Its simply nice to share

Along the way, I've had some polymer artists extend themselves and share their knowledge and present me with great opportunities. Kindness should overflow, shouldn't it? So it seems appropriate that I make my first small attempt to 'give back' with a tutorial at the beginning of America's week of Thanksgiving.
( A special thanks to Ronna, Cynthia, Claire, Lynn, Tracy, and Christine.)


There has been some interest in my fiber-y beads so here goes. Yes, yes, its simple (but I tend to be pretty simple) and they make a nice contrasting texture with smoother beads .

1. Roll a ball of clay.


2. Flatten slightly to make a chunky disk. Put a hole through the center to made a bead.


3. Cross hatch with a tissue blade all around the sides. Don't leave too much blank space. Change the angle of your blade after 5-7 or so slashes tilting the blade so that your lines cover the entire side of the bead. Cross hatch but with a blade.


4. Squeeze either side of the bead with your fingers to make the cross hatch lines open up, revealing a fiber-y sort of pattern. And you will probably need to re-open the bead hole at this point too.


Here are the beads used in a finished piece. They can be used as is, sanded to make the raised areas shine in contrast to the "canyons" or, as I usually do, I distress with acrylic paint to enhance the texture.



(Please feel free to use the beads anyway you want. Crediting me would be nice. Sending me pictures of what you made would be great too and I would be happy to post your projects here.)