General info
Marbled-Paper (or "Dragged Lines")
Flattened Pattern sheets
....cane slices
........shreds & bits + torn pieces (Rainforest, watercolor-torn, etc.)
....(textured sheets, colored with paints,etc).
Pieced (fitted-together shapes...crazy patch) + collage
Damascus Ladder (crushed helix)
....Reduced Dam.ladder, etc
Other sheet techniques
...holey layer(s), slice painting,
......dot slices, crackled clay, etc.
...origami & folding tech's

Please NOTE:

All links on this page go to (correct) pages, but those pages also include my navigation bar on their left sides!
This is a problem we haven't been able to figure out yet.
...to go to a page correctly if necessary, just copy the link then paste it into your browser window instead of clicking it

SHEETS of pattern
There are many ways to create sheets of pattern with polymer clay!

I've tried to put relevant information and websites on the category page at GlassAttic which most deals with that example,
but there is LOADS of OVERLAP!

General Info

The techniques below will result in one final sheet of pattern.
This sheet can then be used whole, or it can be cut or manipulated further to use in other ways, or it can be used as a background sheet.

some ways to use sheets:
...take cutout shapes (or strips or freehand shapes) from these patterns using cutters, blades or stencils, then:
.........use the cutouts where you'd use any other cutouts (onlay, etc.)
..........inlay them with baked shapes, chips (textured or not... baked or not)
.........stamp or draw or otherwise impress shapes, details or outlines into sheets, following outlines of color changes or adding details, etc.
......... fit them together like puzzle pieces
..........overlay on each other then flatten all together
........ place on another sheet for a different sheet of pattern
... cover base clay (for beads, e.g.) (or to cover anything glass/metal/eggs/pens/etc)
...make vessels
...use stamps or textures on them (with or without ink... or antiqued)
...add transfers
...or, they can be used as a background sheet for anything else at all
.......Nora Jean' various pattern sheets as backgrounds under her onlays (on Altoid tins)
http://www.norajean.com/Tins/Index.htm

"sheets of pattern" can be created using almost any technique in polymer clay
---the technique can be used directly on a flat sheet of clay
---or the clay can be flattened into a sheet after the technique is done on it
Here are just a few possibilities for techniques and/or materials:
...cane slices or cane techniques (ikat, faux ivory, faux fabric, making pictures with thin cane slices, etc.)
...stamping, texturing
...mokume gane
...paints/inks (crackling, sponging, random or symmetrical patterns)
...metallic leaf (also crackling)... foils
...inclusions
...mica sheets (ghost mica, etc.) or mica bits
...translucents (many, including translucent floating canes)
...random strips of clay
...scraps of clay colors
other techniques or items which could also be considered "sheets of pattern":
---Skinner Blends... carving (maybe with backfill)... cards, ATC's/postcards/books... clothing and fabric for sculpts... tiles-mosaic... masks... houses... mixing media... molds (lay sheets into)... other pasta machine stuff ...transfers
.........(see individual pages here at GlassAttic for more on each technique or material, esp. Cards > Samplers, ATCs)

Any of the techniques on this page can be combined with each other for even more complex sheet patterns.

artist trading cards can use virtually any technique within polymer clay, but are generally fairly flat so they're a good way to see lots of sheet possibilities
many examples: http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/atc_swap1.html (3 pages)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/atc_swap2.html (2 pages)
http://polymerclaycentral.com/atc3_swap1.html (2 pages)

TIPS:
If any sheet of pattern you make is becoming too thin when you roll and enlarge it, simply back it with a scrap sheet of clay (or a complementary color) and run it through the pasta machine to bond the layers (this can be done several times if nec.).

When I want a shiny, glass-like surface on my sheet of clay, I bake it between 2 ceramic tiles ...this also causes the sheet to be completely flat, with no bubbles ...I also usually weight the top tile with a heavy casserole dish.
.....the important thing when using tiles is to allow about 20 min extra baking time to allow for the tiles themselves to heat up and for the heat to penetrate to the clay
........ I may also heat up my tiles prior to baking so as not to have to add too much additional time in the toaster oven... then I'll put two "ready to bake," filled tiles on top of my toaster oven while another one is baking ... then when a "cooked" one is taken out, usually a waiting one is hot enough that I have to pick it up with my pliers.
(...I often use this shiny sheet technique for the simulated stone or wood shets I use for a form of marquetry, among other things). Sue (..see Mosaics > Pietre Dure)

most of the info (of all kinds) on air bubbles can be found in Pasta Machines > Problems > Air Bubbles
...some of the causes of bubbles have to do though with: the way the clay is conditioned or trapped clay under pasta machine scrapers pulling on sheets, particular type of clay or soft stretchy clay, particular type of box or bar of clay you happen to get, covering or layering clay sheets trapping air, not letting clay rest before baking, moisture from hands or white glues creating steam bubbles, etc.

MARBLED or COMBED paper stripes (dragged lines)
(made with regular solid clay)

(dragged line patterns can also be created with colored liquid clays --on a sheet of glass or tile, or on water--
... for those, see Liquid Clay > Marbelized-Dragged)

A clay sheet with lines of "scalloped" stripes of different colors ... like some of the marbled paper effects on old books (aka combed, feather patterns; paste papers; nonpareil)
...This technique was popularized in polymer clay by Donna Kato.... in her video PotPourri of Techniques, I think 

EXAMPLES:
http://www.brpcg.com/Galleries/sue/GallerySue01Trees.jpg ...Sue D's Christmas tree cutout
http://www.glassattic.com/imagesCANES_COV/cov-BOH/BOH.htm...2 of my bottles have dragged lines pattern (4th row)
http://www.polyclay.com/mbars.htm ... several of Sarajane's barrettes
http://hobbystage.net/art/tatercat/ (click on 2don1, Tatercat's black and silver lines pulled with wide stylus, variably) (not accessible)
http://www.tinapple.com/cynthia/98retreat/98retreat4.html (gone) on the left and right...the middle photo is ikat
http://members.aol.com/CAPCG1000/pendantswap.htm  ..Juli McCarthy's dragged-lines heart shape ...

NON-POLYMER, but same dragged lines design
http://marbledpapers.booksworth.com/Nonpareil.htm (not polymer)
http://www.dianemaurer.com/decpaper.html Diane Maurer's paste paper patterns (not polymer)

LESSONS:
(lesson)... gather some colored scraps of clay and roll them together into a snake.
--twist the ends of the  snake in opposite directions and you will notice that the "stripes" that run horizontally  along the sides of the snake arrange themselves vertically.  Roll the snake into a shorter, fatter snake by rolling back and forth along the work surface while pushing the clay with your hands from the ends in to compact it... The stripey bits will become thinner and closer together if you're doing it  right.  
--Now flatten the snake into a short, squat sheet and use a rolling pin to flatten it to about 1/4" thickness.
--Place sheet firmly on a slick surface so it will not slip while doing the next steps.** 
Use a sharp (but not too?) pointy thing like a tapestry needle, knitting needle, or the back side of the tip of a fingernail cleaning tool (the rounded side) to actually drag individual parallel lines ACROSS the stripes (perpendicular); some hair picks, or combs?, might work but take an even pressure all over which isn't easy.  
--To remove the indentions made by the dragged tool, run the whole sheet through the pasta machine, possibly more than once (...so that the dragged stripes are perpendicular to the rollers if you want to lengthen the lines, and parallel if you want to heighten them).
--------if you want a much larger sheet or don't have a thick enough dragged sheet to begin with, back the dragged sheet with another sheet of clay before flattening as above (this second sheet may show thinly when viewed from the side)

Jeannie's lesson on making "marbled paper" clay sheets .. with ugly duckling canes
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004january/uglyduckling.html

OTHER DESIGN POSSIBILITIES:
.. if the lines are dragged in alternating directions (up-down-up-down, for example), you'll get the effect of vertical rows of chevrons
...try dragging in all kinds of directions, or perhaps dragging one way in one area, and diff. ways in other areas (**placing the sheet on a small turntable or even a small movable piece of acrylic sheet might help if trying to do curves, etc.)
...try pressing the "comb" teeth together as you drag (creates a kind of bouquet effect)...prob. hard to do though...could stack alternately
...try using different stylus types or thicknesses for some of the draggings
...try dragging over thicker stripes created with stacked layers of clay rather than twisted
...try combining different scrap ropes, blocks or shapes together before flattening totally
...this effect could also be created with a stack of thin layers of clay, cut and stacked together on their sides like making faux ivory, before dragging the stylus over it ... using regular translucent, or a mica and opaque combo might be interesting

?'s BOH covered with a beautiful sheet of dragged layers in a stack, made of up of tinted translucent cherry/yellow/green, separated by layer of white (& layer of translucent?) (first dragged upwards, then downwards)
http://scpcg.org/images/rnbostrp.jpg.

simulated stone beads ... Susan F's lesson on making faux rhodochrosite (rhodofauxite) or any stone, by creating a log of striped colors (with individual logs rather then a stack as above) (she uses 7 logs of the same hue, from light tint to darker shade), then cutting short lengths, pressing a needle onto the side and dragging down multiple times... she then rolls smooth, cut lengths, and gently shapes into beads
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/rhodo_faux.html

Rebecca D. has a lesson and examples re making disks to be used for 4-5" coasters... (the lesson doesn't include dragging the lines though) she makes them by laying 6-8 colors of clay in narrow strips (or could use ropes) around a large main color log... roll to smooth and till 12-24" long (the longer, the thinner the stripes will be in the coaster)..adjust log until the same line is centered all the way down the log...lay in a tight spiral and flatten gently (staight down would be better than rolling...place paper and book on top and push down)... she says to use a rubber eraser to clean any parts that look dirty after use; drips can be rinsed off
http://echomtnc1.homestead.com/pccoasters.html and http://echomtnc1.homestead.com/instructions.html
(to create the dragged line version, simply drag your stylus from the center to the edges and flatten again (or not)... may be best to drag in half, then quarters, then eights, etc., to keep lines equidistant)

(see sub-categories "Stripes" and also "Stacked Stripes" in Canes-Instr. if you're looking for caned chevron effects)

FLATTENED pattern sheets
(uneven areas, flattened into a smooth sheet)

(this sub-category overlaps with the following sub-category ... so check both places for examples)

New clay sheets can be created by onlaying a base sheet of clay with various clay things before flattening them all together into on new, smooth sheet.

Some things which can be onlaid include:
....(clay) ... cane slices ... or shapes of other colors (e.g. twisted ropes) or crumbs ... mica clays or patterns... translucent clays or cane slices
....(other materials) ...metallic leaf on its own base clay (crackled or solid) ... paints, inks, powders (though these aren't very dimensional)
... and/or just anything at all!

The base sheet for receiving the onlays doesn't have to be a solid color... it can be already variegated or patterned or embellished, etc.
......or the base sheet can even be the flattened sheet you just created (second-generation) ...or another different sheet or wad of clay you've created
...Skinner blends (gradations of clay color) are popular as base (background) sheets
...regimented stripes of clay or wavy indistinct stripes, etc.
...sheets with inclusions of powders, spices, herbs, etc
...sheets of fauxs (wood, stone, coral/jade, etc.)

The sheet and its additions are then flattened together with a roller and/or a pasta machine to create a smooth sheet of pattern
.....some people refer to this technique and effect as "collage," but since collage could be dimensional or flat, these below will refer only to sheets which end up totally flat.

(After a sheet has been created, it can also be torn into pieces, or cut with a blade, scissors or cutters, for creating onlays as well.)

This new sheet of pattern is often used as a sheet for:
... covering items
... backgrounds for other embellishments like molded items, or framing for transfers, etc.
...further manipulations like stamping, or texturing ...... or cutting out shapes from, for example.

(see next category called "Piecing" for fitting together same-height pieces, or for cutting holes then inserting same-height and same-size pieces into them)

Cane Slices, etc.

SIMPLE --ONE CANE
Susan B's lesson on slightly overlapping slices of a spiral cane on a base sheet, then rolling the slices into the sheet (to make fabric "clothing" for tiny wire figure)
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_wiredwomen.htm
Naama shows how to place slices from a flower cane (slice backgrounds slightly overlapping) onto a thick base sheet... roll them into the sheet... then cut and useon a barrette finding
http://www.livecity.co.il/site/detail/detail/detailDetail.asp?detail_id=100376&depart_id=2431
Judith Skinner shows how to cut slices from Skinner blend jellyrolls (and a tiny blend cutout?), then lay them on a regular Sk. blend sheet (flatten with pasta machine)
http://members.aol.com/polyannie/amoebae.html (gone now... look at judithskinner.com eventually)
Lindly H's mostly overlapped slices from various canes rolled onto background sheets (then cut into triangle shapes)
...slices from several. bullseye canes, as well as orange and lime slice canes
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68349445&f=0

COMPLEX --MORE THAN ONE CANE
Bev's excellent lesson re overlapping slices
(....she first covers a glass ball with a base layer of clay... if you're creating the sheet flat, skip to step # 6)
....to her base sheet, she first adds many simpler slices over about 70% of the available area
....then she adds her favorite or more complex slices to the remaining areas (partly overlapping previous slices, or actually centering them on top of prev.slices)
... to smooth the seams, she rolls ball in her hands, then on a hard surface... bakes, and sands.
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/ornament.html
Cat's mini-lesson on making pattern sheet with clay slices (using several canes, one layer of canes at a time, rolling into background between each... begins with leaves scattered here and there, then adds flowers, more flowers, etc.)
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2005fall/barrettes2.html (see Step 2 )
Tina Gs various shapes and cane slices spread out on background sheet
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays04/feb2004/images/tGuguler.jpg
Heather P's many slices from various canes completely covering (or almost) entire surface of background clay
http://humblebeads.com/cuff_beads.html
Eileen's interesting flowers and leaves in cane sheet (as frame)
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays02/sept2002/eileen.JPG

flatter beads especially, can be covered or partly covered with cane slices (+ other dimensional or flat materials like metallic powders, leaf, etc.)
....... then all slices & bits flattened into the surface (...or some left dimensional, or dimensional things added afterward)
...Christel's female face cane slice plus added hair rope + background metallic leaf...onlaid, then flattened onto a long bead
http://home.online.no/~raje/Polymer/projects/womanpin/index.htm
(for lesson details, see Onlay > Flattened Onlays)

Nanetto's lesson on making a sheet with thick slices from a cane (flattened & stacked, then wrapped)
....slices are placed together in very loose rows (and on the diagonal)
...the uneven sheet is then topped here and there with slices from a fancier cane (flower)
...... and also with tiny wrapped cane slice dots (before flattening the whole sheet)
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_WearableVessel.htm (look down to middle of page)
various pattern sheets using slices and bits, and lessons, from NoraJean
http://www.norajean.com/Sheets/Group-thm.htm (click all around)

cut out taken from a cane slices sheet, in shape of the state of Florida
http://www.geocities.com/ncfpclay/page3.html
Nina K's pine tree & other shape cutouts (from sheets of onlaid slices and bits, including translucents).. surrounded by thin clay rope frame
http://www.polymerclay.co.nz/nzpcg/nina.html
Lynne Manning's hands & elephant, etc., made from cutout marbled, caned or scrap sheets
http://pcpolyzine.com/january2002/craft.htm
Shellie Brooks, crackled leaf, bits of cane slices, etc., put together.... then a shape is cut out for pendants
http://www.designsgallerycollection.com/brooks.html (gone)

Lindly's very fabric-like patterns, (flattened?), cut into patches for assembling into a (Tumbling Blocks) quilt pattern (raw?)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68349447&Sequence=0&res=high
many unusual patterns mostly created with caning by James Lehman . . some fabric -like (some flattened, and some pieced)
http://www.akrobiz.com/polymer_clay/i_20.html
the clothing is made at of little (colored) millifiori cane slices (made into a fabric sheet)…nat
.....(see much more on creating all-clay sheets which simulate "fabric" in Sculpting-Bodies,Tools > Fabric, and Canes-Info > Sheets from Cane Slices... though many other pattern sheets could qualfy as fabric too)

Lynne's long cane slices? placed on black for sheet http://cgpcg.org/photos/clayathon01_lynne_demo1.jpg

Emma R's illuminare beads ...background created with marbled clays and/or metallic streaks and patches created with powders and maybe paints, etc (in clay or on clay, then flattened in)
... she then adds few cane slices on background sheet and flattens those in as well
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004sept/emma.html

cane slices can also be used to "cover" forms
... forms made of baked clay (solid or hollow)
...or forms made from other materials and items like glass ball ornaments, egg shells, cardboard boxes, 3-D papier mache shapes, etc., etc. (see more in Covering and in Beads > Covering a Base, and in other places)

...for much more info on the technique of making sheets of patterned clay from cane slices, see Canes-Gen.Info > Making Sheets from Slices
...and also the sub-category Overall Techniques there for more info on insertions of all kinds

Raw cane slices can also be placed together in radially symmetrical patterns (like pizza slices) and be flattned into a whole smooth sheet to create mandala patterns (see Onlay > Uses > mandalas)

Baked clay tiles (plain or can slices) can be placed together to form mosaics (usually with grout separating the tiles) (...see Mosaics)

Shreds & Bits of clay

heavily visually textured pattern sheets can be made with shreds (or gratings or chopped bits or tiny snakes-clay gun extrusions or perhaps shavings from ghost image or other mokume gane?, etc,) of other clay (or canes or scraps)
..... randomly dump, or carefully place, them on a base sheet of clay (which could itself be solid color, marbled, Skinnered, whatever) ..... then flatten
.... (base sheet will show through as a background color if some space is left between the shreds... and/or one of the colors used in the shreds could be the same as the base sheet to add more "background")
...some uses: regular sheets for covering/etc.... cut or torn into shapes (for tiles, or for stacking with other sheets for framing elements, etc)... impressed with texture (for "clothing" etc) ... stamped and backfilled-antiqued ... used as onlays
http://www.mdpag.org/clay%20day.htm (look at photos from Barbara McGuire's and Jean Comport's classes for samples)

Lindly's very fabric-like patterns, cut into patches for creating a quilt pattern
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68349447&f=0

see also Margaret R's coyote and animal Skinner blend cutout shapes on votive, just below in Pieced
....... could have been made from thin blend sheets flattened into black background clay

faux pique ....Jeanne R's lesson on simulating a woven fabric using ghost impression technique & piece of plastic canvas... produces a coarse to fine (depending on texture sheet), even-weave, grid-like pattern....for miniatures esp, may want to flatten gridded sheet in pasta machine thinner and thinner to create less definition
http://www.heartofclay.com/pc/fauxfabrics.htm

torn. bits
(Rainforest-bead effect.... Watercolor bead, or Torn-Paper effect, etc.)

making sheets from:
... very thin cut shapes or bits ...or "torn" bits... of Skinner blends or marbled clay, or other patterns, or tinted translucents, or inked sheets, etc
...or shaved bits from textured mica sheets or from textured 2-color-layer clay, or other thin patterned sheets

TIPS:
...sheets of clay will "tear" best if they don't have too much plasticizer. So use a stiffer clay like FimoClassic or Kato, or leach other clays awhile
...... then let any of them rest (preferably overnight) before tearing
.......don't know if Sculpey III or the new version of FimoSoft will work very well though, even then (too much plasticizer)
......where any two colors meet, the effect could end up like a miniature Skinner Blend, so think of combining colors with that in mind

Donna Kato used of torn bits of paper-thin layers of 2 colors (blue-green & gold-copper) to create the "oxidized copper look" in her book
... she says that the more and longer the torn bits are rolled onto the base bead, the the more blendy the edges will get
(see also Beads > Cane Slices, Bits)

Kathy W's lesson on using alcohol inks on white clay, then adding cane slices (some opaque + translucent) to create a background sheet for covering an Altoid container (then onlaying a brass char)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_accessories_jewelry/article/0,1789,HGTV_3225_4246668,00.html
....Elissa's crackled the dried inks on a thin clay sandwich of clays and inks by putting through a pasta machine... torn into strips or bits

Dorothy's lesson on her "Rainforest" technique...with Skinner blend + solid color...(+ overlapping, and texturing)
...first I roll out a clay base layer (usually black) on a medium setting (#3).
...I created several Skinner blends (some with black or white pearl, or one wide one with a lot of colors close together) ...I roll these blend sheets out on a pretty thin setting on my pasta machine (#5 on Atlas brand)
....then I cut shapes out of them with a blade, Kemper cutters and pattern scissors
....I place the shapes on the black base one (piece) at a time, and smooth them lightly with a brayer or acrylic rod after each (leaving some areas uncovered) until I am satisfied with the image
......... I found that a using a large piece of one blend as the first layer worked well (completely covering the black base?).
....the (finished) images usually have about (one to) four layers.... some may overlap
....then I placed a template (a Shapelet) on top of the image and traced it with the needle tool & cut out the image with a blade
....stamped (textured) the whole thing with a (texture sheet or large) rubber stamp... then trimmed it clean with the blade
.... I like the effect the rubber stamps provided and was surprised that the details of the art came through so well after being impressed with the stamp.(It was also a better option than sanding and buffing when I used these to cover 20 knobs!) Dorothy.
..I did something like this last night ...I made a background piece, then for the designs I rolled my clay out as thin as I could and still work with it. Then I just cut the shapes I wanted and put them on my background until I had my picture. I used a knitting needle as a small roller and lightly rolled over the top to smooth everything down. The only difference I see in what was done here and what I did was she stamped it with a texture sheet in the end. I didn't think to do that, but I will next time :o).
..... Also it really helps if you place your thin clay on waxed paper so you can lift it off easily after you cut your shape, looks like she might have used plastic wrap.... It looks like some of her cutouts were from thin layers stacked and cut so they went horizontal. Very Pretty! Nancy
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=9322727&uid=2343137 (+other albums)
http://www.pbase.com/joanie/dorothy
http://www.tbpag.org/drthy.html
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68339443 (bottom of photo)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68339965
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/may2001/technique.html
... (& photos of her covered square drawer knobs) http://tinyurl.com/5o6ut (accessible only if member of PolymerClayPeople yahoogroup)
....Kim Redcat's symmetrical, butterfly shapes made with a tweeked version of Dorothy G's rainforest beads, also using narrow Skinner Blend sheets (see Blends > Multi-blend and Narrow) for her component pieces
http://photos.toast.net/kcredcat/Butterflyz

watercolor-bead effect
Maggie Maggio layered a very thin sheet of white over a very thin sheet of black .... then put that sheet underneath a decorative sheet
.......(she used a streaky-colored or Skinner blend sheet) to make a sandwich sheet
...... let it sit a few days... then tore the sandwich sheet into pieces with ragged edges (....all layers will be visible at torn edges)
.........these torn pieces can then be applied onto base clay separately (or overlapping & completely covering) to make various looks
......apparently, the trick is to get that top color layer thin enough that it just barely starts to blend into the lower white layer, kinda washing out the color and thus creating the "watercolor" effect.
...here's a pile of scraps from Shelley's sheet using Margaret's technique (streaky sheets, over white and black layers)
http://cgpcg.org/photos/maggie_ShellyScraps.jpg
Maggie's lesson on making a watercolor bead
...(translated to English) http://tinyurl.com/2s47wv (also examples of using inclusions, transfers, etc., in decorative sheet)
... (in French) http://paroledepate.canalblog.com/archives/2007/01/29/3726350.html ("plate" = sheet)
OTHER top sheet or layer possibilites:
..... Skinner blend sheet, or a streaky sheet ... will allow lots of different but complementary colors to be torn from the same sheet
.........ex's of blended streaky or marbled top sheets http://www.pbase.com/stargazer/image/1050192
...... translucent or Pearl, or gold, or any color clay (...or as any layer)
...... paint or ink or metallic leaf
.......patterned clay sheet made from canes or marbling/ dragged lines, etc.... mokume gane sheet... mica shift sheet... transfer sheet...etc..
...I decided to add a very thin layer of translucent clay on top of the (top) color layer also to give the overlapping pieces a little more depth (then maybe it becomes more of a torn paper effect than a watercolor effect).... I really like that sharply jagged edge look with the white and black though. Desiree
http://www.desiredcreations.com/images/galleryFivePics/WCB2.jpg Desiree
......Kathi's lesson also uses a top layer of translucent (over pale Skinner Blend), then puts whole sheet thru pasta machine at #5 before tearing into large-ish pieces
http://www.dragonsglass.com/tutorials/waterc.htm
...Naama's lesson ...but she uses a base layer of gold clay, and only 3 colors --purple, orange, red--in her Skinner Blend
http://www.naamaza.com/site/detail/detail/detailDetail.asp?detail_id=100383&depart_id=2431
...... you will get a blended effect, or a sharply-contrasting effect, along the edges of the pieces depending on which colors are used next to each other, and also how thin the layers are
...Jackie used tinted translucents (no Skinner Blend, or colors are individual anyway) with her white and black layers
........also her topmost layer of torn pieces is partly overlaid with more torn pieces of plain translucent with white or only very lightly tinted translucents (...no black outside?)
http://gallery.gundo.com/gallery/album61/JackieHeartOfHopeTin1
Tania's almost neutral-colored, light-ish, watercolor bits ...medium gray, warm white, translucent tinted peach?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1001artbeads/2080834327/in/set-72157603807072150
Tania's "metallic" and polished- woodlike browns, black, translucent
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1001artbeads/2225032213/in/set-72157603807072150
...Barbab's lesson on making the final sheet with gold leaf (under 3 tinted translucents & over the white & black)
...... she also "pulls off" her bits from the edge of the final sheet rather than tearing them?
http://tinyurl.com/ylo4yh
...various watercolor items ...onlaid on black base clay (most not completely covered)... white edges not showing or no white used
http://cgpcg.org/photos/maggie_TrayOfPendants.jpg
.....Jean S's bead http://www.pbase.com/stargazer/image/1050189 (only a white sheet underneath?)
...kabidesign possibly uses a mokume gane sheet on top of two solid-color backing sheets for her pieces
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff122/kabidesigns/ED2.jpg

By using that "torn" technique with a transfer, I can imagine creating the effect of a paper edge torn out of a book or newspaper. Susan

Textured Sheets, Colored with paints, etc.

If sheets of clay are first textured or stamped, then color from paints, powders, inks, etc. is placed only on the upper areas, or the lower areas, or in both areas sequentially, that textured sheet can then be flattened to create the same pattern (though spread out a bit) in a flat sheet of clay.

lots of possibilities for the coloring materials to use on textured sheets (e.g., paints, metallic powders, chalks, etc.), as well as ways to apply them, before flattening, plus the final effects (including Donna Kato's "brocade" effects) are discussed in Textures > Flattening antiqued and/or highlighted textured sheets

PIECED sheets + collage
(....not necessarily flattened ...some component pieces or finished pieces may be textured also)

(this sub-category overlaps with the previous sub-category ... so check both places for examples)

Many individual pieces from various clay sheets can be put together (contiguously) to create a new sheet of "crazy patch" pieced pattern (or a more traditional pieced pattern, or in a grid )...generally geometric . . . this is also called "collage" by some.

Simple shapes (like rectangles, or simple curves) or or not-simple shapes (animal shapes,etc.) from different sheets of patterned or any clay can be pieced together in several ways:
...cut out a hole (of any shape) from the original sheet, probably using a cutter .. remove cut shape... then inlay the same shape but in a diff. color or pattern back into the hole created
...or cut apart a sheet, then insert strips or other shapes, etc, into it or next to it
....or piece or nest one shape of clay exactly next to another one (along one or more sides) by lightly placing a clay shape on top of another shape or base sheet... cut the bottom sheet by tracing around one edge of the shape (or more than one edge) where you want to nest it ... remove upper clay shape... then remove clay from bottom sheet which was under the clay shape .... add the shape back to the cut edge(s)
......whole shapes can be cut around in this way as well, even from the center of a sheet
...one side of a cutter (cookie, canape) can also be used to create a particular edge for joining another piece
........ cut both sheets to be joined with the same part of the same cutter, then join the positive edge of one sheet to the negative edge of the other
...templates (paper, etc.) can be used instead of clay shapes, if you want to plan ahead
.......draw out what you want on paper, and cut the puzzle pieces apart (probably best to number these so can rearrange later!)
...... use these as templates to cut the exact shapes from various sheets of clay
...... then join the clay pieces (on a thin base sheet, or not)

Mike High's crackled leaf cutout frog, heart, dragonfly shapes placed into holes in background sheet the same size and height ...(used as pendants)
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays04/june2004/tinaG1Lg.jpg
Judy B's various examples of cutting out squares and discs of clay to replace in holes in another sheet (to create her fabric for torso)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_figures/article/0,1789,HGTV_3237_2831708,00.htm (step 7 only)
Margaret R's coyotes, etc., cut out from Skinner blend sheets and placed onto covering of black clay on votive (probably into cutout holes, or thin cutouts flattened)
http://www.mregan.com/portfolios/portfolio3/photo4.htm

FimoBob used sheets of faux wood (made with mica clays) in a similar way to create a parquet effect (with diff. shades and shapes puzz
http://polymerclaycentral.com/clayday_faux1.html
Tonja's similar (highly colored) faux wood parquet pendants
http://www.tonjastreasures.com/tn6.htm
...Valerie made her faux wood parquet patterns with slices from tiny striped canes made with mica clays...
(...for Bob's lesson, plus more examples of parquet: see Faux-Wood > Parquet)

purplepapillon's various-shaped sections, each textured & metallic powdered in a diff. way, fitted together
http://www.imagestation.com/2999060/4266957995 + http://www.imagestation.com/2999060/4266957984
Kris Richards' strip work, with stamped, Pearl-Ex'ed "patches" (first patched strips are created, then they are fitted together diagonally)
http://www.jacquardproducts.com/support/artists/holt/gallery/friends003.htm
Debbie J's African-style strips for pendants
http://colspolyclay.org/Debbiejackson/dj3.jpg
tallmouse's African fabric (strips of pattern) (not polymer, but could be)
http://www.tallmouse.com/projects/kids/african/index.htm
kimono made with strips by Marlies ...(not polymer, but could use cane slices or patterned sheets for the strips just as easily)
http://www.mcuniverse.com/Stamp_Geisha.654.0.html
Kim Cavender's pieced shapes of various types, one with text, on a business card case
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimcavender/2228049085
Liz's strips and rectangles pieced together on Altoid box
http://www.libzoid.com/files/stmpaltoid0103.jpg
rectangular tiles of various patterns/colors used together, puzzlepiece...no grout
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays04/may2004/images/mosaicLg.jpg
kites made with four separate pieces (like those in Irene SD's book)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_summer.html (click on Jackie's photo)

various cane slices made into sheet, then made into mask by Kathleen Dustin
http://www.polymerclaydaily.com/images/dustin_mask_600px.jpg

Dora Arsenault's lesson for making millefiori sheet (for a crazy quilt simulation) ...each shape differs in cane pattern ...(with LS "stitching")...sheet laid on box lid on diagonal
...she smooths out the clay pieces and seam boundaries by rubbing the surface with tightly stretched plastic wrap using thumb and forefinger.
http://members.shaw.ca/clayquilt/crazy1/
Karen's crazy quilt Christmas stocking ornament, with dimensional clay "stitches" between the pieces
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_ornamentinspirations_Karen.htm
Lindly's very fabric-like patterns, (flattened?), cut into patches for assembling together into a (Tumbling Blocks) quilt pattern
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68349447&Sequence=0&res=high (gone?)

Judy Dunn's box covered with crazy quilt piecing, and a bit of simulated dimensional stitching (onlaid)
http://beadyeyedbrat.com/crazyquiltbox.jpg

sinilga's pieced shapes of (usually textured clays, often with mica powders and onlays) placed around a photo (coated on both sides with liquid clay)
...scallopped strips cover all the joins of the pieced clays, and the edge of the whole clay cover is also scallop-cut (slightly smaller than the album)
...she creates her cover on a sheet of glass over the photo album for correct size, bakes, then glues to the front of a book-photo album --she uses Sobo white glue, but any strong white glue should work, or better 2-part epoxy glue) ...see more on making "covers" in Books > Notebooks, etc.)
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=235709.msg2581183#msg2581183

Marcy uses cane slices, onlaid bits, all kinds of things, to create the sections (of her pieced flat hearts)
...she also separates the parts of her pieced pattern sheets by laying clay gun ropes, or strips of pattern, or dimensional dots,etc. along their edges
http://www.marcysclaypen.com/hearts/heart4.html (click on all galleries)

Jayzor's site has lots of diff. collage effects
http://www.jayzor.com (look all around)

Dayle Doroshow uses lots of collage ... ovelapping, dimensional, clay things of all types
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1751472&a=32123747

Cheryl's fairly flat figures (art dolls) with pieced sheets for clothing, hats ( lots of mixed media as well)
http://members.shaw.ca/gera/new_page_1.htm

Margi L's magnet-backed figures or simple pictures... done coloring book style with each Skinner blend sheet component surrounded by black (created on backing sheet as onlay, then trimmed?)
http://www.studiocrafts.com/Products/Lm/pcmagnets.html

Diane Maurer's pictures and landscapes (made with paper, but could be polymer) for inspiration (pieced or puzzle-pieced, and more)
http://www.dianemaurer.com/collage_art.html and http://www.dianemaurer.com/wearables.html

This technique can also be used to create "paintings" by combining component (flat or bas relief, possibly textured) pieces into one (realistic or abstract) "picture" (....see Paints > Paintings for details on those)

smooth
Jacqueline's draped bowl using puzzle pieced pattern on top layer of Baklava Platter
http://home.nyc.rr.com/ateliergikow/Evryday_dreams/crafts.html
Lisa P's patched squares of various "fabrics" ...covering a base sculpt of a rabbit
http://www.heartinhandstudio.com/Bunny.JPG
James L's bowls created by using sections of cane slices or other patterned clay, puzzle-pieced together, over form for bowl
http://www.akrobiz.com/polymer_clay/i_13.html ... http://www.akrobiz.com/polymer_clay/i_20.html (some flattened, some pieced?)
Kellie's strips of flattened mica clay twisted ropes and red clay
http://www.kelliesklay.homestead.com/CopperMetallicRopeTin.html
Jenny used a patchwork technique for her flat hearts .... she also separated her 3-4 sections with 2-3 strips of twisted mica ropes (see Mica > Buesseler > beehive)... and her patterns were symmetrical rather than "crazy"
Desiree's and Debbie's eggs covered with strips or crazy patchwork of different patterns (website gone)

textured
*Dotty McMillan's many uses of caning, metallic powders with textures, stamping, etc. on the "clothing" of her kaleidoscope women
http://pcpolyzine.com/0301january/0301fantasyart3.html (click on each image for larger view & more)
http://pcpolyzine.com/0301january/0301fantasyart2.html (pieced and onlaid)
Jessica A's 2 large pieced sections, onlaid as a unit onto the background of this "collage" (but other parts are onlays or freestanding)
....many examples of metallic powder, stamping, etc
http://polymerclaycentral.com/chall_jan04.html (click on "Details)
some of Deborah Brams' sheets for pieces are also highly textured (before cutting) .... she uses metallic clays of diff. colors for barrettes (could be seascapes??)... (few bits are onlays)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68339805&f=0
Margi L's swtichplates covered with collage of pieced colored clays in abstract shapes ("modern" style )... pre-textured
http://www.studiocrafts.com/Products/Lm/switchplates.html

Lisa's assemblage pins (upper and lower right) (pieced, or could be baked pieces pressed into soft clay sheet... onlaid, and more)
http://fragments.iwarp.com/jewelry.html

Kellie's silver and gold patchwork strips (could also be onlaid, baked, backfilled like a mosaic)
http://www.kelliesklay.homestead.com/Pins.html

Denita's patchwork of wood like rectangles covering box
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/chall_may01.html
Marie's & Jody's curved strips of wavy blade patterns, colors
???

ArtsyCraftsy''s faux origami shapes made by making a 2-D representation, differentiating areas by using various shades of same color, etc.(kimono, geometric...could be stylized leaves)
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/clay/gal0619220216666.jpg
Keith B's African-color, patterned canes with simple (mostly Skinner blend) canes placed next to each other
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/chall_jun04.html
Margi L's Skinner blend sheet component pieces for bodies (other parts are onlaid or behind) ...each surrounded by black before being pieced together for (magnet-backed) figures or simple pictures
http://www.studiocrafts.com/Products/Lm/pcmagnets.html

also Susan's complex heart (the one on left could also be done this way, with parts cut apart and line insertions added)
http://www.nwpcg.org/ravensdale/classes.shtml (gone)

Of course, same-shape-and-size pieces can also be placed together (rectangles, triangles, etc.), in which case they may also be referred to as "tiles" to create a frame or some kind of grid
BRPCG's logo with various squares of different textures, surface techniques, used as a frame
http://www.brpcg.com
(see more on these just below in Pieced But Also Textured, Onlaid)

Bob's lesson in Polyzine on using a cutter to make a thin inlay of a larger shape to place into a background hole (inlay same size/shape as hole into which it's placed)
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/september2001/cutters.html
...If you want to prebake a bunch of Kemper cutter shapes to use as inlays, etc., just press a raw sheet of clay firmly onto a smooth tile or other surface, and cut quickly while rocking the cutter... or use cornstarch over the whole sheet (see below in Cutting Tiles)
........if you put the sheet onto a smooth tile, you can then peel the excess clay off, and bake the whole tile with the shapes on it. Works great. Bean

Lines or other impressions can be made in raw clay by using stamps, or drawing with a blunt needle, etc., or impressing with small tips like the end of a screwdriver or a ball-headed tool
....these lines, dots, etc., can also create details in a less detailed shape
........ (e.g. in a plain cookie cutter cutout or silhouette, as in creating facial features and beard lines on a Santa cutout made with a cookie cutter, or adding decorations to an pine tree shaped cutout)
....or they can follow the shapes in a pattern of clay (like sheets of pattern, marbled clay, mokume gane, etc.), coloring them in with different color
.........(e.g., impressing and backfilling a new dot made in the center of a bullseye slice, or doing lines or series of dots, etc. along the outline of a color or shape, etc.)
..this example isn't backfill, but it could be done that way by rolling figure cutout silhouettes into a background clay sheet, then drawing along the edge of the silhouette, and backfilling with white clay
http://www.purplemoon.com/Stickers/batik-rainbow-ppl.jpg

to insert shapes (of filigree or non-filigree) into a prepared sheet of Balinese Filigree, use a cookie or canape cutter to remove some a portion from some portion of a BF spiral, sheet, row of ropes,etc....then fill in with the cutout from another color using the same cutter. (placing plastic wrap over the sheet before cutting should leave the edges rounded rather than evenly cut, if that's what you want.) Diane B.

(For choosing colors for pieced sheets) I learned from Lindly Haunani this summer about making a color wheel, choosing colors from it or from a magazine photo, and then making many individual 'swatches' of clay to be combined into a finished piece. It was a fantastic, eye-opening experience! No longer am I stuck with the idea that I must use on or two canes to cover an object! Anna

Slices from canes with translucent clay backgrounds (floating canes) can also be placed next to each other or slightly overlapped to create areas of pattern or pieced scenes (edges melt into each other becoming effectively invisible) ...for more on this, see Canes-Instr. > Translucent, Close-Together

pieced...but also textured or onlaid

box lid made with various techniques of pieced components (Wilma box, at Terry Lee C's)
http://www.pbase.com/tlccreates/image/25780458

Karen Sexton's many beautiful pieced pieces (some flattened, some textured, some pieced???)
http://www.mhpcg.org/images/members/sextonKaren/may2003/karenS2.jpg

Carol Zilliacus first made a beautiful and interesting clay sheet from her version of a tight, multiple Skinner blend which she textured in various ways (often using color changes as guides)
.... then she cut out some shapes with tiny cutters and replaced them with contrasting-color (and textured) cut-outs from other areas of the sheet
....(she popped them out after baking and reinserted with several drops of superglue... but wouldn't be nec??)

(....see also Kim Redcat's butterflies above in Pieced...flattened... she textured the whole new sheet after piecing and flattening it)

some of these sheets may also have bas relief elements here and there
* Violette's small samples book of fancy and embellished polymer sheets, cover is all polymer too. . .& "box-book"...cool! ... all kinds of collage
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1340337&uid=477851(
http://creaplastic.free.fr/10vio_06.htm and http://creaplastic.free.fr/10gal_vio.htm
...various sheet patterns, made various ways ...Teeny Tiny Tiles swap, MDPAG)
http://www.mdpag.org/swaps.htm (bottom of page)

Also see Inlay? and ... or Sue's pietre dure simulations (see Mosaics)
...for more info on insertions of all kinds, see Canes-gen. > Overall Techniques
...for caned landscapes (see Canes-Instr. > Landscapes)

DAMASCUS LADDER
...made from "canes", but not using traditional crosswise slices...

The cuts in the logs of these canes are made lengthwise, rather than crosswise as with most canes, yielding long "slices."
These long slices may be further manipulated by flattening (and by cutting again, rotating, and recombining for the crushed-reduced helix version) to form sheets which can be used for many things like covering items, forming background bases, etc.
(They can share some similarity with other symmetrical techniques ...e.g., Natasha Beads ...see more on those in Beads > Natasha).

> Duh, is Damascus ladder the same thing as helix cane?<
....Yep, it's a Damascus steel technique that bladesmiths use. I've been messing with 'em for years, exploring fancy, fabric design for the sake of single sculpture. They have ways of twisting and folding varying grades of carbon steel, then pounding flat, and grinding the blade to expose the pattern. In fact, they use polymer clay to explore ideas for new ways to fold the steel. Katherine Dewey
...sample of the original metalwork design, http://www.africut.co.za/images/LadderDamascus..A.JPG Alan V.T

....The regular helix (Damascus Ladder) cane starts the same way as the crushed or "reduced helix"version below, but for this one you simply cut slices lengthwise (from the long side of the twisted stack of sheets instead of running it through the pasta machine then cutting tiny squared strips which are rotated and joined)

a few of the BOH I made... one with metallics, some without
http://www.glassattic.com/imagesCANES_COV/cov-BOH/BOH.htm (3 pinkish-gray bottles, in 2st 2 rows)
Cristie's (though not a great photo...sorry); her stuff is very nice http://www.glassattic.com/images/BOH/BOH,Cristie2.jpg (need new URL)
Jean S's mica clays "holographic" caning
http://www.pbase.com/stargazer/hologram

Pat L made a beautiful helix? cane with black and gold

Amy W's stacked beads use this technique but she rolls her stack of layers into a ball then a log then a tapered log before cutting in half
....to make the result into an interesting bead, she then coils one of final halves around into like a snail (beginning with the tapered end) so that the pattern shows up on the outside rim of the resulting fat disk
http://www.ovenfriedbeads.com/stackertutorial.htm

Paula's Damascus Ladder made with a stack which had been distorted with a tool (from above)
http://polymerclaycentral.com/faux_paua.html (the rectangular piece)

Could Damascus Ladder patterns also be made in solid clay with oil paints, or dried acrylic paints, etc?? (other colorants)
(see Mokume Gane for more ideas?)

Damascus Ladder Reduced (also called Crushed Helix)

The crushed helix makes a much finer pattern than the regular (Damascus) one does.

Jody's helix, and then crushed helix, patterns (lessons)
http://www.angelfire.com/ct3/lujs/demo-helix.html
...Jody later wrote a how-to article on this cane in the Summer 2003 issue of PolymerCafe magazine

Jody B.'s "crushed helix" (or Damascus Ladder "Reduced") (lesson)
-- begin as for a basic Damascus Ladder cane:
........make a long squared stack of colors,
....... twist* it, compress into a rectangular log by hand (let rest 1/2 hr. or refrigerate a few mintues)
-- flatten it a bit with your hands, then put the log through the pasta machine widthwise (like laying a hot dog in a bun)
--mark and cut many even (square? ..Jody says 1/8") thin strips from the resulting sheet
--rotate them so their sides are up, then lay them side by side (like making faux ivory)
... fully join them by placing a sheet of paper over them and brayering... let rest overnight for best results (Jody)
....run through the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and then work down to the thinness you need... I usually go down to #4). Jody

Jody B's mini-visual-lesson on crushed helix (Damascus Ladder-Reduced) cane this one is not cut after twisting, but is run through pasta machine to flatten, then small strips are cut from the resulting sheet and each strip is turned so its side is up before butting it against the other strips, creating a sheet
(http://www.angelfire.com/ct3/lujs/demo-helix.html ("step" #2 is actually finished examples)
http://www.pbase.com/image/2744058
On the demo page I'm holding a small slice of regular helix in one picture. What you get is a long strip with pinwheels down the length. It's pretty too but the pattern is larger than what you'd get by crushing/reducing the cane. Jody

(lesson summary)
..... make a stack of colored layers, and cut into long rectangle log (colors horizontal)
..... twist the rectangular stack of layers, then compress into a rectangular log by hand (let rest 1/2 hr. or refrigerate a few mintues)
....slice the cane lengthwise one or more times, keeping the slices the same thickness
....open each pair of slices like a book to see what you have
...decide which paired slices you like the best, then butt them together matching the pattern exactly all along, and pasta machine to flatten

The final sheet appears to have the same number of repetitions of pattern as the number of twists originally given to the stack? --I think Jody's shows six.

...see also Faux-Ivory for sheets simulating ivory created with technique similar to Reduced Damascus Ladder

more from Jody:
.... It's more interesting if the initial layers or color are of varying thickness, or at least one layer is doubled.
....The pattern I like best is made by flipping every other strip after rotating to create a mirror image rather than keeping them all going the same way.
I also like to take that striped sheet, stack it so that the stripes are all running horizontally and ripple cut it. Unfortunately, the patterns are too formal and graphic for me, so I haven't incorporated them into a leafy vessel yet. I guess that just means I need to try harder, maybe downplay the color and contrast.
.........(see Cutters-Blades > Wavy Blade for Jody B's "Ripple Ikat" sheet technique (using a ripple blade,and starting with either clay scraps on a base sheet, or clay extrusions from a Clay Gun)
... If you put a sheet of striped clay in your loaf with the stripes running across the short way, it will make a cool dots pattern in the damascus!
....I've also found that I get more usable cane if I add scrap to the ends before I twist the loaf. Gives me something to hold onto.
...The basic cane can be cut into two pieces, with one piece made into a simple Damascus Ladder, and the other made into the finer patterned Damascus Ladder Reduced. Jody

sheets made from crosswise cane slices (butted)

Teri's feather-ish pattern made by manipulating an unloved Kaleidoscope cane (like Ikat )
(lesson) ..I .flattened and pasta machined for long flat snake, cut lengths crosswise, and stacked them, then took thin slices (crosswise) and laid next to each other to form a sheet
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=611741&uid=452502 (gone)
...Clayfreak's lesson on similar pattern made pretty much the same way for a bookmark?
http://hobbystage.net/art/clayfreak/gallery/1011045392-000389.html (gone?)

(?) I took some scrap clay chunks,and made a log of them. After twisting the log and running it through the pasta machine, instead of cutting the thin strips I just cut it and stacked it into a new cane, turning the slices as I stacked. I got pretty nice results from the cane slices which look quite similar to what was on your demo. Lenora

...see also Canes-Instructions > Ikat and Crushed Ikat and SB plug Ikat ... for making into sheets of ikat

OTHER sheet techniques & info

holey layer(s)
James L's 2-layer sheets: holey top layer of clay (holes made with tiny cutters) pressed onto solid under layer... in this case a variegated metallic holey layer and a solid color underlayer .
http://www.akrobiz.com/pc/i_72.html
.....lots of variations possible
........would be fun to use a cutter for cutting a shape from the holey layer placed on top of an solid or blend underlayer (....plastic wrap trick would hide the edges of bottom layer)
...see also Ai-Ping's many samples of a holey layer created in baked clay with tiny drills and sometimes an Xacto... these have a contrasting color layer underneath, and are curved during baking to create interesting tops for her "hollow box pins"
http://www.glassattic.com/imagesOBJ_SEAS_MISC/vessels/Ai-Ping_boxes.htm
Marcella's clay disk earrings with many small holes of various sizes (no second layer-color underneath)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4327525&a=32133773&p=73970553
Dan Cormier's holey top layer, plus indentions (antiqued)... and space between two shapes which creates a "line" where the bottom layer also shows through
http://www.polychic.com/memories.html

(see more on ways to use a wavy blade to make very interesting sheets of pattern, in Cutters-Blades > Wavy Blade)

Donna Kato's slice-"painting" technique
.....(make one or more canes which could be component pieces and repeated, like a petal cane for the many petals of a flower, or a leaf cane,etc.)
...you must cut your slices very thin! .....then put some of them down on the clay sheet... roll the sheet with an acrylic roller six different ways (end to end, side to side, and then both cattycorner to avoid distortion).... then put down more slices and repeat.... continue until all your slices are done and rolled into the sheet of clay. . . . use some pressure each time.
......then you can then fit the sheet directly onto whatever you wish to cover, or add a backing sheet for strength, and cut whatever pieces you might need.
..... I had tried rolling the slices in before, but had never done it this thoroughly, and that is what makes the difference. I found I can completely eliminate any lines around the cane slices. It's well worth the time spent doing it. Dotty in CA
(for much more on this technique, see Canes-Instr >Flowers >Slice Painting + Canes-Instr >Later Manipulations >Slice Painting)

dot slices grid pattern (...generally using automatically-wrapped logs....aka "Extruded Mokume Gane", "mod blocks")
http://www.good-night-irene.com/Pens.html and http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68339803
Lisa also uses this pattern often, sometimes with various colors all with black centers, sometimes not
http://www.polkadotcreations.com/gifts/listseries_Accessories.html (look all around... keep clicking)
...showing the sequence when making auto.wrapped canes http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_TLExtruder.htm
(see Clay Guns > Uses > Automatically Wrapped for more info and more examples of these dot slice canes...)

An interesting sheet could be made by running a baked (or old) sheet of patterned clay (even marbled or pasta-machined cane ends) through the pasta machine on top of a raw clay sheet.
.....The baked sheet will get crackled and pressed into the background color sheet.
...fine granules of clay colors could be created by whizzing clay (raw or baked) in a food processor and then could be placed on the raw clay for a trip through the pasta machine too.
...the bottom (background) sheet could be the patterned one instead, or in addition.
....I had old stiff sheets and sheets of pc "fabric" that I'd made a year ago which I forgot all about...when I tested them last week they cracked when I touched them. So today I 'excited their molecules' by smacking them between their layers of plastic wrap until I'd hit every inch of each. I used both an acrylic rod and then switched to a rubber mallet. I must say IT WORKED like a charm.... I later used a lot of them to make mokume gane (slabs) after they were softened up.
. . . you need to be sure that the clay is covered completely with plastic wrap and that it is smooth. or otherwise you're going to be smacking textured lines into the clay. . . . after the sheets have been "worked over" sufficiently, I usually test one corner... . ..you'll have to run it through the pasta machine several times on the same setting as the sheet was originally run through on. Carolyn
...I had a thin sheet of raw, patterned clay that I had used as a laminate several months ago. When I went to use it recently, it cracked. I tried back-filling those cracks with liquid clay --but I colored the liquid clay with gold. jayne ...looks like grout in a mosaic but outlines the pattern shapes
... this could be very interesting if I had used some Glow in the Dark liquid clay--imagine walking into a darkened theater! Better yet, spider web designs for Halloween! jayne
......(see much more on this method in Scraps >Hard Scraps)

A ragged edge can be intentionally achieved along a sheet of raw clay (for an aged or rock-like look) by tearing "dry" clay (FimoClassic, old clay, or leached clay) rather than cutting it .... and sometimes just by running unconditioned clay through the pasta machine
....for tearing clay, I bake first for about 5 min... then while still warm, I tear the piece around the edges and then finish baking. ....made a pin that combined a transfer image and torn egde to make a collage pin that looked like an antiquity shard. Linda LI
...strips from these edges can be used in various ways too ... for framing something small like a pin (ragged edges upward )...or roll up a strip so that the irregular edge end forms a spiraled cone ...sliced off, these could be end caps for beads or other onlaid embellishements??
....... blends can give a nice effect, too ... or ends could be highlighted with metallic powders, etc.

I marble some colors together (sometimes it's cane scraps) and run through the pasta maker on # 4 or 5, and wrap around the egg. Then, with the tissue blade laid against the egg (or other curved surface), slice little dots off, turn them over and press them back on (preserving the curve around the egg). This is a nice way to get a more complex surface than just the marbled effect.

would a sheet of baked polymer clay (attached to a magnet sheet) be erasable since ceramic tiles are (when written on with erasable markers intended for whiteboards?)
...especially if the baked clay sheet is very slick from having been baked face down on glass?... or Kato clay were used?
...could use as a memo pad or grocery list on frig... DB
...could also stamp with Fabrico inks, then bake, for permanent decoration which won't erase

lesson on covering a large flat shape of shaped wire, with a "layer" of panty hose to fill in the negative space
...could be done with a decorative sheet of clay instead of the panty hose though
...(each end of the long wire was embedded into a block of wood... then the wire "loop" was shaped)
...clay sheets simulating wood, stone, or metal would be interesting too
http://www.art-rageous.net/WireHose.html ...http://www.art-rageous.net/WireHose-LP.html

origami & folding

For doing origami or tea bag folding or other folding techniques with raw clay, I suppose it would be best to use Kato's Repel Gel (or another CA debonder) on the clay, or possibly a heavy powdering of cornstarch on both sides of the sheet to prevent them from bonding during firing?... or just in particular areas

Sharon M's lesson on fan-folding diagonally a small powdered-then-textured 1/16" thick, 3 1/2 x 3" rectangle of clay (from which she's removed a 1" triangle at one corner) with a chopstick, then pressing the folds together near the trimmed corner, and wrapping several times then "tying" there with a strand of clay (in a square knot), to make a pin (at joanns.com.. Fimo Clay Pin)
http://tinyurl.com/4fu5v

Kaz Kono's folded kimonos --origami (Happi brooches... may not nead a release for these tho)
http://www.polymerclayart-japan.com/pixkazworks/brooch_folder/kimono2.JPG
http://www.polymerclayart-japan.com/pixkazworks/brooch_folder/hantenray.jpg
http://www.polymerclayart-japan.com/newkaz/englishginzaten.html (gone?)

Judy Dunn's video lesson (2-part) on folding an origami "peace" crane with raw polymer clay (she calls this "claygami"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyHFCYHJa0w ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckf4uNJsVQc
...she makes a sheet with a few cane slices rolled in (on one side)... then takes the sheet down to # 6 on pasta machine
...cuts a square with a template, then covers both sides thinly but evenly with cornstarch (from tails of a cheesecloth bunch)
...makes all folds gently and handles the clay lightly to avoid distortion... at end, she defines the folds more sharply
...supports each in a muffin tin for baking, which results in flat wings, for 45 min. (could be best to use a tissue in cup to avoid shiny spots)
(she says polymer clays are more breakable in their new formulations, so must handle more carefully after baking than before)
Judy's examples of many cranes: http://www.moms-studio.com/id45.html
.....(she's also made a kimono, and a cicada http://www.moms-studio.com/id37.html gone?
NOTE: The Crane Project is Judy's large-scale endeavor for making cranes for peace to represent all those killed in the Iraq-Afghanistan wars
...you can make cranes to donate too --make them from 4" waxed paper or deli paper squares (she also uses pages from newspapers or magazines with articles about the wars)... then mail them flat (don't open them up at the end...just leave flat after folding up head and tail).
...check it all out at http://thecraneproject.blogspot.com (and watch the videos, and see the 20 great reasons to fold cranes for the project!...lolol)
... seriously consider donating cranes, especially if you use Judy's lesson above!
...(look on the right side of that page for address to send the cranes to, link to an animated lesson for folding a crane, a donation button** if you'd rather give money
(**that page at Judy's blog may come up with the GlassAttic navigation bar on the left, so you may not be able to use that button --that's also happening with all the links on this page for some reason we can't figure out... if so, just copy out the link rather than clicking on it and paste it into your browser bar to go to Judy's blog page)

someone mentioned an origami crane having been folded with metal clay

for beads made with folding techniques, see Beads
....> Pillow Beads for origami "fortune cookies
... > Foldover & other folds for "foldover" beads (like taco shells)---spirals of extruded clay colors folded over a skewer, baked, then removed
and "folded weave bead" ... a working pinwheel bead
...> Mobius for Mike B's cane slice with folded back corners (mobius beads)
...>More Bead SHAPES & TYPES for various coiled strips, twisted strips, and others

boxes (see Vessels for Barbara McGuire's lesson on folding a wire mesh and clay sandwich into a vessel)

could use warm, baked clay sheets for folding or origami? (Kato clay used to have the characteristic of "warm repositionability," though less in new formulation)
...for details on technique, see Covering > Removable sleeves, sleeves from warm clay

the "tea bag folding" technique creates a dimensional, round design ---like from a kaleidoscope
...tea bag folding begins with squares of paper of the same size ....usually 8 squares
...each is folded the same way ...then the individual folded pieces are interlocked (or laid side by side)
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/design2.html (see photos of books half way down page.... also click on ornaments??)

--could origami or other folding techniques be done with films (clings, decals) of liquid clay ?)

--could origami, etc., be done with fabric impregnated with translucent clay or liquid clay?
...(stiffened) fabric origami ideas ...transferrable to polymer (wallet, purse, checkbook cover, box, card, etc.)
......can be later embellished with beads, embroidery, paints and by numerous techniques
http://www.fabricorigami.com kimono template (very simple origami), shirt, etc.

kirigami (figures or solid geometric shapes)
The Japanese word kirigami, translates to "cutting paper." Kirigami, therefore, is the art of folding and cutting paper. ....e.g., snowflakes from folded and cut paper examples:
http://lar.5u.com/kirigami.html geometric kirigami

Investigating Symmetry and Tessellations ... projects
http://lar.5u.com/kirigami.html

http://www.adrianbruce.com/Symmetry

polyhedra

solid geometry http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid
http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid/nets.html (see shapes come together)
(platonic solids ... same shape & size for each piece (cube, tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron... etc.)
(pyramids.... a pyramid's horizonal base can be triangular, square, or pentagonal at least... number of "vertical sides" will depend on # of sides its base has)
(prisms... a solid shape in which the top and bottom faces lie on top of each other (parallel) so that the polygons connecting their sides are rectangles....these are "right prisms".... (If the top and bottom faces are rectangles, then the prism is known as a cuboid).
http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid/prism3.html

see more lessons & templates for making boxes and bags from paper (but transferrable to clay?) in Boxes-Gift.)

(...see ideas on using stiffened origami paper, in Mixing Media > Paper ....or stamps, stickers > Stamps & Stickers
....also strengthening fabric with liquid clay or translucent clay in > Fabric)
......I used liquid clay to adhere and to overcoat some origami paper (much like decoupage) and noticed that the difference between ones that buckled and actually separated from the clay base beneath was the length of time I let the piece sit before baking. . . .The ones that sat overnight before baking (my goal was for the liquid clay to self-level) seemed to totally absorb the liquid clayand remained the way I wanted them. ....but the ones that got popped straight into the oven warped.. . . I know that for paper to shrink, it must first get wet --wet with the liquid of the clay seems to do it. Jeannine

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for cutting strips or squares/rectangles from clay sheets for boxes, covering, etc., see the gridded Omnigrid ruler in Tools > Work Surfaces)

for clay coasters, see Sculpting-gen > Other Items

See top of page for more techniques and items which can also be thought of as "sheets of pattern."

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