POLYMER CLAY ADVENTURE: A 3d "Card" For My Dad's Birthday

Yay! I just posted my YouTube video that I meant to do last week. Editing a bazillion photos, and all that goes with producing a decent quality video takes far more time than those who don't make them, know. It is worth all the work, especially if you love creating. So if you haven't ever tried movie or video making and are interested, try it out. It is great to have a visual record of your creations or make tutorials and even vlogging, sharing your supper with the world on video, ha ha. Don't be like me and start out with shorter videos, then you can build up as you become familiar with the movie software your using.

On that note, here is my "Dad's Birthday Figurine" video as well as some more pictures. Imagine how many more photos I could have had if I had taken pics of each and every stage of the creating it process. Including the moment my husband suggested using one of my gray hairs to use as fishing line for the pole. Take a close look and you will see!

This piece has two part epoxy resin for the whole water effect. I love resin. It reminds me of my Grandma Harris (my Dad's mom). I got to watch her make a coffee table using resin and sea shells from her trip to Hawaii. She's been in Heaven now for decades, but, I still remember all her creativity inspiring me as a child. Meant a lot.

Hope you feel a little inspired to create, in two or three dimensional form. Most importantly have fun!

HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
Click to watch the Video Below...

A few extra photos for fun....will come later...

POLYMER CLAY ADVENTURE: MY 3D BIRTHDAY CARD FOR DAD. SNEAK PEEK and Polymer Clay Adventure Week 13

I have been working this week on my Dad's 3d birthday card. It is complete and I was able to give it to him on time, today!
I love working in polymer clay and really enjoy the hands on, tactile experience. Of course I wanted to document the process from beginning to end so I shall be producing a blog/vlog article with video. But for now, I wanted to share the finished product! I am happy with it. As always, with most artists, there are many things I would like to have added or changed. But that all can be chalked up to lessons learned for the next figurine.
also my submission for week #13

Come back next time when I get share how this went from this....

To this...

To This!!

To This!!!
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita

Polymer Clay Journey: Polymer clay challenge 2016 Week 11

Life Happens, Yay!
 I was hoping to be much more consistently submitting to the 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge hosted by the very imaginative poly clay artist,  Katie Oskin from KatersAcres. But life and some ongoing health issues have been slowing my productivity down. Bummer. For me that is a tough one. As an artist, creating daily, all day is normal for me. But adapting and working with what God blesses me with is what I must do these days. It isn't worth making your health suffer in order to create. It is tempting to just work hard and not take the breaks needed, but as I have discovered the hard way, the cost is too high. It can mean not being able to work at all! Heed that advice if you too deal with health concerns,
So, here is my WEEK 11 submission. 

I was hoping to be much more consistent with my submissions for this challenge. I have been working on mokume gane technique designs and my goal is to create a few new jewellery pieces for my Etsy Shop, A Bergie Creation.  when time becomes more precious, one tries to multi task, making the most with the time given.

Hope the pieces can count toward my week 11 contribution.

Want to see more?
A Bergie Creation blog is here.

Walking Way Overrated blog about our lives here.

mokume gane slices, love these colours

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

mokume gane slices, love these colours

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the sheets into beads too

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings

Polymer Clay Journey: Some Of My Favourite Polymer Clay Tutor You Tube Videos

It has been over a year since I started working in polymer clay. Thanks to the many great polymer clay artists who share their tips, tricks and wealth of information about working in polymer clay. Cindy Lietz is one of the most knowledgable online clay tutors/artists that I watch almost daily. On that note, I want to share a hand picked selection of the You Tube videos from her channel, that I have gleaned a lot of useful information from.
I hope she will inspire you, even if you aren't into polymer clay. I get inspired just watching artists create in a variety of media.

HeArtfully Creating!
Anita

A recent mokume gane stack I have been working from

Here is the link to Cindy Lietz's YouTube Channel-click here...













Below Is A Collection of  My Cindy Lietz- Polymer Clay Tutor Favourite Videos:
How Long To Bake Clay

Baking Clay

Don't Burn Polymer Clay

Artist Studio

Hole Piercing

Baking Flat Pieces

How Mica Shift Works

Chalk Pastels

Premo Sculpey Colours

Liquid Polymer Clay

Zipper Cane

Natasha Beads

How To Reduce A Clay cane

Storing Clay 

Swirly Lentil Beads

Making Same Size Beads

SNEAK PEEK TIME- POLYMER CLAY JOURNEY: MOKUME GANE TECHNIQUE NEW DESIGNS

hot pink, orange, red and white

It has been a fast paced winter working away on new polymer clay designs using the Mokume-Gane technique. Here is a link describing this ancient Japanese metal working technique. It was originally used to create a wood grain look using layers and layers of metals.
A beautiful effect that works in a similar way with layers of polymer clay sheets.

I am so excited about finally having a few different colour palettes of new mokume-gane technique  poly clay designs, that I wanted to share a sneak peak of my next HeArtfully Creating article/ accompanying video.

So take a look and see what you can create by layering 3-4 different colours together in thin sheets. Because the pieces that I will be creating using these clay designs will be jewelry items in my Etsy shop - A Bergie Creation, I love naming my pieces and mokume-gane designs, but this is so hot off the "press" that I haven't had a chance to name anything. yet.. 

What I am making using the pink/red/orange palette

Until next time!
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita

Check Out A Bergie Creation here:
"Like" A Bergie Creation Facebook page here:

Here is a Mokume Gane Block ready to be sliced and used in my designs

Here is a sampling of a few designs.

Made a couple of pretty colourful rings...just the beginning.

Polymer Clay Journey: Personalized Birthday Gift For My Mom

For starters this is a submission for Katers Acres 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge! Check out her great challenge if you are seeking motivation to create in clay.

http://katersacres.com/polyclay/2015pcchallenge-polyclay/2016-polymer-clay-challenge/

If you are loving polymer clay as much as I am these days, then you too may have been not just trying to create handmade beads and pendants for jewellery, but 
you have also discovered how wonderful it is to make extra special, personalized gifts for birthdays and other special occasions. If you look back, you will see that this is my third celebration figurine/ornament.

Traditionally, if you follow this blog at all, you will know that my traditional way of doing this was making personalized greeting cards. Click here and here for a couple of previous articles about personalized card making.

As always, I snapped a million photos to capture, the before, during and after stages. So bear with me, I consider the many photos a part of my archive. It does help to record your creative process and results. When you life for half a century like me, you tend to forget the many things you have worked on. So it is helpful to take pictures, like you would for a family photo album. And since many of my pieces either end up given away as a gift or sold, it is nice to have a record of it all.
On With The Show, This Is It!
Watch my newest You Tube Video, to share the creative process for this special piece for my Mom. Sorry, I didn't capture every single stage, too focused on enjoying myself. Hope there is something helpful or at least inspiring in it, to encourage you to get your creative groove on! Click video below to see!

Heartfully Creating,
Anita

Here are a few More Pics If you want a closer look....

Rocks and foil are folded within the base....

Textured to look like a real cupcake! Shaded to look real!

Love cheap eyeshadow kits to colour the raw clay surface!

Back view before baking...

Baked and ready for high lights and glaze.