The 2017 Polymer Clay Challenge is here! Last year’s 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge was a great success. Many people were able to successfully able to complete all 52 weeks of the challenge. After 2 unplanned hospitalizations last year, totaling 29 days, I was unable to complete my challenge for the first time in 3 years. However, as usual, I will attempt again in 2017 to complete the challenge.
What Is It?
I have been hosting the Polymer Clay Challenge for going on 4 years now. The Polymer Clay Challenge is first and foremost a commitment. It is a commitment by YOU the clayer that you will work with polymer clay and complete no less than one item per week. Why would we do such a thing? Why not more and why not less? More is great but can strain our creativity and cause burnout in many people. One item a week turns out to be just 52 items a year and not too hard for most of us to handle and for most does not cause burnout.
Look at it this way. What happens when you dedicate just one year to your craft? As a general rule of thumb, not only do you become more proficient & skilled as an artist, but you learn what you like and what you don’t like, as well as what makes you happy! If you work with polymer clay as you main medium, I challenge you in 2017! That’s right, I challenge you! I challenge you to start and finish one project a week. Last year (2016) a group of talented and inspired polymer clay artists joined together and committed to making no less than ONE polymer clay item a week. Many succeeded and many finished, honed their talents, tried new things, and as a result GREW in their love for polymer clay.
How to Pick Your Challenge Theme:
Your challenge theme can be whatever you’d like it to be. Themes in the past have ranged from jewelry components, sculpted items, buttons, canes, even your polymer clay “bucket list.” Is there something you’ve always aspired to do? Is there something you’ve seen and thought, I want to learn how to do that! Is there an artist whose work you admire and want to grow toward their level of professionalism? Do you not yet know what you love in polymer and you’re still trying to find out. That’s what the next 52 weeks are for. Try everything. Discover what you love. You never know where you might land and what you might find out that you truly love.
I have spent 2 years on Parker, a year on dragons, and a year on faces. What will I do this year? I’m not sure yet, I haven’t decided. This year may end up being a hodgepodge of ‘whatchamacallits’ – we’ll just have to wait and see.
Please forgive the omission of names and corresponding topics as there have been so many participants over 4 years; many of which have been named and referenced in many posts throughout the blog. Please add you name below with your challenge topic for any of the past years.
The Nuts & Bolts:
As usual, this project is a free endeavor and comes to you at no cost. Because it is free and in trying to keep it free, it is hosted through a free Facebook group. This year we are going to do the 2017 Polymer Clay Challenge a little differently. This year the challenge is still be hosted by me. I’ll still keep us going with corresponding week numbers.
However, this year we are doing away with individual weekly albums for pictures. If you have been with us in the past, you know each week has it’s own photo album. It’s a lot of work to “follow” people’s progress by flipping through 52 photo albums. So this year we are making ONE album. All our work will go in one place. If you upload your photos on time, we will all see a natural progression of our skill. If you have your own website, I do strongly encourage you to have your own gallery or photo album there where people can link to and see just your work if they’d like to. If you do not have a website, Flickr is a great free photo sharing site.
DOWNLOAD A FREE 2017 GUIDE TO HELP YOUR CLAY JOURNEY.
Thanks for joining me today,
My Gallery of Work for 2017
Want to Join The Polymer Clay Challenge? Get details & learn about polymer clay here:
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Katie, Where do I place photos other than the main page? Is there a link or post on Where they are suppose to go?
There is a photo album in the group for the 2017 photos, place your photos in this album. Hope this helps.
Not really sure what to choose for my challenge, I have so many!!
Is one a week enough! Shall I post my results on my Facebook page?
Join the 2017 FB Challenge group and you can post your results there so everyone who’s doing the challenge there, but you can also you also post them on your own FB page as well.
I have only been playing with clay for a few months but I think the addiction is there! I have so many new techniques I want to try and some I would like to revisit as I had some ‘unexpected results as Cindy Lietz would say. I think the challenge would be good for me as i have a bad of habit of getting half way through a project and not finishing it or leaving it for several weeks before it is completely finished (i am a multitasking procrastinator – i can put off several things at once lol). Anyway this way I will have to completely finish one project each week. Sooo my challenge to my self will be to completely finish one pc item be it a pendant, a pr of earrings , a pen or any other random item using a different polymer clay technique (or cane) each week. I have at least 20 on my list already and I know I can think of many more (hope thats not too vague). I don’t have a blog (not even really sure what that is or how you would do one) but I think I will start a fb page or document my progress on my personal page somewhere public to keep me honest and I can see my self progress :). Anyway enough talk time for action (soon lol)
I lost my pc mojo nearly one year ago. Today I’ve dithered for hours about taking up your Challenge, Katie.
I’ve got to stop feeling scared, so…… I’m IN!!
I’ve decided to make a pair of earrings per week. Baby steps back to a medium I enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity!
Luisa
I’m so sorry you lost your PC mojo, but I’m glad you’re ready to jump back in! Welcome back.
Thank you Katie, I’m so happy to be accepted!
Glad to have you with us Luisa!
I want to make buttons, I have a question how many buttons in a set 6 or 8?
It depends on the type of buttons you are making. Buttons take many sizes, types, and forms. Buttons can be mades in sets of 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8. Some buttons are only just ONE button. Whatever YOU decide is up to you. Sometimes it’s best to just let the clay decide. Maybe decide on just a theme of “buttons” and let it vary from week to week. That might be more freeing for you.
I am going to take the challenge…..
Yay! Welcome to the Challenge!