Julie Eakes offers a nifty poinsettia tutorial on her blog. She collages slices from four or five basic canes onto a graduated background for one variation. Then she shows how the same canes can be used for sculptural or dimensional pieces. What a nice gift to readers.

If you’ve caught the generous spirit of the holidays, you may want to:

• Visit the EBay site of “Benefit Ada” which lists polymer clay items from several artists for auction. More than 80 items from around the world were donated. Ponsawan Sila’s daughter will receive the proceeds from this lovely project.
• Help support the Cerebral Palsy KIDS Center in Louisville, KY by purchasing Ron LeHockey’s polymer clay heart pins. Contact Ron at rlehocky@bellsouth.net.
• Donate on the site of the Sammunat project. The Australian government has recently provided grant money to this project that assists abused Nepalese women by teaching them beading and business skills. You can help keep this important project moving forward by donating on their site.

Thanks to Susan Lomuto at DailyArtMuse and Lindly Haunani for the links.