Free Flower Cane Tutorial

Tutorial: Basic Flower Cane
by Linda Riopel of NKDesigns 

Here’s a little tutorial to help you get started in cane making of a flower.  This is a very basic cane.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of making canes is the versatility the artist has in color choices, number of petals, number of veins and the center of the flower. Have fun!

Materials:
Skinner blend (white plus your choice of flower petal color) rolled into a plug. 
½ block of translucent clay (Premo or Kato)
¼ block of contrasting color clay for the veins and to wrap the Skinner blend plug.
Tools:

•    Tissue blade knife
•    Heart Shaped (or your desired shape) cutter
•    Pasta machine

                                  

Step 1:  Cut three veins into the Skinner blend plug for the veins.  Here I used turquoise and white Skinner blend and added turquoise veins.  I wrapped the Skinner blend plug with a darker turquoise very thin layer (the thinnest setting on your pasta machine.)

Step 2:  Reduce this plug by gently squeezing the center into a “dog bone” shape and gently elongating the cane to approximately 7 to 8 inches.  Do not roll the cane.  Cut this long cane into six pieces.  Trim off the ends.

Step 3:  Decide what you would like for the center of the flower.  Here I used a black center and placed some white lace canes around it.  You can just use a bullseye cane or if you prefer, just a snake.

Step 4:  Gently shape the six pieces into a petal shape with the veins at the bottom and place around the center of the flower.

Step 5:  Make a long thin snake of the translucent and place in between the petals. 

Step 6:  On the thinnest setting of your pasta machine, make a thin strip of translucent and wrap the entire cane.


Step 7:  Reduce this cane (dog bone shape – just squeezing the center of the cane) and then elongating it until you have about six inches.  Do not roll this cane.

Step 8:  Cut this long cane in half and reduce again, giving you different size flowers.
Here you will see how I placed the flowers along one side of a flat heart.  I’ve added leaves and white flowers.  If you wish to copy this background, there is a tutorial on how this is done. 



I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Copyrights 2009 Linda Riopel

The Challenge of Caning

Our next challenge, caning, is generating a lot of buzz on our members' discussion forum. It is great to see seasoned caning pros helping the novices get ready for the challenge. That spirit of community is at the heart of PCAGOE membership.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the conversation. This advice is from member Linda from NKDesigns. Stop back  on Wednesday to see a free flower cane tutorial by Linda.

So what exactly is a cane?  The Three Ps!

A cane is a log or cylinder of clay that has a design running through it, so each slice of the cane contains the design. When trying to describe what exactly a cane is to a novice clayer, those holiday cookies come to mind - the slice and bake cookies from the grocer’s freezer.  Caning with polymer clay is an art form in and of itself.  Manipulating different colors, shapes and sizes of clay to form geometric, landscapes, faces, quilt patterns and flowers (and many more subjects) is what caning is all about.  Caning is a technique originally used in glassmaking and adapted to our medium of polymer clay.

There are three main brands of clay used for caning in the United States, Kato, Premo, Fimo, and Sculpey.  Each brand has different properties; Kato being the choice for many caners.  Other people prefer Premo, Fimo, and Sculpey or a combination of the clays. 

The cane can be round, square, triangular, or any other regular shape. There are complicated canes such as kaleidoscope and more simple types such as a bullseye cane. Making a cane usually begins with a Skinner blend.  The clay is then manipulated into a design, cut into pieces and reassembled.  For example, petals of a flower around a center stem.

To make a cane, you combine sheets and long snakes of clay in a pattern that will be revealed when you slice the cane. You can use any combination of colors and patterns; you can even use small canes as part of your design, combining them into larger canes.

Once a cane is created, the next step is to reduce or lengthen the cane to make the design different sizes.  This is accomplished by squeezing the middle of the cane in a type of “dog bone” shape and gently extending both sides of the cane to the needed sizes.  Most canes are never rolled since the design inside the cane has a tendency to distort.  Resting the reduced cane for several hours or even days helps with slicing.  Thin slices, using a tissue blade (the kind a pathologist might use) are taken from the cane and applied onto a base – be it a pendant, bead, structure, etc.  The edges of the slice are then smoothed down and it’s ready to be fired.

Canes should be wrapped with waxed paper or plastic wrap for storage.  They should be kept clean and dry for maximum usage. 

Making a cane can be intimidating for a new clayer, but with practice, patience and persistence, it is one of the most rewarding aspects of our medium.

October Challenge Winners

And the winners of the October "Masks" challenge are:

Winners voted on by the public:

1st Place: 

3 - Dragonfly Mystique by Arlene of Ashpaints

2nd Place: 
 

7 -  Showgirl by Jackie of The Pleasant Pheasant

3rd Place:

1 - Mexican Inspired Polymer Clay Mask by Lisa of HiGirls

Winners voted on by PCAGOE members:

1st Place:

3 - Dragonfly Mystique by Arlene of Ashpaints

2nd Place:

7 -  Showgirl by Jackie of The Pleasant Pheasant

3rd Place:

1 - Mexican Inspired Polymer Clay Mask by Lisa of HiGirls

The voters who won prizes this month:
Rosa Parks
Sandy Prenzi
Jennifer Smith
Winning voters have one week after being contacted to furnish us with your mailing address. If you do not respond within 1 week, your prize will be forfeited and returned to the prize pool.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who voted and supports our challenges each month.

193 votes were cast this month.


Comments left by the voters:
A great idea and a great challenge! I love working in polymer but doing faces well takes a lot of skill!

These are so creative. I love how each artist interpreted the theme in a unique way.

A difficult challenge this month. Members can through with flying colors. Very nice.

Very creative stuff - as always. Such talent here in this group!

This was truly a challenge for this artist but I love how it got me to experiment with shapes and dimensions I normally avoid. Everyone did a great job and there are surely seven winners this month!

Adorable masks! Great job by amazing artists.

Even with just seven entries, the choices are still difficult. I went with entries that stretched the boundaries of traditional masks.

Cool masks! I have to say that for me, the Dragonfly Mask takes the cake for being really well done and great looking, but I sure liked the others as a very close second to that one. Good going, everyone.

These are all beautiful works of art . Thanks for sharing

This was a hard decision this month. All the masks are works of art and are all beautiful.

Great variety in the entries this month.

This challenge was particularly difficult for me to vote on as (A) I LOVE masks; and (B) I felt every single one was excellent.
Brava!!!

I love the use of colors and the personal touch in these masks. They are all so nice!

So bummed that I couldn't find time to do this challenge... this was one I was really looking forward to doing, but alas, I haven't even touched a piece of polymer clay in months. :( I really need to get back to creating. Job well done by all who entered. The dragonfly mask is my #1 pick, just beautifully executed...

You guys all did so well! Beautiful work.

A wonderful challenge and awesome entries.

Loved 'em all. Hard to choose.

#7 rocks. Full fledged mask. A lot of professional work went into this one!

All entrees are so different and colorful which made this a difficult decision. I applaud all for their creativity!

Great idea! Love the entries!

Beautiful Masks!

I saw a link to this in a post from Jackie Seiban. These are all amazing masks! I belong to the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild on ArtFire and unfortunately we weren't able to do our Masquerade Ball Challenge this year. You've got some very talented artists here!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Love them all....makes it so difficult to choose!

I was impressed by the use of color and rhythm in some of the interpretations this month. Masks aren't easy--I have tried to make them myself and was not completely satisfied with the results, so I appreciate even more the beautiful and striking results in this month's challenge pieces.

Your members are so talented that it is hard to choose!

all the work is lovely and shows off the range of talent in the guild.

I love voting for these monthly
contests! There are so many
talented artists.....
Thanks, Cindi

Your pages continue to inspire me.

Great entries, hard to choose...Always enjoy!

It was hard to make a choice because they are all excellent. I chose the ones that were more "me".

I love seeing the entries every month. All the artists are so original

I love all of them and it was so hard to choose! Can I just pick all 7?!! :)

Being from Mississippi, Mardi Gras is right around the corner. I love these! Great job everyone!
Theresa

I love polymer clay masks, am in Sarajane Halems mask book myslef and oftenmake some - what better medium than PC to express strong feelings like those a mask can represent?

Awesome masks, mostly loved the first one, so vivid

The wakeup Mask is beautiful and I love the symbology.

The thumbnail of #7 was not impressive - enlarged the exquisite detail easily makes it #1.

Nice work everyone!

These are all wonderful! As always,
very hard to choose.

These are fun!

Everyone did so well that as always it was hard to pick. Good luck to everyone.

All the masks are so pretty, it was difficult to chose one. Thanks for letting us help choose.

Just found you and love the site

All the entries are amazing and inspirational.

Love the textures & colors that work so well together

I love the dragon fly on the mask.

I'm sad I missed this one, MOVING takes so much out of you.....

I'm just starting off learning polymer clay and these wonderful works of art are great inspriation for where this new passion might take me. thank you

I think these mask are realy lovely and a piece of art

goodness, so hard to pick,they are so different and original---wonderful work each and evey one-sherry

Just beautiful and I really liked the assortment. Wonderful job to all. Eileen

Such lovely work hard to pick my favorites. Always such enjoyable eye candy displayed at these challenges.

I truly love the crackle finish on the showgirl mask and the braided headband. I like the simplicity of this compared to the more ornate ones.

I am just getting started in poly-clay.
All of these beautiful works inspire me.
Thank you so much for sharing!

In a word....Thanks...Thanks for being here.

Love the colors of the beads on the Mexican mask!

What a lovely group with wonderful goal where polymer clay is so beautifully celebrated through each post.

number 1 is stunning, love the colours and work that must have went into it ! Lovely

All beautiful masks!! What a difficult challenge! The colors of The Mexican Mask are really popping:)

I have not yet joined the PCAGOE but it's on my list ! I love the newsletter I am also a polymer clay artist and it's so much fun to see what other artist's are creating ! I am happy to be able to vote it was fun and inspirational ! Thank You and Good Luck to all the artist's who had entries!

I really love the originality of "Wake Up"!

love the dingly danglies on the wake up mask...looks just like me when I get out of bed!

I simply love the whole contest and how creative people joins to do their very best and show their talent!

Interesting challenge. Loved to see the different styles of work. Particularly liked the color palate used in dragonfly mask as I have always been fasinated by the fancy masks of this type.

All the entries were extremly unique and intricate. It was difficult to judge - the more I looked at the entries, the more I saw to draw my eye towards each one.

Lisa's entry just made me smile and the detail work is exceptional. Well done.

I am glad you gave use the 1-2-3 choice I was having a hard time just picking one.

I thought all entries were quite original; but I could see that a lot of different kinds of work went into the Dragonfly Mask; and it turned out to be gorgeous.

The Show Girl Mask is very striking and mysterious. I especially like the gold crackle which is part of the forehead.

October Challenge: Masks

Scroll to the bottom of the post to vote for your favorites!

 

The theme for the October PCAGOE Challenge is Masks. Members could use their imaginations to create anything within this theme as long as the entry contained at least 50% polymer clay.

And the entries are:
Voting form is at the bottom of this post. It may take a minute for it to appear. Click on the titles to see a larger image.

1 - Mexican Inspired Polymer Clay Mask by Lisa of HiGirls
"This ornament was inspired by Mexican ceramic sun faces.
Entirely of polymer clay in a slight bowl shape, with seed beads added for a little sparkle."


2 - Moon Mask by Lyndell of Classons Creations
" Inspired by Venetian Masks and Native Moon Masks, this is a representation of what the man on the dark side of the moon would dream about if he could be bathed in sunlight. Golds, bronzes, and colours of the rainbow. His eyes are made from sea glass, a product of the tidal waters he controls. He measures 9-1/2" in diameter and hangs on the wall."


3 - Dragonfly Mystique by Arlene of Ashpaints
"I love texture and this mask is a combination of several layers of texture from the foundation piece that was cut and shaped over a sculpted face mold to the leaf and flower cane slices that edge the mask. Decorative swirls plus a nest of larger leaves and tendrils make a perfect place for this dragonfly to rest for just a minute."


4 -Fantasy Mask by Els of Beadelz
"This mask was made with some left overs from the lasercut workshop with Jana Roberts Benzon. These leftovers had some kind of tribal look which worked great for a mask. The mask is a fantasy creation but with African/tribal and Aztec artefacts in mind. I never ever made anything like a mask or a face. I actually wanted to make a Venetian mask but that turned out completely different."


5 - Venetian Mask by Cindy of Arrowdale Art Studio
"My entry into this month's Challenge of the PCAGOE, Masks, this is my take on a Venetian Ball mask. All of it's clay with an application of Perfect Pearls for shimmer."


6 - Wake Up by Line of Play Sculpt Live
" I call it Wake Up! Her real identity is being taken over by another entity while she is sleeping."


7 -  Showgirl by Jackie of The Pleasant Pheasant
"The "Showgirl" Mask is my entry into the October 2011 Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy's Monthly Challenge. This mask is about 3 inches wide by 4 inches tall."

Several of the entries are available for sale in our members' store. Please visit the individual shops to see these and other wonderful listings.


What you could win:

1st row, L-R: AlisonEKurek, 11BoldStreet,  ClayCenter,

2nd row, L-R: WiredOrchid, MarcymPC,

Pennyslane

Voting is closed. Please stop back soon for results.

Oranges, reds, and blues

Jackie of The Pleasant Pheasant created this treasury, Oranges, reds, and blues of September by PCAGOE, from a collection of  items hand-crafted by our members.

September Challenge Winners

And the winners of the September "Pink" challenge are:

Winners voted on by the public:

1st Place: 

13 - Laughter Breast Cancer Mosaic by Arlene of Ashpaints

2nd Place: two-way tie  

1 - Sweet and Stripes by Els of Beadelz

4 -For Kelly by Linda of NKDesigns

3rd Place:

11 - Art Nouveau Fan Brooch by Marie of YoungCreative

Winners voted on by PCAGOE members:

1st Place:

10 - Spring Renewal Pendant by Jan of Jan Geisen

 

2nd Place:

#13 - Laughter Breast Cancer Mosaic by Arlene of Ashpaints

3rd Place:

6 - Pink and Brass Napkin Rings by Lisa of HiGirls

The voters who won prizes this month:
Debbie Crothers
Theresa Noll
Nancy Welch

Winning voters have one week after being contacted to furnish us with your mailing address. If you do not respond within 1 week, your prize will be forfeited and returned to the prize pool.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who voted and supports our challenges each month.

223 votes were cast this month.


Comments left by the voters:
* Kelly's comment:
You cannot imagine how honored and humbled I am to see and read all the entries. Yesterday I was very emotional so I was sobbing while reading everyone's kind words. I came back on a stronger day to vote because then I could barely see thru my tears. I cannot thank everyone enough for doing this and giving me the strength to get through this.

I find pink a difficult color to work with (but that's just me!). These creations, however, are beautiful. I especially like the sentiment expressed in entry #13! beautiful work, everyone!

It's amazing how talented these artists are. I love looking and studying each piece.

It was hard to make a selection -- EVERYTHING is fantastic and beautiful tribute to Kelly.

My thought and prayers are with Kelly for a full recovery.

These are all so beautiful! I am always amazed by what is done with polymer clay. Thanks to ClayCenter for introducing me to it!

It was very hard to choose just three of the entries- I think they ALL reflect the diversity in thought and skill among the PCAGOE artists. I somehow felt drawn to the roses, though- possibly because of the quotes in the song noted by entry #12... they just seemed appropriate- uplifting and pretty. But I enjoyed looking at each and every entry.

It is wonderful that you are supporting breast cancer awareness along with one of your own.

The Pink Bird of Hope is so sweet - it's such a simple uplifting symbol.

Marie's post brought me here. Beautiful work all around. If only I had half the talent...

Love the site and the spirit of all involved!

Entry #7 inspires me to try, try again. Spiral earrings were my very first polymer clay project and the results were lifeless, no where near the swirling motion that the design intends and lacking a color choice to kindle the emotions. Briet's entry, however, captures both motion and emotion in lovely style. I will now try Briet's approach of using lentil beads, which I must first learn to make, and eventually (with fingers crossed)will take another try at spiral earrings as beautiful as Briet's entry. Thank you, Briet, you've given me hope!

Best of luck to each of the contestants - I wish I could have voted for all.

My best wishes for Kelly and her hopefully speedy recovery.

Beautiful entries this month for a beautiful cause

I chose the "Pink Flowers Pendant" as my first choice because I'm still in awe of anyone who can make a flat clay piece look like a real 3-dimensional rose.

I work with breast cancer survivors, and laughter is such an important part of recovery. All of the entries were thoughtful and quite appropriate. You all did a wonderful job.

My first place which is 13 i chose because i love including phrases and uplifting messages into my clay projects and this one really stood out to me...I feel the care and love put into this...

For our Kelly - a wonderful acknowledgement to all the beautiful women with breast cancer who have beat it and are fighting it so hard.

All the best for Kellie! It was very hard to vote. Everyone gave the max.

Every month it is a treat for the eyes. Everyone is so talented!

The vote was hard to do as each piece is a masterpiece in its self.
The 3 pieces I chose are all a bit different to the usual, and the Art Nouveau Fan was beautiful , and unusual, my fav of all was the sweet Pink Roses ear rings as these were well done seeing how small they are, and they reminded me of articles I might make. I love mosaics, and love to see mosaics made in Poly clay.
The challenge is good that it brings out the best in clayers work, and keeps it to the fore, maybe one day I might enter!

I love unusual necklaces which I can always wear with simple earrings.

Kelly Feeney is my cousin. Thank you so much for supporting her during this difficult time!

You all do a fantastic job. Keep up the wonderful work!!!!!

Beautiful work by all.

Kelly is my friend and I wanted to express my appreciation for all the support and love she is receiving from her fellow PCAGOE members...She is such a wonderful lady and an inspiration to all who know her.

#16 I love the colors and the texture.
#10 I love earth colors and her.
#5 the Pink Bird of hope it beautiful and get a lot of hope to any one need hope.

They are all pretty. Great job!

I enjoy taking part in the challenges; gives me a sense of belonging. As someone who works with polymer clay, I enjoy the camaraderie. The mother, daughter and the spirit of renewal is my first choice......It is a piece of interest as well as emotionally stimulating. My mother had breast cancer, several friends. I know the strength and connection it brings out in all of us. Keep on going PCAGOE. You are an impressive group.

What a wealth of talent I see here. And what a great forum. Thanks for being here.

Spring Renewal is so sophisticated - lovely. Such a feminine flying pig. Sweet and stripes is dramatic.

Kelly I wish you all the best for a complete and speedy recovery.

The beauty created by the Polymer Clay artists of PCAGOE is inspirational. The exquisite little pink Bird of Hope is at once precious and uplifting. The beauty of the delicate and mesmerizing Rose is like a balm to the spirit. And the whimsy of the mosaic is encouraging and empowering. This was a hard choice to make because of the lovely offerings and the enduring message each represents.

They are all beautiful and it is hard to pick favorites.

Such wonderful entries this month. I'm honored to be a part of this challenge.

All awesome work!

I picked #13 as someone to receive 1st place because it is so colorful and well made. & I love the saying on it!!

my choice #16 continually draws my eye to it. I continually look for something that's just out of the ordinary, that special bit of appeal - probably because that's the way my brain works. Love the colour and sheer "freedom" of the piece. My second choice - the swirled earrings. Swirlies fascinate me - I love the colours and balance in these. As for the 3rd choice - rose earrings - I've got a "thing" going with roses at the moment and almost always pink, so it definitely drew my eye. Different, fresh, pretty. Love them! You sure don't make it easy to choose.

Every month I vote and it is never easy.
I voted for the mother/daughter spirit of renewal amulet because I love how i
represents women of all ages and that
mother/daughter connection. I love the artistry in this, it is unique and lovely. I do love them all though for
different reasons.

I liked that the artist put a lot of work and thought into it being for breast cancer. My second choice was because I would pick the napkins rings as my favorite for myself.

each month the entries get better.

Such talent!! Hard to vote! Thank you for letting me be a part of this! Awesome work ladies!

The Murrini inside the Pendant and the Pig made the designs special. All of them were lovely.

Very hard decision- they are all of superb quality- aesthetically and craftsmanship.

I like the part about laughter on the collage, the Pod Necklace is very unique
and one I would love to wear and the bird
makes a statement to me!

Kelly is a good friend of mine and I think it is fantastic that you are doing this challenge in support of her! You are all obviously very talented, as well as good, kind-hearted friends!

All three that I chose were exceptional. Each of the 17 pieces were special in their own way, but I am partial to faces, and I thought this was an excellent interpretation.

These are all beautiful pieces. Lots of talent!

here were so many beautiful ones in pink that I had a hard time to narrow them. I loved them all and what a wonderful honor all of you have done for Kelly. She must be beaming with all the love.

Jackie's stuff rocks! :)

I think #13 really stands out for breast cancer. The words touched me because I have a friend that is a cancer survivor. But I do love #15 & #4 as well. They really out did their self on making these. They are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I love all of the entries, beautiful! Wonderful that this challenge is for such an important cause.

I liked the blend of color in these 3 the most.

Lovely pieces to honor one of our own.Congratulations everyone for entering

Gorgeous entries! Very, very hard choice!

All are stunning!

A lot of wonderful pieces. It was hard to vote only for three.
Greetings from Vienna!

What a great way to honor Kelly.

All of them are wonderful... such a talented, creative group of people!!

Well done! this has been an inspired challenge. the creations are truly a reflection of how strong women can be when they look out for each other. thank you for letting me be part of it.

Interesting items. But why didn't anyone make a flamingo?

Beautiful work and for such a great cause!

As always, such a wide range of work. I'm very proud of the high level of participation in this especially significant challenge.

I heard about the challenge from PCETeam. All of the entries are outstanding!

My thoughts are with Kelly and you all. Some absolutely beautiful pieces created for this challenge - it was very hard to choose a winner. Take care everyone - miss you all. Love Deb

What a beautiful way to show you care!

Lovely work and a wonderful tribute. Kelly is so lucky to have so many dear friends pulling for her. She's in my thoughts and prayers.

It was hard to pick this month, all the entries are beautiful. Jackie's heart necklace was made with love and it shows!

P.S. beautiful work, every single one of you. It was VERY difficult picking just three!
I am not a member because I can't figure out how to run Etsy. Oh, well.

beautiful pieces...beautiful sentiment to create for a friend. Wishes for a speedy recovery and remission of the cancer.

Great stuff in a good cause!

This was such a special challenge and the members of PCAGOE definitely rose to this challenge. It was so difficult to choose, I was tempted to just get three at random!

I think your theme for this month was very sweet.

All the entries are beautiful -- very hard to choose! but I was especially drawn to #10 because of the natural theme interpreted in such an angular design.

Great work everyone! Glad to see so many participate for this challenge, I wish I would have had the time.... Hugs to Kelly!

Thanks for voting

Thank you to everyone who voting in our "Pink" challenge. The polls are officially closed. Stop back later today for the results!

September Challenge: Pink

Scroll to the bottom of the post to vote for your favorites!

 The theme for the September PCAGOE Challenge is Pink. Yes, we are a little early for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, but when we heard that one of our own was diagnosed with breast cancer, we wanted to show our support.

And the entries are:
Voting form is at the bottom of this post. It may take a minute for it to appear. Click on the titles to see a larger image.

1 - Sweet and Stripes by Els of Beadelz
"Because I am leaving for three weeks vacation I didn't have time to make a special creation for the "pink challenge". But I didn't want to skip this month's challenge because the theme is so special. So I decided to send in this earlier made pendant which is for almost 50% pink!"


2 - Pink Rose Earrings by Jill of JKay Jewelry
" I wanted to make something pink and pretty, and happy or uplifting. These are tiny - the flower drops are barely 1/2 inch."


3 - Pink Ribbons Lace Box & Pendant by Cindy of Arrowdale Art Studio
"This is my entry into the September challenge of the PCAGOE, "Pink," in honor of our own Guild member, Kelly and all those who are fighting or have fought breast cancer. I made the box from a cardboard frame and baked it around the frame, tearing the frame out after curing. I pleated ribbons of clay to make the gathers around the bottom, and for the lid, I embossed it with a texture sheet of Chantilly lace, then after curing I painted it with antiquing, then removed all of the surface treatment, leaving only the white in the crevices. The pendant is a simple ribbon of clay, with a gold filled bail. The back (not shown) is also textured and antiqued to match the lid of the box."


4 -For Kelly by Linda of NKDesigns
"This is for my friend Kelly. I wanted to bead the necklace part, but I just ran out of time. I will do it and send it to her as a gift. Love you Kelly."


5 - Pink Bird of Hope by Phoebe of Happy Creations
"I chose to make this pink bird holding the pink breast cancer ribbon to give hope to all of those wonderful women who are battling or have battled a fight with breast cancer. This bird is hand sculpted with a blend of polymer clay. It has slight pearliness to it. I coated the little pink ribbon with some fine pink glitter for sparkle. The bird hangs from a bright pink satin ribbon."


6 - Pink and Brass Napkin Rings by Lisa of HiGirls
"These brass napkin rings have been covered in a pink mother-of-pearl polymer clay treatment.
My entry for PCAGOE's PINK challenge in honor of Kelly."


7 - Spiral Earrings by Berit of ClayCenter
"A pair of earrings made with my own swirly lentil beads. My entry into the "pink" challenge in honor of Kelly."


8 - Rolled Beads with Pink Cabochon Choker by Susan of 11BoldStreet
"This entry for the PCAGOE September Challenge incorporates shades of pink and rose. Rolled polymer beads are echoed by the rolled silver metal clay bead, which serves as a bail."


9 - Flying Pig by Becky of BeckySueCreations
"His wings are so small he will have a hard time getting off the ground."


10 - Spring Renewal Pendant by Jan of Jan Geisen
"This is my entry for the Pink monthly PCAGOE challenge. It is a polymer clay collage containing elements with subtle impressions of leaves and plant stems, plus mokume gane leaves."


11 - Art Nouveau Fan Brooch by Marie of YoungCreative
"Mokume Gane made from thin layers of pink, hot pink, and silver in honor of Kelly. The top stamped silver layer was sliced away to reveal the pattern beneath."


12 - Pink Rose Necklace by Lorraine of wiredorchid
"This is my entry for the PCAGOE August Challenge: Pink, in honor of one of our best, Kelly, who is battling breast cancer. It's created from polymer clay using the mokume gane technique. I thought long and hard about this challenge. I wanted to create a hopeful piece. I chose a rose, to show Kelly and all women who battle this disease that after this life challenge, they will bloom again.

"...just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose.''
~ from ''The Rose'' by Bette Midler

13 - Laughter Breast Cancer Mosaic by Arlene of Ashpaints
"I've often heard that laughter is the best medicine! Since this month's PINK challenge is in honor of one of our members currently undergoing treatment, the combination of the breast cancer ribbon and the "Never regret anything that makes you laugh" phrase is right on target. The original breast cancer ribbon was hand-sculpted and cured, then a mold was made out of flexible clay. Each of the mosaic tiles were created using clay, acrylic paint and a gold wax enhancer. The black and white seed beads add an extra touch of dimension and interest. All are mounted on a wooden self-easel."

14 - Mother, Daughter and the Spirit of Renewal by Line of playsculptlive
"This amulet is made to honor all women in our constant struggle for life. It was made especially for a member of the pcagoe who is battling with breast cancer right now. All the best Kelley."


15 - Pink Heart Necklace for Kelly by Jackie of The Pleasant Pheasant
"This is my entry for the PCAGOE September Challenge: Pink, in honor of our friend Kelly who is battling breast cancer. It's created from polymer clay using the Imprint Mokume Gane technique."


16 - Pods in Pink by Melanie of Treasured Toad
"Hollow, layered polymer clay "pod" beads with sterling silver accents, spacers and chain. My entry for the PCAGOE September 2011 "Pink" challenge." 

17 - Touch of Folk Art Tin by Deb of RenGalSA
"Here is wishing Kelly all the peace, love, and happiness that life brings! ROCK ON!"

Several of the entries are available for sale in our members' store. Please visit the individual shops to see these and other wonderful listings.


What you could win:

1st row, L-R: HiGirls, NKDesigns,  Rengalsa,

2nd row, L-R: Clay Center, Norma's Clay,

JKay Jewelry