If you continually seek original embellishments for your cards, collage and other artwork, air-dry clay is the medium to try. The possibilities for making your own creative embellishments are endless when you use this versatile material. Think molds, rolling pin, pasta machine, or shaping by hand. Textured plates, rubber stamps, and kitchen utensils...No surface is safe, now. Is your mind swimming with ideas already?
When using cookie cutters, candy molds or other kitchen utensils, remember to reserve them for craft use only. It is not recommended that you use them for food preparation after use with clay or other non-food media. One benefit of using candy molds for clay is that there are no calories involved! So, mold away without guilt.
The clay tends to be somewhat sticky when molded, so it is best to use powder or cornstarch, dusted thoroughly into the mold pressing with clay. If using a rolling pin, roll the clay between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking. It isn’t necessary to use powder when feeding the clay through the pasta machine.
When working with air-dry clay, remember to plan ahead. While you don’t have to worry about baking the clay to cure it, you will have to allow drying time. This will vary depending on the size and thickness of the piece, as well as the humidity level in your craft room. On thinner pieces, the clay tends to curl somewhat. It’s a good idea to allow thin pieces to dry partially, and then use a weight to keep them flat as they finish drying.
Paint takes well to clay, and pigments and color charts are available if you wish to mix your own colors. The clay used in these projects is actually pigment clay, which utilizing a color chart to create custom colors. You may also mix the clay with paint and/or mica powder, metallic foil, and more for special colors and effects. The best news is that cleanup is very easy.
Here are a few pointers that will make the clay even easier to work with:
- Store the clay in an airtight container when not in use, as it will dry very quickly.
- Cover clay with a damp towel or washcloth as you are working on another piece.
- A small amount of hand lotion rubbed into your hands will help prevent the clay from drying out prematurely.
- The clay can be cut with an Xacto knife, cookie cutters reserved for crafts, or a pair of craft scissors. You can also achieve some interesting effects by tearing it, much as you would tear paper. The clay may also be trimmed with scissors when dry.
- An ordinary emery board can be used to smooth any rough edges after the clay has dried, and before painting.
- Since the clay will shrink slightly as it dries, you may want to allow for shrinkage if size is critical for your project.
If you plan to mail cards with dimensional embellishments such as the adornments shown here, use padded envelopes or small boxes to safeguard them as they travel through the mail system. For more information about Hearty Clay, visit: http://www.claycompany.com/htips.htm
