Craft 101: Beginner's Tools for Polymer

Starting a polymer clay is a bit expensive since you will be needing a lot of things especially when you are a hoarder like me. Here are some of the "shopping list" that you might need really need.

• Polymer Clay - obviously you can't work without polymer clay. Make sure you store your clays in cool area away from heat since clay cures at low temperature. 
• Oven - Never ever use oven toaster. Use electric oven like mine.
• Blades/X-Acto Knife/Hobby Knife - spare blades can be bought at School/Office Supplies.
• Needle tools and awls - for poking hole, making marks, securing tiny piece to bigger piece.
• Chopstick or Knitting Needles - very handy when you are doing some sculpting or working with cane slices
• Pasta Machine/Acryllic Rollers - use in conditioning clay
• Baking surface - lay a piece of paper on baking surface. You may use tiles.
• Steel Ruler/Tape Measure - for measuring
• Liquid Clay - discuss in previous blog. 
• Working Mat - can be tiles or rubber cutting mat
• Glaze/Varnish - discuss in previous blog.
• An Assortment of Brushes - artist brushes, toothbrush
• Pigments/Chalks - Acrylic paint, sharpies, alcohol ink, soft pastels, fade-proof ink, mica powder, glitters, metal powders, liquid colored clay, sparklers powder
• Various Tools:
• Alcohol/Wet Wipes - you may put alcohol and water in spray bottle separately. The water is to spray on thin sheet on clay so they don't stick to my work surface.
• Toothpick
• Pins
• Cotton Buds
• Baby Powder - applied on workplace or molds to avoid clay sticking on items
• Tweezers - for placing rhinestones, pearls, and teeny tiny eyes on face
• Small craft scissors
• Assorted sculpting tool - you may visit dental supplies store for this.
• Mold/Texture sheet/Cutter
• Drill
• Acrylic blocks - for making lentil beads
• Waterslide Transfer
• Pliers and other beading materials

Craft 101: Introduction to Liquid Polymer Clay, Sealers and Glosses

Liquid polymer clay is a liquid form of polymer clay, obviously. Liquid polymer clay is a viscous, somewhat sticky medium. It requires no conditioning. If let out in a loosely covered polymer-compatible container, like Liquid Sculpey, it will thicken, but it can be thinned using clay softener. 

In addition to many adhesive and construction applications, all liquid clays can be tinted easily with mica pigment powder or oil paint and use for embellishment. (Glitters, metal powders, metallic leaf flakes, mica flakes, sand, and dried leaves and flowers can also be add using liquid clay)

Liquid clay has several valuable adhesive properties when baked. It is used to bond polymer clay element together, raw clay to raw or baked clay to baked clay.

Some of the liquid clay in the market are Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS), Kato's Liquid Clay, Fimo's DecoGel.

For gloss and varnish, I have compiled a list taken from various sources.

1. Mod Podge - for air dry clay only. Preferably Magic clay and cold porcelain clay.
2. Semco Varnish and Sealer - tends to get tacky when applied to certain  surfaces (polymer clay), but it has matte variant that helps item retain their color and/or prevent  it from fading and has no sticky residue.
3. New Future Gloss - watered down version of Sculpey Gloss Glaze. For sheer effect only. When mixed with Golden Varnish the clay will turned to satin.
4. Sculpey Gloss Glaze - really glossy effect, only one coat needed for super shine. Also available in matte and satin.
5. Judkins Diamond Glaze - can be brought at Deovir's. Double as gloss and adhesive.
6. Golden Varnish

Other adhesives includes: Cyanoacrylates or CA Glue

1. Kronyo
2. E-600
3. Bulldog
4. Greco - make sure you get new stock if your Greco is past six month it will barely stick to anything

Craft 101: All About Polymer Clay

I am excited to share with you what I know about Polymer Clay. I have attended two polymer workshop last month. One was Basic Polymer Workshop and the other was Chibi Dolls and Souvenir Workshop by two different clay artist.

Polymer is a clay but its not the usual clay that we've known before (i.e. PlayDoh). Polymer Clay is a type of hardenable modelling clay based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It does not contains clay minerals, but like mineral clay a liquid is added to dry particles until it achieves gel-like working properties, and similarly, the part is put into an oven to harden, hence, its colloquial designation as clay. (source: wikipedia)

Below are the lists of clay brands:

1. Sculpey Bakeshop - marketed as children's polymer clay and never dries out. Very soft and you barely have to conditioned it. Good if you're making items that don't hold much detail. They're too soft and squishy for more detailed work. 
2. Sculpey III - Great clay for beginners. Easy to condition.
3. Sculpey Premo! - recommended mostly to those who plan to use clay for business. 
4. Studio by Sculpey - recommended for those who want to get into clay business. Good for caning and sculpting.
5. Fimo Classic/Fimo Soft - Top quality and great for business. Very firm and a bit more difficult to condition. You need some oil or clay softener or a clay mallet. A bit glossy once bake.
6. Nendo Firm/Nendo Flexible - Good if you want to make flexible pieces. It can be more rubbery and plastic-y than other clay brands so avoid leaving this unbake on top of finished surfaces too long. It's also stickier than other clay. There's no need for liquid clay to adhere two clay parts with this clay. Lack of conditioning lead to air bubbles.
7.  Clayzee Polyclay
8. Kato Polyclay - formulated by Donna Kato. Tends to be sticky but rich in color. Good for caning. 
9. Lumiere
10. Pearlex
11. Craft n Bake
12. Dukit Clay
13. Flexi Clay
14. Cernit - perfect clay for making dolls, has porcelain like finish once bake.
15. Pardo - clay for pregnant women
16. Klayola - Good for anything that needs to be strong and bendy. It is also nice to soften old crumbly clay.

Hope you find your staple clay!

On Being An Artist

There is something you need to know about me. I am a frustrated artist. When I was in grade school, someone gave me a box of acrylic paint (I was good at coloring a coloring book). I was overjoyed and enthusiastic thinking that I can create great masterpiece with it. To start, I made a makeshift easel (chair covered with white blanket), and Mama bought me a ream of bond paper (yes a ream, Mama always supported us when it comes to extracurricular activities provided that it will benefits our personal growth). And viola! I began to paint like an artist I see in movies. Sadly, I wasn't able to create a masterpiece, what I created instead is a messy canvass splattered with arrays of colors. But it was great for Mama. 

I have always been fascinated with artsy stuff. I am a hoarder of newspaper cut-outs, a friend drawings, stationary stuffs. One time, I collect cut-outs from a magazine thinking that I will be able to start my scrapbooking, but I lacked materials i.e. glue, glue gun, and photos, so I put it in a box and let it gather dust. I will deal with it later soon!

This past few days, i immersed myself in making polymer clay. I enrolled two workshop this month dedicated to polymer clay craft and it was great! So behold! - hopefully my next post is all about my artsy crafty projects that I finished, and my journey in realizing my dream as an artist.

This is the beginning of something new!