New Polymer Clay Tutorials Promise to Solve Bead Making Challenges
Having Problems With Making Beads? The Polymer Clay Tutor Can Help:
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If you didn’t already know, I published a post just a few days ago asking for all of you to let me know what your biggest challenges are with polymer clay and bead making. Well there was a flood of responses… 126 so far as I write this. Thanks so much for all your fantastic comments!! The feedback really helps me to put together future videos and tutorials that I know are going to be most useful for YOU!
Here’s a link to that “survey post” if you have not read it yet: Polymer Clay Color Recipe Cards [be sure to check out the free giveaway offer over there… everyone wins].
Since there were so many comments, I am not able to respond to everyone individually as I normally do in other posts. Instead, I’m going to create a series of follow-up articles to address everything. I’ll start off by creating a list of bullets of the main problem areas that you all have identified:
Time to experiment and learnOverwhelm… don’t know where to startLack of confidence and fear of mistakesOrganization and lack of workspaceColor mixing… tons of you had this problemCoordinating colorsHands too warm and clay gets stickyProblems slicing canes thin and evenOver mixing marbled claysMaking muddy colorsHow to use liquid claySanding, buffing and polishingReducing clay canesHow to make jewelry with the beadsPutting holes in beads that line upMinimizing distortion of the beads when piercing themFlower canes distorting, petals square up or twistComplex canes, losing details and colors visually blendingSkinner blend problems
Making Skinner blends without a pasta machineArthritis and wrist painUniformity, same sized beadsMoney for suppliesEnd product not professional enoughBooks and info out there missing critical stepsCleaning a pasta machinePhoto image transfer problemsBaking Problems, burning, cracking, bubblesWanting things to look perfect right awayProducts not available in every countryWhich adhesives to use for whatBead shapes that look good in jewelry Rolling round beadsProblems finishing projectsFriends and family don’t understand the addictionMica Shift technique eludes manyLentil beads bulgingSanding small beadsRemoving seams with roller without distortionKaleidoscope canesSculpting people and animalsFinding the suppliesUsing a rock tumbler to polish beadsSketching cane ideasMokume Gane techniqueMaking heart shaped beads and pendantsMaking designs that are actually wearable with your clothesUsing up too much clay in big canesCanes look good big, but bad when reducedToo much wasted clayWhat to do with scrap clayWhich brands of clay to use for whatHow to make earring and necklace connections with wireHow long to bake different sized beadsAlternatives to the commercial bead rackMaking larger pieces stable and durableFace canes that aren’t distortedSourcing pasta machinesGetting the look of matte finished glassApplying color to polymer clay with paints and powdersMaking canes that will reduce to nail art sizeRose canes that look like rosesHow to make focal beadsHow to attach findings to beads and pendantsMaking pendantsUsing pigment powdersFinding the right sandpaperMaking bead caps and bails with polymer clayAnd last but not least, several of you said, “Everything is a challenge!” :-) Did I get everything? If you feel I missed or misinterpreted something, let me know below in the comments section.
By the way, many of the topics listed above have been addressed in articles that I’ve already published here at the blog. If you want some tips on how to quickly find answers to some of your questions and problems, here’s a good place to start: How To Polymer Clay Info Links
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Cindy,
How do you make square edges really square? Mine are always pretty bad when I’m through with them.
Great Website!
Veronica
Thanks Veronica! There are a couple of ways to get ‘really square’ edges on your beads. First is to try and press the edges square with a flat sheet of acrylic, a smooth tile or a piece of thick glass. Another way, is to sand them square after they are baked, with a piece of 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper or a 200 grit drywall mesh, or even a power sander. Doing both methods, will make for really square beads. Hope that helps.
Thank you.
I have arthritis in both of my hands and wrists and have recently bought a motor to help condition my clay. Right now I have Kato Clay which, I have discovered, is one of the hardest to work with, but I have so much of it I don’t want to buy new product until I have used up my current stash. Does anyone have tips for exercises or tips that would help keep my hands from getting too tired when I’m working with clay?
@Kathy Bloom: That is a pretty common problem for many clayers, Kathy. In fact there are several polymer clay artists on this site who have Arthritis, so there have been several articles and comments made in regards to hand mobility issues. I’ve linked to one of them by my name above.
Now the best way to get answers to your questions about Arthritis and Conditioning clay… in case you did not know, there is a search box at the top of the page that is really helpful in being able to find quick answers to many of your polymer clay questions. Most topics have been discussed multiple times amongst the community members here. Be sure to scan through the comments below each of the articles for tons of helpful advice. And when you come across a particularly long comment thread, the “CTRL-F” feature in your web browser is very useful for easily jumping to specific keywords on the page.
By following this advice, you can usually find some valuable feedback quite quickly. But if not, just post another comment and someone will respond as soon as possible.
I will hug him Pamela! He is working so hard to get everything ready for everyone. He is behind the scenes and doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I am very grateful for Doug. Thanks for noticing!
I do declare!!! I think you got it absolutely right!!!!
I am so excited and can’t wait for all the new goodies coming our way!!!
Take a few moments and give your hubby a great big ole hug for all the work he does for helping you and us….like staying home from the bead show and working on the tutorials….what a guy….:0)
Pamela