CRAFTER TUESDAY
Polymer Clay is FUN, EASY, and Makes STUNNING Ornaments: Gathering Supplies:
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1. Polymer Clay can be purchased at Hobby Lobby, Jo Anns, Michaels, & Amazon. I purchased a vibrant color set, a translucent block, liquid sculpey & a white block from Amazon. Have I mentioned I like shopping from home :).
2. I like to use the metal eyelets--less wear and tear on your ornament. I already had some on hand but can purchase a colored variety set on Amazon or stay with silver/gold- 3/16 inch works great. I also purchased some rose gold eyelets but they took a few weeks to get here. So if you plan on doing the rose gold ornaments (like in the video) you need to purchase soon to be here in time to make before Christmas.
3. Need a "pasta" machine for rolling out clay. You can use an acrylic rolling pin but the pasta machine really makes a smooth--even surface.
4. I like using on a craft paper on a roll for easy layout and tearing off when needing to go to next color.
5. These gold/silver/rose gold leaf flakes are really spectacular and mix well with the clay to create an elegant effect.
6. Use a designated cookie sheet for using with polymer clay--one your have around the house is fine. But do NOT use for cooking foods once you baked your clay.
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7. I use a toaster oven for baking clay instead of my oven I cook foods in just because I want to keep us healthy and safe. Some dyes are not to be mixed with food so instead of worrying about which dyes--I consider them all unsafe around food. I dont believe you need a pricy toaster oven for baking clay--this one is Betty Crocker is on the lower pricing end and should do just fine.
8. Oven themometer--very important to bake your clay at the recommended temperature on the package. If it is too hot will burn--too low your ornament will be brittle. Polymer clay has some bend to it and isnt brittle hard like other clays. One of the reason I like using it.
10. Gloves--so you dont leave fingerprints, spatula, cookie cutters--I found some plaque cookie cutter frames that might be soooo cute.
11. Polymer clay blades to easily slice through the clay.
12. UV resin--I buy it in the large bottle--cheaper/ounce. UV resin light--I have the cheapy and works great.
READY TO ROCK-N-ROLL
Once you decide on a color scheme--but make sure to include translucent clay otherwise you will not get the see through effect.
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Wash hands first--any dirt will transfer into your clay, especially the white.
Turn on oven or toaster oven to the setting recommended on package.
Roll out a sheet of paper--take equal parts of white, translucent, and colored clay cut into separate small chunks.
Mix all together with a few lines of liquid sculpey.
Work clay with your hands to a soft texture and pat down enough to fit into your pasta machine at the highest setting. I like to make by ornaments relatively thick--at least 3/16 of inch. The eyelet doesnt need to go all the way through.
Lay out on clean sheet of paper--place sheet of clay and cut with your cookie cutters. It helps to slightly twist before lifting cutter. The beauty of this clay you can take the left over from your cut and roll back together and put through the pasta machine. Note: more times through the pasta machine changes the color scheme. The colors will eventually blend and create new colors--which leads to some very beautiful and interesting colors.
Place eyelet into the clay near the top but not to close. Push into the clay. You can remove excess clay out of the eyelet hole now with a toothpick or after it bakes. Either way is ok. I have a little better luck waiting until it is baked and cooled before removing the clay in the hole just because I am not touching it before it is baked.
Gently pick up ornament with a spatula and place on your designated cookie sheet. If using a toaster oven--only put the ornament on the flat surface of the pan provided--mine has a curve around the outer edges--bakes uneven--grrrrr found out the hard way.
Make sure your oven themometer is the indicated temp recommended on package. Set timer and bake.
When timer goes off--take out of oven and let set in pan to cool.
Sand edges of ornament with a fingernail file--seems to really work well.
I finish mine with a coat of UV resin--just barely coat the outside with resin using a toothpick to spread around. Less is more when dealing with resin. There are many great U-tube videos out there to instruct on how to use resin if this is new to you. We will cover this in a later blog--but if you are wanting to do your project soon--I recommend watching some videos first.
You will coat both sides but only after the first coat is thoroughly dry--usually 2-3 days after the UV light.
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FINAL TOUCHES TO BRING ELEGANCE TO YOUR ORNAMENT
I purchased satin rattail 2mm cork string in various colors: this page will take you to all the colors offered.
I also bought silver & gold wooden beads along with many other colors to help add just a special touch to my ornaments--but eventually I want to make my own beads--maybe next Christmas. :)
If you have a Cricut you can add vinyl lettering to personalize each ornament or date them. If you decide to add lettering, I would put another top coat of resin to seal the vinly so it does't peel off over time.
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