Creator's Joy

Quick St. Patrick's Day Craft Printable Four Leaf Clover Box

2016-03-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

I needed a quick and easy St. Patrick's Day project for tomorrow, so I compiled this four leaf clover box. Print it out and it's ready to color, cut and fold up into a envelope-box.

Polymer Clay Landscape Cane Tutorial

2015-10-19T10:10:00.001-07:00

Step 1:
Start with the sunset color blend or any color you would like for the canyon walls.

Step 2:
Divide the blend into two parts.

Step 3:

Stack the smaller part like this.

Step 4:

Mix a very, very light yellow. You may be able to use a tiny bit of the lightest part of your cane mixed with white. Flatten and stretch the light clay so thin that in begins to tear. Slice into the block and add little pieces of the light clay.

Step 5:

Keep going until you get close to the top. For the last three sections cut a little off the ends and re-attach it. Then slice another section a little higher from what is left and cut even more from the ends. Finally there will be a stair-step line for the water. Cover each layer with light clay. These are the sparkles of light on the water.

Step 6:

Now for the canyon walls! The idea is to show the layers of sandstone with slight variation within each layer. Cut the remaining blend into four parts and roll them into balls.

Step 7:

Roll the balls into logs and flatten them into fat ribbons. Slice up the ribbons and stack them into blocks.

Step 8:

Cut the darkest block into two pieces. These are the canyon walls in the foreground. The light in coming in from the background, so each part of the canyon gets lighter as you more into the canyon.

Step 9:

I chose to show only one wall with the light colored block. The very last of the light in the background is the rest of the light color that I used as sparkles on the water.

This could also be done with blue to make sky instead of pure light. It can also look good to cover the cane in sheets of clay as a border.

This cane was inspired by this painting lesson, but wow there are some gorgeous pictures of slot canyons online if you just do an image search. Now that you know how to make the variegated lines, imagine the beautiful variations!

Steel Wool Light Painting Photography

2015-05-17T14:21:00.005-07:00

Sometimes you have to take a break in the routine and create something completely different! What an amazing date. My boyfriend took me out last night to try some steel wool photography. Here is a youtube video about how it was done. There are moments in life so magical that later I wonder if it was only a dream.

Polymer Clay Kawaii Animal Canes

2014-07-03T20:53:00.003-07:00

Wow! Picture canes are hard! I tried this little fox and gave up on the rest. Still, just in case you might want to use these, here are some patterns for cute little animal canes. Good luck!

Kawaii monkey, elephant, fox, owl, panda, bunny, kitten, koala and penguin!

Polymer Clay Fish Sculpture Tutorial

2014-05-01T16:57:00.001-07:00

Step 1:
Make Skinner blend sheets at the thickest setting on your pasta machine or cut slices from skinner blend blocks. These are small sheets. Just 1.5" X 1.5". You will need two sheets of each color. This you tube video shows how to make these block blends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtxXtbd2vaw

Step 2:
Layer the sheets so that the dark and light ends are together.

Step 3:
Make two jelly roll canes. One cane will start rolling with the solid colors. The other cane will start the roll along the blends.

Step 4:
Form a fish body. For this one I used a ball of clay 1.6" in diameter.

Step 5:
Use the jelly roll with the color gradient to layer slices on the body like scales. Start at the tail and work towards the head.

Step 6:
Flatten the other jelly roll cane. Slice it in half. Sack the layers and repeat until you have a very short block cane with as many layers as you want.

Step 7:
Cut slices from the layered cane. Gather and squish one end of each slice to make the fins and tail.

Step 8:
Cut slits into the body of the fish to insert the fins. I learned this trick from a fellow member of the Tucson Polymer Clay Guild. If there is someone else I need to cite please let me know!

Step 9:
Add eyes and a mouth.

Here are some variations.

Tangled Sun Motif Polymer Clay Cane

2014-01-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

This is one of many ways to build a cane with a sun motif.

How to cover a glass ball ornament with square cane slices

2013-12-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

Using polymer clay millefiori cane slices to cover a round surface seems daunting. However, it's not quite as hard as it may look.
There are endless ways to cover an ornament. This is one that works well for me. You could use any square cane. This one is a quatrefoil cane. There are lots more intriguing cane tutorials in my etsy shop.

Covering the bottom like this provides a guide for the rest of the slices. Because this is an octagon, each row will have eight slices. By slightly squishing the triangle, you could use a shape with 6-10 sides depending on what size you want each slice to be.

Look at the sides of each cane slice as you add them to the ornament. They should make a straight line from the middle of the bottom to the middle of the top. This is all you have to do to ensure that everything fits.

Some times I very carefully slice off uneven seams. This is a dangerous and unnecessary step, but I thought I'd show you.

Remember, you are in charge of the clay. Squish and stretch it any way you need to to make it fit. Try not to be a perfectionist. I think you'll be happy with the results no matter what. Truly, a little practice goes a long way. Don't expect your first ornament to be a master piece. I think you'll e surprised by how fast you learn if you keep practicing. Each ornament I make gets easier.

Polymer Clay Canework Seahorse and Lizard

2013-07-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

These seahorses and lizards can be made with any square cane. This one is made with a gemstone cane

To make a lizard, follow the same steps and them form this lizards body according to this post.
This lizard was made with a fractal cane.

Polymer clay 3D cube cane

2013-06-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Roll out logs of clay by hand. Make sure you use firm clay. At each stage, you may have to let the clay set for awhile. This cane won't work with soft, mushy clay.

Be sure to check out these other op art canes.

Check out this post for checkered geo beads!

Polymer clay stained glass cane tutorial

2013-04-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

These stained glass canes can be made with any shapes of clay. Just squish the colors together with black in between. If your triangle wedge gets too messed up when you reduce it, just use parts of the triangle to slice and arrange individually instead of trying to make a whole circular cane.

Polymer Clay Waterfalls Tutorial

2013-04-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

Polymer clay waterfalls are so much fun! There are so many ways to incorporate these in miniatures and sculptures.

I would list all the amazing ideas my students have come up with, but I'd like to hear what you think first. One of the options for this week's giveaway, is to think of something to add, and leave a comment. Thanks! The tutorial for these butterflies cane be found here: http://creatorsjoy.blogspot.com/2012/12/free-butterfly-wing-cane-tutorial.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway
More canes and tutorials can be found in my etsy shop.

Polymer clay miniature latte art

2013-03-14T15:15:00.001-07:00

I just discovered TLS, or Translucent Liquid Sculpey! I mixed it with chalk to give it color and the swirled it around with a toothpick to make it look like latte art!

If you like miniatures, there is a tutorial in my etsy shop that will show you how to make fancy tea sets with canework. This specific set was made with a gemstone cane.

Cane Builder Publication (e-magazine)

2013-03-12T15:24:00.001-07:00

I have a brand new little studio in Tucson, AZ and I've been dreaming up all kinds of amazing new cane patterns and innovative techniques. I love to write up tutorials and make them available in my etsy shop. There are new tutorials and updates being posted right and left. I want those of you who are serious artists to have a chance to be a part of my workshop at a better value. The Cane Builder publication will be mailed to you in the same pdf format as the tutorials. It will include all new tutorials, color palettes, updates and variations. The new tutorials will still be available through my etsy shop, but at a higher price. Also, the tutorials will be available to you a month before they are seen by the general public. There will always be some patterns and designs that won't be available anywhere else. As with all my tutorials, you are welcome to sell anything you make, even copy the designs. However, you may not re-publish the actual pictures or text in any form. I may be able to promote any products made from these tutorials. I'd love it if someone would make any of these items to sell! Use the Paypal link to subscribe at $5 a month. Cancel any time! Subscribe at PolymerClayWorkshop.com.

Cane Builder Issue April 2013

Polymer Clay Easter Eggs

2013-03-05T08:17:00.001-08:00

Covering eggs with clay is one of my all-time favorite projects!
1) Empty the egg. Poke a hole in the top and bottom with a pin or small knife.
2) Blow out the egg. A warm egg will empty more easily. It also helps to break the egg white and yoke by poking the pin in.
3) Wash or bleach the egg.
4) Pre-bake it it the oven for at about 150 degrees for about 15 minutes to dry it out. If there is any moisture left in the egg it will poke out the clay where it covers the hole. If you plan on carving out that part of the shell, you may not want to cover the hole at all.
See this post about how to make the color blend or just mix up a few shades and make each spiral a different shade.

Find all the tutorial pages at Polymer Clay Workshop on Facebook.

If you want to break out sections, make a little hole and remove a small piece at a time. Or you can carve out sections with an exacto knife.

The following eggs were covered with millefiori cane slices. I've added links to the tutorials for these designs.

Since mica powders don't always work well with cane work, this tutorial includes a recipe for gold effect.

This one features the complex cane tutorial.

Nature Kaleidoscopes in polymer clay

2013-02-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

If you like this post, please subscribe to the Cane Builder Ezine!

Polymer clay is the perfect medium for nature kaleidoscopes because the millefiori techniques allows for multiple identical slices.

kaleidoscopes cane be square round, 6, 8, or 10 sided. This one is an octagon. The pattern is repeated eight times. It could easily be squashed into a square or circle!

To make a triangle with the a 45 degree angle (360/8), simply fold a square piece of paper in half and use it as a template!

This nature kaleidoscope incorporates butterfly wing canes.

Here's another, more intricate one, adding leaf canes.

Before these tutorial pages turn up anywhere else, I post them on my facebook page, PolymerClayWorkshop!

Pleas like :) Thank you!

Dollhouse Miniature bread tutorial

2013-02-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

Polymer clay is perfect for dollhouse miniatures, food charms, or dioramas. There are so many different textures and effects you can achieve. Soft pastels can be crushed up and painted on the clay before baking. For this bread, the chalks add a toasted effect. This project is from my kid's clay e-book. The elementary students did a terrific job! You can see their baskets below!

I post these one-page tutorials to my facebook page, PolymerClayWorkshop, every week! Please check them out and like my page keep track of each new tutorial!

This video shows how I made the basket.

And while your at it, check out all these adorable clay foods!

Polymer clay weave cane tutorial

2013-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

If you like this post, please subscribe to the Cane Builder Ezine!

This cane is harder than it looks, but the concept is super-fun to play around with!

Find the gold repipe in this tutorial.

Oops! I forgot some pics. Next, insert a gold section. Then, repeat the process to add a purple and green half-circle for the opposite sides. These should be identical! It's not easy!

When you slice through the clay and insert a new color, it makes it look like the purple loop is going under the gold. When you insert a piece of clay this thick, it distorts the triangle. It would be better to cut out and remove a piece of the triangle that is the same size and shape as the gold section!!!

This is where the weave pattern starts to form. When the triangle is flipped end to end it makes it look like the sections weave over and under each other.

Unfortunately, I never manage to line up the pieces perfectly! However, as these canes reduce so small, you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell.

Please like my facebook page "PolymerClayWorkshop" for lots of free tutorials.

After all that work, I found a way to make canes that are WAY easier. They take almost as long, but they always turn out well. They are so complex that they look amazing even when they are far from perfect. See the tutorial and examples of this Complex Cane at my etsy shop.

Polymer clay or fondant swan wedding cake topper tutorial page

2013-02-12T19:42:00.002-08:00

This cake topper was made with polymer clay. Perfect for a wedding cake or Valentine's Day cake! It's important to frost some kind of paper or plastic to the bottom before putting it on the cake since polymer clay isn't food safe. I've never used fondant before, but the shapes for the swans would be the same.

I post these tutorials to my facebook page every week. Like PolymerClayWorkshop to stay up to date on the latest polymer clay ideas and innovations!

Polymer clay houndstooth cane tutorial

2013-02-04T09:26:00.001-08:00

If you like this post, please subscribe to the Cane Builder Ezine!

It absolutely fascinates me that clay can be made to look like fabric. Press the slices of this cane together, press it against real fabric for texture, and use it for miniatures, beads, or veneers for crochet hooks etc. As a matter of fact I've made a long list of things to do with canes slices.

Please like my Facebook page, Polymer Clay Workshop. I post a new, free tutorial there each week!

I also have tutorials, for knits, lace, argyle, plaid and ribbon in my etsy shop!

Polymer clay classes in Tucson, Arizona! Canes, beads, jewelry

2013-02-02T14:23:00.003-08:00

I'm opening a new studio this year (2013) on Arizona's birthday (which also happens to be Valentine's day)! The bird's nest at La Plactia de la Luna (near Grant and Oracle) will now be home to a beautiful polymer clay workshop. Classes available to children and adults, beginners and experts! Contact me for a class schedule! megnewberg@hotmail.com

Here are some of the canes you can learn.

Things to do with Polymer Clay Canes

2013-02-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of things to make with polymer clay canes. I love making canes! If you do an image search of any of the following, you will find the most stunning canework. Feel free to comment on more ways to use cane slices.
Beads
Buttons
Magnets
Hair clips
Picture Frames
Mirror frames
Covered Eggs
Tea sets
Animal sculptures
Boxes (tThere are zillions of kinds of boxes. Try an old altoid tin. I'd like to see nesting boxes)
Covered glass ornaments
In fact, just roam the aisles of you craft store, almost anything wood, glass, or paper mache can be covered in clay!
Fountain pens and ball point pens
Crochet hooks (these are very popular)
Wine glasses or wine bottle stoppers
Light switch plates
Pendents
Cuff bracelets
Fabrics and patterns for miniature sculptures (quilts, blankets, fabrics, wrapping paper)
Clutch
Business card holder
Cross wall hanging
Journals and Sketch books
Vases
Mosaic tiles
Poker chips / Casino chips
Nail art (mini slices for finger nails)
Slices of canes make great miniature fruit!
Scrapbook embellishments
Knobs and handles
Decorative Nativity Scene
For the latest innovative tutorials, please subscribe to the Cane Builder Ezine!

Polymer Clay Kaleidoscope cane tutorials

2013-02-02T07:26:00.001-08:00

Because kaleidoscope canes are so intricate and stunning, most people this they must be hard to make. I my opinion, they are the easiest canes you can make! Kaleidoscope canes cane be round or square. I love square canes, because I use them as a veneer for almost anything.

Here are three canework tutorials from my etsy shop.

Beginner cane

Blended Cane

Hexagonal Kaleidoscope

Polymer Clay Grapevine Heart Wreath Valentine Tutorial

2013-01-29T10:58:00.002-08:00

I made wreaths like this with my second grade students last week! They did a terrific job! Here are some of them.

Also check out the butterfly cane post and the leaf cane post. These are weekly tutorials from my facebook page, Polymer Clay Workshop. The gingham ribbon tutorial is available from my etsy shop. Can you believe clay could look so much like ribbon?

Free Leaf Cane Tutorial in Polymer clay

2013-01-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

If you like this post, please subscribe to the Cane Builder Ezine!

If you have trouble reducing this cane you can watch as I reduce a fall leaf cane in this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZEhk2QnfN4

Slice and Bake polymer clay Valentine cane tutorial

2013-01-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

When I was little, I had a huge sticker collection! Now, slice and bake canes are my new favorite! They can be made in multiple sizes and custom colors.

Heart Canes can be built out of any square cane! These canes were made from the "fabric" tutorial in my etsy shop.

Please like my facebook page, PolymerClayWorkshop to see weekly tutorial pages like the one below!