In December 2019 I came across the polymer clay challenge on Kater’s Acres website
I started reading about it, and it’s a commitment to work with polymer clay and complete one item per week. You can choose a theme or do whatever you like. It made me very excited, and I decided to give it a try in 2020.
On her Facebook group, I joined the challenge and got even more excited when I saw what the ladies did in 2019. Then I had to decide what I was going to do. I didn’t want to do a theme for the whole year (I know I will get bored) so I decided to do whatever I wanted and to have as much fun as possible.
So, this was the first week of the 2020 Polymer Clay Challenge and after thinking of so many options, I finally decided to start the challenge with something I’ve never done before. I was going to make a patchwork pendant, inspired by one of Kater’s Acres tutorials
I prepared squares of clay in different colours and textured them. Then I cut them into strips and put them together on another clay square. After that, I used a cookie cutter to cut the shape out.
It looked fine, but I wasn’t entirely happy with it, it needed something else. So I added thin strips of clay on top where the clay pieces join. It took a few tries before I was happy with the colours and the look. Lastly, I added some scrapbooking embellishments and a normal screw (that Gareth cut shorter for me).
Here it is, my first week’s item for the challenge – a patchwork pendant
I was very happy with the way it all came together
A heart cane
It is loads of fun to make and very rewarding when you slice it and you get the perfect picture
A pen, decorated with cupcakes and a pen holder in the shape of a cupcake
Loads of fun to make 😁
I love making cupcakes, whether they are edible or out of polymer clay
Miniature teddy bear
3cm high
I followed SweetMiniDollhouse’s tutorial on YouTube but decided to make mine into a fridge magnet and not 3D like hers
A miniature dachshund holding a cupcake
2.8cm high
My first attempt at making a miniature dachshund … not so easy 😆
Two miniature dachshunds
I used my first two dachshunds, Tinky and Gina as models
(of course,Tinky’s tongue had to be out) 😄😄
I tried the mokume gane technique and made funky dachshund fridge magnets
Mokume Gane is a traditional Japanese method for laminating various colors of metals together and manipulating them to create patterns.
Polymer clay works perfectly to create patterns from layers of clay, manipulating them and removing slices.
I made a stack of clay out of layers of different colours of polymer clay and then pressed it full of holes etc. This is what creates the patterns.
Then I cut it into slices, but unfortunately, my clay was too soft and I couldn’t get perfect slices, so I decided to slice smaller pieces and put them together.
And that became my funky fridge magnets
I am going to try the mokume gane technique again with stiffer clay
Miniature penguin
2.6cm high
The more miniatures I make, the more I love doing them 😍
A Jelly Roll Cane
I followed a tutorial and it’s so simple to do … make a jelly roll cane, press holes in it, and slice it lengthwise
The patterns are amazing!!
A miniature bunny with long ears
3cm high
We are in week 10 and I am having so much fun!