2015 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 10 update

For the 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge this week I had planned to work on boots and feet but then something amazing happened while I was playing in the studio and I took a detour!

I've been trying to get a nice tie-dye look in clay for a Fairy Door project I've been working on. I've tried the Lentil Bead swirl technique, the marbling technique and just mashing colors together to try to get the right look. This week I've taken the cool clay results from these experiments and I am putting together some Fairy doors with them.

Lentil Bead 

Here is one of the Fairy Doors! It hasn't been baked yet and still needs a bit of detail work done but I really like the colors. Tomorrow I'll be posting pictures of the completed door as well as the rest of the doors I made... once they are all baked!

Fairy Door

I am thrilled with the results of this project and I will definitely be playing more with the  Lentil technique. I think with the right size ball of clay I'll be able to get a tie-dye swirl look on a fairy door. The issue is distortion. If I put a Lentil bead through the pasta machine (which I did for the door above) it distorts the pattern, however, if I press the bead flat it doesn't distort as much. So if I have a large enough Lentil bead I should be able to flatten it enough to cut a Fairy Door from it...

I'll keep you posted :0)

Next week I'll get back to feet and boots, or maybe hands but then again I may make more Fairy Doors, I guess the cool thing about the challenge is that the goal is to work with clay every week and expand your skills. So far I am doing just that!

P.S. - I'm still working on the right clay mix for my rocks. I've almost got it right. Once I get it to where I like it I'll be doing a tutorial on rock making. It will have ingredients I use as well as the clay colors and proportions.