Clay Tips

Here are my clay tips. Some of them are the same as all the others and some of them are not.

- Read all the instructions on the clay package! Not all polymer clay have the same baking temperature or baking time. Always make sure you know what is before baking.
- Never mix food and clay stuff together. If they have to be (like if you put clay in the fridge to cool it off) Make sure that they are in a separate compartment and labeled so that you don't misktake it as food.

Burnt clay... not pretty

- You should always have a clay thermometer at all times to check the temperature. I got a $30 little toaster oven that likes to go to 350*F if I don't watch it. Burnt clay smells bad and turns black and looks like this. The only way to be sure you don't burn is to have a good oven thermometer.

- Clay likes to be worked in a "sweet zone". I call it that because clay don't like to be too hot and too cold. Too cold and the clay is very stiff. Too hot and the clay won't hold its shape. If it is too cold, warm your hands with warm water over the sink until your hands are warm. During hot weather, keep an ice pack (the kind that holds the cold liquid) by you while you work, making sure that you got 2 of them handy. If one of them gets too warm, you can put it back in the freezer and use the other one while you work to cool down your hands. If the clay is too warm, stick it in the fridge or freezer until you can try again.

More tips to come when I can think of it!