Tonight’s topic is an Introduction to Polymer Clay Beads. We will discuss materials needed to craft the beads and the right equipment to use. Let’s begin:

Polymer clay is a versatile synthetic modeling material that is soft and malleable until it is baked, and becomes hard. It consists of pigments and PVC particles, bound together by a plasticizer. It is available in a wide range of colors that can by mixed together to produce an even wider color palette. Other materials such as paints and powders can be used with polymer clay and are useful as part of your basic toolkit.

Polymer Clay brands very slightly in stiffness and strength before and after baking. Try each one of the following brands out to see which one suits your needs best. Fimo comes in two forms: Classic, a firm clay and Soft which is much easier to condition. Many polymer clay artists use Fimo as it holds fine detail well during cane reduction. Premo! Sculpey is easy to condition but will become to soft if handled to much. However it will firm up if left to cool before slicing. Fimo and Premo! are sold in 2 oz blocks or blocks of 1 lb. and both types of clay sand and buff well after baking. Kato is a promising new high-quality product that is available in 3 oz blocks.

There are many types of clay so let us discuss some of them.

Mica clay has tiny particles or pearl, gold, silver or copper. After you condition your clay with a pasta machine the mica particles align. You can create shimmering effects by cutting and rearranging the clay.

Translucent clay is colorless and can be used on its own or mixed with colored clay. During baking it may “plaque” producing disks in the clay. This is very useful for faux techniques such as Jade.

Liquid clay can be used as a softener or to bond baked and unbaked clay. It can be tinted with oil paint to make an enamel or mixed with glitters and powder for decorative effects.

Bake and Bend clay is rubbery and flexible after baking. It can be extruded and made into braid or used for a cord.

Now lets talk about Powders, Paints and Varnishes.

Metallic powders are available in many different colors. They can be applied with a soft brush or fingertips to raw clay. When backed they produce a metallic or iridescent effect. Acrylic paints are the best paints to use on polymer clay. Never use Enamel paints. Water based acrylic paint is waterproof once dry and can be used for creating a patina effect on beads. Artist’s oil paint can be used sparingly and for effects such as feathering. For inclusions you can mix anything that can withstand baking into polymer clay including metallic leaf and foils, sand, glitter, dried herbs, spices and seeds. I recommend adding inclusions to translucent clays where they are revealed to best effect. Use water based varnishes rather the solvent based. Ranger’s Poly Glaze is water soluble and useful for creating a thick glass like finish.

For Storage you should always store new blocks of clay in a cool place away from sunlight. Once opened raw clay should be kept covered to keep dust and other things from sticking to it. I store mine in lidded polythene box. I also recommend that you keep all scrap clay. It can be used for bead cores, casting molds, backing or with metallic powders.

The following is basic equipment you need to begin working with polymer clay at home. In the beginning you will only need a smooth and shiny work surface, a sharp knife, a rolling pin, a piercing tool and an oven. But as you make more detailed projects you will gradually add many more tools to your collection. Let us discuss some of the tools you will need.

As with most projects your work surface plays a very important part in crafting polymer clay beads. You need a smooth and shiny surface. I use a smooth tile to work on. A slab of Marble also would work well and it will help keep your clay cool in hot weather. Formica and Melamine boards have also been suggested to me as a work surface for clay.

Cookie cutters make great molds and come in a wide variety of styles. I have a large collection of piercing tools and ball styluses I use. You will need different size holes in the beads for different projects so always keep variety of sizes on hand. A drill and drill bits are used for enlarging holes into already baked beads. You can also use a reamer or a needle file to accomplish this.

Texturing contributes to the character of beads so you will want to purchase texture sheets or rubber stamps as well as use objects that you find around your home. Paintbrushes are a must for metallic powders, glazing, varnishing or antiquing. I also use the handles for supporting the beads while I decorate them. Craft knives with a straight or curved edge are useful for cutting logs and trimming the clay. Tissue blades are perfect for making straight cuts because they are flexible. Extruder tools are awesome because you can make many different shapes with them.

The Pasta Machine is the most indispensible tool when it comes to working with polymer clay. They have several settings from thick to thin. It makes conditioning your clay quick and easy. They are made by a variety of manufacturers. Here is a small list of the remaining tools that you might need: Brayer so you can roll with one hand and hold the clay with the other, Bead Rollers that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, Clay shapers, measuring tools for recording proportions, sandpaper, buffing wheel for finishing effects, Rolling tools for flattening, Oven, skewers and wires for the baking tray. All of these items can be purchased at a local craft store such as Michaels or online.

Remember it is crucial to condition your clay before you begin to work with it and baking is a necessary process for it to cure. Our next blog will be on shaping polymer clay beads and faux techniques that can be used on them. Until then this is Marissa Newman. Happy Jewelry Designing.