Exturde the ready made cane through different shape disc can be fun. Here I used Black and white, petal can end with one of the Lycy's disc, then slice the cane into several thin slice as shown. Try to keep them line up in a row.

Then I extrude the black clay through circle disc.

using the shape needle, pick up each small slice and line it up on the black log as shown.

Cut into small section, poke a hole through and baked.

BASIC BEAD MAKING - 101

I like to use Ultra Light clay to make the inside (core) of my beads to cut down on the weight of my big beads and big necklace. So, here it is.  I slide a thick slab out of about 1/2" thick.

 I cut the slab in half then cut into pieces like so. I do not measure them. If you want a perfectly uniform beads, you can measure and then cut.

 Roll each piece into a ball between the palm of you hand, set aside.

 Roll a sheet of black clay, or any color clay that you want. I roll it fairly thin.Wrap the black clay around the Ultra Light balls. Roll the beads between the palm of your hands till all the seams disappear.

 I then slice the cane into very thin slices, arrange them around the black beads. Roll the bead till the cane slices embedded  into the surface. Let the beads set for a while before make a hole through it, then bake accordingly.

2 new tutorial posted on another blog, for now. www.silastones.blogspot.com

I just found out that slide.com had shut down. :( Good new is I have all the pictures on my computer and back up disc.
Please give me sometime to work this out. I will try to put them all up in different format.
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Ponsawan

This is how I make the Mini Roses. The main idea is to make the blend sheet and shape it into petal cane. You can make a regular Skinner blend for this project, I just like how the the colors bend together, this way.

First, I cut strips of 1"x3" clay. Then make a blend sheet as shown. The things that I put on my Pasta machine are homemade sheet reducer. I made them from scrap clay in various sizes. The idea is to be able to control the size of the clay sheet. (Because you will fold the sheet in half and run it through, the sheet will spread and we don't want that to happen).

Fold the blend sheet in half, squeeze the sheet side way together and run it through the pasta machine. One by one I add the sheet reducer until I get the strip of clay to the size that I want. In this case, about 2" wide.

As you know, there is the other way to get the strip like this, but I just like it this way. Notice that I only use a small strips of clay. I don't like to make big canes, I feel out-of-control. :)

Cut the strip of clay in to 5 pieces and stack them as shown.

Cut off both ends of the stack and squeeze each end till it pointed. Now you will get a log or a cane. Reduce the cane and shape it into a petal shape. Cut out several petal, 10 for each flower.

Stretch one of the petal out and roll it on to the small knitting needle to make the base for the flower. Make it plump like a pear shape. Then stick the petals on the base. Don't push the petals together, make them stick together lightly, that way the flower will look light and airly just like fresh flower. 4 petals inside and 5 on the outside and make the outside a bit lower than the inside row .

Add sepals and small stem with green clay.

Auction for Ada - Round two

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Auction for Ada

I am running an Auction for my daughter, Ada for 2 weeks starting on Saturday, September 25th, 2010 till Friday, October,8th, 2010. Please check out my other blog for more details.