Saturday, December 22, 2012

May 2nd 2013 I'll be teaching a Pre-Conference Class at Fandango!

Using four colors of polymer clay (Lft) & translucent a millefiori cane is created that, when cut, creates a faux eagle feather. (Rt.)
  
Students will learn to mix the ivory color and then create a Skinner blend from from the ivory, white, brown and black polymer clay using an original blend layout designed to create the blend, striations and shaded split barbs in the feather.

Class is $50.00. May 2, 2013 10:00am to 3:00pm at beautiful Lake Yale in Florida. This is a pre-conference class at Fandango.  For more info about the Orlando Clay Fandango, dates, location and more click this LINK.

Designs from tiny feather charms to a large 'jeweled' feather are possible using a single polymer clay cane. I'll show how to reduce the cane with no packing and how to create a variety of sizes. 

Each student will receive a kit containing:



• Full color lesson with step by step pictures including earring pattern.
Retail Value $14.95
• Tiny laser images for optional “Painted”
Feathers.
• Sheet of sketches - how to lay out designs
•Single Edge Safety Razor blade
•Small square of Card stock for baking

One sheet of Candy Paper
Two Sheets of printer paper

 Materials needed:

•Clay needed: •Strong Polymer Clay: My choice is Pardo - White, Translucent, Brown, Black, & Yellow.  A small part of the Yellow and Brown will be mixed with some of the white to make the Ivory color in the feathers. Other strong polymer clays are Premo, Kato or Fimo Classic.

•Scissors  •Scotch or masking tape  •Pasta Machine for making the Skinner blend. In the instructions PM will stand for Pasta Machine.  •Long, flexible tissue blade or other flexible blade  Rigid Blade for cutting slices


Instructions to make the feather earrings shown will be included. Materials needed for the earrings are:


•2 ear wires, 2 eye pins. If you have no eye pins you will need approx. 5 inches of 20 gauge wire. Beads: two 4mm hollow metal silvertone beads, two large red glass seed beads, four 8/0 glass seed beads and two 6mm glass turquoise beads (or beads of your choice).
 I love Painted feathers so, just for fun, these tiny 'painted' feathers were created using laser images on the tiny clay feathers. Slight modifications were needed to get an effective "painted" image. 

Each kit will have a few copyright free laser images so class members can try out the technique. If there is no time in class, I will be a demonstrator for three days at Fandango and will be glad to demo the technique if requested.

 Demos by Linda Hess and Penni Jo Couch.
For more information on my class or to sign up please contact me. 
Penni Jo Couch
claylady43 (at) G m a i l (dot) com
(please remove spaces and add symbols)

Check out my website Best Flexible Molds if you have time.  

Monday, December 17, 2012

Holiday fun! Free Christmas Tree Earring Tutorial

 These Christmas earrings are simple to make, require very little clay and are light weight, easy to wear.  The tutorial is a pdf downloadable file and is only 612 Kb.

Left is a picture of the same pair of earrings. One shot from a top angle, the other shot straight on. 

Each earring is made of five layers of shaped and baked polymer clay, eight goldtone seed beads, one 6 to 8 mm bead and a 4mm AB faceted bicone for the top trim.


Making the earring 1.
 Materials Needed:

•Polymer clay: Pardo Translucent
•Micro Glitter: Green
•Fimo brand Pulver: Green
•Safety Mask: Pulver is powdered metal and
should not be breathed into the lungs.
•Kemper cutters: 5/8”, 1/2”, 7/16” & 3/8”.
Specialty tools: Large Peej Pick (or round tooth
pick with one end flattened and sanded to form
an edge) Small and large Peej Shapers, (or a
knitting needle) Peej Scraper (or razor or tissue
blade ).
•Jewelry Findings: Two Ear wires; two small
'gold' jump rings; two 6mm
faceted 'gold' beads; two



To finish the tree, add a loop at the top.
 4mm AB Crystal Faceted
beads; 16 gold lined seed

beads; 2 head pins (gold
tone).
•Two each of five baked and
cooled green clay disks sizes
5/8”, 1/2”, 7/16” & 3/8”.
(see instructions).
•Tools: Clay and jewelry
tools, brushes and your favorite
tools.
•Optional: Pasta Machine

(PM in the instructions)


add the Christmas tree to the earring.
 
After completing all the parts and baking them the earring is assembled beginning with the largest bead and 
the largest clay disk.  





Top View  and assembling
Get your free Christmas Earring tutorial here:


Created by Designer/Sculptor

Penni Jo Couch
as a gift to our family and friends. 


You can find more free tutorials on this page. Free Tutorials. All are downloadable.


Side view, finished earring.


Side view of the earrings. 


Have fun!!