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Volume 4,
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The Great Polyzine Button Swap
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Final Results!
Irish Red
HIA (Hobby Industries Association)
Show
Trina Williams
Mirror Image Cane
Darlene Clark
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HIA Revisited
January 2003
By Trina Williams
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The Hobby Industry Association's (HIA) annual trade show is one
of the largest in the world. It is like one giant craft store with all of
the new products on display each year. Please refer to my article
in the March 2002 Polyzine for more background information.
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This year members of the Orange County, CA and Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guilds were able to
assist the Van Aken Company in showing the versatility of Kato Polyclay which was introduced at
this show last year. Not only did we demonstrate the clay in the Van Aken booth, we also helped
Lisa Pavelka and Donna Kato with classes available to HIA members. Each of these classes had
about fifty people and we set up pasta machines, handed out supplies and assisted anyone who
needed help.
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All of the helpers were outfitted in DKPC t-shirts and "diamond tiaras". The shirts were a little snug
but we wore our tiaras everywhere. The phrase on the back is in reference to the fact that you get
3 oz. of Kato clay to 2oz. of the other brands for the same price.
In Donna's class, which was from 8 - 10 in the evening, the students learned about mica shift and
made a pendant from metallic clay. The projects in these classes are kept simple, as most of the
participants, retailers, buyers, designers and wholesalers are new to polymer clay. The idea is to
show them how fun and easy the product is to use so they will stock it in their store.
So, after staying up late for Donna's class we were up and at 'em early the next morning for Lisa's
class. Again there were about fifty participants and Lisa demonstrated a photo album using the
Kato clay, the new texture sheets from Embossing Arts and Ranger Perfect Pearls.
Meanwhile, back at the booth, the crowds gathered constantly. Michelle Ross, Klew, Donna, Lisa
and assorted OC Guild members kept the place jumping. Many of us had our work nicely
displayed. And on one of the days Carol Duvall was there taping for her upcoming HIA program.
Also present were Judy Belcher and Gail Ritchie from the southern part of the U.S.
Among the new items Donna is introducing are the rubber texture sheets made for her by
Embossing Arts. Although the EA sheets are available for sale, Donna's designs, which are going
to be double sided, are still in development. These are deeply cut 5 x7-unmounted rubber stamps.
(At this writing Embossing Arts is going out of business but those in the know are hopeful another
company will take up the line.)
The two techniques which we are excited about are 1) Being able to get a wonderful mica shift
pattern by using metallic clay, pressing it into the sheet and carefully slicing it off to reveal the
design and 2) after the first layer is sliced off, adding a sheet of another color, rolling it on and then
peeling it away so it lifts the first color out of the stamp and leaving a wonderful two color raised
pattern.
Another new product not yet available is Repel Gel, which you rub on the clay where you DON'T
want it to bond. This enables you to make blade holders, cardholders, luggage tags, etc. without
having to bake the two pieces separately and then gluing the edges.
Last but not least is Donna's cute little T-blade. It is a short (4 inch) very thin blade for doing
delicate slicing. This is available now everywhere the clay is sold.
Home
Mirror Image Cane
By Darlene Clark, Colorado
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Several years ago I made a cane and wrapped the components
of the cane in translucent clay. I liked the effect and decided to
try this cane again.
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The new cane was made from a Skinner blend. I cut the cane
into four pieces then put back together. I found I got a great
mirror image effect. Here are the results of the new cane.
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Supplies:
●
●
●
●
●
KatoPolyclay® clay: Magenta, ultra blue, white, and translucent or other high contrast
colors
pasta machine
Kato NuBlade® Blade
Roller
Ruler
Step Two:
Roll up the Skinner blend from one graded edge to the
other (not a bull's eye). Make a reverse reduction. Press
ends in with your hand. Repeat until the Skinner blend is
4" long.
Step Three:
Cut into four equal parts of one inch each. Stretch
each piece into a log so the color is graduated.
Step Four:
Wrap each log in translucent clay that you run through
the pasta machine at a number five.
I also make other canes to compliment the colors. I
made a bull's eye cane with the blue and white. You
can make other logs if you need more contrast in your
colors. I sometimes add a white log. Wrap any new
logs with translucent clay.
You can use any number of logs for this cane. I used
twenty-five logs for this cane.
Step Five:
Start stacking according to the picture. Colors can be
stacked however you like. Just use contrast when
stacking the colors.
At this point you will see if you need more logs of
contrasting colors. Begin squeezing the log together.
Make a square log. Be sure to keep your lines on the
outside of the cane straight. Your logs in the cane will
not stay square, but that's all right. Reduce the cane
to ½ inch.
Step Six:
Cut the reduced cane into four equal pieces, keeping the
lines on outside of the cane straight. Stretch each piece
into a log so the color is graduated.
Step Seven:
To make the mirror cane image, put the four cane back together, making sure the lines on the
outside of the cane match.
You can add a lot of variety to this cane, by adding additional canes, such as the bull's eye or
stripped cane to the stack or maybe some canes you all ready have.
Have fun!
Darlene Clark, Woodland Park, Colorado
by Marty Woosley
Darlene and her husband Ralph retired to Woodland Park, Colorado two years ago where they
enjoy nature's beauty. She has worked with clay about 10 years. Darlene has sold her work in
Corpus Christi, TX, Breckenridge, Cripple Creek, and Woodland Park., Colorado. After starting a
guild in Corpus Christi she taught classes there. She has always done some kind of craft along
with oil painting until she found polymer clay.
Darlene is a member of the Denver Polymer Guild and the newly organized Colorado Springs
Polymer Guild. I have known Darlene for several years and her ability to create and experiment
with polymer is an inspiration to me.
Darlene can be reached for comments at DWClark1@aol.com.
Step One:
Begin with a Skinner blend of the three colors with white in the
middle. Use a double layer of clay to make your blend.
April 2003
Wreath
Project
Austin Polymer Clay Guild
Button Wreath
Click here for pictures of the Austin Wreath Project
How the Wreath Project Works:
Any member of a guild or other clay group becomes interested in one or more of the proposed
wreath projects and offers the idea to that group. A vote is then taken on which project to do. One
or two people are designated as collectors of the items to go onto the wreath. This person or
people is responsible for collecting items, names to go with the items and getting them safely to
the meeting or Clay Day to assemble the wreath.
The group will decide what type of wreath to use, and there are no limits to the type of materials
used, and where the funds for materials will come from. Any member may donate or make a
wreath to be used, or the group as a whole may delegate funds to be used from a treasury or take
up a collection.
The article is not hard to write. We will even help you write it. Remember who assembled the
wreath, take pictures of this happening, include minor and major disasters, funny stories and the
like. Group pictures are welcome. Individual pictures of the items are recommended, but we can
take them from several large, high quality images of the finished wreath if necessary. If you would
like to include a tutorial on the assembly of the wreath, that would be very appropriate and
welcome!
Once the wreath is assembled, it is up to each guild to decide what will be done with it.
Suggestions: raffle at group meeting, enter into a fair or show, make it a door prize at a holiday
gathering, donate it to a charity, auction on eBay for group funds, or donate it to Polyzine to be
sold!
Here are the themes I will be proposing for 2003:
March (Austin Guild)
Buttons
April
Eggs OR Flowers
May
Mother's Day OR
Tea Party
June
Shoes
Taken
Baltimore
July
Quilt
August
Hawaiian OR
Sweet 16
September
For Teacher OR
Dollhouse
October
Fall Leaves OR
Halloween
November
Winter Veggies
OR Thanksgiving
December
Snowflakes OR
Chanukkah
South
Texas
Any month that says "Proposed" is in process at a guild. Month specified refers to the month that
the article is due to Polyzine.
If you have a group that would be interested in particpating, email IR.