It seems like such a long time ago that I reviewed my first Christi Friesen book. That was before I met her. That was before I became one of those folks who wouldn't pass up an opportunity to take a class — any class — from her. Christi is probably the best teacher-of-adults I've seen. She manages a classroom full of creatives amazingly. She's generous and encouraging. And her classes are just plain fun.

And because I've gotten to take some of her classes, Christi's latest book was especially enjoyable to me. It's got a mouthful of a title: Flourish: Projects, Techniques, and Creative Nudgings for Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: Book One: Flora: Leaf, Flower and Plant Designs. But you could shorten that title to A Christi Friesen Class in a Book, because that's what it felt like reading it. Her conversational tone in the book meant I could just about hear her chatting away. The pictures of her, sprinkled throughout the book, made it feel like she was right there guiding me as I learned.

Of course, if you've taken any of Christi's classes, you're probably as big a fan as I am. So you've already bought all of her books, including this one. This book review is not for you. This book review is for those of you who are wondering whether this book is worth adding to your library. And here's what I think about that...

The Book

Continue reading "Book Review: Flourish Book One: Flora, by Christi Friesen" »

Posted in: Reviews

I was sad to learn that my favorite local rubber stamp store was going out of business after many years. Admittedly, I hadn't visited much lately, but I'd sent many folks their way... and I just liked knowing they were there. So on their final week, I had hubby watch the kiddos while I shopped their 75% off sale. I was thrilled to get to stock up on some new colors of alcohol inks, and I found some fun new stamps.

I decided to combine those finds to make some pretty autumn leaf pendants in the style of Isabelle Ceramy-Debray's faux enamel from Polymer Clay Beaded Jewellery (reviewed here). My pendants are actually serving multiple purposes here: I'm using them to decorate some autumn gift bags and pillow boxes, after which the recipients can string them onto a necklace of their choice.

Here's what you need to make this project:

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Posted in: Project Instructions

It's finally here! Polymer Clay 101 is now in stock at various bookstores online (more on where to buy it below). I co-wrote Polymer Clay 101 with Kim Otterbein: she wrote the basics chapter and the first 11 projects, while I did the last 10 projects and "starred" in the accompanying DVD.

Book-writing is so much more solitary than blog-posting — there's a lot of hours of work and a lot of waiting without feedback. So I'm excited that I finally get to show you what I've been up to & see what you think!

Book Overview

Polymer Clay 101 would be great for a polymer clay beginner. The first 33 pages cover all the basics — tools, techniques, color mixing, mold making, sanding & polishing, etc. After that, 21 projects demonstrate major polymer clay techniques. We show how to do important things like Skinner blends and caning... but we also show some more unusual techniques like using an extruder for a filigree look, and carving baked clay. The 45-minute DVD shows each of these techniques in action — great for visual learners!

My Review

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Posted in: Blog News , CraftyGoat.com News , Polymer Clay | Comments (14)

One of my favorite things about fall is the state fair. Granted, the food on a stick is hard on the body... not to mention the budget. And the crowds are even less appealing now that hubby and I are toting a toddler and a stroller. But I'm particularly fond of the fair's creative arts competition.

I've been entering my handmade goodies in local fairs for as long as I can remember. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still have each of the ribbons I won when I was a little girl (though I'm afraid they may be in that box that's molding in the corner of the garage). The thing that appeals to me about the contests now, though, isn't necessarily winning. It's two things: having an excuse to create, and having a deadline. I don't have to worry about whether something is commercially viable, or whether it's something I can easily create a tutorial for. It's an chance to try out those things that have been tumbling around in my brain, just to see how they turn out.

As with most things I get excited about, I go a little overboard. The deadline's in 9 days, and I've finished exactly 0 of the 6 things I signed up to do. It's not unusual for me to be putting the finishing touches on an item while hubby drives me to the drop-off location 15 minutes before they close. So he kinda sighs when he finds out I've turned in my state fair form for the year. It's the same sigh he uses when I tell him we should do all handmade Christmas gifts. After 10+ years of marriage, he knows me pretty well.

So anyway, one of the projects-in-progress is a birdhouse, and I thought I'd give you a little sneak peak. I'm eager to see how it turns out.

And speaking of birdhouses, the birdhouse pictured up at the top of this post was featured in the Reader's Gallery of the October 2010 PolymerCAFÉ, along with a rusted inro I blogged about here.

There's a bit of a story behind that birdhouse.

I didn't originally post photos of the birdhouse online, because I made it as a Christmas gift. Or at least I thought it was supposed to be a Christmas gift...

Continue reading "Of Fall & Birdhouses" »

Posted in: Currently Working On... | Comments (1)

If you've ever gone down the deodorant aisle searching for the same one you bought last time, you've experienced it: manufacturers' incessant focus on new and better. It seems like a product's packaging hardly ever looks the same from one purchase to the next.

Pen manufacturers are no different, so the pens that were "proven" oven-safe a few years ago — like my previous favorite Papermate Flexgrip Ultra — may no longer be available. And while new and better options may be out there, who has the time and money to test every new brand of pen to see if it's oven-safe?

Luckily, Surfingcat did the hard work for us in her post about melting pens. She tried eleven pens in the oven and came up with a list of six that survived at polymer clay temperatures.

I decided to expand on her post a bit, to give a little more info about four of those pens that are readily available here in the U.S.:

• PaperMate Comfortmate ball point pen
• Bic Round Stic ball pen
• PaperMate FlexGrip Elite
• Bic SoftFeel Retractable ball pen

I made a polymer clay pen with each of these brands to get a feel for how easy they are to take apart and put back together. (Read the basics on covering pens here.) I'm including "finished" shots so you can get a feel for the aesthetic of each completed pen. My samples use cane slices since I'm practicing getting comfortable with canes (as you can tell, I have a long way to go!). But of course, you're not limited to canes. In fact, the options are pretty much endless. (For some extreme examples, take a look at Linda Peterson's PolyPens book about making pen sets.) For each pen, I've also included photos of the packaging (so you know what to look for on the shelves... well, at least until they change that packaging!), the un-covered pen, and the pen after it's been taken apart. (Click any photo for a larger version.)

The Pens

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Posted in: Polymer Clay , Supplies & Tools | Comments (18)