1/3 part burnt umber
(if using Kato, try blend 4 parts Brown, 1 part Red, 1/2 part Black, as per the recipes found here.)
♢ metal foil, optional

Tools
♢ Basic tool kit (including pasta machine; roller; work surface; blades)
♢ corn starch pounce if available

Note: KCPCG members receive a reminder email from Teri with this same information. If you'd like to join, we welcome to come to the meeting....bring your clay, tools and sense of adventure and clay along with us.

Directions to Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa and more info about our group is on our website.

Summer Updates

2011-07-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped with the KCPCG table at the KC Maker Faire at Union Station. If you saw us there and are interested in learning more about polymer clay, join us at a meeting. Check out our website for dates and location.

We welcomed several new clayers at the July meeting, where Kim Keane shared her experiments with Zentangles and clay. Kim made a variety of black and white Zentangle inspired canes, which she applied to discs baked on lightbulbs...then combined into lentil beads.

She also used her pens to draw directly onto clay -heat-setting as she went to keep the clay from smearing.

Those who know Kim know she works on a grand scale, with wonderfully large beads, exciting combinations and she's prolific. She brought a whole box of black and white Zentangle canes.

Teri also announced a September challenge: Come up with ideas for a KCPCG logo. Make something in clay or draw on paper and bring in September. We won't decide immediately - the process could take time - but let's start thinking about logo ideas that would represent us all.

More of our talented members getting published...

2011-04-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Robin and Kim for being selected for Polymer Cafe's Steampunk Challenge. Robin Young's Steampunk Fish Necklace place 3rd! Both appear in Polymer Cafe's June 2011 issue, received today in my mail.

Kim Keane's Steampunk Heart is one of the Runners Up.

Linda Lee and MariEtta Adams were both included in the February 2011 issue of Polymer Cafe. MariEtta's pendant was a runner up in the Mica Shift challenge.

Linda Lee sent in photos of her entry into KCPCG's Mixed Media challenge from last fall and both were published in Polymer Cafe's Reader's Gallery

April Demo - Faux Antique Coral Beads

2011-04-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

The April KCPCG meeting will be Tuesday, April 12, at Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa, Kansas - our normal meeting spot. Thank you, Carol Hooper, of Heartland Beads!

The April demo by Lynette Fisk will show you how she made the Faux Antique Coral beads that were her 2010 Christmas exchange beads.

This demo is easy to follow along so if you come, bring this stuff to create your own beads that night:

Materials
Clay in red, yellow and/or orange, turquoise, translucent – pre conditioned.
Wire (brass or craft wire – non-shiny is better)
Ink or acrylic paint for antiquing (burnt umber, brown, or black)

Tools
Tile or work surface
Tissue blade
Wire cutter
Chain nose pliers (for twisting wire)
Small bowl or cup for water
Sponge or brush
Paper towel
Needle tools or skewers for roasting beads upon
Flat acrylic square or whatever you use as bicone roller

I’ll bring a handout, hopefully some pictures and the secrets!

March Free Play day moved to Sunday

2011-03-22T09:10:00.001-07:00

Our normal 4th Saturday free play day is being moved to Sunday March 27 from 12-4 due to some schedule conflicts. Join us at Heartland Bead Market for fun.

Kim Keane, who has been making pieces based on the lesson Industrial Scrap Pendant by Lynn Reno
as seen on the cover of the most recent Polymer Café http://www.scottpublications.com/pcmag/
is going to demo that lesson.
If you want to learn it & play along, here's a supply list:

-basic tool kit, including pasta machine
-1 1/2 oz polymer clay, black (extra if you want to make more than one pendant)
-Clear Liquid polymer clay (optional)
-20 Gauge Gunmetal artistic wire
-10mm watch gears or whatever size, shape you would like to use
-Pearl Ex Mica Powders in Silver, Sunset Gold, Misty Lavender, and Antique Copper
-Acrylic paint, black
-Rub'n Buff in Antique Gold and Silver Leaf; I use copper as well
-Sealer of choice
-Clay cutters in a variety of shapes

Otherwise, just bring along whatever you want to work on and clay with friends!

March 2011 - Tuesday March 8

2011-03-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Free Play--Bring your own project or work-in-progress to the meeting. If you made a skinner blend at the February Saturday Play Day, bring it along. If I get a chance, Teri will see if there's something else on the Hunani DVD, since she had so many possibilities of uses of the blend.

Some of us will be either very tired or very inspired (or both!) from the Jana Roberts Benzon class over the weekend. If you were there, please bring along your pieces for the rest to see.

You are also welcome to our monthly Footloose Crafternoon (usually on Saturday), which will be on SUNDAY, March 27 from 12-4.

Kim Keane, who has been making pieces based on the lesson Industrial Scrap Pendant by Lynn Reno (as seen on the cover of the most recent Polymer Café http://www.scottpublications.com/pcmag/) is going to demo that lesson.
If you want to learn it & play along, here's a supply list:

-basic tool kit, including pasta machine
-1 1/2 oz polymer clay, black (extra if you want to make more than one pendant)
-Clear Liquid polymer clay (optional)
-20 Gauge Gunmetal artistic wire
-10mm watch gears or whatever size, shape you would like to use
-Pearl Ex Mica Powders in Silver, Sunset Gold, Misty Lavender, and Antique Copper
-Acrylic paint, black
-Rub'n Buff in Antique Gold and Silver Leaf; I use copper as well
-Sealer of choice
-Clay cutters in a variety of shapes

Otherwise, just bring along whatever you want to work on and clay with friends!

Bring your projects and clay with the rest of us!

If you signed up for Anne Rowe's Charm Exchange - bring your charms!

February 2011 Saturday Play Day

2011-02-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our quarterly play day is next week:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
12 noon - 4:00 pm
Heartland Bead Market
13440 Santa Fe Trail
Lenexa, KS 66215

HANDS-ON LEARNING: DVD Confident Color: Exploring Textile Patterns by Lindly Haunani–facilitated by Kim Keane
Make a series of color-coordinated stripe blends to use in 11 laminated textile-inspired patterns, including Ikat, Seminole Stripes, and Flame stitch.
Disc 1 is 120 minutes; Disc 2 is 97 minutes. I'm not sure we will get to Disc 2.
SUPPLIES:
*Basic clay tool kit (including pasta machine, work surface, blades, etc)
*A few 4" x 6" index cards
*At least 6 pieces of copy paper
*Sandpaper 200 or 50 grit (for texturing)
*For making bails: Wire Or vinyl paper clips in assorted colors (If you use the paper clips you will need to cut them with heavy- duty wire cutters from the garage)
*Ruler
CLAY (brand of your choice):
Please have all the clay conditioned ahead of time. This will make it easier for everyone to follow the DVD.
For Rainbow Skinner blend
*2 oz blue
*4 oz yellow
*2 oz red or magenta
For Stripe blends
*3 oz white
*mix of 1/3 oz black & 1/2 oz blue
*mix of 1/3 oz black & 1/2 oz mud
*mix of 1/2 oz & fuchsia 1/3 oz black
*at least 4 oz black or scrap clay for making pendants or other items

2011 Program - Posted

2011-01-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hey, all you members - please check the 2011 meeting schedule and let Lynette know if there are corrections. Thanks!

2011 Program Planning

2011-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our first 2011 KCPCG meeting is Tuesday, January 11....snow permitting. Bring your calendars and be prepared to have ideas for or volunteer for a demo . . .

Mixed Media Challenge Results

2010-09-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an amazing variety of items people made for our September Mixed Media Challenge. A talented group of artists in our guild.....

Two people - Anne and Deb - made dolls so vastly different from each other as to defy comparison:

Anne's mixed media doll:

Deb's Clown Dogs:

See all the challenge results by clicking on the doll below.

KCPCG Mixed Media Challenge

September 14 Meeting Plans

2010-09-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild will meeting Tuesday, September 14 at 6:30 pm at Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa.

Features of this upcoming meeting:
♢ Demonstration: Puffed Pillow Potion Pot by Michele Wineland We're just watching on this one! She's going to show us how she made those cute Potion Pots she made for out Spring Container Challenge.

♢ September CHALLENGE ITEM: is due; theme is Mixed Media
If you have finished your challenge item, you'd better get busy! Here are the results of our Spring Container Challenge.

KCPCG Container Challenge

Other events to keep in mind:
♢ NOVEMBER BEAD EXCHANGE: Theme RED is coming. We started a signup sheet last month for our annual bead exchange. You'll need to make as many beads as we have people signed up so each receives one of each bead.

♢ FOOTLOOSE CRAFTERNOON - Saturday, September 25, 12 noon - 4
Our 4th Saturday free play day! Bring your own project and clay along with friends.

Great info for those who teach and those who sell

2010-08-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

A great reminder about what is legal (and not permitted) in using and learning from published materials and designs cam in today's Art Jewelry Newsletter (from Art Jewelry Magazine, Kalmbach Publishing) from editor Hazel Wheaton. View her essay here.

500 Judaica

2010-08-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to KCPCG member Sue-Ellen Flescher, who was among the artist chosen for the recent Lark Books "500 Series" publication "500 Judaica".

We don't have a picture yet of the bead and wire kippot that was selected, but we will post it when we do. The book is on sale now, from Lark Books and from Amazon.

August Meeting is a Clay Play Day - Saturday, 8/14

2010-08-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Hands-on learning Topic:

Make one Skinner Blend and create several leaf cane variations

led by MariEtta Adams

SUPPLIES & TOOLS
-basic tool kit plus
-a new, highly flexible blade
-a work surface to work on (big tile or parchment paper)
-cornstarch or baking powder
-paper towels
-premade Skinner blend, using any two colors of clay of any brand (Marietta will use Premo cream and olive green)
USE 1/2 OZ OF EACH COLOR. If you want a larger cane, use 1 oz of each (or half a package). Roll it up into a bulls-eye jelly roll starting with the light color for the middle.

If you want to make a finished item (e.g. pendant, earrings, necklace, or ring), also bring any extra supplies, such as
-more clay for a base to decorate with canes
-extra flower canes you've made

If you need a refresher course, here's How to do a Skinner Blend from Polymer Clay Central

IF YOU'VE NEVER MADE A SKINNER BLEND:
Not to worry! It's easy! You have 2 options.
1) Take a look in a polymer-cafe book or at one of the following webpages and give it a go:
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/poleigh/skinner.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gve4L0cmhWg
2) Bring your two colors, and your humble president I or some other helpful guild member will teach you how. If you have a PASTA MACHINE, you'll need it. It should be part of your basic tool kit.

Making a Bird Cane

2010-05-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Deb for a great lesson on the bird cane. Most excellent job!! Here is the goldfinch cane she brought to share. Deb's finished cane was about 2" wide and 3 1/2" tall, the whole cane being 2" deep. She provided each member with step by step instructions, a color photo of a finch, plus a drawing on a clear plastic sheet to use as a guide when building the cane from slabs of color.

Here is the same cane, following partial reduction by Kim Keane. Kim used a Barbara McGuire technique, slapping the block onto a cement surface (equally on each face, repeating until the clay moves)

Watch a video of the reducing process here.

Container Challenge Results - May 2010

2010-05-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

May 2010's Saturday Play Day meeting was the deadline for the Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild's "Container" challenge. Creative containers could be vessels for a wide range of items - from tiny treasures to adult beverages. For more of these photos, check this link to an online photo album.

Patti Welch's inro box is about 4" tall when closed. She also wore great lavendar & stamped metal earrings that exactly matched her outfit.

Linda Lee Stewart's box with polymer lid.

Carol Hooper opted to decorate wine glasses with roses and vines.

Anne Rowe created a hanging closet sachet holder, making a round, hinged box with eyelet-lined scent holes. She used the lid of a garage-sale candle container as the baking form. Watch for her demo on this technique at our October meeting, Tuesday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Deb Williams fabricated a tiny Egyption sarcophagus complete with mini mummies inside.

Beverly Potty crafted clay candle holders, festooned with Swarovski crystals, using cola cans as molds.

MariEtta Adams covered a small matchbox, then transformed it into a Asian-style pendant with matching earrings, using Barbara McGuire image transfers.

Donna Hess sent in her covered vase container, using some great sliced leaf canes and rolled snakes to adorn the green-covered tall vase.

Kim Keane covered a round tin with gold clay using a dark acrylic antiquing to highlight the deep texture of the clay. Note her use of her initial cane which she uses to identify all her pieces.

Michele Wineland created a Pillow Puff Potion Pot, using foils and a technique we want her to share with us in a demo - using air to hold the clay in a puffy shape while baking!

Robin Young celebrates the 50th anniversary of the universal Peace symbol with her guitar purse! A guitar shaped tin is covered with canes, hinged and closure of leather and lined with spiral fabric that matches the spiral canes! The large PEACE sign attaches to the snap closure.

Great job, ladies! What a variety of sizes, shapes, techniques and ideas. Thanks for sharing. For more of these photos, check this link to an online photo album.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Deb Williams' bird cane demo.

Published!

2010-05-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sue Ellen Flescher! One of her Judaica pieces was selected to be included in an upcoming Lark Books publication. More info in the fall.

Making a Bird Cane

2010-05-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of our quarterly SATURDAY Clay Play Day meetings - May 8 from Noon - 4pm

CHALLENGE ITEM DUE:
Theme: CONTAINER (Can you think outside the box? Lidless? Sideways? Cover a vase or box? Make a drape bowl on a form? Pinch a pot?)

Deb Williams will be showing us how she makes her incredible birds. This is her Pileated Woodpecker. Below are the colors needed for a goldfinch, which is what we'll be doing on Saturday.

SUPPLY LIST for a goldfinch cane:

Clay: Use a firmer clay, like Premo, Kato, or Fimo Classic:

* 2 blocks zinc yellow (or cadmium yellow)
* 1 block black
* 1 block white
* 1/2 block orange
* 1 block raw sienna for the branch
* Clay for the background: I mixed colors to come up with a "fern" green for my cane, but Fimo classic has something similar. You can think about this later if you want.

Tools:

* Pasta machine
* Flexible blade
* Ripple blade (or you can use mine)
* Wax paper

It would be best to have your clay already conditioned and in flat sheets (at the thickest setting) so you don't have to spend time doing this at the meeting. You'll also need to flatten some black to a #8 (thin) for the details and to outline the bird, but you can wait until the demo to do this.

Saturday, May 8, 2010
12 noon - 4 pm
Heartland Bead Market
13440 Santa Fe Trail
Lenexa, KS 66215

Face Canes with Barbara McGuire

2010-03-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

Members of KCPCG and others recently spent a day with PC artist Barbara McGuire, learning to make her signature face canes.

Barbara gave pictures of faces to create patterns from.

Everyone created face canes - these are unidentified and in various stages.

Challenge

2010-03-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Teri challenged us all to a new challenge - CONTAINERS. Make a box, bag, pod, purse, envelope, bowl or other container from polymer clay. Add other media or not as you wish. This challenge is due at the May meeting, which is Saturday, May 8.

March 2010 Meeting

2010-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Robin Young demonstrated how she makes her disc beads. (Note: She was inspired a chapter in Ronna Sarvas Weltman's new book Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay & Wire Jewelry) but she changed the process quite a bit to make it uniquely Robin...

She also brought a couple fish pendants made for her daughter's upcoming Spring Break Cruise - fish with purses!

Michele Winegarden shared a couple large pendants she made - one using a face cane from a Barbara McGuire face cane slice.

Michele also brought a fantastic winged face pendant using a faux cloisonne technique.

Kim Keane shared several (she never makes just one!) pendants and beads made using a layering technique involving silver leaf, inks, liquid clay and more. She will demo this technique later this year.

February 16, 2010 - KC PMC Guild meeting

2010-02-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Besides learning to make tiny flowers with Donna Hess, members brought recent work to share. MariEtta covered a cigar box for the guild to use as our Bead Archive box. Great job - maybe she can demo this sometime??

Donna brought a pair of earrings using the tiny sculptural flowers technique. Love the non-identical set, made from a full heart that is cut in two pieces.

Michelle, Robin and Kim were all inspired by Christi Friesen's new book Steampunkery and they brought their results. This is a heart pendant made by Michelle.

Robin still loves fish and she combined her fish with Steampunk style to come up with these great little guys. She also made a beetle and a fly.

Kim really got into Steampunk mode with hearts and a belted bangle that look like leather.

She also combined the her favorite resin technique with the gears.

How about Steampunk + resin + flowers??? There is no end in sight.

Deb Williams brought several of her bird canes (which she will demo at the Sat. May 8 Play Day)

Great Cardinal cane (this plug is about 1 1/2" wide X 2" tall and stand about 1 1/2 high).

Pileated Woodpecker has great detail. Can't wait to see her do this in May!

Robin pendant made from another of her canes.

2010 Program Demo Schedule

2010-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

2010 demo schedule, revised as of 5/5/2010

February

Feb.13 - Quarterly Clay Play Day - Saturday, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Tiny Flowers - Donna Hess will demo making small, sculptural flowers.

4th Saturday Free Play Day
Sat, Feb 27, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

March 10 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Disc Beads - Robin Young will demo how she made the cool disc beads in the necklace she wore to the January meeting.

Free Play Day in March will be on the 3rd Saturday instead
March 27 - Barbara McGuire Workshop sponsored by Heartland Bead Market

April 13 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Making a Music Cane - Lynette Fisk - postponed due to illness
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, Apr 24, 12 -4

May 8 - Quarterly Clay Play Day - Saturday, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Making a Bird Cane - Deb Williams

Challenge - DUE IN SEPTEMBER: Theme: Organic
Get inspired by nature, and show us what you create!
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, May 22, 12 -4

June 8 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Making a Music Cane - Lynette Fisk (Rescheduled)
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, Jun 26, 12 -4

July 13 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

TBD Demo
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, July 24, 12 -4

August 14 - Saturday, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

TBD - MariEtta Williams
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, Aug 28, 12 -4

September 14 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Organic Challenge Item Due
TBD Demo - Michelle Wineland
Commitment Signup for November Bead Exchange Color Theme - RED
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, Sept 25, 12 -4

October 12 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

TBD Demo by Teri Stettnisch
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - Sat, Oct 23, 12 - 4
November 13
Annual Bead Exchange 2010 - Color Theme - RED
(View 2009 exchanged beads here)
Election of 2011 officers
Demo: Flower Cane - Kim Keane

December 14 -Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Open - TBD (Probably a free-play night, since the last 3 years this meeting was snowed out!)
4th Saturday FREE PLAY DAY - NONE.
Would have been Dec. 25!

Linda Lee's Jelly Roll Balls

2010-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Here's another "how's you do that?" from our 2009 Christmas Exchange beads....

Linda Lee conditioned Green Premo clay and rolled into base beads. Then she made a Jelly roll out of well conditioned Premo Green Pearl clay. She rolled the green pearl clay out into a sheet to about 1.6mm thick, making sure the mica in the sheet had shifted. Then she created a jelly roll. She formed the jelly roll into tapering, carrot like shapes, which she then cut into random size pieces. Each piece was rolled into little balls and placed randomly into the base bead. The entire bead was then rolled with by hand until there was a smooth surface. Beads were then baked, wet sanded and buffed.

Layered Lentils by Lynette

2009-12-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

By my count we had 17 beads exchanged, but only a few people have sent me a simple paragraph describing the techniques they used. So here's how I created my lentils...

First I processed up some scrap clay and also made a pale green. The scrap was rolled into a snake, cut into equal pieces and rolled into balls. The light green was used to cover each ball with a thin layer.

I gathered up a few older canes (white stars in translucent, white/translucent spiral, an older green leaf cane, etc.) and woke them up (a little squeeze pressure and wiggling to soften the clay before slicing.) I also made several new canes, using translucent and opaque clays: white & translucent stripe, green & translucent stripe, a lace cane with white wrapped translucent and random tiny blue/green snakes, dark green & translucent spiral. I made another lace cane using some reduced white starburst cane, wrapped in translucent & olive green.

Next I cut VERY THIN slices from all the canes and layered pieces randomly over each ball. Then I rolled the ball smooth in my hands, applied pressure with the plexi square and rolled each ball into a bicone, which I flattened into a lentil. Then I baked the clay.

Holes were drilled AFTER baking using my new mini-drill press and my lentil drilling jig, which I made following instructions found here. Great idea from Desiree's Desired Creations - thanks! I altered mine a bit, using a heavy duty cardboard tube glued to the board rather then buy a 48" piece of 1/4 round. I used a small finishing nail instead of a needle - hammered straight in and with the head snipped off. You still must be careful to match the drill bit with the nail, so they just kiss and drill the starter hole straight.

After drilling, the beads were sanded with the standard series of wet sand papers then polished on my buffing wheel. (I keep trying to achieve the same level of gloss that Debbie Updegraff - she sets the bar pretty high!)

Coming soon: How I was inspired by those striped white/translucent canes to make some angelic music! But that's another story and another guild.

Mazzie Talley's Calla Lily Beads

2009-11-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

Calla Lily beads
Mazzie starts with a Skinner blend, rolled at a very thin setting and cut out heart shapes. Using a metal cake icing tip ( #2 or #3) as a form, place the tip of the cone between the lobes of the heart, leaving the point of the heart at the widest part pf the icing tip (bottom).

Fold over one lobe of the heart (always using the same side first). Wrap the second lobe around, mark where it will cover the first and trim away the excess clay from beneath the second lobe. Trim at an angle to create a smooth surface for the second lobe to lie upon.

Tap the tip of the cone so the hole is open and the top of the bead is flat. Bake clay lily for 12 minutes.

Assemble by placing enough beads on a long head pin so the end bead shows the way you want it to. I used one crystal tear drop, eight size11/0 clear beads and one size 6/0 bead, a second cone, one size 6/0 bead and a final size 6/0 bead and then formed a wrapped loop to finish. Hopefully this is understandable.

Robin Young's Large Inked Oval Beads

2009-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Robin's technique: "I first made a stack of clay with ecru and green stripes. I then stamped in it and sliced off pieces of makume gane (using Barbara McGuire's mokume technique.) I added alcohol inks in three greens, yellow, red and rust. I added some acrylic paint to the top and cut out the pendants. I added a stamped backing of copper clay. After baking, I put three layers of sealer on top and that was about it." She always makes it sound so simple!

Pear Beads by Donna Hess

2009-11-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Next installment of the explanations of "how did you do that???" from the 2009 Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild's annual bead exchange. These are Donna's green pear beads. Read how she did them below.

I'm still waiting for info from more of you....to be posted right here.

Donna says to start with translucent clay and added green fine embossing power. (She says medium would have worked better.) Mix clay and powder. Shape into pear shapes, pierce hole and bake. Once cooled, dab on red and butterscotch ink with a Q-tip and let dry. Done! So simple. Now she just needs a small tree and one partridge!

Check out Donna's website

Kim Keane's Faux Jade Beads

2009-11-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the first of the explanations of "how did you do that???" from the 2009 Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild's annual bead exchange. These are Kim's great jade tablet beads. Read how she did them below.

Jade; I used Dotty’s McMillan’s technique in her book Artful Ways with Polymer Clay. I mixed translucent and leaf green with a tiny bit of orange to create the jade color. Barbara McGuire’s beautiful stamps to make an impression. Baked then painted with titanium white. I then rubbed the white paint off leaving paint in the crevasse to look antiqued. Sanded and buffed.

2009 Holiday Exchange Beads

2009-11-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

by Liz Willis

by Anne Rowe

by Lynette Fisk

by Jana Kimberling

by Debbie Updegraff

Linda Lee Stewart

by Mazzie Talley

by MariEtta Adams

by Donna Hess

by Kim Keane

by Deb Williams

by Michele Wineland

by Patti Welch

by Carol Hooper

by Robin Young

by Terri Stettnisch

Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild

2009-11-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild held their annual holiday bead exchange last night - what a create group of bead makers these people are!!

Everyone who want to participate made enough beads for all - some worked late into the night, some did them yesterday morning and some have been done for ages....well, for a couple days at least. But beads using the general theme of GREEN BEADS were lovingly rolled, sculpted, impressed, antiqued, painted, buffed, polished and brought to share. Everyone went home with one of each to use as desired.

Each person described their creative process, which I volunteered to post for us all to read. This may take a few days, since I have invited everyone to contribute, but the info will be posted here for the world to see.

2009 bead exchange KCPCG