Comments on: Mothers Day Jewelry Gifts Made with Handmade Polymer Clay Beads http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/ "I learned by making mistakes... Now you don't have to." Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:15:06 -0700 hourly 1 By: Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Instructions http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-18466 Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Instructions Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:50:10 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-18466 That fact that your card stock stuck to your clay Natalie, leads me to believe that there was a coating on your card stock and that is what stuck to your project. Try using plain office paper instead and you will find it won't stick at all.You will be able to scrub off the stuck paper with water and sandpaper and should be able to salvage your piece. That fact that your card stock stuck to your clay Natalie, leads me to believe that there was a coating on your card stock and that is what stuck to your project.

Try using plain office paper instead and you will find it won't stick at all.You will be able to scrub off the stuck paper with water and sandpaper and should be able to salvage your piece.

]]> By: Natalie Franks http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-18360 Natalie Franks Sun, 31 May 2009 20:56:59 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-18360 Thanks for the info Cindy! Before I can start that project, I have another one that I am attempting to complete & ran across an issue that pertained to the question you just answered for me. I was creating some round beads & strung them along a wire. I was trying to pack a lot on the wire so I strung a piece of card stock paper between each bead (to prevent them from touching each other). When I finished the hour long baking, allowed them to cool, then tried to slide them off the wire, the card stock was stuck to the bead. When I separated the paper from the bead, a portion of the paper remained on the bead. Obviously, I can correct this problem in the future with the beads by simply separating them by space so that they do not touch & not even use the card stock. However, this brought up the issue with the link necklace I want to start next. How do I prevent the card stock from sticking to my links if I use it to separate the links? Please note that I used a "recycled" card stock. It was printed (I think it was a coupon for Pampers Diapers). Would this have made a difference? Should I only use plain white card stock (with no writing on it) from now on? It was not just the ink portion of the card stock that came off on my beads; it was the paper itself that just tore away from itself & attached to my bead. Also, you should know I was using Sculpey III clay for this project since it was my first one to start out with (saw no reason to spend any more than I need to for what will probably be just a practice piece of jewelry). I will be switching to one of the other polymer clay brands that you recommended when I begin work on the link necklace. Any idea what went wrong on this one? Also, any suggestions on how to fix it? Is sanding the paper off the best option? Thanks for the info Cindy! Before I can start that project, I have another one that I am attempting to complete & ran across an issue that pertained to the question you just answered for me. I was creating some round beads & strung them along a wire. I was trying to pack a lot on the wire so I strung a piece of card stock paper between each bead (to prevent them from touching each other). When I finished the hour long baking, allowed them to cool, then tried to slide them off the wire, the card stock was stuck to the bead. When I separated the paper from the bead, a portion of the paper remained on the bead. Obviously, I can correct this problem in the future with the beads by simply separating them by space so that they do not touch & not even use the card stock. However, this brought up the issue with the link necklace I want to start next. How do I prevent the card stock from sticking to my links if I use it to separate the links? Please note that I used a "recycled" card stock. It was printed (I think it was a coupon for Pampers Diapers). Would this have made a difference? Should I only use plain white card stock (with no writing on it) from now on? It was not just the ink portion of the card stock that came off on my beads; it was the paper itself that just tore away from itself & attached to my bead. Also, you should know I was using Sculpey III clay for this project since it was my first one to start out with (saw no reason to spend any more than I need to for what will probably be just a practice piece of jewelry). I will be switching to one of the other polymer clay brands that you recommended when I begin work on the link necklace. Any idea what went wrong on this one? Also, any suggestions on how to fix it? Is sanding the paper off the best option?

]]> By: Cindy Lietz@Baking Polymer Clay Beads http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-17579 Cindy Lietz@Baking Polymer Clay Beads Thu, 21 May 2009 02:04:32 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-17579 Sure Natalie! You will have to make sure the links are made with a strong enough clay like Premo, Fimo or Kato and not Sculpey III. To keep the links from sticking together either put cornstarch where the links touch or slip a piece of paper between them. I would recommend backing on a bed of cornstarch since it would support the 'wonky' shape of the chain. Make sure to bake for at least an hour so it is strong. (Learn more about baking on cornstarch by typing 'cornstarch' in the search box at the top of the page.) You could possibly put wire inside the links if they weren't strong enough. I would test it with just a couple of links first. You can then add more links if it works, since the clay can be baked an unlimited number of times. Let us know how it turns out! Sure Natalie! You will have to make sure the links are made with a strong enough clay like Premo, Fimo or Kato and not Sculpey III.

To keep the links from sticking together either put cornstarch where the links touch or slip a piece of paper between them.

I would recommend backing on a bed of cornstarch since it would support the 'wonky' shape of the chain. Make sure to bake for at least an hour so it is strong.

(Learn more about baking on cornstarch by typing 'cornstarch' in the search box at the top of the page.)

You could possibly put wire inside the links if they weren't strong enough. I would test it with just a couple of links first. You can then add more links if it works, since the clay can be baked an unlimited number of times.

Let us know how it turns out!

]]> By: Natalie Franks http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-17570 Natalie Franks Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:12 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-17570 Cindy, I want to make a large chain link necklace completely out of polymer clay. Is there a way to do that? I do not want to add jewelry findings to connect the polymer clay links together. I really want to find a way to connect one polymer clay link directly to the next polymer clay link. If I put them together in the raw form then bake them, they will fuse together during the baking process and will not "move" when around the neck. Any suggestions? Natalie . Cindy,

I want to make a large chain link necklace completely out of polymer clay. Is there a way to do that? I do not want to add jewelry findings to connect the polymer clay links together. I really want to find a way to connect one polymer clay link directly to the next polymer clay link. If I put them together in the raw form then bake them, they will fuse together during the baking process and will not "move" when around the neck. Any suggestions?

Natalie
.

]]> By: Cindy Lietz@Favorite Polymer Clay Tools http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-16807 Cindy Lietz@Favorite Polymer Clay Tools Sat, 09 May 2009 02:27:21 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-16807 That's great Deborah! Earrings are a perfect thing to sell at craft fairs! They are an easy purchase to make, no matter the economy. Good luck on your sales! That's great Deborah! Earrings are a perfect thing to sell at craft fairs! They are an easy purchase to make, no matter the economy. Good luck on your sales!

]]> By: Deborah http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/mothers-day-jewelry-gifts-handmade-polymer-clay-beads/4003/#comment-16770 Deborah Fri, 08 May 2009 13:03:06 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=4003#comment-16770 Great idea! Not for my mom as she doesn't wear them...but...I have a craft show this weekend, and I know I have some lentil beads that I didn't now what to do with...thanks so much! Now I know exactly what to do with them!!!! Great idea! Not for my mom as she doesn't wear them…but…I have a craft show this weekend, and I know I have some lentil beads that I didn't now what to do with…thanks so much! Now I know exactly what to do with them!!!!

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