What Exactly Is Polymer Clay?
What Exactly Is Polymer Clay? Where Do You Buy It At? Is There Any Good Books On Bead Making With Polymer Clay (Character Beads)
Here’s some info about what polymer clay is, etc., from my polymer clay “encyclopedia” website:
Polymer clay is not an “earth” or mud-type clay like potters use, and it is also not water-based. Instead, it is made from oil-based solid and liquid polymer … substances which will “cure” after being being subjected to a certain temperature of heat long enough to harden the liquid part (plasticizer) and fuse all the substances together.
A kiln is never used for hardening ordinary polymer clays (it’s much too hot).
…..Rather, polymer clays are cured and hardened in an ordinary home oven (or toaster oven, or convection oven, and in more novel ways) at approx. 275 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes per 1/4″ of thickness (using an oven thermometer!).
This ease of use is one of the things which has made polymer clay so popular, as well as many other things.
It also comes in many colors, or colors can be mixed, including some special colors like Translucent and various metallics, etc. It can be used in many different ways too from making “sculpts” to making “canes” or making jewelry, bowls, boxes and lots of other things, using many cool special techniques for patterns and effects.
Polymer clays are also not the same as “air dried” clays btw (paper clays, salt dough clay, cornstarch clay, and others) which are water-based and will harden only when dried (polymer clays won’t ever “dry” since there’s no water in them, remaining malleable forever if not cured).
Polymer clays are also not the same as “modeling” clays (which are primarily used by children and animators) although both are oil based (modeling clay has wax added to it and will melt if heated).
There are also other types of “clays” and doughs which are used primarily for sculpting…those can include air-dried clays, 2 pt. epoxy clays, and others as well as polymer clays.
Polymer clays can be purchased at craft, hobby and art stores (as well as by mail order/online), though stock and even brands will vary.
….the most common brand names of polymer clay you’ll see in the U.S. are Premo, Fimo (FimoClassic & FimoSoft), Kato Polyclay, Sculpey (various types), and sometimes Cernit (…other brands are available in other countries).
There’s lots of info about the differences between the main brands and lines of polymer clay on this page, if you want to check them out:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/Characteristics.htm
(…best not to view this particular page with Firefox 3 right now since the margins are messed up… use I.E., or other browsers)
As for bead making, there are many books about making beads with polymer clay as well as many-many free lessons online, videos, etc.
I’m not sure what you mean by “character beads” though… does that mean little critters and things that can be made small enough to be used as beads or dangles? If so, what you’d be looking for is how to make “miniatures” and simple miniature figures, etc…. there are loads of lessons, examples, tips, etc., on making all kinds of miniatures like that on these pages at my site:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/kids_beginners.htm
…click on the category called *Sculpting*
http://glassattic.com/polymer/sculpture.htm
…click on *Whimsical* subcategory (under the “Websites” category)
http://glassattic.com/polymer/miniatures.htm
…click on any category you’re interested in
http://glassattic.com/polymer/Christmas.htm
…click on *Sculpting*
http://glassattic.com/polymer/Halloween_etc.htm
…miniature sculpts are in various categories there
(If by “character” beads, you mean copyrighted characters though like Mickey Mouse, Sponge Bob, Pokemon figures, etc., be aware that it’s illegal to *sell* any representations of those characters, though most companies won’t go after people who make a few for personal use or for gifts.)
As for books on making small sculpts, there are a lot of those especially the 16-20 page “books.” You can see the names of many of them from this page:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/Books_on_Polymer_Clay.htm
…click on *Sculpting* books, and also on *Shorter Books*
…and click on *Free Online Video Lessons*
And this page has loads of lessons, etc., on making beads from polymer clay, in general:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/beads.htm
HTH,
Diane B.
Recursive Beads by Grant Diffendaffer
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BEAD TECHNIQUES: CLAY JEWELRY WITH BEAD ROLLERS-Polymer/Fimo/Sculpey Craft Book $8.99 |
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Big Lot Of Bead And Jewelry Polymer Clay Books $69.99 |
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Polymer Clay Beaded Jewellery Search Press Books SP-48400 $14.87 |
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Dragons Beads Pins Beyond Projects Sculpture Polymer Clay Book 1 NEW C Friesen $9.95 |
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POLYMER CLAY EXTRAVAGANZA Lisa Pavelka Instruction Bead Stamp Craft Project Book $20.69 |
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QUICK & EASY GIFTS IN POLYMER CLAY Lisa Pavelka Bead Beading Jewelry Craft Book $16.99 |
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POLYMER CLAY BEADED JEWELRY-Beading/Fimo/Sculpey-Canes/Millefiore Craft Book $13.99 |
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lot 11 Jewelry making books ~ Wirework ~ Polymer clay ~ Beading ~ craft books $40.00 |
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lot 13 Jewelry making books ~ Wirework ~ Polymer clay ~ Beading ~ craft books $40.00 |
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POLYMER CLAY MIXED MEDIA JEWELRY Technique Project Bead Instruction Art Book $16.99 |
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Kim’s Clay Jewelry Book Polymer Clay Beads NEW OOP $10.95 |
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DOWN UNDER Christi Friesen Polymer Clay Sculpture Bead Making Instruction Book $12.99 |
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DRAGONS Christi Friesen Polymer Clay Sculpture Bead Making Instruction Book $12.99 |
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WOODLAND CREATURES Christi Friesen Polymer Clay Sculpture Bead Instruction Book $12.99 |
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KIM’S CLAY JEWELRY-Polymer/Fimo/Sculpey/Bead Craft Book $12.99 |
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Search Press Books-Polymer Clay Beaded Jewellery $15.12 |
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Baseball Hat Glove beads book mark thong with themes Made of Polymer clay $3.99 |
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MEGA LOT FOR JEWELRY MAKING! BEADS, TOOLS, BOOKS, POLYMER CLAY, PAVELKA, SCULPEY $625.00 |
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UNDER THE SEA Clay Bead Beading Polymer Sculpture Instruction Project Craft Book $12.99 |
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Jewelry Designs from Nature: Woodlands, Gardens, Sea: Art Bead Jewelry Designs Inspired by Nature $11.67 In Jewelry Designs from Nature, Heather Powers reveals her creative process and guides readers through 30 nature inspired bracelet, necklace and earring projects. Her designs feature her beads and the beads of other well-known artists. Simple techniques such as stringing, wirework and bead stitching are explained with clear step-by-step directions. Pieces are designed with simple techniques, chain… |
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Making Polymer Clay Beads $9.00 A comprehensive introduction to the materials, tools, equipment, and techniques used to make unique beads with a variety of shapes, colors, and finishes. The straightforward instructions discuss topics that include conditioning raw clay and making simple shapes; producing more complex shapes, such as rounds, canes, and spirals; decorating the beads with foils, powders, and milléfiori; and creatin… |
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Polymer Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration (Lark Jewelry & Beading) $7.98 Grant Diffendaffer, a star in the world of polymer clay beads, shares 20 of his favorite techniques in this comprehensive volume-now available at an appealing paperback price. His innovative methods, which range from hand-formed tubes, teardrops, and baguettes to fantastically layered mokume gane, result in breathtaking pieces. A stunning gallery provides crafters with a wealth of inspiration…. |