I found a technique for making imitation bone or ivory beads using polymer clay. You can also maneuver the clay so that it will take on a wooden look. You start the process by making beads the size you need out of white. Some artist like to use more cylindrical shapes as they claim it enables them to “carve” patterns easier than more rounded beads, for myself I didn’t see a difference. So use your own ideas on the shapes (more fun that way too!)

After the bead has been baked use a small knife to carve patterns. You can also use on of your pointed clay tools or a sharp needle also works well. Once you are satisfied with the carving use either a tan or light beige acrylic paints and lightly rub the outside of the bead. Do not rub so much in that the paint goes into the carving you made, that part should remain white. While the paint is slightly damp still use either a piece of paper towel or a napkin to remove any excess paint.

One of the first projects I made using this technique was to carve a name in the bead and make a bracelet using cord.

Metallic pigment paints are wonderful for this technique. Simply roll your beads to the desired shape, add your carvings, textures or patterns to the surface of the bead. It is important with these metallic paints to add the paint before you bake the bead by simply brushing the paint onto the surface of the bead, again trying not to get too much of the metallic paint into the pattern. I found rubbing the paint over the surface works the best, once baked the metallic paints stick to the surface of the bead.

I have been having fun making beads and one of the techniques I read about over the course of the summer was to mix things with the clay to create different looks. I have used threads of fabric, herbs, dried flower parts; all when mixed with translucent clay create a soft earthy look to your beads. I have also included play sand to give the clay some extra texture.

Have fun making your beads and don’t forget before you bake to put a hole through the center for making the jewelry. Otherwise you are left with a bunch of little balls to put in a candy dish on your coffee table! Enjoy!

You will need:
# Ink pad with nontoxic brown or bronze ink
# Plain notecards or card stock
# Craft glue
# Googly eyes
# Mini pom-poms, brown and red
# Brown marker

Use a thumb or fingertip to stamp 3 reindeer heads on each notecard. Glue on googly eyes and pom-pom noses (including a red one for Rudolph, of course). Finish by drawing antlers.

Courtesy of Family Fun.com

You can purchase them at your craft store.  There will be a wide variety of molds for you to use, everything from feet, emblems, leafs, flowers, hands, faces, even body molds.  These molds are made of a flexible rubberized material. However, I have learned there are some tricks to using these molds to your advantage.

First if you have never worked with Polymer Clay the first thing you should learn is to condition it.  That means take a small amount of clay off of the block and knead it with your fingers until it becomes very pliable.

Next pick the mold you would like to use and measure out the conditioned clay to approximate size of the shape you are trying to mold.  In the case of a face, pinch a very small end for the impression of the nose.  Press your clay into the mold.  Remove any excess clay around the impression.   You want the clay to be level with the mold do not want it to overlap on the outer mold surface.

To release the clay from the mold, gently rub clay off the edge of the mold toward the center of the molded piece.   This will give you a nice clean edge on your molded piece.  The mold is flexible so if you are careful you can release your piece by gently pressing opposite sides and your piece should release from the mold.

All of this is what the manufacturer of the molds will tell you.  And it does work in most cases.  If you are challenged with your coordination, like I am, you will find it very frustrating to release your piece only to have it look misshaped.  I cannot tell you how many times I thought I had the perfect face, only to release it from the mold and have it look like something out of a Frankenstein movie.

I found this little hint in a magazine and I really would like the manufacturers of the molds to put it in their instructions.  It would have made my life so much easier!

After you put your clay in the mold, removed any excess, folded back the edges for a clean line, you can then add clay to the back of the piece and shape it.  For instance, if you are doing a head you want the back of the head to be rounded.  After all no one really had a flat head in the back.  So take a small bit of clay and work in onto the back of the piece to form the other half, being careful to not release the head from the mold.  It is also important even in this step not to have any excess hanging over the side.  Now once you have done that put the entire mold with clay attached in the freezer for about a minute.  The clay will become firm and when you go to release it from the mold you will not have a misshapen figure.

Another good hint I found in this article was when I go to smooth out seams, I wet my finger and the clay smooths so much easier.  I then finish my pieces by adding more clay where needed and decorating according to what the piece tells me to do.

Here are two of my newest creations.

I hope you enjoy these little creatures as much as I enjoy making them.  In weeks to come I have some ideas on what to do with the miniature birdhouses I made..Stay Tuned.

Polymer Clay also makes me happy..so why not combine the two.   I made Roses, Tulips, Dahlias, Canna and a few that I am not sure what they are, but flowers are free flowing, so I used my imagination.

Now that I have this veritable garden sitting in my hobby/computer room I am not sure what to do with them.  I will put some in little vases to either give to friends or sell at my yard sales this summer, but I think I will make a few more and make them into jewelry!

Each of these flowers is between a dime to a quarter in size, just to give you some idea.

Our children are our greatest gifts.  I hope you enjoy  looking at these one of kind artwork as much as I did.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23205417@N03/

I have a couple that I will post in the next week or so to keep the little ones busy and decorate your house at the same time.

• Oval box with lid (7-1/2 x 10 x 5 inches)
• 12 x 18-inch sheet of pink stiff felt
• Stapler
• Crafts glue
• Double-sided tape (optional)
• 5 sheets of blue paper
• White, black, purple, and yellow paper scraps
• Thin white wire
• 1-1/2-inch pink pom-pom
• 2-1/2-inch white pom-pom
• White crafts fur scraps
• Hole punch
• Orange curly ribbon

1. Cut two 4 x 18-inch ears from felt. Staple ears inside the box along top edge.

2. Cover box and lid with blue paper.

3. Have an adult cut a 1/8 x 4-1/2-inch slit on each side of the lid and slip over ears.

4. Cut out face pieces and glue to front of box. Add wire whiskers, a pink pom-pom nose, and white pom-pom tail. Glue a small piece of fur to top of lid.

5. Punch two holes at the top of each ear. Thread one curly ribbon through each ear. Knot ends together to create a handle.

I just wanted my readers to know, that I have personally been using this little gadget as my main phone service for a year now.  It cost me $39.00 for the signup and the first years service.  It is attached to the back of my computer, when someone calls me, their name and phone number pops up on my computer screen.   I have the option of accepting the call or ignoring it.  If I choose to accept I simply pick up the phone, if I choose to ignore the call, I press ignore and it stops the call from coming through.

The only drawback I can see with this, is the fact that if you want to have calls coming in at all times, then your computer has to be on 24/7.  If there is a power outage,  you have no phone.  For me neither of these is a big problem, but it might be for others.

My renewal is coming up next month..it is $20.00 for the entire year.  I call anywhere in the USA for free, talk as long as I like for free.

Oh, and they have a money back guarantee….Ok enough selling.  Just thought you would like my opinion on this little gadget.