Inspiration
Polymer Clay Notes is a great blog with lots of inspiration. Some of the things I like best are the non-clay related images. After the initial “Ooooh” reaction, my mind starts spinning off in different directions thinking about how I could use that shape or this color combination or… After looking at the post linked to above, I did some searchs on shiburi (which is absolutely beautiful) then requested a book on it from the library. Then thought of requesting a book just on Japanese crafts to see what else I could find, then thought of looking for a book on crafts from India… etc etc.
The mind just makes flowing connections and it’s fun just to go with it and see where it takes you. Make sure to explore other crafts and images instead of only looking at the clay related sites or magazines. Who knows, the next major breakthrough (like polymer clay mokume gane adapted from metal work) could be yours.