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K A T E R S

A C R E S

http://katersacres.com

10 Polymer Clay Tips

Helping You Succeed with Polymer Clay

Disclaimer

These tips are things that I

have done for years in
my own studio to help me
with the claying process.
I hope that inside this
eBook you will also find
help & information that
you can use on your
journey of polymer clay.

Turning Crafters to Artists

NEW, IMPROVED, & UPDATED!
Im so glad that you have decided to join me!
Im hoping that with my help you can go
from polymer clay crafter to polymer clay
artist. Every week you will receive an email
filled with tips & information to help you
grow, find your talent, and decipher your
signature look.

Find me here:
Etsy

Website

FaceBook

Remember to have fun

and enjoy the experience
of claying. There is no
right or wrong way to do
something there is just
the way that works for
you. What works for me
may not work for you and
thats okay.
This eBook is copyright
protected, 2014 by Katie
Oskin of KatersAcres. All
rights reserved. Please, do
not copy, redistribute, or
remarket without written
permission from the
author.

KATERS ACRES

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#1

DIY Salt Scrub for Your Hands

Why You Need This:

Have you ever finished a project and washed

your hands with soap and water and gone
ew! because there was yucky clay scum left
behind? Well, I have! And it is because of this
that I decided to make my own salt
scrub. Please note that this is a super simple
version of a fancier version (that calls for
scented oils, specialty sugar, exclusive
moisturizing oils, etc). My studio is downstairs
and sugar tends to attract ants, especially
when I leave the lid off the jar, which is often
therefore I use salt, which doesnt attract bugs
and in emergencies can be used on slugs although Ive never had
any of those in my basement moving on!

What Youll Need:

Scented Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Empty container to put your mix in
You can use any kind of oil, even vegetable oil; I prefer
EVOO because it leaves my hands nice and softiesoft! You can use any kind of dishwashing or hand
soap. I prefer Dawn as my choice for dishwashing
soap for its awesome cleaning power, but you can
use any soap. The reason that there are no added
scents to my recipe is because my dish soap is
already scented I mean why should I ruin that
awesome Thai Dragon Fruit smell that Dawn has given
me?

How to Do It:

NOTE:

You want this mixture to be semi-dry. The salt should stick together,
but still able to be packed. If there is oil or soap floating in spots in
your mixture, keep stirring. If there is still oil or soap in there, add
more salt until it is all absorbed.

Heres the easy part. This recipe is far

a SMALL jar (approximately 2.5 oz), you will need to tailor this recipe to fit your jar.
1 Tbs. EVOO
1 Tbs. Dish Liquid
1/4 cup salt
All you need to do is stir it all together inside your jar! And then wah-lah! You have an
awesome homemade, ultra cheap, DIY salt scrub that you can use to get all those clay bits
off of your hands once and for all.
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10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#2

KATERS ACRES

How to Slice Millefiori Canes Perfectly

Have a Dedicated Blade
First, you must make sure that you are using a straight
(stiff) blade and not a flexible blade. Over time a
blade gets duller. I replace mine about once a
year, but even a blade without a lot of wear can
sometimes have a little knick in it that will cause
your cane not to cut as precisely as you want it
too. Problem solved: Use a dedicated clay blade
specifically for cutting your millefiori canes. The
blade that I recommend is the Amaco
PolyBlade. It is the thinnest blade and has the least
amount of drag on your cane and slices cleanly.

Stand Up & Look Down:

This might seem silly, but you can actually cut your blades more evenly by standing directly
above your cane, looking down on it and slicing through. This allows you to slice at a natural
perpendicular line to your surface. When you sit and slice, you will have a tendency to cut
at an angle. So what are you going to do? You are going to stand up, take a big stretch
and slice your cane. You will be pleased with your results, I promise.

Cut Against Your Thumb:

I have seen this demonstrated many times, so I am not sure where this idea
originated. However, this works very well for pre-baked (cured) millefiori canes. For many of
my figurines, I use cured polymer clay millifiori canes to add tiny details like flowers &
snowflakes that I have previously made & baked. The easiest way to slice cured canes is to
hold the cane against your thumb, place an exacto blade against the cane and slice
slowly toward your thumb. Be very careful - you can cut yourself using this
method. However, you can cut very thin slices of clay with your blade, getting a more
shallow depth, and use them for many different applications.

Practice Makes Perfect:

Keep trying to cut those canes and soon enough you will be slicing even, perfect, gorgeous
slices straight from your millefiori cane. As always, if youre not having fun while
clayingthen why do it?

Want More Help with Canes?

Visit Meg Newberg at http://PolymerClayWorkshop.com
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KATERS ACRES

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#3

How to Embed a Bead Into Clay

Yes, Theres a Secret
Weve all been there, made crucial mistakes that
affect our work, productivity, & even the outcome
of our piece. There is more to embedding a bead
into clay that just shoving it into the clay. There is
a trick to get your beads to stay put, forever

The Proper Way

with wire.

At left, you will see step by step pictures on

how to properly embed beads into polymer
clay. As many new clayers find out, simply
pressing a bead into clay will not make it
hold. You have to either use liquid polymer
clay to adhere it to the clay, or you have to embed it

How to Do It:
First choose a 24-28 gauge copper wire. (I usually
use black 28 gauge copper or 24 gauge silver
anti-tarnish wire).
String bead onto about 1.5 of wire. (Length of
wire depends on size of bead).
Using round nose pliers hold the ends of the wire
steady and begin to twist the bead.
One you have a twist approximately 1/4-1/2
inch long, cut the ends of the wire with
flush cutters.
Add a drop of liquid polymer clay onto the
twisted wire.
Then embed the bead into the area of
polymer clay where you wish the bead
to be placed.
Make sure you embed the bead PAST the wires.
Cover the bead with clay pieces/elements to ensure it will
never move or fall out (see photo at top).

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#4

KATERS ACRES

Tools From Every Department

Sometimes the Best Tools Are
in Other Departments

Working with polymer clay takes time, energy, and is

the best reason to dig into every other craft & hobby
out there! My husband said to me one day while
wading through every single aisle in my local Pat
Catans, why cant you just crochet or
something? I laughed because I knew exactly
what he meant. What he meant was that theres
a clay/sculpting aisle and we go down it to shop,
but then I hit up the stamp section, knitting
section, button & sewing aisles, plus the flower
section, baking/cooking section, jewelry section, and
eventually end up in the paints with a final trip through the clay
aisle again (just in case I missed something). What is it about clayers that
makes this happen? Well, part of what makes that happen is the uncanny ability for
clayers to collect, use, replace, and

Toothpick:
You can use this for everything: adding texture, as a needle tool, an inexpensive dotter, etc.
This is one of my favorite tools & I use it daily.. Why? Because when it breaks, its cheap and
easy to replace. Not to mention that you can use them to create mini armatures in pieces
that might easily break off. But also because instead of squeezing my acrylic paint from a
tube, I just stick the toothpick inside; out comes the paint, and I havent wasted ANY paint
when I add tiny dots to my figurine eyes & cheeks. In fact, to this day I still have the 2
ounce tube of white acrylic paint that I bought 5 years ago! Find this tool in any store where
paper products & kitchen products are sold.

Paintbrushes:
This is another one of my favorites. Ive had my favorite one for about 4 years. Its old, dirty,
and worn but it is by far my favorite! Its used specifically for chalk and for chalk only. But a
paintbrush has many uses in my studio. I have a fluffy one for mica powders, a thin one for
detailed chalk applications, one for waxes, one for varnishes, one for patinas, and the list
goes on! Never underestimate the value of paintbrushes in your studio. Just make sure they
all look different so you dont mix your mica powder with your chalk and end up with
metallic cheeks where you didnt want them (yes, I do say this from experience). Find these
in the painting section of your craft store.

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

KATERS ACRES

Tools From Every Department

Double Ended Stylus
Theres not a lot to say about this one,
why? Because you need it. And if you dont have
one, then you dont know you need it, but after
going out and purchasing one, youll never be
without one again. This is an invaluable tool. My
tool is now 6 years old; Its dirty and covered with
clay muck which you understand if you clay a
lotits that same stuff thats covering your pasta
machine handleyou know, clay muck? Find
this tool in the stamping and embossing section
of your local craft store or buy an entire set
here on Amazon for a really cheap price!

Needle Tools:
Another invaluable tool. I use this tool literally a hundred times when I work with
clay.
I use needle tools to indent Parkers eyes, remove tiny blemishes from finished clay pieces
(other clay colors, kitten fur, dust, etc), and even to add accents to finished mokume gane
blends. Keep in mind that making your own tools, or covering store bought ones is a great
way to keep you motivated and to tell your tools apart. Find straight pins in your local craft
store in the sewing section & make your own needle tools, they usually come about 25-50 in
a little plastic box. Or you can purchase a Kemper needle tool for clayers here.

Tweezers:
Every sculptor needs a pair of tweezers to lift beads, place gems, move around tiny pieces of
clay that your fingers are too chunky for, and every other thing you can think of. These
however are not often found in craft stores, but rather in your beauty section. Do not get the
plastic kind, but rather the metal tweezers. I prefer the slant-tipped tweezers, but again its
your preference.

Want To Make Your Own Needle Tools:

Visit Ginger from the Blue Bottle Tree for a Simple Tutorial. This is the
exact same way I make mine as well.
http://thebluebottletree.com/make-your-own-needle-tools/

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#5

KATERS ACRES

In Studio Quick Tip

Use Rubbing Alcohol to
Remove Stubborn Stains
Have you ever sat down to clay and accidentally
mixed your colors? I dont mean mixing your colors
on purpose either. Last week I had just finished an
entire batch of Parker characters. My hands were
stained yellow from the pigments in the clay. So I
did my usual, used baby wipes to clean my
hands. Well . that didnt do the job near as well
as it should have, but I didnt notice.

Sometimes after youve worked with clay and your

hands are nice and warm (and so is the clay), the clay
has a tendency to leach its color and lose its pigments, all over
your hands. And no matter how many times you use your baby wipes,
there is still color left behind. Unless you go and wash your hands (or use my awesome hand
scrub recipe in tips #1) you still might have clay residue on your hands.
Always after playing with clay that leaves excessive pigment on your hands, you need to go
and wash them. But lets be honest, its hard to leave your masterpiece that your knee deep
inspire to create behind. So instead, heres a cheater trick. Use baby wipes to get as much
clay residue off your hands as possible. Then put rubbing alcohol on the baby wipe and run
it thoroughly over your hands. And before you go back to claying, use some instant hand
sanitizer to finish the job. Why? Because the rubbing alcohol (though severely drying to your
hands) will remove the pigment stain very quickly. Its cheap, easy, and convenient.

#6

Use Lotion
This has made my Top 10 both years in a row! I feel so strongly about it that I
have written an entire article dedicated to it.

Heres why you really need to:

Polymer clay has a tendency to dry out your hands. By using lotion, the colors of clay wont
stain your hands as easy. As a bonus, the residue comes off hands much easier when
washing. Lastly, if you are going to use rubbing alcohol, this will keep your hands from
becoming overly dry.
Heres what to get:
Lotion without shea butter (not good for the clay)
I recommend St. Ives Intensive Therapy Lotion. Its about $5 for a huge bottle.
7

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

KATERS ACRES

Do Not Use Student Clays

7
#Want a Professional Look? Use a Professional Clay
I can NOT overemphasize this enough. There are a lot of different brands of polymer clay on
the market. It is very important to know what brand of clay to purchase and use. Some
brands work better in certain applications than other brands.
DO NOT USE A STUDENT LINE OF CLAY.
If you want to be taken seriously as an artist, then you need to use a professional brand clay.
Professional level clay brands that are widely available in the US include: Premo! by Sculpey,
Fimo, Cernit, Pardo, & Kato Polyclay.
As always, if you are following a tutorial, do your first trial from the tutorial using whatever clay
the tutorial writer recommends. Why? Most tutorial writers have a reason for choosing the
brand that they recommended to you. On your second attempt at the tutorial, feel free to
use your choice of clay.

#8

Use Lotion

This has made my Top 10 both years in a row! I feel so strongly about it that I
have written an entire article dedicated to it. Heres why you really need to:
Polymer clay has a tendency to dry out your hands. By using lotion, the colors of
clay wont stain your hands as easy. As a bonus, the residue comes off hands much easier
when washing. Lastly, if you are going to use rubbing alcohol, this will keep your hands from
becoming overly dry.
Heres what to get:
Lotion without shea butter (not good for the clay)
I recommend St. Ives Intensive Therapy Lotion. Its about $5 for a huge bottle.

#9

Join a Project Group

Polymer clay is one of the most sharing art forms and communities in the world.
Lots of people establish and run groups that challenge you to push your creativity
with daily, weekly, or monthly projects. Just run a basic search on Goggle & see what comes
up. Project groups are great as a source of fun, information sharing, learning, & creativity.
Some groups are free, some require membership to join, & some operate solely through
social media channels. Parker has a Tutorial Club that anyone of any skill level is welcome to
join. Details on joining this club are provided at the end of this guide.
8

KATERS ACRES

10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

#10

Have Fun and Be Free

There is nothing more important that having fun while you are claying. This
being said, yes you will sometimes be frustrated when things didnt turn out as
you had planned but dont let that stop you from the joy of claying!

Try every technique out there. Heres a few that if you havent tried, you might want to:
Millefiori Canes
Miniatures
Doll Sculptures
Fantasy Sculptures
Buttons
Beads & Cabochons
Organic Elements
Overlay techniques
Mokume Gane
Sutton Slice
Steampunk
Ornaments
Covered Eggs
Hollow Beads
Fairy Doors
Texture Plates
Pens
Clay Flowers
Faux Techniques

Looking for More? Check These Out:

Daily Inspiration:
Polymer Clay Daily
The Polymer Arts Blog

Sculpting:
Christi Friesen
Birdy Heywood

Millefiori Canes & Tutorials:

Polymer Clay Workshop
Matt Kernans Etsy Shop

Miscellaneous:
Iris Mishly
Sculpey Website
Craftylink
Polymer Clay Central
PC Polyzine

Faux Techniques: The Blue Bottle Tree

Polymer Clay Jewelry Making: Polymer Clay Tutor
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10 POLYMER CLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU IN YOUR STUDIO

KATERS ACRES

MONTHLY SCULPTING TUTORIAL SUBSCRIPTION

What Does It Include?
Total Cost: $9.95 per month
Once a month you will receive a 8-12 page full color, full text, PDF tutorial with the featured
design for that month. Value $8-$25. Value varies depending on the month & size of
the PDF tutorial.
Once a month you will also receive a mini-project sheet utilizing a technique or additional
feature you can add to your sculpture design for the month (depending on month this
will be sent in PDF or JPEG formats). Value = $5
You will receive unlimited help and access through a community discussion board format
through an exclusive FaceBook group where ONLY paying members will be admitted.
Everyone who receives the tutorials can come together, share projects & ideas, &
fellowship in an exclusive community. I will moderate the group and check in often.
Value = $10
Tutorials & Projects will be sent on the first and third Mondays of every month.
Fifth Monday surprise: If there is a fifth Monday, you will receive a BONUS PDF tutorial in your
email. This happens 4 times in 2014. Value = $5
TOTAL VALUE: $45

Payment
$9.95 per month
Payment through PayPal.
You will be automatically billed every month.
o Tutorials begin with the next edition after payment.
No obligation.
Cancel at any time.

SIGN UP NOW:

HTTP://KATERSACRES.COM/POLYCLAY/TUTORIALS/SCULPTING-TUTORIAL10

POLYMER CLAY ARTIST & ARTISAN

KATIE OSKIN OF KATERS ACRES

Meet the Artist

Katie Oskin lives in rural NW Pennsylvania
with her husband, dog, & cat. She earned
a Bachelor Degree in Psychology &
Religion, as well as a Master of Divinity, and
most recently a OMCP certification from
Market Motives in Social Media Marketing.

Smile, everyday!

Despite loving education & learning, Katie lives in a world of

make-believe fantasy where everything is filled with flowers and
sunshine. This is what brings her polymer clay creations to life!
She has been working with polymer clay since 2008 and has
explored every technique ever published! But, she is best known
for her character creations with whimsical style & stories.

Get Polymer Clay Tips In Your Email:

http://katersacres.com/polymer-clay-email-sign-up/

Where You Can Find Me

Etsy Store: http://katersacres.etsy.com
Website & Blog: http://katersacres.com
FaceBook: http://facebook.com/katersacres
Twitter: http://twitter.com/katersacres
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katersacres
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KatersAcres/videos