Chen - Kawaii Polymer Clay Creations: 20 Super-Cute Miniature Projects

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To Mom and Justin.

Welcome to the world of polymer clay! I have worked with polymer clay for more than ten years now and continue to learn new things every day. Its a versatile material that anyone can work with, even without any kind of formal schooling or training. Whether it be miniature foods, animals or imaginary creatures, the skys the limit when it comes to what you can create with polymer clay.

Most of the projects in this book are inspired by Japanese kawaii, or cute, culture. The projects are meant to teach you some polymer clay basics and beginner techniques that will hopefully inspire you to design your own cute clay creations.

In this chapter, I will introduce you to the materials and tools that we will work with in the projects that follow. All of these items are widely available at craft stores and online, but if you cannot find a specific tool, do not fret! Many tools can be replaced with household objects.

Polymer Clay: Polymer clay is a versatile modeling material made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that remains malleable until it is cured in an oven. It comes in a wide variety of colors and can be combined to make any color you can imagine.

A large variety of polymer clay is available on the market. Three of the most popular brands are Sculpey III, Premo! Sculpey and FIMO. All of these are available at your local arts and crafts store or can be found online. Other available brands of polymer clay include Cernit, Kato Polyclay, Pardo, Formello, Modello and Du-kit. As polymer clay becomes more popular, stores are beginning to stock a wider variety of brands, so keep an eye out for these in the future.

When purchasing clay, feel different packages of the same color to compare the softness of the clay. Try to pick the softest clay, as it is easier to work with than harder clay. Some brands start out hard as a brick, and these need to be conditioned before use. Different brands and even different colors within a brand vary in softness and finish strength. Furthermore, weather (especially humidity) can affect how the clay feels.

Sculpey III is the cheapest of the brands listed and is good for children or beginners who dont want to invest too much money.

FIMO and Premo! Sculpey are both pretty strong, and the projects in this book are all made using a combination of these two brands.

Play around with different brands to see which ones you prefer and what works best where you live.

Liquid Polymer Clay: Liquid polymer clay can be used for some interesting techniques, such as creating image transfers, baking separate pieces together and even glazing. (This is different from bakeable adhesive products made especially for bonding, such as Bake & Bond.) Liquid polymer clay is available from Sculpey, Kato Polyclay and FIMO. In this book we will be using liquid clay to create realistic textures for cake frosting and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Acrylic Paint: Water-based acrylic paints can be used on finished polymer clay pieces to add details. Any quality water-based acrylic will work well on the clay.

Chalk Pastels: Chalk pastels are great for adding soft color to polymer clay and liquid clay. You can buy pastels individually or in packs in a variety of colors. Either scrape off a bit of the pastel when you need it or store the pastel powder in small containers for quick access. Use a small, soft brush to apply the pastels to unbaked clay.