Do you ever know you need to get something done and you just can’t motivate yourself to do it? Well that’s me with this lovely gallery. You see I asked all my #2020PCChallege group members on FaceBook to please make sure if they had a blog to get their posts done and live so we could follow each others work and announce our projects to the world. And … I hadn’t even written my own yet. *Sigh* Major fail on my part. How does life get so busy anyway? Before I go on and on about how busy life is and how full I can cram things into a day, let me remind you a little bit about the project.
The 2020 Polymer Clay Challenge will begin shortly, can you believe it? I can’t. I can’t believe that I’m about to close the books on 2019 and start an entirely new year once again! So it’s onward with this years new challenge that opens on January 1st, 2020! Last year’s 2019 Polymer Clay Challenge was a success for everyone who tried to complete the entire year. It was highlighted by the wonderful weekly posts of Cynthia Gougian [read one of them here]. We were so fortunate to have her and even more fortunate to have her return and write for us this year.
This past year more people were able to successfully able to complete all 52 weeks of the challenge. I am so proud of everyone who participated and was able to do this successfully. Again, for the second year in a row, I was not one of them that was able to complete the challenge. As I encourage EACH of those that participate every year, do not beat yourself up if you can not complete the entire year. Remember the goal of this project is that you continue to grow and that by the end of the year you find yourself being more creative, working harder toward your goals and most importantly seeing your work get better and better with each passing year.
The purpose of this project is to make sure that each polymer artist is pushing on and creating, growing in their creativity and their voice. As usual, I will attempt again in 2020 to complete the challenge. And if you didn’t get to complete it, barely got started, or just stumbled upon this post today. Now’s your chance to come and join us this upcoming year!
The CF Rainbow Tree is back once again! This year we’re onto another donation adventure. Although the pandemic has changed hospital life and policy, we are still able to go forward with this project. So … I’m in need of your help and your polymer clay Christmas ornament donations. Can you make polymer clay Christmas Ornaments? Are you willing to help? I’m calling on you; that’s right you. I’m calling on all clayers worldwide! I need your help decorating a Christmas tree for Cystic Fibrosis patients again this year. Please see the information below for details on making your clay Christmas ornament donation.
I stumbled upon Shirley’s Studio on Instagram several years ago. I fell in love with her whimsical art dolls, their expressions, and their elaborate costuming. Today, I’d like to share her work and her love of working with polymer clay and doll making with each of you.
Carousel Stained Glass Window by my Mom, Diane Dillon
In some of my YouTube videos (or here on the blog) you’ve probably heard me talk about one of my best friends, my Mom. She’s an artist of many talents. As a child, I grew up with her having a huge talent as a Stained Glass artist. She had a huge workshop in our home, a large number of clients, and even taught lessons.
Over the years I had many favorite pieces that she made, but one of my very favorites was this Carousel Horse. My Dad, an engineer by trade, always hand drew all of her patterns for her. This meant that every single window was customized for all of her clients and perfectly made to order. This particular window was made for her best friend’s home. Even though Mom would make several different versions of this horse, this one was always one of my favorites. This whole month’s tutorials for Club Members are based around the nostalgia of the Carousel.
So what is mica powder? In a nutshell and simply explained, mica is a mineral [a rock] that has a reflective and metallic look to it. When it is ground and made into a powder it retains those natural properties. Make is found both in the earth, from the ground and is lab-created (which is most often these days). The larger the particles that mica contains, the more sparkly and shiny it is and becomes.
I’ve written color recipes for polymer clay for a long time here on the blog. I use mostly Premo polymer clay in my studio, so I specifically write recipes for Premo polymer clay. All polymer clay artists have favorite color recipes. Mermaid Teal has shown to be one of them. It has been used by other artists, revisited consistently, and has been well-traveled on Pinterest. So today, I thought that I would take a minute and share with you a printable version of the color recipe so you can continue to use it.
Gina Griffith is filled with talent and creates unique one -of-a-kind pieces. It’s my honor and joy to share her work and her love of working with polymer clay to each of you today.
This month I wanted to try and do something new, fun, & different. Every once in a while I get so inspired by photos I take in nature that I feel the need to try my hand at making my own. This month, that’s exactly what happened. Last fall I went on vacation and saw a gorgeous display of tropical Macaws at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I was even quick enough to capture a perfect photo of multiple birds of paradise in flight. This whole month’s tutorials for Club Members are based around this photo.
The quote above was said to me by someone I care about very much. And they challenged me with it at a very challenging point in my life. They used it to help me see the difficulty and circumstances in others and to help me reshape my focus. Need is all around us, but you have to first be able to see the need in order to be able to help those who need it.
As Pastors (read more about that here) my husband and I always try to do our best to reach out and help others. Even Kater’s Acres tries to help, give, and support others and their causes as well. This is exactly how the CFRainbowTree got its start. Once again, we are convicted to help others in their time of need; because “where there is a need, rise to it.”
With the shock of the pandemic and coronavirus making its way around the globe, most of the world is stuck ‘sheltering in place.’ Here in the United States, this means most of us are only allowed away from our homes for essential needs unless your job is deemed necessary and essential by your state. With so much sadness, stress, and unrest, I thought this month would be best served if we all just took a vacation! But since we can’t really do that, let’s take a virtual one … to Paris!
Every month we feature one or more tutorials. Our March featured tutorials are a fun holiday edition! These tutorials vary every month and are not repeated during the entire calendar year. This is a great way to get an overview of what whimsical and character sculpting is all about, as well as how to make and create designs yourself.
Crystal Hopson is a delightful lady. She’s fun and has worked hard to develop her own voice that comes through in all her pieces. It’s my honor and joy to share her work and her love of working with polymer clay to each of you today.
Using the SMART Goal Technique to set and meet goals around your polymer clay work produce a real sense of accomplishment. A sense of accomplishment is very motivating. Goals also give a sense of focus and direction. But, it’s important to set goals the right way. If you aren’t specific and realistic, goal setting can be a lesson in frustration.
Karolina Söderberg is a polymer clay whimsical sculptor, artist, owner, and administrator at Hobbyrian. It’s my honor and joy to share her work and joy working with polymer clay.
Discussing changes to both the Whimsical Sculpting Tutorial Club BASIC package & Premium package. All the details and what you need to know. 
