Last Day of 2015

It is finally time to kiss another year good-bye.  Dave and I have both faced many challenges (good and bad) this past year and so look forward to a fresh start and new experiences for 2016.

It is always good to learn new things and I am always pushing myself to experiment with the clay and using the computer more.  We managed to open our own online store which took many hours to set up but very rewarding in the end.  I also created my first video tutorial which is part of the new 2016 Polymer Clay Adventure Retreat!  I will be teaching how to create colorful Kite Beads and a Kite Focal Bead.  Then I show you how to put it all together to create a statement necklace and matching earring pieces.

There are other exciting projects from 24 other teachers so the whole year is packed full of learning new things and it all starts January 1st!  There are forums so you can connect with your instructors and ask them questions as well as make new friends who share the same passion.

I still have more copies of my soon to be published "From Scrap Clay to Art Deco" tutorial to give away.  If you would like to receive your free copy, then register soon here.

And if polymer clay is not your art form?  There are two other retreats this year that you can take part in!  A Quilted Adventure Retreat and an Art Jewelry Adventure Retreat!  So sign up soon so you can be a part of this great fun!  You can click on any of the photos above or the button below to register.

See you there!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas

to all of our followers!

It has been snowing here for the last few days so it really is a winter wonderland where we are.  If we are lucky, tomorrow we might see the Mountain Sheep come down the mountain looking for grass to graze on.  It is always a nice treat when they do.

Each year we make a special limited edition Christmas ornament only for our wholesale clients as a collectors item.  Since we were really into snowflakes this year we decided to go with that theme.

Interchangeable Snaps for Sewing and Knitting

When I first discovered the original (made in China) "Snap" jewelry on the internet I let out a squeal and was so excited about the concept.  I immediately started researching out suppliers to see how we could incorporate this inventive idea with our clay.  My original idea was not only to use it for jewelry but in some way add it to items that were sewn, knit, crocheted or felted and accessories like leather shoes or belts.

After a lot of experimentation and testing we came up with several methods to add interchangeable snap bases to your finished items.  The first method is a snap base that you actually sew on which we have invented and made ourselves.  This is the simplest way to create an interchangeable button for items such as a jacket or handbag like the one shown below.

Handbag with Sew on Snap Base

Handbag with Snap Base and Flower "Snap" that is Interchangeable

Sew on Snap Base to Create an Interchangeable Button

These sew on snap bases are now available in our online shop (click here or on the above photo).

The other method is attaching the snap base to your item using a crimping tool.  It is simple to attach this way to an item that is knit or crocheted, however you will need to use a sewing awl to make your hole in a fabric garment such as a jacket.  If you do this I recommend sealing the hole with fabric glue or "Fray Check" before attaching the snap base.   If you are attaching your snap base to a material such as leather, then you will need to punch a hole before crimping.  The snap bases and tools shown above are available in our online shop (click here or on the above photo).

Here I have attached a snap base to a felted hat.  When the brim was turned up it was too thick for the snap to go through both layers so I attached it to the outside brim only.  I had to put a hole through the felted brim with an awl in order for the bottom part of the snap base to fit through.  Now I can attach different Art Bead "Snaps" for a fun new look or to coordinate with what I am wearing!

Tools for Sewing - Seam Rippers

Our shipment of seam ripper supplies arrived a few weeks ago but we had some orders to fill before finally getting around to making some to list in our online store.  We have a few listed right now (click on the photos to see) and working on listing more soon.

Double-ended Seam Ripper

In the meantime I was working on a new design where the seam ripper can clip to a bag or be worn as a necklace.  I love this idea as it is a great way to keep it handy.

Necklace Seam Ripper

Necklace Seam Ripper

Another Cyber Monday Post??

Yes we are aware it was Cyber Monday (almost over) and if you received as many e-mails today as we did, I know you are probably rolling your eyes by now!  But since it has been a week since I posted last (where has the time gone?) I thought I'd better get with the program and give you an update.  Between Dave's health being up and down since his surgery in September and me trying to get over my pneumonia, I haven't accomplished as much as I would like to and still running to keep up!

First thing -- this was the last day to take advantage of the free snowflake charm and tutorial offer.   I decided to make the tutorial available but it will be for sale as an addition to our "Snap" Decisions tutorial.  This doesn't have to be used just to create a snowflake but is a variation on creating a textured snap from a mould and scrap clay.  I haven't got it listed yet -- give me a few days and I promise it will be available.

Also, if you still planning to attend the 2016 Polymer Clay Adventure Retreat, you still have the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of my new tutorial (not yet published), "From Scrap Clay to Art Deco".  We were informed that we will be receiving the names who have already signed up through us later this week and as soon as we receive the list we will be sending out copies of the tutorial to those on it.

This offer is available to the first 50 who sign up by the end of the year through us.  If you haven't registered for the Polymer Clay Adventure Retreat yet and would like this free bonus gift, all you need to do is register through the link below.

This retreat really is a good deal and they are even offering a payment plan if you can't pay it all at once.  Just think of all the new things you can learn -- all year long!

Snowflakes in Purple and Testing Mica Powders!

We love the rich jewel tone colors and shimmer effect of mica powders.  One thing we have learned is that the colors in the jar can look real exciting but sometimes don't look the same when applied to the clay and can even be a little disappointing.  One example of this is the new color Magenta by Pearl Ex.  When you open the jar you are greeted with a shade of hot pink.  When you apply it to some black clay, however, it doesn't look pink but instead it becomes a pretty purple!

So this is the powder we used to create the purple background on our snowflake items such as the "snaps" and shawl pins.

Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Necklace with Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Bracelet with Snowflake "Snaps"

Snowflake Shawl Pin in Purple

There is only one week left to receive a free copy of my Snowflake "Snap" tutorial and we still have some snowflake charms in stock.  You can read about our promotion in a previous blog post here.

Snowflake Shawl Pins

For the winter season we made some snowflake shawl pins in assorted colors -- Black, Blue, Teal and Purple.  The snowflake pattern on the end of the stick was made from the same snowflake finding used to create our snowflake snaps.

These shawl pins are now available at Donna's Yarn & Craft in Kamloops, BC and Kelowna Yarn & Needlecrafts in Kelowna, BC.  We also made extra and listed them in our online store here.