Gratitude Spiral Polymer Clay Cane by Candace Jedrowicz

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As Featured on Inspired at Home LIVE TV – Candace Jedrowicz captures the symbol of gratitude in polymer clay

Gratitude is an amazing healing force. When you feel emotional turmoil, gratitude will bring your focus back to a place of balance. A loving soul sent me an email about an online gratitude organization called gogratitude.com. What a fabulous healing experience it was to participate in the daily gratitude exercises!  The symbol they use to represent gratitude occurs everywhere in nature and I had used it over and over in my artwork for years.  The spiral – as simple as it is elegant.

Caning is an old candy maker’s trick.  Multiple colors of clay are shaped and wrapped into a roll so that every slice has the same image.

Here’s an easy project that I’ve used to keep me mindful of my work in gratitude.  You’ll need:

	Any two colors of polymer clay A tissue blade A pasta machine or rolling pin Fine glitter Crafting foil (optional) Needle tool An attitude of gratitude
	Begin by conditioning both clay colors.  It’s a good practice to condition the lightest clay first.  After the clay is soft, begin conditioning small amounts of fine glitter into the clay.  It’s much less messy to use a little at a time than try to do it all at once.
	I used purple for the spiral and white for the surrounding color.  Roll twice as much surrounding color as spiral color and roll the spiral clay twice as thin as the surrounding clay. Trim the pieces with the tissue blade.
	Flip the clays over and begin making a tight roll starting at the end with the spiral clay.
	Continue rolling until it’s as narrow as you want it.  Slice off the ends to reveal your spiral. Roll another bit of your spiral color. It should be enough to go all the way around the roll.
	I love these crafting foils!  If you want to use them, burnish a piece of the foil onto the piece of clay that will go on the outside of the roll.  Follow the directions on the foil box. If you don’t have the foil or don’t want to use it, just wrap the roll in the thin piece of clay you just made.
	The foil gets burnished right on the clay with the color side showing.  I don’t always get full coverage, but I like the way that looks.  Experiment with it until you get the look you want.
	To make beads, slice the cane with the tissue blade and make holes with a needle tool.  I slice my beads about 3/8″ thick.  You can slice it thinner to make buttons or paper craft embellishments. Bake the clay according to package directions.
	After baking I sometimes add a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to add gloss and make the glitter pop. I hope you try this project, or any project at all that helps keep you focused with an attitude of gratitude.  I promise, you’ll love the results!

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