Add to your stash
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Make your designs more fabulous!
Let’s look at some more supplies you might want to consider adding to your polymer clay stash.
Glue/Adhesives
Sometimes you will need to glue different parts of your project together. There are a couple of ways to do this.
- If you’re creating a bezel pendant, you can use ‘Bake and Bond’ by Sculpey, FIMO liquid clay or even Super glue. All work equally well for securing your polymer clay piece into the bezel. Just ensure that you follow the directions of use carefully. I use disposable gloves, especially when working with super glue
- For structural pieces, use the same types of glue. You can use the glue before baking your piece to make it stronger.
Cutters
These are very useful for creating a variety of pieces. I use them regularly to make Christmas ornaments. They’re available in numerous shapes. Once you’ve created your pattern, it’s easy enough to cut the shapes out.
Cutters are also useful for making unique pendants. Why stick with the usual round or square shape, when you can select from more unusual ones.
These are just a few different shapes which can make your designs more interesting.
Matte vs Gloss
We all like a bit of shine to our pieces. Using gloss after baking your piece is one way to achieve this. I tend to stick to gloss produced by the polymer clay manufacturers because the products have been tested and gives a reliable result.
When applying gloss, use a clean artist’s paintbrush and gently apply the gloss to your baked piece. Allow to dry (up to 24 hours). Remember that gloss won’t hide any fingerprints or other marks on your piece, so ensure it is clean.
If you don’t want the glossy look, you only need to leave your piece as is once it’s baked. You may want to sand it gently or use a denim jean square to buff it to create a smooth feel. It’s also worth remembering that whatever colour you use for your piece, that is the colour after baking. It doesn’t change.
Which of the above will you be adding to your supplies?
