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Gift-giving is not exclusive to the holidays. There are plenty of opportunities to bestow a blessing that you created.   Handmade gifts were all the rage this year!   Thank the hipsters for bringing crafting back in a big way. (My crafty daughter, Kimberly, jumped in to make one of these cuffs her own. The dark inks give the appearance of leather.)   The  Activa Modena Soft Polymer Air Drying Clay  is a wonderful product for many crafting needs.  I was able to mold and cut this light and flexible clay to create cute cuff bracelets.   To start I rolled a portion of the clay into a snake and then flattened it.  At about an inch wide and 2/8 of an inch thick (this will flatten when you stamp it.)   Use a textured  rubber stamp  to press the clay into.    Gently peel clay off of the rubber stamp and trim the edges until straight.  Lay the strip of clay over a rounded s...

We've become rather fond of MCM in our household.   (Mid-Century Modern describes an early 1950's style.) Retro colors and design are easily found or created. I wanted to  create my own MCM Christmas book, with a cover page, focal point made in: Activa's Modena Soft Polymer Air Drying Clay     Now to gather the parts for my Merry Memory Book: - Activa Modena Soft Air Drying Polymer Clay    - 6" x 6" Chipboard Book    - 6" x 6" Papers       - Holiday Image printed on cardstock      - Aleene's Tacky Glue     - Adhesive Tape     - Art Anthology Paints     - Jute for trim    - Ribbon    - Red Foil Tape    - Stickles    - Rubber Stamps    - Brayer    - Palette knife    - Stencil    I wanted the clay to have time to dry, so I rolled a portion into a thin sheet (about 1/16") and placed ...

Crafting a Luminaire for our Christmas tree lights was super easy with:      Activa Modena Soft, Air Drying Polymer Clay.       To decide the size of my Luminaire I glued   down the chipboard snowflake   I chose, from the pack, onto watercolor paper and covered it with aluminum tape (the type that A/C installers use). After smoothing the tape over the snowflake with a pencil eraser, I found a circle punch the size I needed .. Punched out the metal-covered snowflake, made a hole in the middle of the snowflake and used an Exacto knife to cut an "X" over the hole.  Punched one more circle, just out of the aluminum tape by itself. Set aside. Next I took a lime-sized portion of the clay, rolled into a snake, then flattened.  Placed it upon a long strip/border stamp; mine was approximately 12" in length. Then pressed another smaller stamp along the top, lightly pushing the clay into the stamp it is resting on. (...

Vintage Christmas images  are a great springboard for easy-peasy, creative gift giving. Having ready-made "blanks" on hand makes creating a snap.  I created my blanks from  this wonderfully versatile air-dry polymer clay from Activa          (This is a great sticky-free clay.) I liked the idea of a domino shaped pendant that was lightweight. I used my "pokey-tool" to push a hole through the domino shape. (Ignore the messy surface, it will all be covered.) Next step is to choose the  perfect Vintage Christmas image. (Trace around your shape for the image to cut out.) Gel medium   works well to adhere your image to the blank.    ( This mini set of   mediums    is a great way to sample a product or include in an artistic gift set.) When the gel dries, use a metallic marker over the back and sides. (Kid-friendly project.) Glaze   covers the image,  glitter   is ...

"With frigid temperatures on their way,  book tropical cruises and plan to play." I had a fabulously fun time playing with with my   Modena Soft clay from Activa   (This clay is non-sticky & super easy to use.) Using this  Seashell Mold  I was able to create some embellishments for my frame. In less than an hour it was dry enough to remove from the mold, but I would air dry for at least a day before using. It continues to dry into a sturdy, flexible state. This clay was so user friendly that I could use my scissors to trim away the excess.           (I kneaded in  powder  and gelatos  to achieve color.) Using a bare wooden frame, I ran a bead of  gel medium   on the front and covered it with a scrap piece of tissue paper; pressing it down to adhere. (Keeping it loose and crinkly adds great texture.)  I then painted on the tissue paper with acrylic paints which further adhered ...