Where did the year go?

It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since I have even posted on this blog. It has been a crazy busy year but so many good things are happening. We started and finished our first year of Polymer Clay Adventure virtual retreat and it turned out to be the biggest polymer clay event in the world! How amazing is that! We had more than 1000 attendees in the first year and now we have launched year two. I am looking forward to another awesome year full of fun.

This year we also have some new and exciting things planned and are launching a whole other part of our business. Now that Kira has been able to quit her day job and devote her time to our business it opens up so many other possibilities. Stay tuned for more about that but meanwhile get on the list to be notified of whats up and coming. http://www.createalong.com

Here is a fairly recent pic of me since I don't think I have one on the site and you might be wondering who is this Ilysa Ginsburg person. LOL I am going to try to share more here on Emerald Earth this year I have so much going on and I want to share it all with you so I hope you will check back in to see whats up next. Have a happy, healthy new year!
Hugs,
Ilysa

A Passion for Creating with Polymer Clay

I was surprised to see my last post was back in November life has been quite an adventure since then. The first ever polymer clay and mixed media virtual retreat has launched with a huge success. We have almost 1000 attendees to this first year virtual retreat. Yes I did say virtual meaning we are all online and all around the world coming together because of our passion for polymer clay.

When my biz partner Kira and I dreamt up this event we never knew it would morph into something  as big as this in the first year, it has been such a blessing and so rewarding to see our almost 8 years of work and dedication to sharing polymer clay with the world come together in such a successful event that people all over the world can enjoy.

Lets face it attending retreats are expensive and not everyone can afford to attend one. Many people also have mobility issues, family and work obligations and just can't travel. So we wanted to have an event that all those things were not an issue and I think we pulled that off and we are going strong. There are 22 teachers this year and 2 classes are released each month. It's been great getting to know everyone around the world and interact with them via the community forum. Everyone has so much to share it is a wonderful experience and new friends are being made. If you want to check it out you can do so at this link.
http://www.polymerclayadventure.com

We are already planning the 2016 event so this will be a yearly event. We hope that you will join us on this wild adventure we are creating memories of a lifetime!

We wanted to bring awareness back to the Bottle of Hope program which is a program where polymer clay artists create bottles to give to cancer patients. So we decided to host a BOH challenge and get the public involved in making bottles for this wonderful cause. You can check it out at this link.
http://craftylink.ning.com/bottles-of-hope-contest-submissions

I created a video showing how to make a Bottle of Hope if you would like to get started creating your own. Enjoy!

Announcing the Bottles of Hope 2015 challenge

Announcing the Bottles of Hope 2015 challenge! We have contributed to the Bottles of Hope program for many years and noticed that there has not been as much awareness of the program lately and we wanted to change that. So we are hosting the 2015 Bottles of Hope challenge with lots of prizes to be won. Find out how to get involved and have a chance to win some fabulous prizes too.
http://craftylink.ning.com/get-involved/polymer-clay-adventure/boh

Easy Tags for your luggage and studio organization

This month the challenge was on, we received a box of goodies that I really had to put my thinking cap on. Since I am not a paper crafter my mind doesn't usually think this way but I wanted a way to utilize paper in my designs so I decided to create some tags. First I created a luggage tag using the Deflecto flexible pouches, it was super easy to do and you can create them to go with your luggage or to stand out so you can easily spot it as it comes down the conveyor belt. Of course my luggage is a little colorful anyway but I think the tag stands out even better because of it.

We received these wonderful organizational bins that I adore but if I cram a lot of things in there it can be harder to find things and let me tell you I am a crammer.LOL So I thought why not create some tags to label each bin. These super grip sign holders are just that when you stick them to something they are not coming off easily which I love!

I have to say my favorite new thing is being able to see my stencils and hanging them makes it so easy to find what I am looking for. To see more details on all of the products I used please visit Deflecto's website at http://www.deflecto.com

Come on an adventure with us, a polymer clay adventure that is...

In case you haven't heard about the first ever polymer clay and mixed media adventure called polymer Clay Adventure I want to share a little about how it has come together. Over a year ago Kira my business partner and I decided we wanted to host a retreat that anyone, anywhere in the entire world with access to a computer could attend. Let's face it retreats can be expensive, with travel, the cost of the retreat, babysitters, time off from work and the family etc. can really set you back a pretty penny. We wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the community aspect where everyone gets to know each other and to be able to learn from their favorite artists without breaking the bank.

 After a ton of planning which is still going on we were able to pull it off.we gathered 22 super talented artists together from all over the world and will be introducing the first year long retreat which you can attend from the comfort of your home. There will be 2 new classes every month, there will be interviews and pajama parties and live chats and demos and so much more! This is going to be some serious fun! You will get all 24 classes and all of the events for only $99. I know that sounds impossible but it's true, we have far exceeded our expectations and as of this writing we have almost 500 people from all around the world attending. The event doesn't kick off until January 1,2015 so we expect there will be many more people joining us.

 So how do we think we can pull it off? Kira and I met online 8 years ago and we have never lived closer than 350 miles form each other almost everything we have done we have done virtually. We have learned the ins and outs of producing online video, communicating online, chatting and recording video online and so on. We have learned what works and what doesn't, we have learned how to make things user friendly and easily accessible, we have learned the best way to communicate and share online and now we are sharing it with the world. Don't get me wrong it's a huge undertaking but we have no doubts we can do it and do it great! Heck I think the hardest thing so far was convincing the teachers that we could pull it off. We are so happy many of them could see our vision and decided to join us. We know it will be an amazing adventure. So how can you join us?
Hop on over to http://www.polymerclayadventure.com and you can read all the details, we even have videos you can watch too. It will definitely be a year of creative inspiration and we hope you will join us. Hope to see you on the adventure!

Organizing is a breeze with these Deflecto products and a great way to store your extruder discs too!

I built my dream art studio last October and I am still working on organization, its been slow going considering how much stuff I have. I had plenty of my own stuff but I also inherited my moms 30+ years of collections as well. So you can imagine how much stuff I have. I am a member of the Deflecto design team and Deflecto makes some awesome organization products. I have a ton of clay cutters and had been storing them in plastic bags and had to sort through all the bags to find what I wanted. Let me tell you it was a pain in the neck so boy was I glad to get these organizational products to work with.

The black round one with the stackable bins is the Lazy susan design, I love how easy it is to find my cutters as the bins are all clear and I can spin it around to see them all. There are also stackable cubes that many people have used for dies and embossing plates. I used mine for molds and tools. There are also cubes with drawers and I have some of my metal stamps in them along with sponges.

The bins on the right are also awesome for organizing, I use them to store my liquid clay, molds, cutters and dye ink. They have one with a larger bin which is on the bottom and one that the bins are smaller which is on the top. They stack or mount on the wall, since I like to change things around all of the time I decided not to mount mine at the moment. There are so many options for these bins and I loved seeing all of this stuff that was just laying around now so neat and organized.

Deflecto also makes magnetic sheets which I was going to print out our logo on as little giveaways but my printer would not grab the sheets it kept telling me I had to add paper, lets just say it's a touchy printer.LOL  I wanted a way to keep my extruder discs neatly organized but easily accessible and easy to find so I thought how great would it be to place them on the magnetic sheet and it worked like a charm. I hope these give you some ideas for organizing your space. It feels so good when you can actually find what you are looking for and it looks so much nicer than disorganization!

 

Meet your Polymer Clay Adventure Teachers

So I told you the other day we are hosting the first ever virtual Polymer Clay & Mixed Media Art Retreat, Polymer Clay Adventure and there are 22 teachers involved. We will be showcasing all of them through a series of videos. This will give you a chance to get to know their work a little better. Enjoy!

Some fun projects I made with the Deflecto acrylic frames

I recently was asked to join the first Deflecto Ambassador design team. They make organizational products and most of you know I recently built my dream art studio so I thought what great timing. So for the first month they sent me a bunch of acrylic frames. They have introduced some that were so fun and colorful I had to play with those first, since I love color. Here are some photos of what I made with them using polymer clay, ribbon and some creativity. They were a little hard to photograph because of the glare so please excuse the photos. At least I am not posting the ones I took in my pajamas and you could see me in the refection. LOL  Hope you like them!

Announcing the first ever all inclusive virtual polymer clay and mixed media retreat

Announcing the first ever virtual polymer clay and mixed media retreat, Polymer Clay Adventure. You can attend from anywhere in the world. Click this link to find out more about the 22 talented teachers.
http://www.polymerclayadventure.com/

Polymer Clay Light Switch Cover are so Fun to Make

I had so much fun making these polymer clay light switch plates, I used to make them all of the time but haven't made any in a while, I like the way these came out. You can check them out in my etsy store at http://www.ilysaart.etsy.com

Polymer Clay Oval Cutters make Unique Flowers Tutorial

Want to learn how to make some easy flowers with lots of depth? Join Ilysa on Polymer Clay TV where she will show you how to take oval  clay cutters and turn them into unique flowers with lots of texture and interest. You can find the cutters at this link: http://polymerclayproductions.com/clay-cutters/

Polymer clay Ideas have been coming at the speed of light

Hello to all of my creative friends! This has been a busy month full of experimenting and creating with polymer clay. We have been getting in some of the coolest clay cutters and I have been so inspired to create! There is nothing like a new product to get the juices flowing. I have so many ideas that I will be sharing with you and you can always catch a new episode of Polymer Clay TV every Wednesday.  Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything.

Below is one of our recent, most popular shows. The products should be available by now at your local Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I haven't seen them many places online so your best bet for locating them is at your local store. I saw them at my local Michael's and Polyform said they were carrying them there too.

I will be filming a new episode of In the studio with Ilysa as soon as my contractor comes to help hang some things for me in my studio. It's funny but I have such a hard time getting things straight and hung properly so I am waiting for John so it can be done right. I am loving my art studio and until now have left the walls bare, not sure what I wanted to do with them but I have figured it out so stay tuned for the show and see what I came up with. Hint Hint it has something to do with jewelry.

I also had a little visitor drinking out of my cats bowl this month. I was INSIDE the house taking the photo. LOL I was actually on the screened in porch when he walked by and I saw him out of the corner of my eye, I thought it was the black and white cat I rescued but boy was I surprised when I saw who it was drinking from the bowl. I grabbed my other cat and ran in the house until he was done and wandered back into the woods. I found out an interesting tidbit, most people think that if you see a skunk out in the day that its rabid, well the truth of it is that its usually a mommy skunk getting food for the babies, so by all means let it do its thing and don't get close!

Polymer Clay Happenings and Lots in Store

We have just started to settle into our new community on Ning, you may notice that some of the pages are still being worked on and built. The chat is not working yet but we are hoping Ning gets that going soon so we can once again start up some live demos and fun interviews. We have a lot in store but it's out of our hands until Ning gets it completely built on their end. Cross your fingers it will all come soon.
On another note we have been finding really cool cutters in our travels and have added several new designs to the shop. http://polymerclayproductions.com/clay-cutters/
New clay cutters!

48 hour sale!
This week on Polymer Clay TV we demoed some fun ways to use our brand new Kaleidoscope Cutters and you can watch the show at this link. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss anything!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9gh-sCjOlY&list=UUXJrmqUYTtQ224N0QcUcnYw
**We also have a 48 hour SALE going on now on the Kaleidoscope cutters so get them for a super great price while you can!

Learn new things!
Last week Kira showed you some fun ideas on how to make a really cool bird plaque, you can watch it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk8TEPmSGmU&list=UUXJrmqUYTtQ224N0QcUcnYw

Got Soft Clay?
One of the things you will start to notice as we get into these summer months is how soft your clay will get, which makes it stick to things. This is never fun but rest assured there are ways to rectify that. You can use a release! You will discover your favorite release but I prefer using some water on the clay and some water on my stamp or cutter and that usually does the trick. Kira prefers to use Armor All, yes the stuff you use on cars. You can also use cornstarch powder, it will show in your finished design so you may need to wash it off. Experiment with these releases to see what works best for you. You can also put your clay in the fridge to cool it down too! I live in northern FL where the last few months we steadily saw temperatures above 90 degrees and I know how frustrating soft clay can be!
We have created an Ultimate Guide to choosing a  clay brand that you can check out to help you decide which brand is right for your project. Here is a link to it.
http://polymerclayproductions.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-a-polymer-clay-brand-for-your-project/

New polymer clay cutters and new videos! I'm in love!

It's been awhile since the last update so I thought I would share some of the things we have going on lately.  I have been working in my new studio and of course we are working on lots of upcoming projects to share with you. In case you haven't seen the new clay cutters you should definitely check them out they are super cool! I am in love with them and have had a blast creating with them. Here is a jar I created today.

Unfortunately we sold out of these cutters so fast it made our head spin. LOL But rest assured we have ordered some more and if you want to make sure you get yours you can pre order them now at the link below. We only ordered a limited supply so don't delay. 

http://polymerclayproductions.com/clay-cutters/

We also have some other super fun cutters that not only cut the clay but leave an impression too! Here are a couple pieces I made using them. Make sure to tune into Polymer Clay TV to see us make lots of fun things with these cutters, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a thing. 

Here is another fun technique I have been working on and have started on a tutorial for them so stay tuned for that too, this is a close up of an earring I have made. 

Needless to say I have been doing a lot more creating lately and I am having so much fun! We have lots of great things in store. We are still working on that major event we have hinted about. If you haven't gotten on the list to be one of the first to get your invite make sure to sign up HERE.

Fun new polymer clay cutters made creating even easier!

Fun new clay cutters! All of these were made using these cutters. Your only limited by your imagination!  http://bit.ly/1gGL3w6

Polymer clay butterfly garden necklace my latest creation

Polymer clay butterfly garden necklace my latest creation to be added to my etsy shop. http://www.ilysaart.etsy.com

I have been doing a lot more listing in my etsy shop, I create a lot of new things and this is the best place to find them.

I have been working on some new styles and thought I would share some pics here. I have lots of new pieces in the works so keep checking back for updates on my new work. Hope you like them!

Henna style influences these Bohemian polymer clay earrings. Available in my etsy shop. http://www.ilysaart.etsy.com

I'm having a blast creating in my studio here are some polymer clay creations

I have been doing a lot of creating lately and it feels so good. It is sometimes hard to find the time to just lose myself in my studio since I have so many things going on but yesterday I spent a little ME time working on some new ideas. I love how they are progressing and I wanted to just share my work in progress. Hope you like them.

New E book Polymer Clay Tutorial Ultimate Guide to Creative Stencil Use for Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Art and Save on the bundle

Buy Now on etsy

Polymer clay tutorial bundle. You will receive all 3 of these Ultimate Guides and save $5.00 off the regular price. There is a ton of info for you to learn all about polymer clay and mixed media artwork. Below is the description for each tutorial.

Polymer Clay Tutorial Ultimate Guide to Creative Stencil Use for Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Art:

In this polymer clay and mixed media stenciling tutorial we will show you how to use many products to create multi faceted art and designs using various kinds of stencils on paper and polymer clay. 

There are 54 pages, 25 techniques and how to combine them. It includes 2 full length complete projects, 75 photos and 7 bonus videos. 

With the techniques you will learn, you can create wall art, decor, fabric art, jewelry and more using many of the mixed media supplies you already have on hand and perhaps discover some new favorites.

We are Ilysa Ginsburg and Kira Slye and we have been creating art with polymer clay and mixed media for over 20 years. We are partners in Polymer Clay TV and co authored a polymer clay how to book called Polymer Clay Art Jewelry - How to make polymer clay jewelry using new techniques. We really mean it when we say new because we spend a lot of time testing and trying products from the art world and sometimes not, sometimes we just see something interesting and give it a try so that we can bring our discoveries to you.
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Polymer Clay Tutorial Ultimate Guide 202 Tips and Tricks to make working with polymer clay easier:

Polymer clay tips and tricks is jam packed with all kinds of polymer clay knowledge. We have each been working with polymer clay for over 20 years and have lots of tips and tricks we have learned along the way. There are 202 tips and tricks to get you started on your polymer clay journey.

Here are some of the things we cover in this e-book:

Differences between clay brands
What you can make with polymer clay
Mixing clay brands
Liquid Clays
Cleaning your pasta machine
Blade use and variety and how to extend the life of your blades
Tools and work surfaces
Pigments and powders
Inclusions
Acrylic paint and liquid acrylic ink
Textures and creating your own textures
Molding 
Extruders
Using stencils
Armatures
Antiquing
Apoxie clay
Baking your clay
Storage
Learn from the pros and stop making mistakes!
Stop Floundering, and Start Enjoying your art projects.

With bonus video and photos to illustrate difficult tips... 

This is not a traditional tutorial. Rather, it is a collection of 202 valuable insights into working with the incredibly versatile and fun medium, polymer clay. 

We've included our tips for mastering your studio space, how to use tools and where to get them, how to use mixed media supplies along with polymer clay, how to clean your pasta machine, how to pick up clay that is stuck to a surface, how to bake, how to make your pieces look finished, how to avoid mistakes that make your work look amateur, how to stop being frustrated by clay and enjoy the process!

There are links to shopping sites so you can stop hunting down the best places to find your clay and tools, and of course some easy links to things like our Youtube channel so you can learn even more.

We've made it Super Easy for you by collecting and describing 202 tips and tricks to working with polymer clay all in one place! This is YOUR #1 resource for discovering things that work well with polymer clay.
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Polymer Clay Tutorial Ultimate Guide To Crackle Techniques Art and Craft Jewelry:

Stop Floundering, and Start Enjoying your art projects!

102 photos, 21 pages, 5 bonus videos, 14 techniques, 32 variations... 
Learning lots of techniques doesn't have to be hard in this polymer clay tutorial.

We've made it Super Easy for you by collecting and describing all these fabulous and fun techniques for creating a crackled look on your clay items all in one place! This is YOUR #1 resource for knowing which products work great, which don't, and how to use them to produce the crackled effect that you are looking for.

Polymer Clay E Books 48 hour sale

Were having a 48 hour sale! 2 ebooks on sale today! Don't delay.
https://gumroad.com/l/pZJI

Our collage sheets so you can follow along on Polymer Clay Tv are also on sale.

https://gumroad.com/l/WUkG