Shelley Kommers - Make Cute Stuff with Polymer Clay: Learn to make a variety of fun and quirky trinkets with polymer clay

LEARN TO MAKE CUTE, QUIRKY ITEMS FROM POLYMER CLAY

SHELLEY KOMMERS

Life is full of surprises. If someone had told me five years ago that I was going to write this book, I would have asked them what polymer clay was!

I was a well-rounded artistI designed, painted, illustrated, and taught art to students of all agesbut my only experience with clay was playing with Play-Doh as a child. Then one fateful day I was asked to teach a clay class and went home with a bin full of polymer clay. It was a lightning-bolt momentI was up all night gleefully coming up with projects to teach. I felt like a kid again; it was like playing.

My students loved the projects. They were cute, quirky, and whimsical. I started to look forward to the squeals of delight when I pulled out my samples, and I loved seeing how each student would bring their own twist to the projects. My clay classes became popular, and so, several years and hundreds of students later, here we are!

Once youve looked over the beginning of the bookthe techniques and tools and suchplease start wherever youd like. The projects near the end of the book require a bit more time and finesse, but all of the projects are approachable and fun.

It is my hope that you will use this book as a starting point for your own ideas and creativity, and that you have as much fun playing as I had coming up with these projects.

Now, lets play!

Polymer clay is a moldable art material that is formulated to stay soft until its baked. Its made up of polyvinyl chloride, resins, fillers, and pigment. Funnily enough, there isnt actually any clay in polymer clay!

There are many different brands of polymer clay on the market, each with a different consistency and bake time. Some clays are soft right out of the package, and some are quite firm. My advice is to experiment with a few different kinds to see which one you like best.

POLYMER CLAY IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN CRAFT STORES, AND ALTHOUGH CREATED TO STAY SOFT UNTIL BAKING, IT IS SENSITIVE TO HEAT AND CAN GROW HARDER WITH AGE. IF YOURE BUYING YOUR CLAY IN PERSON, GIVE THE CORNER OF THE CLAY A LITTLE PUSH; IT SHOULD INDENT A BIT. IF ITS HARD AND SOLID, DONT BUY IT. ITS EITHER BEEN PARTIALLY BAKED DURING SHIPPING OR STORAGE, OR ITS BEEN SITTING ON THE SHELF TOO LONG.

For the projects in this book, we will need:

• Small (2-ounce) packets of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and black polymer clay, or a mixed pack with these colors
• A 1-pound or 8-ounce package of white polymer clay

Optional clay colors:

• Pink and gray polymer clay (these colors can be mixed with the other clay colors)
• Metallic, sparkly, or shimmery colors
• Special-effects clays, such as translucent, fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark, and so on

WHITE POLYMER CLAY WILL BE THE WORKHORSE IN A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS, SO PURCHASING A LARGER PORTION IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE. WHITE CLAY CAN ALSO BE MIXED WITH OTHER CLAY TO CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM COLORS.

You dont need fancy tools for working with clay, and you can find most of these items in your home. If youre feeling fancy, you can certainly purchase professional clay tools. There are a ton of choices in craft stores and online.

In addition to clay and tools, here are some other things you will need for the projects in this book.

• A ruler
• Scissors
• Plain white copy paper
• 2 pencils: one to draw with and one to use in a project ()
• Medium-grit sandpaper
• A glue gun
• Twine, yarn, embroidery floss, beading string, or other string
• Bits and bobs from your junk drawer or toolbox
• Buttons
• Sequins
• Plastic jewels
• Fine glitter in various colors
• Dry twigs and small tree branches
• Flat-head metal tacks
• 24-gauge metal wire
• A set of pliers
• A small, rectangular candy tin with an attached lid
• A battery-powered votive candle
• Circular wood slices, 2 to 2 inches in diameter

And some add-ons if youd like to use them:

• Small alphabet stamps
• Tiny cookie cutters
• Acrylic paint
• Beads
• Small metal sawtooth hangers
• Clear plastic cabinet bumpers

Whether your workspace is a tiny kitchen corner or a big art studio, lets set it up right!

Protect your table. Polymer clay can damage some types of furniture, so cover your work surface with newspaper, butcher block paper, cardboard, or paper from the recycling bin.

Create a clean surface to work directly on; parchment paper, aluminum foil, regular copy paper, a paper plate, or an oven-safe clay mat will work. Whatever you choose, make sure theres enough room to roll your clay and spread out a bit.