Lessons Learnt

I tried my hand at making polymer beads today. I don't have a bead roller so had to roll them all out by hand which taught me a few things in the process.

The first lesson I learnt is that no matter how carefully you measure out the clay then roll it in what you think is a similar method, no two beads turn out the same shape and size, particularly if like me, you decide to add a pattern into the equation. Bead roller duly ordered!

The second thing I learnt is that Fimo metallic clay isn't the best thing to use if you want crisp delineations between colours. It has a tendency to get too soft which then means that one colour occasionally 'bleeds' into another which you can sort of see in the photo below.



Lesson number two then - use a brand of clay with a firmer consistency such as Sculpy or Kato. A couple of blocks of both to experiment with duly ordered also!

Lesson number three revolves around the application of the cut cane pattern onto the plain bead. Today I've used my hands to roll and meld the cut canes together which eventually gives you a pretty seamless join but you do run the risk of the pattern distorting - not too much of a problem if, like me you're basically experimenting with circles as I kind of like the way they warp out of shape;-




but not so great if you're trying to apply a more intricate pattern as I tried to do here;-



The orange pattern started off as a cluster of three evenly spaced concentric swirls, but as you can see quickly morphed into a more elongated pattern. Next time around I think I'll try applying the cut cane pieces onto the bead but then use something like a cold metal knitting needle to roll and join the edges of the patterns together. That way I'll hopefully have a bit more control of how the pattern eventually turns out.

The fourth and last lesson I 'think' I've learnt is to do with how I finish non stamped polymer pieces off. In every instance so far I've used wet and dry paper to sand all the rough edges off of a baked piece, then applied a thin coat of satin glaze over the top in order to bring the colours out and give the piece a sheen. However, what I'm finding is that no matter how carefully I apply the glaze, I still end up with little bits of grit or hair stuck to the finished piece;-



which is difficult to determine in photos but annoys me no end, so I think I'm going to have to stop cutting corners and learn how to buff polymer properly. I say 'think' I've learnt because having arthritic hands might prove problematic in this department, I'll have to see how it goes. I recently inherited a very old Dremel from my late father which I've read can be adapted for buffing by applying roundels of washed fabric such as denim to the drill piece then using them to buff the clay; if we're still snowed in tomorrow, I'm guessing experimenting with it further and putting this theory to the test will keep me occupied for an hour or two!