Listed some jewelry in my Etsy Shop

Just listed: A Bevy of Bangles and a Passel of Pendants

Here is a sampling 🙂

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When Is Viral A Good Thing?

When it’s Bettina Welker’s Pixelated Retro Blend Cane that’s gone viral!

In a recent post I listed several free tutorials you just had to try. One of those tutorials was Bettina’s Pixelated Retro Blend Cane. It’s one of those technique that just screams “Try Me !!” Even I was enticed into making a couple canes and turning it into some jewelry. It seems the tutorial has gone viral in the polymer clay community. It’s a world wide phenomenon. Just Goggle the title and you will get many links, plus there is now a group on Flickr specifically for the technique.

I found a few special pictures I wanted to share in this post that really highlight the beauty of this canes possibilities.

Free Tutorials You Just Have To Try !

First on my list was Bettina Welker’s cane she calls “Pixelated Retro Blend Cane”. It’s a twist on the extruded retro “Klimt” cane that has become so popular. Here is what I made using her tutorial.

Next I want to try Marie Davis’ border cane

The next is a fun, funky bracelet and I believe was written by Anna Anpilogova. It’s in Russian ) I think) but the pictures say it all 🙂

I use this tutorial by Valerie Wallace to make tile beads a few years ago. It sure helps keep the bead holes even!

I recently did a variation on this tutorial to make a quick and easy pendant. The tutorial will soon be on the Polymer Clay Central website.

A great faux bone or ivory tutorial written my Desiree McCrorey

This is a really cute way to make faux denim. It’s also in Russian ( I think LOL) But he pictures are great.

Yep, another one I can’t read. Good thing the pictures tell me what I need to know to make this fabulous extruded bracelet.

It’s a Russian invasion !!! Just kidding 🙂 But these gals are so talented. Just saying 🙂 Here is an amazing Poppy cane

Last but not least, I love this use of scrap clay to make a Magic Swirl Cane

If you want to see more great polymer clay tutorial both free and for sale join us over at the Facebook Group “Just Polymer Clay Tutorials”.

Let Your Extruder Do The Work For You

Now that I have souped up my extruder, I am thinking there are more ways I can use it other than extruding bracelet cores. These other techniques include making quilt canes, retro canes and filigree work.

Filigree is actually an old favorite of mine, but I quit doing it because it was so hard to get the clay out of my little Kemper brand clay gun, even using the adapted caulk gun idea designed by Nan Roche. Thank goodness Makin’s came out with a better extruder. Which I made the best by attaching it to my cordless drill. 🙂
Here are a couple of my filigree project from the past.


Here you will find a gallery of filigree from a PCC Claypen.
Kelly Robinson wrote a nice tutorial on cover eggs.
Mia Rox shows here how to make a colorful barrette.
And a short tutorial over at Polymer Clay Express.
Ever wonder what to do with those old crumbly canes? Try this filigree technique.

I have made a couple retro style extruded canes, but I have no pictures. So here are a few wonderful projects by some talented artists.

Arzu Musa

Linda Sokovich

Keila Hernandez

Cindy Walcott

Look at this amazing vessel !!!!!!

Extrusions by Susan Lomuto Rose

A picture tutorial on making the extruded retro cane
And another tutorial at the HGTV website.

I have never tried to make a quilt cane, so I was very interested when I came across this YouTube video.
You can buy these cool shape disks from Quilted In Clay to extrude all the perfect shapes to make your quilt canes.

There is a dvd you can purchase by Cindy Beljan called Extruding Polymer Clay Canes for visual learners like myself.

A list of quilt cane tutorials
Latin Square Quilt Cane by the late Alan Vernall (he will be greatly missed)
Ohio Star
Quilt Cane
There is also a book called Adapting Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay by Judith Skinner and Sarajane Helm.

I don’t own it (yet) but I am sure it will be a wonderful addition to any personal library.

I hope this inspires you to dig out your clay gun and create. 🙂