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My Color Cube Journey

  • Writer: Anita Long
    Anita Long
  • Aug 3
  • 3 min read

I saw an ad on Facebook—and it changed my life. It was for the Color Cube by Sarah Renae Clark, and as a polymer clay artist, I was intrigued. I hoped it would help me improve my use of color in my work. I had no idea just how much of a transformation it would spark.

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Sixteen months later, everything about the way I use polymer clay has changed. I’ve developed an app—PC Color Mixer—now used by over 500 polymer clay artists worldwide. It generates custom color recipes from just five specific Sculpey Premo® primary colors. My personal artwork has reached new levels of depth and harmony. And perhaps most meaningfully, at age 67, I’m proud of the fact that I've rekindled skills in design and programming that I hadn’t touched in years.


And it all started with that Facebook ad I didn’t scroll past.


From Clay Artist to Color Explorer


Before I discovered the Color Cube, was mixing my own clay colors. I rarely used clay straight from the package anymore. Thanks to the teachings of polymer clay color guru Lindly Haunani, I had learned how to create rainbow blends and incorporate black and white to expand the color range. This method gave me beautiful, cohesive palettes that became the foundation of many of my projects.

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Veneers made using Lindly Haunani technique
Veneers made using Lindly Haunani technique

When I found the Color Cube, I was excited to take things a step further: matching specific colors to build new palettes. What I didn’t realize was how deeply this would reshape my day-to-day creative process.


When the cards arrived, I was impressed with their professional quality—especially at such an accessible price. Because they are professionally printed, the colors are consistent and reliable for comparison. Unlike screens or home printers, which can vary widely, these cards provided a solid standard to work from.


Reverse Engineering Color


I started experimenting—matching the Color Cube swatches using just five Sculpey Premo® colors: Cobalt Blue, Fuchsia, Zinc Yellow, Black, and White. I chose these because they are the most “pure” primaries offered by Sculpey.


Each time I figured out a successful recipe, I added it to a spreadsheet along with the corresponding hex code. Soon, I began spotting patterns. I started adjusting for the unique behavior of each clay: Cobalt is incredibly strong; Zinc Yellow is semi-translucent. That meant traditional digital color models like CMYK didn’t translate perfectly—I had to compensate, reduce the cobalt, increase the yellow, and so on.


My first attempt!
My first attempt!

I spent weeks testing, refining, and tweaking formulas until I had a spreadsheet that could calculate the clay recipes for any hex code, not all perfectly, but very good.

Hundreds of colors were tested!
Hundreds of colors were tested!

From Spreadsheet to App


I knew I wanted to share this tool with others. At first, I considered a downloadable spreadsheet or computer program. But my daughter had a better idea: turn it into an app, something that could be easily downloaded and used by anyone with a smartphone.


I hadn’t programmed in years, but I had the foundational knowledge. After some research, I decided to use Flutter, a modern app development framework that works for both iOS and Android. I dove into Dart, the programming language used by Flutter, and learned just enough to get started.


I translated my formulas into Dart code, and slowly built the first version of what would become the PC Color Mixer app. I invited a few artist friends to help me test the color outputs, and their feedback was instrumental in improving the formulas and simplifying the interface.



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Launching PC Color Mixer


Once the app was stable and user-friendly, I navigated the complex process of publishing it in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. I also created a companion website—pccolormixer.com—to provide instructions, articles, and recommendations for tools to use alongside the app, including, of course, the Color Cube.


The PC Color Mixer app is now live, growing, and constantly improving. I’m actively developing new features and listening to user feedback to make it even better.

App Logo
App Logo

A New Chapter


This journey has transformed more than just my color palettes—it’s changed how I see myself. I’m creating richer, more vibrant artwork. I’m part of a growing global community of polymer clay artists. And I’ve reinvented myself as an app and web developer—something I never imagined I’d be saying in my late 60s.


All of this began because I followed a spark of curiosity. That one little Color Cube ad turned into a whole new chapter of creativity, learning, and connection.


And I couldn’t be more grateful.


Resources:




Some of my recent projects created using the PC Color Mixer app

 
 
 

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