While you are making that list of resolutions, why not add a few clay related projects. First, if you've had your pasta machine for a while, now is the time to give it a good cleaning. Here are the simple directions: Cleaning Pasta Machines. Also, replace your razor, tissue and exacto blades for better results.

As a bead artist, one of my goals for this year, is to not have such a huge pile of ugly scrap clay laying on my desk. Here are two simple ways to cut down on the clay mud. First when you are making your beads and canes have a few piles of scraps that are the same colors, all blues, all browns, etc. When you are done for the day, mix up this scraps for new shades of these colors. If you just took the scraps and mixed them all together, a gray would be the result. The second way to cut down on scraps is to use this method for reducing canes.

Have fun this year making beads and playing with your clay. Look for new techniques to try and browse through the current beadwork magazines for the latest projects in clay and new ways to incorporate your beads into exciting beading projects to show them off.