I got a call last night from Christina (darling gal) from Viva Decor, giving me some scoop about the new Pardo clay they are bringing to CHA Winter in Anaheim. Since I’m going next week, I got super excited & took down the stats: The new clay is considered “professional grade” and will be firmer It will come in 14 primary colors for custom blending, plus a translucent. The translucent is so clear you can read through it, and it […]
Craft Product Review: Pardo Polymer Clay by Viva
One of the things I picked up at the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) trade show last summer made me tingle with anticipation- Pardo Polymer Clay! Manufactured by Viva Decor, based in Germany, it’s the newest clay in the industry and has the distinction of being beeswax-based. It come is 70 yummy colors, and has some really cool “effects” clays, such as “glitter” and “transparent.” Easy to work, it does have a few drawbacks- one of which is poor availability […]
Craft Product Review: Loctite Super Glue Brush-On
Technically, “Super Glue” isn’t a craft product….unless you’re crafty. If you are, you know how important it is to have a variety of adhesives/glues that you can depend on to keep your crafts held together & lookin’ good. And one of my faves is Loctite brand super-glue. First of all, the reason I bought it was for the bottle design. As the name implies, it has a brush applicator, like a little finger nail polish brush. You unscrew the cap […]
Crystal Crafter Hot Fix Tool Product Review
It goes without saying that I like a little bling in my world. Last year I was at the Sewing and Quilting Expo and pick up one of these cute hot-fix crystal-setters, made by Kandi Corp and sold as the Victoria Lynne Crystal Crafter. I finally broke it out of the box and kicked the tires, which for ME means trying it out on fabric, paper, plastic, and polymer clay. The bottom line is that it is a great price […]
Review of Lisa Pavelka’s Signature Series Craft Foils
Jenny previews the projects she made and introduces her review of Lisa Pavelka Signature Series Craft Foils on www.CraftCritique.com
Magic Glos Addendum
I decided to try out Lisa Pavelka’s Magic Glos today on a polymer clay pendant I’m working on. I spread out the material, being careful to use enough product so that the edges wouldn’t pull back. Happy with my progress, I set it under the UV lamp that I bought from her. I clicked on the light, which promptly burnt out. I had only used it twice- once at home for 10 minutes, and another time for a class– maybe […]
Product Review: Dremel Stylus for Crafting
I got a new favorite tool in my studio – it’s the Dremel Stylus rotary tool. I had a traditional Dremel, and used it when I had to. I found that it’s thick barrel made it difficult for me to hold and drill with accurately. The folks at Dremel seemed to have read my mind and felt my pain, because the new Stylus is just the ticket! First of all, it has a rechargeable battery, and it fits into a […]
Polymer Clay Video Review: Cindy Lietz
Cindy Lietz is a polymer clay artist and Craftista who has put together a series of polymer clay tutorials available by subscription. Since the PC world is smallish and fairly interconnected, she offered me the chance to view her tutorials (for free, for full disclosure) and write a review of what I saw. If you sign up for her newsletter, she’ll send you some freebie videos and you can get a taste of her style. I viewed a number of […]
Mokume Gane Workshop with Julie Picarello
Honey, I’m home! And I’ve brought back new pieces and techniques from my workshop with Julie Picarello at her lovely home studio in El Dorado, California. I’ll get more into details soon, but I just HAD to get some photos up ASAP of the work I produced, and my co-conspirators in class…. feast your eyes, details to follow! Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
New Class Samples – Mokume Gane
I’ve finally finished my samples for my June class…. right under the wire! I made a bunch of samples, actually, because for the first time class participants will get to decide what they are going to make. I’m offerening charms for jewelry or scrapbooking, candle embellishments, magnets, or pins. (This may not go over well. I’ve been told that people are more project-based, rather than process-based. This can be tough for me, because I want to teach folks the technique, […]
Naftali’s EZ Bead Changer Necklace- Fabulous!
I was surfing through some Etsy Polymer Clay artists’ sites, and I ran across a jewelry maker who goes by the name of Naftali. In addition to some lovely polymer clay beads and jewelry, she also sells these EZ Bead Changer necklaces. I bought one on Monday, and I was delighted to receive it on Friday afternoon. It came in a little organza pouch with a couple of Tootsie Rolls, and in box with ribbon. Nice presentation. I got the […]
Playing with Liquid Polymer Clay- Stained Glass
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately with liquid polymer clay, this time playing with stained glass effects. In my previous tests of liquid clay, I checked to see which brand cured the clearest. Consequently I determined Kato Liquid Medium was really the best product for this set of samples. I really lucked out two years ago, and ran across a sale on the glass suncatcher forms. They are glass, shaped like stars and circles, and already have a […]
Comparison of Liquid Polymer Clays, Part Two
This is phase two of comparing the three major brands of liquid polymer clays: Fimo Deco Gel, Kato Liquid Polyclay, and Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS). Phase one consisted of checking out viscosity, odor, and results after one layer was applied and baked in the oven. Since I’m interested in building up multiple layers for dimension, I thought I should test the 3 products and cure them by hand with a heat tool. For reference, I have one that has only […]
Comparison of Liquid Polymer Clays – Part One
Recently I’ve heard alot about the three main polymer clays – Kato Liquid PolyClay, Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS), and Fimo Deko Gel. What are the pros and cons of each one? Well, in true Craft Test Dummies fashion, I decided to do a little comparison and check them out. I did look and find one person who compared the three brands by making a structures and then filling them up with the liquid clays and then analyzing the results. Well, […]
Polymer Clay Toxic?
Ever since I was introduced to polymer clay, it’s been labeled as “non-toxic” and that’s been a major selling point for me. You can cure it in your home oven with no ill effects, your kids can use it, it’s appropriate for institutional use, it’s safe. But is it? Recently on one of my PC groups, one of the members – Jai – noticed that she was experiencing symptoms that included dizziness, skin irritation, and feelings of confusion or lethargy. […]
Craft Product Review: Love My Makin’s Clay Extruder!
This is the third extruder I’ve tried, and by gum, we’ve found a winner! My hands are not so strong and they tire easily. I’ve used both the Kemper clay gun, and a version of Makin’s that is a push extruder. Both are lost causes for me… by the time I get 2 inches of usable extruded clay, my hands are shot. I ordered the “Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder” from E-bay (regular retail price about $20.00 , hoping that […]
Crafty-Goat’s Weigh in on Studio by Sculpey Clay
I was visiting some of my favorite blogs, and I was reading Crafty Goat’s Notes and her “revised” take on the Studio by Sculpey Clays. She’s finding that right out of the package, it’s too soft….and some of her older clay (the first batch sent out by polyform to be tested by PC artists) is now getting crumbly. (Really. Read her whole article.) Aaak! I’m disappointed to hear this…. I had such high hopes for this clay! I still like […]
Craft Product Review: 5-in-1 Clay Tool by Studio By Sculpey
Yesterday I test-drove the new 5-in-1 tool in the Donna Dewberry Line of Studio by Sculpey. I tried to like it. Really. But it fell short of my expectations in a number of ways. The idea was brilliant: a stylus type tool with interchangeable tips to make clay work more efficient. The set includes a ball tip, a blade, a needle tool, a chisel tip, and a bullet tip, all with a handy tip holder. So I crack it out […]
Craft Product Review: Studio by Sculpey Super Slicer Blades
I’m continuing to explore the Studio by Sculpey clay and tool lines, and today I’m giving you the poop on the new Super Slicer blades.The retail price of the package was $14.99 (available at JoAnn’s ETC stores, and online) and includes 4 blades: a stiff, shorter blade, a long, flexible tissue blade, a scallop blade, and a crinkle blade. There are also 2 handles that can used with any blade. Initially, I was very excited about the handle concept. I’ve […]
Polymer Clay- Picking a Clay That’s Right for you!
I’ve got some friends interested in starting in polymer clay work over in my beading group. One member asked me what is the better clay to use. Of course, that’s really personal opinion….but there are some differences in polymer clays when it comes to colors and firmness. So, here’s a quick rundown of clays, listing them by manufacturer. From Eberhard Faber (Germany): Fimo Classic: The first brand of polymer clay, Fimo, was invented in Germany, during World War I. A […]
