There are many polymer clay brands out there. A bit bewildering especially for beginners. So check out this excellent review of the best polymer clay brands. It is by Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree. She goes through each brand in detail and gives her recommendations on which one to choose depending on what you wish to make.
Some clays are softer to work with than others. Some are also brittle after curing. Ginger's recommendations for jewelry are : Premo, Cernit, Fimo Professional, or Souffle. But remember personal preferences also matter. For instance, my friend, Helen Breil, uses Kato which is notoriously stiff to work with. But she prefers its strength. According to Ginger, Kato is also great for caning.
Did you know that polymer clay has a shelf life? It is best to buy from a supplier with good turnovers!
Before You Go:
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
Some clays are softer to work with than others. Some are also brittle after curing. Ginger's recommendations for jewelry are : Premo, Cernit, Fimo Professional, or Souffle. But remember personal preferences also matter. For instance, my friend, Helen Breil, uses Kato which is notoriously stiff to work with. But she prefers its strength. According to Ginger, Kato is also great for caning.
Did you know that polymer clay has a shelf life? It is best to buy from a supplier with good turnovers!
Before You Go:
- How to Use the Skinner Blend Technique for Coloring Polymer Clay
- Clever Bargello Spiral Polymer Clay Earrings Tutorial
- How to Make a Beautiful Leather Bail for Polymer Clay Pendants
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
Thank you so much for featuring my article today, Pearl. It's very much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your in depth knowledge for the benefit of all!
DeleteMy own personal preferences are Sculpey Premo and Kato.
ReplyDeleteAs for shelf life...I don't mind conditioning old clay. It still works for me.
Now that I've had a chance to read the article and also the second article on where and why to buy clay...I have to say ...It's worth signing up for the newsletter. Anyone with this much knowledge about any type of product you use in your studio is worth getting a newsletter from.
ReplyDeleteAnd I need to correct the types of clay I said I used in a previous comment ( since I'm nowhere near my studio at present and can't verify what's in my polymer clay drawer)...
I use Premo Sculpey and Katoclay.... Whew!!
I still stand by conditioning old clay. Sure it can be frustrating and crumbly at first but you can really get into a zen thing with the repetition of putting it through the clay machine providing you have the time and mind space.... 😀
Ginger is a fountain of information! I don't do much polymer clay work but I have Premo. I have to admit that unused Original Sculpey in my box is about to get donated to someone else who isn't a jewelry maker!!
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