Video #344: Everyone says that Pardo Translucent is the clearest of them all. Let’s find out…
Last month I did a comparison review of 4 different brands of Translucent Polymer Clay (Sculpey III, Fimo Soft, Kato Polyclay and Premo Sculpey White Translucent).
Following that video, several viewers requested that I also review Translucent Pardo Professional Art Clay, to see how it stacks up against the other more common brands. Well, thanks to a kind member of the community (Nancy Q from the Vancouver Polyclayers Guild) who gave me a block of Pardo from her stache, I am able to present my findings for you today.
Topics Covered In This Video:
- Availability:
– Manufactured by Viva-Decor in Germany (link removed because of issue with their web site).
– North America Distributor: Poly Clay Play (Trish Hodgens).
– UK Distributor: Clay Around (Penny Vingoe).
- First Impressions:
– No smell, even when baking.
– Made with Beeswax.
– Similar firmness to Premo clay when cold, but gets very soft when worked.
– Stickier than other brands.
– Clarity is higher than other brands, but only when baked for 60 minutes at 250F (120C) and not just the 30 minutes recommended on the label.
– Color whiter or more glass-like in color than other brands.
– Baking temperatures and times.
– Great clay for faux techniques and other projects where clarity is a benefit.
– Strength. Good. (I made a mistake in the video and said Pardo was stronger than Premo when I meant to say Premo was stronger than Pardo. The differences aren’t so huge however, so I left it in the video.
Question of the Day:
When you buy polymer clay (any brand), do you prefer to buy in person, or are you OK buying your polymer clay online?
Please leave your answers in the comments below.
By the way, if you have a polymer clay question or challenge you’d like me to address in an upcoming video vlog, you can also post it in the comments below. I’d love to help you find quicker and easier ways to bring up the professionalism in your polymer clay art.
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Looking forward to hearing from you!
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The Denver area Hobby Lobby stores carry Pardo clay & periodically have it on sale 30% off. I much prefer buying clay locally & getting it on sale. Thanks for the excellent comparison video!
Karen in sunny Colorado
Really? That is fantastic news Karen! I had heard rumours about Pardo being at Hobby Lobby, but when I checked their site it wasn’t on there anywhere. (We don’t have Hobby Lobby’s here in Canada so I haven’t been able to check in person.) Glad to hear that it is there in your city though. Maybe it will start showing up in more locations? That would make it a more viable product to recommend to others if it did. Thanks for your comment!
Actually, the last time I was in a Hobby Lobby (a few months ago), there was very little Pardo in the clay section and quite a bit in the clearance aisle. I was under the strong impression they were going to stop carrying it. But maybe it is just some stores where it did not sell well. I don’t shop there anymore so I can’t say for sure. So I recommend calling first. (I’m in the Denver area, too.)
I prefer to buy my clay in person if I can. However, I have ordered clay online in the past. If I have received clay (especially summer deliveries when the trucks get so HOT inside the back) that is unusable, a phone call has fixed it for a refund or replacement. On only two occasions have I actually had to do this however. This being said, I still buy in person if I can. Hobby Lobby in the USA used to carry Pardo clays, my local Hobby Lobby clearance and got rid of their line a few months ago … so I don’t know the current status if they carry it or not.
Good to know Katie. That isn’t the best news. I wonder what the reason for that was? Thanks for letting us know.
I prefer to buy in person. I think being able to see the actual color is very important. Buying it online is ok as long as you already know the true color.
I would prefer to buy it in person, but I don´t have it here in Guadalajara México, so I have to buy it online for someone to bring it to me :(
I’m totally? okay to buy clay online. I’m in Germany and don’t speak the language very well and buy almost ALL my clay online. I also order plenty of it in America and get friends and family to bring it when they visit or pick it up when I visit them.
I still love Premo :)
OOOOOOOOO, I can’t wait to see this video (I’m at work now) :( I’ve got 6 packages of Pardo on back order, and I’m eagerly awaiting their arrival!
I like to buy in person, but can and have ordered. My local Hobby Lobby has the Pardo — sometimes.
Thank you Cindy for this very informative video!
I’m from Israel and mostly buy my clay online. As far as I know Pardo is not available in Israel.
I read in 2 blogs that Pardo doesn’t have a long shelf life. That it’s very difficult to work with if it’s not very fresh.
I’m concerned weather the clay remain fresh/ workable if I create a cane and store it for future use or sell to others.
Would love to see a video about that, if possible.
Thanks Roly Z for your kind comment and helpful info. I am just learning about Pardo, so have no info on long term cane quality but that would be very good information to know. I will make sure to make a sample cane with it and see how it stores and whether it would be a good candidate for canes over the long run.
NOTE TO EVERYONE:
If any one has experience with making canes with Pardo Clay and its approximate shelf life, it would be fantastic if you could share that info with us. I will be doing testing myself, but it will take time to gather any reliable results. Thanks!
Great information on the Pardo clay.
As for your question, I’d just as soon buy my clay from Polymer Clay Express for? a couple of reasons
a) I’ve never rcvd any ‘bad’ (too dry, crumbly …) clay from them after many years of doing business there
b) PCExpress offers a lot of the Premo colors in one pound blocks
c) the cost to ship my order evens out when I consider how much gas it take to get to the nearest Michaels
d) all though Michaels does offer good sales though out the year, I’ve wound up with quite the assortment of dry crumbly clay from Michaels the latest being Premo white trans :/ — OK enough of that :)
Very Happy to hear that you are going to test cure Premo and Pardo Together !!
If it works that would be Awesome? for your latest faux labradorite (sp) top layer :)
Love All the work you guys do for us.
I prefer to buy my clay in person. I like? to feel the packages and make sure that I am not getting “old” clay. Plus, I usually want/need it right now rather than in a week. I have purchased clay online in the past, but the order ended up being incorrect and then I had to wait additional time to get the correct items. I just prefer taking charge of my purchase.
I order online a lot but Joann’s doesn’t carry all the colors.
Cindy, I love buying in person at a great sale when I have a chance, but I don’t live near any of the craft stores. That means that I usually buy on line. I haven’t had any bad experiences with that other than having to pay for shipping. Yikes.
Helene
This has been one of those days I needed a diversion from work/reality and cindy and her white lab coat did it. Thanks for your testing – I love to watch and read the results. Very good comments on the Pardo. If I have bought a certain color before then I feel okay ordering on line. Recently there have been sales Joanns and Michaels where I could not find the colors in the store and they had it on line.
I usually buy in person, but with the difficulty of obtaining Pardo Trans. I ordered online for the first time. I might think twice about ordering during the summer but right now it seems an alright prospect. Can’t wait to try their Translucent.
Thanks for the video. Seems like the Pardo clay would be good for some stones and flower petals. I would prefer to buy clay locally when on sale that way I don’t have to have the extra shipping cost.
Very interesting and informative. I purchase my clay online. The only way to access this great medium in Australia.
Great comparison, so it is a bit clearer but the Premo still looks very good. I have no problem buying clay online, it’s the only place I can find 1 pound blocks of the colors I use the most of like black, white, pearl and trans. Online is also the only? place that I can get the discontinued colors that are still use in older color recipes.
I have no problems with buying on-line. I buy most things on line that are not available here in Vancouver WA or Portland, OR. But if the sales at Michael’s or Joanne’s are better prices, then I buy in person in combination with another trip “to town”.
Loved this very helpful. If I can trust the person to sent fresh clay I will order online. I ordered some premo that was hard as a rock. Ordered some where else and it was great.
I prefer to buy in person. Thank you again for the great info.
Pardo is also available from Filigree and More in Buford, GA
I’m actually really surprised at how *UN*clear that Pardo turned out! I wonder how much batch and age is a factor… I too have found that Premo Frost (Premo White Translucent) is the next clearest after Pardo, but Premo honestly isn’t even in the running in terms of clarity in my experience (which is not exactly extensive for Pardo because it’s much softer than I like, but I’ve used about a dozen packets of Pardo Translucent, bought from two different suppliers).
To illustrate what I mean, here are a couple of photos of mine that I posted in another thread that show the kind of clarity I typically get with Pardo. My 6-playing-card-thickness Pardo sample isn’t anywhere near as cloudy as Cindy’s was, and it’s probably even approaching the clarity of Cindy’s 1-playing-card-thickness sample. (There’s a Premo Frost sample of the same thickness on the ball chain in the top left of the second photo, as another comparison.)
View from side, showing sample thickness (6 playing cards).
Looking through 6-card-thickness sample.
One thing I found with Pardo Translucent is that it’s really opaque when it first comes out of the oven, but it clears up amazingly as it cools. This was quite a surprise to me the first time I used it and I’d initially wondered what I’d done wrong until my first pieces cooled, so maybe that info will be helpful for others.
I’ve also tried a 50/50 Pardo/Premo mix a couple of times in an attempt to optimise clarity while minimising Pardo’s softness/stickiness, and it was fairly successful: it was definitely nicer to handle. I baked those pieces at the lower end of the Premo temperature range (130C/265F), which is higher than recommended for Pardo, but I didn’t get any discolouration so that temperature seems Pardo-safe (I’ve also baked pure Pardo at that temperature successfully). I did get some plaqueing, but I got the same amount of plaqueing with the same techniques with pure Premo so I think that was more due to atmospheric humidity those days (2 solid days of rain) than being characteristic of the mix. I’ll need to test this more, as well as different proportions and mixes with other brands.
And for the question of the day: I prefer to buy polymer clay (and just about everything) online. Apart from disliking shopping generally, the relatively limited trading hours are a problem (I can only effectively shop in person on weekends during the day, versus online whenever I want), parking is a pain, and road tolls often cost as much as or more than postage. However, by far the biggest issue is product and brand availability: I simply can’t get most of what I want locally! The only polymer clays available at in-person shopping range are Sculpey III and Fimo Soft, so I don’t really have any choice but to buy polymer clay online. The same goes for most craft items… the craft stores here in Sydney are OK for sewing, knitting and scrapbooking, as well as the most rudimentary beading and painting, but are pretty useless for everything else. For most of the supplies mentioned in the various tutorials here, and most products I read about elsewhere and want to try, buying online is the only option.
Very interesting indeed Sue! I have just found out that Pardo is clearer if it is baked hotter than it is supposed to be. Perhaps there was a difference between the temps in your oven and mine? Or it may just be an age of clay thing like you suggested.
I will be doing more testing, to see just where the ideal temps/times sit. Love all the testing you do. Really adds to the data I’m gathering. It’s like we have the worlds largest pct test lab… spanning from Canada to Australia! :)
Hi Cindy,
I haven’t tested how baking temperature affects Pardo clarity, but will do so shortly and report back here. I’ll do an ice bath test too, as Jocelyn suggested.
Pardo is a bit of a novelty for me rather than a serious clay because it’s very much softer than the consistency I like — I think *Premo* is too soft! LOL — so I haven’t gone to the trouble of determining optimum baking parameters for it. I love the near-glass-like results, but I’d have to clay in one of those walk-in refrigerators that bottle shops have if I wanted to use it generally.
I have baked it at both Pardo and Premo temperatures and hadn’t noticed any obvious differences in clarity, but I wasn’t looking specifically for that (it’s been clear enough that I haven’t felt the need to experiment to get it clearer).
I do know that the convection oven I use for polymer clay holds a much more constant temperature than any of the toaster ovens I’ve experienced, so my clay is probably spending more time “in the zone”, as it were.
And as a side note on translucent clay, baking temperatures and baking times… In the past I made some faux amber where I managed to get Premo Frost to go almost completely clear — clearer than my Pardo sample — by deliberately overbaking it a LOT (both in temperature and time). With those beads I didn’t use any colouring agent to get the amber colour; the overbaking itself gave a rich golden tone. I don’t have those beads any more, but some time I’ll try replicating what I did back then, and I might give it a go with Pardo too while I’m testing that.
If only there were more hours in the day! :D
Sue
Thanks Cindy…am just starting to experiment with this product. If I can buy my clay locally I would but also have no problem with online purchases.
Cindy, thank you for such an excellent piece revealing the mysteries of Pardo. Surprised that the translucence was not as “glass like” as I anticipated, but as you mentioned in the psa, the glass like effects are most pronounced in the tinted translucent. All of the recent artwork I have seen online which seems to achieve glass like is lightly tinted. Hmmm.
Also, sure hope a tute is in the works of that gorgeous flower cane you had resting in the back. Nice.
Sue, have you tried an ice bath dunk for the work after baking? It might help clarify the Pardo?
Hi Jocelyn,
My Pardo Translucent pieces have been close to glass-like WITHOUT an ice-water bath (as you can see in the photo of the 6-cards-thick sample above), and without tinting either (I’ve never used Pardo Translucent in a piece where I’ve wanted to tint it); it’s only when they’re oven-hot that they’re opaque.
My comment about lack of clarity was in relation to Cindy’s tests… I was surprised at how milky-looking Cindy’s Pardo test pieces were because that doesn’t match my own experience.
I don’t do anything special with mine — one of the reasons I like firm clay like Kato is that I can’t be bothered with all the extra care you need to take to get a good finish with soft clay like Premo and Pardo — so I’m curious as to the cause of the difference. That’s all.
Sue
LOL, I know how you test, and I asked the question because if anyone would know it would be you. I agree, you got amazing results.
I have a Michael’s, a Hobby Lobby, and an AC Moore all in the same vicinity near me (I know I’m blessed), so I buy my clay at the store. Sometimes I do what I call the craft store hop with coupons in hand, lol. Pardo is expensive, so I don’t buy it, but it was on the clearance rack at Hobby Lobby a while back so I bought some to try it. A lot of it was so crumbly that I couldn’t get it to stick together at all. It wasn’t a total loss though because I mixed it with some translucent clay and created some cool effects that way. BTW, I had a thought while watching this video. I wonder if you could do what they call “bluing” with the Premo translucent clay to make it look less yellowy. It’s an old laundry secret to make whites look whiter, and also if you add a drop of blue coloring to melted soap, which can look yellowish, that blue tint, gives the impression that it’s clear. I may give this a try myself by adding just a small drop of blue alcohol ink into the Premo translucent clay.
Michelle- are you a MAD scientist ? Don’t you love experimenting with stuff! The idea of bluing is intriguing ! Have to try it…………
Cindy I have to buy all my clay online! No stores stock premo or pardo on kids sculpey. I was wondering if you could do a video on faux sea glass. I have heard about how great it is with the pardo clay.
I prefer to buy it in person first, then after i’m okay with purchasing online. Esp if the sale is good and I can get decent shipping. Thanks Cindy, great vid
Thanks, Cindy… my local PC guild is trying to buy a large batch of Pardo Translucent, but haven’t had much luck. I prefer to buy most of my PC in person so I can pinch the edge to be sure it isn’t too hard/old. However, I would definitely buy Pardo online if we could only find it.
I live in the middle of the prairies, close to nowhere, so I prefer mail order for most of my supplies…especially if they are FRESH and not damaged by heat and cold!
Thanks Cindy, another great video. Great!
Very helpful video. Thanks Cindy.
I usually buy from Polymer clay express. Great prices and fast service there.
I prefer to buy in person as I live five to ten minutes from JoAnn’s, Hobby Lobby, Michael s in different directions. I usually need the clay right away. I also don’t like to pay shipping. but I would buy Pardo translucent online if I could not find it locally . I have purchased Pardo in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby, which it is usually hard . but at the cheap price I take a chance to soften it and if it usable Great and if not I have not lost much. I have paid as little a 49 cents.
Barb
Hi Cindy, just finished your video on Pardo comparisons, that was awesome. I want to try it and plan to order some online. I do not like to order Polymer Clay online for several reasons. No. 1 is the shipping costs are just not affordable for me. I have a Michaels, JoAnns and Hobby Lobby close to home. However there are a few colors I cannot seem to get at either store. No. 2 is the weather and No. 3 is I can’t judge if I am getting fresh clay or not. When I do order online it is only for the colors (usually the newer ones) they haven’t stocked locally and when the prices equal at least the sale prices here which is usually once or twice per year. Since I can only order Pardo Translucent online it will be only for those “special projects” that require the faux glass look. I am just going to have
to “suck up” the postage on this one. I was very impressed with your results on Pardo so thank you so much for your efforts.
Hi, Cindy. I am fortunate enough to live near Polymer Clay Express, so I generally make the trip to the store when I want clay. Their regular price is as good as Michael’s on sale. Plus I get to shop all the other goodies they have and see what’s new.
I guess I would buy online if I couldn’t get what I wanted there, but so far I have not had that problem.
Carole dear you are SO Lucky ! I was just talking to Wilma today and she said they are Very close to opening up their new brick and mortar store— it’s going to be one exit farther up than their old store— I told her I wanted to take a vacation up there just to shop in person :)
Your tuts are by far the best. I love that the words you use are always of importance and not wasted on babble. It makes things go much smoother when watching and crafting!
I buy clay everywhere I can find it, lol. I’ve bought close outs from art stores, traded and bartered, eBay’d for it, and Lord help me, just about stole it from my no longer interested nieces…because I like the process of reconstituting it and using it. Even if it is just the insides of something as filler.
Rarely, I treat myself big and go online to a well known store. That new stuff is butter. But not my usual. I like the chopping, whirling, mixing, adding drops, leaching…..just love the process. If something neat comes out at the end, great. If not, I still had a ball.
Also Cindy, just as a recap, the finishes we know are UV protectant? A psa? PYMII or Clearseal, the Renaissance product……etc.
I prefer to buy my clay in person. I have bought clay on-line with wonderful results especially when the new colors came out, it took Michael’s forever to get them in and I didn’t want to wait!! Living in Tucson I avoid summer orders! I would love to try Pardo but it’s not easily available. I drove 182 miles round trip to a Hobby Lobby just to be told they discontinued the Pardo clay line, they said it didn’t sell. So I’ll just continue buying Premo. Thank you for all the testing you do for us, I find it very helpful.
Finally found it in Germany. The Viva site sent me to Luarenz & Morgan GmbH to buy it; 10 little bricks were delivered yesterday; lots of fun and experimenting ahead.
I’ve had to buy Pardo from Laurenz in Germany too. I did not enjoy the process at all as I do not speak German and they do not have any English translation capability. It took me all day! I am not looking forward to having to re-order. But it was the only place I could get Pardo from in the colours I wanted. I love the clarity of the Pardo Trans. And the ‘Platin’ is lovely.
FranOnTheEdge
Hi Fran, if you’re using Google Chrome as your browser you can get the Google Translate add on, which makes translating really easy no matter what site you are on. All you have to do is highlight the phrase and a little blue G pops up that you can click and instantly translate the phrase without having to leave the page. I have used it quite a bit on the Russian and French sites.
Thank you for trying it Cindy.
You will find that you can mix it with other clays and even cure it at the same temperature without problem. I have done so many times. My clay is usually premo.
I prefer to buy in person when possible. I prefer buying local. Not for me e-bay and the like.
Pardo: If Omer DeSerres would have some I would buy it from them .Did ask them and the answer was just we don’tt carry it. Anyway we wouldn’t have sales on it either.Clay is not on sale often at Omer.
No Hobby Lobby in Quebec that is for sure. I got mine as a gift and shared with my guild in Montreal.
Thank you for the video. Because of your previous one, I picked up Premo translucent. So much better than Kato, my current clay of choice. I order large amounts from Munros and get a beautiful discount. I only purchase clay in the stores if I am out. My twins are starting to clay, so online is more cost effective.
I also prefer to buy my clay in person to mix and match colors. Sometimes colors on line are very different than in person as we all have experience. Thanks so much for the video. – great info!
Cindy – thanks so much for doing all the tests. I have some Pardo Trans on the way to me and can’t wait to try it. I live in a remote area…the closest Hobby Lobby or Michaels is 90 miles away…so, by the time I figure in the cost of making the trip, with gas at $3.65/gallon…I’m better off buying online, especially buying the clay colors I use most by the pound.
I second the request made for a tute on faux sea glass. I’ve seen references to it being made from liquid clay…any ideas on that vs. “solid” clay?
Fridays are made extra special by your videos.
Deb N.
Cindy, I buy my clay almost exclusively on line. Occasionally I will buy in Michaels or JoAnns, but I usually cannot get all the colors I want.
Hi Cindy – I have never had the opportunity to try Pardo as it is very difficult to find. However, I buy almost all of the clay that I use online. The Michaels closest to me is about a 1/2 hour drive and they are very expensive. I find that ordering on-line gets me better pricing, even with the delivery, I can buy in 1lb blocks and I don’t need to travel further than my desk to get it. :-)
Hi Cindy, I buy my clay online mostly, especially when I can get it on sale. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Cindy and Doug. It is quite interesting to see the differences between all the clays. I will buy clay anywhere I can find it at the best price and the best shipping, on line, in person, does not matter to me.
Cindy,
I like to order the larger packages online, but from southern AZ. I will order polymer clay online ONLY during the winter. In the Summer months the clay will harden from sitting in the too-hot delivery trucks.
BTY,, I appreciate the testing you’re doing with the different clays. Thanks ever so much.
I buy all my clay in store from either Joanne’s , Michaels or Hobby Lobby. This way I’m sure to get clay that isn’t old and hard, I can use a coupon and I don’t have to pay shipping.
I do all of my shopping on line including craft supplies and usually have no problems with what I receive. I prefer the convenience and I can find things that are not available in my area.
As Jeanne C. says -Tucson in the summer is NO time to order clay. I order on line for the lb sizes in Black, white, White trans and pearl I order them in Jan or Feb only.
Other wise I go to my trusty -dusty Michael’s. With coupon in hand – LOL.
Thanks so much for taking the time to test Pardo with the other clays. Isn’t it interesting to actually see the difference yourself? I have been dying to try the Pardo Trans. Now I have an idea how it might work. .I will be ordering it soon – before it get hot here. LOL
We learn so much from each other. Polymer clay people are soooooo generous with sharing. I love learning new things………….teehee
WAY YO GO!!!!!!!!!!!
I am from México and here I o ley find Sculpey and Premo. Usually I buy on line or when I travel to USA. Your vídeos are very interesting and thanks for the tips. Regards
I prefer to buy clay in person but most shops don’t have the clay or tools I prefer. Now that I saw this video, I am dying to get this stuff. i have silver and Black Pardo. It comes in a jar in little 3/4″ balls. So cool. I only have the 2 colors and are afraid of mixing. Il’l have to so its not wasted!
Thanks for the vid!
Janine
Just a side note: the Pardo that comes in balls in a jar is Pardo Jewellery Clay, which is a bit different to the Pardo Professional Art Clay that Cindy is talking about here. (Pardo Professional Art Clay comes in rectangular blocks with clamshell-type outer packaging that can be hung from a rack).
I have a couple of jars of Pardo Jewellery Clay but I haven’t done anything of note with it yet. It’s supposed to be softer than Pardo Professional Art Clay (although it comes in about a zillion colours), although I thought both became roughly equally soft the only time I worked with the two side by side.
Hi Cindy,
Thanks so much for this video it was so very helpful !! A friend of mine gave me some different colors of Pardo when it first hit the clay world and I hated it . Then as time went on and I was seeing all of the new art work involving Pardo translucent ( mainly) jewelery making as that’s my field I became very interested in trying the Pardo Professional jewelery Clay in the translucent. Well I found it a PolyClay Play but as you well know it’s on back order it’s very hard to find they can’t seem to keep it in stock so… I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for my order to come in . I understand it mixes well with other clays too so I will be checking that out as I start to work with this clay, But for now, Premo and Fimo are my favorites!!!
Thanks agin so much for the great video you really answered alot of my questions for me!
Peace,
I also found the Pardo at Poly Clay Play but their stock won’t be in until Feb. 16th so am also waiting anxiously. I started out loading up on Fimo but after joining Cindy’s videos I switched to Premo and never looked back. I do want to try Pardo though, just because I’m curious and the video showed the translucent just as clear if not clearer than the premo. I think it’s important to do my own side by side comparison. I will probably never use the color line as I am so happy with the Premo and No one here in Iowa carries the Pardo. I so appreciate these videos learning about other products and techniques that Cindy and Doug put together. The information is acurate, detailed and tested. What more could you ask for!
For anyone interested, I’ve just seen a link to another comparison of translucent clays, covering Pardo, Cernit, Kato, Fimo, Sculpey III and Premo. Cindy gets a mention it in too!
Hi, Cindy! Thanks again for the great video. Had never heard of Pardo, then all of you were talking about it and now your video and all these wonderful comments have gotten me quite curious. I’m the sort that likes to try new things and experiment for myself so I will search this product out. But thanks so much for the video because, as always, it gives me the information I need to decide whether I really DO want to try something out or just waste my money—and who wants to do THAT? I agree with Tantensherry on all points. The crafts stores here are too far out of my way and when I get there they don’t have the colors I want or they look like they’ve sat there for ages. For some reason they are gung-ho on Sculpey III—probably because it’s geared for children and no one around here even knows what polymer clay is, so it is probably a hard sell for JoANN and Michael’s. I went to Pat Catan’s the other day and they had a good selection so I bought what I needed to fill in. But Polymer Clay Express has been really excellent so I am going with them more than anyone else lately. Shopping online for me is the very best option for most everything as this area is very skimpy on products I want. Dick Blick also has excellent service and the full line of Premo but Polymer Clay Express does have the larger sizes. Dick Blick DOES NOT have Pardo. Thanks for everything! Love to all!
I should have looked first where I always buy EVERYTHING—Amazon. Amazon has it. Although it looks pricey.
That’s because people on ebay and amazon know the demand is greater than supply, to get it at a “normal” price will take patience, it took a month from placing the order to the clay arriving, but if it really is as clear as they say, it was time well spent.
Hi Cyndy,
I’m just working on Pardo translucent clay nowdays, in France. I can’t find it in France, and I buy it on Internet, on a german web site.
Thanks for your video. I will had a link in my next post :-)
Have fun,
Hi Cindy,
I might have missed it, but one thing I would like to know is the price difference between Pardo and Premo? Personally, I have not heard of it before now……. so am presuming it might be a little cheaper because of that? If so, then even more of a thumbs up.
I buy online. I have to due to location. However, I prefer to buy from a business rather than a private seller on the old ‘eBad’, as I have had duff clay sold to me that way before. :D
Price would depend on where you bought it Mrs. Rainbow, but around here, the price has come down and is now comparable to Premo clay. It used to be much more expensive.
Well My Pardo Translucent FINALLY arrived, I cant wait to get my hands in it, maybe this weekend [jumping up and down like a child]. I want to try faux opal and faux Jade since this is supposed to clearer, we shall see.
My Pardo Clay has finally arrived, I ordered 6 packs and each one including shipping cost $4.64 which to me is quite high priced compared to Premo which I got for $1.25 each on sale at Michaels this past week. I don’t mind spending a little more on a product I have never tried and since it seems the only place I could find it was PolyClayPlay, I did have to wait a couple of weeks for my order too. I am very excited to try it out now but I probably won’t switch over from Premo once this batch is gone. For me the availability and the price of Premo just can’t be beat, but getting to try new things from Cindy’s tutes is fun and informative.
I absolutely love Pardo clay and when I can get to another hobby lobby I buy all they have of the colors I want. It’s the only place that sells it that I’ve found other than online. I did the same tests a few months back and found pardo to be the strongest and clearest of all of them as well. I’ll definitely share the link to this video.
Just bought some Pardo Translucent to do a commission with, the character requested is one made of fire, so I figured tinted translucent would get the best results. I’m 26 now and have been playing with polymer clay (mostly Sculpey) since I was about 13 or 14. Until the last couple years, I’ve always bought my clay at the stores, Hobby Lobby or Michaels, but without a vehicle now, it’s harder to get there. The Pardo was actually shipped from the Netherlands, I couldn’t find it in the US.
Hi Kelly, Polymer Clay Express sells Pardo Translucent, although I see they are out of stock at this time. Plus I provided the link to Poly Clay Play (Trish Hodgens) in the article above. She is showing stock at her web site.
Excellent. Thank you very much!
Hello Kelly,
I am experimenting with so many sculptural mediums more fro creating variable relief surfaces an amalgamation of mixed media, with some colouring; for which I use acrylic inks, acrylic mediums and paints, oil colour, self coloured reclaimed stuff. I would label the works as abstract expressionism, a contemporary practice ‘ism’ of some sort anyway. These explorations will eventually become finished works that I will post on my web site. Anyway the salient point is experimentation which inevitably goes hand in hand with exploration; particularly with materials. I am pleased to find your site and will endeavour to watch more videos. Your Pardo Translucent demo presented all I needed to know to be convinced I need to try it out. I picked up on the staining of the leafy form which looked delightful, You used alcohol ink, wow, I like this effect. These polymer clay products are typically sold in small portions, I guess aimed at the consumer hobbyist/craft markets, I know of no bulk offers. Fortunately my pieces are small, mainly due to cost.
I will delve further into your site, for more pearls. Thanks for your efforts with your video posts, really supportive for ‘nubes’ like me.
Kind regards
Phil Dore
Southport, England.
Who’s kelly? I just had an uneasy feeling that I had your name wrong, so sorry,
CINDY!
It’s an age thing.
Phil
:D Lol! Yeah, I’m just a visitor.
Hi Phil, you don’t sound like a ‘Nube’ to me. :) Sounds like only the polymer clay is new to you. I think you will enjoy all the info in here. Use the search box at the top of the page to hunt down the topic you are interested in. There are hundreds of posts and tens of thousands of comments with wonderful gems in them, to weed through, so the search function will definitely help you to find the good stuff.
Polymer clay is probably the most versatile and exciting medium I have ever worked with. It can be molded, shaped, formed, drilled, sanded, polished, painted, stained, inked, gilded, waxed, silk screened, stenciled, blended, mixed with inclusions and made to mimic all kinds of materials like bone, wood, stone, gemstones, leather, metal, etc., etc., etc. Basically it is a mixed media artists dream!
Hang around here often and participate in the discussions. You will get more out of it that way. If you want a good foundations course, make sure to purchase the Beginners Course. And after that you can start getting some of the tutorials.
Do enjoy you new exploration into the Polymer Clay World!
Do enjoy YOUR journey… not YOU journey. :)
Also, you can buy Premo polymer clay (my favorite brand) in larger 1 lb blocks online in places like PolymerClayExpress and PolymerClaySuperstore which should handle any larger projects you are working on.
Please link us up. To both of you!
Hi Cindy,
Have you tried baking Pardo clay at the hotter temperatures? I see you baked only at 250 degrees F in your review of Pardo Translucent.
I have baked at 320 degrees F for 30 mins, but not for 60 mins, (I used a lot of texturing on the surface so can’t tell much about translucency, but you can still read text through it) and I have heard of people baking at 350 degrees F.
But the thing is that the higher you bake it the more translucent it gets.
When you get near the top it begins to go amber coloured, which can be useful if you want to make faux amber, however at higher temps after amber you get brown and black, and toxic fumes, so don’t go there. At exactly what temp this happens I don’t know – that would be useful to know.
At 320 degrees F I got smoke (or more likely steam) it dissipated very quickly and the clay was not discoloured at all, next time I will use two foil roasting tins, and take it outside to open.
My next test will be at 350 degrees F for 60 mins, and will include some uncoloured and untextured trans, to test for clarity.
Fran
Hi Fran, no I haven’t done anymore testing since this video. The higher heat testing sounds prom icing. I wish I had more hours in the day, to get to all of these cool things. Thank you so much for sharing your results here!! That is extremely helpful for everyone, including myself!
I’ve since done some more baking and found that my oven begins to turn the clay amber at 160C – I’m going to try for 155C next time.
I did some Swirl Mokume Gane beads, some tiny test tiles in black Pardo and some in Pardo trans with gold alcohol ink for the Mokume Gane, looked great before baking, not so good afterwards. (Plus one in Pardo Platin)
I also did a couple of intended pendants using textured black Pardo as a base for Mokume Gane made with trans Pardo, inks and gold leaf, that looks better – but I sliced it so thin (and burnt it at 160C) that some of the metal discoloured as well as the trans clay discolouring. I’ll try again at the lower temp.
FranOnTheEdge
Me, I never buy my polymer clays in person— I only buy them online. I don’t feel there’s any advantage to an in-person purchase (I still can’t take a piece and squeeze it in my hands or bake it in my oven!) so I might as well buy online. There may occasionally be some type of in-store “sale” where such clays get marked down, but given that I would have to drive there to find out, the cost in gas alone would never be worth it. For a product that is what it is, and which you cannot gain any additional information about by seeing it in person, the only advantage to an in-person purchase would be price. Gas makes that a permanent deterrent, and I will never get my clays that way. Ever.
That makes sense Kirby! If you have found your source for getting clay online to be a smarter way for you to buy, then by all means do what works. I get a lot of clay shipped to me. Be careful not to have clay shipped when the temp is very high. If the shipment sits in a hot truck for too long it can get partially cured. I find that shopping for clay in the Spring and Fall the safest bet. Thanks for commenting!
How do I prevent colors (most especially reds and purples, which I favor!!!) from changing color when I either bake or use the heat gun?
My clay work is all about color. I do color experimenting with just about every piece, to get the best “bounce” out of the contrasts. I most often mix my own colors (Pardo and alcohol inks), I also do a lot of painting on white clay. It drives me Crazy to spend so much time fine-tuning, only to have everything collapse with the heat application!
Please Help! Thank you!
Jan
Yeah that can be pretty frustrating! Sadly though, alcohol inks are notorious for not being heat stable. I would suggest playing with some different options. You can try solid clay, colored liquid clays, pigments, mica powders, chalks, and acrylic inks instead of alcohol inks for tinting polymer clay. Try writing down your recipes and baking up color chips until you achieve the end result that you are looking for. Good luck!
Thank you so much Cindy!! I can’t wait to get back into my clay!! I mean I started to a little bit but I am getting my space cleaned out and restarting all my fun hobbys. Can I still use the clay I have had for awhile? I mean is it gonna bake up differently than it normally would? I know it’s a bit harder to condition but other than that will it be ok? And Thank you for giving us the contact to buy Pardo clay!!! What would you recommend to buy for a second clay? I will be doing some canes but also some sculptures. Covering containers and I guess a little of everything!! I have all of the premo colors. But going forward what will you be using mostly other than premo? I like the Pardo translucent but is it also good for canes? Or do I get sculpey soufflé?
Thank you for your advice
Kelli
Hi Keli, so happy to hear your jumping back into the world of clay! Welcome back! Yes, your old clay will be fine… I have managed to recondition clay that was over 20 years old, and it was fine. Like you said, it might take longer to recondition, but it will be no problem once baked.
If you are looking for other brands besides Pardo, Premo and Souffle, Cosclay is my favorite for anything that I don’t want to break. It is flexible and wonderful for sculpture and things like paper thin flower petals. Cernit is also a wonderful clay! The metallics and translucents are beautiful. And for something like canes, nothing beats Kato Polyclay (though I can’t stand the smell, and so I never use it, but many artists really love it.) And lastly, Fimo Professional and Fimo Leather are also great clays.
I’d suggest you buy a single block of several different clays and see which one you like the best to work with. Skip Sculpey III and Craftsmart clays, though, they are brittle and not good for anything that you don’t want to break.
Going forward though… I do plan on doing a lot of content using Cosclay. Lots of color mixing and techniques. I love the clay and the company. They are artists themselves and understand what we need from our clay, so I will be using it a lot.
I hope that answers your question well enough. Enjoy! :)
I have some Pardo from about 5 years ago that is soooooo crumbly …. little particles that don’t want to meld together into a softer mass …not sure why it happened as I keep all my clays in a cool area…
Any suggestions how to wake it up? I know Ginger said it’s OK to use clay softener on it, but seems like it doesn’t help much … plus kind of unsure since Pardo is beeswax based …
Hi Maria, that is a very good question that deserves further investigation. Pardo is one of those clays that shatters when it is old and stiff. So even if you stored it perfectly, it gets crumbly over time.
On adding softener, I wonder if you may be on to something? I was just going over some footage where I added the Cosclay Softening Agent to a bunch of brands of polymer clay, one being Pardo. The softener mixed in quite well with all the brands, even Pardo, but when I baked the samples, the Pardo sample was made more brittle that it was before adding the softener… at least my sample broke quite easily. I would need to do some separate tests to see if that conclusion is indeed true.
I need to play more with Pardo, but from what I remember, warming it up makes a big difference in the conditioning… probably because of the wax. If you were to put the crumbles into a bag and put the bag in warm water, you might find the clay is easier to work with. Just tossing the crumbles in a food processor or coffee grinder may do it as well. The heat from the blades should get the clay pliable again.
I have quite a bit of Pardo now, so I should be able to get some better intelligence moving forward. Let me know if you are able to soften it, or if you come across any good tips for working with it. Good luck!