Author: Katie Oskin

Meg Newberg and Her Awesome Canes

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Meg Newberg Polymer Clay Star Cane Free Tutorial on KatersAcres Blog

There’s something I really admire about other polymer clay artists: canes.  Why? Because I can do simple canes, but complex canes that take time, perfection, & patience … they are just NOT for me!  So when I make friends in the polymer clay community, I like to tell the world about it.  Though I have never personally met Meg Newberg, I can say that she is a wonderful young woman with a heart of gold.  One of the things I greatly admire about her and her talent (not to mention those gorgeous canes) is how she makes even the most complex canes, simple. Continue reading Meg Newberg and Her Awesome Canes

Build Your Brand Effectively Through FaceBook

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Get FaceBook Promotions to Work for Your Brand on Etsy

Does FaceBook confuse you? Are you wondering why so few people are seeing your posts? Here’s a few quick tips to help you learn how to leverage Facebook and use it to Build Your Brand.  See what’s holding you back and how to get FaceBook promotions to work for you and boost your edge rank on FaceBook. Continue reading Build Your Brand Effectively Through FaceBook

Polymer Clay Storage Options

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Kater's Acres Polymer Clay Studio - Library Card Catalog Storage

Polymer Clay Storage Solutions by KatersAcresPolymer Clay Storage Options

Polymer Clay BlocksI have received so many questions from you, my readers, asking me about polymer clay storage options.  Previously I had written about some polymer clay storage options, that focused on floss boxes; many of you have asked for more details, pros/cons, where and what to buy.  There is a wide variety of polymer clay storage options available to the crafter, professional, or home studio clay artist.  The reality is that absolutely everyone stores their clay differently.  Everyone has a system that works for them.  Just because a system works well for one clayer does not mean that it will work well for another clayer.  Let’s see what options are available to the home studio clayer. Continue reading Polymer Clay Storage Options

Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Polymer Clay Turtle Tutorial

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Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Polymer Clay Turtle Tutorial

YAY! It’s Friesen Friday!

Another Friday is here and do you know what that means? It means it’s time to party, Christi Friesen style!  As I mentioned last week, this is one of my top 3 favorite of Christi’s books.  So let’s not wait any longer shall we? Let’s dive Under the Sea and let’s do a polymer clay turtle tutorial … shall we?!

As with all the tutorials in the Friesen Project, please remember that these tutorials are done in an abbreviated format, with Christi Friesen’s expressed permission.  These tutorials are written and designed to be used in conjunction with the Beyond Sculptures Book 3, Under the Sea.
Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Polymer Clay Turtle Tutorial by KatersAcres
Continue reading Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Polymer Clay Turtle Tutorial

Polymer Clay Projects – Natasha Beaded Keychain

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Natasha Beaded Keychain Polymer Clay Projects Tutorial by KatersAcres

Polymer Clay Projects Requested

I love it when my fans & readers have specific polymer clay projects in mind.  I have had several requests lately for a fun beaded project tutorial.  As many of you know I’m not really a jewelry person, not because I don’t like it, because I most certainly do, but rather because I’m not a person that tends to “accessorize.”  I wear a wedding ring & my earrings and that’s it.  Sometimes you’ll catch me wearing a watch, but other than that … nadá.  So while I love to make beads, since I don’t wear jewelry (or sell it in my Etsy shop), I’m never sure what to do with the beads.  So for those of you who are like me, here’s a really fun handmade Natasha Bead Keychain.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Continue reading Polymer Clay Projects – Natasha Beaded Keychain

Christi Friesen’s Book 3 Under the Sea Book Review

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Friesen Fridays - Book 3 Under the Sea Review

 YAY! It’s Friesen Friday and in honor of that … it’s party time! Not just any party mind you … an underwater, under the sea party!

Polymer Clay Princess, Christi FriesenAs with every Friday, we’re about to talk about Christi Friesen again … I wonder if after 52 weeks she’s going to get tired of us talking about her every week.  Maybe she’ll stop by and let us know how she feels about this.

I’m really excited about this month.  Why? Because I absolutely LOVE this book and every single project in it.  Of course, I love the ocean, sea, and everything in it … especially when it’s for dinner.  Mmmm!

I’ve received some emails lately from several people in the group that feel that they are not “qualified” to work with polymer clay.  Qualified, what do you mean, you’re not qualified?  All you MUST have to do these projects are a hunk of polymer clay, your hands, & Christi’s Book.  Please remember that the ideas, exploration, and tutorials behind the Friesen Project are to get you out of your current element!  It’s to get YOU claying again.  Maybe you’ll learn a new technique or find something you really love!

PLEASE REMEMBER: If you have not yet signed up to receive the polymer clay & Friesen Project emails, please do so now.  This will ensure that no matter what you are doing, you never miss anything! Now let’s go diving … UNDER THE SEA!

Continue reading Christi Friesen’s Book 3 Under the Sea Book Review

Remove “Clay Muck” from Your Sheets and Blends

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Spot Free Polymer Clay Tips https://katersacres.com

For the past few weeks I have offered you mini-tutorials on Tuesdays.  This week I’m going to share some polymer clay tips with you!  If fact, today’s polymer clay tip’s one that I use every single day in my studio. Undoubtedly you’ve also struggled with this: it’s how to get those clay “smudges” off your blended sheets.

It does not matter how much I have cleaned my pasta machine, inevitably I end up with smears, marks, and other “random” colors of clay from previous projects on my slab of clay. Yuck. I hate it when this happens … sadly it happens to me every time I clay.  Now, the point could be argued that I have no idea what I am doing. This could be true, however, I would argue that one.

Polymer Clay Tips: Preventing Clay Muck

Here’s the more likely scenario … It just happens!  And I’m sure it’s happened to you.  It happens to me often because I don’t let any clay go to waste.  I even use that old, “unusable” hard clay!  This being said … my clay slabs that I roll through my pasta machine, often have “clay muck” (this is my term for unwanted clay “bits” that get into my clay and make me go “yuck”).  Those hard little tiny bits that get “stuck” in my rollers seem to “break loose” right when I don’t want to see them.  And I’ll be honest, it happens a lot.

When that happens there’s no need to fear.  Here’s a few quick & easy tips to prevent this from happening.

  1. Clean your pasta machine rollers between colors.
  2. Always condition clay from lightest to darkest and not the other way around.
  3. Keep a hunk of “scrap clay” to run through the machine in between colors to pick up those clay bits and streaks.
  4. Make sure your clay isn’t too soft!

How to Remove “Clay Muck” from Your Sheet

Achieving Spot Free Polymer Clay Steps on KatersAcres Polymer Clay Blog https://katersacres.com

Here’s some help for those times that the clay still ends up getting onto your light colored blend (of course)….

  1. Don’t panic and see where those bits are.
  2. Grab a sculpting tool with a spoon thing on the end (yes, “spoon thing” is a technical term…).
  3. Lightly “shave” the color bits off your clay.
  4. You should have dent marks in the clay, but no more bits of color.
  5. Continue to fully condition through the pasta machine.

OH! And in case you are wondering, the sheet pictured at left is the same sheet in the “clay muck” photos, just fully conditioned Premo polymer clay with all that “clay muck” removed…ready to be made into a Parker!

Sculpting Blessings,

KatieSignature

Polymer Clay Frog Tutorial – Friesen Friday Book 2, Week 4

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How to Make a Polymer Clay Frog Tutorial by @KatersAcres on https://katersacres.com

Well, this is the final week in our Jungle Book … I have really enjoyed this book, especially this week’s tutorial!  I had so much fun making Señor Froggy and I can’t wait to share him with you!  

And now, without any further ado, let’s get started with this polymer clay frog tutorial.

Continue reading Polymer Clay Frog Tutorial – Friesen Friday Book 2, Week 4

How to Spruce Up the SEO in Your Etsy Shop

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Etsy Shop Makeover - Etsy SEO on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.com

 Today it is my awesome joy to have another guest blogger join me.  I met Patricia over two years ago and instantly she was a person that I knew I’d love: smart, helpful, kind, joyous, willing to help, and a supremely hard worker.  Patricia runs an extremely successful Etsy shop, DellCoveSpices, and has just leased a fabulous corner store in Chicago (you go girl!). Without any further ado, Patricia is going to help us to all understand how vital SEO is for your Etsy store, Google and more! Patricia … let’s Etsy SEO today, shall we?!

Continue reading How to Spruce Up the SEO in Your Etsy Shop

Bugs, Hearts, & Pendants – A Friesen Friday Polymer Clay Tutorial

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How to Add Leaves to Your Heart Christi Friesen Style by KatersAcres https://katersacres.com

The Friesen Project - Book 2 "JUNGLE" Tutorial for Bug & Heart by KatersAcres https://katersacres.com

POLYMER CLAY TUTORIAL

Parker's Ideal World with The Friesen Project - Book 2 "JUNGLE" Tutorial for Bug & Heart by KatersAcres https://katersacres.comFirst, I must begin by saying that there are few things in this world that I hate more than bugs. This being said, I find bugs gross … they give me to heebie-jeebies! Because of this you will see that my take on bugs is nothing like Christi’s take on bugs (more on that next week) … but because I love each of you who are working diligently through Christi’s books, I too made an ugly bug *sigh* … but please know that there will not be another.  You can make lots of ugly bugs, but I will leave it at this one (who will be given away soon an a semi-devious plot, read on for details).

In fact, in my ideal world, bugs would be cute and cuddly, just like Parker.

But that’s enough of my bug-o-phobia … how about we get started on our hearts & bug for another awesome Friesen Friday filled with polymer clay tutorials?

Continue reading Bugs, Hearts, & Pendants – A Friesen Friday Polymer Clay Tutorial

The Art of Pricing Your Handmade Items for Etsy

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Etsy Shop Makeover Series - The Art of Pricing on the Build Your Brand Series at KatersAcres https://katersacres.com

 By Leah Fisch

If you are an artist trying to make a side or full income by selling your craft, there is another art you will first have to master and that is the art of pricing. If you analyze the trend any skilled trade you will undoubtedly notice a pattern. The more experienced the trades-person becomes in their craft, and the more skilled their work, they more they get paid.

Are YOU the artist any different? Surely you have invested your heart and soul, along with hours crafting and learning in order to be where you are today.

Continue reading The Art of Pricing Your Handmade Items for Etsy

How to Make a Multi-Dimensional Texture Plate from Polymer Clay

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How to Make a MultiDimensional Texture Plate from Polymer Clay by KatersAcres https://katersacres.com

Multi-Dimensional Polymer Clay Texture Plates

Today’s tutorial is brought to you in video form. The video begins with an explanation of all the materials that you will need to complete your polymer clay texture plate.  After the presentation of materials, you will see the entire process of creating a texture plate in fast motion with embedded instructions.

Continue reading How to Make a Multi-Dimensional Texture Plate from Polymer Clay

Book 2: Welcome to the Jungle, Leaf Style

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Book 2: Jungle - Polymer Clay Leaf Tutorial

Book 2: Jungle - Polymer Clay Leaf Tutorial

Polymer Clay Leaf Tutorial

Well it’s here again, it’s Friesen Friday! Oh yeah!  In case you missed it, make sure that you read the Overview for the Book 2 Tutorials for the month.

I don’t know about you, but I really like this “Welcome to the Jungle” Book. One of the reasons I like this book so much, is that it gives a lot of basic information for things that we can use our projects later on.  Christie is quick to provide us not only with a wealth of information, but really awesome techniques that are simple easy to apply and yet look realistic and organic in their own way.  So what do you think? I think we should start talking about leaves … shall we begin?

Continue reading Book 2: Welcome to the Jungle, Leaf Style

DIY Simple Buttons Polymer Clay Tutorial

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Make Your Own Polymer Clay Buttons

Owl Button Worksheet by KatersAcres

It’s a do-it-yourself world out there and crafters around the globe are finding better, simpler ways to make things themselves.  From recipes, baked goods, clothing, jewelry, and so much more.  Tuesdays are usually devoted to a polymer clay tip, something that will help you clay better.  I was asked to do a tutorial on how to make buttons.  This is a beginner’s tutorial for simple buttons.  You can use the knowledge you already have in your polymer clay technique repertoire to build on these simple buttons.

Continue reading DIY Simple Buttons Polymer Clay Tutorial

Christi Friesen’s Beyond Projects Sculpture Series – Book 2, Welcome to the Jungle

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Friesen Fridays - Book 2 JUNGLE Overview & Monthly Plan on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.com

Friesen Fridays - Book 2 JUNGLE Overview & Monthly Plan on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.com

CF Sculpture Series Book 2:

Welcome to the Jungle

YAY! It’s Friesen Friday!

Jungle Book CoverDo you know what this means?  This means we’re about to talk about Christi Friesen once again.  Oh how I love to talk of Christi Friesen, Christi Friesen books, and her awesome style!  Ok, well we’re not really going to talk about her….but we are definitely going to talk about her next book in the Beyond Sculpture series: “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Do you ever feel like you live in the Jungle?  Sometimes I feel like this … especially yesterday when I found and had to squish 3 stink bugs (gross).  Life can often be a jungle … but have you ever noticed that things that are healthy and strong come from a jungle?  The ideas, exploration, and tutorials behind the Friesen Project are to get you out of your current element, learn a new technique, and to take a transformative journey into the polymer clay world. For many artists, they have yet to embrace the idea of combined elements and mixed media that can be used to enhance our designs.

PLEASE REMEMBER: If you have not yet signed up to receive the polymer clay & Friesen Project emails, please do so now.  This will ensure that no matter what you are doing, you never miss anything!  Now … let’s get JUNGLE-FIED!

Continue reading Christi Friesen’s Beyond Projects Sculpture Series – Book 2, Welcome to the Jungle