Curing in Stages

As I was working on something at my clay table, recently, it occurred to me how much of my work is cured in stages. I can't recall how long it took me to give multiple curings a try, but it has proven to be nearly essential for what I do.

Even if you're fairly new to polymer clay, you've probably read that it's possible to cure things in stages-- to adhere raw clay to cured (baked) clay and put the piece back into the oven-- but you may not see why you'd ever want to do that. After all, it takes time to cure and wait for a piece to cool, and we're all about instant gratification, these days. For many projects, a single curing is all you need. However, there are times when curing in stages is very much worth the extra time and effort involved.

Here are a handful of reasons to consider curing polymer clay pieces in stages:

• Ease of Handling. Keeping clay free of fingerprints, nail marks, and other undesired textures can be a challenge-- even when wearing latex gloves (which can themselves leave textures and marks). Pre-curing a portion of your project-- a base, for example-- gives you a firm handle by which to hold and rotate the piece while you work on the remainder of it.
• Preventing Dust. As long as clay is "open"-- that is, uncured or raw-- it seems to act like a dust magnet. Even if you're careful about covering uncured pieces between claying sessions, it's common to find stray bits of dust, fluff, and so on that have somehow landed on your project. Removing them can be tedious. Whenever possible, you can prevent dust from ruining your work "so far" by partially curing it. Dust may still settle on cured pieces, but it's easy to wipe away when you're ready to recommence work (or play).
  
• Setting the Plasticizers. One of the reasons we condition polymer clay before sculpting it is to be sure that the plasticizers (the chemicals that make the clay malleable) are evenly distributed through the clay. You may have read (or noticed on your own) that even after clay has been conditioned, it can return to its original (right out of the wrapper) firmer state after it's been sitting around for a while. This is because the clay has cooled and the plasticizers have settled. It's a simple matter to recondition a ball or slab of clay-- just roll it through the pasta machine or scrunch and roll it between your hands. However, it's not such a simple matter to recondition clay that has been formed into a special shape and left to sit for weeks or months. You may cure such a piece and never have a problem, but some suggest that, if the plasticizers settle to the bottom of the clay, the strength of the clay may be reduced. Particularly if you plan to sell or give your work as gifts, you want to be certain that it is as strong and durable as possible. For this reason, I personally prefer to "set" the plasticizers in place by curing sooner rather than later. (When I've neglected to pre-cure, I've even scrapped partially constructed pieces-- putting the clay back to the recondition step-- rather than risk a weaker finished product.) Once cured, pieces can wait weeks, months, or even years for you to get around to the next step in your process.
• Ease of Cleaning/Working on a Solid Surface. For some techniques, I find that a solid surface (cured clay) is easier to work with than a soft one (uncured clay). For instance, when I make faux ceramics, I prefer pre-curing the textured "base" before applying the tinted liquid clay. This makes it easier for me to handle without fear of leaving fingerprints. It also means I can more easily wipe away the liquid clay, should I change my mind after applying it.
  

If you do decide to try curing in stages, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

First, you'll have to decide, on a case by case basis, whether you trust the adhesion between the raw and cured clay to be sufficient. In many cases, it will be. However, when adding larger pieces-- or when the raw and cured clay share only a small surface connection-- you'll probably want to give the connection a little boost. You can use a dab of liquid clay (translucent, usually, but not necessarily) between the raw and cured clay. (Once cured, the liquid clay strengthens the bond between pieces.) You could also add a mechanical joint, such as a twisted piece of wire cured into the first piece and embedded into the second. Another option is curing the second (or third, or fourth) piece of clay separately and attaching it later (after everything has cooled to room temperature) with a cyanoacrylate glue (super glue).

Second, depending on your project and your plans, you can choose either partial curing (curing just long enough to firm up the clay and prevent it from taking fingerprints or dust) or complete curing (curing to the full length of time recommended by the manufacturers for the size of the piece). Partial curing is of course faster, and if you're going to finish the project and re-cure quickly, it's a perfectly good option. Also, there is less risk of color shifting than if you cure the "base" twice the required length of time. (You can reduce color shifting by using an aluminum foil "tent" over your pieces when you cure them and by mixing a little white or other opaque color of clay into colors that tend to shift.) On the other hand, complete curing makes the piece stronger-- less likely to break during any stresses it may encounter prior to final curing. If you plan to leave the piece for a very long time before returning to complete it, it may be wise to cure it completely. I've read horror stories about (accidentally) partially cured clay eventually crumbling (supposedly under the "attack" of unset plasticizers). It's up to you to decide which option is best for your particular set of circumstances.

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I think that covers the basics. If you've never tried curing in stages, maybe it's time!

Back From a Long Absence

I'm not sure if anyone still visits this blog, these days. (g) Still, I guess it's never too late to try to get back in the habit of occasionally blogging about polymer clay.

Just as I haven't been blogging clay, neither have I been keeping close tabs on all the latest clay news. However, I have taken a peek, now and again.

I was surprised to hear about Pardo-- another brand of polymer clay that is new to the American market-- and then Sculpey's new Bake Shop Oven-Bake Clay, which is a kid-friendly clay designed especially for children. (Angela Mabray-- aka CraftyGoat-- recently posted a review of Bake Shop.) I'm all for new clays (even though I still haven't even tried that formerly new brand, Studio by Sculpey), but I do hope "the powers that be" won't mess around too much (more than they already have) with the established brands.

I've never done much caning, but for a while I've kept it in the back of my mind as a "maybe someday". "Maybe someday I'll really dive into canework, instead of just feebly dabbling." Well, I've noticed a lot of chatter on clay blogs about a new technique that might make my (potential) future as a canework convert that much more interesting. I assume that most readers will already have seen this, but for those who haven't (and for my own future reference), here's a demonstrative video from PolyClayPlay:



This technique was developed by Idit Zoota. Essentially, the idea is that, instead of packing an irregularly shaped cane (like a flower) with translucent clay to aid in reduction, you can pack it with simple Play-Doh (or another water-soluble modeling material). Reduce as usual, then pull away the Play-Doh. Because it doesn't adhere to the polymer clay-- or at least not nearly as strongly as polymer clay sticks to itself-- you should be able to remove most of it easily. Stubborn bits can be soaked in water and gently brushed away with a soft brush.

Pretty neat, huh?
See, this is the kind of thing I've been missing out on! ;o)

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten tips for making polymer clay jewelry

Though there are more and more artists and hobbyists using polymer clay for an increasing number of non-jewelry applications (home decor, miniatures, evening bags, etc.) , beads, pendants and other "jewelry bits" remain very popular.

I haven't done any research as to why this is, but I think it has something to do with the fact that jewelry is wearable art. It's easier to show off a necklace to a bunch of people than, say, a mask or a vase. When you wear your own handmade jewelry, you never know when you might have someone say, "Wow, what a great pin! Where'd you get that?!" (And then, of course, you proudly-- or modestly-- admit that, in fact, you made it yourself. (g))

For many of us jewelry-makers, the main reason we do it is that it's lots of fun. Maybe you'd like to join us. :o) If you're just starting out-- new to polymer clay jewelry-making-- here are a few tips to help guide you along your way:

Top Ten Tips for Making Polymer Clay Jewelry:

(This week, I've decided not to "count down" from 10 to 1, but just to put the tips in semi-logical order. (g))

1. Gather inspiration.
Keep an inspiration notebook, bulletin board, blog, etc.-- just a place where you can gather and store magazine photos, jotted ideas, print-outs, paint chips, and anything else that inspires you, be it designs, color combos, or polymer clay techniques. Collect links to useful websites, too-- not only clay-related sites, but also general jewelry-making sites.

2. Adapt designs to polymer clay.
When looking through magazines, books, and websites for jewelry patterns and ideas, don't be discouraged if there aren't many designed specifically for polymer clay. Instead, consider how you can adapt the designs to suit your polymer clay beads, pendants, etc. Remember, since you make the beads, you can always tailor them to certain specifications of size, shape and color to fit a design you admire.

3. Plan ahead.
Make sketches of what you want your piece of jewelry to look like-- or at least "think out" the design-- so you'll know how many beads you need, what shapes and colors they should be, etc. (Sometimes it's fun to just make the beads first and design the jewelry around them later, but if you work this way you're more likely to find that you don't have enough beads.)

4. Make extras.
Whenever possible, make extra beads. You never know when one will have a flaw or be lost. With a few back-up beads, you can proceed without having to go back and try to duplicate the lost bead. Leftovers make lovely earrings, or save them to use in a later project that calls for mixed beads.

5. Mix media.
Consider combining time-intensive polymer clay beads with store-bought glass, acrylic, metal, and other types of beads. If you're careful in your selection, you'll not only make the polymer clay beads go further, but you'll also add attractive accents to your handmade beauties.

6. Coordinate the colors.
When ordering beads online or through catalogs, you'll soon find that catalogs (whether online or in print) don't always represent colors accurately. It's best to order beads early and have them in hand before making the polymer clay components of the design. Either that, or take your finished polymer beads/pendants to the bead store with you, so you can be sure to get a good color combination.

7. Weigh your options.
Polymer clay is relatively lightweight, but for very large beads or pendants, consider using an aluminum foil core. This option also uses less clay, which leaves more for other projects.

8. String them along.
Your beads, that is. ;o) Give some thought to stringing materials for necklaces, bracelets and anklets. Choose a stringing material that's sturdy enough to support the weight of your beads and/or pendant. Also keep in mind how the look and texture of the stringing material will work into your design-- especially important in pieces with lengths of exposed string/cord/etc. For example, large beads or pendants generally look best on (and need the extra support of) thicker stringing materials, such as leather thong or heavy rubber cord. More delicate beads probably won't even fit over leather cording and are better suited to tigertail or a thinner cord.

9. Find some findings.
Findings (the metal "bits and pieces" of jewelry, such a ear wires, clasps, jump rings, and eye pins) are made from a variety of metals-- everything from cheap base metal to pricier silver and gold. You can buy them in shops or online-- or even make many of them yourself, from a spool of wire. When you're still learning, it's probably best to use a cheaper material, but eventually, you may want to upgrade to a finer metal. If cost is an issue, you can always reserve the silver findings for your very best work.

10. Get the tools of the trade.
All the sterling silver findings in the world aren't going to do you much good if you don't have the proper tools to use with them. (Try opening and closing a jump ring neatly with your bare hands. Just try it. I dare ya. ;o)) It takes a little time-- time you'd probably rather be spending at your clay table-- but learning how to use jewelry-making tools is an important step in making your own jewelry. Just a few tools (wire cutters, flat-nose pliers, and round-nose pliers) are absolutely required for most jewelry-making, though there are others (split-ring pliers, crimping tool, bead reamer, etc.) that are also useful, in specific situations. If you can master a handful of simple techniques with these tools, you'll be able to follow almost any jewelry design you can find. Once you've gathered the "absolutely necessary" tools, there are a few ways to learn to use them. Books and jewelry-design magazines (on loan from the library or bought), Internet tutorials, videos, classes at your local bead or craft store, a crafty friend with beading know-how-- all are possible ways to learn the basics.


There's something very satisfying about taking a few unfinished materials and turning them into something that you can be proud to wear or give as a gift. Obviously, the most masterful designs are the result of time, practice, and skill (not to mention natural talent), but even a novice can achieve something attractive with a few hours of work. And with every bead you form and string, you're improving your technique-- while having fun!

Creating realistic miniature foods

Though by no means have I given up my interest in all the other beautiful and enjoyable applications for polymer clay, I have been focusing lately on making foods-- mostly miniatures, but the occasional life-size item comes up now and then. I'm even getting a few questions (through flickr, mostly) about how I make my miniatures, so I thought I'd write (for my own benefit, if nothing else) about some of the things I've learned so far about making realistic miniature foods. This is not to say that I consider myself to be some sort of expert. (g) Just that I've picked up a few hints and made up some of my own along the way, and these are things I've found the most useful, so far.

Tips for Making Realistic Miniatures

For the most realistic miniature foods, you need to hone your skills of observation. Pay close attention to every aspect of the food's appearance. If it helps you, take notes that you can refer to when you're working with the clay.

Unless you've seen a food so often that you can picture it clearly in your mind's eye-- and even then, actually-- you'll probably do well to locate a good, large photo of the food. It's best if the photo shows the food larger than life-size, as this enables you to notice things you might otherwise overlook. Cookbooks are wonderful resources. If you have a sample of the actual food, use it as a model. If all else fails, look on the Internet. (I use the "Images" feature at Google, myself.)

When translating food into clay miniatures, the following are some of the characteristics you'll want to be aware of:

• Scale. If you're making dollhouse miniatures, you'll want to make them in the appropriate size. Dolls and dollhouses are made in a variety of scales, such as 1-inch-scale, in which one dollhouse inch corresponds to one foot in real-world measurements. If you're making miniatures that will be used for jewelry or other applications where they won't have to fit a specific scale, this is less important. However, you'll still want to consider something I'll call, for lack of a better term, "internal scale".
• Internal Scale. Say you're making a miniature hamburger. To make it fairly realistic, you'll want to make each component (bun, burger, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion) in corresponding sizes-- as well as you can. You don't want a slice of cheese that's far too large for the burger, for instance. Unless you're purposely skewing the internal scale to give the piece a whimsical flare, try to keep the internal scale of your piece uniform.
• Color. Getting just the right color can be tricky, but it's crucial to the creation of many realistic miniatures. From time to time, a color may be perfect right out of the package, but more often, it's not. Some people have more trouble than others with mixing colors. If you know you have problems in this area, I suggest a visit to Maggie Maggio's Smashing Color blog. There, you'll find tutorials to help you learn more about the principles of color-mixing with clay. Otherwise, I suggest lots and lots of practice. Start with small proportions of clay, so that if you end up with a color you hate, you haven't "wasted" much. (Also, remember that until it's been cured-- and sometimes not even then-- no clay should ever be considered "wasted". I'll write more about scrap clay sometime down the road, I hope.) Always mix tiny portions of dark, strong colors-- like red-- into lighter colors-- like white or yellow. It only takes a bit more of red to darken the mixture a little more, but it can take a great deal of white to lighten it back up. Keep records of colors you love or find useful. (Actually, I never do this myself, but I know I should. Instead, I usually try to reserve a bit of the color and mix to match it. This works, but it's more time consuming than if I just figured out the "recipe" and wrote it somewhere.)
• Shading. Similar to color, shading is a vital part of realism-- particularly important for fruits, vegetables, and breads. Take a look at a photo of a peach, for example. The colors on one piece of fruit can vary widely from golden yellows to dusky rose. Few things created by nature (or baked in an oven, for that matter) come out in one uniform color, and so if you try to make a peach all in one color, it won't look realistic, no matter how perfectly you shape or texture it. Shading in clay can be accomplished in a few ways. The first is the Skinner blend. You can also apply powdered colors (such as mica powders, make-up, or chalk pastels) to uncured clay. (Uneven application of a range of shades usually provides the most authentic results.) Acrylic paint (either unaltered or thinned with water) or water-based finishes tinted with acrylic paints can also provide shading.
• Shape. Obviously, if your miniature doesn't have the right basic shape, it won't look like the original. Getting that "right shape" can take some practice. Try making the shape with scrap clay until you perfect your technique. Experiment with different ways of doing it until you find one that works. Books, videos, and on-line tutorials can teach you some of the tricks of the trade. I suggest starting out with something that isn't too difficult to sculpt. For instance, a simple round cookie is an easier shape to master than a Thanksgiving turkey. Fortunately, because so much food is itself imperfect (each apple a slightly different shape and size, each taco a bit different from the next), your miniatures needn't be perfect, either. Shape can also be purposely exaggerated. For example, my mini cupcakes are a bit unrealistic in the hugeness of the cupcake tops.
• Texture. It didn't take me long to realize that texture is one of the key elements in making realistic miniatures. If you don't get the texture right, your minis won't be at all convincing. The texture of foods can vary greatly, so it's important to note the textures you see in your example or photo. Is it almost perfectly smooth (like the skin of an apple)? Is it dimpled (like an orange)? Is it bumpy? And if so, are the bumps uniform or irregular? Once you've identified the texture(s) in your food, you can begin experimenting to find just the right way to replicate that texture. I suggest taking a lump of clay-- scrap or whatever-- and trying different textures. Put one next to the other to compare them. Layer one texture over another (by applying two or more tools to the same piece of clay). Build up your arsenal of texturizing tools. (I've written about this before.) Use brushes, crumpled paper and foil, stamps, texture sheets, needle tools, ball styluses, sandpaper-- whatever you see around you (that isn't to be used with food) that looks like it might make an interesting texture. You can also create texture by mixing things into the clay body. Semolina, spices, seeds, and partially cured (then crumbled) clay seem to be popular choices for bread and cake mixtures. To create softer clay (for whipped creams, etc.), clay is sometimes given a few drops of diluent, mineral oil, or liquid clay.
• Shine. Can you imagine an apple without its shine? Many foods don't look quite right without a touch of shine. Sure, you can tell what they're supposed to be, but a little gloss can be the difference between "good" and "great". Notice whether your food needs some shine (based on the photo or real life sample you're using). Is it a high shine or just a bit of a sheen? PC-friendly finishes come in at least three sheens. Personally, I use just two-- high gloss for "very shiny" and matte for "kind of shiny". Of course, minis can also be buffed by hand or with a power tool, like other polymer clay items, but often they aren't a convenient shape for buffing. When adding shine to your miniature foods, be careful not to overdo it. Something that wouldn't normally be shiny in the real world probably shouldn't be shiny in the realm of miniatures, either. A controlled application is the key to success.

Here are a few more tips for making miniature foods with polymer clay:

• Use liquid clay. Sometimes liquid clay is just what you need to make a convincing miniature. Liquid clay makes excellent syrups, sauces, and gravies. I recommend buying a translucent liquid clay, because you can always tint the translucent clay to whatever color or opacity you need, but if you have opaque liquid clay, you can't make it translucent. In addition to the liquid clay, you'll want something to tint it with. Oil paints mixed into translucent liquid clay makes it opaque. (I use a cheap set my husband bought years ago and never used. So far, they're working great, despite their cheapness.) For translucent color, I like alcohol ink. Powders (powdered pigments, artists' chalk pastels, mica powders) can also be used to tint liquid clay. Keep in mind that if you use shimmery powders to tint your liquid clay, the clay will also take on a shimmer. This can be used to your advantage in some applications.
• Be open to trying different brands of clay. This isn't something I've done much myself, as of yet, but it is something I'd suggest for your consideration. Each brand of clay has its own unique properties. For instance, some are softer than others. Generally speaking, the softest clays are not as strong as the firmer ones. (This may not be an issue if you're making decorative miniatures that won't be put under stress. ) The softer clays are easier to condition (and whip into frosting-like consistency), but this also means that they don't hold patterns for caning as well as firmer mixtures do (and they may distort when sliced). Keep these differences in mind. You may find that one brand of clay works well for one project, while another brand is better for the next.
• Use clay softeners. As I mentioned earlier, a few drops of clay softener (or my personal favorite-- mineral oil) allows you to whip regular clay (of whatever color you want) into different stages of softness. It's messy-- no denying that-- but it makes an excellent frosting.
• Bake in stages. I've learned this from experience-- and since read it, too. Baking things in stages makes miniature-making much more enjoyable. Not everything needs to be cured in stages, but don't be afraid to try it if you think it'll make things easier for you. I cure things in stages primarily when I find that trying to do everything in one step leads to unwanted fingerprints in my clay. I don't like wearing gloves, but neither do I want fingerprints all over the place in my miniatures. Sometimes I can put the miniature down on my baking surface and leave it there while I work on it, but other projects require more handling. In those cases, I pre-bake one part of the project, let it cool, then hold onto the hardened portion while I work on the rest of the miniature. Also, sometimes it's just more convenient to pre-bake little bits and pieces (such as candy sprinkles) that I'll be applying to raw clay. (Applying soft clay to soft clay requires more care-- so that I won't squish something or leave unwanted texture-- than applying hard clay to soft clay.) When adhering raw clay to cured clay, it's a good idea to use a tiny bit of liquid clay or diluent as "glue" to help strengthen the bond between the two.
• Pay attention to opacity. This refers back to the part about finding the right color and shading. ("Opacity" refers to the degree of light that shines through something. A closed book is completely opaque, meaning that no light shines through it. Now, if you were to open the book and hold just one page up to the light, you would see light through it. A single page of paper has less opacity-- and therefore more translucence-- than a whole book full of papers.) Many foods, you'll find with close observation, are not completely opaque. The maple syrup I use on my mini waffles is translucent. It has a brown color, but you can still see through it somewhat, down to the little squares of the waffle. If I were to use an opaque brown mixture for the syrup, it would no longer resemble maple syrup. Instead, it would look like chocolate sauce-- an interesting alternative, but not the one I want. Keep opacity and translucence in mind when making miniature foods. Try using different amounts of translucence in your miniatures-- not only with liquid clay, but also with solid clay. Tinted mixtures consisting largely of translucent clay usually cure to more vivid colors than they appear before curing, so you may want to bake small pieces of a color before committing to it.

I think that should do for now. ;o) If you have a tip you'd like to share, please leave a comment. :o)