The Blue Bottle Tree

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone pressured me for certainties about the BEST or ONLY way to do something with polymer clay.

I find it super frustrating to help people like this because, most of the time, my advice is some variation of "It depends." Because it nearly always does depend on the situation at hand.

The materials, size, experience level, clay brand, lifespan, and use case will make a huge difference in how things "should" be done. There's a lot to it! Figuring it out is how you learn. And there's no shame in that!

The best way to figure out how to do something is to do some test runs with small amounts and see what happens.

As it turns out, there are very few mandates in polymer clay beyond "don't burn it" and "don't hate yourself when something needs a plan B, just try the next thing."

There are many great local brands of polymer clay available around the world. One great one that I've had the pleasure of working with is PVClay, from Brazil.

You can read my review of PVClay on my website. Just type PVClay in the search box on the home page.

There have been some truly unique and innovative techniques being developed by members of Insiders who have been participating in the 100 Day Project.

Karen Belsley-Pratt's project was called String Theory. She wanted to explore using polymer clay "strings" to make things. She started with the basics. How to make string? Then once she got that figured out, how to use the string to make things?

She mainly used knitting techniques you're probably familiar with. But she had to develop ways to improve strength, deal with breakage, weave in ends, add beads, and join ends of a knitted tube or strip. Tools were made to help, too. It was a complex, fascinating project.

The bracelet you see here was knitted flat, the beads were added as she went, and finally the strip was joined in the round. The bracelet slides off over her hand. This was finished on Day 99. There was also a stunning lace color featuring interchangeable polymer-clay closures.

The entire journey is documented day by day in Blue Bottle Insiders, in the 100 Day Project 2026 section, if you'd like to explore it.

Karen says the 100 Days might be over, but she keeps getting new ideas every day and will continue to explore her "String Theory" for a long time.

We're doing a unit in Blue Bottle Insiders all about polymer clay mosaics.

The best part of Insiders is that you don't just learn from one person. You learn from the collective knowledge, experience, resources, and experimentation the community pulls together. "Learn With Us" is our ongoing learning project in which we pick a topic and learn about it together.

Experimentation is welcome. We're learning as we go, and we share what we discover. The best part is how we cheer each other on!

Polymer clay is a perfect material for creating mosaics. At its simplest, it can be baked sheets cut into squares and placed into rows as you see here. Or you can make sheets of marbled "stone" or "glass" to create interest and variation. Add molded bits, beads, or found objects. Use texture. Grout with liquid clay....or not.

Use mosaics to cover boxes, make jewelry, make wall art, cover vases and bowls, or even garden art. You can even make cool mosaic tiles for your kitchen backsplash. This is truly a rabbit hole you will enjoy going down.

Bring your experience, your questions, and your willing desire to learn and try new things.

Follow the link in my bio or home page to join Insiders. See you soon!

The 100 Day Project is complete!

I'll be writing a post soon about my experience, sharing thoughts, wins, fails, and takeaways.

You can see them all on my website. What a huge array of techniques!

Our Book Club is starting its 12th book on June 26th. We'll be stepping through the book Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry by Ronna Sarvas Weltman, Artist and Teacher.

The Blue Bottle Insiders Book Club meets every other week to explore a chapter or section of a book, and alternating weeks are workroom sessions. Members have a great time exploring techniques, learning new things, and sharing what they make. Supportive, collaborative, real.

Join us! Info about Insiders is on my website.

Here's how to make a unique patterned crackle from polymer clay. Save this!

1. Start with a white sheet of clay, make it thick. Use a mold release (preferably water) and make a deep texture impression.

2. Then take a light color of pastel and slather it on. Use a brush to get down in the crevices so you don’t see any white clay.

3. Next, take a contrasting, darker pastel color and use your finger to rub it on the high spots. A brush won’t do. There’s really no good substitute for your finger. Get dirty. Brave the icky feeling of dry pastel on your fingers. Go for it!

4. Before you forget, go wash your hands. Now get out your heat gun and heat this thing up. It will take more heat than you think. You want to partially cure the top of the sheet. It should be squishy underneath, but a fingernail won’t really dent the top. Let cool. I use an industrial heat gun, and I get pretty close to it. (Too much or too long and the whole thing will cure…which we don’t want.) I can’t tell you a temp or how long…too many variables. Trust your fingers and see how it feels. You can always cure more, but you can’t uncure it. (And use good ventilation anytime you use a heat gun with polymer clay!)

5. Use your blade to remove the sheet from the tile/glass and flex it. You should be able to crack it in all the parts where it makes sense for the design. Use your roller to stretch it a bit, revealing fresh white unbaked clay. Avoid using the pasta machine because it can be way too aggressive, and you can’t undo that. If the whole thing tears through, just mush it back together.

6. Use some gold (or a contrasting color) mica powder to color the cracks. Be liberal with it and use a brush.

7. Dust/blow/remove the excess mica. Now cut the sheet however you want. Into earring pieces, square it off, or whatever your heart desires. I made mine a square. Next, bake it.

8. I mounted mine on 4” cradled wood panel that I painted with gold paint. I used good old Elmer’s glue to mount it.

Should I do more "Try This" posts? Tell me why in the comments.

Save this post and TAG ME when you try it. I want to see what you make with it!

Another week of the 100 Days of Wall Art.

This was the first week that I really didn't want to finish this project. But when we're this close to the end, it's time to power through.

I had a lot of dental work this week so there was little time or energy for creativity.

Remember that creativity doesn't come from an empty well. Take care of yourself. Get sleep. Eat well. Give yourself grace.

We are coming into the home stretch for the 100 Day Project.

I'll be happy to be free of the stress of having to do it everyday, but I will miss the creativity that comes from it. I honestly don't know what I'm going to make each day and then...it happens.

The human mind's capacity for creative exploration blows me away.

Not much longer now.

art

I'm still doing the 100 Day Project every single day. Yesterday was Day 83, which means we're getting down toward the end.

I started this project with so many ideas, and I feel like I barely got started with them. I guess it got distracted by more ideas as I went along. Not that I'm ADHD or anything. 🙄

So this is getting back to something I did last year and wanted to continue exploring. Color Ribbons.