Exploring The Artistic Side of Polymer Clay

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I haven't been into polymer clay for all that long but after investing about $50.00 into some of the basic colors and tools I have to admit – there are a ton of things you can do with it. Most people hear “clay rafts” and think of Play Doh or something that cracks when its left exposed to air. That's not the case with polymer clay; it might get a little stiff or hard to blend but a little kneading goes a long way to bringing it back to life. Truth be told, I don't mind having to 'work the clay' because it's great for reducing stress. There are a ton of different companies that make polymer clay; I have tried several and like Sculpey and Sculpey Premoi; I learned the hard way that wearing gloves is an essential if you are going to be kneading it or working with different colors to blend them. The alternative is to get the finger covers but I would only suggest those if you are going to be blending small amounts but on a frequent basis. Some people will tell you that you need to get a pasta machine or “clay machine” - that's optional and while it does help when doing precise color blends that come out as a rippled effect (skinner) most of the time you can get away with using a clear clay roller. Since people sometimes jump into a new craft without looking at how much they are spending until the fascination with it dies out - they aren't likely to just throw things away. Check local sales, swap meets, moving sales and even places like Craig's List. Just when I think I've seen the limits of what you can do with the polymer clay, I come across something else that blows my mind. Thankfully there are tons of videos on YouTube as well as comprehensive tutorials that explain different techniques. One of the things I just started doing is making silicone molds for the clay. This is 80% cheaper than buying them, I can create my own designs or add my own touches to it and the things needed can be found anywhere. I can get the clear silicone multi purpose formula from Family Dollar for $2.00 (9 ounces) and that's enough to make about 40 individual molds or 4 medium / large multi piece molds.