Polymer Clay
Polymer clay is an oven cured clay made of PVC particles and pigments suspended in a plasticizer.
Polymer clay will not dry out but it is important to store it in a cool dry place away from dust.  For
beginners we recommend Sculpey III, it is one of the softer clays on the market and is great for
beginners.
Tools...
(Above) These tools are invaluable
for most all polymer clay projects.
Acrylic Brayer
Soft Tip Clay Shaper
Straight Blade
Embossing Tool
Craft knife
(Above)  Clay removing tools, wood carving tools, a paper
piercing tool, tweezers, and some sculpting tools are a great
addition to your collection of tools.
Push Molds are handy when
trying to make intricate shapes.
Be sure to have a bottle of
cornstarch or automotive
protectant spray handy for easy
release.
Texture Plates give your projects
some pattern and depth.  They
come in lots of different patterns
and designs.
Cookie Cutters can be a
must, just make sure to
keep them separate from
your kitchen cookie cutters.
A good way to measure
the thickness of your clay
is by using playing cards
on both sides of your clay.
This will make your clay
even when using an acrylic
brayer.

If you enjoy working with
this kind of clay you will
find a pasta machine to
be your best friend.  It
make measuring sheets of
clay a breeze!
We get a lot of use out of our polymer clay
template and ruler, it offers several ways to
measure pieces for your project. (right)
Unmounted rubber stamps are also handy for
adding texture and design.
A tracing wheel
is actually a  
sewing tool but
it is great for
adding patterns
to clay.
Basic Shapes...
(left to right) Ball, blunt teardrop (we use these
for most of our heads), elongated teardrop, log
and a twisted log.
To make a twisted log roll several different
colored logs then twist them together. When the
log is twisted as tight as you want it put it on a
flat surface and roll it till it is smooth.
Work Station
It is important not to work on any surface that food will come into contact with!
Make sure your work area is clean and dust free.  You may find that some clays tend to stain
the work surface and skin, just make sure to clean them before switching to a new
color.  This should keep the colors from bleeding together.

Conditioning The Clay
Conditioning clay is the process of making your clay soft enough to use.
You will know the clay needs conditioning if when you roll it out the edges crack.
To condition your clay put it through your pasta machine 10-20 times or just knead it in your
hands.  If you are using one of the softer clays like Sculpey III, you may not need to
condition your clay at all.

Baking The Clay
Each manufacturer has their own suggestion for time and temperature so make sure to
read the packaging.  If you are baking a round or odd shaped piece you may want to use
polyester batting to help the clay keep its shape and avoid flattening it.  Be sure there is
only enough batting to go under the clay piece.  Bake the clay on a cookie sheet or piece
of ceramic tile.