Building A Pattern

A really great technique I have seen a lot of people do is build a 3 dimensional pattern on their slab. This instagram post by artist Lauren Tomlinson is a great example of what I mean. I personally have never been a great sculptor, and I am a bit clumsy with small detail, so for my first attempt I went with a very simplistic pattern.

A Color Tip

My current obsession is mixing in just a pinch of the Premo Sculpey Gray Granite with my color to add that speckling effect. I think this adds a beautiful rustic touch to any piece.

My Process

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• I attempted to roll out my main slab in a rectangular shape to give myself more room to play.
• I also rolled out my secondary color because I decided to build the base of my pattern by cutting out shapes.
• I identified the base shape I would use to build off of and cut those out.
• Then I placed the shape on the slab, creating my main pattern.
• After all the circles had been placed, I used my rolling pin the gently roll them in to the slab, going from both directions to make sure not to create an oblong shape.
• I played with a few ways of created the legs coming out of the circles, and decided using my extruder and cutting small pieces, carefully measuring them, would be the easiest way to move forward.
• The part of the process that took the longest was placing the small legs. I used a really pointy tool to pick up each piece, as I wasn’t able to pick them up with my hands.
• Once all the legs were placed I again gently rolled the piece with my rolling pins in both directions.
• Finally I was able to cut my pieces, choosing placement I thought would highlight the design on the final pieces.

What Did I Learn?

While I do like the final product, I wouldn’t call these my favorite pieces I’ve created, but I think I learned a lot in the process.

I think my biggest take away would have been to either not roll the pattern in to the slab and just let it have a little more 3 dimensional presence, or have the clay I was using to created the pattern be rolled a lot thinner before working with it. I think I lost a lot of the detail of the piece when rolling it out. You can still see the distinct design of the Zia Symbol, but it’s a lot chubbier than I had initially anticipated.

I also think working smaller would probably have a better result for the final piece. I don’t mind that you can’t fit a whole Zia on any one piece, in fact I think that gives it a more artistic design, but I would have liked to show a bit more of the design on the final product.

Just doing something like this took me hours, so as I move into working on more detailed designs I need to prepare to commit some time to the process.

I look forward to building from what I learned and creating more intricate pieces in the future.

See You Next Time…

I know this Zia Symbol design only appeals to a very specific taste, but I hope my process and what I learned will inspire you to create something to your taste.

Next time I will show you the simple process of creating an ombre with your clay.

Until then, happy crafting!

Fun With The Extruder

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite tools to play with, the extruder. I love using my extruder because there are so many different textures and shapes you can make with this one simple tool.

I am going to go over a few different projects you can create using your extruder. One of them I have done a few times now, and am completely obsessed with the results, and the other two were first time projects for me. So for some of this I am learning along with you.

Textured Surface

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This textured surface project is the one I have done a few times before. Every color combination brings something new to the design, and these pastel colors looked so good I could eat them.

If you scroll through the above slideshow you will see the steps I went through to create this piece.

• First, as always I picked my colors (the most fun part of any project).
• Once my colors were decided I worked the clay in my hands to really soften it before throwing it through the extruder. It’s up to you to pick the thickness for your snakes, I have done it with thicker snakes than this, and thinner, but I have found this size to be my favorite. You will need to clean the extruder between each color, unless you don’t mind your snakes having a color swirling effect.
• After all my snakes were created, I laid down a really thin layer of clay to build my project on.
• My next step was laying down the snakes. I just made a random squiggle and then built my colors off of that.
• From there you just fill up the whole piece of clay with your snakes in whatever color pattern you choose, and then you cut your pieces.

There have been times while making this where I didn’t even want to cut my pieces out because the slab of clay was so pretty. But at the end of the day there is nothing better than seeing this beautiful, hand created, texture on the final product.

Hoop Earrings

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This was my first time making a pair of hoop earrings like this, and while there are some things I would do differently next time, this is definitely the simplest of the three projects.

• After mixing the color, and working the clay until it was soft, just like the previous project, I put the clay in the extruder which the largest hole setting. The size is, as always, up to you but this was the only size I had that I had an earring post to fit.
• Once the clay was extruded I cut the piece in half and measured them against each other to make sure they were the exact same length.
• For the shaping process I just put the clay directly on my baking sheet and hand shaped the circles.
• The final step is to just glue the post on one of the ends, once the pieces are baked and cooled.

The two things I would do differently, making this style of earring in the future is:

• I would use a sharper blade, the one I had was very dull and as a result squished the clay as I was cutting it, making the ends not perfectly circular. I was still able to fit my posts on them, but I would not call it the ideal look.
• I would find something round to shape the earrings around. My eyeballing is pretty good and both pieces look similar enough, but for a more polished look I would definitely benefit from some shaping assistance.

Even with the small issues I came across, I still loves the ease of the process, and the results.

Arch Design

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I have to be honest, I have worn these arch earrings almost every day since I made them. I am so happy with how they turned out. There are so many places you can go with this design as a jumping off point.

Instead of me writing out step by step instructions for this one, take a look at my how to video.

The yellow arch earrings were my first attempt ever at making this style of earring, so for my video I was able to put better practices into play.

My big takeaway from my first attempt, as I also learned with the hoop earrings, is get a better blade. As you can see in my slide show, for my original attempt I just used a standard box cutter. This proved to be difficult because the handle meant I couldn’t lay the blade completely flat on the surface. For the video I upgraded to a stand alone blade so that I could push straight down, and that made all the difference.

Until Next Time…

I hope you enjoyed these three projects, and that they inspired you to create something yourself.

I haven’t decided quite yet what my next post will be about, so stay tuned, and in the mean time happy crafting.

Color Marbling

There are so many ways to marble colors, and it is really fun to just experiment throwing some colors together, rolling them out and seeing what happens, but this method is a good way to get started if you are feeling a little gun shy.

Getting Started

• First you want to pick your colors, and roll them flat. They don’t have to be perfectly rolled out, you just want them a thickness you can easily rip.

Just cut loose…

• After that is the fun part. Your just start ripping them up!

Don’t feel like you need to be precise with this, in fact the results are often cooler if you have a lot of different sizes.

Bringing it together

• Then you just start piling the pieces on top of each other at random in a vaguely rectangular shape.

• Once you are happy with your pile, get out the rolling pin, and start rolling (even if you have a pasta maker, you want to start by rolling it out so the pieces stick together). If you have a pasta maker you can finish the flattening process there. I will usually roll it through once, fold it over and then roll it through the other way.

You don’t want to fold and roll too many times because the more you do, the more the colors blend, and eventually you will just end of with a ball of brown clay.

The results

The results are always different, but this time I ended up with a slab like this.

• Once you have the effect you like, you just grab your cookie cutters, and start cutting out your shapes!

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See you next time…

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A post shared by Kelly Greeff (@kellys_craft_corner)

For my next post I will go over the fun you can having using your extruder.

Until then, happy marbling!

Assembling Your Pieces

It is time for the fun to begin! Once you have these few easy steps down, your creative potential is endless.

Basic Assembly

First thing’s first, you want to choose your shapes and cut out your pieces.

If you are planning on creating your holes for the jump rings while the clay is wet, now would be the time to do it.

Once your pieces are all cut you can lay them out on your baking sheet and cook them according to the instructions on your clay. (I often find I need to cook mine a little longer than the instructions say)

I like to lay my pieces out how they will be assembled, so I can make sure I’m not missing any pieces before I bake.

Once your pieces are baked and cooled, you are ready to start assembling.

If you are planning on drilling your holes now would be the time to do it.

You just open your jump ring, slide it through the holes you created and close the jump ring, connecting your two pieces together.

Check out this Youtube video for tips on opening and closing your jump rings.

Now you just flip your earrings over and put your glue on the back of the post and place it on the earring, pushing down to ensure the post has adhered.

Although unsightly, I suggest making sure a little glue is squishing out past the edges of the post. This lets you know the whole piece is covered in glue, and will give your post a stronger hold.

Once that is done, you just set your piece aside to dry, and you are all set to wear them!

Stepping it up a notch

Now that you have your basic assembly down, you can start to have fun with shapes.

I personally love a giant earring, so once I start hanging more shapes from the original structure, you just can’t stop me.

Happy Crafting…

I hope this will inspire you to make beautiful creations.

For ideas on how to add a little pizazz to your design, stop by for my next post, where I will talk about marbling colors.

Intro To Polymer Clay

My first few posts will be about my current obsession, polymer clay jewelry making.

There are so many things you can do with polymer clay, that fit every taste level.

With very little work you have results that are trendy and professional looking.

Who doesn’t love a craft they can actually wear?

Tools

The one thing about working with polymer clay is, the tools you use should be your dedicated polymer clay tools. You don’t want to use a rolling pin full of polymer clay on your cookies later. This can mean a big investment if you want the highest end tools possible, but luckily most of what you will need you can find at home.

Necessary Tools

• A cutting tool
  • I just have an old plastic craft knife. You can use an X-Acto, a plastic to go knife, or anything in between, you just want to be able to cut chunks of clay.
• A rolling pin
  • You don’t need a full blown baking rolling pin. In the picture above you can see the rolling pin I have is just a clear plastic cylinder. In a pinch you can use an empty glass bottle. I have used old wine bottles in the past.
• Something to poke a hole with
  • When assembling your jewelry the pieces will need holes for your jump rings to go through. The easiest thing you can use is a tooth pick, while the clay is still wet. Anything you use to poke a hole in the clay while it’s wet will push some clay to the back, which just means it doesn’t lay perfectly flat. If that really bothers you, you can use a drill to create the hole after the clay has cooked and set.
• Cookie Cutters
  • They make special cutters just for clay, you can find some really fun shapes on Etsy. This is a shop I’ve gotten some great ones from. You can also, just go to the baking section of your local craft store, and use actual cookie cutters, the only thing that matters is that you love the shape. The general rule for a dangle earring is to have one larger shape and one smaller shape to hang it from, but that is just a jumping off point.
• A surface to work on
  • When working on small projects I use a little silicone craft mat, but if I am working larger scale, I will just put a trash bag over the table. You just want something without too much texture that your clay won’t stick to.
• A cookie sheet
  • Sense you won’t be able to use this cookie sheet to make food on once you’ve used it for clay, I suggest just getting a used one, or using your old burnt to a crisp cookie sheet you keep in the back of the cupboard (that’s what I use). I also use on old teflon baking sheet with my cookie sheet to make transferring pieces easier.

• Polymer Clay
  • Because of the crafts renaissance happening right now it is harder than usual to find polymer clay. I first went to my local craft store and all they had left was a block of terracotta colored clay. Eventually I just went through the Blick website and found the only set they had available at the time, and a couple of extra black and white packs. I always suggest getting extra black and white sense you will likely get a ton more use out of those than the vibrant colors. ***Make sure the clay you get is OVEN-BAKE CLAY*** I made that mistake the hard way.

Above and beyond

• A Pasta Maker
  • You can just roll out your clay by hand with your rolling pin (or wine bottle), but if you are lazy like me, or if you are a perfectionist and need your clay to be evenly thick throughout the whole piece, you can use a pasta maker to flatten your clay.
• An Extruder
  • If you want to make long strings of clay, and you don’t want to hand roll each piece, or again if you would be incredibly bothered by uneven size, this is the way for you to go. It kind of works like a Play-Dough hair salon, but one piece at a time. (these bad boys are not easy to clean though, so they do have a down side)

Assembly

• Jump rings
  • Most of the time you will find these in packages of mixed sizes. I have ordered so many craft kits over the years that just came with jump rings, so I rarely have to purchase them on their own.
• Earring posts
  • This is the part of the earring that actually goes into your ear. Again they usually come in packages of varying sizes, but also often come with jewelry making kits. Many of them come with earring backs, but they don’t always, so make sure to double check.

• Needle nose pliers
  • You will need two of these to open the jump rings for assembly. I used to just use the ones that came with my house tools, but they are a bit harder to work with than the smaller ones made for jewelry. However they will definitely do the trick if that’s all you have.
• Glue
  • You need a glue to attach the posts to the back of the earrings. I like E6000, but I have heard of people using super glue, or Gorilla glue.

Allergies

A lot of people have sensitive ears, so make sure that whatever products that you are using don’t cause an allergic reaction. You may have to get higher end earring posts, and jump rings, or change out the glue and clay you are using. Just make sure to work safely when making your beautiful creations.

See you next time…

I know that was a lot to take in, but once this stuff is out of the way you can have so much fun with clay.

For my next post I will go over the simple steps to assembling your creations.

Until then, have fun crafting!

Welcome

I am so glad you decided to join me on my crafting journey.

Before I start posting any of my crafts, I wanted to introduce myself and my blog to you.

As you may have guessed by now my name is Kelly and I enjoy crafts. I have been doing some form or arts and crafts my entire life, and I am so excited to get to start sharing these with the world.

During the pandemic a lot of people have found a new love for a craft or hobby they didn’t have before. While others, like myself, are finding their passions reinvigorated.

Due to this craft renaissance, there are so many more tutorials, blogs, and general resources out there to help the newcomers. However I felt that there was something missing in this space.

Most of these blogs and tutorials are run by people with expert level skills, who have all the right tools. If you are learning something for the first time, or just a casual participant chances are you just won’t be at that same level, so you end up not being able to follow along. ( I cannot tell you how many makeup tutorials I have followed, that by the end I just end up looking like a hot mess because I only had like 3 of the required tools)

While I am a creative person, who has done a lot of crafts in their life, I am by no means an expert at almost any of them, and I am really not a perfectionist. Furthermore, I live in a very small space so I can’t have an abundance of tools or materials lying around. Hopefully this puts me at a similar level as those of you here to enjoy my blog, and will empower you to go out there and make something, despite your “proficiency” level.

I look forward to sharing my creations with you, and hope that you share them with me, so that we can learn together.