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m1nime · Dec 5th, 2008, 05:50 PM

Hey,

I am a total beginner. I bought some air dry clay yesterday. I plan to make pendants for jewellery, then paint and varnish the pieces.

I think polymer clay might be better since I have read it has more flexibility in it, but we shall see how these turn out.

I also trialled making a small leaf platter that you put a tea light candle on.

I will post pics once painted!

So what has everyone else made? Any handy tips? Please share!

mariah9999 · Dec 5th, 2008, 09:14 PM

^ I would love to try this as well! It sounds like a lot of fun! Let us know how they turn out and give us any tips or hints. Can't wait to see your pics when you're done!

m1nime · Dec 9th, 2008, 12:01 AM

OK, so I have painted my pieces.

The owl and love heart are pendants, they will be going on a silver chain.

The leaf is to put a tealight candle in. I think a set of 3 of these would look better.

I still need to varnish them, painting them was so fun.

Pics are taken with my Iphone - not good quality sorry.

TygerKitty · Dec 9th, 2008, 12:45 AM

Ohhhhhhh I totally love the leaf and yes a set would be super adorable! The tealights in them are great and I love how they can be sculpted up and become more 3-D! Was this air dry clay stuff easy to work with? Is it smooth to paint? What type of paint did you use, acrylic?

Flipper · Dec 9th, 2008, 01:07 AM

Wow! You really know how to work with clay :) I've tried unsuccessfully to make jewelery pieces before but I can never get them to smooth out so they always look lumpy in the end :( I love your leaf!!

GondolaGirl · Dec 22nd, 2008, 10:55 AM

I just really started working with clay and I have found it to be very rewarding! It does not take that long to master and the finished product is truly "finished."
This is a votive I created out of baby food jars! It has a lot of possibilities if you think about it!

patchworkcat · Dec 22nd, 2008, 12:01 PM

Try Sculpey clay for the jewelry. If you don't use the colors–I'm sure you can paint and varnish the white after baking (per package instructions)...Just be sure not to burn them-the smoke isn't healthy to breathe.

KittyBag · Jan 16th, 2009, 12:10 PM

I am digging this thread back up, since I missed it the first time around. I love to mess with air dry clay... it's easy! I have made little animals for my niece to play with. Also, clay is fun because you can roll it out like dough and then use cookie cutters to shape it. Makes fun ornaments and things like that. I will have to take some pictures!

KittyBag · Jan 16th, 2009, 12:11 PM

m1nime, your creations are so cute!! Did you ever make a set of the leaves? Imagine how cute it would be if you painted some in falls colors so you could change them out with the seasons! Adorable!

ILuvShopping · Feb 11th, 2009, 12:39 PM

anyone that works with polymer clay... do you use your own home oven or did you buy one of those ovens they sell at craft stores?

patchworkcat · Feb 11th, 2009, 04:24 PM

Buy a cheap toaster oven. That way you can cook them outside to avoid any possibly hazardous fumes.

regretless · Feb 11th, 2009, 08:45 PM

i make miniature food, pics at this thread.

i prefer to fimo polymer clay b/c yes like you've heard it is indeed much easier to work with
kind of like playing with playdough, but better!

ILuvShopping: you can just use your home oven. i use a toaster oven :)

ILuvShopping · Feb 17th, 2009, 10:48 AM

just in case anyone else wants to start this hobby... i found a small toaster oven at walmart for $17

ILuvShopping · Oct 18th, 2009, 03:42 PM

so last night i started my journey with polymer clay... I decided last year that I wanted to make christmas ornaments for friends and family this year. I have at least 20 of them to make... and it's an interesting process!
I have a huge appreciation for anyone that can do this really well :)

Hopefully someone can help me out with this... for some people I'm making snowmen, when i stack the balls of clay for the body, do I need to do anything to make sure they don't come apart after the clay is baked, or will the baking process sort of 'glue' everything together? right now i'm just sort of flattening the tops and bottoms to make them stick together.

and I plan to attach some eye pins so they can be hung as ornaments, can I attach/insert the eye pins prior to baking?

ILuvShopping · Oct 18th, 2009, 10:47 PM

here's my progress so far!

now i'm starting on santa and mrs. clause! but i ran out of white clay :(
the christmas trees will get decoration, i'm still debating on if i want to make it out of clay or glue on 'lights on a string' after it's done baking.
the 'banners' are so i can write people's names on them when they are done baking

Dec 5th, 2008, 05:50 PM	#1
m1nime OP My beautiful babies! Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia! Posts: 1,611	Working with clay of all types! Questions and pics here! Hey, I am a total beginner. I bought some air dry clay yesterday. I plan to make pendants for jewellery, then paint and varnish the pieces. I think polymer clay might be better since I have read it has more flexibility in it, but we shall see how these turn out. I also trialled making a small leaf platter that you put a tea light candle on. I will post pics once painted! So what has everyone else made? Any handy tips? Please share!
	__________________

Dec 5th, 2008, 09:14 PM	#2
mariah9999 Lovin' LV Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Purseville Posts: 4,093	^ I would love to try this as well! It sounds like a lot of fun! Let us know how they turn out and give us any tips or hints. Can't wait to see your pics when you're done!
	__________________ Come & follow me on Twitter everyone! http://www.twitter.com/tPFmariah9999

Dec 9th, 2008, 12:01 AM	#3
m1nime OP My beautiful babies! Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia! Posts: 1,611	OK, so I have painted my pieces. The owl and love heart are pendants, they will be going on a silver chain. The leaf is to put a tealight candle in. I think a set of 3 of these would look better. I still need to varnish them, painting them was so fun. Pics are taken with my Iphone - not good quality sorry.
	__________________

Dec 9th, 2008, 12:45 AM	#4
TygerKitty ~~ addicted ~~ Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 12,252	Ohhhhhhh I totally love the leaf and yes a set would be super adorable! The tealights in them are great and I love how they can be sculpted up and become more 3-D! Was this air dry clay stuff easy to work with? Is it smooth to paint? What type of paint did you use, acrylic?
	__________________ "Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance." I shop too much!

Dec 9th, 2008, 01:07 AM	#5
Flipper eXmotion Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 885	Wow! You really know how to work with clay :) I've tried unsuccessfully to make jewelery pieces before but I can never get them to smooth out so they always look lumpy in the end :( I love your leaf!!
	__________________ ~ http://www.fablesinfashion.com/ \| tweet tweet ~ Always dreaming of the next bag...

Dec 22nd, 2008, 10:55 AM	#6
GondolaGirl Member Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Chicagoan transplanted in the sandy beaches of Florida. Posts: 617	I just really started working with clay and I have found it to be very rewarding! It does not take that long to master and the finished product is truly "finished." This is a votive I created out of baby food jars! It has a lot of possibilities if you think about it!
	__________________

Dec 22nd, 2008, 12:01 PM	#7
patchworkcat Meow! Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,016	Try Sculpey clay for the jewelry. If you don't use the colors–I'm sure you can paint and varnish the white after baking (per package instructions)...Just be sure not to burn them-the smoke isn't healthy to breathe.
patchworkcat Meow! Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,016

Jan 16th, 2009, 12:10 PM	#8
KittyBag Settling in... Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Smaller Apple (north of NYC) Posts: 3,609	I am digging this thread back up, since I missed it the first time around. I love to mess with air dry clay... it's easy! I have made little animals for my niece to play with. Also, clay is fun because you can roll it out like dough and then use cookie cutters to shape it. Makes fun ornaments and things like that. I will have to take some pictures!
	__________________ Describe Happy - come to the blog for a smile ------------------------------------------------------------------- This season I've done 10 hikes for a total of 49.5 miles!

Jan 16th, 2009, 12:11 PM	#9
KittyBag Settling in... Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Smaller Apple (north of NYC) Posts: 3,609	m1nime, your creations are so cute!! Did you ever make a set of the leaves? Imagine how cute it would be if you painted some in falls colors so you could change them out with the seasons! Adorable!
	__________________ Describe Happy - come to the blog for a smile ------------------------------------------------------------------- This season I've done 10 hikes for a total of 49.5 miles!

Feb 11th, 2009, 12:39 PM	#10
ILuvShopping <3 Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,991	anyone that works with polymer clay... do you use your own home oven or did you buy one of those ovens they sell at craft stores?

Feb 11th, 2009, 04:24 PM	#11
patchworkcat Meow! Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,016	Buy a cheap toaster oven. That way you can cook them outside to avoid any possibly hazardous fumes.
patchworkcat Meow! Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,016

Feb 11th, 2009, 08:45 PM	#12
regretless happy go lucky~ Joined: Jul 2008 Location: California Posts: 294	i make miniature food, pics at this thread. i prefer to fimo polymer clay b/c yes like you've heard it is indeed much easier to work with kind of like playing with playdough, but better! ILuvShopping: you can just use your home oven. i use a toaster oven :)
	__________________ visit my nail blog ♥ visit my miniature DIY food thread ♥

Feb 17th, 2009, 10:48 AM	#13
ILuvShopping <3 Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,991	just in case anyone else wants to start this hobby... i found a small toaster oven at walmart for $17

Oct 18th, 2009, 03:42 PM	#14
ILuvShopping <3 Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,991	so last night i started my journey with polymer clay... I decided last year that I wanted to make christmas ornaments for friends and family this year. I have at least 20 of them to make... and it's an interesting process! I have a huge appreciation for anyone that can do this really well :) Hopefully someone can help me out with this... for some people I'm making snowmen, when i stack the balls of clay for the body, do I need to do anything to make sure they don't come apart after the clay is baked, or will the baking process sort of 'glue' everything together? right now i'm just sort of flattening the tops and bottoms to make them stick together. and I plan to attach some eye pins so they can be hung as ornaments, can I attach/insert the eye pins prior to baking?
	__________________ . . Whimsy Bits..... a bit of whimsy.... Up and Running!! Check out my handmade jewelry http://whimsybits.etsy.com

Oct 18th, 2009, 10:47 PM	#15
ILuvShopping <3 Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,991	here's my progress so far! now i'm starting on santa and mrs. clause! but i ran out of white clay :( the christmas trees will get decoration, i'm still debating on if i want to make it out of clay or glue on 'lights on a string' after it's done baking. the 'banners' are so i can write people's names on them when they are done baking
	__________________ . . Whimsy Bits..... a bit of whimsy.... Up and Running!! Check out my handmade jewelry http://whimsybits.etsy.com

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