Hello everyone,
Firstly, apologies for the long delay between blog posts! I decided to move my home studio to a larger room, an idea that’s turned into a near-total upstairs reorganisation and a project bigger then Ben Hur. But it will be good when it’s finished. (Whenever that will be!)
For readers in and around Sydney, Australia, the booking pages for my Polymer Clay Bangles and Cuffs and Metal Clay Rings classes at Sydney Jewellery School in May 2016 are now live. Both of these classes are new for 2016.
(NB: You can always check the Classes page here on my web site for my full teaching calendar and details of all my classes whether currently scheduled or not!)
A few quick tips on using shape templates with polymer clay…
After making your decorative clay sheet, lift it off your work surface and place it onto a piece of plain paper. This will make it easy to lift the cut shapes out later without distorting them. It also makes it easy to rotate the clay to try different viewing orientations when positioning the shape template, so you can better envisage the final product.
For readers in Australia, Eclectic Studio is open again after its big move north to Brisbane. You’ll find some great jewellery-making equipment and supplies there that are otherwise difficult or impossible to get in Australia, such as:
The new Sherri Haab E3 Duo Electroforming and Etching units (on my wish list!), as well as other electroforming and etching supplies
Enamelling powders in reasonable quantities and related enamelling tools
Absolutely the best casting resin around, along with resin dyes, pigments and sundries
… and even polymer clay too! ;D
Metal cutters make sharp, clean cuts… except for the “bobble” most make where the metal strip they’re constructed from is joined, which needs to be trimmed or smoothed out for a professional finish. Manufacturers such as Kemper make seamless metal cutters, but what do you do if you can’t find them in the size you want?
Go to the hardware store, of course! :D
Just a quick note to let you know that my Polymer Clay for Mosaics – Beginners class will be running again on Saturday, 28 May 2016 at Ceramic Haven in Castle Hill (in Sydney’s Hills District in the outer north west).
This is an introduction to polymer clay via three widely different techniques that can be used to decorate or make polymer clay tiles for use in mosaics… and for jewellery too, of course!
I’m often asked where I buy things and which suppliers I recommend, so I’ve added a page with my “go-to” suppliers as well as suppliers for specific items. Click HERE to view it (you’ll also find it under the FAQ top-level menu item).
It’s a work in progress and I have more to add, particularly suppliers for specific items. If there’s something I haven’t listed yet that you’re interested in, please let me know!
Add visual interest to your polymer clay jewellery by shaping it in three dimensions rather than leaving it completely flat. There are dozens of everyday objects you can cure polymer clay on to give it interesting dimension. Here are some of my favourites, with some other tips at the end.
Happy New Year everyone!
I’ve finally had time for some long-overdue updates to my blog and web site, including a major expansion of the polymer clay and metal clay class details.
I’m excited to be teaching six brand new classes in the first half of 2016, including two for metal clay. Click on the class names below for details; clickable dates take you straight to the teaching venue’s web site for booking details.
The blog has had a bit of a facelift over the past couple of days, with excerpts instead of full posts on the home, category and tag pages to make it easier to browse for items of interest. I’ve also added upcoming polymer clay classes to the sidebar, have changed the colour scheme, and made a whole series of mostly geeky tweaks.
I hope you find the updated layout friendlier!
Sue Fisher 