Archive for the ‘Polymer Clay’ Category

I don’t often recommend a Polymer Clay Book but this is one  of those books that I love to share.

Celebrations With Polymer Clay by Sarajane Helm contains both the latest techiques and new ways to use old techniques.  I love discovering new books like this.  It has something for all levels of experience.

The books focuses on the four seasons..winter, spring, summer and fall.  It has around 25 projects that revolve around the color palettes of the seasons.  Direction for making decorative masks, jewelry, flower arrangements, cards, picture frames, Christmas ornaments, and even covered Easter eggs.  This book has it all including colored pictures to go along with the instructions.

It also includes some practical tips on how to care for the pasta machine, recipes for mixing different colors for the four season color palatte.  Along with another section that talks about different recipes for colored stains using Flecto Varathane.

How to make lace canes, floral canes, face canes, snow flake canes…the instructions are all here along with how to reduce the cane.  Clear concise directions on how to condition your clay and keep it plyable.

Celebrations With Polymer Clay has a number of guest contributors and the layout of the different projects makes this book a worthwhile addition to you Polymer Clay library.

It is not too late to put it on your Christmas List!

Christmas ornament and tree traditions, according to some historians, began somewhere in the 7th or 8th century by St. Boniface, a monk who is known as the Apostle of the German people. It is said that St. Boniface brought a fir tree for his congregation to decorate during the Christmas holidays, he believed the triangular shape of the fir tree represent the Holy Trinity. The Germans embraced the Christmas tree and began to decorate it with basic, white colored candles. In the 15th century decorations started to be introduced into the German Christmas decorations. Around 1510, in Latavia a fir tree was trimmed with roses which symbolized the Virgin Mary, so began the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments.

But wait, there is more. In 1605 a town along the Rhine close the German border called Strasbourg was where the first tree was brought indoors and decorated with paper roses, white candles, nuts, sweets, and some kind of wafer. This is the first time it is recorded that a Christmas tree was brought inside and then decorated which began what we do today. Of course, over time the decorative ornaments grew more elaborate and imaginative as each family used what they had on hand to decorate their trees. Decorations were made of painted eggshells (still done today in many countries) cookies, and of course the candle. Tinsel for the tree came into existence around 1610 and was originally made with pure silver.

Polymer Clay

Has added a whole new dimension to my Christmas Village collection. I have always like Christmas Villages, I have collected a few items over the years, made a few when I was involved in Ceramics and bought some pieces here and there, now I am adding to the collection with a village made of Polymer Clay.

I have absolutely no idea where I will put it, but it small enough that it will fit anywhere.  The largest house is only 1″ x 2″ so space isn’t going to be a problem.  Also these little house don’t necessarily fit the Christmas theme, but could be on display all year round. The decorations will include candy canes, gumdrops, various flowers, Christmas ornaments all made using my imagination and Polymer Clay.

To make these little houses all you need to do is make patterns out of card stock the size you want the houses, then use the same pattern for each house.  You will notice one of mine is a Blue and Maize one…a tribute to our Michigan Football team.  Not to be outdone I am in the process of making one out of Michigan State colors.  Most of these still have to be decorated for Christmas…so going to my favorite craft shop today to look and see what I can find in miniature that will fit my needs. I have texture plates that I use to make patterns on the side of the house to resemble bricks, lap siding, log cabins are made by rolling clay and stacking one on top of the other. All very simple that children will have a lot of fun helping you make them.

I have been very busy with my scrapbooking as you can see.   I have a lot more pictures but unfortunately I cannot post them all here..sorry Cindi.

Getting busy now making some scrapbook recipe cards for family and friends, incorporating some polymer clay ornaments to give as gifts.  Making Christmas cards is another holiday plan, so I will be busy.

I hope you have enjoyed my few endeavors with my pages.

Making mini designs for the dollhouse for any holiday is fun for the whole family, and with a little imagination you will come up with a wide variety of craft ideas for these miniatures The following paragraphs will talk about methods to create 3 mini Halloween dollhouse decorations created by using polymer clay.

Pumpkins are a vital dollhouse mini decor for Halloween, plus they are very easily made from polymer clay plus a knife. You’ll need orange clay and green clay. Basically begin by creating a rounded ball from orange clay. Crunch the ball a little bit to create an dimple on opposite sides of the ball. Now create a little tube of green polymer clay for the mini dollhouse Halloween decor.

Include depth on your dollhouse miniature Halloween design by developing portions within the pumpkin. Work with a knife and begin near the top of the pumpkin and rotate the knife straight down the side of your pumpkin and continue around the pumpkin. Repeat this many times to make segments in the pumpkin and crunch again. Use the green tube as the stalk and push the stalk into the pumpkin using the knife. You can decorate this pumpkin the same way you would a real pumpkin using paint. This one of a kind mini dollhouse Halloween design is fun for the whole family to make.

As an alternative to having to pay high-priced craft store charges to use with polymer clay, begin using these tips to locate low-cost and vital tools right in your own home.

There’s a device for each job, but one of the primary aspects of polymer clay is you can use nearly anything as a tool. There’s no reason to spend high-priced craft store prices to make professional-looking merchandise with polymer clay. Have a look around your own home and find out what you could put together. Will it slice? Are you able to press it into your clay to create a pattern? You’ll be amazed at what you’ll come across when you begin looking. The tiny toothpick is often an very helpful tool when dealing with tiny clay objects.

When going through your home or going to a garage sale, search for items like carving tools, punch tools, and knitting/crochet needles, dental tools. Something for cutting such as razor blades, cutters and any kind of pliers are much more handy than high-priced ‘official’ clay cutters. Toothpicks are ideal to etch patterns into your clay or to smooth rough sides on hard-to-reach places that are far too little for fingers. Old candles as well as, vases, and planting pots may be embellished and made new with clay. Pretty wine glasses, possibly from your collection that is not complete, make attractive pieces with clay vines and flowers twisted about the stem.

For individuals who like the thought of sculpting but have a problem dealing with traditional clay, polymer clay is a wonderful alternative. Polymer clay is not really earthen clay. It’s produced from Pvc material and it is only referred to as clay due to the texture-similar to modeling clay.

One thing which helps it be so exciting is the fact that it’s easily available in numerous vibrant colors. Metallic and iridescent colors are created with the addition of mica to the mixture. Children and grown ups equally find the clay simple and easy to work with.

The clay is cured by baking at lower temps, around 230 to 250 degrees. Once cured, it is actually hard and sturdy. Layers of uncured clay can be put onto the cured item and re-baked devoid of harm to the cured piece. It needs to be mentioned that curing the clay at too high of a temp can produce dangerous gases, but curing at the correct temperatures is only going to produce a slight odor. You can also find air dry variations of polymer clay.

Polymer clay was created during the early 1930s as being a toy maker’s reaction to having less plastic material accessible. However the substance failed to fit the aim and the formula was given to someone who used it to create Fimo. About the middle of the 1960s polymer clay shot to popularity amongst artists. Other brands, such as Sculpey and Modello, emerged as a result. Polymer clay is also known as “Sculpey” clay, even though Sculpey is actually a distinct brand name.

Like many of my polymer clay projects I find them online. So when I saw this little leprechaun I had to have it. It really is very simple to make and already I am getting a lot of feedback from friends when I wear it.

May your feet never sweat,

your neighbor give you ne’re a treat.

When flowers bloom, I hope you’ll not sneeze,

and may you always have someone to sqeeze!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!!

Project Courtesy of Crafts For All Seasons

This polymer clay leprechaun is easier to make than you think! Polymer clay is one of my favorite mediums to work with. These step by step directions will show you how easy it is to create this spirited little character.

Things Needed:

• Polymer clay in the following colors:

• flesh colored or pink

• red

• green

• black

• white

• blue or green (for eyes)

• polymer clay glaze (optional)

• a pin to glue on the back

1. To begin the polymer clay leprechaun, the first step is to condition all the clay. You will need a one inch ball amount of the green and flesh clay. The other colors you will not need very much of. Work that clay and warm it up in your hands, until it is not crumbly and is soft and pliable.