It’s interesting that when we change the way we present a thing to our brains, they temporarily time out on us.The same elements may be in place, and in the same order, but because spacing and line breaks are different, we can't tell what this says at first, even though we know it says something.
That element of temporary mystery is what makes these beautiful pieces even more interesting, and makes them intriguing gifts.If you haven’t gotten it yet, this message says:“Create Your Dream”.
Materials needed are listed below. There are two more examples on the following page, and a Step-by-Step Tutorial begins on the page after that.
Plain, white Sculpey Polymer Clay (the inexpensive kind that comes in a box)
A Pasta Machine or something to use as a rolling pin (we use a pasta machine)
High Desert PolyGlazes in all four colors (available online from Cre8it)
A tray, some cornstarch baby powder, and a fingernail brush
A clay blade (you can use a straight razor blade)
A set of alphabet stamps and a square wood mount the right size to nicely frame the letters
A mat and backboard (8"x10") and some extra pieces of cardboard (like from a box)
An 8"x10" piece of cardstock in a color to go with your mat and tile color
A hot glue gun and some double stick tape
Duco brand household cement (Walmart paint department for about 99¢)
Before we begin, some things to know about polymer clay:
Do not use tools or surfaces with the clay that you will later use for food.
Bake the clay on a sheet of cardboard - at 265-275 degrees for 20 minutes in a toaster oven or your kitchen oven. If using your kitchen oven, create a “roaster oven” by covering an aluminum turkey roasting pan with aluminum foil. Set the clay inside that on a piece of cardboard. Do a test for temperature before baking your clay so you can adjust for any interior temp variations. Baking a lot of clay in your kitchen oven will deposit a residue of plasticizer on the inside of your oven which is not a good thing (to paraphrase Martha Stewart).
Use an oven thermometer to make sure your temperature is correct because you must not burn the clay (never let it get to 300 degrees or above). It will smell a little while baking and that is harmless, but if it burns, the fumes are not good for breathing.
Do not use a microwave.
More then you will ever need to know about polymer clay can be found at www.glassattic.com. You will get lost there for hours - it’s like polymer clay “school”. For this reason we are giving you the site but not a direct link because we don't want to lose you til you finish reading the zine! When you have a nice piece of time and a great cup of tea, go there and appreciate the huge effort that has been put into that site - another great gift to the creative online community.
