- Touch the clay as little as possible while it is wet.
- Spend more time sanding and perfecting your piece in the dry stage than you really want.
- Every time you sand, go from a rough grit down to a fine grit.
The first thing you always need when starting a new project is supplies. There is a lot of information about what you need out there, maybe too much. Unfortunately, a lot of it is from people trying to sell something, but a lot of it is good advice too. Here is what I use when starting a new piece:
- PMC3 - I am not recommending it or making a plug, it is just what I use. (Honestly, it is the only thing I have tried so far.)
- A plastic mat with a 12" x 12" grid on it that I bought at a local craft store
- A polymer clay roller - again from a craft store
- Some print-at-home business cards that I goofed up taped together to measure thickness when rolling the clay
- A plastic sandwich bag
- Vegetable oil - most info says olive oil, but I didn't happen to have any in the house the day I started
- Rubber stamps
- A clay cutter or shaped clay cutters or small metal cookie cutters
- An old paint brush
- Toothpicks
This is the piece I am going to describe here. I start by clearing off my workspace, most of it anyway, and making sure I have everything I need within arms reach. I place the clay on my mat in between stacks of three business cards that have been taped together. This just happens to be what has worked for me and this type of piece. I then lay the plastic bag over the clay and roll on top of the bag. Supposedly there are all types of balm out there and even the oil is supposed to keep it from sticking to the roller, but somehow it always sticks to mine. It never sticks to the bag though. Once the clay is rolled out to the thickness of the three cards, I carefully remove the plastic bag. I then take the rubber stamp I am using and dip it in the oil then dab it off on a paper towel before stamping the clay. Always stamp before you cut because when you press down on the stamp it will push the clay out to the side. Getting an even stamp can prove to be tricky sometimes. I often have to restamp and/or reroll the clay out 2 or 3 times before I get just what I want. Be careful to make your impression deep enough without pressing through to close to the bottom of the clay. I was almost finished polishing a piece once that snapped in half because I had stamped and sanded one spot too thin.
Once my impression is just the way I want it, I use an oval shaped clay cutter to cut it out. A little oil on the edge of the cutter will help to keep it from sticking. I use my wet paintbrush to help push the piece down if it does start to stick. The less you touch the clay at the point the less sanding you will have to do later. A well learned lesson. Once I've cut my shape out, I use a toothpick to create the hole. I don't worry about getting it too perfect here, just something to pierce the clay.
That's it for right now. Roll up the remainder of the clay and seal it back in the airtight pouch so it does not dry out. I have started swiping my wet paintbrush on the clay a few times before putting it away. I also put it back in the original plastic, then put that into a small zipper bag which then goes into the original packaging. It maybe overkill, but I find my clay stays better this way so I'll stick with it for now.
I usually try to do this step in the evening so I can let it dry over night. Otherwise I find myself going to check on it all day long and it is much better left alone. So, that's all here for tonight.
