Any artist lucky enough to have studio space or any work space knows the need for utilizing your space to the max. If you work in several mediums organization is really important. In my studio which is in an addition to our home that still needs insulation and drywall by the way, I was always searching through the glass jars that I store my Polymer Clay in for the color I needed. I have so many jars and they were stored in drawers, on countertops and sometimes stacked on each other. My son, Pete, who works with me and I were discussing our need to store the jars better. So we came up with this solution.

We took a four foot piece of plywood, cut it in half and joined it lengthwise to make an eight foot by two foot piece that would hang from the ceiling over our work table. We lowered it to a comfortable height for reaching up and unscrewing the jar with ease. Using glass Ball canning jars you can easily see the different colors without searching and moving anything. We used a marker and measured even 6″ squares. Holes were drilled in the center or each square. We decided to use nuts and bolts with a large washer to attach the jar lids. This certainly used space that was wasted space and organized the clay so it is easy to distinguish colors and stock.

Dust the stamp with talc powder and shake off excess. Center the stamp and press firmly on all edges. A depth of about ¼” is usually adequate. This will vary of course with different items being used. Use a blade and trim excess clay and this is optional. I have molds both trimmed and not.

After a trip to Mexico a few years ago and collecting shells I decided to make some molds of them. I used one of the many products available to make molds with, and the polymer clay molds I have made are just as easy to use. So use up those scraps

Great Idea to Organize Your Studio

Any artist lucky enough to have studio space or any work space knows the need for utilizing your space to the max. If you work in several mediums organization is really important. In my studio which is in an addition that still needs insulation and drywall by the way, I was always searching through the glass jars that I store my Polymer Clay in for the color I needed. I have so many jars and they were stored in drawers, on countertops and sometimes stacked on each other.  My son, Pete, who works with me and I were discussing our need to store the jars better. So we came up with this solution.

We took a four foot piece of plywood, cut it in half and joined it lengthwise to make an eight foot by two foot piece that would hang from the ceiling over our work table. We lowered it to a comfortable height for reaching up and unscrewing the jar with ease. Using glass Ball canning jars you can easily see the different colors without searching and moving anything. We used a marker and measured even 6” squares. Holes were drilled in the center or each square. We decided to use nuts and bolts with a large washer to attach the jar lids. This certainly used space that was wasted space and organized the clay so it is easy to distinguish colors and stock.

Time saver and space saver.

This is the perfect way to display canes in different colors for the clear jars make is simple to locate what you have. This addition has saved so much time when working on different projects. Some of my art work combines ceramics miniature pots with polymer clay designs.

As a decendant of the Lenai Lenapi indians from the east coast my creations have both influences. I am currently combining ceramic clay with acrylic paint and polymer clay to decorate miniature indian pots and figurines with a southwestern flair.

In this blog I will present ideas and projects on different gifts you can paint and decorate yourself, with how-to directions and instructions.