This is a larger votive holder. I used a jelly roll cane that I liked to colors but wasn’t happy with the look to cover it. I kept reducing the jelly roll and combining the smaller ones together in order to the look into some thing that I liked. I them wrapped it with white clay to give it a border. I think that it looks better with a candle lit in it then with just light shining through it.
I hear this question a lot. “How do I get started in polymer clay?”
It is different for everyone and there are a lot of ideas on how to get started.
I, personally, simply bought clay (a store was going out of business and I got it cheap) and then started playing. I did pick up a few book on polymer clay but never really followed any of their ideas or techniques until later in my claying. As I got into claying, I picked up tools and other stuff that where recommand to have.
The first thing that you need to get started is an idea of what you want to make. I started with barrettes but I am now in to making beads, covering things and still making barrettes.
Here is a list of the basics that are needed. It is not a complete list but is a starting point.
1. A clay blade - you will use this to slice and cut. This can be any thin blade not just the ones that are sold just for clay use. I find some at Home Depot.
2. A flat ceramic tile - this will be your work surface. They are relatively cheap and also aid in the moving of your project if you are using a shared area, like the kitchen counter or dining room table.
3. An acrylic roller. You can also use an old glass that you no longer drink from.
4. An oven thermometer. To make sure your oven keeps temp correctly and that the temperature gauge is correct.
5. A ruler - make a clay snake and cut off same-size slices so beads are same size. I also use mine for measuring the finished pieces (Like Art Trading Cards).
6. A bead roller - If you are going to make beads and want them the same size. Perhaps start with the tri-bead as it has 3 shapes. (There is also a new book with many techniques for use with the tri-bead roller.)
7. A needle tool - for making holes in beads. I also use mine to shape things and add texturing to others. I use small knitting needles but know that plastic stir sticks work well too. (Just make sure that they are clean if you are re-using them and don’t use them again with the coffee.)
Here are the first two of my “fake” sea glass barrettes. I like how they look. The dragonflies are my first attempt at wire wrapping accents. They where easier then I thought they would be. I am going to do more.
I also am going to “play” at wire wrapping shells with sea glass and trying to make snails to go with them. Maybe I will even get some butterflies made.
A baby sloth was found in my craft room yesterday. Actually I made him out of polymer clay using Christi Friesen’s Out of the Jungle book as inspiration. He is just a baby and afraid of falling off of his tree limb, so he is hanging on tightly. He will ended up as a barrette and hopefully more of his friends will come and play with us.
I really like Christi’s books and can’t wait to get her newest one on Cats. The books are so much fun and with great ideas and inspiration through out.
These are the beginnings of my Sea Glass Barrettes. I am still planning on doing some wire wrapping on them. I used man-made sea glass for these. The real stuff can be hard to come by in the larger pieces and I really don’t want to use them to play with. I have some of the real small pieces of sea glass that I got off of e-bay. I will be using those once I get the wire wrapping down. I may also combine the tinies with some of the small shells that I recently collected.
I really like the look of the dark blue glass. I may try using gold wire on the greens.