Roses, Mostly

Posted on April 28, 2008 by Elaine

My most popular canes – cane and bead sales wise – are always the roses. So this weekends production was mostly roses and black & white canes, which I posted yesterday.

The less monochromatic bunch are here:

Some of these are refills on what’s sold out of my web shop, the rest will appear in there this evening. And some lovely sets will be available in the Claychicks Boutique beginning next week!

Year of Clay – Black & White Canes

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Elaine

I like the stark and simple look of items made with only two colours. It gives you the chance to work on form and function more than colour schemes. The emphasis is centered on the design.

This even extends to making black and white canes – which is some of what I did this week like these:

I did make other canes. It’s an addiction I tell you, once I start, it is hard to stop! I’ll pop the pictures of those up tomorrow, I’m guessing.

My Cane Palette

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Elaine

When I make canes, I cut them into several 2″ pieces to use in my various web stores, selling them. After that there is usually a few inches on each end of good cane that I trim the warped pieces off and save for myself. These used to get tossed into the Plano storage boxes I use for canes.

The storage boxes are almost 3 inches deep. Perfect for holding the nice, neat cane segments I cut and wrap. Not so good for actually using the little odd pieces I keep for myself!

So last week I went through about 4 years of accumulated bad habit, pitched the majority of pieces into the mix up pile (for swirls and Natasha beads) and lay the rest out in two large, shallow plastic containers by loose colour groups. They’re not neat but they’re somewhat organized and easy to use. It has made all the production work of the last week so much simpler, I could kick myself for not having done this much earlier.

More ‘Green’ Hints for the Polymer Clayers

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Elaine

It’s Earth Day again! Last year I posted some tips for clay crafters that use the reduce / reuse / recycle strategy and here are some more, extended a bit to small biz and jewelry makers:

Improve your skills and be creative with what you have. Creativity does not require every item and tool for your medium.
On the flip side, use the most efficient tools and supplies for your medium. If there are genuine energy and resource savers that you can take advantage of, do so. For clayers, this includes items like bulk amounts of clay and a good oven thermometer!
Reuse scuffed bakeware. A lot of my older cookie sheets and pans have moved to my craft studio for use as trays. Sturdy but also ‘second hand’ so a little less concerned about drips and damage.
Reduce shipping materials by using packaging that is saved from your own boxes. For customers that would be offended by clean but used cardboard, use post consumer recycled materials boxes where possible or the least dyed cardboard versions possible.
Incorporate existing supplies and materials into your displays for your shows where possible. I’ve used scrap woods, existing wire supplies and so on – a good coat of paint and decent workmanship keeps it looking like a whole instead of a mishmash.
Use thrifted or old orphan jewelry pieces for embellishments and additions.
Learn how to use your office and studio tools properly – software and paper generating items especially. It may be frustrating but it’ll save money and time down the road! This includes things like using email for correspondence or batching your shipping labels and receipts.
Recycle the stuff you can – regularly. That includes the extra packaging, jars, bottles and so on that accumulate in studios and offices. It’s great to think that you’ll reuse all the jars for artwork but sometimes it doesn’t happen. Don’t let them accumulate till they get tossed out in a decluttering fit.
Make the library your friend – do research, read trade magazines, pick up inspiration. Save the money and the paper. Take advantage of your guilds library for the same reason.
Establish or join an artist’s co-op for use of larger or specific studio equipment – clay is relatively small and inexpensive as far as equipment goes but for kiln related crafts, this could be a real saver.
Sell online where possible using places like Etsy or Ebay

Some measures I use in my own place – which is a small apartment shared with a 9 year old and housing both my studio and office space (where I do web development) – are:

using old attractive wine bottles in my artwork
flyers and newspaper as drip catchers and table liners
tin packaging and bakeware for baking or varnishing racks
using old mason and condiment jars for paint waters and storage of taller items like paint brushes, pens, colouring pencils, wire mandrels and so on. I then put the jars on old trays so that they stay corral’d
a box beside the trashcan in my studio space and in my office space for papers to be put in (and recycled to)
jar lids for bead and paint mixing
active recycling center in the kitchen: bottles, tins, jars, boxes, papers, notes, plastic bags, milk jugs go out weekly before they take over.

Year of Clay – Little Bowls Spring 2008 Edition

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Elaine

The closest to spring I am getting this weekend are the little bowls I made to prepare for the craft show that got snowed out.

polymer clay bowls

These little guys are pretty much my favourite non bead items to make – enough space for a good selection of cane slices but not enough that I am cursing every slice by the end of it. Likewise for finishing – big enough to hold to sand, small enough that it’s only a few minutes a grit.

At the show yesterday one of the brave souls who ventured in picked one up, told me it was lovely. I thanked her and she asked well, what do you DO with them?

I guess that’s a good question They’re only about 2″ across. I use mine for holding rings and change on my night table. A friend uses hers for the dry spices at her raclettes and fondues.