The Blessing Tree - It's Free

THE BLESSING TREE
Take one of the Minature Christmas Trees that are everywhere at Christmas

ORTake a pretty tree branch and put it into a flower pot.  You can put some rocks in to hold it in place,or use a piece of foam and just hot glue it in.

You can go fancy or you can go plain

It's Your BLESSING TREE so make it however you want, but may I ask that you make 2

and share one at a nursing home or hospital anywhere where it will brighten up people's lives?

The Blessing Tree consists of things like:

1)  Writing, typing, creating tags with things we feel blessed with having
Prayers for Others Who are Sick or In Need

Thoughts about the Season and the Reason For It
(see more below)

2)  Nature's Elements (Acorns, Hickory Nuts, Walnuts, Flowers)
Anything natural that you don't buy

(If you are using these long term make sure to put them in the oven
and roast them for a few in case one has a bug inside)  hmmm
I've never tried doing in microwave

3)  Pretty things - ribbons and lace n bobbles n bits...  to tie on nature's elements

I like to use dried up leaves from my yucca plants (watch for stickers)When you tear them they look like raffia, if not torn like corn husks

4)  You can theme your trees to coincide with a christmas message

Wise Men Gifts
Natural Elements Regarding Jesus Birth
(Wood, Stable, Hay, Manger, cotton, etc)
but remember to include your blessing tags too!

or
Tree of Life
or
Bible Verses You Cherish
Psalms Verses

God's Love
or God's Family

..............................

Whatever you do, do it with good heart and enjoy it with your family.Remember:  Yesterday is Today's Memory and Tomorrow Will Be Today's.
MAKE THEM SPECIAL

  God asks us to be "thankful" for our blessings,
So take a little time to show YOUR thankfulness for all to see.

and pray for each other & ME!

Thank You

"THE BLESSING TREE IS FREE, JUST LIKE GOD'S LOVE"

Polymer Clay - What Is It & Where Do I Start

POLYMER CLAY
The Questions, The Answers & Where To Go To Find Projects

If you are like me, you use Google Search alot to find various things, but I do get frustrated these days because of all the "premium ads" and some of the total gibberish that comes up on searches.  Narrowing things down to what exactly it is I am looking for really depends on knowing the correct terminology based upon what someone else calls something.  In the polymer clay world, it has it's own terminology, and each specialized crafter seems to have their own terms for their techniques. For example, Millefiori Polymer Clay Patterns.  Millefiori is taken from another art form and the techniques applied with polymer clay enable the pieces produced to have the Millefiori patterns.  However, when I went searching, I was searching for a tutorial on "stained glass window" effect with polymer clay.  What I ended up finding was Donna Kato's tutorial on Millefiori patterns on YouTube.  (She is a master of polymer clay, I remember her from the Carol Duvall Show on HGTV several years ago, back in the days when I actually watched television).  She displays this technique beautifully and shows the basic caning process (umm yeah that term - caning - the art of rolling out the clay into snakes or logs and then adding different colors of other sheets rolled thru the "pasta machine", to make logs.  Donna Kato makes it look really easy, and I think the difference in clays pay a huge role in how quickly the shaping process goes.  Below I am going to give you a link to a site that shows the different types of clay and their properties, this will help you decide which one you want to try to work with.  I am also going to put the link to this Millefiori Polymer Clay Pattern Tutorial by Kato, with this tutorial alone, you could make pens, pendants, earrings, picture frames, decorative boxes, art for cards, actually just tons of things these would go beautifully on. 

The third link, is to a tools section, while you can use some of the basic tools you have at home, you should not use for clay then take items back to cook food with, so if you use them in the clay, keep them for the clay.  If you do other hobbies, sewing, crochet, beading, etc., you will already have some of the tools that work well with polymer clay.  (ruler, crochet hooks, needles, toaster or convection oven).  You can use your kitchen oven for polymer clay, but you are best served to get a toaster or convection oven cheaply from somewhere and dedicate it to your project, green-wise it makes more sense (you wouldn't cook one piece of toast in your big oven), nor would you want to put one pendant into the oven).  The pasta machine, craft store $25-50 dollars depending on brand and bells and whistles.  There are a few other tools that you need to start, but start off cheap and see if this is a hobby you really want to pursue before spending alot of dollars on the various items.  S I M P L E  is sometimes the best.  The conditioning the Clay article makes mention of some of the simpler tools. 

I think these links are probably the best places to start so you are not getting frustrated. 

 Polymer Clay Types -- Different Clays & Their Properties  (Note:  Kato has her own line of products (see here). 

Conditioning the Clay - Kato Clay Conditioning 

Donna Kato's Tutorial -- Millefiori Caning by Donna Kato

As always, have FUN, if you liked making dirt pies or using play dough or bread dough as a child, this will probably bring back a fuzzy warm feeling the first time you use it.  After all, even as adults we still want to retain some of our childhood tendencies, life would be boring otherwise.  On the other hand, polymer clay is a true art form, it seems each designer has their own takes and twists on projects and styles, you, will be no exception to that.