Showing posts with label polymer clay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polymer clay. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Tutorial: Easy Retro Flower Cane

Basic flower cane was the first thing I learned when I got started in polymer clay. I wanted to share it because it’s fairly easy and there are many color variations. For this tutorial, I used pink, purple, and black to achieve a more “retro” look.

Materials:
  • Clay: ½-1 ounce petal color (we used pink) ½-1 ounce center/outline color (we used purple) ¾-1 ounces contrast/outside color (we used black)
  • Razor blade/ slicer blade
  • Roller/acrylic brayer (or pasta machine)
  • T- pins (used for quilting) and foil pie plate or other method of baking

Instructions:

1. Create a cylinder out of the pink clay by rolling it into a ball, and then slightly flattening it. Then roll out the purple clay into ¼ in thick sheet long enough to cover the cylinder. Save the excess purple for step 3.


2. Roll the purple clay around the pink cylinder and then reduce it down.


3. Create 5 equal lengths of the reduced cylinder. These will become the petals. Then create a length of solid purple the same size. This will become the center.


4. Create 5 more lengths using the black clay. Shape them into triangles by simultaneously pinching the top and pressing down to flatten the bottom.


5. Space the 5 petal lengths around the center, and then place a triangle in between each petal.



6. Roll out ¼ in layer of black to wrap around your entire roll. Reduce it down and cut the cane to create ¼ in to ½ in slices. You may choose to cut the cane in half and reduce each half to a differently. This way you can create focal and accessory beads.


7. Cut the cane to create ¼ in to ½ in slices. You may choose to cut the cane in half and reduce each half to a different size. This way you can create focal and accessory beads.



8. Push a t-pin half way through the slice and stop. Then push the t-pin through the other side to meet the first hole to prevent the clay from puckering. Stick the end of the t-pin into pie plate. Repeat until you have reached the desired number of beads, the bake according to the instructions on your clay package.
Enjoy your beads!

Monday, October 05, 2009

Polymer Clay: Comparing Brands


There are many options when it comes to choosing a brand of clay, and each brand has different properties and benefits. I keep a few different brands in my own stash. Hopefully this list can help you decide which brand is right for your project:

Sculpey III: This clay has a wide variety of beautiful colors, and is low in cost. Though it is also considered more brittle/fragile than other brands, it is a great choice for beginners.

Premo! Sculpey: This brand is strong and flexible when cured, and the colors are brilliant. This is the preferred brand of many clay artists.

Super Sculpey: This clay is a pinkish-beige sort of color that is somewhat prone to “plaquing.” The addition of a stronger more opaque clay can eliminate most problems.

FIMO Classic/Soft: Soft is easier to condition than Classic, but both types will hold the finer details of cane work. Great colors available that come in blocks of 8 segments allowing for easier cutting and blending.

Cernit: The German clay is one of the strongest on the market, and has a wide range of flesh tones. It is soft and sticky when warm, so it is better suited for doll-making than cane work.

Kato polyclay: Being one of the newer brands on the market, this clay is both strong and flexible. It can be difficult to sand, and it has a strong vinyl odor.

Liquid Sculpey: This product has many different uses including smoothing surfaces, attaching two pieces, and creating faux materials. The translucent brand can be tinted to any color desired.

Tomorrow I will post my tutorial for making polymer clay Rorschach Focal Beads using Sculpey III!