Ever since I discovered polymer clay, friends from my local clay guild started asking me to share with them some of the new things I was discovering. I've since been sharing a variety of tips and techniques on our blog which have been very well received. As an experienced teacher and author of two books (on nutrition), I finally decided to put some of these things into written tutorials to share with other polymer clay enthusiasts. My first one was just published on Clay Lessons and a PDF version can be downloaded for free.
I've since created another tutorial for a type of bead that is not only textured with the same pattern on both sides but is totally seamless. It is now available for sale at Clay Lessons as well as in our Etsy Shop and Art Fire Studio.
I'm working on a few more which should be published over the summer.
I've had many requests on how to make our textured tube beads and pens and my new tutorial is now available for sale on ArtFire and in our Etsy shop.
In this tutorial you will learn to make tube beads with rich textures that are totally seamless! I will also show you how to make larger focal beads (including the end caps) as well as covering pens and other tube shaped objects with this same technique. The nice thing is that there is no sanding involved yet your pieces will have a silky smooth finish.
I've included a color guide and tips for using mica powders as well as texture ideas to use for your new creations. As a bonus, I have added a color recipe sheet where I share with you how I achieve some of my favorite designs.
This tutorial consists of 18 pages broken down into 49 steps and includes more than 50 photos for easy and clear instruction.
You can read a review on this tutorial at Clay Lessons.
I am happy to announce that my Color Tutorial, "Carolyn's Clay Color System" is now available! It is for sale in our ArtFire Studio and our Etsy Shop.
In this tutorial you will learn:
* how to mix clay color recipes and organize them with your own "color library system"
* how to mix up new colors by making your own "Custom Color Wheel Charts"
* how to make a Six-Step Color Blend
* a fun technique for testing color combinations I call my "Mini-Mokume"
* how to make some beads from your "mokume"
Through this lesson you will:
* have more confidence in mixing and combining colors
* have a more organized clay area
* have more time and clay to get right into your projects
Included with this lesson are:
* cards to print out with more than 50 of my favorite color recipes using Kato polyclay to get you started.
(Note: some of these recipes can be adapted to other clay brands and separate cards are provided.)
* some of the recipes are my own "base mixes" used to create various tints, shades or hues.
* printable worksheets for mixing clay blends and your own "custom color wheels"
* printable cards to record and save your own color blends and mixes.
* 23 pages of instruction and photos
* 38 pages of printable worksheets, charts and recipe cards
I finished another tutorial which I started some time ago. It is how to make your own rondelle spacer beads and is available in our
Etsy Shop and
ArtFire Studio. I showed how I made my rondelle beads on our blog several years ago. I found my original idea to be too tedious and time consuming after a while and since learned how to streamline my production by tweaking a few things and eliminating several steps and I can now make them in half the time.
In this tutorial I will show you how to make special templates from clay to use in making your own rondelles so each bead is consistent in shape and size. You can also make them in any color you want to match or coordinate with your other beads for that perfect jewelry design.
I have also included in this lesson how to make the cube shaped beads like the ones shown here in our Bargello Bead Necklaces.
As well as how to add the rich pearl and metallic colors with mica powders.
These can be made in the same matching colors to coordinate with the beads I show how to make in My
Textured Tubes & More and
Double-sided Textured Beads tutorials.
This lesson is very simple to follow with detailed instructions so even a clay beginner can follow them. You do not need to invest in any fancy equipment or tools for this lesson as I have provided instructions for making your beads with or without a pasta machine and using objects that are easily available.
