New Kater’s Acres Studio

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Kater’s Acres New 2023 Studio Redo

At the very beginning of 2023, I challenged my sculpting group to come up with a big-ticket item on their to-do list and just conquer it, straight away in the new year. This big-ticket item doesn’t have to be cost related, but it does have to be big in terms of time spent or given to something. So … my big-ticket item? I needed a new Kater’s Acres studio and fast. My current studio and office set-up wasn’t suiting my needs anymore. Not only had I outgrown the space, but most importantly, it wasn’t bringing me any joy. So after speaking with my husband, we decided that on Jan. 1st, 2023 we would tackle this big-ticket item.

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Into the Forest Submission by KatersAcres

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Into the Forest Submission by Katie Oskin

Into the Forest is an international collaboration of polymer artists and enthusiasts. It is inspired by the high altitude aspen groves in the Rocky Mountains. This project, Into the Forest is an evolving mixed media international installation from Laura Tabakman, Emily Squires Levine and Julie Eakes. The idea was to bring together as many polymer artisans as possible in a wide variety of ways. We were to imagine ourselves in a forest. See it in your mind: On the ground beneath a canopy of branches and leaves, unexpected life exists. We were asked to create pieces which will form its life elements. We will combine them into living colonies of varying shapes, colors and sizes. Here’s a look at what I created for Into the Forest.

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The Year of Discovery’s Studio Clearance Sale!

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The Year of Discovery at KatersAcres

Have you ever sat back and wondered if you or your art is going in the right direction? Ever stopped and wondered if you are being true to your inner most self? This past fall as I spent over 30 days (on two separate occasions) hospitalized and I had a few of those inward moments. I spent a lot of time thinking about my sculpting and my art. Was my art true to myself? I had those thoughts and moments of self doubt. Was being true to my heart song? So as 2016 gave way to 2017, I knew the course was going to change, it was inevitable … 2017 was going to be a year of Discovery. My art was going to change, because I was changing. Continue reading The Year of Discovery’s Studio Clearance Sale!

Duality – The Concept & The Challenge

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Duality by KatersAcres

For most of us, we are a Duality: Happy and sad. Sick and Well. Good and bad. Right and wrong. Rich and Poor.

For many of us there is one side that shows more than the other. Today we will see both of those sides, look at them, see what they show, what they mean … and even discover whether they can work together in your clay work, or not.

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Mobile Office Solution

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Mobile Office Solutions for Small Business

Girl Boss? Try this mobile office solution! I used to take 4 trips from my office to the dining room table, just to tote all my stuff: planner, computer, iPad, iPhone… Inevitably I would sit down to work and realize I didn’t have my favorite fountain pen … so back to my desk I’d go. Okay, I have my pen … two minutes later, I recognized I didn’t have my notebook. So back to my desk I’d go and this would repeat itself several times throughout the morning. Does this sound familiar? Well … thanks to my friend Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree, she helped me solve my problem with this mobile office solution. Continue reading Mobile Office Solution

Faux Jade Polymer Clay Color Recipe

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Polymer Clay Color Recipe for Faux Jade

 

Then it Came to Me … Faux Jade

Old Man 2D Face Sculpture in Polymer Clay by KatersAcresYesterday I shared with you what I had been working on in my studio. One of those things was an “Old Man Face” for a challenge for a FaceBook group I participate in. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with this Old Man yet, so I let him sit (for about a week) and kept staring at him while I worked.  Finally I started asking in FaceBook Groups what people thought I should do with him. Overwhelmingly, many people thought he looked rather Asian … that was not my intent, but okay. I decided to run with it!

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My New Polymer Clay Journal

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Polymer Clay Journal by KatersAcres

 

No, it’s not WIP Wednesday … Yes, this could have waited … but I’m just so excited to share it with you all!

Not What I Expected, But …

Have you ever made something that turned out really well despite the fact that as you were making it you kept thinking, “something is clearly wrong here?” Well … rarely does that happen to me. Let me clarify, if while I’m making something I keep thinking, “this doesn’t look right” then by the time it’s done it still doesn’t look right and it ends up waiting for more inspiration …

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Don’t Buy New, Reclaim Something Awesome

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Making the Most of Your Polymer Clay Studio | Brought to You by The Blue Bottle Tree & Kater's Acres

Ginger Davis Allman of the Blue Bottle TreeKatie of KatersAcres Polymer Clay StudiosToday’s the day, the final edition of “Making the Most of Your Polymer Clay Studio.”  This past month myself and Ginger from The Blue Bottle Tree have brought you a collaborative series of posts. I hope you have enjoyed them so far.  In case you missed one, I’ve put the links to them below so you can check them out.

Today’s article is by Ginger. To accompany hers, I will write my own today and I will tell you how and where you can reclaim, repurpose, thrift, & find some bargains that you can turn into useable & functional items in your polymer clay studio. READ THE ARTICLE NOW.

Follow the Series

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WIP Wednesday: Puppy Pill Box by KatersAcres

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Puppy Pill Box by KatersAcres

 Puppy Pill Box – For The Traveling Dog

KatersAcres dog, Daisy.Sometimes (okay, at least twice a month) my husband and I find ourselves away from home. We always have our own meds and a way to travel with them, but since my beloved pooch has developed arthritic hips, she is now on medication too. But not just any medication, but meds that need to be cut in half for her.  Carrying around this big thing of pills for the pooch was not my idea of fun. So last week, as we traveled to see my Mom, I thought “Why not make a pill box for my dog?”

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52 Weekly Canes Update: Stroppel Cane

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Stroppel Cane by KatersAcres

Week 5: Stroppel Cane

52 Weekly Cane Projects FaceBook Group

Week 5 has come & gone and once again, we had two great tutorials to make & try. I have only been doing one of the two tutorials a week due to my time restrictions. But this week was one of my favorite canes, the Stroppel Cane. The second cane for this week was Ronit Golan’s Scrap Cane which I did not do because I used my scrap for Scrappy Heart Pins, Pens, & more. Continue reading 52 Weekly Canes Update: Stroppel Cane

52 Weeks of Canes: Basket Weave Cane by KatersAcres

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52 Weekly Cane Projects FaceBook Group

Millefiori Basketweave Cane

Polymer Clay Millefioiri Cane - BasketWeave by KatersAcres

52 Weeks of Canes

I’m really enjoying the process of learning to make canes. In fact, where I used to be scared of anything that wasn’t a leaf cane or flower petal cane, I can now say that I thoroughly enjoy making my canes! Much of that is thanks to this year long project team that has continued to push me to make a new cane every week. Continue reading 52 Weeks of Canes: Basket Weave Cane by KatersAcres