e 10 polymer clay tips...2014/01/10 · awesome homemade, ultra cheap, diy salt scrub that you can...

A 2 0 1 4 E B O O K B Y K A T E R ’ S A C R E S h t t p : / / k a t e r s a c r e s . c o m

10 Polymer Clay Tips Helping You Succeed with Polymer Clay

Disclaimer These tips are things that I have done for years in my own studio to help me with the claying process. I hope that inside this eBook you will also find help & information that you can use on your journey of polymer clay. Remember to have fun and enjoy the experience of claying. There is no right or wrong way to do something … there is just the way that works for you. What works for me may not work for you and that’s okay. This eBook is copyright protected, 2014 by Katie Oskin of KatersAcres®. All rights reserved. Please, do not copy, redistribute, or remarket without written permission from the author.

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KATER’S ACRES® 10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

Why You Need This:

DIY Salt Scrub for Your Hands

Have you ever finished a project and washed your hands with soap and water and gone “ew!” because there was yucky clay scum left behind? Well, I have! And it is because of this that I decided to make my own salt scrub. Please note that this is a super simple version of a fancier version (that calls for scented oils, specialty sugar, exclusive moisturizing oils, etc). My studio is downstairs and sugar tends to attract ants, especially

when I leave the lid off the jar, which is often … therefore I use salt, which doesn’t attract bugs

and in emergencies can be used on slugs … although I’ve never had any of those in my basement … moving on!

What You’ll Need: • Scented Dawn Dishwashing Liquid • Extra Virgin Olive Oil • Salt • Empty container to put your mix in You can use any kind of oil, even vegetable oil; I prefer EVOO because it leaves my hands nice and softie-soft! You can use any kind of dishwashing or hand soap. I prefer Dawn as my choice for dishwashing soap for its awesome cleaning power, but you can use any soap. The reason that there are no added “scents” to my recipe is because my dish soap is already scented … I mean why should I ruin that awesome Thai Dragon Fruit smell that Dawn has given me?

How to Do It: Here’s the easy part. This recipe is far a SMALL jar (approximately 2.5 oz), you will need to tailor this recipe to fit your jar. • 1 Tbs. EVOO • 1 Tbs. Dish Liquid • 1/4 cup salt All you need to do is stir it all together inside your jar! And then wah-lah! You have an awesome homemade, ultra cheap, DIY salt scrub that you can use to get all those clay bits off of your hands once and for all.

NOTE: You want this mixture to be semi-dry. The salt should stick together, but still able to be packed. If there is oil or soap “floating” in spots in your mixture, keep stirring. If there is still oil or soap in there, add

more salt until it is all absorbed.

#1

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Have a Dedicated Blade First, you must make sure that you are using a straight (stiff) blade and not a flexible blade. Over time a blade gets duller. I replace mine about once a year, but even a blade without a lot of wear can sometimes have a little knick in it that will cause your cane not to cut as precisely as you want it too. Problem solved: Use a dedicated clay blade specifically for cutting your millefiori canes. The blade that I recommend is the Amaco PolyBlade. It is the thinnest blade and has the least

amount of drag on your cane and slices cleanly.

Stand Up & Look Down: This might seem silly, but you can actually cut your blades more evenly by standing directly above your cane, looking down on it and slicing through. This allows you to slice at a natural perpendicular line to your surface. When you sit and slice, you will have a tendency to cut at an angle. So what are you going to do? You are going to stand up, take a big stretch and slice your cane. You will be pleased with your results, I promise.

Cut Against Your Thumb: I have seen this demonstrated many times, so I am not sure where this idea originated. However, this works very well for pre-baked (cured) millefiori canes. For many of my figurines, I use cured polymer clay millifiori canes to add tiny details like flowers & snowflakes that I have previously made & baked. The easiest way to slice cured canes is to hold the cane against your thumb, place an exacto blade against the cane and slice slowly toward your thumb. Be very careful - you can cut yourself using this method. However, you can cut very thin slices of clay with your blade, getting a more shallow depth, and use them for many different applications.

Practice Makes Perfect: Keep trying to cut those canes and soon enough you will be slicing even, perfect, gorgeous slices straight from your millefiori cane. As always, if you’re not having fun while claying…then why do it?

Visit Meg Newberg at http://PolymerClayWorkshop.com

Want More Help with Canes?

#2 How to Slice Millefiori Canes Perfectly

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Yes, There’s a Secret We’ve all been there, made crucial mistakes that affect our work, productivity, & even the outcome of our piece. There is more to embedding a bead into clay that just “shoving it into the clay.” There is a trick to get your beads to stay put, forever…

The Proper Way At left, you will see step by step pictures on how to properly embed beads into polymer clay. As many new clayers find out, simply “pressing” a bead into clay will not make it hold. You have to either use liquid polymer

clay to adhere it to the clay, or you have to embed it with wire.

How to Do It: • First choose a 24-28 gauge copper wire. (I usually

use black 28 gauge copper or 24 gauge silver anti-tarnish wire).

• String bead onto about 1.5″ of wire. (Length of wire depends on size of bead).

• Using round nose pliers hold the ends of the wire steady and begin to twist the bead.

• One you have a twist approximately 1/4-1/2″ inch long, cut the ends of the wire with flush cutters.

• Add a drop of liquid polymer clay onto the twisted wire.

• Then embed the bead into the area of polymer clay where you wish the bead to be placed.

• Make sure you embed the bead PAST the wires. Cover the bead with clay pieces/elements to ensure it will never move or fall out (see photo at top).

#3 How to Embed a Bead Into Clay

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Sometimes the Best Tools Are in Other Departments

Working with polymer clay takes time, energy, and is the best reason to dig into every other craft & hobby out there! My husband said to me one day while wading through every single aisle in my local Pat Catan’s, “why can’t you just crochet or something?” I laughed because I knew exactly what he meant. What he meant was that there’s a clay/sculpting aisle and we go down it to shop, but then I hit up the stamp section, knitting

section, button & sewing aisles, plus the flower section, baking/cooking section, jewelry section, and

eventually end up in the paints with a final trip through the clay aisle again (just in case I missed something). What is it about clayers that

makes this happen? Well, part of what makes that happen is the uncanny ability for clayers to collect, use, replace, and

Toothpick: You can use this for everything: adding texture, as a needle tool, an inexpensive dotter, etc. This is one of my favorite tools & I use it daily.. Why? Because when it breaks, it’s cheap and easy to replace. Not to mention that you can use them to create mini armatures in pieces that might easily break off. But also because instead of squeezing my acrylic paint from a tube, I just stick the toothpick inside; out comes the paint, and I haven’t wasted ANY paint when I add tiny “dots” to my figurine eyes & cheeks. In fact, to this day I still have the 2 ounce tube of white acrylic paint that I bought 5 years ago! Find this tool in any store where paper products & kitchen products are sold.

Paintbrushes: This is another one of my favorites. I’ve had my favorite one for about 4 years. It’s old, dirty, and worn but it is by far my favorite! It’s used specifically for chalk and for chalk only. But a paintbrush has many uses in my studio. I have a fluffy one for mica powders, a thin one for detailed chalk applications, one for waxes, one for varnishes, one for patinas, and the list goes on! Never underestimate the value of paintbrushes in your studio. Just make sure they all look different so you don’t mix your mica powder with your chalk and end up with metallic cheeks where you didn’t want them (yes, I do say this from experience). Find these in the painting section of your craft store.

#4 Tools From Every Department

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Double Ended Stylus

Tools From Every Department

There’s not a lot to say about this one, why? Because you need it. And if you don’t have one, then you don’t know you need it, but after going out and purchasing one, you’ll never be without one again. This is an invaluable tool. My tool is now 6 years old; It’s dirty and covered with “clay muck” which you understand if you clay a lot…it’s that same stuff that’s covering your pasta machine handle…you know, “clay muck?” Find this tool in the stamping and embossing section of your local craft store or buy an entire set here on Amazon for a really cheap price!

Needle Tools: Another invaluable tool. I use this tool literally a hundred times when I work with clay. I use needle tools to indent Parker’s eyes, remove tiny “blemishes” from finished clay pieces (other clay colors, kitten fur, dust, etc), and even to add accents to finished mokume gane blends. Keep in mind that making your own tools, or covering store bought ones is a great way to keep you motivated and to tell your tools apart. Find straight pins in your local craft store in the sewing section & make your own needle tools, they usually come about 25-50 in a little plastic box. Or you can purchase a Kemper needle tool for clayers here.

Tweezers: Every sculptor needs a pair of tweezers to lift beads, place gems, move around tiny pieces of clay that your fingers are too “chunky” for, and every other thing you can think of. These however are not often found in craft stores, but rather in your beauty section. Do not get the plastic kind, but rather the metal tweezers. I prefer the slant-tipped tweezers, but again it’s your preference.

Visit Ginger from the Blue Bottle Tree for a Simple Tutorial. This is the exact same way I make mine as well.

http://thebluebottletree.com/make-your-own-needle-tools/

Want To Make Your Own Needle Tools:

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Use Rubbing Alcohol to Remove Stubborn Stains

Have you ever sat down to clay and accidentally mixed your colors? I don’t mean mixing your colors on purpose either. Last week I had just finished an entire batch of Parker characters. My hands were stained yellow from the pigments in the clay. So I did my usual, used baby wipes to “clean” my hands. Well …. that didn’t do the job near as well as it should have, but I didn’t notice.

Sometimes after you’ve worked with clay and your

hands are nice and warm (and so is the clay), the clay has a tendency to leach its’ color and lose its’ pigments, all over

your hands. And no matter how many times you use your baby wipes, there is still color left behind. Unless you go and wash your hands (or use my awesome hand scrub recipe in tips #1) you still might have clay residue on your hands. Always after playing with clay that leaves excessive pigment on your hands, you need to go and wash them. But let’s be honest, it’s hard to leave your masterpiece that your knee deep inspire to create behind. So instead, here’s a cheater trick. Use baby wipes to get as much clay residue off your hands as possible. Then put rubbing alcohol on the baby wipe and run it thoroughly over your hands. And before you go back to claying, use some instant hand sanitizer to finish the job. Why? Because the rubbing alcohol (though severely drying to your hands) will remove the pigment stain very quickly. It’s cheap, easy, and convenient.

#5 In Studio Quick Tip

Use Lotion This has made my “Top 10” both years in a row! I feel so strongly about it that I

have written an entire article dedicated to it. Here’s why you really need to: Polymer clay has a tendency to dry out your hands. By using lotion, the colors of clay won’t “stain” your hands as easy. As a bonus, the residue comes off hands much easier when washing. Lastly, if you are going to use rubbing alcohol, this will keep your hands from becoming overly dry. Here’s what to get:

• Lotion without shea butter (not good for the clay) • I recommend St. Ive’s Intensive Therapy Lotion. It’s about $5 for a huge bottle.

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I can NOT overemphasize this enough. There are a lot of different brands of polymer clay on the market. It is very important to know what brand of clay to purchase and use. Some brands work better in certain applications than other brands.

DO NOT USE A STUDENT LINE OF CLAY. If you want to be taken seriously as an artist, then you need to use a professional brand clay. Professional level clay brands that are widely available in the US include: Premo! by Sculpey, Fimo, Cernit, Pardo, & Kato Polyclay. As always, if you are following a tutorial, do your first trial from the tutorial using whatever clay the tutorial writer recommends. Why? Most tutorial writers have a reason for choosing the brand that they recommended to you. On your second attempt at the tutorial, feel free to use your choice of clay.

#7 Do Not Use Student Clays

Use Lotion This has made my “Top 10” both years in a row! I feel so strongly about it that I

have written an entire article dedicated to it. Here’s why you really need to: Polymer clay has a tendency to dry out your hands. By using lotion, the colors of

clay won’t “stain” your hands as easy. As a bonus, the residue comes off hands much easier when washing. Lastly, if you are going to use rubbing alcohol, this will keep your hands from becoming overly dry. Here’s what to get:

• Lotion without shea butter (not good for the clay) • I recommend St. Ive’s Intensive Therapy Lotion. It’s about $5 for a huge bottle.

#8

Want a Professional Look? Use a Professional Clay

Polymer clay is one of the most sharing art forms and communities’ in the world. Lots of people establish and run groups that challenge you to push your creativity

with daily, weekly, or monthly projects. Just run a basic search on Goggle & see what comes up. Project groups are great as a source of fun, information sharing, learning, & creativity. Some groups are free, some require membership to join, & some operate solely through social media channels. Parker has a Tutorial Club that anyone of any skill level is welcome to join. Details on joining this club are provided at the end of this guide.

#9 Join a Project Group

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Have Fun and Be Free There is nothing more important that having fun while you are claying. This

being said, yes you will sometimes be frustrated when things didn’t turn out as you had planned … but don’t let that stop you from the joy of claying!

Try every technique out there. Here’s a few that if you haven’t tried, you might want to:

• Millefiori Canes • Miniatures • Doll Sculptures • Fantasy Sculptures • Buttons • Beads & Cabochons • Organic Elements • Overlay techniques • Mokume Gane • Sutton Slice • Steampunk • Ornaments • Covered Eggs • Hollow Beads • Fairy Doors • Texture Plates • Pens • Clay Flowers • Faux Techniques

#10

Looking for More? Check These Out: Daily Inspiration:

• Polymer Clay Daily • The Polymer Arts Blog

Millefiori Canes & Tutorials:

• Polymer Clay Workshop • Matt Kernan’s Etsy Shop

Faux Techniques: The Blue Bottle Tree Polymer Clay Jewelry Making: Polymer Clay Tutor

Sculpting: • Christi Friesen • Birdy Heywood

Miscellaneous:

• Iris Mishly • Sculpey Website • Craftylink • Polymer Clay Central • PC Polyzine

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What Does It Include?

Total Cost: $9.95 per month Once a month you will receive a 8-12 page full color, full text, PDF tutorial with the featured

design for that month. Value $8-$25. Value varies depending on the month & size of the PDF tutorial.

Once a month you will also receive a mini-project sheet utilizing a technique or additional feature you can add to your sculpture design for the month (depending on month this will be sent in PDF or JPEG formats). Value = $5

You will receive unlimited help and access through a community discussion board format through an exclusive FaceBook group where ONLY paying members will be admitted. Everyone who receives the tutorials can come together, share projects & ideas, & fellowship in an exclusive community. I will moderate the group and check in often. Value = $10

Tutorials & Projects will be sent on the first and third Mondays of every month. Fifth Monday surprise: If there is a fifth Monday, you will receive a BONUS PDF tutorial in your

email. This happens 4 times in 2014. Value = $5 TOTAL VALUE: $45

Payment

• $9.95 per month • Payment through PayPal. • You will be automatically billed every month.

o Tutorials begin with the next edition after payment. • No obligation. • Cancel at any time.

MONTHLY SCULPTING TUTORIAL SUBSCRIPTION

SIGN UP NOW: HTTP://KATERSACRES.COM/POLYCLAY/TUTORIALS/SCULPTING-TUTORIAL-

POLYMER CLAY ARTIST & ARTISAN KATIE OSKIN OF KATER’S ACRES

Where You Can Find Me

Get Polymer Clay Tips In Your Email: http://katersacres.com/polymer-clay-email-sign-up/

Etsy Store: http://katersacres.etsy.com Website & Blog: http://katersacres.com

FaceBook: http://facebook.com/katersacres Twitter: http://twitter.com/katersacres

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katersacres YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KatersAcres/videos

Smile, everyday!

Meet the Artist Katie Oskin lives in rural NW Pennsylvania with her husband, dog, & cat. She earned a Bachelor Degree in Psychology & Religion, as well as a Master of Divinity, and most recently a OMCP certification from Market Motives in Social Media Marketing.

Despite loving education & learning, Katie lives in a world of make-believe fantasy where everything is filled with flowers and sunshine. This is what brings her polymer clay creations to life! She has been working with polymer clay since 2008 and has explored every technique ever published! But, she is best known for her character creations with whimsical style & stories.

e 10 polymer clay tips...2014/01/10 · awesome homemade, ultra cheap, diy salt scrub that you can...

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