Stricter Guidelines ( for me )

Hi !

So this past month has been lots of fun , coming up with ideas , playing with clay, trying to create something out of my own imagination, it has been a fun month.
This PC challenge has led me to discover something for myself : I get bored easily.
No,  no I am not bored with polymer clay just yet.I am still quite addicted to it , however I have a tendency of abandoning hobbies , sometimes I take a break , sometimes I let the hobby go altogether.Not an altogether healthy habit.

When I joined this challenge , my main reasons to do so were this 1.To learn , 2.To interact with other PC artists , 3.To develop skills to stick to the plan.

I have completed a few weeks now , and I can see the tell tale signs of fatigue mixed with boredom coming in. This the deadly combo that does me in , every time.

I had a kept a theme of doing PC projects, having companions or pairs ,to grow my discipline and to improve my technique & finish. While I can confidently say this has helped me , I have realized I need stricter guide lines.
So I am modifying my guidelines.I have decided to go with a theme every month. And to keep to this theme and improve my technique and finish in the mean while.

This theme is flexible , meaning it can be a color combination or a technique or a source of inspiration etc.Hopefully by the time I am done with 8 projects of that theme , I have achieved my goals of learning , interacting and discipline.

Thanks for reading !

Week 8 : Polymer Clay Challenge : Flowers in the jungle : Bangle and cuff

Hi !

This post is dedicated to my mother , the lover of flowers , the person responsible for me looking at everything in a different way. She taught me beauty is everywhere , and just because others may not always see it, it does not make its existence invalid.

I finally made something tangible with my pasta machine :) Yaaay ! I am so happy. This simple machine has reduced my work by more than half  and I was finally able to make some Skinner blends.
The jungle leaves were my second attempt , the orange petals my third and the pink petals my fourth.It was fun to make and I love wearing them. They looked perfect to me when it was fresh , but now that I have sanded and tried to buff the inside as much as possible , I can certainly see the areas where I must improve.

So here they are , entry for week 8 for the polymer clay challenge.The primary piece and companion piece are photographed together. The bangle is the primary piece and the cuff is the companion piece.

Thankd for reading :) Have a good day !

New toys and Skinner blends !

Yaaay !
 I finally got my pasta machine and I am soooo happy that I bought it .Frankly,I did not think it was a requirement at all as I was quite happy with my rollers.The pasta machine has definitely reduced the physical effort I needed to soften and  condition my clay.I  am finally getting sheets of even thickness , without wayward angles ( as long as I am careful of course ! ) which has really helped me with making my bangles more even , requiring much less sanding from me.

I also bought a silicon covered roller , but it hasn't matched up to my expectations yet.
I got a replacement Makins extruer as well , mine had broken down a few weeks back.This was bad as I needed them to make the base for my bangles and cuffs.I also use the extruder for reducing a lot of my canes. Did I mention I love making retro canes ?

One of the greatest gifts my pasta maker gave me is the ability to make Skinner blends.I have made them before,using regular rollers.A very labour intensive process , with no assured returns. I mean It was exhausting , and I never did get around to doing anything very satisfying with it as the quantities I made were very less.
The pasta machine has finally changed that. I am able to finally make blended canes ! I haven't yet learned the best color combinations out there , so that's something I have to work on.

Here is my first Skinner blend with the pasta machine :)

Thanks for reading , have  a great day !

Week 1 : Polymer Clay Challenge : Back to back entry !

Hi !

 I entered the #2015PCChallenge quite late , as in the 5 th week. This leaves me for 4 weeks to catch up on.
I had a few completed pieces , but I don't think its fair to enter those , as most had been completed before January.I did not want to come up with brand new pieces either , because my competency level has certainly increased during this month , thanks to the challenge. While this is an excellent change , it does not show progression correctly.

What I have done is , I have a stash of half completed projects, components that needed sanding and buffing and trial canes. My plan for the back to back is to bring some life into them.


These were very first complex canes I made.I still remember how happy I was to be progressing from bulls eye canes and jelly rolls :) .

So Week 1 : Kaleidoscopic floral earrings : Primary piece

Week 1 : Kaleidoscopic Cell earrings : Companion piece 

I could not really bring out the translucency of these canes even after a lot of sanding. I think I might have to get a Dremel soon !

So what I did it was this :

1. I provided a thicker base. ( important learning bit for me  : make the base before hand instead ) 

2.Attached the stud base

3.Sanded from 320 grit to 1500. ( lost a few finger tips)

4.Buffed manually

5.Drilled using a drill vise

6.Made the jump rings

7.Put it together

I can see all the flaws , the finger print I cant sand away because it is in a groove , the browning in one of the studs , uneven application of cane slices.Even then I am happy , because all those flaws have taught me.

Thanks for reading. :)

Comments are always welcome !

Week 7 : Polymer Clay Challenge : Dragon Cuff & Bangle

Hi !

I am presenting both original and companion piece together : My dragon cuff ( primary) and my dragon bangle ( companion)

This is a bit of miracle as far as I am concerned , you see this is a floral bangle that got burned. I had somehow turned the temp knob up and I did not notice it. My nose isn't too functional ( myriad allergies) so I did not smell it out.When I happily went after an hour, opened the oven and saw it spewing out the toxic smoke , my heart was broken.I mechanically went through the crazing process, that's what dunking it in ice cold water is called, and waited for the smell to go away.

After a few sad hours I went back to the bangle / bracelet and I looked at them. Strangely , I liked it. I wore it for a few hours, then my husband came back from office and was all " whoa , that's a cool dragon bracelet ! " I was a happy girl.

I am also a lazy girl , I hate sanding.So this was lying around for a few weeks now and I found it a while back and I tried to fix it :) I love the end result !

Thanks for reading :)

Week 6 : Polymer Clay challenge : Rustic sky bracelet

Hi !

So I think my challenge is spanning out to have 2 separate but co-related pieces.I did not plan it , but I like the idea of companion pieces , keeping each other company :)

So this is my companion piece for the rustic orchid necklace.Yup , that's the name I came up with.

I had a small blue based cane lying round which I further compacted and then put it on the round beads.

A note , easier to drill before painting the rustic beads.
Thats all for now :)
Have a great day!

Week 6 : Rustic style necklace

Hi !

This challenge is turning out to be real fun.I have an excuse to sit and play with clay all the time now , and this makes me a happy girl.

This is what I have for week 6 : A purple and yellow rustic style necklace , inspired by the Rustic beads tutorial from the blue bottle tree. I am lousy at naming my creations , have to somehow learn how to do that.

This is just the first one , making a few more companion pieces as usual.Shall post them soon.

Thanks for reading :)
Have a great day!

Week 5 : Polymer clay challenge

Hi !

I am finally done with my companion bangle.It was done yesterday, but it was dark by the time I got done , so I couldnt take any photos till today.

And Tada ! Here it is : Rustic cuff in dusky rose ( I am going to work on naming them ).

I am happier with this than the blue snaky one.

Thanks for your feedback, and have a great day!

Week 5 : Polymer Clay Challenge 2015

Hi !

Here I am with my first post for the #2015PCchallenge. Hopefully , this challenge is not only going to help me push my creative boundaries , but also teach me some discipline !

I jump started directly on to the week 5 , but this is my first submission.

I had started with 2 bracelet / cuffs last week before entering the contest , I was able to complete one for this challenge.

As usual, all I can see are glaring mistakes and lack of finishing. While these are a pretty good improvement over my very first trials ( you can see the disastrous earrings in the first few entries) , their finish still leave a lot to be desired.

It was very difficult to sand the little bumps.I completely changed the shape of most them trying to get the original colour back. The tiny snakes and bumps were linty and I was lost quite lost trying to clean them up.

If anyone interested in polymer clay is reading,this I would appreciate it if you could share the way you clean out and sand tiny crevices in your polymer clay projects.

There is a partner bangle to this blue fellow , I am trying to clean up that one without distorting the original form. I shall try to put my final version soon .

Thank you for reading.I appreciate comments and feedback. :)

Have a good day!

A new beginning : Polymer clay challenge 2015 - Katersacres

I believe I am one of those people who always start , not one of those who always complete.I start out with a good (doable) idea , then either find out it doesn't work , or I unknowingly wander from my path.Meaning I hardly ever end up with what my head actually cooked up.

I am also a last minuter ,I literally cannot do anything unless I am almost at the end of the time allotted to me.This  is not a very helpful habit ( as my mother reminds me often )  , however this is somehow the way I am wired.

I have been seeing challenges , polymer clay challenges ,bead exchanges ( I don't even know what that is ) and I wanted to take part ,if only to at least learn some discipline.I also work better when some guidelines are provided ( thinking out of the box generally meant I wasn't even around the box by the time I was done).Guidelines and timelines keep me from going haywire , because I am also unaccountably punctual if there is a chance of inconveniencing  anybody else with my tardiness.

Sooooo, I am taking part in the Polymer Clay Challenge 2015 by Katers Acres :)

I will make and post pictures of at least one project every week.

I shall be aspiring to make wearable pieces.