CREATIVE CRAFTING

Archive for January, 2009

So much can be done with just one template from SmileBox. I really love the program! You can try it out for free for an unlimited amount of time. They also have a paid program that offers more options for a small monthly sum.

Make a Smilebox recipe

My husband who is a retired Clay Model Maker for one of the auto industries gave me this idea for making the brick patterns on the side of my miniature houses.  He also gave me the idea to make miniatures.  Great idea!

Making your own texturizing tools is easy.  Although there are many templates you can purchase (I have some on this site) that make this job even easier, you can make your own.  If you don’t have the money or just want to experiment to see if you even like Polymer Clay then make your own.

I am sure somewhere in your house either on one of your child’s toys or a decoration you have texture.  I use a house the kids bought me years ago for a Christmas Village to get most of my textures.

I take a piece of scrap clay (always save your scraps), and lay a flatten piece of it onto the texture I want to copy making sure it gets into all the groves and crevices. Make sure the clay is not too thin or it will fall apart on you.   I then carefully remove the clay and put it in the oven for the recommended time.  When it comes out I have made a template for textures.

When it comes time to use it, it works the same way as a template you will buy.  Although sometimes if you are not careful the template texture will not be well defined;  so make sure when making the template that you press firmly.

As a beginner I was looking for a book that gave detailed instruction. I never thought that I would find such great instruction and pictures. This is a superb helper and will make my first attempts look like I have been using polymer clay for years. Author is to be commended for such fine and detailed instructions. I highly recommend this book.

It is easy to think of polymer clay as glorified modeling clay, but as a serious craft medium it requires knowing some basic techniques, such as making multicolor canes. These are covered in great detail with excellent photos in Polymer Clay for the First Time. Beginners will find many of their questions answered in this book. After mastering the basics one can move on to complex projects such as miniature villages. The tiny houses in Ritchey’s book are only several inches high and would be just right for a tabletop display or a small-gauge model railroad layout. Buildings include cottages, stores, a church, and a lighthouse. There are also instructions for making shrubbery and grounds. Both books are recommended for public library crafts collections.

Combine the charm of miniature houses with the easy-to-use medium of polymer clay, and you’ve got a fun hobby everyone can enjoy! This book contains 12 delightful, hand-sized projects, starting with simple cottages and progressing to elaborate manors, a church, a grocery store and more. To help ensure great results, each project follows the same basic sequence of assemblage and includes detailed step-by-step illustrations, patterns, color-mixing recipes, and a photo of the finished house. You will also learn how to detail your villages with trees, flowers, fences, walkways and other special touches. Includes suggestions to help you create your own, unique variations–even miniatures of your own home!