1: Burnt Orange
2: Martian Sand
3: Cinnamon Glow
4: Milky Mocha
5: Merino
Well Sue Fisher has done it again… created some stunning color recipes using Kato Polyclay. Only this time it’s her own palette, called Spice and Serenity.
If you don’t know who Sue is, she is one of our awesome members from Down Under (Australia). She’s always quick to offer excellent advice to others, and has an experienced eye for color mixing. Especially with Kato Polyclay!
Last week, Sue provided the Kato recipe equivalents for the Pansy Flower, Spring Color Palette which I had originally created using Sculpey Premo clay. Her Kato Konversion was greatly appreciated by the Kato Krowd. OK ok I’m having too much fun with my K’s. So I’ll stop now, K? Oops :-)
You are so special to share these Pansy flower color recipes with us. The purple palette is one of my favorites. Thank you so much for sharing….and “all the best to you” as well. ~Joyce-M
Sue F – Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! I am a Kato Clay user – exclusively. I am not good at color mixing and I find it very challenging to try to convert Cindy’s Premo recipes! Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes there are happy accidents, and sometimes it’s just a disaster (thank goodness for “Jupiter Beads“). So from the bottom of my heart, Thank You again for sharing your recipes!! One happy Kato clayer. ~Lisa-W
Thank you, Sue. I use both Premo and Kato (and sometimes Fimo, too), so it’s nice to have the recipes in both brands. ~Priscilla-L
How nice of Sue Fisher to donate her recipes to Kato users! And how fabulous of Cindy to publish the recipes here at this fantastic clay community. Thanks! ~Phaedrakat
Below is what Sue Fisher sent me as a quick introduction to her latest Kato Kolor Kreations. There goes my K-literation again… can’t help it… K’s are just so Kool!
Here’s an original Kato colour palette for you. There are three ordinary colours and two metallics, and I don’t really have a good name for it as a whole (although you can all it Spice and Serenity if it absolutely must have one!).
~Sue-F
SF-001-1 Burnt Orange:
- 4 parts Orange (Kato)
- 2 parts Red (Kato)
- 1 part Brown (Kato)
SF-001-2 Martian Sand (Metallic):
- 8 parts Orange (Kato)
- 5 parts Red (Kato)
- 2 parts Brown (Kato)
- 2 parts Silver (Kato)
- 2 parts Pearl (Kato)
SF-001-3 Cinnamon Glow (Metallic):
- 2 parts Copper (Kato)
- 5 parts Gold (Kato)
- 24 parts Silver (Kato)
- 18 parts Pearl (Kato)
SF-001-4 Milky Mocha:
- 6 parts Brown (Kato)
- 1 part Gold (Kato)
- 1 part Black (Kato)
- 15 parts White (Kato)
SF-001-5 Merino:
- 4 parts Brown (Kato)
- 1 part Black (Kato)
- 64 parts White (Kato)
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Displayed above is a photo showing how I record my recipes. The colour chips I make are 28mm wide and 41mm long, which gives plenty of room for written information on the back. I use stickers because I’ve never found any kind of marker that doesn’t rub off and discolour the adjacent sample when I try to write directly on the colour chip. And because it makes it easy to change or add information… like the colour names I made up for these, and some reference numbers now that I’ve assigned them to a palette. I keep them strung in colour order on ball chain, but I took these off to photograph.
It was actually quite fun choosing colours to go together – except for thinking of names to call them, which was a bit of a strain! – so I might have to reconsider your offer of having a guest series of Kato recipe posts if that’s still open.
I won’t be claying again for a few days now, but hopefully I’ll have time on the weekend to try your inked surface technique when that video is published. All the best,
~Sue-F
Thank you Sue! And yes of course the offer is still open for you to have an ongoing guest series for your Kato recipe posts.
I think when more people find out about this, your Kato fan base will just get bigger and bigger. I’ll be happy to publish the recipes for you.
To download a blank recipe card like the one shown above, that can be duplicated and used for keeping your collection organized, click on the following link: Polymer Clay Recipe Card
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| ** Index of Previously Posted Guest Recipes:
2009-07-10: Eleven Sculpey III Color Recipes [Carrie-W] |
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| ************************************************************************************************** |
Those are great colors, Sue. I’m going to have to get out my Kato & try them. Also, many thanks for your idea of sticking a label on the back of the chip – so simple, but I never thought of it. Now I’ll be able to read what I write on my darker color chips.
Thanks, Rose! :)
I’m glad you liked the label idea too.
@Sue F – Thanks for the great colors. I love earthy colors! I sure hope you continue to share your Kato recipes with us..!!
Thanks again,
~Lisa :)
Though Kato clay is being re-formulated, the colors will remain consistent with the former ones. I think more and more artists will be zeroing in on this new Kato clay. You may see some good sales on the current Kato clay as stores clear their supplies in anticipation of the new Kato clay.
Sorry, nothing to do with polymer clay but just wanted to say how beautiful Canada is and beautiful Olympic Opening Ceremony.
Thank you Catherine. We’re feeling very proud to be Canadian right now, playing the gracious host for this Global event that is happening right now, right here in Vancouver and Whistler!!!
Just this last Monday, the route for one of the torch runners passed right in front out our house. It was like Mardis Gras in the street as everyone lined the sidewalks and driveways with great enthusiasm. Truly a one in a life time experience!
But our hearts also reach out to the family and team mates of the young 21 year old athlete from Georgia, who tragically lost his life in a practice run on the luge track. So, so sad.
@Cindy Lietz from Whister BC 2010 Olympics:
How exciting to see the Olympics that close to your neighborhood. Wish I could be up there right now. My prayers go out the family…very tragic for the young man who lost his life…must be very difficult for his family right now, as well as for all his team mates. Very sad.
Is this new formulated Kato easier to use? Does it still have a strong smell to it as well?
That accident was just heartbreaking…it was good to see the support shown to the Georgian team during the ceremony last night.
While you had the torch show up in your front yard Cindy, we had the exact same experience in our backyard a few days ago!
I love the color palettes you’ve chosen Sue, nice warm tones.
Also, looks like there’s a clay sale @ Michael’s too….4 for $8 this week (Premo, Fimo and Sculpey).
Oh, man. I shed some tears last night. First for Nodar Kumaritashvili & his family, teammates (country…) It’s going to be so difficult for his teammates, and for the lugers in general. Can you imagine how they’ll feel going down that track now?
Then I saw the new “We Are The World” video premier, and cried like a baby. I watched it again today without the blubbering, though. (It must have been the late hour of night that made me cry… Naw, I’m just a big baby!) Anyway, I am going to download the song later~
How exciting for you Canadians, having torch runners go right by your house! I know you must be feeling proud — being the host country really gives a sense of pride & patriotism that you forget sometimes. It’s been a long time since we’ve had that pleasure (hosting the Olympics locally — LA, 1984!) But I remember how fun it was to see people from all over the world, and playing host to them.
So, back to claying~ Sue F.:I love this color palette! It’s gorgeous, and your color samples are so nicely organized! I really need to get going on my own samples — lazy, lazy! Thanks for the Kato recipes, you’re making it hard for me to NOT buy this clay…
I loved Kato at first, but now I rarely use it, too hard to condition, and it does’nt stay conditionned long enough… I’m curious about the new formulated Kato…
@All: Thanks very much for your lovely comments about the palette! I really like working with the Kato colours and have plenty of other recipes to share.
@Lupe Meter & Cindy Graveline: I don’t have any of the latest formulation Kato yet, and since I have plenty of older clay to get through first I’m not sure when I’ll get to try it once it becomes available at the suppliers I buy from (in some colours I still have some from before the phthalate-free reformulation!). I’m a bit worried that they’ll make it softer — I find the current product nearly perfect — but will give it a go.
In relation to the smell… it’s funny, but I’ve always liked how Kato smells and think *Premo* is the clay with the weird smell! LOL But there wasn’t much of a difference in smell between the old formula and the subsequent phthalate-free formula, so I’d expect the newest formulation will still be pretty much the same.
I like the smell of Kato. It reminds me of the My Little Pony I had when I was a kid! (I always wanted a real horse but never got one.)
Your colours are pretty Sue, thanks! :)
Good conversation girls! It will be interesting to see where the formula goes. Donna Kato is one of the top clayers herself and I’m sure she will make sure the formula is the best that it can be for as many people as possible.
@Silverleaf: That’s is so cute! Have you seen the My Little Pony sculpts done by Mari Kasurinen on flickr.com/photos/marikasurinen/sets/72157611336529762/ with polymer clay? You would love them! She covers real My Little Pony’s with polymer clay to make them look like Batman, Elvis, Chewbacca, Michael Jackson, etc. They are fab!
OMG, those are CUTE! I want to get the Princess Leia (slave version) for my niece & the Boba Fett for my nephew. (Sure, he’s an older boy, but he’ll love a My Little Pony if it’s Boba Fett.) Edward Scissorhands, Jack Skellington — I just can’t get over how cute these are. Hans Solo’s haircut cracks me up! But the one I have to have is Jack Sparrow (of course.) Catwoman…wow! Ooh, la, la SexyPony! lol
I think while I’m searching garage sales for silverware, I’ll be checking out the old toys, as well. I might have to throw some clay at some figures or dolls (and mangle them a bit) to see if I can create anything even half as cute! I’ve got to send this link to my sister, who was always a “Pony” fan. I don’t think she’s seen ’em like this, tho’…
@Sue what did you use to measure your (parts) for the color mixing? I realize every clay has the clay divided in sections already, but do you use a Kemper cutter, cookie cutter, or the dividing lines in the clay itself? Beautiful colors BTW looking forward to many more. Thank-You for sharing. You are greatly appreciated, I am a Kato user myself. Kinda excited to see how the new formua will be.
@lynn watts: Hi Lynn, you probably already know this, but the “part” you use depends on how much color you want to end up with! You can use any type or size of cutter (or the scored sections of the bar of clay,) as long as you use the same cutter (or same sized section) for every color the recipe calls for. If you’re making a lot of one color, you could use the clay sections as “parts”. If you’re just making a few beads or a small pendant, you might want to mix just a small amount of a color. So, you would just use a small cutter as your “part” — press the cutter into sheets of each color run through the same thickness on the Pasta Machine. Then just count the right amount of parts for each color in the recipe and mix away! Hope this helps.
@lynn watts:
I usually use Kemper cutters on sheets of polyclay at the thickest setting my pasta machine has, and generally use the square cutters as they’re more convenient for cutting fractions of parts when that is necessary.
When I’m experimenting with colours I use tiny Kemper cutters, less than 5mm across, to avoid wasting clay. After I’ve finished adding a bit of this and a bit of that, and a bit more of this again, I end up with a workable amount of clay, and if necessary I scale the numbers of parts I used to end up with a convenient recipe.
I also have larger (Makins) square cutters which I use when mixing bigger quantities.
I don’t use the sections that the clay blocks are divided into for two reasons: firstly, they’re not precise enough for my liking — e.g. if the cuts you make through the block aren’t perfectly parallel — and secondly, I like to slice my blocks of polyclay across the face to get the largest possible slices to feed through the pasta machine for conditioning, so usually my first cut removes all the second markings!
@Sue F.: That’s smart about cutting clay blocks across the other way, instead of the marked sections. I finally realized this after conditioning little slices at a time (well, too many times! — I just discovered this about 2 months ago.) I imagine with Kato’s crumbling it’s even more important to have a nice large area to feed through the pasta machine. Good thinking & advice!