Polymer Clay Tutorial - How to Make a Fluid Acrylic Polymer Clay Pendant/Necklace Parts 1 and 2

Hi All, hope you enjoy trying out new techniques.  This is a 2 part tutorial.  In Part 1, you'll learn to use fluid acrylic paint and ink to create a polymer clay veneer to use in making this summery pendant.  The DecoArt Media fluid acrylic I used is so luscious.  In Part 2 you'll learn to make the beaded knotted necklace for a great look.  Thanks for joining me in my studio to learn polymer clay and jewelry making techniques.  Hope you enjoy.

Get the stringing diagram:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2h9AZ7gLoZhdWM2T0hGendkSmc/view?usp=sharing

Neat tools and materials for this project and your studio:

Cool Tools - Jewelry Shape Template - Cushion
http://amzn.to/2nIAW4a

Cool Tools - Jewelry Shape Template - Fat Rectangles
http://amzn.to/2nrpaZU

Wolf Pliers - these pliers have grooves for consistent loops
http://amzn.to/2o2vZns

Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Cadmium Orange Hue
http://amzn.to/2od6dKr

Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint, 1-Ounce, Cobalt Teal Hue
http://amzn.to/2nrqmwl

Clay Yo Texture Sponge:
https://prairiecraft.com/kato/CY-TS.html

Tools

Pasta Machine
Oven
Clay Blade
Jewelry Pliers - round nose and chain nose
Wire Cutter
Craft Knife
Jewelry Shape Templates - either Cool Tools or make your own with card stock or plastic
Texture Sheet
Straw - cocktail size
Knitting Needle or other needle tool if needed to help with knotting
Hand Drill - size to match bail
Baking Form - 3" glass vase


Materials

Clay - Sculpey Premo! - Bright Green Pearl and Peacock Pearl
Paint - DecoArt Media in Cadmium Orange Hue and Cobalt Teal Hue
Liquitex Ink - Gold
Krylon Pen - 18K Gold or other pen to add striping
Stringing Material - I used cotton cording; 9 ea 24" strands
Pinch Bail - 1 ea
Jump Rings - 2 ea, 6mm and 1ea 9mm, or size to fit
End Cap - 2 ea 4mm, or size to fit cords
Wire - 22 gauge, 2ea 4" pieces
Hypo Cement or other glue for necklace ends
Beads - 28 ea 6mm or size of your choice to match stringing material and clay;  I used 3 colors of acrylic beads; Color A (Blue) 12 ea; Color B (Green) 8 ea; Color C (Orange) 8 ea
Genesis Medium Thick Extender or Liquid Clay
Varnish - Varathane water based varnish


Visit Sweet Willow Designs' Amazon Store for the great products I use in my studio and help me keep videos coming!  Click here to visit:
http://astore.amazon.com/sweewilldesi-20

SUBSCRIBE:

Subscribe to my Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetWillowDesigns?sub_confirmation=1

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
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Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  This is how I earn compensation by sharing tips, techniques and projects with you.  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazon and Michaels.  These are stores I shop at for the products I use.

Polymer Clay Tutorial Silk Screen Hamsa Hand Pendant

Join me to make these colorful silk screened polymer clay Hamsa hand pendants.  We'll use a silk screen and DecoArt Americana paint to lay the base pattern and then add colorful bits of clay to add zing!    The Hamsa hand is thought to be a protective sign. It is also thought to bring it's owner happiness, luck, health, and good fortune.  Hope you enjoy this project.

Hamsa hand cutters:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/262064978807?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

Sculpey Silkscreen Kit:  http://amzn.to/29c7avN

DecoArt Paint Peacock Teal:  http://amzn.to/29xOeax

Visit Sweet Willow Designs' Amazon Store for the great products I use in my studio and help me keep videos coming!  Click here to visit:
http://astore.amazon.com/sweewilldesi-20

Tools:
Hamsa hand cookie cutter or paper template
Sculpey Silk Screen kit or silk screen of choice
Oven:  http://amzn.to/29a3sE5
Pasta Machine:  http://amzn.to/298Jho9
Clay blade
Craft knif
Paint brush or applicator for varnish

Materials:
Clay Premo! Sculpey: Ecru PE02 5093 and small amounts of colorful scraps
Paint DecoArt Americana Peacock Teal acrylic paint DA326
Varathane varnish matte:  http://amzn.to/295MRxN
Varathane varnish gloss:  http://amzn.to/29a5jca
Jump rings
Necklace findings
Plastic wrap

SUBSCRIBE:

Subscribe to my Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetWillowDesigns?sub_confirmation=1

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a small commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazon and Michaels.  These are stores I shop at for the products I use.  I'm also a member of DecoArts Helping Artists program.  Love all of these stores and products!

Jewelry Making for Beginners Family Tree Necklace

How to Make Jewelry Family Tree Necklace Jewelry making for beginners, use pre-made components, add jump rings, chain and birthstone or initial charms and a simple clasp and you have  a custom piece of jewelry to commemorate your family.  Great gift or family reunion keepsake.

Subscribe to my Channel:  http://bit.ly/1Ta4tcy

Tools
Jewelry pliers
Ruler

Materials
Blue Moon Tree Pendant
Blue Moon chain
Birthstone or initial charms
Jump rings - 6mm 4ea for basic necklace and one for each charm
Lobster claw or other clasp


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com

Polymer Clay Tutorial Faux Leather, Faux Rivet Pendant

Polymer clay tutorial for a faux leather, faux rivet pendant.  Learn to make this polymer clay pendant with a faux leather, faux rivet look.  This versatile pendant can be strung on a variety of materials.  We'll use polymer clay, scrapbook brads, a cool texture plate and paint for the patina.  Go casual with this pendant or dress it up.  Hope you enjoy.  Thanks for joining me in my studio.

Here's the link to my DIY marking template:  https://youtu.be/CTfJIOETth4

Subscribe to my Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetWillowDesigns?sub_confirmation=1

Product Links:

Ateco Round Cutters:  http://amzn.to/1TodKwT
Darice Embossing Folder:  http://amzn.to/26VHrPY

Visit my Amazon store for the products you need to build a great polymer clay studio and complete the projects in my videos.  Sweet Willow Designs Store:  http://astore.amazon.com/sweewilldesi-20

Tools
Oven
Pasta Machine
Cutters - 1-1/2", 1" and 3/4" (Ateco Cutters)
Texture Plate - Darice Embossing Folder "Fall Leaf Background"
Needle tool
Paint brush
Hand drill or electric drill
Light bulb - round vanity style

Materials
Clay - Premo! any color for the center cabochon, bronze or other to simulate leather
Scrapbook brads - small 7 ea, color of your choice
Jump ring - 9mm or large enough to accommodate bail or stringing material
Bail - large enough to accommodate stringing material
Necklace finding

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  This is how I earn compensation by sharing tips, techniques and projects with you.  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazonand Michaels.  These are stores I shop at for the products I use.

How to Make Elegant Polymer Clay Articulated Dangle Earrings

Hi All, thanks for joining me in my studio as we learn how to make these really elegant articulated dangle earrings from polymer clay.  These earrings measure approximately 3-1/2” and have a lot of movement.  Use your own templates or download mine (link to my blog below) for this simple project that has endless design possibilities.  Hope you enjoy.  Thanks for joining me in my studio.  Take care.

Downloadable template:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2h9AZ7gLoZhS1FRU244TmxURjA/view?usp=sharing

Products I used in the video:

Jewelry looping pliers – Wolf Groovy Looping Plier-3 Grooves - PLR-751.00 - http://amzn.to/1UYOaEj  These are great as they have 3 grooves for consistent loops

Texture Sheet –Judikins Clay Squisher 1960s Design - http://amzn.to/1VYAxVp  These go great through the pasta machine!

Texture Sheet - Clay Yo Texture Sheet - http://prairiecraft.com/kato/OSS/CY-TS.html

Stencil sheet – EZ Quilting 882670027 Quilter's Template Plastic Assortment, 6-Piece http://amzn.to/1M6Ishb  The quilters use these but they are so helpful for making templates for polymer clay.

Visit my Amazon store for other great products I use in my studio.

http://astore.amazon.com/sweewilldesi-20

Tools

Oven

Pasta Machine

Craft Knife

Template – see links above to my blog for the template; make this from paper or stencil sheet

Jewelry pliers – round nose and chain nose

Materials

Clay – Premo Black

Texture sheets – Squishers, Kato

Ear wires – 2 ea

Eye pins – 6 ea

Acrylic paint – your choice of colors

Sandpaper

Stencil sheet (optional)

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  This is how I earn compensation by sharing tips, techniques and projects with you.  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazon, and Michaels.  These are all stores I shop at for the products I use.

How to Make Polymer Clay Fairy Door Earrings - #CACFantasyArt

Hi All, thanks for joining me in my studio.  Today' we'll make our own portal into the fairy world with the sweet polymer clay fair door earrings.  These simple earrings can be embellished any way you want by changing up the color and beads.

The legend is that these fairy doors are the portal to the fairy world and true believers can enter through these doors.  I hope you enjoy this project. See the tools and materials list below.

Kemper Klay Cutter - 3/16" 4 basic shapes - flower, teardrop, circle and heart  http://amzn.to/1MuNH4W

Visit my Amazon store as a resource for the products I use in my studio.  http://astore.amazon.com/sweewilldesi-20

Tools
Oven
Pasta Machine
Craft blade
Craft knife
Needle tools
Embossing tool
Jewelry pliers - round nose and cutters
Cutters - 3/16" heart and flower; 1" and 3/4" circle

Materials
Clay - Raw Sienna and various colors for flowers.  I use Sculpey Premo!
Paint - Burnt Sienna or other dark brown (optional)
Earring findings - 2 ea of ear wire, ear nut, eye pin and head pin
Beads - 2 ea

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own.  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  This is how I earn compensation by sharing tips, techniques and projects with you.  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazon, Dick Blick and Michaels.  These are all stores I shop at for the products I use.

How to Make a Basic Polymer Clay Cuff Bracelet - The Polymer Clay Workbench

Subscribe to my Channel:  http://bit.ly/1Ny4aEY

Hi All, thanks for joining me in my studio.  This is the second Polymer Clay Workbench.  In this video tutorial, we'll use the bracelet form we made to make a simple, basic cuff.  The construction techniques used in this cuff can be translated into so many different styles with endless options for embellishments.  Stay tuned for the end of the video where there's a poll for the next bracelet project.  Hope you enjoy and thanks again for joining me in my studio.  Take care.

See some of my favorite products below.

Build your studio:

Bracelet Bender (The exact one I use is no longer available.  Here's an inexpensive one of equal quality):  http://amzn.to/1LYmLdu
Aluminum Bracelet Blanks 25 1/2" Pieces:  http://amzn.to/1L7f8GE
Aluminum Bracelet Blanks 25 3/4" Pieces:  http://amzn.to/1LYnifp
Aluminum Bracelet Blanks 144 Pieces:  http://amzn.to/1L7f3mw
Aluminum Bracelet Blank Preformed 5 1/2" pieces (Note:  this doesn't get a great review on Amazon because the reviewer said they were too lightweight - this is what we want!):  http://amzn.to/1TvVTJY
Brass Channel Bracelet Blank 1 5/16" piece:  http://amzn.to/1TeLHF8
Silver plated Channel Bracelet Blank 1 ea .929" channel space:  http://amzn.to/1TeM4zC
Plastic Grid Sheets:  http://amzn.to/21Rfsxh
Stencil Plastic:  http://amzn.to/1X32l8U

What I use to make my videos:

Canon Vixia HF R600 Camcorder:  http://amzn.to/1LYnPOo
Studio Lights:  http://amzn.to/1LYnT0C
External Microphone:  http://amzn.to/1RMHrcN

Tools/Materials:
Oven
Pasta Machine
Extruder with small rectangle die
Texture sheets/plates
Paint
Sandpaper - 240 & 400 grit
Sanding tub, water & dish detergent
Paper Towel
Clay Blade
Bracelet template

Bracelet bender or 1-1/2" glass jar
Bracelet blanks - aluminum 1/2" or 3/4" inch


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com/

Disclosure:  I participate in several affiliate programs. That means I receive a commission when products are purchased through links posted on my videos. (At NO additional cost to you.) This allows me to bring you more videos!  This is how I earn compensation by sharing tips, techniques and projects with you.  The affiliate programs I use include Simon Says Stamp, Amazon, and Michaels.  These are all stores I shop at for the products I use.

How to Make an Oirgami Style Crane Necklace

Subscribe to my Channel:  http://bit.ly/1Ny4aEY

Hi All, Thanks for joining me in my studio as we make this elegant silver origami style crane necklace.   I found these pretty metal origami style crane beads that I knew would make a nice statement necklace.  We'll use basic jewelry making pliers to create simple loops for the connectors.  Adding a sentiment bead, in this case "wish" finishes the Y style necklace.  I'll also show you how you can customize the necklace by adding alcohol ink to color the crane beads or colored spacer beads.  I hope you enjoy this project.  Thanks again for joining me in my studio.  The tools and materials needed for the project are found below the video.

Tools
Round nose and chain nose jewelry pliers
Wire cutters

Materials
Eye pins - at least 2"
4mm spacer beads
Crane beads
Large oval jump ring
Chain - approx 6"
Clasp

See my blog for the tools/materials list:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetWillowDsgn
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/SweetWillowDsgn/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search?q=SweetWillowDsgn
Blog:
http://www.sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com/

How to Make an Advent Charm Bracelet - Special Gift for a Christmas Baby

There's a Christmas baby due - our first grandchild.  To commemorate the event and to celebrate the Christmas season, I created an Advent Charm Bracelet for my Daughter, Emily.  Learn to make this simple bracelet with various charms and green/red holiday clusters.  Use simple jewelry making tools and materials to create the bracelet and I'll also show you how to turn a dollar store holiday tin into a personalized jewelry box to keep all the charms in.  Your loved one can open a mini package for each day leading up to Christmas and add the charm to the bracelet.  Usually there are 24 surprises in a traditional Advent calendar but in this one I added the 25th as a special charm for the baby.

You can use these techniques to make a charm bracelet to count down for any special event.  This would make a really nice gift.  Hope you enjoy and thank you for joining me in my studio.

Tools

Nail - choose a size comparable to the size of the knob
Hammer
Screw Driver
Stamps - number or use number sticker s
Jewelry pliers - round and chain nose
Wire cutter
Paper punch - round or ribbon type

Materials
Tin - the size I used was approx 5" long, 4"deep and 4" wide
Mini envelopes
Charm bracelet blank
Various charms
Glass beads - green leaves, 4mm red faceted
Ribbon (to tie the envelopes closed) or could use Washi tape
Head pins - 4 per cluster
Spring rings - 1 ea for each charm and cluster
Stamping ink
Jump rings - may or may not need if the charms come with them, otherwise 1 ea per charm
Clear Command mini hooks (Optional, I used them to hold the bracelet to the top of the box
Sharpie - gold metallic

SWD Learn to make a Dollar Store Halloween Skeleton Necklace

Hi All,

Join me in my studio to make this fun Halloween Skeleton Necklace.  I had bought a couple of the $1 skeleton garlands at my local Dollar Tree a while ago.  I hope they still have some of these this year, it's kind of close to Halloween and I notice everything is turning over for Christmas.  If they don't have them, save this for next year.  It's a great, inexpensive Halloween project and simple enough for the kids.  I made this for an elementary school teacher and I think it will be a great hit with her class.

We'll use very basic tools and materials such as wire, jump rings, chain, jewelry making pliers and wire snips.  If you want a more temporary necklace use the jute string that comes with the skeleton garland in place of the wire and chain.  You can simply tie a knot to wear the necklace.  The full tools/materials list is below the video.  If you enjoyed this project, I hope you'll let me know by subscribing to my YouTube channel, giving me a thumbs up (always encouraging) or leave a comment.  I hope you enjoy.

Tools
Jewelry pliers - two chain nose
Wire cutters

Materials
Skeletons - I used the skeleton garlands from Dollar Tree, if you don't find these, look for something similar; make sure they're flexible and a good size for a necklace - not too big
Jump rings - 2ea 10mm
Craft wire - 22ga approx 2'
Pumpkin bell or other pumpkin you can attach to represent a trick or treat bag (optional)
Chain - 2ea 6" lengths
Clasp - toggle or other

SWD Polymer Clay Three Rose Necklace Tutorial

Hi All, welcome to my studio.  In today's tutorial, we'll make a polymer clay three rose necklace.  This necklace can be customized to be a family or commemorative necklace to represent your children or grandchildren, marriage or a departed friend or family member.  It's a sweet reminder of your loved ones.  This would make a great gift for a mother-in-law or grandma.  Hope you enjoy this video tutorial.  See the tools and materials list below the video.

Tools
Oven
Pasta Machine
Jewelry pliers
Craft knife
Needle tool
Paint brush or sponge
Hand drill
Paper template - see shape in video - 1.5" length x 3/4" width

Materials
Polymer clay - I used Premo! Sculpey in Spanish Olive for the leaves and a mix of Magenta and Pearl for the roses (the leaves were rolled on the thickest setting of my Atlas pasta machine, the backing sheet was rolled at #3.
Genesis Medium, Liquid clay or Bake 'n Bond
Sandpaper - 30-40 grit
Paint - Burnt Umber
Jump rings - 6mm approx or size to fit
Chain - 2 8" lengths
Clasp
Paper towel

SWD - Oh No! I Burned my Clay. Can this piece be saved?

In the last video series I created a tassel pendant.  The ones you see are not my first attempts.  I originally planned a bright, summery pendant with bright yellow, orange and purple.  Almost a retro look.  Unfortunately, because the clay covering is relatively thin, I burned and scorched the clay.  The result was a sad, dark mess.  The piece was destined for the trash but really, with the time I put into creating it, and the fact that I liked the shape, I decided to see what I could do to save it.  So, I used bronze, heavy body paint, I antiqued it and added a bunch of Swarovski crystals for some bling. Added a gold tassel, and I'm happy with the result.  So, see what you can do to save those not so perfect pieces.  Here's the video on the process. Have you ever burned a piece?  What did you do?  Let me know in the comments.  Hope you enjoy the video.

Build A Line Challenge from B'Sue Boutiques, Maria Clark of Sweet Willow Designs, Part 3 - The Final Reveal!

Welcome to Part 3 of the B’Sue Build a Line Challenge hosted by Brenda Sue Lansdowne of B’Sue Boutiques. The essence of the challenge was to create a jewelry line based on an original concept using B'Sue components.  The challenge was to develop a cohesive line based on a unique theme with a minimum of five pieces. 

I have to tell you that going in five pieces seemed like a piece of cake.  Five isn't so many after all. Like several of the other artists participating in the challenge, I had to overcome creative blocks and being overwhelmed with too many ideas and nowhere to start.  Here are the components I started with.  You can imagine how necessary it was to settle on a few elements.

Thankfully the inspiration of the group, particularly the local Denver group, helped me overcome these roadblocks and I completed my five pieces.  I'm pleased with the results.

My concept was to use polymer clay to create faux soutache combined with brass elements from B'Sue Boutiques.  Soutache is a traditional fiber arts technique that uses colorful braided cords to make intricate and fluid jewelry designs.  I’ve interpreted the soutache in polymer clay which offers endless options for color and design.  My five pieces include two bracelets, a pendant and two pairs of earrings.

In this first set I used an ornate brass frame and flowers with deep merlot, pink and blush polymer clay custom mixed colors accented with glass pearls.  This set includes a pendant with a 27" chain and earrings with the brass flowers which I cut down and used as accents.

Experimenting with a two tone effect on the brass gave an interesting twist to the design.  The raw brass frame was colored with Gilders Paste in silver.  All of these pieces were sealed to preserve the patina and highlight the clay.

I tend to design in a free form manner with little sketching up front which adds an element of surprise but can be difficult to reproduce.  In the future, I'll try sketching in advance.





The second set used the same brass ornate frame and flowers to keep the line cohesive but in this interpretation I used vintage style silver buttons and metallic cuffs that I made myself from faux leather trim.  The set includes two bracelets and a pair of earrings.

I really liked the way these turned out, the use of the buttons adds interest and design and the faux leather gives a nice glow to the brass and enhances the overall look.  To me this has a Southwestern look with the turquoise, gold and purple clay (hard to see the purple, kind of reads black).

There's a lot more to building a line than just designing pieces of jewelry.  Pricing, branding, watching trends, tiers, selling, inventory management, taking pictures and all the business management tasks that go into a jewelry business have to be mastered for ultimate success.  The class was exceptional in that each of these issues were addressed and participants had an opportunity to weigh in with their thoughts, challenges and strategies.  This was a great learning and sharing experience.

I met two of my goals for the year which was to participate in more challenges and to stretch creatively.  Goals I didn't know I had were to find a community of artists with similar goals and to share, share, share and to make more use of social media.  These goals, while not initially identified by me, were brought to light during this challenge.  That's a great side benefit!  Finally, I challenged myself to try something new and learn new skills.  What a great experience!

You will be amazed at how unique each of the participating artists are and how they went about realizing their vision.  Each had struggles and successes which they share in their blog posts.  The energy and effort each put into the challenge will be revealed as they showcase their lines.  Thanks to Brenda Sue who mentored the class.  It's clear how much of a commitment this was for her and how much energy and passion she put into the process.  A big thanks to her and all the artists!

Please take a look at the other fantastic artists participating in the challenge by visiting their blogs below.

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques

Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Marcia Tuzzolino

Aurora Designs

Jann Tague

Clever Designs by Jann

Judy King

Apt to Wander Studio

Linzi Alford

Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales

Cynthia Wainscott

Exotic Peru

Carole Carlson

Beadsophisticate

Lynn Stinten

Dragonzwench

Marica Zammit

Bead Lovelies

Catherine Shattuck

VRBrose

Michaele Collie

The Vintage Gem

Mary Craig

Jewelry Alchemy

Lee Koopman

Strega Jewelry

Erin Whitacre

Shattered Time Jewelry

Monica Casady

MJCasady Copper Works

Leila West

Leila Nicole Designs

Cindy Peterson

Howling Dog Jewelry

Leila Belcher

Leila Bee Designs

Gloria Allen

Wings and Beads

Pamela Anger

Novegatti Designs

Tammy Adams

Paisley Lizard

Lynda O'Mara

LOmara Creative

Elizabeth Hildreth

MadScientistsDesigns

Dana Hickey

Wind Dancer Studios

Janet Calardo

Jan Lea Designs

Maria Clark

Sweet Willow Designs

Lori Beekman

B. Accessorized

Jennifer Kroeger

Relic Charm

Amy Jorgensen

Hoarder's Corner

Robin Reed

Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs

Ingrid Anderson

Lilis Gems

Louise O'Shields

Desire Divine Jewels

Susan Killam

Killam Creative

Mary Katherine Deis

The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

Nike Bottalico

Nike Bottalico

Susan Bowerman

Woodside Wireworks

Kristy Le

Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs

Jan Peters

Stylized Vintage

Mitzie Crider

Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog

Gina Hockett

Freestyle Elements

Linda Anderson

From the Bead Board

Alexandra Sefton

Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Melida Boman

The Journey of Pens and Things

Teresa Shurter

TreeZ's Treasurs

Melissa Latimer

Smithed Up

Renee Hong

Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art

Nadine Edris

Moondance Jewelry

Lori Meyer

Parisienne Girl

Jennifer Merrill Williams

Artists of All Stripes

Denise Lussier Poirier

Jewelry by Denise

Renee Allen

Small Stuff Design

Autumn Adams

Autumn Dawns

Elizabeth Owens

1996 Shabby Lane

Kat BarronMiller

Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry

Sandra Ballard

Mama San's Mojo

Coral Law

ab:coraldesign

SWD Polymer Clay Tutorial - Get Your Swirl On!! - St. Patrick's Day Pendant

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, just a few weeks away.  Learn to make a polymer clay swirl pendant or charm with shamrocks to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  We’ll use the colors of the Irish flag – white, orange and green to make a swirl bead and then embellish it with three shamrocks.  I hope you enjoy this polymer clay tutorial.  It’s the third in my “Get Your Swirl On” series.   See the tools and materials list after the video link.

Thanks for joining me in my studio.  If you enjoyed this tutorial, give me a thumbs up, subscribe to my channel and leave me a comment.  I love hearing from you.  Thanks again for watching.

Tools

Acrylic block and roller

Extruder with 19 hole disk – optional, you can roll thin snakes of clay by hand

Cutter – 3/16” hear shape – optional you can cut the hearts by hand with a craft knife

Hand drill or Dremel with size of drill bit to accommodate jump ring or bail

Materials

Clay – 1” ball of white, small amounts of orange and green

Jump ring for bail or other bail

Necklace finding

GET YOUR SWIRL ON SERIES

See my YouTube playlist for the series

Experimenting with Color on Polymer Clay

I just recently purchased a couple of sets of Pan Pastels to color polymer clay.  I love it.  In this experiment, I created a leaf shaped pin with purple colored wire buds and applied several green and yellow Pan Pastel colors to raw clay with a soft paint brush and then cured it.  The Pan Pastel is very durable as it did not easily scratch off.

Once cured, I used purple Prismacolor colored pencils to add layers and depth of color.  Finally, I added some gold embossing powder to the edges and a bit sprinkled on the main piece to add a metallic tone and add texture.  I like the way it turned out.

This was my first time using the Pan Pastel and so far I'm very impressed with how it works on the polymer clay.  I'll be doing more experiments to test its durability and coloring abilities.

Get Your Swirl On! Polymer Clay Valentine Swirl Pendant

Here's a Valentine's Day swirl pendant with a "Be Mine" sentiment and red hearts.  I'm going to be doing a series of these holiday swirl pendants so stay tuned for more!  Hope you enjoy this video tutorial.  Leave me a comment, subscribe and let me know how you enjoyed this video.  Tools and materials lists follow the video.

Tools

Pasta machine
Oven
Extruder (Optional)
Extruder die - 19 hole
Alpha stamping set
Cutter - 3/16" heart
Paintbrush - stiff
Needle tool or hand drill
Clay blade
Craft knife

Materials

Polymer clay - Premo! - small amounts of white, red and pink blend
Acrylic paint - red
Sandpaper - wet/dry 400 grit
Varnish - recommend Varathane or comparable
Jewelry findings - pinch bail or jump ring, necklace finding

Winter Storm Snowflake Polymer Clay Pendant

This week's winter snow storm in Colorado inspired this polymer clay pendant project. Join me in my studio as we make a swirl bead and add snowflake embellishments. I used extruded clay strands applied to a clay base to make my swirl beads. This simple technique is great alternative to using cane slices for those of us who don’t make many canes. Upcoming projects will use this basic technique for more swirl effects. Hope you enjoy this. If you enjoy the video, subscribe to my YouTube channel, give me a thumbs up or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Below the video are the tools and materials used in the project. 

  Tools 

Extruder 

19 hole die 

Clay blade 

Needle tool 

Acrylic or glass block 

Jewelry pliers

  Materials 

Polymer Clay – white and 2 shades of blue 

Pearlescent powder – silver 

Jump ring 

Sandpaper – wet/dry 400 grit 

Sealer – Varathane or other

P.S. I’m always trying to improve my videos. I use Adobe Premier Pro Creative Cloud software to edit my videos and with this one I wanted to keep close to the 5 minute mark. It’s always a learning process and fun. Stuff I learned while making this video:

• How to speed up a clip

• Overlay comments on a clip

• Record audio outside the main video

Polymer Clay Faux Knit Mitten Earring Tutorial

Let’s knit with polymer clay!  Join me in my studio as we make a polymer clay knitted “fabric” that we can use to make these cute mitten earrings.  You could also resize the mitten template to make a necklace, bracelet or zipper pull.  

You can find some free, downloadable Christmas templates here.  Copy the mitten template and resize in word processing or image processing software.  You can use any size that works for your project.  I re-sized the mitten template to 1” by .88” which is a good size for earrings.

I hope you enjoy this video tutorial.  If you enjoyed this video, subscribe, give me a thumbs up and leave a comment.  Thanks for joining me in my studio.  See the materials/tools list below the video link.

Materials

Polymer clay colors of your choice.  I’m using red and white Premo!

Paper mitten template

Eye pins – 2 ea

Ear wires – 2 ea

Jump ring – 6mm – 2 ea

Sandpaper – optional

Tools

Pasta Machine

Oven

Extruder with multi-hole disk (disk with 19 holes usually include in the basic set with Makins extruder)

Craft knife

Jewelry pliers – chain nose

Super Easy Polymer Clay Christmas Tree Charm

Hi All and welcome to my studio.  Today I’m doing a super easy project to make sweet Christmas tree charms that can be used for earrings, necklaces, bracelets or even a zipper pull for the holidays.  This is also a fun projects to do with the kids (supervision as needed).   Check out the video below for making the charm and a pair of earrings.  For more videos, subscribe to my YouTube Channel, give me a thumbs up or leave me a comment.  Thanks again for joining me in my studio.  Let’s get started (see materials/tools list at the bottom of the post).

Materials (Earrings)

Polymer clay – bits of green with a touch of black to tone it down if preferred, brown, red and yellow – I use Premo! as it is more durable

Embossing powder – chunky, snow type or you could use bits of white clay for the snow

Head pin – 2”, 2 ea

Jump ring – 6mm, 2 ea

Earwire – 2 ea

Tools

Oven

Jewelry making pliers/wire cutter for top loop