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Helen Breil's Mad About Bowls Polymer Class Review and Giveaway

Helen Breil is a friend and we lunch occasionally.  I was intrigued when she first told me she was working on her second polymer clay class several months ago.  I had previously featured her awesome magnetic polymer clay jewelry online class before so I knew she would have something innovative up her sleeve.  Helen was surprised and said, "I didn't think you would be interested in bowls." 



Ah, but she was wrong about that.  I was and am interested in bowls and I am sure many readers would be. We all could learn a great deal from Helen about shapes, textures and colors for polymer clay work. If not for home decor, then for jewelry making.  I am not saying that just because she is a friend. She really is inspirational!

There are 3 bowl designs in her Mad About Bowls class (the class preview is free - you do have to sign up on Thinkific first, also free).   Helen chose 3 basic shapes to work with - square, rectangular and triangular.  All of them, particularly the first bowl design, look Japanese in style.

They all have the distinctive bowl shape made that way with clever cuts and forming.  The triangular one is particular ingenious. It loses none of its texturing in the shaping process.

Square Bowl #1
The 90 minute class not only covers the bowl construction and coloration techniques also includes the templates, exhaustive downloadable lists for materials and techniques - even instructions on how to use the video format (pretty easy - I didn't have any problems).  Helen, if anything, is meticulous.

Square Bowl Inspiration
Helen actually uses different polymer clay brands and covers briefly their relative merits in her materials list. She is a fan of Kato clay which she recommends for the main bowls as the resulting projects are harder compared to other brands.  But it is apparently stiffer to work with. It is helpful tips like this as well as those on how to maintain the shapes during curing which makes her class so useful.

Rectangular Bowl #2
You can indeed use her class to make small decorative bowls - jewelry storage dishes, perhaps?  But scaling them down would make some awesome 3D brooches and pendants too!  I also liked her idea of using the bowls as wall decor!

Rectangular Bowl Inspiration
Her classes are not complete without her many inspirations. She goes over how she achieves the textures and colors for each one.  Shown here are some of my favorites from her inspirational galleries.

Triangular Bowl #3

Triangular Bowl Inspiration

Triangular Bowl Inspiration

Giveaway

If you'd like to win this giveaway for Helen's Mad About Bowls class please make a comment below. Make sure you leave contact info below if you do not have an online shop or blog.

Email subscribers need to scroll down the post they receive, click on Share Comment and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank.

This giveaway is international.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower etc. If you also do shout outs about this giveaway, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments. (The exception is Facebook - just like/comment on the giveaway status there!!)

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, May 28, 2018. I will pick the winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

Before You Go:



Disclosure This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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42 comments:

  1. Wow! I would definitely want to.win this give away..you can contact me through email kusuri.jewelry@gmail.com or Shubha.bapu@gmail.com

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  2. I would love to win this tutorial! Thank you

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  3. OMG! I have being eyeing this for quite some time... I would be elated and so appreciative of this tutorial! Count me in! I will do a shout out or 2 on facebook and will share pix till the cows come home!! LOL ♥ Thank you for doing this! Mona Braza abqmona@yahoo.com

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  4. Helen Breil designs are so wonderful and these bowl creations are no exception! I would so love the chance to win this tutorial! Thanks!

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  5. Such amazing bowls, I would love to do this project!

    lwest.86@hotmail.com

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  6. I am very interested in this. It had never even occurred to me to go the Bowl route. I’m fascinated! Carolynewhite54@gmail.com

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  7. I would like to enter the giveaway. Love Helen Breil designs! Deep textures and rich colors are her signature. My email deshvedu@gmail.com

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  8. I have other Helen Breil tutorials - they are so clear, inspiring and helpful. I'd really like to win this one.

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  9. These bowls are true works of art and I would love to win the tutorial. Beetique@gmail.com

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  10. wow would love to win, I need some new inspiration.

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  11. Wow! Mi puacerebbe riceverlo! ilaria.coppolino@gmail.com

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  12. I don't recall my google account password but my email is gloria_patricia55@hotmail.com
    Beautiful work Helen!....

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  13. I love Helen's tutes, so clear and detailed and inspiring.... This one looks fabulous!!!! - frickastitch(at)gmail.com ;)

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  14. I have the magnetic pendant classes which is absolutely fabulous. Would love to have the bowl class as a matching pair!

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  15. Wow! These are amazing! I would love to learn how to make these.

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  16. I would love to use my Breil textures for a wonderful bowl. I thank you for the opportunity to win, Helen 🤗 rozzhopp@verizon.net

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  17. I'd very much like to try these bowls ... beautiful work. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  18. Wow! I would love to win this. Her work is amazing. I am a newsletter subscriber and will definitely share this too. Thanks to both you and Helen.

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  19. I love Helen's work and also like to make bowls, although I only make very small ones at the moment since it is hard to get a round base. New techniques to learn from this tutorial. chrisalis15@bigpond.com

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  20. Helen’s tutorials are highly detailed , I have several and would love to add this one. Montarsi@cinci.rr.com

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  21. Helen's tutorials are the best money can buy , wining one is as good as it gets

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  22. I have always been fascinated with Helen's works. I would love the opportunity to attempt her tutorials! Thank you!

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  23. Fabulous bowls! So unique. Thanks for the chance to win!
    francieos@yahoo.com

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  24. Helen Breil is an an amazing shining star in the polymer clay world. Excellent tutorials, and so much free, ACCURATE advice too! And I charming lady, I was lucky enough to meet in person. I, too, would love to win this tutorial. And if I don't I'll just have to buy it. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  25. These look fantastic and I would love to win this.

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  26. I have been admiring Helen’s beautiful bowls and others who have made them and shared their pics! So inspiring and expertly done! I hope I can get an opportunity to learn to make them also! I just subscibed to your blog also!! 👍🏻👍🏻 juliecresswell22@gmail.com

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  27. I can see the care and effort that has gone into creating these bowls.
    It would be an exciting and informative experience to learn how to make these.
    fireflyglowing1@outlook.com

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  28. I loved your so thorough explanation and review of this tutorial... I have been tempted for quite a while and knowing Helen’s work It would be amazing to have a chance to win it.
    Irrespective I win or not.. I very much appreciate the way you detailed it. Warm hugs from Toronto
    I can be contacted using brewingmemoirs@gmail.com

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  29. Always love your textures. Lover your shapes. I can see these bowls as tiny bronze trinkets.

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  30. Yes, please cgemini30@gmail.com

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  31. I love so much Helen's World. It would be great To be part of it ♡♡♡

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  32. The fact that you could see pendants and pins in Helen's bowls made me laugh Pearl. I think that you can find inspiration in everything you look at and turn it into jewelry somehow.

    My brother is a potter. Creating bowls like these and then glazing them with such patterns and colours would take and extraordinary amount of time and patience.

    The benefits of all the colours of polymer clay and how easy it is to fire speaks volumes when you look at Helen's work. The possibilities are limitless.

    My polymer clay oven is large but probably not large enough to make these bowls. I'm thinking that my hubby wouldn't be too pleased if I used our kitchen oven (I know - I know) for something like this. Hmmmm..... :0)

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  33. Helen is an amazing PC artist and I would love to learn more of her secrets. Blog follower: zoowatcher10@yahoo.com. Thank you Pearl.

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  34. These are so neat!!! I’d love to win this!

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  35. I have been wanting to make more sculptural pieces and bowls would be a great start! I am a big fan of the unique forms that Miss Helen creates and if course her awesome silkscreen and textures. This would be a great class. Thanks for the chance Erin Prais-Hintz enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com

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  36. Would live to win this - Helen's designs are always so inspirational. You may contact me at: audieandnancy@mchsi.com

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  37. Love these. I can see them modified to create brooches also.

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  38. Helen's designs are so very distinctive.
    Please enter my name into the Mad about Bowls giveaway.
    Please contact me at bjraissi@yahoo.com

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  39. Oh my gosh! This is the most beautiful & unique artwork that I have seen in a long time. It's hard to imagine that I could actually learn how to make it. I am excited at the very thought of it. ckleppert1@gmail.com

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  40. It would be fantastic to have this as bowls are a favorite thing to make.

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  41. I would love to win this tutorial -great work ! My email is: gabis20@hotmail.com. thank you !

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