CF Rainbow Tree 2023 Ornament Donations

Posted on September 4, 2023September 20, 2023 by Katie Oskin — 1 Comment

The CF Rainbow Tree is back for the 2023 Christmas season! It’s once again that time of the year that I ask for your help in making all things come together for the good of Cystic Fibrosis patients both young and old at University Hospitals in Cleveland Ohio.

I need your help and your polymer clay Christmas ornament donations.

If you can make polymer clay ornaments, I’d sure appreciate it. Last year we didn’t hit our goal. We need 500 ornaments per year for this project. What does that mean? It means that I need you to make ornaments and send them my way for the good of Cystic Fibrosis patients of all ages this Christmas season. Please see the information below for details on making your clay Christmas ornament donation.

Color Palettes that Stand Out

Posted on August 1, 2023July 29, 2023 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Color Palettes To Help Your Work Stand Out: Mid-Century Modern Box by KatersAcres

Fall Berries Color Palette & Color Recipe for Polymer Clay by KatersAcres

Wonderfully coordinated color palettes are one of the things that truly spark my creativity and light up my creative life. In much of the art world, things that speak to a person happen through good design and color. Every person has a color or a specific color palette that aligns with their soul, mood, personality, and even the design scheme of their home. In the opening season of the TV show Frasier, his producer goes to his home for the first time and says, “Exactly as I imagined, beige everywhere.” Most of the time, even our personalities tend to say a lot about our color and color preferences. For many artists, our color palette tends to reflect ourselves and not that of our customers or buyers. Well-seasoned artists do both and do it well; they design with their own specific color palettes but also keep their customers in mind.

No Such Thing as Scrap Clay Tutorial

Posted on July 22, 2023July 22, 2023 by Katie Oskin — 28 Comments

You’ve heard it said many times in polymer clay books, in tutorials, and most likely many other places that there is “no such thing as scrap clay.” But there’s a trick to gaining usable scrap clay and not just a mess of murky, brown, dirty ugliness.

Creative License

Posted on June 26, 2023June 26, 2023 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Sometimes you get stuck in a creativity rut, you don’t know where to go and it seems like getting out is taking forever. I’ve had those times. I’ve gone through them and I’ve come out on the other side wondering where my creativity went, where it wandered off to, and why it ‘left’ in the first place.

Live Events Canceled

Posted on May 6, 2023May 6, 2023 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Hey all! As with all good things, sometimes they come to an end. For right now in this season of my life, our LIVE VIDEOS are coming to an end. Life is very full and busy for my family and with so many things going on, I am going to cancel our 2nd Monday of the month LIVE videos.

How to Clean Your Studio in 15 Minutes

Posted on May 1, 2023May 5, 2023 by Katie Oskin — 6 Comments

A Guide on How to Clean Your Polymer Clay Studio in Less Than 15 Minutes on KatersAcres Blog

There are a lot of things that I love about having my own studio in a separate area from the everyday areas of my house. One of which is that I can shut the door (and even lock it if I want to)…and come back whenever I want. But here’s the neurotic part of me…I like my studio clean. In fact on any given day, my studio can be cleaner than the rest of my house. Why? Because that’s the way I like it! How? In less than 15 minutes I can clean the whole thing from top to bottom, even though the kitty lives in here with me. Read how to clean you can learn to clean up your studio and to keep it clean in less than 15 minutes with just a small bit of patience and time commitment.

Floss Box Clay Storage Solution

Posted on March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 by Katie Oskin — 15 Comments

Polymer Clay Storage Solutions by KatersAcres

Clay storage is a challenge for anyone who works with polymer clay, especially when 80% of clayers are working in a space the size of a closet. One of the hardest things about having a small studio is having adequate space to store things in, especially blocks, more blocks, and pounds of clay. This is especially hard for me, who may need multiple brands of clay, custom blends, inclusions, etc. Today I’m going to share with you how I store my opened packs of polymer clay, the clay that is constantly being used.

Polymer Clay Mokume-Gane Tutorial

Posted on February 21, 2023March 1, 2023 by Katie Oskin — 34 Comments

Skill Level: Basic Knowledge of Polymer Clay
Minimum Supplies Needed: Basic Supplies & 1 Cup of Coffee
Time to make 1 Mokume Gane Loaf: Approximately 45 minutes

This is a great polymer clay tutorial that has many uses. Mokume-gane can be used in beads, projects, jewelry, covering, and even as a background for textured and embossed pieces. Mokume-gane is versatile and offers hundreds of color combinations, color palettes, and unique design patterns, that you can not simply plan.

Edited & Rewritten: 2/21/23

Prepare for 2023

Posted on December 26, 2022December 26, 2022 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Over on Kater’s Acres Whimsical Clay Sculpting group on Facebook I try to write something that is motivational and inspirational to your clay journey on Mondays. Seeing how we are about to turn over a new leaf, saying goodbye to 2022 and saying hello to 2023, it’s appropriate to put a bit of thought into our preparations. Just as we do for the season of Advent, preparing our hearts and homes for the arrival of the baby Jesus, we do the same for the New Year. Many of us do that by coming up with resolutions, choosing a ‘word’ or a ‘phrase’ for the new year, or even by setting goals. So let’s stop for a minute and think about how you might want to prepare for the new year and what’s coming up for you in 2023.

10 Polymer Clay Tips & Tricks

Posted on October 12, 2022November 12, 2022 by Katie Oskin — 14 Comments

As with all things in life, we pick some things up and get good at them…and yet with other things we need help. I am a 100% self-taught polymer clay artist. I have purchased several polymer clay books and use several very religiously. Here are 10 hints, tips, & tricks for working with polymer clay that you may not already know or thought of that will help you in your own polymer clay jouney.

Polymer Clay Studio Tip: Reusable Cloths

Posted on September 27, 2022October 6, 2022 by Katie Oskin — 4 Comments

Polymer Clay Studio Tip - Using Reusable Cloths to Keep Your Studio Clean by KatersAcres

Today’s studio tip is a rare one as it has almost nothing to do with polymer clay … but it does have to do with your studio, your brushes, and helping to keep your studio clean and lint-free!

How to Use Blending Chalks on Polymer Clay

Posted on August 16, 2022October 6, 2022 by Katie Oskin — 28 Comments

What Are Blending Chalks?

Blending chalks are just that, chalks that are blendable. Blending chalks can also be called chalk pastels or soft pastel chalks. Chalks can be used on a variety of surfaces, including polymer clay. Their color can be easily applied with a brush, sponge-tip applicator, and a variety of other applications.

Leah Radlett, Polymer Clay Artist

Posted on May 13, 2022May 13, 2022 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Today I would like to introduce you to Leah Radlett, one of our Moderators in our Whimsical Sculpting Facebook Group. I am pleased to share her work with you today and share her story and let you get to know her better. I haven’t known Leah long, but I am so happy to have her here and to share her work with you.

Summer BIRD & Mini-Supply Swap

Posted on May 10, 2022May 10, 2022 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Polymer Clay Birds & Mini Supply Swap with KatersAcres

It’s about time … that I host another polymer clay swap. If you’ve never been a part of an art swap before, they are a way to create, trade, give, and receive art from fellow polymer clay enthusiasts and makers. This summer we are going to be creating BIRDS to make and swap with other artists along with a mini-supply swap (value $10). This swap is not an either/or it is both. So every artist will be making some kind of bird item and sending approximately $10 worth of supplies to their assigned artist. The deadline to sign up is June 30th.

My Studio Storage Pieces

Posted on April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

Parker & Lolly daily mug rug made by Mom

So much of me revolves around my family, its heritage, and pieces of timeless treasures that it’s hard for me to let go of that part of who I am. I am a neat freak. Therefore, studio storage is important to me. My Mom is quite the artisan. Her stained glass, her sewing, and her quilts fill my home. Even my morning cup of coffee sits on a little Parker & Lolly mug rug that Mom made me. It’s big enough that I have taken it to clay classes and shared it with a claymate so both our coffee cups can sit on it. So when designing and building my studio, from my original studio at the old house to my new studio here in Ohio, my studio storage always came first and was a priority in designing and filling my space.

When Creativity Wanes

Posted on March 16, 2022August 4, 2022 by Katie Oskin — Leave a comment

A Dialogue of Creativity for Polymer Clayers

One of the questions that I receive a lot is ‘what do I do when I feel uninspired?’ Or ‘what do I do when I’m just not feeling creative anymore?’ It’s a fresh new reality for many of us. Many polymer clay enthusiasts have left polymer clay (even briefly) to pursue other art interests for a variety of reasons during the pandemic. Let me be the first one to tell you (in case no one else has) – it’s okay, you’re allowed to do that and NO you’re not ‘cheating’ on polymer! Today we’re going to tackle this issue for just a moment.

Category: Polymer Clay