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 Jewelry Shopping Styles
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Karen and Ann share their humorous, but definitely true, observations on the types of shopper you will encounter when selling jewelry at indoor or outdoor shows.
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 When The Light bulb Goes Off
by Sarajane Helm
Burnt out glass bulbs (of any former wattage) can be used to form shaped elements used in making hollow lentil beads or pendants.
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 Basic Molds for Jewelry Elements
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
An interesting “how-to” on making molds for jewelry component and elements. Includes a full project for a Necklace pendant.
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 A Clay Conversation with Leigh Ross
by Sarajane Helm
An interesting short history of polymer play
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 Ode To The Skewer
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
The most important tool for the polymer clay artist - the skewer!
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 Embellished Eggs — Not just for Easter!
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Embellishing egg shells with polymer clay.
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 A Clay Conversation with Judith Skinner
by Sarajane Helm
An interesting conversation with nationally known artist, Judith Skinner.
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 The Bead Goes On
by Sarajane Helm
Take an old stringed instrument and turn it into a work of art with polymer clay.
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 Miniature Masks
by Sarajane Helm
Fascinated with masks, Sarajane takes to the world of polymer clay masks.
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 Swapping Ideas
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
The polymer clay community offers many opportunities to swap your art.
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 Introduction to Liquid Polymer Clay
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
The Mitchell’s, who wrote the book on LPC, gives you a short introduction to Liquid Polymer Clay.
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 Match a Print with Easy Marbled Beads
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
How to make matching beads and jewelry for that unique outfit. Step-by-step project.
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 Exploring Hollow Forms with Jeffrey Lloyd Dever
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Jeffery Lloyd Dever uses vivid colors and designs to separate himself from a crowd.
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 Tools of the Trade
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
What tools do you need to create polymer works of art? Easy, read this!
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 Two Days with Kathleen Dustin
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Explore the polymer world of Kathleen Dustin and see her wonderful clay purses.
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 Expand Your Bead Options with Clever Clay Components
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
When designing your jewelry, polymer clay components offer a design alternative.
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 Beady Bathroom: Part One — The Limited Palette
by Sarajane Helm
Sarajane begins a two part series on remodeling a bathroom using polymer clay.
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 Beady Bathroom: Part Two — The Bauble Bath
by Sarajane Helm
Sarajane continues the bathroom remodel and includes a shower curtain bauble how-to, step-by-step project.
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 Mosaic Beads and More
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Step-by-step project for making mosaic polymer clay beads.
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 In The Beginning
by Sarajane Helm
An interesting short history of polymer play.
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 The ABC's of Dingbat Beads
by Sarajane Helm
Transfers, decals, rubber stamps, tray molds, and silk screen stencils ....those are some of the fabulous embellishment tools that can be made with the often undervalued "dingbat".
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 Fall Foliage
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Autumn brings cooler weather, the changing colors of the trees, and the beginning of holiday festivities. It is a perfect time to accent your attire with jewelry designs inspired by the season.
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 Birdhouse Beauties
by Sarajane Helm
Our favorite thing to do is delve into the collection of beads, glass tiles, polymer clay pieces and more to embellish each birdhouse in in its own lavish way.
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 The Wonders of WireLace
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Recently, we were reintroduced to the ribbon (called WireLace) and discovered that it is now available in narrower widths and really beautiful colors The mesh is woven into a braided tube
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 In Honor of this Season
by Sarajane Helm
full of sharing and caring about each other, our selves, and our artwork, I'd like to offer up something I wrote in response to the frequent talk about polymer clay use being "addictive".
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 Randy’s Snowflake Cane
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Winter is a great time to explore creative indoor activities. Polymer clay and beading are ideal for the long winter nights. Frosty days and delicate snowflakes inspire intricate cane patterns.
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 Texturing Tips
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Okay, so you have the basic polymer clay supplies: A flat work surface, a pasta machine for conditioning clay, and a slicing blade. Along the way you have gotten creative with the odds and ends lying around your desk
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 A Clay Conversation with Judy Belcher
by Sarajane Helm
Judy Belcher discusses her new book Polymer Clay Creative Traditions with Sarajane Helm. This spirited and informative discussion covers the book, the latest techniques that Judy is using and potential future projects.
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 The New UltraLight Sculpey Part 1
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
We are very excited to be able to introduce a completely new polymer clay product to you. It’s not available quite yet, but it will be later this spring. It’s called Sculpey UltraLight.
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 The New UltraLight Sculpey Part II
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Last month, we shared with you the exciting launch of the new Sculpey UltraLight polymer clay at the CHA winter show in Las Vegas. This month, we want to go more in-depth and share our own experiences working with this clay.
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 A Bitty Beady Bedroom Set
by Sarajane Helm
Polymer clay first came to popularity in the hands of doll and miniature makers, and it remains a favorite material. In fact, its use continues to increase among model makers, jewelry artists, animators, and a variety of artists
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 An Interview with Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
One of the great joys of going to the Craft and Hobby Association show is meeting new artists, or those whose work you have seen but whom you have never met. We had the pleasure of meeting Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg at CHA
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 Stuck On Hat Pins
by Sarajane Helm
There was a time, and not so very long ago, that every woman wore a hat when she went outdoors. But ladies’ hats were seldom fitted to the head; instead, they perched on the hair, often at some very insensible angle.
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 Ravensdale Conference
By Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell
Euphoria! That’s the feeling you will experience after a week of attending the Ravensdale Polymer Clay Conference. It might be a combination of sleep deprivation, too much coffee, and total creative immersion for seven days.
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 Summer Fun with Seed Beads and Clay
By Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell
What do you think of when you hear the word summer? Well, of course there is the hot weather, vacation, kids out of school, and bar-b-ques. In our minds, from a creative point-of-view, we think of bright colors and time away
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 The Pig Family’s Party takes a Polymer Clay Twist
by Sarajane Helm
A few months ago, Lisa Pavelka invited me to participate in the AMACO Designer Challenge with the theme “Itty Bitty Books.” Entries had to be less than 4 inches (10 cm) square and made using at least 80% products
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 Metal With Clay: Mixed-Media Magic
By Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell
Polymer clay is one of the most versatile art materials available. This is not just because of the broad range of colors or because of the ease of use in sculpting, molding, or cutting or even because it does not air dry,
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 Polymer Clay Bolo Tie
by C. Ann Ross
The bolo, or bola, tie is so common in the west today that many people are surprised to find that it is relatively new. It was invented in the late 1940’s. C. Ann Ross celebrates this American classic with a fun polymer clay project
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 Stained Glass Drop Earrings
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
A wonderful project from the pages of Liquid Polymer Clay which tells you nearly everything that you will need to know about using this new craft material. The Mitchell’s book is over 145 colorful pages packed with need-to-know info
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 "Charmed, I'm Sure!"
by Sarajane Helm
That's an old-fashioned greeting, and a fun way to bring a bead collection together into wearable art with a vintage feeling or a brand new look! Combined collected beads with simple wire wrapping skills, and create charm bracelets
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 Creepy, Crawly Creativity for Halloween
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
The holiday season has begun! Pumpkins, soon to be carved into faces and scenes to light up Halloween night, dot neighborhood porches. The kids are getting excited about dressing up as goblins and ghouls of all types.
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 Ornamental Eggs
By Sarajane Helm
Eggs are a reoccurring theme in my polymer clay work. I know I am not alone in my appreciation of the shape and its decorative potentials because many people decorate eggs in a wide range of ways. A How-to project
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 Bling In The New Year
by Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell
Why not just pull out your favorite little black dress (or even a snuggly sweater) and make yourself a fabulous and fun new pair of earrings? After all, chandelier earrings go with everything, especially in a neutral color.
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 Faux Rainbow Calsilica Necklace
Designer: C. Ann Ross
Rainbow Calsilica is a new man-made conglomerate stone (see the article on rainbow calsilica in Lapidary Journal). It is remarkably beautiful and has a brilliant shine when polished.
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 The Anatomy of a TV Craft Show
By Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell of AnKara Designs
It all started with a simple e-mail. The next thing you know, we feel the rush of excitement as there has been a sudden shift in priorities from our daily jewelry production, correspondence, paperwork, and custom orders.
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 Inspiration
by Sarajane Helm
Where do you look for inspiration when making polymer clay beads? I look everywhere around me in the art and the colors I find in daily life, and I look inside to my own perceptions and memories, things I can recall seeing.
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 Easy Clay Baubles and Bead Caps
By Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell of AnKara Designs
Polymer clay is an easy option for making unique elements to really personalize your jewelry style. This necklace can be easily changed and varied to fit your own style, but offers some simple methods for creating elements.
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 Easy Clay: Stained Glass Necklace with Polymer Clay
By Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell AnKara Designs
Throughout history glass has been used in works of art of many types and styles. Learn how to make a stained glass pendant necklace with polymer clay.
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 Bottles of Hope
By Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell of AnKara Designs
This month, we’d like to share with you a very special event focusing on a heartwarming program that has developed in the polymer clay community, and we hope will inspire artists of all types to support people in need.
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 Blogs Bring The Artistic Communities Together
By Sarajane Helm
You can learn a little bit or a lot about just about anything, and when there's a specialized interest, groups of like-minded people form together. There are news groups and chat groups.
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 Liquid Polymer Enamel With ArtEmboss Foil
by Karen and Ann Mitchell
Here’s a unique approach to enamel with some unexpected materials. Liquid polymer clay offers endless possibilities for embellishing solid polymer clay as well as other materials such as metal, glass, paper mache, and wood.
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 Earrings and Gift Box
By Trish Cheshire Hodgens
Did you ever receive a gift that you couldn’t decide which you liked better, the gift or the package it came in? That may be the case for the recipient of this project.
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 Ladybug Watch Band
by Trish Hodgens
A wonderful spring and summer project featuring ladybug components made from polymer clay and strung together to make this lovely watch band bracelet. With inexpensive gold and silver watch faces now available from BeadBabe
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 Simple Summer Ankle Bracelet and Earrings
By Ann and Karen Mitchell
Summer is upon us and it brings visions of bright colors, walks on the beach, hikes in the mountains, splashing at the pool, and lunch at an outdoor café. The fashions of summer usually include shorts and skirts
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 Two Color Swirl Bead
by Trish Hodgens
This issue Trish has created three separate projects that are linked to create a beautiful necklace using three separate beads, the swirl bead, a Daisy Cane Bead and finally spacer beads with completion instructions for the necklace itself.
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 Red Daisy Cane Beads
by Trish Hodgens
The second project in this series, is how to basic beads and inserting basic canes into the beads. This is much like the milliflore glass beads made out of glass. This is a very simple technique to make a basic bead look spectacular.
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 Daisy Cane and Swirl Necklace
by Trish Hodgens
Utilizing Trish’s other two projects, Red Daisy Cane Beads and Two Color Swirl Beads, you are taken step-by-step to the completed project, Daisy Cane and Swirl Necklace.
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 Polka Dots To Wear
by Trish Hodgens
In this beginner polymer clay project, Trish shows you how to use various size circle cutters to create earrings and pendants with a circle or polka dot pattern.
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 Wild About Canes
Designers: Ann & Karen Mitchell
Start off the fall a little bit wild! With the kids going back to school, and lots of fall activities starting up, your creative time is limited. So often we hear from people starting in clay is that caning looks too difficult.
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 Making Shell Molds
Designer: Trish Hodgens
Trish continues to expand our basic polymer clay skills by introducing the skill of creating a custom mold from a sea shells. Two additional bonus projects have been included by Trish as she shows you two necklace options
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 Casual Corded Necklace
Designer: Trish Hodgens
Expanding on her project, Making Shell Molds, Trish expands the lesson with examples of how to use the basic mold instructions and to design attractive, easy-to-make jewelry with the components.
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 Tiger Tail Shell Necklace
Designer: Trish Hodgens
Trish takes both the Making Shell Molds and Casual Corded Necklace projects to a higher level by providing detailed instructions on how to create the Tiger Tail Shell Necklace, a project that upgrades the look
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 Leaf Impressions
Designers: Ann & Karen Mitchell
Decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving are popping up everywhere. As we settle well into fall and break out the sweaters and jackets, it’s time to create some personal ornamentation. Bolder jewelry pairs up well with fall clothing
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 A Polymer Clay Zigzag Bracelet
by Trish Hodgens
This month Trish Hodgens of Poly Clay Play shows you have to make a very delicate looking zigzag polymer clay bracelet that can be easily customized with color and bead changes to suite your individual taste.
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 Roses & Reviews
by Sarajane Helm
This year, my husband and I made a summertime return to our roots. The Columbus Ohio Polymer Clay Guild invited me to come home to Ohio and teach two days of classes on floral and geometric caning
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 Polymer Clay Eye Candy Necklace
by Trish Hodgens
Looks so good you might want to pop them into your mouth! Easy to make polymer clay peppermint candy Necklace for the holiday or sweet season.
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 Have A Happy Handmade Holiday
by Sarajane Helm
I am very blessed to have acess to so many beads--the ones I make myself, those I trade for with other artists, the ones I find online, all the wonderful bowls and piles and strands of beads I see at shows and stores.
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 Polymer Clay Cane Angel Charm Pendant
by Trish Hodgens
In the Cane Angel project by Trish, she cleverly has assembled an angel pendant from four polymer clay pieces that she crafted. Using jump rings as the connectors the four individual pieces form an attractive angel pendant
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 Key To My Heart Necklace
by Trish Hodgens
A symbolic necklace to show a loved one what you really think of them. A perfect gift anytime of the year.. This easy to make, polymer clay necklace utilizes glass beads to form the necklace part of the piece.
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 New Products, New Ideas
By Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell, AnKara Designs
We are finally back in our studio after a trade show, a conference, several arts and craft shows, a lecture, and some classes (teaching mixed media polymer clay), with lots of information to share with you.
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 Here Kitty Kitty Necklace
by Trish Hodgens
Everyone either loves cats or knows someone who loves cats. What a great gift for those friends. The Here Kitty, Kitty Necklace is a fun project that uses polymer clay and a few silver and black seed beads to make this cute piece.
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 Polymer Clay Angel Pin
by Trish Hodgens
Angels are probably the most made single symbol. I am sure we have all seen retail stores dedicated to the single item of “Angels”. The sentiments behind the Angel means “I care and I love you”.
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 Mosaic Leaf Pendant
By Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell, AnKara Designs
This year, spring and summer clothes are all about graphic and floral prints with a lot of color. Why not create your own dramatic pendant to accent these fun outfits!
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