TIPS AND TIDBITS from Clay Connection 2000
TIPS AND TIDBITS from Clay Connection 2000
Our thanks to all polymer clay enthusiasts, and their sources, for your
generosity in sharing ideas!!!!
Round cane slicing: use copper pipe connector fittings to slip the cane in. Extend a little beyond and use straight edge of pipe to cut against. It gives you a straight cut and prevents the bottom of the can from squishing.
When making a kaleidoscope cane, make the triangle "base" piece out of translucent clay and use translucent for some of the surrounding rods. Then you'll have a really cool cane you can use on any color background.
Use a motor on your pasta machine if you have sore hands or arms.
Change water between grits when sanding.
Use a plug of scrap clay for a plunger in a cookie cutter.
Put a little silver clay in each color.
You can use a wavy cane blade to cut the dead end of any cane, as well as a cane made from layered colors.
Incorporate beach sand into polymer clay to create texture.
Don't be afraid to ask people to help condition your clay when attending (non-work) meetings. After kneading one-half block, they will ask for more!
When using chopped crayon as clay inclusions, try larger chunks, too. They melt out and leave a great mottled texture and great color. Try the "pearl" crayons, too.
My favorite color: gold and silver clay mixed 1 part to 1 part.
An inexpensive way to provide rollers for students when teaching a class: At your home improvement store's closet shelving department, purchase white-painted metal hollow dowels. They can be sawn into 6" lengths and then sand the ends (belt sander works best).
Use Ronzoni Alphabet pasta to imprint letters onto clay.
Where to buy Buna cord and washers (black rubber): I.B. Moore, Lexington, KY 1-606-255-5501 17 cents to 23 cents per foot. Sometimes on E-bay from I.B. Moore.
When you are pushing clay into a mold sometimes the clay sticks to your thumb more than the mold. Dust a little powder on your thumb to solve this problem.
Black and pearl make a really nice "anthracite" effect.
No-hole bulls eye - When making a bulls eye cane from a long thin Skinner blend, start it this way: cut the end of the strip of clay off to make a straight end. Take the cut of clay and make a snake of clay. Use this snake as the center and then roll up your bulls eye.
Easy beveled edges - put a sheet of plastic wrap over the sheet of clay and press the cutter right through the wrap, then pull up the wrap.
Easy glitter finish for smooth clay - Great for Bottles of Hope or Christmas ornaments! Cover the object and smooth clay as much as possible. Pour a little ultra fine glitter in the palm of your hand and rub and roll the object in it. Bake. Wash with a soapy sponge to get any loose glitter off and seal with a coat of Flecto Varathane.
Recipe for a great green - use any green 4:1 or 3:1 with gold.
Use water to prevent cutters from sticking. Also can be used in making and using molds.
Polymer Clay Denim: Four different shades of blue - some lighter, some darker. Two shades of gray. Make sure all the colors are well-conditioned. Roll them into snakes and bundle going lengthwise. Do NOT let them twist around each other. Pull out lengthwise and fold over back on itself lengthwise - no twisting! Pull out again; fold over again. Repeat until lines are blended nicely . . . be careful not to blend until one solid color. Flatten and roll through a pasta machine with a piece of denim material to pick up the texture! Voila! Authentic denim!
Bake beads in a bowl of cornstarch to avoid distortion and shiny spots.
When buffing a polymer clay item, heat it (approximately 100 to 125 degrees) for five to eight minutes. Then apply a small amount of transparent shoe polish to the item and buff again.
Polyfill makes a great support for baking round objects like eggs and beads. It's easier to handle than foil.
A big plastic bowl with a towel underneath with about 1 inch of water will let you sit on the couch and sand with the bowl in your lap.
Clay can be stored in any plastic container marked with a "5" on it.
Turn your pasta machine upside down in a container and pour in 1 and a half bottles of isopropyl alcohol. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Use a turkey baster to squirt alcohol into rollers. Clean until alcohol is dirty. Drain upside down on paper towels. Use last one-half bottle to clean any remaining residue. DO NOT take machine apart for this cleaning.
When using a mold, lightly dust one side of a small ball of clay and press it into the mold.
When you use white to lighten a color, always add a speck of the color above it on the color wheel.
When you use black to darken a color, always add a speck of the color below it on the color wheel.
Baby wipes are excellent for cleaning brushes of regular or Transparent Liquid Sculpey.
Always check the temperature of your oven!!!
For those who sell their work: you might send baked slices away to a friend, who can then connect them with a jump ring to a big key ring, to show prospective far-off customers as an exact example of what you have for sale.
And this : "Even though I've been around clay for a long time, I've
worked with it about a total of one or two months. My friends happily remind me
there are no mistakes in clay, just happy (and sometimes not-so-happy)
accidents."