Polymer Clay Tutor Weekly Q&A Replay Videos

Nice to meet you Gwen from Texas!

Hi Grace thank you for the kind words! In regards to baking temps, I bake clay at the recommended temp on the package and for extended time. Now if you’re mixing two brands together you will need to play with the temps a bit to see what is the perfect temp for your mix. I would make some small test strips and try baking them at the 275F first to see how they do. If they are strong and don’t discolor too much then it should be fine. If they do scorch just drop the temp a tiny bit and test again. Good luck!

You heard right! I think those guys must have been watching the movie Ice Age… naming their products Mammoth and Squirrel! A Squirrel that size would definitely have to be prehistoric!! :)

Thank you so much Nancy for your input! I am pleased that this format will be helpful for you! :)

Hi Janet, I’ll be answering your question and showing examples in tomorrow’s Live Q&A at 11AM PST on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

I am happy you are enjoying this format Patricia! Thank for letting us know!

Hi Sarah, I answered your question in the July 5th Broadcast posted above.

Hi Ranjani, I answered your question in the July 5th Broadcast posted above.

Thanks Dawn for your question, I put it on the list!

I did a search under “Radiant Pearls” but came up empty. Have you tried them with polymer clay? (It’s a mica powder paint.) They may be discontinued, but I just found mine from card-making years ago. If you have tested them, can you tell me which video? If you haven’t, I’ll test it myself, but why reinvent the wheel? Thanks.

Thanks for your question and answer new format. I’ve tried PYM II a couple of times. After drying it seems the surface of the clay is rough, not at all how it feels when I sand and buff. Am I doing something wrong or is that just how it is?

premo (is the brand of polymer clay I use)

Hy Cindy
Once more I enjoyed your weekly post so much.
Your are my muse in the polymer clay haeven, my lighthouse on the PC ocean.
– I follow your from Belgium
– I first used Fimo, most common brand here, then switched partly to Premo and now to Cernit.
I banned Fimo soft is totally; however children like it most.
-Ever since your review avout Glad press and seal, I try to find it, here, and in France or Spain during holidays. Never found it. On the internet I recently found a Dutch company, usgroceries.nl selling it. They were tready to send over even 1 roll of it. Now I will be able to store sheets, skinner blends etc. Sealing them first and then in an ordenr as suggested in last Q & A session. Perhaps you can help others with this info.

Keep going, love you
Nancy

From Quebec!

OMG! I have definitely seen a marshmallow heated in the microwave! Glad I asked! I won’t be decorating any coffee mugs with polymer clay. Thanks so much Cindy. Very valuable info.

Do you do more advanced polymer clay canes? I see canes in my every day. Be it clothing, bedding, or in nature. I see a lot of beautiful work online.

Hi
Found your videos on youtube to be very informative and was hoping maybe you could point me in the right direction for my project.

I want to make a spiral out of polymer clay like a lemon peel around a shape that is like an hourglass. so from thick to skinny to thick.

The clay needs to be really hard and the shape im wrapping is made of wood.
Do you have any tips for how to go about this?

Watching your video about the different clays i was thinkng the koto clay for hardness. but wen it is wrapped around the wood is it ok to have in the oven or is it possible to dry in the sun? also how to go about getting the spiral off the shape and is it ok to rebake if i cut a seem and put some more clay to combine them again.

Would be amazing to hear your thoughts! Thank you for the videos!

Cheers
Ross

Hi Cindy,

I love your videos on YouTube and find them very informative. I am a newbie with polymer clay having spent many years working with fondant. I have made my first cake toppers and wondered I feel you could give me some advice about an issue? I have used navy blue polymer clay and after baking it has developed a white powdery looking bloom on it. I thought it was just baby powder but after using a kitchen wipe on it the bloom won’t budge. What do you think I have done wrong?

Thank you for your time.

What would you recommend if I wanted to purchase a pre-made buffing wheel for a Dremel?

I have been designing & making jewelry for over 6 years. 1/2 my business is fundraisers & I have helped raise over $17,000 in the past 6 years. I was afraid to go to polymer clay, but one day I found the courage. I will be using it to make beads with non-profit logos, or a memorial print for a loved one that may have passed, or any other request they have made. I love doing my fundraisers & have really spent a lot of time watching yours (which are wonderful). One video I’m still confused on……after I finish a bead, which coating for matt or gloss or anything type of coating you recommend would be the best to use. I have never had one bracelet break or any beads, so I want to make sure I keep that reputation. Please help! TY for taking the time as I respect your busy busy schedule.

Hi Cindy
A great Q&A session again.
I have 2 questions about baking.
1. what to do best after baking: let cool off in the oven, out of the oven or put the pieces/beads in icewater?
2. I have pieces that are baked at a too low temperature; some I used in a bracelet, completely finished. Can I bake the complete bracelet again with the finding and all?
Your my champion. Thank you
Nancy

Hi Cindy,
Enjoyed greatly the Live Q & A. I’ve been pondering on the issue of baking and thermometers, I’m not having any problems in the area of baking, but it suddenly occurred to me during the last Q & A that when we speak about the thermometer that only tells us how hot the oven is rather than keeping it at a steady required heat. I just wondered if you have to adjust the heat say up the temperature do you have to allow extra time in the baking whilst it reaches the required temp.
Thanks for all yours and Doug’s hard work in helping us.

Hi Marie and Linda, I have added this to the list of things to discuss in a future Q&A. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Peggy, I have added your question to the list for a future LIVE Q&A Broadcast. Make sure to attend the broadcasts LIVE or to watch the Re-Play’s here to see when your question is answered. Thanks!

Hi Cecelia, I have added your question to the list for a future LIVE Q&A Broadcast. Make sure to attend the broadcasts LIVE or to watch the Re-Play’s here to see when your question is answered. Thanks!

Hi Joanie, I added your question to the list!

Hi Joe, I have added your question to the list!

Hi Billy, I added your question to the list!

Hi Nydia, I have added your question to the list!

Hi Beatrice, I added your question to the list!

Hi Mary, I have added your question to the list!

Hi Elizabeth, I added your question to the list!

Hi Elizabeth, I understand that convection ovens can bake differently when you are baking something like a cookie but in regards to baking polymer clay in a convection oven, you won’t need to bake it any differently than you would bake in a regular oven. Just make sure to use an oven thermometer, preheat your oven to the temp for your brand (Premo is 275F), place in a lined pan with a tinfoil lid and bake for one hour. Make sure to watch the baking videos I have at this blog web site (search box is in the upper right corner of every post), and you should be fine. Good luck!

Hello Cindy,

Hope you are doing good. I am writing to you with a lot of hope that you will be able to help me with the major issue that I am facing with baking of my polymer clay pendants that some of them are chipping off and breaking after baking:( This mostly happening with the bigger sized ones that I make but rarely with the smaller ones too.

I am using Premo and baking them at 130 for upto 1 hour mostly and the thickness of them are mostly 1/4 inch. The last one I baked is around 7.5 cm*7.5cm in size.

Pls let me know if you could help me in anyways as it is heart breaking to see so much of effort going down the drain.

in the you Tube using the UV cure epoxy…you used a hand held lighter device… can you please tell me the name/make/ model number of it? would like to fine the same and cant locate after many google attempts….you used it to get the bubbles out before curing…I really thank you in advance for your assist! love all that you do…
best Yvonne

First of all you are truly one in a million and you are fantastic. I stumbled upon your you-tube channel by chance about a week ago and I am totally hooked. My go to hobby/ past-time is cake designing and decorating and I am eager to try out your ideas and techniques with modeling chocolate and fondant. But I would also like to give polymer a try. The thing is that I live in Israel and the only polymer product that I have found is Fimo which doesn’t seem to be at the top of anyone’s list. I am looking in to purchasing a very first order from Polymer Superstore and would appreciate your advice on which would be better for a very first orderr: either a small 12 color sampler of Souffle or about 5 colors of Primo 2 oz each. I would probably be interested in trying to make bracelets or pendants. So for a beginner which would be better the Souffle or the Primo? Sorry for being so long winded. Best wishes, Francine

Hi,

Is it possible to make my modeling clay figures firm without baking? If yes, how?

Thank you in advance.

Kinga

Hi again from Israel.
I was just wondering if the inner cardboard of a toilet paper roll could be used as a form for a cuff bracelet, and if so would anything have to be placed between the cardboard and the polymer clay to prevent sticking, such as parchment paper?
Thank you for your help.
Francine

I am facing an issue with my big polymer clay pendants that they are chipping off and breaking:( The details of my work is given below.

a. I have been baking pendants which are slightly big in size, for example, 7*9 cm size rectangles or 8cm diameter circles.
b. I have been doing image transfers on them before baking.
c. Thickness is mostly 1/4 inches
d. I have been using Premo clay and was baking them at the temperature specified on the cover for 1 hour.
e. I believe I have conditioned them enough that I was able to work with (please let me know how do I know for sure if the conditioning was sufficient).
f. I have been inserting eye pin hooks to the pendant and mostly the places where the hooks are inserted, they chip off and the hook comes out. Also there are lines of breaks on the pendant after I work on them for a little, say for example when I attach beads or after wearing them for sometime, the hooks chip off and the chain comes off broken:(
g. I have been baking them in an OTG and kept them on baking trays which come with the oven and kept them at the middle rack and covered them with aluminium foil while baking for 1 hour.
I leave them to cool before I work on them.

Could you please let me know where I could be going wrong and how I may be able to fix this issue as at the moment I am not sure how I could proceed with this issue.

Thank You So Much In Advance

I am making a pin for a friend. Part of the design is a pod with peas. When I baked it, I let it cool in the toaster (convection) oven. I used Liquid poly clay as a glue. The pod broke when I tested it and it also came away from the glue. Did I use the wrong product as glue? Did I not bake at the right temp? Please.

Just catching up on the August 9 video. Wanted to say I absolutely love the necklace you’re wearing. Looks like I have a clay play project for the weekend!

Hello Cindy, sorry for bothering you. I have watched the replay videos of last two weeks and could not see the mention of my question. I am sure you are catching up on the list but I was just wondering if you could answer the question here as I have an urgent delivery this week and I am still not sure as to why the big clay pendants are chipping and breaking. I can not afford to make another mistake this time and would really appreciate if you could answer the question here.

Thank you so much in advance

Hi
I’m still learning all about Polymer Clay bead making.

All your videos are so helpful, but I keep coming across more issues.

I bake the beads at about 130% for 60 mins due to your advice. Which works better.
I have the bead roller which makes perfect balls.

I prefer to drill my holes after because I always put it out of shame putting the pin in.

The problem is after baking on an oven tray with parchment paper on, I end up with a slight dent where the ball has been sat.

How can I get away from the dent where it sat on the tray?

Thank you.
Debbie.

Hello, l was wondering where l could find a clay extruder and other polymer clay utensils in Australia – and clay etc please.

Alison.

Hello, I recently just started using this clay to make a mask for a costume. I finally got around to baking it and when I checked on it the center had started to crave and crack. I watched a couple of your tutorials to make sure it was at a proper temperature and in a baking pan with a top. Was my project too big or was it air pocketed?

Hi
I am new to polymer clay and still learning.
ive been trying to make a pendant but when I put it through the thickest pasta machine to make it flat and smooth it’s still too thin.
So I do another layer and glue them together with fimo liquid glue.

What I don’t like is the gap I get i between each layer.

Have you got a better way of making a thick solid pendant without the gap?

Thank you
Debbie.

Hi Cindy, I watch a lot of your videos on you tube, thank you for the great information. I am brand new to polymer clay and making fairy gardens. I am addicted I am learning how to make fairys and other things to. My question is this, In your opinion how do you think a electric nail drill and buffer would work for sanding and smoothing. Sometimes my dolls need a little help after I bake them .What do you think? Have you tried this? Sometimes a leg might look a little lumpy it to thick. It is a less exspensive way to go. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks Julie

Hi Cindy I love your hair in your last video. ?

Question: Is their a pasta machine that rolls out 6mm (1/4″) thickness?
Mine rolls out to 3mm at the thickest.

Thank you. X

Your questions are on the list Debbie!

Ok will do!

Hi Susan, your question has been added to the list!

Hi Kristina, I have added your question to the list!

Hi Berta I have added your question to the list!

Question: Are polymer clay pieces compatible with acrylic painted surfaces long term? I want to use them in mixed media pieces.

Hello!
I am about to try another clay bake (been making mistakes and learning for a couple years now) and I have a question —
Do you put your clay into the oven BEFORE preheating? Normally I place a thermometer inside, wait till temp is reached, open door, put in clay, then wait for the thermometer to register correct temp again (this can take 15-20 minutes) and then start timing the clay bake. But – if it won’t hurt the clay to be in the oven as it is heating up, it would save me so much time and trouble. is it ok to do that?
thank you!
Melanie

Thank you for helping Melanie, Debbie! I appreciate the help!

Everything I bake turns really dark. I have a thermometer in my oven, I cover it. Then I sand and sand but it does not come off. What am I doing wrong. I hope to be great like you someday. Love your videos. Thank you

Question:
Hey Cindy! Thanks for all your great expertise.
I have applied Gilders Paste to some round beads and then glued them to already baked clay and then put the whole thing in the oven and baked at 275 for over an hour. Once cool and after several days, I could pry the beads out of the clay. Am I not using Gilders Paste properly?

I am a beginner and have been watching your video’s. The first item I baked was a little witches hat I make to put on a cork for a stopper. I had place a metal screw inside a piece clay that attached to the hat, so I could insert into cork. First question, I bake it per instructions and let it cool in oven, and it took 15 minutes to bake and 45 minutes to cool down. I am still not sure it is completely baked inside,
can I put it back in the oven and rebake it ? this time longer, will it continue to harden the plastic molecules you say must melt.
Also, my little hats for corks have that extended piece of clay with screw inside, I put it on the rack
with tin foil under it so the extention piece would dangle and not bend hat, do you have another suggestion in making pieces like this

Your question has been added to the list Karen! Thank you fro participating!

Marilyn, your question has been already added to the list!

Hi Carrie, I added your question to the list!

Thank you for your question Melanie! It has been added to the list.

Hi Marilyn, like I said before, your question has been added to the list. I am sorry that it is taking so long to answer, but there are many questions ahead of yours. If you ask the same question in multiple locations and using different last names, it just adds to the confusion. I do promise to get to your question as soon as it comes up in the queue. Thanks!

Thank you Debbie for your question! I have added it to the list.

That would be lovely Dawn! (Don’t tell your boss it’s my fault you’re not working though!) :)

Hi Vivienne,
You won’t get a reply for about 2 – 3 wks so I read your comment and thought I would give my opinion.
I would cut out the words of your polymer clay piece with either your cutter or how you do it.
Roll another thin layer of spare polymer clay (spare / any scrap) . Cut out the same words again. Then lay it on top of the thin / scrap layer, But make sure you put cornflower or similar on bottom first so it only temporarily lies on.

Scatter your glitter all over but aiming for inside the words only.
When your happy, remove the top layer and the bake in over for an hour as normal.

Good luck. X

I have added your question to the list.

Hi Cindy,
I absolutely love your videos, you are very talented and an excellent teacher. You really inspired me to try polymer clay. I just bought Bake Shop Sculpey to practice with because I’ve never used clay before. Do you think it’s strong enough to use for jewelry? I bent a piece and it broke even though it was almost 1/4 ” thick. it was conditioned a lot and baked according to the directions.How thick does it have to be? I live in NFLD and Clay is not cheap to buy here or to have shipped here. Would you know the least expensive place for me to get it? Michael’s is expensive too.
Thanks.

Thanks and Blessings for all your terrific tutorials! I would much appreciate assistance on a piece…I’m concerned about the viability of proper baking of a hand on a forearm with a second hand resting on the forearm. The second hand acts as somewhat of a second layer to that forearm and I’m wondering if it needs to be baked separately. My concern is that it will lose the natural grace that it has now as one piece. It seems safer to bake it in two pieces but I’m nervous that it won’t fit over the forearm properly. The fingers are modeled to organically lay over that forearm perfectly if it should shrink even a little bit it’s not going to do what it’s supposed to do. I’m constructing it over a wire armature filled in with Wire Foam Mesh with a first coat of Avis Apoxie before the Premo layer. I’ve studied up on using cornstarch, tenting, tiling if I use my toaster oven and I would use it in corn starch inside a baking bag im kitchen oven as I don’t care to use my regular oven for clay. The piece is 8″ end to end, the hand in question is 3 1/2 “, the other a bit smaller; the forearm is 1″ thick, the forearm + the overlaid hand is 2” thick. Have you any wisdom for me? I do hope so since this is a beautiful piece with much love, cash and effort invested! Thank you so very much! With love, Nancy D

Hi Nancy, thanks so much for your questions! I have now added them to my list!

Hi Barbra, we will get back to making YouTube videos as soon as possible. There are only so many hours in the day, and with Doug spending all his time working on the new website, he is not able to film the YouTube videos that you like so much. To tide everyone over, I am filming these LIVE Q&A myself with my cellphone. This format is great for learning as well and getting to know the other viewers from around the world. Hope you enjoy them!

Hi Ange, I have added your question to the list. Thanks!

Hi Corene, I have added your question to the list. Thank you for commenting!

Hello Lulia, I have added your question to the list. Thanks so much!

Hi Cindy, Just caught up on the latest live broadcast. An answer to your Christmas polymer clay question. A co-worker had a baby a few years ago. I made her a tree ornament. A little baby in pajamas with pink flowers (from your polymer clay fabric sheet tutorial – something like that) and a Santa hat with her name. It was an unusually spelled name, so I think it was appreciated that she had a “baby’s first Christmas” ornament with her daughter’s name spelled correctly. Also, instead of holding a blanket or teddy bear, she was holding a tiny gingerbread man.

Greetings…. Cindy, it seems you are the Queen of Polymer Clay! Thanks for being available to answer questions. I do mosaic work and am working on a large donor wall mural and would like to include polymer clay elements within the mosaic to add dimension and texture. One area of the mosaic will have the Tree of Life. In lieu of ceramic clay elements, I wonder if polymer clay – likely painted, altered and then sealed – will hold up over the long term. The mural is indoors in the entrance way of a large building with lots of daily traffic. I have made many canes and have sculpted and embossed some but have not done much with painting on clay, mica powders, sanding, buffing or sealing the clay. I know you have loads of videos to watch. My question is this: Will sealing the clay after alteration (painting mica powders, etc.) keep it from all deterioration for 5-10 years? What kind of semi gloss sealer would you recommend? The area will have 0 natural light though likely have spots of some sort. Thanks so much for your response!

Dear Cindy,

Hope you’re well. I work with air dry clay and I have a question about beads. When I make beads, I usually let them dry on a sheet and leave it on the ground (flat surface). But after it dries, the shape gets distorted from its perfect round shape. The side on which it is placed becomes flat. How do I avoid this? Would it help if I place it on a different medium, such as a fabric, paper etc. Please let me know.

Hi Cindy,

I am new to polymer clay baking and I have made a relatively small figurine with premo clay.

The inside is made of metal wire and aluminium paper. I believe most of the clay cover ranges from 0.3 to 0.6 centimetre. I have a relatively new oven, but do not have an oven thermometer. I know you suggest to bake for an hour, but I was wondering regarding the specifics of this figurine how long should I bake it (at 275°).

Thanks a lot and have a wonderful day,
Maxime

Hi
I have just been surfing you tube and came across your video on fingerprints on polymer clay. I acknowledge the video was made in 2013- about 4years old; you appear to have done lots of videos since and state that you use Premo. However as on you tube newbies and watchers will take it as read. It’s just that I ask that you review some of your ‘basic’ tip videos (I would call this one). I have no fault on your work but newbies don’t get that all the makes are constructed differently. I have used Fimo for forever and had a block of old sealed fimo (over 20years old). I have discovered as ‘poly’ means it comes from oil using a baby oil is the best way to re-vitalize the clay. Just cut it up into an appropriate plastic container and sprtiz (not pour) with oil, mix up so covered and leave for a day or so for it to absorb . Don’t drench it as mine was classic/firm and it becomes soft fimo. As in the video you state you have used Premo for years and itis evident that you are an expert in that brand. I am a user of Fimo and Prosculpt , so I cannot comment on Premo only on my findings with Premo. I did find people recommending water with Fimo and tried i, it initially appears to work but it sits on the clay (oil and water) it is not absorbed and therefore should be used at a lower temperature as i will evaporate, the clay may hold but the quality of the item is not as strong perhaps. I would appreciate your viewpoint on my experience as your knowledge is combined with the experience of your followers.

I thank you for sharing and bringing people to the polymer world.

Kind regards

Hello Cindy,

Once again i am bother you with another question because i had an issue i could experience using any paint on polymer clay. Past several months ago i worked a project that involves a sculpture piece with an application of oil paint. I painted superficially on the piece to enhance a finishing look. At the beginning the sculpture piece looks amazing, almost it looks like human being so natural (seriously speaking) but then sixth month later the paint started to loose its finishing look, it seems like the polymer clay absorbs the oil paint. Patricia Rose (a polymer doll artist) tried to warming about this subject but i’d rather to lab by myself, you know, for a better experiencing matter. What i did then is use the polymer clay color that it brings a better finishing to my sculpture project. Now that i discover you work with paints for jewelry, i think you know how to manage the paint so the color stay on the polymer clay longer and longer more than a year. In this case, how can i make the oil paint, genesis paint or even the acrylic paint applied cannot be absorbed by the polymer clay when was done the project several months later? Do you know how i can avoid this kind of issue? Please tell me, thank you!…

Regarding the Pro Tech finish product, I have played with it a little and like the results. A bit of a learning curve. I got the clear off of Ebay. Also my Christmas wish list item is a Lucy Clay Extruder.

Hello, im attempting to make a custom funko pop for a friend for Christmas, using the ” original supersculpy”. This stuff came in a box with NO plastic sealed package. it was legit just a brick in a box and all the others were like it. Now i baked it using the directions on the package : 275 for 15 minutes for every 1/4 inch thickness. But it legit crumbled. It did not change colors or cure like i think it should have. I baked it for longer and still nothing happened but it simply crumbling. So im not sure what i am doing wrong. I cannot find a number to call for the company. I am not sure if the sculpy is out of date since all the boxes at the store say 2014, and so do the ones at other stores. I was thinking its possible that the clay was dried out. But if so what do i do about that? I made sure the oven is the right temp. I hope you can help me. I switched to this type of clay (oven bake) because it gives me more time to work with it, where as the air dry hardens to quickly. I really don’t know what im doing wrong with this oven clay as to why its not baking right.

I have seen a lot of videos on polymer clay projects, but the one thing they always forget to tell you is how much clay you will need for that item they are making. I think it would be easier if we knew how much clay we’re dealing with to help cut back on waste. I found one lady that goes into detail as to how much clay,each pasta machine setting and how many times she runs a skinner blend thru to achieve the look she wants. if you can accommodate me then i will stop watching her and continue to watch your videos. for us beginners every detail helps. thank you and having a blessed day

I came across some beautiful DIY marbled clay bowls on pinterest, and am going to make a set for a school auction fundraiser. I’ve made one at home to try it out and it came out pretty, but its way too flexible. That’s when I came across your youtube channel (so awesome!!l, but couldn’t find the info I’m looking for on how to seal/ harden the bowls. Can you please help a desperate mom?

Hi Cindy, I’m new to polymer clay and am looking for instruction on how to make large, simple, single color, dimensional pendants that are slightly rounded/puffy all the way around (as opposed to flat on one side.) Kinda like two cabochons glued back to back. I saw a preview of your faux jasper tutorial on youtube and am wondering if this is the one I should purchase…or would you recommend a different one? I hope this question isn’t too basic or worded in a confusing way. Thanks for any direction you might be able to provide! :-) Jo

Hi,
I make polymer clay earrings with a resin finish. I have been having issues with bright coloured clay leaching out through the lighter/white surrounding colours when the resin is applied; tainting the crisp colour of the clay before the resin is applied. Although the resin companies have indicated that resin can be used directly on top of the clay I’m wondering if there is something I should be sealing my clay with before I apply the resin to stop the colours from affecting each other.
If love to keep using resin on my pieces (I love the shine!) but would love my whites to stay white!
Thanks
Rebecca

First, I would just like to thank you for all your great lessons and tutorials! I would also like to ask about storing ultradome uv resin. I live in Texas and it gets very hot. My room temperature often gets up to 85 degrees. Can the resin be stored in the refrigerator? If not..any suggestions? I would also like to know if you can use this resin on polymer clay pieces that are not flat and if you would use a paint brush to apply it on these pieces?

I am watching the replays on my iPad in North Platte, Nebraska, USA.

Question from you about buying tutorials. The only tutorials I have purchased have been two by Helen Breil.

Hi Cindy
Love your tutorials! I have a question – I would like to make a necklace with three large interlinked rings – like large chain links. Should I bake the links separately or could I place something in between to stop them sticking during baking?
Thanks in advance!
Angie

I am trying the sugarveil mats with liquid polymer clay, sculpey and kato. they crumble into little pieces getting them out of mold. What?????

Hello Cindy,

Could you please tell me if the polymer clay can be baked in a Nuwave oven?

If so, would you know the temp/time setting to bake on?

Would so appreciate the help. God Bless.

I am looking to make a yarn bowl, so it would be a pretty good size. Do I need to spray the glass bowl I am using for my mold before putting the clay on it so it will come off easily? Also how thick should the clay be for something like this?

Thank you,
Becky

What is your preferred method of sanding and buffing

I want to make a slip on poly clay bracelet.Translucent clay colored with alcohol inks. I am brand new. I tried to make the bracelet and the appearance was OK but the bracelet was not rigid and did close enough to stay on the wrist.. I used the clay I had on hand which was FIMO SOFT WHITE. (I just wanted some practice) I baked my last attempt at 300 for 1 hour. How do i get the bracelet to be rigid and tight around a wrist . What translucent polyclay will produce the results I’m looking for ? I hope to start using PRIMO SCULPEY TRANSLUCENT WHITE if you think that will work. ?
I really appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
John

Hi Cindy, I’ve been following your channels for aaaages and you’ve been instrumental in my improvement when working with polymer clay.

I’ve been looking into glazing products, and I’d really like your opinion on one particular product, and I’m hoping you’ve tested it previously.

The product is DecoArt DuraClear Polyurethane Gloss Varnish. It’s relatively easy to get hold of over here in the UK and it’s not stupidly expensive. I always buff and polish my flat items, but I make a lot of miniatures and complex shaped items, which are so much more difficult to get a shine on through buffing.

any advice or guidance you can offer would be amazing :)

Once again, thank you for all of your help over the years. i’m so excited to hear directly from you! (fangirling a little).

Thank you in advance,

Jen.

I want to use pastels and paint on baked clay do I mix it with liquid sculpt and the rebake? If so what temp oven and for how long? Or is there something else to mix it wit so I can still get the soft colors but have the pastels adhere better?
Thanks
Trina

Hi Cindy

I’m using Sculpey Polymer Liquid Clay which has become quite thick over time and is not solving my purpose anymore. I use it to stick solid polymer clay together in my work and now it has lost that property since it has become really thick and non-sticky.

Could you suggest a way to make it as liquidy as it is when bought new? Some kind of a thinner may be?

Hi, I saw your video post on Youtube about sealing polymer clay. I want to know how you sealed the fairy door with the Golden Acrylic Glazing Medium. Did you just use the glaze on top after painting/powdering? Thanks! Have a nice day!

I had years ago, purchased ready-made canes?
But now cannot find them.
I have seen these beautiful small brown glass bottles (the kind that Essential Oils come in) which are coated with intricate color designs that almost certainly seem to be clay polymer. The design is So unique & NOT repetitive, how can that be?
I am creative, and a quick learner, and I so want to learn how to make TINY INTRICATE designs like that which is on this B&W amazing bottle.
QUESTION: Can you bake polymer on a glass bottle without it cracking?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hey there!

I have a question I was hoping you could answer! I have LOVED watching your videos on You Tube! They are SO helpful!

The tile sandwich was an awesome video and if that worked for me it would solve all my problems, however if I am baking things in a semi circle shape, how do I prevent the bubbles?
Also the paper preventing the mottled look is a great tip but again, for a semi circle how do i do that, right now i just use a glass bowl.

Also What about a strength test for sculpey 3 baking times or would you not recommend using sculpey 3?

Would it be possible to bake a super thin sheet of flat premo with a silkscreen on it then bake it for some time then roll it into some soft clay and put that in a semi circle mold? I’m just making little dishes with them

thank you so much for your time!

I am a neophyte and would like to know; when making a cane, how do you store any previous cane parts that have been made? Thanking you in advance for your answer!
Sandy.

How do I store 3D babies made with super sculpey until I am ready to bake? I did not want to use my oven for or one or two babies. I have 16 to make a for a baby shower.

Perfect answer for Bernadette, thanks Debbie for helping out! I will still add it to the list because it is a common one, that many will appreciate the answer to.

Thank you Charlene for your question! It has been added to the list!

Your question has been added to the list Shelly. Thank you!

Your question has been added to the list Jennifer. Thank you so much!

Thanks Alexandra for your question! It’s been added to the list!

Your question has been added to the list Leah. Thanks!

Thanks Pam, your question has been added to the list!

Hi Christy, your question has been added to the list. Thanks!

Your question has been added to the list Tay. Thanks so much!

Thank you for your question Katrina! It has been added to the list!

Thank you Pam for your question! I have added to the list!

Thank you Cheryl for your questions, I have added them to the list. Don’t worry, I am not retiring just yet!

Hi Carolyn, since you already purchased and you will need a lamp asap, get a 36W lamp. It is the strength you will need. I will also add your question to the list so others will hear the answer. Thanks!

Hi Laurie, thank you for your question, it has been added to the list!

Hello Nakale, your question has been added to the list. Thanks!

Thank you for your question Paulette, it has been added to the list!

Thank you for your question Marsha! It has been added to the list!

Your question has been added to the list Ellie! Thank you for asking!

Thank you so much for your question Wil. It has been added to the list!

Thank you for the question Jan! I will add it to the list!

Thank you Yaffa for your question! I’ve added it to the list.

Thanks for your question Helen, I will add it to the list!

Thanks Harlan, your question has been added to the list!

Great question Judy, it’s been added to the list!

Thanks so much Eleni for the question. I have added it to the list!

Hi Laura, I will add your question to the list, but my quick answer is yes, the plastic bottles will melt. They are using airdry polymer clay.

Hi Laurie, I have added your question to the list. Thanks for asking!

Thank you for your question Carolyn. It has been added to the list!

Dear Cindy,

I hope you have a little time to answer my question :).
I would like to make fruit canes (lemon, strawberry, etc.). For this i would need translucent fimo.
Can I use translucent (fimo effect) and professional in the same cane? You said in your video not to mix different hardness fimos in a cane. But I can’t find fimo professional translucent, only fimo effect translucent. Will it be ok to mix them in a cane?

Thank you so much!!

Adoringly,
Liat

Hi there!

I was hoping you could help, I am new to using polymer clay for making beads and wanted to know the most effective way of creating a long curved tube bead with a hole down the centre.

I have used wooden skewers to pierce a hole through the length of the raw tube bead, then curved the tube with my hands before baking – but this tends to flatten and disform the hole.

Also to get crisp sharp edges on your beads do you just sand them?

Thanks so so much I love your website and clips!

Jess

I watched your YouTube video comparing the Makin’s and Walnut Hollow extruders. I’m in the market for one and came across the Staedtler Fimo 8700 07 professional clay extuder. Do you know if is just the Walnut Hollow extruder sold under a different brand name? They look alike, but price of the Staedtler is $30-$40 more than the Walnut Hollow, so I’m hoping it is a new and improved product—one made of stainless steel for durability and the ability to handle metal clay.
Thank you,
Teri

I have looked at the internet for the answer to this question, but I figured you know more about poly clay than just about anyone, so I’m going to ask you. I make poly clay pendants that I usually drill holes all the way through and run the 1mm leather core through. But I got the idea to put an eye pin into the raw clay at the top to make a hook to attach bail. Well when the clay was done, I was able to pull the eye pin out. So the clay did not hold onto the metal eye pin. So I thought no problem, I just put a small drop of super glue in the hole and placed the eye pin back in. BUT it seems as though the glue is not holding. It sure has no problem sticking to everything else! So what glue do you use to glue metal to poly clay?? I would be so grateful for your response. Thank you.

BTW: I love your member videos. They have meant the world to me. I have a lot to caught up on, but I plan to get back at them since I am getting back into poly clay heavy now.

I was wondering if you could do an update video/blog/article on your Mammoth versus your Atlas? It’s possible you may have already answered my questions in your live Q&A videos, but they don’t have topics attached to them (at least that I could find), and I haven’t had a chance to watch them all yet.

I have been needing to replace my crumbling Makin’s machine for a long while now, and both your Atlas and Mammoth reviews were really informative, but the price of the Mammoth is so high that it makes me a bit nervous.

So I wanted to know, as someone who clays as much as you do, has your Mammoth completely replaced your Atlas, is it *that* much better, or are there drawbacks to the Mammoth that cause you to still use your Atlas more often than not? Also, given how capable the Mammoth is, has it replaced the need to use your Never Knead, or any other tools you have reviewed in the past?

I’m aware that LC no longer makes the Mammoth, but the Elephants are similar enough, so I feel an update review from you would be incredibly helpful and more fully inform my decision on whether to invest in an Elephant or save my money and deal with the drawbacks of the Atlas (or any other pasta machine, frankly) and possibly also invest in some other tools, such as the Never Knead.

I know you have a lot of projects and fans and am really thankful that I can reach out to you and ask for this kind of help. Thank you so much for your time and doing what you do, I really appreciate your contributions to our beautiful community.

Best,
Meaghan

Dear Cindy, I am a subscriber of your wonderful Library.
As you are my Polymeric Guru I dare to ask to a solution for a little problem.
In an old Polymer Cafè Magazine (Summer 2005 issue) I have found an interesting article by the late Gwen Gibson about blending Hue Colors (colors for fabrics) to beard foam and apply this mix to white beads, cooking them and obtaining nice beads with white eggs like spots. I have tried with alcohol inks and also with HueColors but the result is that the bead is all coloured …without spots! Did you see this tecnique? What would you suggest to obtain some spots?
Great thanks for your attention and as always all my compliments for the huge and wonderful work that you do for polymer world. All my best Cristina

Hi there

I have been making polymer clay jewellery for a little while now and I have been using your technique of baking in between paper and tiles. I have repeatedly been having trouble with the clay sticking to the paper once out the oven and the paper tearing off slightly and leaving grainy marks on the pieces. I bake my pieces face down to avoid rising bubbles and the paper usually sticks to the face of the piece I guess due to the pressure from above. I’m making jewellery to sell online and so it’s a weekly production issue. I have so much cleaning up to do after baking due to this issue.

Please let me know f you’ve had any of these issues and how I can resolve it.
Thanks so much!

Hi Cindy,

I have a rather pressing art installation I am working on, and I want to make some polymer clay beads. I did my first batch of beads to find most of them had cracked 45mins into baking( they are between 6-12mm in height/thickness). The smaller beads that were baked fro 30mins seemed to do fine, but I was aiming to bake the larger beads a little longer. It appears they were the ones cracking.
Do you have any idea why this is happening? Or could you lend some helpful advice as to how to properly bake polymer clay beads ( I am using sculpted III) for 6-12mm round beads.

Thank you so much! :)

Hi Cindy. I am new to the polymer clay world and I have found your videos quite helpful. I have a question about clay brands. I had bought all types of clay to make my little stud earrings and after reading about Sculpey 3 clay being brittle after baked I tested the strength of my earrings and those made of that clay snapped very easily even after resin was applied. I tossed all my product and jewelry made from it. I have been looking at trying to make some larger beads for necklaces and I wondering if Sculpey 3 would work for that application if I was making basic beads and not made from canes.

Hi Cindy,

I’ve seen in a couple of polyclay folks talk about using Golden Polymer Varnish as a sealer and finish on their items. I tried it out on some faux raku beads a few months back, leaving them sit out on my workspace for over a week before something came up that made me put them into storage. I decided to work with them again recently and get them strung into a necklace, but when I took them out of the little cubby I’d put them in, they were all stuck together like the finish hadn’t cured and separating them pulled the finish off many of them leaving me with a huge mess that I’m not sure how to mitigate. I really love these beads and the satin-y look of the finished beads looked so beautiful to me, but now I’m not sure how to best remove the finish and start over. Should I just scrap them instead? Nothing I read or saw mentioned needing to oven cure items again after using the varnish. Do you know or have you heard anything about using Golden Polymer Varnish on polymer clay items?

Hi would you be able to tell me if I can use The Paper Studio’s Rub-ons, on baked polymer clay? Will they work the same as a transfer? Would you have to seal them?
Thank you,
Bonnie

Thank you in advance for your time. I have done searches online and cannot seem to find an answer to my question, so I am coming to the expert. I was wondering if polymer clay can be permanently applied to a stainless steel piece. For example, I wanted to decorate the exterior of my cats stainless steel bowls and wondered if #1 it was safe and #2 would it adhere. Thank you again for your time and keep making your videos! I love them and have learned so much.

Hi, Cindy,

Regarding the new Sculpey liquid polymer clay (shown on your 6/23/18 video), on sculpey.com, they illustrate the 2-oz bottles with the twisty cap and clear-to-read labels (unlike the labels they put on that 3-pack you received), much like the labels they had on the older bottles. For those who still have a lot of TLS left and don’t want to invest in buying the new just for the convenient twist-open caps, I took a cheap bottle of Elmer’s white glue and substituted that cap for the leaky Sculpey one.

Great shows, Cindy. Keep up the good work. After a hiatus from claying for almost 20 years, it’s mind-boggling to see how this artform has progressed. Most of the tricks and techniques from the dark ages of PC still work, but the new techniques and equipment out there are amazing.

Keep up the good work, sharing your knowledge and obvious passion for this art.

Shelly Crossen

P.S. It’s “cooled” down to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C) in Arizona where I live.

Hi-I’m new to beading and have been attaching my clasps with jump rings, that seem to fall off easily. When I use the rectangular cord end, the flat tab with opening slides off too easy. Any suggestions? I’m so glad I found you-I’m learning a lot from you!

Hi Cindy, I would like to know if you can use the type of rub ons that you would have to take a small piece of wood to burnish on. On to polymer clay once it has been baked and then seal it. Will it wear off? Thank you

Love your YouTube videos!!! Any advise on how to get rid of crescent shape defects in the clay after it is baked? I have searched many of your videos but could not find an answer to this frustrating problem. Any advise or recommendation would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!!!
Wendy

Hi,
I’ve just watched your lovely informative video on You Tube on the essential tools for beginners working with polymer clay. Thanks, it’s very useful. I also saw the one about how long to bake it in the oven. :-)
My question is about the toxicity of Polymer clay.
Is it absolutely safe to bake it in my cooking oven?
Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorials, tomorrow I set out to buy my first fimo dough.
All the best
Pnina from Israel :-)

Hi, i am looking for suppliers of PYMII. Or if you have any other suggestions for priming polymer clay pieces. Thanks.

Have you ever tried a resin/wood composite cookie mold with polymer clay? Do/would they work?

Hi,

I’m having problems with the back of my clay.
I cut out shapes to make earrings.
When I lift the clay off the table, it either sticks, catches and creates a really ugly surface in the back.
I’ve tried using baking paper, plastic cover, and wood surfaces to work on to minimise the problem. It’s not working though.

What do you do so that when you lift the clay off after cutting it with a shape, that it stays smooth on the back?

Thank you so much for your help :)

Ambia

On May 8th video you had a beautiful pair of black and white earrings you said you made is there a video showing how you made those?

Need the name of the “Cernit” texture u used for Monica’s necklace, on Aug 14th’s replay?

Hello Cindy! Sanding is the most difficult part form me. I can’t reach a perfect smooth finish. Which grains do you recommend using and when do i know it’s time to pass to the next grain?

HI Cindy,
First I want to say thank you so much for your videos and all the help you have given me! I have a question-do you have any information about how to cut polymer clay with a Cricut machine? I think it could be done, but any help you or any of the members could give would be very much appreciated!
Thanks, Sherry

I decorated a tape dispenser with poylmer clay lace and it was beautiful. I couldn’t find a brush for mod podge (I was on vacation)…so I just grabbed a can of spray varnish. It seemed fine…but almost a year layer it is sticky!!
Is there anyway to fix it or is it ruined!?!?!

Hi Darlene, sorry for the slow responce. Spray finishes are notorious for getting sticky on polymer clay. You can probably remove the finish though, so don’t worry. Try 99% Isoproppyl Alcohol first. If that doesn’t work try either Acetone or Paint Thinner. One of those will get the sticky finish off. Then you can either leave the piece with no finish (it doesn’t require one), or you can use a brush on polyurethane, Renaissance Wax or resin. Just do a search at the top of the page… I have done many videos on finishes that are polymer clay safe. Good luck!

Hi Diane, I picked mine up at Dollarama but I also found some similar ones on Amazon (affiliate link).

Thanks. I thought those, too, had an angled handle, but I mis-remembered. However, that angled head will work perfectly for pan pastels. Good product. I always get helpful tools and ideas from your blog.

Hi Jill, you haven’t done anything wrong… unfortunately, Sculpey III is a terribly brittle clay and is not good for making jewelry no matter how well you bake it. Switch to Premo or Souffle clay if you want to buy Sculpey Products. Cernit, Cosclay, Kato, Pardo and Fimo Professional are also excellent quality clays for making jewelry. Also make sure that you are using an oven thermometer so that you know your oven is holding the correct temperature for your brand of clay. Continue to bake for one hour. You are doing all the right things… just using the wrong clay! :)

Hi Jill, I need to do some further testing on this, but I suspect it is actually the clay you’re using and not only the consistency. Although you will find softer clay goes through an extruder more smoothly, I just ran some very soft Cernit through my extruder, using a ribbon die and the same thing happened. (I hadn’t actually tried Cernit in my extruder yet, so I wanted to see what would happen.)

Then I tried running some Cosclay through, and it came out smooth as butter. What I am thinking is that Cernit and Cosclay have quite different properties. Cernit kind of ‘shatters’ when rushed (just like Fimo does)… you will notice it if you try and forced a thick piece of clay through a thin setting on your pasta machine. Cosclay on the other hand is very stretchy. So when the clay is pushed through the extruder, especially in the sharp corners, the Cernit snaps into jagged edges and the Cosclay stretches and holds together.

You have made me very curious as to how all the other brands respond to extruding in this manner. TBH I have mostly used Premo and Souffle when extruding and only a brief test of Cosclay, so I hadn’t really thought about whether a clay like Cernit would have difficulties or not. Looks like I need to head to the PcT Test Lab! :)

PS: If you really want to use Cernit, make it as soft as you can and try extruding as slowly as possible… it may work. Don’t know for sure, but that’s where I would start. Good luck!

Hi Minay, yes you can use Sculpey Bake and Bond as a replacement for regular Translucent Liquid Sculpey. It is a little more matte when baked, but can be sanded and buffed to a nice shine. I use it successfully in my faux Opals, so it would be a great substitute for your faux Quartz.

Hi Donna, that sounds like a fun project! Thank you for your very kind words! Premo can flop a little during baking, so if you’re baking something like a superhero cape, I would put some sort of support in there, while it bakes. Rolled paper or fabric would be perfect. Just make sure that your support material isn’t anywhere near the burner or walls of the oven, and it will be just fine at the low temps that Premo bakes at. In the future, you may want to consider using Cosclay for sculptures of these kinds. It has high green strength (won’t flop when raw or baking), and is strong and flexible after baking. It makes wonderful Superheros! Have fun!

Hi again… yes, building up a framework (aka armature) with wire and tape, is an excellent way to build a polymer clay sculpture. It helps to give strength, use less clay and avoid cracking by needing a thinner layer of clay. Ace of Clay on YouTube has a lot of great videos showing how he uses armatures on his sculpts. You may want to check him out!

Hi Kathay,

I think I have already explained how to cover wood and glass to you before. I guess you missed it somehow. There are two tutorials that go into both of those techniques in full that if you haven’t done them already, you should. They would be very helpful for you. They both happen to be Christmas Ornament tutorials so the timing is perfect. The skills you learn in these videos will help you with both your birdhouses and your glass vases. Here are the links…

The one for covering Wooden Items in clay is here…
Polymer and Wood Ornaments

And the one for covering Glass in clay is here…
Mistletoe Ornament

Hi Joanne, I have done a tutorial called the Street Hearts Tutorial that teaches you exactly that! Here is the link if you are interested in picking that one up, before the price goes up when we launch the new web site :)

Graffiti Style Street Hearts Tutorial

Hi Marcia, yeah I’ve seen those chopping videos too… usually they squirt a big blog of paint and some liquid clay onto the chopped bits as well! (They really are using too much paint and the liquid clay is not necessary if the clay is fresh… but people just do what they see others do.)

Regarding conditioning clay… a really fresh block of clay (like most of what you’re seeing in the videos, considering there’s been a clay shortage over the last few years and most clay is really fresh), doesn’t really need a whole lot of conditioning. Conditioning is done to make the clay pliable, and to really mix the pigments in the clay if they have been sitting for a very long time. Older clay, and some of the stiffer brands of clay, will need more conditioning than a super fresh, squishy clay. And in the case where they’re also dumping a bunch of liquid clay on the chunks, those will be held together by the liquid clay and so it won’t matter at all whether the clay was conditioned first or not.

Basically, if you have any concerns about whether the clay will hold together, then by all means, condition it before you chop it up.

Also, strength mostly comes from using a good brand, baking at a hot enough temperature for that brand and baking for long enough that all the particles in the clay fuse together. I have many baking videos that will help you out, so feel free to binge watch to your hearts content! <3