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#11
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If you tire of answering the same question repeatedly then
don't. Don't say anything at all. There are other helpful people out there. This is what people are suppose to do, help each other. The world sure would be a much better place if people helped each other in any aspect of life. I just thought this point should also be made. Have a great day everyone Catdoodler You know, this is sort of funny. Among others here, I was one of the people who was here when this newsgroup was STARTED, when the votes were taken in the beading newsgroup where we used to talk about the medium, and when "polymer clay" was still only a SUGGESTION for the generic name of the stuff we all have so much fun with. Everybody was helpful. Nobody was demanding with some kind of sense of entitlement. If you came up with a new technique, you shared it, because everybody got so excited and came up with new ways to enhance it. It was all new, it was all exciting. But then things started to go downhill. Newbies came in who had no idea of the culture of the group, who somehow believed that the founders of techniques who worked hard to come up with something new because they try to do this for a living, OWED them detailed explanations, over and over. Some patient souls tried to comply, including me for a long time. I once wrote an article for a magazine reporting on one of the big events -- I described a new technique taught by another artist (assuming wrongly that the magazine would contact her for authorization -- we all make mistakes) and she was extremely upset. In the end, I don't think she lost any students, the technique is one you learn best by seeing done, but it was a very bad experience. People who couldn't attend the events started harrassing those who spent a ton of money to go to give (for free) everything they learned. Then the newsgroup started being a coffee-klatch where people simply made inane compliments (NEVER, god forbid, constructive criticism, even when it was desperately needed) and talked about their children and pets. So I went away, as you suggested. (I only drift in occasionally, even now.) All of this is, in my opinion, why the moderated groups got started and why this one is a ghost town. Unfortunately (again, in my opinion) the moderated groups are also now *too* warm and fuzzy at the expense of actually being useful, and talk way too much about unrelated things. (What ever happened to using e-mail for the friendly side chats? Why do people feel the need to POST "Wow, that was beautiful!", especially when it frankly was an adequate but amateurish first try? Why is it better to lie to make somebody feel good than to honestly tell them how they might improve to BE good? Obviously not people who attended a serious art school, where the critiques would send them into a coma!) Well, thankfully polymer clay has come far enough that the development of new techniques no longer is quite so dependant on newsgroups. I fear no new "Skinner blend" techniques (named within this group, by the way, for the person who taught it so selflessly, much to the chagrin of some co-discoverers who wanted to keep it for themselves) will be happening. And just so you know, I can tell by who posts that most of the "elders" of the polymer clay community (in the sense of years of knowledge and experience) do exactly as you say -- they don't comment at all. BECAUSE of the atmosphere among other reasons. There are lots of sources from which to learn techniques without even asking somebody to type to you -- I again mention Polymer Clay Central and Glass Attic. ( www.polymerclaycentral.com has links to many sites, a Google search will give more.) Then there are books, to buy or borrow from you library. If people can't be bothered to do a little research, why should other people bother to make a special effort to answer on demand, when they could instead be actually working with the clay? (By the way, I have nothing against Newbies in any context EXCEPT when they fail to try to figure out what's going on BEFORE they start making waves. And I have nothing personal to contribute on the specific egg question because I seldom do eggs OR canes -- not my techniques of choice. Sarajane and some others, however, DO have a lot to say, and I definitely suggest looking at her book/s, even if you spend an hour in Barnes & Noble withOUT buying.) Best of luck Sherry Bailey |
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#12
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First I have to apologize to Catdoodler, I only replied to the message, not
to the whole group. I couldn't figure out why my message wasn't showing up. See, I am new here! I have been lurking here, and in www.PolymerClayCentral.com for a long time. You have this all wrong. These people are very helpful. All you have to do is go to www.GlassAttic.com to find out. This site is maintained by Diane Black. She doesn't get paid, all the costs of the site come out of her own pocket. And she doesn't have advertisements on it either. She takes the information shared by other clayers and organizes it so we all have this valuable resource. From what I read in the posts, clayers generally will try just about anything, so there is a huge amount of information there. I personally appreciate any advise given by other clayers. Have you seen some of the books available? They are amazing and it's obvious a lot of hard work has been put into them. I love my books and refer to them often. Christina Poolie As a note, I always look for posts from Sarajane and read those threads first. |
#13
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Sherry, that was beautifully put. Thank you!
Sarajane Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery http://www.polyclay.com see my current auctions at: http://www.polyclay.com/Collage/auctionindex.htm |
#14
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Aw geeze...a flame war almost got started and I missed. Shucks!
That's what I get for not logging in often enough -- missed a retort from one of the best. Good words, Sherry. I get emails every day from folks wantin' to know how I do this or that; that's why I print (and sell) out the workbooks from this class or that or write the big books that never cover everything because they, too, are limited. The thing is time spent developing a process or expanding a technique is hard time. There's a lot of frustration exploring the possibilties, a lot of dead ends, but there's joy, too. When things work out, oh, when things go right, that's pure joy. So, if some of us say "it's in my book," we're not saying there's a price. We've already paid the price in frustration and wasted clay. We're saying "here's how it's done." The price of the book, or the class, or the tape -- that's a pittance for 30 years of work. In the end all it covers is the printing. Hadda say something, Katherine Dewey When I win the lottery, I'll give it all away |
#15
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haha at the risk of causing disruption which I really never
intended... sigh ... let's put it this way, I lurk here, read everything about clay, visit sites, auctions, etc., I've read the six or seven books at the library on polyclay, done google searches to find even more, etc., studied the tutorials, come back to them every so often, study the pictures, tried to gain as much idea about what is required to do a few relatively simple projects because to be frank with you I haven't found the money to buy a cheap toaster oven! I have bought a couple bars of clay just to work it, try rolling it out, see what surface I could use without buying something, sniff sniff, haha two things, 1) I've become interested in polyclay, in part, because it is fairly cheap to start, i.e., don't have a lot of money to devote to something I don't know if I'll like OR be any good at. So I do as much homework as possible upfront. 2) this is why I came off, prolly, as blunt in my original post, I don't like talking, explaining, etc., it's not me, and I gotta be mmmmeeee~ so anyway I've been to all your websites, I understand several of you make your money off polyclay, and ALL of you have devoted tremendous time and effort in developing your techniques, skills, patience, and creativity. As far as making money on what you do, believe me, I applaud it, I'd be there with you if I had your talent.... BUT BUT ... haha the lady JUST asked how to keep the cane slice from distorting before applying to an egg! It's not like asking for the secret and power of the universe. Tell her ... and this is a wild guess ... put the cane in the frig, let it cool to gain firmness, slice and apply. It prolly won't go perfectly but should be better than so far, and with practice ... thanks simply_annie for the links. Two I've been to over and over again, and it's prolly time for another visit. The delphi one is new to me, looks good, lots of msgs. and really thanks everyone, I've been to your sites an enjoyed them greatly. If I've stepped on anyones toes, tough noogies! If I ever post again it'll prolly be short, not well or tactfully phrased, blah blah ... be warned if it offends again, tough noogies. after all this verbiage and ass-kissin, flame me, I want you to, I feel my noogies are getting soft. On 20 Apr 2004 21:45:11 -0700, (Wanda) wrote: Does anyone know how to make the cane covered eggs? I am not clear on how to put the cane slices on the egg. I worked with the slices on some small clay beads that I figured I would use for earrings but they turned out so distorted. I have no idea how to get them on the surface of the item and get them flattened enough with out distorting them. Is there a trick to this? |
#16
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HonkHonk wrote in message . ..
to be frank with you I haven't found the money to buy a cheap toaster oven! Keep an eye out at yard sales and thrift shops. I have seen them for $3. the lady JUST asked how to keep the cane slice from distorting before applying to an egg! It's not like asking for the secret and power of the universe. Tell her ... and this is a wild guess ... put the cane in the frig, let it cool to gain firmness, slice and apply. It prolly won't go perfectly but should be better than so far, and with practice ... As I mentioned in my previous remarks, I (for one) have no advice on this to give. I don't do canes and I don't do eggs. The shape of eggs makes for special issues to keep canes from distorting since no two areas on the geometry of an egg are quite the same. Just as MY guess, though, I'd say "yes, there is a trick... or two" -- but since I don't know them, I can't relay them. And I would further guess from my previous not successful attempts, that the tricks involved are not simple one sentance things, but multiple steps that require a half hour to write down, bringing me back to my other comments about using the published sources even if you don't actually buy them.) If I've stepped on anyones toes, tough noogies! If I ever post again it'll prolly be short, not well or tactfully phrased, blah blah ... be warned if it offends again, tough noogies. after all this verbiage and ass-kissin, flame me, I want you to, I feel my noogies are getting soft. THIS is the attitude that not only shows in your posts but which precipitates long threads that might be off the original topic. Just so you know. (If you want the original topic answered, don't interject stuff to derail it.) (And to Sarajane and Katherine, you guys keep writing them and I'll keep buying them! Glad you thought I made sense.) Sherry Bailey PS To Wanda, the original poster -- I hope you found your answer out there! |
#17
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Sherry Bailey wrote: "PS To Wanda, the original poster -- I hope you
found your answer out there!" I did e-mail the lady privately and here is what I said to her. Hoping this will answer some questions for any other "new to polymer clay" folks that need help with this. Hope this helps! I have my best luck w/ caning beads by slicing the canes as evenly as possible. U can use a ruler with raised marks on it to impress into the cane then slice on the marks. I use the 1/16th marks which gives a really thin slice. But u can experiment & use the thickness that works best for you. Not distorting the canes slices when you cut them helps to keep them from distorting as u apply them also. Never try to slice a "just made" cane. Let it rest for at least 1/2 hour. If u r in a hurry you can put in the freezer for 5-10 min's. If the inside of the cane is still warm it will move as you slice it, so letting it rest allows the interior clay to cool and set up like jello then it is so much easier to work with.. These cool down times will vary depending on the type of clay u r using also. Softer clays like Sculpey take a little longer, then Premo (what I use) or Fimo. Premo is the middle softness but holds a better texture. Fimo is the hardest, it hold a texture pretty well but takes a lot more pressure to get the texture on the clay. Fimo seems to polish up the best too! (I cheat and polish my Premo on my buffer, after sanding w/ wet dry sand paper. Then I put on a coat of "Future" floor polish.) That makes a really nice shine on the clay. Use a really sharp thinnest clay blade u can, and slightly roll the cane with the blade as you slice. Now for adding cane slices to objects. If your cane slices are cold, then warm them slightly in-between your hands first. Start by applying cane slices to a flat surface. (for practice) If you have ever rolled out a pie crust, it's the same principal. Try to use the same amount of pressure and roll in the north/south direction with little or no distortion, then in the east/west direction. Then in the northwest/southeast direction, then northeast/southwest direction. Don't try to make the cane slices cover all the little "diamond" shapes in-between where the slices meet. To cover those you have a couple of options, you can roll small balls of clay in same, coordinating or contrasting colors, flatten slightly into the opening and then use the same pie crust rolling technique. OR you can roll a smaller cane of matching cane or different color and use the smaller cane slices to use as the fillers. OR you can roll out a sheet of clay to the same thickness or very slightly thicker then your cane slices. Then mark the openings by gently pressing the opening onto the sheet (like marking the clay when you make a butt joint on the cane) then cut out w/craft knife and apply to the opening, then smooth out with either roller or finger tips. OR Make the balls of clay for the filler and just make them big enough to cover most of the opening and gently press onto open space with just enough pressure to completely cover the open space then dab the ball with a texture sheet or texture the ball with a stylus or anything else you may use for texture. This was one of my "happy accidents". It made a really cool "knobby bead" My daughter doesn't like to texture the balls, so she just leaves hers as little balls. Very cute! Last but not least, if you cover the bead with the same color as the outside wrap color of clay first, sometimes you won't need to even fill in the little spaces between the clay slices. Becos the base clay on the bead and the outside of the cane slice are matching in color, the spaces sort of disappear. Once you have achieved applying canes on "flat surfaces" with little or no distortion you are ready to move on to curved surfaces. Do exactly the same things as for flat surfaces with only one exception. Remember that curved surfaces will require "darts" (small v-shaped cuts in the cane slices) to make that curve. Use your clay blade or craft knife to make the v-cuts and cut away a little at a time, because you have to custom fit the slice to the curved surface. Better to cut too little and have to recut then to cut off too much the 1st time and ruin your piece. I say ruin because it is nearly impossible to cut out a v-shape from a patterned cane slice then try to patch it & exactly match the patterns again. To begin I suggest starting making caned beads on larger focal point type beads then as you get more practice move on to the smaller beads. Also laying out the bead design first will help to keep you from having the larger spaces that have to be filled in. Like my 1st bead, I put four slices around the middle then one slice each on the top & bottom. It was a slightly flattened heart shape & of course I wanted the cane slice to dominate the design so front & back of the heart got a cane slice smack dab in the middle. But the cane slices were too large to put on each side, so I had to roll a piece of cane down to a smaller size to fit the sides and not overlap the slice already in the middle. Getting really good with polymer clay is really just tons of PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!! If you have a VCR & cable TV, you can video tape the Carol Duval Show on HGTV and/or also now on the DIY channel. Carol has a lot of the polymer clay artists on her show & seeing them work will give you a wealth of information for FREE!!! Seeing, is sometimes easier to comprehend then just reading about a project and trying to figure out how they did that! LOL I have a whole collection of tapes that I am converting to DVD, of Carol and her polymer clay artists, which is how I got started in polymer clay in the 1st place. Well hope this helps and good luck! eliquint |
#18
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Thank you Catdoodler, nicely put. I have found a couple wonderful
links that will answer most of your clay questions too. I found one that just dealt with covering an egg: How To Make A Clay Egg by byrd tetzlaff http://www.pcpolyzine.com/march2001/eggs.html I also found a link that covers a vast amount of clay techniques. They are easy to follow and nicely photographed. There is even a tutorial that shows you how to clean your pasta maker! How nice! VERY useful "stuff" on this link and it's free,no books to buy. It's a warm and FRIENDLY place to find what you need. One of the links has a place where you can ask questions too, again, warm and FRIENDLY. Here is the most helpful link I've found yet: http://www.pcpolyzine.com/tutorials.html I would also like to thank those who emailed me personally with tips and instructions, it was greatly appreciated. |
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