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Galleries New Work Links Polymer Clay Links
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NEW! I have created a new site at www.skygrazer.com. I will leave the Draggle's Lair up but I won't be updating it anymore so please click here to go to the most current version. |
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The Draggle's Lair |  |
Greetings!
Welcome to my polymer clay site and the lair of the Draggle. Draggles are small elusive creatures often mistaken for dragons in poor light. They thrive on chocolate chip cookies and orange peel. One of their interesting habits is to collect small objects such as pen caps and paper clips which they save for a rainy day in any convenient spot. If you find such a collection, for instance under a couch cushion, you can assume that one of these wonderful creatures is living in the vicinity. Be sure to leave out a chocolate chip cookie every now and then and always cover your polymer clay... Or you may have to smooth out a few claw prints from late night Draggle dancing.
Check out my gallery pages for some of the things I've tried to make in polymer clay so far. I've included some comments on the techniques I used AND the mistakes I've made. :) If I don't have specifics on how to do something, send me an e-mail or check out my clay links. I've included some central sites which are great to learn the basics, sites with how-to tips and techniques, and sites with work by wonderful clay artists. I only started working with polymer clay a few months ago but its already an addiction. There are just so many things you can do with it.
About Polymer Clay
Polymer clay is a synthetic modeling material and not really clay at all.
But unlike earth clay, which needs extremely high temperatures to cure, polymer clay can be
cured in your home oven at temps of around 275 degrees (depending on the brand). The most common
brands are Sculpey, Premo, and FIMO. In most craft stores, you can buy a 2 oz.
package of one color for a little under two dollars. Sample packs are also generally available.
One pound packages can be ordered from various distributors online.
Polymer clay, or just clay - since I don't feel like typing the whole thing every time, comes in numerous colors, including metallics, translucent, and glow-in-the-dark. Colors can be mixed together like paints so that the choices are virtually limitless. The clay can be used to make figures, sculpture, jewelry, household items and basically anything you can imagine. You can use it to cover pens, picture frames, jars, tins.. - anything that can be baked at the same curing temperature as the clay. You can transfer images onto it or stamp into it with rubber stamps. You can texture the clay before baking or carve it after its cured. Once the clay is baked, it can be drilled, sanded, painted, or sealed. Just be careful what substances you use since some can react with the clay and either dissolve it or never dry. Acrylic paints and Future Floor Wax (found in the grocery store) are what I use on my pieces. I also use Pearl-Ex powders before baking or Treasure Gold wax after baking to add metallic effects.
Anyone can work with polymer clay and have fun and make some neat projects. You don't have to be "artistic" although I think anyone can be. You may not be able to create professional looking sculpture or intricate canes yet, but you can use cookie cutters or rubber stamps to cut out shapes and decorate them and then glue the result onto a magnet to put on the fridge. The wonderful thing about polymer clay is its versatility. There is something for everyone to be interested in.
This page has been visited times since 8/23/99.
This page was last updated 9/17/99.