Chatoyant Snail Rolls! Mica Shift Tricks, The Learning Curve!

 Chatoyant (cat eye like) snakes, notice the bar of light in the very center.

Creating what looks to be a really amazing way of making my work shine and reflective.
I was crazy about mica shift technique when I first tried it. I thought how easy is this, and how beautiful. I then started reading more on the subject and how one can achieve amazing results by playing with the mica particles after being shifted. I love to read on and learn as much as I can even before even trying it out, at least that's what I do now!

The necklace and beads I created with that first tiny cane.

Well today I decided I read enough, know enough and was curious enough to finally try something other then a mica shift or skinner blend and the two intermixed. I want that reflective quality one can achieve by learning how to add depth and texture, without executing a simple ghost image, or using a stamp to disrupt the mica particles then shaving the surface level. I want this reflective quality going all the way through, the entire piece from front to back and that is something I have not yet seen in my work. 

Triangle cabochons covered with the chatoyant snail slices.

I had created a skinner blend/mica shift/metallic cane, I was experimenting and I created this incredible cane, but instead of writing down what I did, and thinking about how to best utilize this miniature cane that was so small. I instead stared to slice it and make beads out of it, I was excited to see what was inside.

Chatoyant Gold Metallic/Translucent Snail Roll.

Only to learn later that I should have sliced it extremely thin, arranged it on a sheet of base clay and rolled it out in all directions to make a large patterned sheet .... then you can start to decorate with a whole sheet instead of tiny square pieces.

 Several Metallic Chatoyant Canes, two are skinner blend metallic colors.

 Sliced Chatoyant Rolls Placed On A Sheet of Metallic clay and is covering those tiny cabs.

I want to start my blog feature called "Learning Curve" where I discuss and share my experiments and learned techniques complete with the original creators techniques and the techniques I have developed to use it in my own way. I explore and look for way to be innovative even before start to create, and would love to share, encourage and inspire others to create with aspirations of being innovative. Does that sound like something you'd like to read? Please let me know with a comment and please feel free to post your links to similar work or findings, or just post questions. I will answer all! I will get a detailed bases for this section, as I want those who post links to be innovators or at the very least explorers using Polymer Clay. Artist and enthusiasts who are bending the the curve and want to share and explore other possibilities of innovation and creation.

Miniature Mask Exchange! Who wants to participate?

I read about a miniature mask exchange, where artists created miniature masks to collect other artists work. I have seen some amazing work from you all and believe this would be amazing inspiration and it would create a niche for us as a group and a great promotion tool.

The artists involved in this online exchange would create masks and send them to a "mask master" and that master, would send each artist one of the other artists mask. And she had collected hundreds of really cool ornate miniature masks and permanently affixed them to a turquoise felt covered piece of wood and it look amazing. I would love to start a miniature mask exchange, would anyone want to participate? Please let me know,  I will start it on my own and hope others want to participate.

I love the idea of collecting other PC artists work and this seems the best way to do it, and everyone benefits! And it can become for all involved a great collection of art, so what do you say?
As you can see I am already creating miniature masks, this is my very first attempt and I am letting happen organically. I think she is going to be my Paisley Goddess! She is not pretty, but she is the Princess nest in line to the throne! =) With that nose she could be a vaudeville sensation! 

To those interested in participating, leave a comment here and we will see if we can't get this started! This exchange would be open to Polymer Clay artists only, others will be open to all artists! One thing remains the same, they Must be within 6 inches total! Don't forget to comment and be included.