New cutters!

I am happy to announce that Kemper has added two new cutters to the 3/16" and 5/16 cutter styles with a small square and a small triangle. We are loading different sets in to www.Thehoarderscloset.etsy.com and in to www.Clayfactory.net stores as we get them photographed. you will be able to by them in the full square set, full triangle set, all the 3/16" cutters and all the 5/16" sets also, even just the two square and triangle sizes.

This is a very nice thing!

http://www.clayfactory.net/kempertools/pages/pattern-cutters-kemper-tools.htm

https://www.etsy.com/listing/529115361/brand-new-4-piece-new-square-and?ref=shop_home_active_2

These are the two new cutters added to the square and triangle sets
If you already have all the cutters you will be able to buy just these individually also

The Square is now a 7 piece set as well as the triangle set now

Now the smallest cutter set in 3/16" has a triangle and square 

I have new listings in my shops

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76918275/unzipped-heart-39-by-the-sea
Art from my Heart Shop

A new Sea life pendant,
The whole piece has been antiqued or washed with brown acrylic paint to give a feel of antiquity to it.


The Crab, seahorse, barnacles, and star fish are washed with gold. The zipper has been highlighted with silver acrylic.

There are two stars, one on each side of the top of the zipper holding it in place.

There are words stamped in the background on the heart.

And from the Hoarders Closet- 2 new cutter sets
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76909175/brand-new-7-piece-teardrop-cutter-set?ref=v1_other_2
 

7 small 3/4”, 5/8”, 1/2”, 7/16”, 3/8”, 5/16” and 3/16” teardrop cutters
 
and...
 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76911345/brand-new-5-piece-rose-cutter-set-hc106?ref=v1_other_1

5 round cutters in 1 1/2”, 1 1/4”, 1”, 3/4”, and 1/2” sizes.

Thanks so much for looking. I appreciate you!
Have a great day!!


*************New******************

Boo is up too!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76919355/unzipped-heart-40-boo

Marie-tangle beads part 3 spacers

This is continued from part 2

This tutorial will be for the little black spacer beads in this photo.
you can make these of any color. They are pretty much mindless work, so you can do lots in front of the TV.
I like to have something like that for in the evenings when I am not sitting at my desk and working. Idle hands and all that!
This is definitely the zen part of the whole thing.
Chop wood, carry water kind of work.

You will need:
Cernit Black
Clay machine
5/16" Round Kemper cutter
Knitting needle


Condition and roll out black clay on the thickest setting in the clay machine.
Fold the sheet of clay in half for double the thickness.

Press them together.
Using the 5/16" round cutter cut out rounds.

When you have a bunch cut out, roll the cut outs in to balls.

When you have a bunch of balls, pinch flat. Try to use the same pressure and pinch flat evenly.
They should not be much bigger than the end diameter of the Marie-tangle tube bead.

When you have a bunch of flat pieces, use the knitting needle point to press into the middle of each flat bead.

You can then pick it up and press it in a little further. Just a little, so you can see the end of the needle.

You then take the bead off the needle and put the point through the hole you just made on the opposite side or in the out hole.
This will keep the holes nice.

Do this with the rest of the flats and bake on a piece of card stock or card board, grunge board or chip board.
I use a piece of a box top from a cardboard box we get product in, like I used for the ultra fancy back ground in my necklace shot above and below!!
I love baking on cardboard in my baking trays.

These also make very good beads for children to make.

You can also use different sizes of  round cutters for different size beads.
By using a single sheet of clay you get bead sizes in between.
Gotta love that!! Keeps everything the same size, yet hand rolled and made.

Another extruder trick- making rope

As long as I am on the extruder thing, I thought I would post this. You can use this for twisted beads using the bead corers if you want, but I am just going to show how to make a rope the easy way.

Mix up and condition your color choice of clay. I am using the violet Cernit mixed 1:1 with the

porcelain white Cernit, 1. because I had it left over from the cloisonne beads I made before and 2. because the violet color of Cernit is so wonderfully beautiful.

Roll out a little coil or plug of clay that is about 2 1/2" long and slightly smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the Makin's Clay Extruder barrel. You will also need the cloverleaf disk that comes with the Clay Extruder.

Put the disk in to the end cap and the clay in to the barrel, put the end cap and disk on the end of the clay extruder and screw it on.

Screw down the handle of the extruder until the clay starts coming out the end of the extruder, continue until you have extruded all of the clay out of the gun. It does about 12". Cut in to 4" pieces for easier control and to practice with. Hold one end of the extruded cloverleaf and with your other hand and roll the other end gently away from you. This will twist up the cloverleaf and you will have a rope just like that.

You can use these for all kinds of things, beads, like I said before or making into shapes. I am sure there are tons of other things you can come up with using this rope.

Here is a heart I made out of this rope.

Also you can use it to wrap around cut out shapes. When I used to make custom wedding couples many years ago they would stand on a large cut out heart and I would wrap this rope coil around the heart to camouflage the cut edges...and besides that it looked very cool. I love those 2 birds, one stone things.

So if you condition your clay and roll it out on the thickest setting in your pasta machine or about an 1/8" thick and fold the clay in half to double the thickness, then you can cut out a shape with a cutter. The cutter I am using here is a 1" round Kemper cutter, yes, you heard me right they make them now. Sometimes Howard needs to be booted in the pants to get him load things up on the website, so you just write him at order(at)clayfactory.net and tell him you would love to have one of those 1" round kemper cutters. Substitute that word (at) for the sign. Tell him Marie sent you.

Once you have the shape, then you take the rope and place it around the shape. Cut the leading edge of the rope with your clay blade for straight edge first.

Wrap completely around the shape and the end of the coil will overlap the beginning end of the coil. Cut off the outside one there and butt the edges together, I used to do this on the hearts and begin and end the rope in between the lobes of the heart.

I hope you all are have a GREAT weekend.