I took a 2-day intensive “hybrid” class from Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg (River Poet Design) this weekend through the South Bay Polymer Clay Guild. This was the first time Lynne has taught this particular class–it is a hybrid of the 8 From 1 Flower Cane workshop and the Floral Tile Jewelry Construction and Design workshop. We made three floral canes, learned Lynne’s special tricks on composing and constructing the tiles as well as the finished piece. Lynne also demonstrated how to make one of her faux wood grains.

I really enjoyed this class. First, Lynne’s very laid back style made her approachable. She clearly demonstrated the techniques, but instead of having us sit for an hour demo, she broke the steps of the projects and processes down into manageable chunks to enable us to see the demo and immediately apply it. I think this approach enabled everyone to achieve the desired results AND have the opportunity to retain as much information as possible. I found the pacing to be a little slow due to these stops and starts and due to the various rates of speed in which people completed the steps, but the methodology was the best way to teach complex techniques.

For a small materials fee, Lynne provided us with a number of tools and materials to use as well as an extremely detailed hand-out complete with color copies of examples of finished canes, and critical steps in creating the finished pieces. We also had the opportunity to buy some of her favorite tools she uses to make her distinctive and beautiful floral designs, and after she explained their function and value, we all were sold.

Aside from the obvious value of the class–making great canes, creating wonderful backgrounds and finished pieces–the tips and special techniques Lynne taught us were worth the price of admission. I now know how to create a smooth, finished composition using cane slices with little distortion of the slices. In the past, my slices would become ENORMOUS. I also know how to properly pack canes to minimize distortion while reducing, how to best slice VERY thin slices, and how to preserve my valuable assets in creating a finished piece.

I think that if you have the opportunity to take a class from Lynne, you should–even if you’re a caning pro. I think we all can learn something valuable from a class, and Lynne’s 17 years of experience with clay is something she readily and generously shares with her students.

Lisa Pavelka is now marketing a new UV cured resin, Magic-Glos. This resin is used to create a hard, clear finish on our pieces, and when cured, the surface is more like an acrylic and even harder than EnviroTex or other two-part epoxy resins. HOWEVER, it requires you to cure it using a UV light source–a UV nail lamp, direct sunlight, or a UV florescent black light 40 watts or higher. Lisa conveniently sells lamps and replacement bulbs on her site as well. I’ll report more on the product after I test it, but I like the hard finish of the product.

Kato Polyclay introduced a line of Colored Liquid Polymer Clay.  I know that this was in the works for some time…Tony Aquino, the product guru at Van Aken, had brought samples to the South Bay Polymer Clay Guild for us to play with.  Using some aluminum window channels, we made the most awesome flexible bracelets with this stuff.  The colors are transparent and come in red, yellow, blue, orange, violet and green along with opaque black and opaque white.  You can make opaque colors by adding the transparent colors to white or pearlescent colors by adding mica powders.  I can’t wait to play more with the colored liquid clay!

La D’ore International had some beautiful new colors of gold leaf–cranberry (kind of a violet color) and a phenomenal deep orange. The owner debuted the products at CHA and will have the site updated soon (both products are not on the retail site yet). HOWEVER, when it does come up, he offered National Polymer Clay Guild Synergy attendees a 20% discount off their order. Just put SYNERGY20 in your order comments and mention the discount. He can’t re-process orders, so if you forget, you don’t get the discount. You’ll love these new colors…they are stupendous!

Nunn Design has some great Patera deep pendants that are perfect as bails for our polymer clay. They come in gold, copper and silver finishes. Nunn Design sells wholesale, but one of my favorite companies, JudiKins, sells them online.

Avery has a new flexible/stretchable t-shirt transfer paper. On fabric, it has no “hand” whatsoever. I have a sample, and I’m going to try it on polymer clay as yet another image transfer medium. More to come! However, JudiKins Tranz-It Rinse Away Paper still remains my favorite. In fact, I demonstrated it at the Kato Polyclay booth during the show and made Donna Kato and Tony Aquino from Van Aken jump for joy! I called it the “worlds fastest and easiest image transfer.” And it was.

Golden Paint is coming out with one of the most innovative products I’ve seen in a long time. They have some new mediums–called Digital Grounds–that you paint onto surfaces that enable you to run them through your inkjet printer. It will come in White (matte), Clear (gloss) and for Non-Porous surfaces. With these products, you will be able to print onto most anything you can fit into your inkjet printer. At their booth, Golden had samples of everything from iridescent film to thin foil and even a sheet of dried acrylic paint! Wow. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of this stuff. Imagine putting a sheet of cured clay through your inkjet printer? I can’t wait!

I’m sure I’ll remember more as I recover, but these were the real stand-0uts to me!

There are TONS of ways to transfer images to polymer clay. Inkjet, waterslide decals, toner with alcohol, toner with gin, direct…and on and on.

I have discovered a NEW way to get extraordinary and fast transfer onto polymer clay–JudiKins TranzIt Rinse-Away Paper. Designed for use with TranzIt gel for image transfers, TranzIt Rinse-Away Paper is the perfect transfer medium for polymer clay. Retailing for $7.75 for 5 sheets, it’s not inexpensive. However, you will be thrilled with using this paper.

The paper is made from cellulose. When it comes into contact with water, it immediately breaks down. Thus, you can only use this paper with a laser printer or toner-based color or black-and-white copier. You cannot, I repeat cannot, use this paper with an inkjet printer–it will forever gum up your printer and render it useless. Now for the good news. You can have an image transfer in five minutes. Yes, you read correctly. Five minutes.

Here’s how:

1. Print your images onto the paper using a laser printer or laser/toner copier (color or black-and-white). Most likely, a copy center will be reluctant to put this paper into their machines, but you could give it a try. I have a color laser printer, and it worked well. The paper buckled and curled a bit with the heat from the printer, but the images transferred easily and well.
2. Cut out your image, leaving NO white space.
3. Roll out a sheet of conditioned, light-colored polymer clay on your desired thickness setting. Place it either on your work surface, a baking surface like a tile, or on a deli sheet or waxed paper–depending upon how you’ll be using the transfer. I use light colors of clay (white, pearl, translucent, ecru or even silver or gold for a different look) since the transfer is translucent, and any backing clay color will show through the image.
4. Place your printed image face-down on your conditioned clay. Cover it with a sheet of deli paper, plain paper, etc. Burnish the image through the paper using a bone folder or other burnishing tool. I do this so the tool doesn’t drag across the raw clay as I go past the edges of the conditioned clay. Burnish from the center of the image out towards the edges to ensure that you do not trap any air between the image and the clay. Remove the cover paper.
5. Wait at least 5 minutes. DO NOT WAIT MORE THAN 20 or 30 MINUTES. I let a piece wait for too long (an hour or so), and the image smeared.  15 minutes was fine.  I haven’t ventured past 20 minutes since the smear incident.
6. Take your image to the sink and run water over it. You will see the paper dissolve and rinse away.
7. Make sure all of the cellulose material has rinsed away. You may find remnants sticking to the dark areas of your image. Gently wash/wipe these away.
8. Form your piece with your image and bake. You can also cover the image with a VERY thin layer of liquid polymer clay to protect it.

Now, wasn’t that easy? I thought so. I’ve been experimenting with this paper a bit, and if I find different issues with it, I’ll report back here. However, I do have to say that this is the EASIEST image transfer I’ve ever created on polymer clay.

I’ve linked to JudiKins’ retail store so you can get your own (no, I don’t get commission for this…I just don’t know who is stocking this stuff, and I thought it would be easiest for you got get it from the source).

Have fun!

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Yes, another 5-star book. Are there books I don’t like as much? Yes. Have those been published lately? No.

It has been a decade–yes, a decade–since Donna published her first book, The Art of Polymer Clay. This second book takes us to Donna today. Her style is elegant, her techniques are innovative, and her instruction makes her projects accessible. I’ve taken two classes from Donna. In fact, I joined my local clay guild when I first started claying just to take Donna’s class–and I haven’t looked back.

Donna’s book is like a portable Kato class. Donna taught many of these techniques in the classes I took from her. However, having this indispensable reference book enables me to review the class at my leisure and further experiment with her techniques. She approaches each technique in a straightforward manner–teach techniques, then apply them to a project. This enables us not only to complete a sample that masters the technique, but also a very beautiful finished piece that will get people talking.

Donna splits the book into seven different sections:

• Polymer Clay Basics
• Mica Shift Techniques
• Transferring Images Onto Polymer Clay
• Creating Texture
• Paints, Inks and Pigment Powders
• Special Effects with Liquid Polymer Clays
• Sculpture and Mold Making

I love Donna’s techniques. They are the result of hours of experimentation and development on her part. The book details both how to do something–and why. For instance, Donna makes a mold from her rubber stamps using polymer clay and THEN uses that mold to create her pieces. She goes into detail about why she does this, and what the results are molding directly from a stamp versus taking an impression from a polymer clay mold made from a rubber stamp. It’s something I never considered, but it makes great sense.

The twelve beautiful projects are accompanied by step-by-step instructions and photographs that walk you through each major component. While some projects are simple, others teach you techniques in constructing complex pieces like her coveted Japanese Inro boxes.

Peppered throughout the book are awe-inspiring inspirational pieces, including the pieces submitted for two of Kato Polyclay’s artists contests/exhibitions–one focused on shoes (Feat of Clay) and one focused on boxes. I was honored to be the 2nd-place winner in the box contest, and my “Donnelly’s Sampler” is included in the book.

The only small issue I had was that one of the products Donna uses in the book, Kato Clay Concentrates, is not available yet. However, given the beautiful colors of mica shift clay she’s achieved, I don’t mind waiting–much.

Aug 3, 2007 UPDATE: Kato PolyClay Color Concentrates are HERE! I spoke too soon!!! They are now on the Prairie Craft website and other Internet stores! Yay!!!

This is yet another book that will stay in my permanent library. I love having a Donna class on my shelf, ready for me at any time.

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Why do I love polymer clay books? I learn well from written instruction. In fact, most of what I’ve learned has been through a combination of books, experimentation and discussion. I have only taken a few classes over the years, and while each class has given me a huge infusion of techniques and ideas, books fill in the gaps on a daily basis–inexpensively, and at my own pace.

Carol Blackburn has authored a real winner here. It’s another book in my library that I will go back to over and over again.

Why do I like this book? Part of it is the actual design of the book. The subtitle to this book is “Step-by-step techniques for creating beautiful ornamental beads.” This is a true and accurate description of the book. From the basic information that we see in all polymer clay books (clays, equipment, conditioning, etc.) to the techniques, the exceptional photography and clear, concise instructions make this book both a visual feast and an excellent primer for both people who learn best by visual stimuli as well as those who learn best by detailed instruction.

This is a technique-oriented book. If you’re looking for a book that focuses on finish pieces complete with design ideas, this is not the book for you. While there are finishing ideas and instructions in the back of the book, the core of the book is about learning and using a variety of techniques to make polymer clay beads. Techniques are laid out in a single- or double-page spread. On the top of each page, photographs of the beads made using the techniques are artfully presented. Below, descriptions of the technique, a tools and materials list and then the step-outs of the process used to make the beautiful beads are presented in a flowing, easy-to-follow manner. Each step is chronicled using clear, professional close-up photography, and is accompanied with detailed instructions to complete the step. If warranted, tips are presented with a specific step; for instance, when a tip about sealing silver leaf to prevent tarnishing accompanies the finishing step for a mokume-gane bead. On the bottom of the page, references to other useful information are cited, including page numbers for the helpful techniques.

What I also like about this book is that the techniques and accompanying beads are approachable by beginning clayers as well as inspirational for experienced clayers. It’s an excellent reference book for techniques, and inspirational book for jewelry artists, and a visual feast for all.

So, what stamps are the best for polymer clay? Well, all of them, of course! However, there are some things to consider when you’re buying images.

Mounted vs. Unmounted

The first consideration is whether to use mounted or unmounted rubber stamps. While there are considerably more images available mounted, unmounted stamps are much more versatile:

• You can run (thinner) unmounted stamps through the pasta machine with your clay
• You can bend and peel the unmounted stamp off the clay, making it easier to remove when impressing into the clay
• You can use a roller to impress the clay much more easily than with mounted stamps
• Unmounted stamps, on average, are half the cost of mounted
• Unmounted stamps are easier to store and transport
• There are some techniques that require the use of unmounted stamps (e.g. Sutton Slice)

Now, if you have to have an image that’s mounted on a wood block, you can easily remove the stamp from its mount. Either microwave the stamp for about 10 seconds and peel the rubber off the mount, or use Un-Do to remove the stamp from the cushion. Use Goo-Gone to remove any residual adhesive. Voila! Unmounted stamp!

What Unmounted Stamps Do I Like?

First, I like medium- to deep-etched rubber stamp. What this means is that the stamp rubber is fairly thick, and the recesses between the lines of the image are fairly deep. This enables a deep impression of the stamp into your polymer clay; in the case of techniques like the Sutton Slice or some of Donna Kato’s surface design and impression techniques, it makes the technique easier to accomplish.

Second, I like a fairly large “background” image. Rubber stamps come in all sizes, but stamp companies have created images specifically to cover an area the size of a regular stamped greeting card (4 ¼” x 5 ½” – ¼ of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet). These background images make it quick and easy to apply a pattern or image over a large area. They also make excellent texture stamps for clay.

Third, I like pattern images. I use fine “picture” images for clay when these images will be stamped ONTO versus stamped INTO the clay. I like using the patterned image (dots, squares, swirls, florals, vines, squiggles, etc.) to create depth and texture on my piece.

What Brands of Rubber Stamps Do I Like?

What don’t I like is more like it! However, there are certain stamps that I continue to go back to for my clay. Clearsnap and Polyform/Sculpey make stamp sheets expressly for use with polymer clay, as does Donna Kato and Lisa Pavelka. I just got some great large background stamps from Stamp Camp that are great and very deeply etched. JudiKins makes some fabulous background images, and I’ve unmounted quite a few in my quest for perfect polymer clay. Hero Arts also has some great images, but unfortunately, Hero Arts is NOT an Angel company.

What’s an Angel Company?

An Angel company is a rubber stamp manufacturer that allows you to use their stamps to create items for sale. Each company has a separate Angel policy, so if you’re going to use an image in your art for sale, you need to check the company’s policy. For instance, Clearsnap is an Angel company, but only “barely” so. Their images are supposed to be for personal use, but they do allow their images to be hand stamped to make one-of-a-kind items (no mechanical reproduction) for sale. Hero Arts is not an Angel company—you cannot use their stamps to create items for sale. JudiKins is Angel, but you need to give image credit/copyright when you do use their images for items for sale. Other companies give you free reign to use their images. If in doubt, check. Rubberstampinglinks.com has a page where the Angel policies for many companies are posted, but always check the stamp company’s web site to see if that policy has changed.

What Do I Do with Stamps?

There are many ways to use stamps. Here are 10 to get you started:

1. Texture. Stamp in to the clay to create a texture. Highlight that texture using mica powders, acrylic paints, etc.
2. Molds. Stamp into some scrap clay, bake it, and use it as a mold. This creates a raised surface of the stamped image in clay.
3. Images. Use the image of the stamp either as a background or focal image of your piece. You can also stamp over surface designs to create additional patterning and texture. Use either a permanent ink (e.g. Staz-On) or a heat-set ink (Crafters, Brilliance, pigment inks). You can also use other media to stamp with, such as acrylic paint and even metallic powders.
4. Faux Cloisonné. Use the stamp to create your barriers and image for a faux cloisonné using liquid polymer clay, mica powders and other coloring agents.
5. Faux Brocade. Donna Kato has a lovely technique where she stamps into clay, fills the recesses with acrylic paint, and highlights the raised areas with a contrasting color of acrylic paint. She lets it dry, then runs it through a pasta machine. It looks like brocade fabric. SO very cool! Donna is coming out with a new book this summer, The Art of Polymer Clay – Creative Surface Effects that will detail this and other great techniques.
6. Sutton Slice. Lisa Pavelka’s friend, Pete (?) Sutton, came up with a technique in which you embed clay in the recesses of a rubber stamp. You shave off any clay that has stuck to the image/top surface of the stamp. You then lay a sheet of contrasting clay on top, press to adhere the clay in the recesses to the “backing” layer. You peel the stamp off the clay, and voila—the pattern made in the recesses are now raised. Here’s an example using this technique.
7. Mica Shift. Impress your metallic clay with a rubber stamp, then take shallow slices off the surface to remove any raised areas. Run the resulting sheet through a pasta machine, and you have lovely “ghost” images in the clay—but the clay is smooth!
8. Image Transfer. Debbie Anderson makes lovely faux porcelain beads by stamping on plain copy paper, coloring the image with waxy colored pencils (e.g. Prismacolor), and directly transferring the image to clay by placing the image face-down onto raw clay.
9. Backfilling. You can stamp into clay, and fill the recesses with a contrasting color of clay. Bake, then sand smooth.
10. Mokume Gane. Create a stacked layers of contrasting colors of clay, press a stamp (and other texture tools, if you desire) into the clay, then shave off the top layers to get a cool, multi-colored image. Use slices of the mokume gane to decorate a sheet of clay and to make beads or other objects.

This is just a basic primer on what stamps can do for you in your artwork. There’s so much more you can do…just use your imagination!

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Polymer Pizzaz is a new publication from Bead & Button magazine that compiles 27 (not 25 as the picture posted on Amazon shows) projects that were published throughout the years in Beat & Button magazine. For those of you who are long-time subscribers of the magazine, you already have these projects in your back issues and can easily access them from your collection. However, those who don’t have access to these back issues are lucky to have this compilation of excellent projects from superb artists.

If you’re familiar with Bead & Button magazine, you know that the articles are well written, the project instructions are highly detailed, and the photography is professional and beautiful. The wonderful thing about this book is that even though some of the articles may be older, the unique techniques detailed in the projects and resulting pieces of jewelry are timeless. For instance, Mike Buesseler has moved on from polymer clay to other arts, but his impact on the creation of metallic Skinner blends and his locket construction live on.

The book’s projects are placed into four categories: Beads, Canes and Chains, Pendants and Faux Techniques. Each of the categories has four to nine projects created by nationally recognized polymer clay artists including Donna Kato, Nan Roche, Sarah Shriver, ChristieFriesen, Deborah Anderson, Grant Diffendaffer, Patricia Kimle, Dotty McMillan and Karen and Ann Mitchell. There is a brief introduction to clays, tools and techniques in the front of the book, but it’s clear that this book focuses on projects for intermediate clayers–not for novices. However, the projects are infinitely approachable and the results are achievable. I took Dotty McMillan’s “Painterly Polymer” painted lentil bead and combined it with Mike Buesseler’s locket construction techniques to create a lovely locket. I still have wonderful left-over painted polymer for use with another project thanks to Dotty’s clear instructions and really simple but effective technique.

I am going on vacation soon, and I think I’ll bring this book with me for inspiration. Every time I look at it, I see more that I can apply to my own work–and that’s one of my hallmarks for a great polymer clay book!

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

After several years as a slave of my hand-cranked

pasta machine (and sufferer of sore shoulders), I decided to get a pasta machine motor. A Christmas gift certificate helped make the purchase a much easier decision, but I felt that with all the claying I do, it would be worth the investment regardless of the cost.

I researched prices and found that Polymer Clay Express had the most reasonable deal ($80, as opposed to around $100 on other sites), so I placed my order for my Pasta Drive along with a nifty little accessory–a foot pedal ($18) similar to a sewing machine pedal. I’d be able to turn the machine on and off without using my hands–a nice feature when you’re working with a large or long piece of clay.

I receved the motor in good order. However, I found out that the older Atlas machine that I have didn’t have the requisite holes drilled around the crank case to attach the motor! Fortunately, I had another machine that had the drilled plate, so I did a little switcheroo and had a machine ready to motorize.

The machine has a crank shaft similar to the end of the crank handle plus two little catch bolts that secure and hold the motor to the machine. Ten seconds of fiddling and fitting (well, ten minutes and ten seconds, if you add the time it took to find and replace the plate), and I had a motor ready to go. I plugged it into my foot pedal, set my rollers on a #1 setting and I was ready to go. I had some clay flattened to get through the rollers–I know that if you put in too much clay at a time, you can really stress the engine–and I pressed down on the pedal to get the motor running.

WOW! LOUD LOUD LOUD! The motor is extremely loud. Almost ear-plug loud. I put the slab of clay through the machine, and the machine got louder and a bit slower until the clay was through. I folded and put the clay through again and went through normal conditioning, lickety-split. It was really nice to condition the clay in this manner, but I have to say that the noise could and will get very irritating in a short amount of time. However, the good thing about a foot pedal is that you don’t have to have the machine constantly on. You can turn it off and on easily and have your hands free at all times.

I took my slab of clay through the various settings of the pasta machine and found the performance of the motor to be just fine. However, I began to smell a bit of burning, and I immediately stopped the machine.

The nice thing about the polymer clay community is that there are a lot of people willing to help you with questions or problems. In order to find out what’s normal with this motor, I went to the Polymer Clay People Yahoo Group and asked people what was normal regarding noise, the burning smell and longevity of the motor. In no time at all, I had my answer:

- Yes, the noise level is normal. The slowing of the motor as it’s working is normal. Just don’t try to cram a bunch of clay through the machine; you should only put a sheet through that’s double or 3x the thickness of the setting at MOST.

- Yes, the burning smell is normal. Sometimes the motor burns off some of the oil used to lubricate the motor during manufacturing. The burning smell will subside.

- Yes, the motor lasts for a long time. People have quoted years of use with no end in sight.

These key pieces of information made me much more comfortable with my purchase. As we all know, when we’re unfamiliar with something, it’s always nice to hear that others have had the same experiences and the experiences are normal. That’s one of the reasons I’ve started this blog.

So, the Pasta Drive gets 4 stars out of 5. The noise kicked it down a notch. I’m looking forward to less soreness in my shoulders and many more days of clay.

Suggested Retail Price: $50 – $60

Makin’s® Clay is on version 2 of the Ultimate Clay Machine. Unfortunately, their 2nd try solves one problem and creates another.

In April 2006, Makin’s Clay stopped production of its Ultimate Clay Machine. This new machine initially showed real promise. It was the only commercial “pasta” machine that touted non-stick rollers, wider rolling area (around 7″), and 9 thickness settings. No other machine had the same unique features.

It’s unfortunate that these unique features have caused great headaches for the Makin’s people. The way that pasta machines…er…clay machines work is that clay is rolled between two rollers. Below the rollers, “scrapers” keep the clay from continuing round and round the rollers–they scrape the clay off the rollers and the clay comes extrudes out below. The scraper blades are made of metal and are fairly sharp, and they tend to touch the rollers to ensure that material doesn’t continue to stick on the rollers.

This core design was troublesome for the 1st Makin’s machine. When the scraper blades touched the non-stick coated rollers, they scraped grooves into the non-stick coating at the points of contact. And when you rolled your clay through, those light grooves translated into grooves and texture onto your clay. The grooves were minor, but you could see them clearly on the rollers, and lightly on the clay.

This grooving happened to me on the very first use of the original machine. I contacted the vendor who sold me the machine, and she refunded my money. Walnut Hollow, the US distributor of the Makin’s Machine (the machine is manufactured by Hong-Kong based Sino Harvest Limited), picked up the machine via FedEx at their cost.

I thought this was the end of it, but Walnut Hollow mistakenly sent me the version 2 machine a few weeks ago. Being the curious sort that I am, I decided to test the machine. First, I read the instructions, and cleaned the machine as advised. I then took some black Kato Polyclay that I conditioned in my Atlas machine, and ran it through the #1 setting of the Makin’s Machine. I immediately noticed a scraping across the top surface of the clay–as if I had scraped a wide object across the clay and marred the surface. I folded the clay and ran it through #1 a couple of times and noticed the same scraping. This was a bad sign.

At #2, there was still scraping. At #3, more still. At #4, I had a piece of clay that was rippled on the top, with fairly deep ripples but no tearing. This rippling got worse as I set the machine thinner. This wasn’t going well.

I cleaned the machine and tried with some unconditioned clay–maybe my clay was too soft. I took some unconditioned black Kato Polyclay and flattened it with my acrylic roller. I put it through a #1 and saw the top scraping. I conditioned it on #1, folding and rolling as usual. Still some marring. And when it was getting conditioned and as I rolled it through successively thinner settings, the same rippling occurred. I also tried with some softer clay, some metallic clay, etc. The result was the same.

I turned the machine over and found the culprit–they had replaced the metal scrapers with plastic, and it was apparent that the polymer clay was sticking to or scraping against the plastic. The friction from this plastic on plastic is causing the surface marring at #1 and the rippling at #4 and beyond. HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, not everyone that has been using the new machine has experienced the same issues as I have. BUT some others have.

I contacted Walnut Hollow regarding the error and regarding the issues with the clay, and they once again sent FedEx to pick up the machine. They also sent me a technical sheet regarding use of the machine. The thing to note is this. Makin’s clearly states, “The Ultimate Clay Machine™ works best with Makin’s ® Clay. Results may vary if machine is used with brands of clay other than Makin’s Clay. Because we have no control over the manufacturing and distribution process of clays other than the Makin’s ® brand (including but not limited to ingredients; formula; nor storage, shipping or handling methods), we cannot guarantee the quality or consistency of results you may experience using the machine with other clay brands. Your results may vary depending on brand of clay used. The information on this technical sheet is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed.“

The net of it? Well, my old Atlas was abused through some very rough handling by the USPS when I sent it to and from my vacation spot. I was hoping to replace it with the Makin’s machine, but given my experience with 2 poor designs, I’m going back to the Atlas. The Atlas 180 has the wider (7″) rolling surface and 9 thickness settings. All it doesn’t have is the non-stick rollers. Given that Makin’s is suggesting the use of cornstarch, deli sheets or waxed paper in case of sticking when rolling thin sheets–the things we do with the regular steel rollers without a non-stick coating–and given that the prices of the Atlas 180 and the Makin’s machines are relatively the same, there is no advantage, and some risk, in purchasing the Makin’s machine for use with anything other than Makin’s Clay.

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Books have been my main source of instruction and inspiration for polymer clay. I learn well from many forms of instruction, and books give me the opportunity to try things at my own pace–without distraction.

There have been many books published on polymer clay (I’ll be writing about some of them through this blog), and while most have something positive to offer, there are a few stand-out publications. “Polymer Clay: Creative Traditions” by Judy Belcher is one of these stand-outs.

You’ve probably seen Judy on HGTV’s Carol Duvall Show. She’s an incredibly talented artist with an eye for color and style. With this book, she applies her unique style and techniques used in other art forms (other creative traditions, as the book is titled) to polymer clay:

• Glass: Lampwork, mosaics, fused/slumped glass
• Metal: Mokume gane, enameling
• Fiber: Ikat fabric, Bargello, Kente cloth, mudcloth, batik, quilting
• Painting/Drawing Styles: Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustav Klimt, M.C. Escher, Georges Seurat, Jackson Pollock
• Stone, Bone and Wood: Chatoyant stone techniques, bone simulations, wood simulations, intarsia
• Sculpture and Ceramics: Sculpture, Ceramics (e.g. Raku), printed decoration

There are 21 technique demonstrations that range in difficulty from “beginner” to “intermediate” clay skills. My favorite is the two-color testellation, which Judy also demonstrated on a Carol Duvall Show appearance. The demos are filled with step-by-step color photographs–a must for the more advanced techniques. The book is filled with examples of both the original art form as well as clay pieces that mimic or adapt the original technique.

What sets this book apart? It is both inspirational, with a huge gallery of beautiful art in each section, as well as instructional, with detailed instructions and photographs of each piece. While there are gallery items for each technique demonstration, the focus is on understanding the technique and how it can be applied–not on creating a specific project. This may turn some beginning clayers off, but what I like about this approach is that it gives you ideas to use within your own artwork–a jumping ON point for you to enable new design techniques to energize you and spur your creativity. This book is eye candy, it’s fuel for the creative soul, and it’s one that I have read over and over, each time gaining some new insight to infuse into my work.