have been a polymer clay artist for 20+ years. Here are 10 of the lessons that I have learned through trial and error. I hope you can use some of them!
1) Always work and bake your clay on aluminum foil. It saves the pans from getting any of the polymer clay on them.
2) When you remove your items from the aluminum foil, save it to use as armature or cores for future projects.
3) I bake the clay at 225 to 250 degrees for 1/2 hour or more (depending on the thickness of the project). This is a little lower than suggested by the manufacturers. But the lower temperature works just as well, and there is no odor from the clay, which usually comes from the higher temperature.
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4) If you burn clay, open the windows immediately and get out of the house. The fumes are toxic.
5) To soften your clay, place it in a baggie and sit on it.
6) Yes, a pasta machine works great, but that’s for larger quantities of clay. I use mine all the time. I’m on my 5th pasta machine.
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7) To remove bits of color clay from hands,I use baby wipes with aloe. It removes even the stubborn red clay (arghh) and my hands stay soft and smooth. YAY!
8) When doing craft shows, always use a tent. The direct sunlight will "cook" the clay and discolor the paler colors. The glow in the dark clay turns gray.....yuck!
9) I polyurethane my ornaments before I personalize them. Sometimes the writing will smear due to the stabilizer in the clay. If you coat them first, then it won’t. I use the glossy and the non-glossy depending on my mood.
10) Clay won’t kill your animals if they eat it. But they will poop it out, so don’t freak out if you see the different colors of poop.
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Comments
HermitPaws said
on 5/16/2008 Wow!! The things I didnt know!!! Thank you!!!
Mallard44 said
on 2/24/2008 Excellent advice! Thank you.