Monster Kookies

Farewell, Fingerprints!

2011-11-12T00:37:00.003-05:00

I was wondering how you manage to keep your fingerprints out of your clay! no matter how much I smooth and flatten out my finished product I can always spot fingerprints in it! ~ GahBlah, DeviantArt

This is probably one of the most common questions amongst those who work with polymer clay, and I have decided to present you with TEN tips on how you can avoid or lessen fingerprints in your work. Of course, if you have your own tips, don't forget to comment and let everyone else know so that they may benefit from your knowledge, as well!

1) Start with smooth hands.
The more rough your hands are, the more likely you are to leave fingerprints in the clay. By exfoliating your hands on a regular basis and using a decent moisturizer will leave your hands (and fingers) soft and smooth. If you work with polymer clay on a regular basis, taking care of your hands is very important. Over time, the plasticizers in the clay, constant kneading, working, and sculpting and washing your hands will leave your hands quite dry, anyways, so it's good to keep them moisturized for more than a few reasons!

2) Work with a firm clay.
The more sticky and soft your clay is, the more likely it will be to leave fingerprints behind. There are certain brands that are notable for being firm, however any clay can be soft depending on how fresh it is. You may pick up a block of Premo and it's as tough as a brick, but another time you may pick up the same colour and find that it's as mushy as a tepid block of butter. If this is the case, leeching the clay is a valuable technique. Leeching gets rid of excess plasticizers and makes the clay much more firm. I often use this process in most of my metallic clay based work. Check out my blog entry on Sticky Soft Clay for pointers on how to leech polymer clay!

3) Keep it cool.
Keeping your polymer clay cool definitely makes it less likely to leave fingerprints behind. If you find that your clay is getting warm, set it down and walk away for a few minutes. You may also pop it into the fridge or freezer to cool it down for a few minutes. Another valuable tip is to keep your work surface cold. In the Summer months, I like to put my granite slab in the fridge or freezer or run it under ice cold water. If you have naturally warm hands, you may also dip your hands in cold water, as well.

4) Apply a delicate touch.
It is quite easy to really grab onto the clay as you work with it. You'll especially notice this when you are working on something completely three dimensional - as you work on one side, you may happen to squish the other. It took me a long time to develop a light touch, but if you think of your clay as something delicate and fragile, it may help. As you learn, it is a good idea to work closer to your work surface just in case the piece you are working on happens to fall because you're holding it so loosely. Holding the clay lightly will diminish fingerprints quite immensely.

5) Try finger cots.
One size doesn't always fit all. If you've ever tried wearing latex gloves as you work with clay, you might know what I mean. Sometimes latex gloves have a texture to them that may reflect onto the clay surface and the fingers aren't always the most snug fit, which will leave you awkwardly fumbling around with the clay. This is where finger cots come in. Think of them as finger gloves (or for those with minds in the gutter - finger condoms)! They fit quite snuggly, and are thin enough that you still have good control in your fingers. You can find these at almost any drug store in the first aid section.

6) Rolling and flattening it out.
Quite often you will roll the clay out with with your fingers or flatten it with your palm, but this quite often leads to many fingerprints. Try getting a piece of glass from an old picture frame or a square of acrylic to roll and flatten your clay. It is perfectly smooth, keeps the clay quite uniform, and you avoid fingerprints.

7) Keep some water on hand.
Quite simply smoothing the clay with cool water and your fingers will get rid of fingerprints in a pinch. Even if you don't use water, using your fingers to smooth the clay works wonders, as well. Yes, I know - using your fingers to get rid of fingerprints sounds a little ironic.

8) Smoothing with powders and solvents.
Most polymer clay artists have an old standby for the inevitable fingerprint. Powders can be things like talcum and corn starch. A little goes a long way - just dab a little bit on your finger or on a brush, apply to the clay and smooth it out with your finger. Notable solvents, which can be applied with your fingers, brush, or cotton swab are clay softener/diluent, rubbing alcohol, acetone, baby oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil, etc. Keep in mind - a little goes a long way! These methods are to be used after the piece is completely and ready to be baked. I wouldn't recommend trying to re-sculpt the clay after you do this. Another good tip is to keep alchol wipes on hand - they are great for smoothing out imperfections!

9) Sanding, buffing and polishing.
Sanding, buffing, and polishing your clay gives the final product an amazing shine and gets rid of any imperfections on your clay. If you'd like to learn, all it requires is a few materials and a little bit of time to get an amazing looking clay surface. Many polymer clay artists use this technique, and the result is very professional looking. Check out my blog entry on Sanding, Buffing, and Polishing Polymer Clay!

10) And, when all else fails...

Just make yourself a Fingerprint Pendant. Hah! :)

No Good At Random

2011-11-11T16:51:00.006-05:00

It's been quite awhile since I wrote a blog entry, mainly because I have been feeling sort of un-inspired lately.

When I feel un-inspired and un-motivated, I like to look at the artwork that other people are creating. All sorts of mediums, actually - not just polymer clay. It usually revitalizes my creative spark, so it seems, and when I see all the neat things that other people are creating, it makes me want to make something neat, as well. Although they aren't usually related. I could be looking at a photo of a flying pig and have an overwhelming urge to make a flaming cupcake.

I was looking at my own work today, and I realize that I have a lot of trouble in being random. The art of taking objects and assembling them into a pattern or design that works, but isn't necessarily perfectly placed.

I think my perfectionism honestly gets in the way of being random. I need things to be perfectly place or for them to be symmetrical. Or placed perfectly and purposely asymmetrical. I've never been good with overlaying and layering. I'm not sure if this is something that can be learned and that I can work on, or if it is something that just comes naturally.

Here is a perfect example of RANDOM:

This is the work of ValerianaSolaris of DeviantArt.

See the placement of the objects? It's random. Not symmetrical or carefully placed - but beautiful, because the design WORKS.

So what do you think? As an artist, how do you usually create? Are you random?

Looking for Jewellery Displays?

2011-06-23T19:04:00.012-04:00

Craftshow season is upon us, and if you're as tired as I am when it comes to the standard jewellery displays, this article is definitely for you. I'm talking those ugly plastic trays that are mass produced in China... lined in black velvet that get dirty and dusty at first touch.

I dealt with these nightmares for a few years, until I went on a full-fledged hunt to find a set of jewellery displays that I could be proud of and would last for years and years. My search finally ended when I found John of Wudls Woodshop on Etsy - a woodworker with over 40 years of experience. What a craftsman! He is located in Western PA in the United States and ships his wonderful hand-crafted items worldwide.

When you're like me and don't have a vehicle, or you're forced to travel to a craftshow on foot, what you need are jewellery displays that are LIGHT and COMPACT. John has definitely thought this through when it comes to his work, and that is why he specializes in craft/jewellery displays.

Take this piece of work for example. This necklace display box is made from a lightweight pine and folds in half to make it easy to haul and thin enough to be stored flat. What's really cool about it is the fold-out legs that allow it to actually stand up on it's own. And when you aren't using it, the legs fold back to make it extra compact. Very cool!

Or how about this sectioned jewellery tray? The great thing about it is that you can store your jewellery items inside of it, as it comes with a handy cover that slides into the top, thus keeping everything inside safe and secure.

Every display is fully customizable. You can ask for custom measurements, and he can even paint it if you so please. I even ordered myself some displays with removable back panels so that I can line them with fun fabric! If there is something you'd like that you don't see in his shop, John also takes custom requests. And if prices are a concern - he's got the best bang for your buck that you're going to find - hand-crafted AND affordable? You can't beat that. To save you on shipping, he also offers to ship your display un-assembled (with instructions) so that it can be shipped in a smaller box. Nice!

I'll be posting photos soon of my customized displays. If you visit John's shop - tell him I sent you!

The Perfect Frosting

2011-04-23T16:21:00.003-04:00

I have gotten tons of questions over the years regarding how I can get my frosting so darn smooth and creamy looking. I wrote a blog entry quite awhile back about the use of liquid clays to create pliable polymer clay frostings, icing, slime, blood, etc... but I thought that I would go more in depth about frosting in this entry.

Simply put, frosting is just a mixture of three different mediums - raw polymer clay, liquid clay, and oil paint. This will give you the most fluffy and opaque result, ideal for brightly coloured icings and frostings. And this is what we will create.

First - the raw polymer clay. In this case, super soft clays definitely come in handy. Personally, I need to work with a firm clay to get the shapes I am looking for without being too soft (I use Premo), but in this case, having a package of Sculpey III or Fimo Soft is the best. Because we are going to be mixing liquid clay with the raw clay, you need the raw polymer clay to be as soft as possible. Knead it in your warm hands for a few minutes to really get the clay soft and gooey - almost like chewed chewing gum.

Next, you will want to break the clay into tiny pieces. The more small, the better - it makes it much easier to mix with the liquid clay. Break it into small thin pieces on your workspace of choice - the best possible options would be a little container for mixing your icing, or on a porcelain/glass/marble tile. I use my marble workslab - I'm not sure if it is real marble or not, it could be glass or granite, but any of those are good.

To the raw clay, add a generous squirt of liquid clay. For this purpose, TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) is the best choice. It is definitely a lot more cheaper than the Fimo version of liquid clay (Fimo Decorating Gel) and comes in much bigger bottles. You can find HUGE bottles of TLS at Polymer Clay Express for a decent price. Using the back of a spoon, or the handle itself, mash the raw clay into the liquid clay, stirring, mixing, and otherwise doing anything you can to get it evenly distributed.

This is the point where many people get discouraged. Sometimes it can take a LONG time to mix frostings, especially when you are doing it in large quanities like I do. If you are finding it really hard on your wrists, it generally means that you need to add more TLS. By the end of the mixing, you should have a very thick frosting. To further bring out the colours of your frosting, add a matching colour of oil paint. Just a tiny dab. So if you were making pink frosting, you would use a tiny bit of raw pink polymer clay, liquid clay, and a dab of pink oil paint. This will increase the opacity of the frosting. You can buy oil paints in sets of small "sample" tubes for rather cheaply - and they will last you for YEARS if this is all you are using them for.

In regards to proportions, it's really hard to say how much you will need to make frosting. Just keep in mind, start with a very small amount of raw clay (under the size of a small grape) because the more raw clay you start with, the more frosting you are going to have at the end... because it will take A LOT of liquid clay to make that raw clay into frosting. Try starting with just a few pea sized amounts of raw clay at first. If you decide that you need a lot more frosting than what you come out with, add more raw clay to the frosting and keep adding liquid clay to the mixing process until you get as much as you need.

To spread the frosting, try using a toothpick (for tiny cupcakes) or a popsicle stick for larger cupcakes. Spread it onto the cupcake, putting on a nice big dollup in the center of the cupcake and spreading it towards the edges. At this point, you may add any toppings you like or perhaps a cherry. Bake for atleast 20 minutes. If the cupcake underneath the frosting isn't baked yet, it won't hurt the frosting to put it in for the full baking time that is required to bake the rest of the polymer clay.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Go ahead and make a comment!

Artist Interview: Beat Black

2011-01-22T20:30:00.006-05:00

If you've been loitering around the Deviant Art community or in the handmade selections on Etsy, you may have stumbled on the creations of Sarah Norton, the owner of Beat Black.

We had chatted a few times online, but I actually got to meet Sarah when she had a booth at Fan Expo in Toronto, Ontario, last year. She happened to be at a booth in the aisle behind mine. It was a three day event that kept us both busy, but on the last day I finally had some time to check out her creations up close and personal. I have to say, though, that even though her photos are well taken, vivid, and bright... they certainly don't do the real thing justice!

If I didn't have to be back at my booth, I probably could have spent all day staring and just going through each and every piece, touching it and seeing all the little delicate details that go into every creation. The bases of her designs are well shaped and thought through, the colours are vibrant and fun, and the details really pop with the application of a black acrylic patina. And they're so small!

After she got some time to peel away from her booth as well, she got over to my booth to check out my wares. We had agreed on the spot that at some point we must do a trade, and a few months later - we did!

I now have the pleasure of owning two pieces of Beat Black jewellery - and both of them in Monster Kookies colours! How that made me smile. I got a one-eyed mutant cupcake in purple and green, and a lovely grenande in a bright lime green - the little pin (made from a jumpring) is just the perfect little detail that finishes it off. As you can see above, I took a photo of them in my hand.

These were a trade for one of my Mechanical Birdies - she ended up naming him Nutmeg. I'm sure he's got a good home with her.

In addition to owning a few of her pieces, I decided to ask a few questions so that I could post the photos of my newly aquired Beat Black wares along with a look into what she does as an artist. I asked her several questions, but I am going to share some of my favourites.

Where did you first discover polymer clay? What inspired you to use it?

On Etsy, directly after I signed up. I saw these incredible little food pieces that I couldn't get enough of. Little steaks and cupcakes and ice cream! At first I didn't know what they were made of so I would search "mini food" over and over again then just eeeee and awww at them all.

There were SO many ideas I'd been carrying with me for years that I had no idea how to make. I'd tried modeling clay and those plastic sticks you melt in hot water but nothing was cutting it. If I only knew of polymer clay in high school... Nothing was going to stop me from using it after I learned the name.

Describe a day in the life of Beat Black. Do you have a routine?

Every day is different but I generally start by stumbling to the kettle/coffeemaker for a hot drink and turn on some music. Lately its been Petty or The Distillers to wake me up. If I'm really stoked about something I was working on before I went to bed I'll pick it right back up again before I even have a drink in my hand. From there it may be time to take and edit photos. After I'm fully awake I might walk to the post office. From there I usually find a place with wireless and sit with my laptop for an hour or so answering mail and such. If I'm not feeling very social or didn't bother blow drying my hair (or washing any paint off my hands) I'll pick a library otherwise its a cafe or friends house. Once that's taken care of its free time or home to work on finishing some pieces. When I have a show coming up its always straight home. Nearly all of the clay work I do is very late at night when there are less distractions. I literally fall asleep to the buzzing of the toaster oven as it bakes the clay.

What is your favourite/least favourite colour of clay to work with?

My favorites have always been orange and yellow but I don't get why. If I could get paid to make bananas all day I'd be in heaven. Least favorite is white because of all the dust and cross colour contamination.

Is there something that you want to make in the future, but haven't yet? What would it be?

Oooo yes. A ton of things from many different mediums. I've been planning out and researching ways to create a stop motion film. That's probably one of the more exciting up and comers... for myself anyways.

What is your favourite claying tool to use?

I have two tools that I use; a refill blade for a box cutter, and a pin. The pin is my favorite. I do have other tools for clay, but I guess I like keepin' it ghetto.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Absolutely everything in my day to day life, present and past. The anatomy theme comes from growing up with a nurse for a mother, a combination of the movies I love with the plants in the garden have inspired my newest figures, books, tattoos, the stupid time management games I play too much of, photography, food I eat, dust balls, sketches that end up taking on a look I wasn't going for... literally everything.

If you could give a polymer clay beginner any wisdom, what would it be?

I often get asked for tips or secrets by people who are just starting out with clay. I almost feel like they're disappointed with my answer, but it remains the same. You really have to practice and keep at it to be really good. I was the suck when I first started but practice made all the difference. If you don't want to waste your clay, even just sculpting and re-sculpting the same piece without baking is a great way to learn.

If you would like to see more of Sarah Nortons creations, I suggest that you take a look at the Beat Black Gallery on DeviantArt. Make sure to take the time to visit her Website and browse her Etsy Shop, as well.

Name My 100th Heart - Final Vote!

2010-12-02T17:58:00.008-05:00

I know I said that I would only pick my Top 5, but there were just so many wonderful names that you guys chose. I narrowed it down to my Top 10 favourites. Vote for your favourite! Voting will end on December 6th, so that gives you the entire weekend to think of your favourite. After voting is completed, we'll narrow it down to the Top 5... and there will be another vote.

I will leave these names as is, and will not include the person who suggested it. So no playing favourites here, of course. :)

These names are in no particular order.

TOP 10 - Voting Ends December 6th.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

COR AURUM

HECTOHERTZ

BRASS BEAT

MECHANA ARCAENA

CENTURION

END OF AN ERA

APPARATUS INTIMA

CENTUM COR

100 BPM

FINAL TOP 5 - Voting Ends December 13th.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

END OF AN ERA

CENTURION

100 BPM

BRASS BEAT

WINNER - Chosen December 13th.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Congratulations to Witchling-Ashara on DeviantArt!

Thanks so much to all who entered - you guys are awesome and oh-so creative. It was really hard choosing. I may use your suggested heart names in the future for other hearts, so I will give you credit for the name!

Kimberly

Name My 100th Heart!

2010-11-22T23:06:00.006-05:00

Well - it's finally here! Monster Kookies has finally approached the 100th milestone in the Industrial Heart Collection, and your help is needed to name this creation!

As opposed to picking apart your minds for ideas, this piece is entirely from the brain of Monster Kookies. It's colours range from brass and bronze to golds and silvers in different areas of the heart. It is highly Industrial inspired, and features many little gears, knobs, and various findings, as well as tubing, coils, and wire.

This heart represents a very special milestone, and so it has to be a very special and meaningful name. And that's where your creative minds come in to play!

From November 23rd until November 30th, you can have a chance to win a very special prize - anything in the Monster Kookies Etsy Shop under $40.00 (not including shipping)!

How can you enter this contest? Simple. All you have to do is come up with an awesome name for this heart. The Top 5 names will be chosen by myself and I will leave it up to a public vote to see which name wins! You have until November 30th to enter, and you can enter as many times as you like!

Please make sure to leave a way to get in touch with you (if you happen to win) such as an e-mail or a DeviantArt/Etsy/Facebook/Blogspot username, otherwise your entry will not be counted.

Good luck!

Sticky Soft Clay

2010-11-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

When I am working with polymer clay, I don't generally have a lot of problems with my clay being too soft. When I first started playing with it, though, I often used Sculpey III which is definitely good for beginners, but my goodness is it soft. After a few years, I moved on to a firmer clay - Premo. Premo certainly isn't as hard as Kato or Fimo Classic, but it is more firm that Sculpey III and Fimo Soft.

But I sometimes find that Premo can be soft, as well, and it makes it very difficult to work on three dimensional objects that require a lot of detail and layering. As you work on one side and hold onto the other, details tend to get squished... and the overall piece just looks dreadful.

So when does Premo seem the softest? Well, when it's super fresh, that's for sure.

I just opened a brand new 1lb package of Silver Premo this morning, and the softness was the equivilent to Sculpey III. And after kneading it, it was just a mess. When you're having this many problems with a newly bought package of Premo, it is almost always because it is fresh, fresh, fresh.

How can you avoid this, exactly?

You've got many options, actually. If you use a lot of polymer clay, it is a good habit to keep track of how many un-opened colours you have, how many open colours you have, as well as which colours you use the most of. After awhile, you start to get the knack of it, but sometimes it helps to write it down. If you can practice this habit, you'll never run out of clay. Why? Because you know exactly how much of what colour you have, and you can go out and grab some more of the colour you'll need far before you'll actually need to use it. Call it Polymer Clay Forecasting, if you will.

So how does this Polymer Clay Forecasting come in handy? By purchasing your clay ahead of time, you can "age" it for as long as you need. I find that leaving packages of polymer clay in a cool dark place for a month or two is sufficient enough to really make the clay less soft - so I always make sure to buy ahead of time.

Heat can be a factor as well, so your clay may be softer in the Summer months. If you can, try purchasing your clay in the cooler months, and if you have hot hands, try keeping them cool by dipping them in cool water once in awhile or by holding an icepack for a minute. Try to keep a cool work surface. I purchased a marble/granite slab at the kitchen store on sale, and it keeps a nice temperature all year round. If your work surface is too warm, try sticking it in the freezer when you aren't using it or by sticking a cold gel back beneath it as you work on the surface.

But if you're in a pinch, and you don't know what else to do, this is where Leaching comes in handy. If I have a big pack of really soft Premo, and I have none of that colour left in other packages, then I will leach the entire package of clay.

What is leaching, exactly? Well, it's a process in which you can remove some of the plasticizers, which make the clay soft, from the clay. This can be done with a white piece of paper and a pasta machine.

First, take your soft piece of clay and form it into a flat mass. Take a piece of white paper (just so you don't get any ink colour onto your clay) and fold it in half like a card. Between the two halves, place the clay inside, and then fold it closed again. Put it through your pasta machine at the thickest setting, and then go to the next smallest setting. Keep doing this until the clay is about 1mm thick - either setting #4 or #5. Now you've got yourself a clay-paper sandwich!

Take the clay-paper sandwich and put it on top of a hard cover book. And then pile a bunch of heavy books on top. Alternatively, you could sandwich the paper between two books and just sit on it if you like. In about 10-15 minutes, remove the books and grab the clay-paper sandwich. Peel the paper from the clay - you'll notice a weird oily residue on the paper, kind of like grease. This is the plasticizers!

Upon kneading the clay in your hands, you'll notice that it is a lot more firm. But if it isn't to your liking, though, you could always leave the clay between the white paper for a little bit longer. But just remember - too much leaching can lead to very crumbly clay, and you'll notice that it is a lot more fragile after baking. I've never had to leach my Premo for more than 20 minutes, and it's been a good bet so far. Some folks leave it overnight, or for several hours. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you!

If the clay sticks to the white paper, you can easily scrape it off with a razorblade. If you do not have white paper, try using a brown paper bag or cerealbox cardboard - as long as it has no print or ink on it, it will work fine.

Have any findings on this topic? Let me (and everyone else who is reading) know by leaving a comment. :) Happy claying!

Morrrrre Tentacles

2010-10-13T21:25:00.004-04:00

Well, if you've been following Monster Kookies over the years, you'd know that I seem to have a thing for tentacles. And no matter how many tentacles I make, I am always being told to make more, more, MORE. And I certainly don't mind.

This cute lil' curly tentacle transitions from a pearly violent into a pearly white and features teeny bright green suckers with lime green insides. Have you been able to tell that I also have a thing for lime green and bright purple? Yeeeeeah.

I'll be listing this lil' thing in my Etsy Shop, tomorrow. In fact, I have two of them - each is slightly different. Both are a pendant that will feature a ring in the top that will be strung through a chain.

I want to make some rainbow tentacles!!!

Dia De Los Muertos Festivities

2010-09-13T22:11:00.007-04:00

When the Autumn leaves begin to fall, I just get so darn excited and happy. It's just such a beautiful time of year, and that also means that Hallowe'en is just around the bend. Of course Hallowe'en isn't as fun as it used to be - I can't go out and trick or treat, but there are other things to look forward to, as well.

Dia De Los Muertos is definitely one of the things I look forward to. I don't have many people to celebrate it with, but I know a lot of people far away who do celebrate to the fullest extent, and it's always so wonderful to hear about the festivities. I think it's wonderful.

Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of The Dead, as bleek as the name may sound, is actually a very uplifting time of year. On November 1st and 2nd, folks gather in cemetaries and decorate the graves of their passed love ones. They light candles, sing, pray, and offer the deceased things like Pan De Los Muertos (Bread of the Dead) and create sugar skulls in their honour.

I definitely want to make some Pan De Los Muertos, this year. It's a lovely bread spiked with anise and orange - it sounds divine! Of course, I also create sugar skulls, but not from sugar... from polymer clay!

I've already made two sugar skulls - one of them is black and white, and one of them is in colour as well as bold black. I made them from a white-translucent-pearl mix and then hand painted them with acrylic paint. I finished their eyes off with rhinestones, too! I feel like I am back in grade school, because I just stocked up on things I haven't used before like rhinestones, glitter, dimensional fabric paint, and sequins. It's a really fun mix!

I plan on making more, though, just in different styles. I want to make one that is a wrought iron in colour with rust, as well as one with polymer clay details as opposed to paint to make it look like it's been piped with royal icing, as well as an Industrial one.

The next sugar skull I plan on making, though, is going to be named "The Devils Eye" and have the tattoo-inspired blue gems in their eyes. I haven't thought of much more yet, but it will definitely be inspired by the general look of Dia De Los Muertos tattoos and their vibrant colours with bold outlines.

I've done a lot of new stuff, lately!

Steampunk Arthropods? Oh yes.

2010-09-01T13:37:00.002-04:00

I made a decision to stop taking custom orders for Industrial Hearts, and I think it's the best decision I have made in a long time. It's going to give me a lot more time to think of new and exciting things, such as this lovely beetle brooch I made, last night. Here is a quote from my Etsy Shop:

"If you're looking for a lovely brooch as the focal point to those ivory white victorian ruffles, it's easy to finish it off with that brooch your grandmother gave you featuring a lady silhouette and bordered by gold, but why not go a different route?

This beautiful beetle resembles the egyptian scarab beetle but also takes inspiration from the japanese beetle and cicada. It's back is striped with rich gold, green emerald, and glimmering black. It features rivets, a single rust toned gear and few teeny tiny rusty gears holding the shell to it's back. It has been carefully textured in places, antiqued with black, and glazed with a satin sheen.

Brass antenae and six delicate legs finish off the entire piece.

This piece will definitely gain curious looks from envious onlookers, and makes a delightful focal point on ivory/cream coloured victorian ruffles or velvet collar."

It can be bought here:

Golden Emerald Beetle Brooch - Steampunk Arthropod - Specimen No.1

I am definitely going to be making more!

FanExpo 2010 = Good Times!

2010-08-30T15:59:00.008-04:00

Monster Kookies had an awesome time at FanExpo 2010, this weekend! It was a fantastic event and there were so many awesome people there. :) I finally got to meet Sarah Norton of Beat Black and I also got to meet Daniel Proulx of Catherinette Rings - Daniel even bought one of my Industrial Hearts!

I bought a lovely ring from Catherinette Rings, and I also bought a creepy little Eyeball Plant from Ghoul Friday.

As for how successful Monster Kookies was, I'd say we did plenty well for ourselves. I had Jason, my partner in crime, with me. We sold out of many things, and only had a bit of stuff left by the end of the weekend. Surprisingly enough, it was more of the Monster Kookies higher priced items that sold out as opposed to the lower priced items - I was very sad (but also happy) to see all of my birdies and hearts go so fast. It was very rewarding for sure, and I can't wait to go back for a third year in 2011!

Tips For Mixing With TLS

2010-08-14T22:12:00.003-04:00

I know that using TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) for the first time can be a little daunting for polymer clay beginners, which is why I wrote "Liquid Clay 101" some time ago. But I thought I would go into detail about the mixing process to make things a little less daunting. :)

I have compiled a small list of 5 random tips for mixing TLS.

If you are mixing a small amount of polymer clay with your TLS for things like frosting/icing, make sure that the piece of clay you are trying to blend is as warm and soft as possible. This is where softer brands of clay like Sculpey III or Fimo Soft are especially useful. I don't normally use these brands when it comes to regular sculpting, but they definitely blend well with TLS.
Adding a small amount of oil paint in the same colour as your icing choice is a good idea when creating icing/frosting with polymer clay and TLS. This further opaques the colour and really makes it vivid.
Don't over-do it on the oil paint. If you use too much oil paint in your TLS, you'll really be able to smell the oil paint. There should just be a hint of the smell. You'll discover after you've baked your piece if you've used too much, especially when you glaze it. If you use too much oil paint to colour your TLS, you'll notice that after you glaze the piece that the glaze will cloud over and become sticky... and a very strong smell of oil paint will be apparent.
If I could give you any ratio at all for creating frosting/icings and opaque sauces, I would say the following for oil paint:
- Frosting/Icing: 1/4 of a quarter bar of Polymer Clay (preferably Sculpey III), roughly 2 fluid ounces of TLS, and just a pea size amount of Oil Paint in a matching hue.
- Sauces: roughly 2 fluid ounces of TLS, and a pea size amount of Oil Paint in the sauce colour of your choice.
When creating clear sauces like maple syrup or strawberry sauce, Fimo Decorating Gel is the best way to go - it's like the TLS of the Fimo world. It's a lot more clear and transparent than TLS is, as TLS is much more white and cloudy, which is why TLS is great for sauces in which opaqueness doesn't matter - such as chocolate sauce. Since Fimo Decorating Gel is a lot more expensive than TLS and comes in smaller portions, try only using it when you need translucency in your mixture. If you wish to keep your mixture translucent but want it coloured, use shaved soft chalk pastels.

Often times, people will have trouble getting the soft chalk pastel shavings to mix with the Fimo Decorating Gel. Even in the final mixture, there are often small particles and specks of the chalk pastel. To avoid this, do not mix the chalk pastel shavings directly with a large amount of Fimo Decorating Gel. I'll further explain this:

Take a nail file and rub the chalk pastel across it to get some very fine chalk pastel particles. Do this on your work surface, such as glass, ceramic, or marble. When you have the desired amount of chalk pastel particles, add just a few drops of Fimo Decorating Gel. Take a toothpick and vigorously mix it into a paste. Add a few more drops of Fimo Decorating Gel, and mix again. You can do this a few more times if you like.

Now that you have a paste of the Chalk Pastel and Fimo Decorating Gel, you can scoop the concentrated paste into a tiny baggy or container and add as much Fimo Decorating Gel as you please to make your desired mixture. If there are any particles left, leaving it over night usually does the trick... just give the mixture a good stir or massage the baggy of the mixture the day after, and the particles should all be desolved.

Hopefully this will help you all in your claying endeavors! If there is anything you would like to know, let me know in the comments section and I will try to write a blog entry about it.

Happy Claying!

Mmm... Onions!

2010-07-17T17:26:00.003-04:00

You know, when I was a kid I used to get into a lot of trouble when it came to putting my hands in the mixed pickle jar. I used to fish for all the pickled onions because they were my favourite part! Those lil' pearly white onions all succulent and sweet n' sour. Mmm.

A lady asked me to make her a cute lil' white pearl onion charm the other day, and this is what the result was.

I got to use a new clay layering technique for the subtle pink striping with the translucent white of the base. Instead of using acrylics, I though it would be fun doing something a little different. It's got three lil' grass green sprouts coming out the top and I used some tan knotted embroidery thread for some roots. I think I am happy with the result! :)

Kookie's Take On Rainbow Cake

2010-07-02T19:00:00.002-04:00

I got so excited about rainbow cake in my last entry, that I just had to give it a try for myself. I ended up doing six layers of cake: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I then slathered on some fluffy white frosting, and generously sprinkled it with rainbow sprinkles and little crystal marble beads.

Yes, the rainbow sprinkles were all rolled by hand and nooo it isn't edible - it's all clay!

By the way, I am holding a Summer Promotion right now in my Etsy Shop! From June 25th until July 25th, anyone who buys something in my shop will be entered in a draw to win a Monster Kookies $25.00 Gift Certificate. So get on over there and grab a little somethin' somethin', because now is the best time! :) Oh yeah, and that rainbow cake is in my shop, too.

Polymer Clay Trends: The Rainbow Cake Slice

2010-06-17T11:12:00.016-04:00

If you're wondering what all the rage is in the polymer clay world at the moment, one of the best places to check is all the arts and crafts sites to see exactly what is being submitted. This month, there has been something in particular that a lot of polymer clay artists and dabblers have been fixated on - the rainbow cake slice.

Cake slices have always been a very popular item to create, but lately rainbow has been all the rage!

So how do you accomplish a rainbow cake slice, exactly? Well. The process itse l f is a ctually pretty simple, but it is also rather time consuming. So if you have the patience and the time, making these dainty little things is certainly a labour of love.

You start with about 7 colours colours of clay all rolled out and flat - about 2-3mm thick. You can use any amount of colours that you want, but it's typical to use Red, Yellow, Pink, Green, Purple, Orange, & Blue. Cut them all into circles using a cookie cutter and then slice the circles 3 or 4 times through the middle to get the amount of cake layers that you want. Depending on how many times you cut, this will determine how many cake slices you can make. Three cuts will get you 6 slices of cake, whereas four cuts will get you 8 slices of cake.

Next, you will want to create the crumbly cake texture on the two long sides of the cake layers, because the round part at the back is generally covered in icing. This texture can be accomplished by a toothpick or pin by gently grabbing and pulling and swirling at the clay until you get the desired effect. Some people just leave it untouched with texture, but you can also use things like toothbrush bristles or sandpaper to make it more easy.

Of course you will want to make an icing as well. This is just a mixture of a tiny bit of kneaded clay and a bunch of liquid clay. Put it all into a cup or onto a tile and just mash and stir until it is smooth and is the thickness of icing. If it's too thin, add more kneaded clay and re-mix... if it's too thick, add more liquid clay.

As you can see from the photos, some people don't use any icing between the cake layers, and some even use solid clay for the layers of icing - it is entirely up to you! But you can use the icing to squeeze onto the top, and you can even use cake decorating tips and piping bags with the icing to get some lovely border effects. Your clay extruder can also be used for some cute border effects.

You can choose to leave it as is, or you can add things like eyepins to make them into charms or even add Rare Earth Magnets to the bottom for some awesome fridge magnets or locker magnets! You can also add little extras like tiny clay flowers, tiny clay cherries, sprinkles, glitter, drizzle, or other little garnishes. A great way to get some inspiration is to look through old cookbooks and google image search.

So, out of all the rainbow cakes you see - which is your favourite?

1. mynameisjade @ DeviantArt.com
2. mothermayijewelry @ DeviantArt.com
3. seaofcreations @ DeviantArt.com
4. bloodcross @ DeviantArt.com

Being Nice To Your Hands

2010-06-14T13:20:00.005-04:00

If you've worked with polymer clay before, you'll know that it can wreak havoc on your fingers and hands. What with all that dirt, grime, grease, and residue, I am quite sure that you could use a little treat for your digits once in awhile. After all, your hands and fingers are your most prized posessions! Without them, sculpting would be quite difficult. So learn to take care of them, and they'll take care of you... and your clay!

Below, I have listed some awesome all-natural scrubs for your hands. They are gentle enough to use them everytime you are finished claying, too, and they can even be used for your whole body. These can be made for under $10.00 worth of ingredients, and both have been personally tested by me. They both work great!

Brown Sugar & Oatmeal Scrub
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup Honey
3/4 cup Sweet Almond Oil (or your favourite Oil)

Mix the brown sugar and oatmeal together in a bowl. Drizzle in the honey, mix, and then add the oil a little at a time. Use enough oil in the scrub that the sugar and oatmeal is saturated but there isn't a large pool of oil left. Then spoon the mixture into a Mason Jar and keep beside your sink.

Sugar & Salt Scrub
1 cup Coarse Sugar
3/4 cup Honey
1 cup Sea Salt
3 mL Sweet Almond Oil (or your favourite Oil)
3 mL Fragrance Oil (Orange & Ylang-Ylang are a good combo)

Mix first three ingredients in a bowl and slowly add in the oils. Use enough oil in the scrub that the sugar and salt are saturated but there isn't a large pool of oil left. Then spoon the mixture into a Mason Jar and keep beside your sink.

Extruding Fun!

2010-04-18T22:39:00.007-04:00

Two posts ago, I promised you a little something on clay guns. If you were born in the era of Playdough like I was, you'll probably remember those funky little plastic things with all the holes in them. You'd take a mound of the dough and push it through these holes and you would automatically have things like spaghetti and crazy Playdough hair. Clay guns and extruders follow the same principals.

There are a wide range of clay extruders and guns on the market, today. The most common one is a three piece gun plus shape discs by Sculpey. It has a barrel, a screw-on end cap to hold the shape discs, and a plunger to push the clay through. The discs come with cut-out shapes such as swuares, diamonds, triangles, circles, stars, etc. The Sculpey Clay Gun is very cheap - you can usually find one for about $7.00.

Overall, this clay gun is pretty sturdy for what it's worth. It's all metal, which is an added advantage when it comes to all the pushing you'll have to do on it. The downside is that the plunger needs to be pushed, and after awhile it really takes its toll on your hands, that's for sure. You can make things a little easier if you knead and condition your clay really well before putting it in the barrel, but the firmer brands of clay can be a lot harder to push through even if they are well kneaded. Sculpey III is one of the more softer brands of clay, so it is rather easy to tell that this gun was built for use with Sculpey III, hence the producer of this particular clay gun.

Another downside is that it can be a pain to clean. To clean, what I usually do is push any reminants of clay that are stuck to the insides of the barrel with one of my blunt clay tools. Then I get a piece of paper towel, spray it with rubbing alcohol, and wipe the insides of the barrel using my fingers. I've got long skinny fingers, so it definitely aids in this tedious process. Then I just wipe down the plunger, discs, and end cap with paper towel and a spray of rubbing alcohol.

But to be honest, I'd rather do away with all the hassle of the Sculpey clay gun and upgrade to something a little better. The best clay gun I have found is the Makin's Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder, which makes up where the Sculpey model falls short.

Not only is the Makins's Clay Extruder all metal, it is also a lot easier to clean and a lot easier to use. Instead of a plunger that you push, this plunger actually twists like a screw, which is a lot easier on the hands and provides a lot more strength and leverage even when the clay is firm. An added bonus is the fact that the plunger comes with a rubber 'O' Ring on the end so that the barrel of the extruder stays nice and clean. To clean, all of the parts just need a quick wipedown with paper towel and rubbing alcohol. The price is a steal, as well - only $20-$25 depending on where you get it.

You can buy extra discs for the Makin's model, as well... and there is a disc that allows for the shapes to be hollow so that you may use them as beads. If you're a beadmaker, this is definitely very handy.

When I had my Sculpey clay extruder, there were a few discs that I really liked that I couldn't get with the Makin's clay extruder in the same size, so what I did was take a hammer and gently flatten the lip on the sides of the Sculpey discs and now I can use them with my Makin's extruder. If your clay is extra firm, it'll be a good idea to back up a Sculpey disc with a Makin's disc that has a shape that is slightly bigger so that the pressure is put on the Makin's disc, passes through it, and then passes through the Sculpey disc with ease. This makes a lot of difference because the Sculpey discs are rather thin and can easily bend with too much pressure when they are in the larger Makin's clay extruder.

If you don't have any art supply stores nearby, you can buy the Makin's clay extruder online at The Clay Store.

In addition to clay extruders such as these, there are many other tools that you can use that can be easier to find. Many clay artists find that for fine round strands of clay (for hair, pasta, yarn, etc.) can be easily obtained by using a garlic press - and they tend to be very easy to clean, as well.

One of my personal favourites is cake decorating bags and tips. If you soften your clay down to the point where it is the texture of a pliable icing or frosting, you can use it just like you do to decorate a cake. To get your clay down to a smooth consistency, it is best to knead the clay until it is extremely soft and then put it on a clean work surface - add a small amount of liquid clay and then mash the mixture together until it is nice and smooth. I like to use the handle of a spoon for this part. You can pipe designs directly onto the clay you want to decorate, or you can pipe designs onto a ceramic tile, bake them until firm, let them cool, and then store for future use for all your decorating needs.

Is there anything you want to hear about in my next blog entry? I am always taking suggestions! :)

Polymer Clay Finishing Kit

2010-03-30T17:36:00.005-04:00

Hooray! The long awaited Polymer Clay Finishing Kit is finally here.

So what exactly IS the Polymer Clay Finishing Kit? Well, basically it's a small kit that I have compiled that will help beginner and average polymer clay users improve the quality of their work by means of cleanliness and the sanding, buffing, and polishing process. Small details like cleanliness and these finishing techniques can significantly up the value of your work and refine your work habits, as well.

What will you find in this kit?

Two (2) bars of "Lady Fingers" soap
Four (4) sheets each of 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 Wet/Dry Sandpaper
One (1) buffing cloth
One (1) polishing cloth
One (1) instruction booklet

The "Lady Fingers" soap included in this kit was a special formula compiled by Heather of Beautiful Soaps (www.BeautifulSoaps.etsy.com) and I for the use of Polymer Clay artists. It is completely all-natural and is useful for those of us with "polymer palm". It contains apricot seeds and pumice which gently exfoliate the hands, thus removing any dead skin that can get onto your clay as well as any dirt or residue left on your hands after you are finished claying. It contains a vast array of citrus essential oils for cutting through that grime left on your hands and aloe vera to soften your hands and fingers after you've worked them to the bone.

"Lady Fingers" Soap Ingredients:
*Olive Coconut Palm Soybean Oils
*Apricot Seeds
*Ground Pumice
*Essential and Fragrance Oils
*Aloe Vera
*Sodium Hydroxide
*H2O

The wet/dry sandpaper is of the upmost quality, and you will receive four 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" sheets of each grit - 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200. The buffing cloth is made from canvas, and the polishing cloth is 100% cotton and washable. :)

I put together a cute little 12 page booklet called, "The Lil' Monster Kookies Booklet of Polymer Clay Enlightment", which gives 15 tips on bettering your polymer clay workspace and work habits, a concise guide on how to sand, buff and polish your polymer clay, as well as a small list I compiled of my favourite online polymer clay suppliers. If requested, I can also include the e-book version of this booklet along with your order - just let me know the e-mail in which to send it to.

If you don't have the means or sources of gathering together the necessary supplies you need to sand, buff and polish your clay, or perhaps you don't know where to start, this is a great little kit that will get you started and well aquainted with the entire process. Many people I have spoken to that use this process say that their clay creations look 100% better and that they get a lot more value out of their pieces.

You can grab the kit here: Polymer Clay Finishing Kit

There are only six kits left!!!

Polymer Clay On A Budget

2009-11-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

Long time, no blog! After being on a bit of a hiatus and moving from the big bad city back to my beloved home town, I am ready to get this blog back on the road, and write about more interesting things. A big thank-you to all the people who left interesting comments on my past entries - it's good to know that I could possibly help you all in your claying endeavors!

Something that I get a lot is, "Isn't polymer clay expensive?". Well, if you live in Canada like I do, yes - it is! Small 2oz bars of Polymer Clay can cost as much as $5.99, depending on where you shop. And after breaking the bank how many times, I have learned to be a bit more frugal when it comes to my clay-buying binges.

Both Canada and the U.S have Michaels (which is a large craftstore chain), but if you don't live in the city or get to one of their stores during a good polymer clay sale, you aren't going to get much of a bargain. My closest Michaels store happens to be about 1 1/2 hours away, so it isn't going to do me much good, at all, by the time I spend the money to get there and back again.

So what is the alternative? Well, consider how you are reading this very blog - the good old internet, of course! There are plenty of sites offering advice on getting the best Polymer Clay deals, but only if you live in the States. So what if you live in Canada? Well - you're in luck. With our Loonie being so strong right now, Americans aren't the only ones getting great deals!

Here are two fantastic online stores for buying your polymer clay and other great supplies:

Polymer Clay Express

This online store is my absolute favourite. It is actually run by the folks at a Brick and Mortar store in Maryland, USA, called the ArtWay Store. Being as Maryland is extremely close to the Canadian/U.S Border, shipping times are extremely reasonable and I almost always have my clay within a week. They carry all popular brands of clay such as Fimo, FimoSoft, Premo, Sculpey III, Studio, Kato, Cernit, etc, as well as several Liquid Clays, Air Dry Clays, and all sorts of other Art Supplies and Clay Supplies.

Sculpey III is only $1.50 per 2oz pack and Fimo, FimoSoft, Kato, and Premo are only $1.75 per 2oz pack. Shipping is inexpensive if you only buy enough to fit flat in an envelope - which is usually around $6.00 - larger and heavier shipments can cost more. The good thing about the Shopping Cart is that if you input your Zip/Postal Code, you can get an estimate of how much shipping will be AS you shop. And Canadian Residents, do not fret... just because it is in American dollars, you are still getting a great deal. The Canadian Dollar and U.S Dollar are so close right now that there is only a few cents difference on every dollar.

Polymer Clay Express website: http://polymerclayexpress.com/

The Clay Store

This online store has an amazing collection of all sorts of Polymer Clay, and the prices are roughly the same as Polymer Clay Express. They are located in Winter Springs, Florida, U.S.A, and Canadian Residents can expect to wait a little bit longer for their shipments - usually about 2 weeks or so. Shipping prices are also very reasonable, and you can always keep track of how much it will cost with their handy-dandy shipping estimator in your Shopping Cart.

A few of the perks for this website is their great deals on large bars of clay. If you know you are going to be getting into Polymer Clay, and you have a particular brand in mind, their "Discount and Wholesale" section is a great way to get several blocks of clay all together for a very good price. The Clay Store also carries the "Makin's Professional" brand which is always good for their Clay Extruders - seriously, once you use one of those Clay Extruders, you'll never be able to go back to the standard Sculpey brand Clay Extruder in which you need to push and push and push on the plug until your face goes blue. More information on Extruders in my next article!

The Clay Store website: http://theclaystore.com/

Battle of the Brands - The Polymer Clay Conundrum

2009-08-04T02:12:00.003-04:00

Many of us start with one brand of polymer clay to start, and as we embrace the clays pros, we often eventually get used to the cons as well and work our way around them. But what if you knew which brand was right for you before you even touched the clay? Each polymer clay brand has many characteristics that make it distinct from other brands, so if you are looking for a specific trait in your clay, you might want to read on. Who knows, you might find something better then what you are working with right now.

I have personally tried every popular brand of polymer clay, and there are about five of them. There are also the polymer clays that require painting afterwards, like Studio by Sculpey as well as Super Sculpey... but I will not get into those.

The five most easily attainable clays are Fimo Classic, Fimo Soft, Sculpey III, Premo, and Kato Polyclay. Each have their own distinct characteristics, pros, cons, and baking times. These are my findings in point form:

Fimo Classic
Baking: 230°F / 110°C for 30 mins (per 1/4" thickness) Do not exceed 265°F / 130°C
· The firmest of the clays. Although it has gotten softer after many new formulations over the years. It has suffered many problems in recent years due to unsatisfied sculptors who favoured the old formula over the new ones.
· Difficult to work with, especially for beginners.
· Needs quite a bit of conditioning, preferably by using a mallet or by using a pasta machine.
· Tends to crumble over time, especially if poorly stored.
· Comes in a wide range of wonderful colours, including pastels.
· Great for caning and firm enough to sculpt easily.
· Certain colours can darken in the oven.
· Very hard after baking.

Fimo Soft
Baking: 230°F / 110°C for 30 mins (per 1/4" thickness) Do not exceed 265°F / 130°C
· Extremely easy to work with.
· Good for beginners.
· Softer than Fimo Classic but not as soft as Sculpey III.
· Does not need any conditioning, and can be worked with right out of the package.
· Can get sticky or mushy when over worked.
· Can be britle after baking, but not as britle as Sculpey III.
· Darker colours can bleed into lighter colours.
· Comes in many different colours as well as special effects like stones, textures, metallics, glow in the dark, translucent, etc.

Sculpey III
Baking: 275°F / 130°C for 15 mins (per 1/4" thickness)
· Extremely easy to work with.
· Great for beginners.
· The softest clay to work with.
· Does not need any conditioning, and can be worked with right out of the package.
· Can get sticky or mushy when over worked.
· Can be very britle after baking - the weakest of the clays.
· Colours tend to stay the same before and after baking.
· Translucent Sculpey tends to brown while baking.
· White Sculpey is very bright.
· One of the best colour palettes of clay there is. There is metallics, stone, textures, pearls, translucent, glow in the dark, pastels, fluorescents, etc.
· Not very good for caning, but some people HAVE accomplished it.

Premo! Sculpey
Baking: 275°F / 130°C for 30 mins (per 1/4" thickness)
· My choice as the best clay to work with. Highly recomended!
· Easy to work with.
· Softer than Fimo Classic or Kato, but not as soft as Fimo Soft or Sculpey III.
· Needs minimal conditioning.
· Certain colours can be a little soft, but most are nice and firm.
· One of the strongest clays after baking.
· Colours tend to stay the same before and after baking.
· "Frost" Premo is one of the best translucent clays.
· Has an "artist palette" when it comes to colours. Such as Cadmium Red, Zinc Yellow, etc. Artists find this fantastic, but if you aren't very aquainted with the artists palette, it can be a little difficult to mix colours.
· Not as many "fun colours" compared to other clays.
· It can be very temperature sensative, so it can get mushy on hot days and really hard to work with in the Winter.
· A great "all purpose" clay, and a total happy medium between all other clays.

Kato Polyclay
Baking: 300°F / 150°C for 10 mins (per 1/4" thickness)
· A very firm clay, but not as firm as Fimo Classic.
· Not recommended for beginners.
· Needs conditioning - preferably with a pasta machine.
· Can become crumbly if poorly packaged.
· Does not stay conditioned (workable) for long.
· Baked Kato Polyclay has a natural sheen.
· Surface seems to reject waterbased glazes like Varathane.
· Great for caning.
· Not as many "fun colours" compared to other clays.
· "Translucent" Kato Polyclay is very transparent.
· Strong after baking.
· Has a very strong smell during baking. Almost like the smell of "new doll".
· Tends to *gunk* up the sandpaper if you are sanding it.
· Is very good at smoothing and leaves little fingerprints.
· All colours tend to be the same firmness.

In Conclusion...

My personal favourite clay to work with is Premo. It really is the happy medium of polymer clays, although it isn't exclusively what I work with. I do not work with Fimo Soft or Kato much, but I love Sculpey III for it's awesome colour palette, and I ocassionally use Fimo Classic because it is so firm. If I need a lot of one colour, say... a nice bright red, I tend to combine one each block of the Sculpey III "Red Hot Red" with Fimo Classic "Carmine" and Premo "Cadmium Red"... the result is a fabulous bright hue of red with the firmness of something between Premo and Fimo Classic. It's lovely.

I really dig the "Frost" Premo as opposed to the "Translucent" Premo. The difference is that a bit of bleach has been added to "Frost" which results in much less browning compared to "Translucent".

Mixing brands can be done no problem, all you have to do is adjust the baking time. For example, if you are mixing Fimo Classic and Sculpey, you should go with the lower temperature for Fimo Classic, and possibly bake it a little longer. Just experiment, and use your best judgement!

Comment me with your findings to share your thoughts with the viewers! Who knows, we might all learn something. Happy claying!

What Is Polymer Clay?

2009-07-08T03:38:00.005-04:00

Many polymer clay artists tend to roll their eyes when questioned what polymer clay is by innocent bystanders. If you really think about it, most people will tend to think it is just another variety of clay that comes from the ground that needs to be fired in a kiln like pottery is. It is a very common assumption to think this is so, but it isn't the case. Can you really blame your customers for wanting to know?

Polymer clay actually doesn't come from the ground at all! In fact, it is completely man-made. While earth clays tend to come from the ground and are completely waterbased, polymer clay is actually created from solid and liquid polymers - which is basically plastic! It is called "clay" only because it can be modeled, worked, and sculpted like clay can.

The base of polymer clay tends to be PVC (or Polyvinyl Chloride) and a liquid plasticizer is also added to make the clay workable. While Earth clay needs to be fired at a very high temperature inside of a kiln, this temperature would be much too hot for clay and it would surely burn profusely. Polymer Clay is baked in a household oven or toaster oven at a lower temperature for a short period of time - usually around 275 degrees farhenheit for 20 to 30 minutes. During this time, the plasticizers harden which result in a rock-hard mound of clay. Unlike sculpting mediums like some Earth Clays and Playdough, Polymer Clay will not air-dry - even if it is left out for days.

Although Polymer Clay has been popular for quite some time now, it has it's roots back in the 60's where it was discovered as a molding compound by accident. Originally it was being used for a different purpose, but when it was concluded that it was not good for it's original purpose, it was put aside. Someone happened to stumble on this mysterious material and began sculpting a figure, baked it, and behold - they had found a sculpting medium! By 1967, this clay was being sold as "Sculpey" on a small scale in the United States.

The most common brands of polymer clay tend to be Sculpey, Fimo, Kato, Premo, and Cernit. Each brand has it's own characteristics and it's own colours - every colour of the rainbow, pastel hues, fluorescent, translucent, sparkled, metallic, pearlescent, textures, and even glow-in-the-dark! Colours can also be tinted with pastel shavings, inks, oil paints, powdered pigments and other types of inclusions to get the look you want.

Liquid Clay is sold by most major Polymer Clay companies. The two most commonly found Liquid Clays would be Translucent Liquid Sculpey (also known as TLS) or Fimo Decorating Gel which is sold in a smaller quantity. Both Liquid Clays have their own qualities, but the Fimo brand is known for being the most translucent after being cured in the oven.

So what exactly can you do with Polymer Clay? Well. Pretty much anything you can do with any other clay! The only thing I wouldn't really recommend is using it to create utensils or dishes that you intend to eat from, or using it to create plugs for your large gauged ear piercings. Although Polymer Clay is labeled as Non-Toxic, it is always good to take precautionary measures. The surface of Polymer Clay is rather pourous after baking, so it may store bacteria that you cannot see.

I hope that this article has informed you a bit better about what polymer clay is, and I also hope you will stay tuned for my next article where I will be discussing the differences between various Polymer Clay brands.

Product Review: Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends

2009-07-02T21:36:00.005-04:00

When living in this basement apartment, getting fresh for the day isn't exactly as fun as it used to be. Since all we have is a stand-up shower in a dark little corner of the bathroom, I can't exactly sprawl out and relax like I could in a nice little bubble bath. But after receiving a few new products from Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends on Etsy, I am excited about getting my daily showers!

After opening up the lovely package, I was faced with many scents to choose from. I decided to surprise myself by choosing a random soap without sniffing it, and hopping into the shower with it. I like a little mystery!

As the warm misty air filled the bathroom, I turned the lid and dove my nose into a lovely pink whipped soap scented like Pink Sugared Marshmallow - and boy, was it heavenly! It had a subtle baby pink colour with a scent that I just couldn't get enough of. A delicate aroma of toasty marshmallows sweetened with a delightful pink sugar - there wasn't any other words that seemed to do it describe it better than "fluffy-sweet". The feel of the soap was nothing short of an experience as well - it felt like I was wrapping myself in a sweet and sugary cloud. The lather was rich and luxurious, and it left my skin feeling silky smooth.

It was then that I got a little greedy. I got so impatient that I just couldn't wait to smell another soap, so I ran all sopping wet to my bedroom just to try another scent. This one was a tri-coloured bar soap - with a thick tropical yellow on the bottom, a light creamy white sandwiched in the middle, and a fruity red layer on top. All of these colours and scents combined made a Strawberry, Coconut, and Pineapple treat.

As soon as those scents hit the warm water, I was imagining myself on a warm tropical island sipping on punch made from the finest fruit juices and coconut water. My skin just soaked it up like it was quenching it's own thirst. After my shower, I was surprised to find that the scents were not gone - there was still a subtle hint of it left on my skin, and it was rather nice to see that my skin wasn't dry or flaking like it usually did. That is because Verbena's soaps are not made with any chemicals, preservatives, or alcohol like a lot of other commercially made soaps.

Along with the two soaps that I had ordered, I also received quite a few samples that I am anxious to try, such as Lime Frosted Cupcake. Delicious! I would highly recommend this shop to anyone, especially if you are looking to treat yourself for a small price! We all need a little bit of pampering and relaxation once in awhile - especially those of us who do not live in luxury!

The Winner!

2009-06-16T13:22:00.007-04:00

Tina of Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends has made her decision, with my input of course, and a winner has been chosen for the Spring Into Summer Giveaway!

The winner is...

Chef Runner, with their fresh and lovely scent:

"I went running in Charlottesville, VA a couple weeks ago, and loved the smell, with all the honeysuckle blooming. It was a conference, and right before graduation, so they had done a lot of maintenance on the grounds, so I would say, Honeysuckle, Fresh Cut Grass, with a faint base note of Fresh Mulch. Smells green, welcoming, and like the early morning."

Congratulations, Chef Runner! You get a $20.00 credit for Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends on Etsy! You may purchase something for $20.00 (including shipping) and send a message with your purchase noting that you were the Spring Into Summer Giveaway winner on the Monster Kookies blog!

It may not be everybodies scent of choice, of course! But Tina feels, especially, that this was the most unique and interesting "Earthy" scent she came across. She hopes to actually be able to create this scent and do it justice in one of her body products!

So, a special thank-you to everyone who participated. It was a rather hard time deciding with all those lovely fragrances you suggested!

If you stay tuned, I believe you may all be interested in a contest that I will be holding to win one of my own Monster Kookies products! I should have this contest underway very soon, so keep checking back to my blog!

Contest Closed!

2009-06-12T18:23:00.001-04:00

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the Spring-Into-Summer giveaway. Tina of Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends and I are currently choosing and discussing our top-favourite scents and will determine a winner by June 15th!

So stay tuned, dolls!

Cuckoo for Joojoo

2009-06-09T15:43:00.012-04:00

Possibly one of my most favourite clay artists happens to be somebody completely opposite to my style. Her creations aren't creepy or industrial themed like mine, but everything about them seems to have my clear attention.

There is something so playful and innocent about the imaginative polymer clay designs of Joojoo on Etsy. Her use of colour is extraordinary and it shows through in soft pastels and bright tropical hues. Little details like the addition of painted-on eyelashes are perfect and whimsical and her use of natural pieces of nature like sticks, acorn caps, and shells breathe life into her designs. They're like a breath of fresh air!

I have personally had a few delightful conversations with JooJoo, or Afi as she called herself, and she is an absolute darling to chat with. She happens to reside in the same city as I do - Toronto, and we both happen to dig the polymer clay.

I could possibly be having a love affair with every single one of her creations, but I can tell you that I am quite tickled when I see her dear little Spring Snails. Their design is such a simple one, but so admirable in every way. Their little antennae and painted eyes just make me feel all warm and fuzzy, and each of them have a natural shell and a rare earth magnet so that you can stick it to any metal surface you wish. They look especially cute on the sides of a candy tin, like she shows here in the above photo.

An amazing addition to her collection of snails would have to be her signature Tattooed Snail. The bright pinks, reds, and blue patterns against the translucency of the white are a perfect match, and the pearly white shell finishes it off very nicely. I am usually tempted to make my own creations as opposed to splurging on someone elses, but this piece makes me want to break my piggy bank!

Each of Joojoo's creations is like a fairy tale, some of them with their own little story. I personally find it truly magical to find a polymer clay artist who is just as dedicated to her lovely descriptions as she is to her wonderful creations. Her photos are fantastic, clear, vivid, and some of the backgrounds she chooses to use are just darling. Like the Nosy Toucan, pictured to the left. He's spying on his friends, and doesn't like to be caught.

Check out JooJoo on Etsy, and take a look at more of her work and to add a few of her bright and whimsical creations to your life!

Packaging & Shipping Your Lovely Creations

2009-06-05T13:11:00.009-04:00

A lot of people tend to think that because they have done all the hard work to get a sale online, they can take a breath and worry not because all the work is done. But realistically, posting and selling your items are only half of it. You have an impression to make!

Packing and shipping your items might seem like a meagre task, but what you are doing is sending the buyer a piece of your personality. You can't be there in person, so you have to send a good representation of yourself. A good packaging job can mean the difference between repeat sales and one time buyers, and it is up to you to give them a little bit of magic with every parcel you send. Just think of it this way - it's like Christmas or a Birthday for the buyer, so WOW them! Make it personal, make it beautiful, but most of all - make it memorable!

These ten thorough tips will get you started on packaging your beautiful products in a way that will make an everlasting good impression on your buyers. To make it easier, I will also include examples from my own experiences. So here we go!

Packaging should reflect you! Come up with a style of packaging that matches the items you sell. If you send your items in cute yellow polka dot gift wrap, and your shop doesn't even have an ounce of cuteness, you are going to look like you are either having an identity crisis or that you really just don't know how to coordinate. My shop is basically white with many additions of lime green, purple, and black. I generally ship my items in lovely white boxes tied with green polka dot ribbon and purple tissue paper - it matches the colours of my shop!
Don't be a grub! We all try to cut corners to save a buck when we can, but if the box that you are planning to ship in has been mashed up and torn - don't use it! Rips, tears, and other damage will always been seen as carelessness. The best rule to follow is to use new packaging products. If you decide to reuse old packaging supplies, just make sure that they are in excellent condition. Wrapping things in newspaper, Christmas wrapping paper (if it isn't Christmas), old Chatelaine magazines from 1976, or worn & old bubble envelopes are an absolute no-no and will put off your customer in an instant.

If you make your own boxes or bags, do a good job - don't just throw them together. Remember - presentation is of the essence!
Serve and Protect! It is a real downer when you open a package only to find that it's been damaged or broken. Do all you can to make sure that your items are safe and cozy, because postal workers tend to play football with your parcels, sometimes. Things like tissue paper, cotton, shredded paper, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, plastic balloons, and bubble envelopes are a good way to protect your items from damage as well as the elements.
Keep it clean! Nothing is more disturbing than finding pieces of pet hair, human hair, and fuzzies in a brand new parcel. It's un-hygienic for sure, but it is also a turn-off. Always keep the area where you package things free from dust, hair, and smoke. Do not eat or drink around your shipping area, as cookie crumbs and soda stains are no fun either. One of my biggest pet peeves is receiving an item that wreaks of cigarette smoke. If you smoke, don't smoke around your items - or better yet, smoke outside.

If you pride yourself in being green, recycling is definately a regular part of life for you. Recycling boxes and packaging supplies is not necessarily a bad thing unless it is in bad condition - so think before you use it!
Keep shipping realistic! If you charge too much for shipping, you might not even got as far as a sale, at all! All you have to do is visit your local post offices' website or pay them a visit and ask them a few questions. An example of a no-no would be the actions of the majority of eBay sellers: Many eBay sellers give you a great deal on the product, but shipping is through the roof to compensate for a low selling price.

Only charge what is realistic for shipping. Invest in a moderately priced digital scale and measuring tape, and get your shipping fees down to an art before you start selling. Any costs such as boxes, tissue paper, bubble wrap, and other packaging prices should be incorporated into the items selling price - not the shipping price.

On the other of the spectrum, do not under price your shipping. By doing this, you are reaching into your own pocket each and every time you sell an item and are undercutting any profit that you make from the item. If you plan on selling as a business, you need to think business. If your shipping prices are on the high side but are realistic, all you have to do is explain why, and most of the time people will understand. If your product is good, the shipping price is always worth it in the end.
Include a business card! Business cards can be made for rather inexpensively. I personally use Vista Print, and their cards (in Canada, atleast) start at $17.99 for 250 cards. Stick the business card on your package; or better yet, stick a few in with the package. If you include more than one card, chances are that the buyer will pass them on to somebody else who may be interested in your products.
Offer coupons and freebies! How many of us flock to free sample stands in the grocery store? If it's free - we love it! Try adding a little something with each package that you send out - such as magnets, stickers, and buttons with your business name on it. It's such an inexpensive way to say thank-you, and most people will be very happy about it. A great way to coax buyers to come back is to include coupons with their purchases. Things like "10% off your next purchase" or "Free shipping on orders more than $20.00", are great promotions to offer. Just make sure to set an expiry date!

Things not to include are freebies that could result in a mess upon opening. For example, chocolate is a cute gesture but what if the person lives in a warmer climate? You don't want chocolate goo all over the product, do you? The same goes for extremely strong smelling perfumes, soaps, and candles - they can permeate the entire box!
Personalize your packaging supplies! A plain old box is all well and good, especially if it looks great the way it is, but try adding your own flare to it by stamping your name and website onto the box or adding a sticker with your store logo. Not only does it look professional, but the buyer will be reminded of you everytime they see it!

Don't just think inside the box - think outside! On the outside of the parcel, that is. Add your logo name and website on the outside of the envelope where all the shipping information is. Do you know how many people handle your items before it gets to it's final destination? Many! If your name or logo looks interesting, somebody who handles the parcel might write it down for their own references.
Write a little thank-you note! Buyers just gush over the fact that their product has been made just for them. It really is a luxury that you cannot find with mass produced items. Your products come from real people with a heart - not a robot. So show it! Write a quick thank-you on a cute stick-it note and make the customer feel special! Because they are!
Follow Up! Just because the item has been shipped does not mean that the transaction is over and done with. Send them a quick message or e-mail asking if they have received the item and check to see that they are happy with it. If you're on Etsy or eBay, leave positive feedback and ask the buyer to do the same for you. Happy buyers are repeat buyers!

Online Selling Tip #1 - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2009-06-03T00:25:00.008-04:00

I know you have probably heard this a billion times before, but pictures really ARE worth a thousand words on the world wide web. Your customers do not have the same benefit as walking into a store - they cannot touch your product, see how big it is, look at the details, or see it three dimensionally.

We as humans are very interactive creatures - we love to completely SENSE what we are getting. We want to touch, smell, taste, look at, and listen to everything. If you have one shot at getting a customers attention, your pictures will certainly have a huge part in it. This isn't a photography lesson - obviously I cannot teach you how to use your camera, but these are some pointers that will generally help you to get the best results. A good example of the use of some of these tips is the photo off to the left that I took of my latest creation - Bertram the Mechanical Birdie.

Lighting is extremely important! You can't take your pictures in the dark, can you? If your lighting in the house is minimal and dingey, invest in a few inexpensive clip-on desk lamps -they can be found in hardware stores as well as big box stores. But don't go for soft light bulbs - go for Daylight bulbs. They give off the same type of natural light as the sun does. Colours are more true, and brightness is at it's best.

The best light you will ever have is the natural light of the sun. If you live in a sunny climate, or it happens to be Spring/Summer where you live, take your pictures outside! There really is no comparison - the colours are their truest when the light is natural.
Show your product in it's true environment! If you are selling prints, you might want to stuff it into a frame and take a picture of it hanging on a wall. If you are selling bracelets, show the product on somebodies wrist. You don't have to do this of course, but it really aids in helping the customer visualize how it would look in their own environment.
Your product really needs to steal the show! Don't take pictures of it on top of a busy or clustered background. You need a background that will allow the product to practically POP off the backdrop! Say your product is purple - take a picture of it on a green, yellow, or orange background. You can use the "Color Wheel" to find some great colour complements and opposites. Another good tip is to take pictures of light objects on dark backgrounds, and dark objects on light backgrounds.
Keep your photos clean! I know it is extremely tempting to add huge borders and decorations while editing your photos, but it can be really distracting on Etsy. Try to skip out on adding names and words on your photos as well, as they can be very distracting.

If you do use watermarks on photos, add a disclaimer! Especially if you sell prints, most people tend to add watermarks to avoid having someone steal the image. If you use watermarks, make sure you add a disclaimer to your listing that says something along the lines of, "If you purchase this print, it will not come with a watermark on it." I know it sounds sort of obvious, but you'll be surprised how many people can get confused by this, and think that your photos really do come with "Copyright so-and-so on such-and-such date" plastered across the entire print!
Make sure your photos are large enough that customers can see all the details. If it's too small, people will be scared off because they can't see what they are buying.
Nobody likes blurry photos. Especially if you are taking pictures of smaller objects, use the Macro setting on your digital camera to get a well focused and sharp photo.

Sanding, Buffing, & Polishing Polymer Clay

2009-05-28T01:26:00.007-04:00

Something that a lot of polymer clay artists end up skipping out on is the sanding, buffing, and polishing process. It is usually left behind namely because they just don't know where to start or they find it too time consuming. I will admit that this process does take a little time, but with a little bit of know-how, it doesn't have to be a downer. The look and feel of the piece after this process is absolutely beautiful, and if you want to put a little more value and quality into your pieces - read on!

Now, I am going to describe MY process to you. Other clay artists may have a different approach to the same process, but you might develop your own techniques as you go on. This technique will get you started. But first off, we need a few simple materials.

Towel
Container
Wet/Dry Sandpaper
Canvas
Polishing Cloth

You might not have worked with wet/dry sandpaper before, but it is relatively easy to find. Just look in the sanding section of your hardware store, hobby store, or big box store. This sand paper will usually be black in colour and say "wet/dry" or "waterproof" on the back. This sandpaper comes in a variety of "grits" ranging from coarse to fine. Smaller grits like 200 or 400 are more coarse, whereas larger numbers like 800 or 1200 are very fine. What you want is about three different grits - one that is somewhat coarse, one that is finer, and one that is very fine.

Personally, I work with a 600 grit, 800 grit, and than a 1200 grit to finish it off.

Any sort of canvas will do - you could use burlap or white denim too, just as long as it has a good coarse rough texture. I use a piece of painters canvas that my old high school Art teacher gave to me. As for a polishing cloth, you could try looking in the automotive department with all the car waxing supplies or in the fabric department. Find a piece of material that is very soft like fleece, flannel, soft cotton fabric, or terry cloth. You could even tear apart an old shirt!

Now that you know a thing or two about where and how to get the materials, I guess we should start the sanding process! Lay out a towel onto your work surface, and get yourself a container filled with warm water. This container should be large enough so that you can dunk your hands into the water without being too cramped - just as long as it is comfortable for you.

Now, get your clay creation out! All it needs to be is baked and cooled, and you can begin to work on it. Make sure you haven't painted it yet, as any painting you need to do can be done AFTER this process. Give your clay a dunk into the water, and grab yourself the coarsest grit of sandpaper (in my case, a 600 grit) and dunk it into the water, as well. Now, working over the water, begin to sand your clay, working in small circles, and paying special attention to all the nooks and crannies. When you notice that the clay particles start to fill up on the sandpaper and the clay, just dunk them into the water to give it a rinse. If there is any dust, impurities, or unevenness in the surface of the clay, this is the point where they need to be sanded away.

When the surface starts to improve, move onto the next grit of sandpaper. Just like before, sand the entire surface and pay special attention to the nooks and crannies. Keep dunking the clay and the sandpaper into the water to remove any clay particle accumulation. When the surface becomes more even and smooth, move onto the finest grit and repeat the process over again. By this point, your clay will be extremely smooth - but not as smooth as it is going to be a little later!

Dry your clay off with your towel, and grab your piece of canvas (or whatever you chose as your rough material) and begin to rub your clay. Get into all the nooks and crannies, move in circles, and don't be afraid to apply some good pressure. After about 3-5 minutes of buffing, we can now move onto the polishing phase! With your polishing cloth, do the same thing as you were doing before with the canvas - rub and polish your clay until it is bright, shiny and smooth!

This process really is easy, but many people just don't go through with it because it takes too darn long. If you sit in front of the T.V, it helps to be a little bit zoned out - or try listening to some music, as it makes the process a little more enjoyable. If I could offer any advice at all on this process, it would be to spend the MOST time in the first phase while sanding. This phase is crucial because it defines the final product.

If you don't spend much time sanding, than buffing and polishing isn't going to make it look much better. How does that saying go? "You can't polish a turd"... hah! Spend the most time with the coarsest grit of sand paper - I usually sit there for a good 8-10 minutes sanding away. Than spend a little less time with the next grit, and even less time with the finest grit. This phase is always the most time consuming, and for good reason! Buffing with the canvas and polishing with the cloth usually don't take that long.

If you like, you can add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to your water at the beginning. It creates a little less friction, and heck - it smells nice! You will find that if you are going to be adding any painting detail after this process, the paint will go on even smoother and it will hold on more easy. If you add any paint, just go over the entire surface with a little bit of rubbing alcohol - this gets rid of any excess dirt and oils so that the paint will stick even better. If you are used to glazing your clay creations with layer upon layer of gloss, you will only need ONE layer of gloss for an equivalent shine after the sanding, buffing, and polishing process - it is THAT shiny!

Seriously, if you haven't tried doing this before, just try it once - that is all you will need to convince you. After gazing at your smooth, shiny, and beautiful creations and seeing your practically seeing your reflection in the clay, you will be wondering how you did without it!

The Clayers Best Friend

2009-05-27T01:42:00.005-04:00

Every clayer has one pet peeve in common, and that is getting dirt and dust in your clay - especially white clay! It's hard to avoid when you live in a dusty house like I do, and the fact that no matter how many times I wash my hands to rid them of dirt and dust doesn't help either!

I discovered a fantastic product in the automotive department of our hardware store. It's called Fast Orange, and it comes in all sorts of forms from Hand Creams to Wipes - but the product I am love with is their Pumice Bar Hand Soap.

This stuff is designed for automotive mechanics - the ones that have dirt and grease up to their elbows all day long. Not only does this fantastic soap help a polymer clay artist by taking off dirt and dust - it gets into all those nooks and crannies that you can get to! The crud that you didn't even KNOW was on your hands will be gone, and you can actually physically feel the squeeziness in the clean!

This soap cleans off grease, oil, resin, tar, grime, sealants, adhesives, ink, glue, paint, rubber cement, epoxies, and all sorts of nasty sticky dirty stuff! You'd think that a soap with gritty Pumice in it might dry out your hands, but it is filled with moisturizers such as aloe, lanolin, glycerin, and jojoba to keep your hands smooth and conditioned. It is biodegradable, non-toxic, and has a citrus orange scent to keep your nose happy!

I know what you may be thinking... is it expensive? No. It isn't expensive at all. You can buy it for $2.50 CAD a bar - it's a big bar, may I add. It'll last quite awhile! You can buy it all sorts of places, just look for it in the Automotive section of hardware stores, general stores, grocery stores, etc. Some stores that carry it are Ace Hardware Stores, Do-It-Best, True Value, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Lowes, & Princess Auto (in Canada) to name a few.

Seriously. Grab yourself one bar of it and prove me wrong. I wet my hands with warm water, scrub my hands good for about 30 seconds, rinse, and dry with a PAPER towel. Don't use a cotton towel to dry your hands before playing with your clay - they are full of fuzzies! After giving your work surface a good cleaning and washing and scrubbing your hands with Fast Orange, you'll definately be a lot less worried about all that invisible crud that SOMEHOW always gets onto your clay.

For Miss Alice

2009-05-26T02:28:00.002-04:00

I've been asked to write a review for a good friend of mine on DeviantArt - named Alice. She owns a small polymer clay business called Citrus Wedding and will be entering a "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" competition very soon. I hope that this review may help her in this competition, and I wish her all the best luck! <3 Kookie

Miss Alice Citrus-Wedding is a lady who is all about sweetness and colour – and her polymer clay creations express this. She only started about a year ago with this medium, and her creations have progressed tremendously over time.

We all look back on our first creations and laugh, but so few of us can actually look back and see our art as a milestone. I have been given the honor to watch Alice as she learns new techniques to apply to her pieces, and I have gotten to see the progression in her pieces as she does this.

Many of us start with cupcakes and donuts with polymer clay, but we don’t exactly develop a style that is all our own, and many things look the same. Alice’s creations boast an originality and flair that make them distinctly feminine and sweet – much different than just deep fried dough with icing.

If I had to choose three of her creations to be my favourites, I would choose her “Fizzy Cola” earrings, first. All of us grew up with penny candies, five cent candies, and such, and this brings back memories to the days that my mother would give me a quarter or a few dimes to buy myself a few pieces of candy on the way to school. The cream-white and brown gummy cola bottles covered in that sweet and sour sugar was my most adored candy – and Alice has recreated them so flawlessly that I would probably eat them if I didn’t know they were clay.

The “Sprinkly Donut” earrings that Alice creations are just simply darling. The combination of pinks and browns almost always scream delicious, and these are no exception. Chocolate donuts slathered in vanilla icing, as well as vivid pink and yellow sprinkles are a cute concept on their own of course, but the addition of that glimmery pink bead with the silver earring hooks really add a chic touch.

Her “Toothpaste & Toothbrush” earrings are a cute reminder that we need to brush those pearly whites after attempting to sink our teeth into Citrus Weddings’ sweet creations. The squishy little toothpaste tube is just perfect in that baby-blue hue, and the toothbrush is so dainty and a lovely shade of purple. They match eachother so well!

Alice is definitely crafty and is no stranger to other mediums as well, so I have no doubt in my mind that Citrus Wedding will continue to grow and that I will be hearing more about her work in the future – perhaps saying that she has made it big!

Annihilator v.31.0

2009-05-23T14:59:00.006-04:00

I just finished a new Industrial Heart, and it turned out fantastic! This is the 31st piece in my Industrial Heart Collection, entitled: "Annihilator". The entire body of the heart is polymer clay that has all of the components of the anatomical human heart, but has been made to look like metal, with paneling and rivet detailing. This was an extremely fun piece to create, as the customer was looking for something that was a bit more technological as opposed to old-school with all the gears and such. The lady he is buying it for is a huge sci-fi enthusiast.

The entire body of the heart is brass. Usually people ask for the steel/silver body, but I wanted to give this piece a particular old machinery look. Most of the features have been picked out in a worn steel colour and than antiqued with black acrylics to bring out the textures and details.

The front features a centralized round panel with some intricate detailing and a small red LED in the middle. From this, extends a long metal strap with large rivets. There is also a large receptacle-like rivet off to the left side on the front. On the right side is two receptables with thick silver cable going from one receptacle to the other. On the left is a very interesting Industrial scale pattern with angled spiked edges.

On the back is a textured silver panel with large rivets and a silver cross button in the middle. There is also a carbon composition resistor running along the panel in the top. There are also other little details like tiny silver cylinders and screws as well.

It's one of my favourites so far! I just saw Terminator for the first time the other day, and so I had cyber-borgs and red LED's stuck in my head for a few days. Hehe. Hence, the title as well!

There is a loop in the top so that this heart may be strung on a 20" black rubber necklace with chain extension and heart charm, which this piece comes with. The entire thing has been antiqued with black to give it a worn appeal, and it has been glazed once to allow for a touch of shine and durability.

Industrial Heart Information
For answers to ALL your questions about my Industrial Hearts or if you are wondering how to get one, please check out this link: Industrial Heart Collection FAQ. Want to see more of my work? Please check out my website at MonsterKookies.com. You can learn more about me, see my past work, or buy something from my Shop.

Spring-Into-Summer Giveaway Contest!

2009-05-21T22:37:00.010-04:00

CONTEST NOW CLOSED!

In my last blog entry, Sweet Sweet Candy... Soap?, I featured Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends - an Etsy Shop that sells the most sweetest and delightful soaps and fragrances imaginable! From their rich Buttery Toffee Caramel Whipped Body Frosting to a refreshing Pineapple & Jasmine Shampoo - everything is just lovely! The owner and creator of these fine body products is named Tina, and she only uses the most purest ingredients for her sugary body sensations.

Tina, the owner and creator of Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends as well as me, Kimberly aka Monster Kookies, would like to present a Spring-Into-Summer giveaway to get you guys ready for a nice hot Summer - and we want you smelling nice and feeling good!

What's the catch?

Leave me a comment stating the most creative and yummy fragrance you could think of. Surprise us with THE MOST truly delightful fragrance combination, and the BEST fragrance will win a $20.00 credit to use in the Verbena Custom Fragrance Blend Etsy Shop. This credit entitles you to buy anything you want for $20.00 (this includes shipping) or you could use it to buy something worth $20.00 and just pay for the shipping on your own. Your choice, of course!

You do not need to buy anything to win - just leave a comment with your most innovative and creative scent - you could win!

Each person gets one entry, so please think carefully! If you are not signed up for Blogger/Blogspot and choose to comment anonymously, please leave us a way to get in contact with you in your message, otherwise we won't know where to find you if you win! Something like an e-mail, etsy shop, or your website is a good option to add.

This "Spring Into Summer" Giveaway will end on June 12th, and Tina and I will be announcing the winner here on June 15th! So good luck, and get creative my friends! Make your idea sound as wonderful as possible, and comment away!

In the meantime, check out the Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends Etsy Shop! And check out the Monster Kookies Etsy Shop while you're at it - for lots of Cutesy & Creepy jewellery made by the Mad Scientist of Polymer Clay!

CONTEST NOW CLOSED!

Sweet Sweet Candy... Soap?

2009-05-21T19:12:00.026-04:00

Have you ever picked up a bar of soap, scrubbed yourself down, than afterwards, felt like some sort of dried-up prune? All those chemicals can really take their toll on your skin, but Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends intends to change all that.

"My soaps are nothing put pure natural goodness! I don't use artificial lathering agents in my soaps like SLS or Propylen Glycol. All of my handcrafted soaps get you clean without stripping your skins natural oils and they have a silky glide - you can shave with - and a rich creamy lather. Your skin won't feel dry or tight, just pampered and moisturized!"

Not only do her soaps apparently moisturize, they also give your skin a sugary treat! Flavours like Chocolate Raspberry Cream Roll and Coconut Cream & Frosted Lime Cupcake sound more like desserts than soaps, but what really got my attention was the Pink Sugared Marshmallow scented Whipped Cream Soap, pictured above.

Quite literally, you spread this soap onto your skin like you spread frosting on a cupcake. A little goes a long way, as those sweet pink bubbles lather up and leave your skin hungry for second helpings. And for all of you who aren't digging the chemicals - most of her products are 100% Vegan, with certain lovely exceptions such as the Strawberry Coconut & Chocolate Goats Milk Soap, pictured above, or the Strawberry Banana Coconut Marshmallow Fluff Parfait scented Whipped Yogurt Body Cream. Delightful!

Check out the Verbena Custom Fragrance Blends Etsy Shop, and get your skin some dessert!

Liquid Clay 101

2009-05-21T03:42:00.000-04:00

Liquid Clay comes in many forms, but many of us just refer to all brands as TLS, which actually stands for "Translucent Liquid Sculpey". In actuality, Sculpey certainly isn't the only one who makes Liquid Clay. Fimo makes a Liquid Clay called "Fimo Decorating Gel", and Kato makes a Liquid Clay called "Clear Liquid Polyclay".

From my experience, you can use a WIDE variety of things with your Liquid Clay. If you want it to be Translucent though, I suggest using Fimo Decorating Gel. It is EXTREMELY translucent and makes the BEST sauces and syrups and anything else that needs to be coloured but still still transparent. TLS will leave you with an opaque mixture, so it's good for things that don't need to be see-through like chocolate sauce, slime, blood, icing, etc.

For colouring, things like Oil Paints, shaved Oil Pastels, Chalk Pastel/Charcoal, Kneaded Polymer Clay, Eyeshadow, Metallic Powders, Alcohol-Based Ink, Dry Pigment Powder, etc...

DON'T use Acrylic Paint. It does BAD things when baked, and turns out like crap!

I can't tell you how many times I have been questioned on how to use liquid clay, though. How do you make icing? How do you make chocolate sauce? All sorts of things can be made from it, so here is a little list that I have compiled!

Blood Hah, figures I start out with something morbid, huh? A good thick red blood is a combination of TLS and red oil paint. Just squeeze a dab into the TLS, mix it up, and than drizzle or squeeze this liquid onto the object of your choice. Here is an example of BLOOD: [link]

Slime Like blood, slime is just compiled of TLS and a mixture of a bright or royal blue and bright yellow oil paint. Just mix and use! Here is an example of SLIME: [link]

Frosting/Icing When I make icing, it is generally a mix of TLS and Kneaded Polymer Clay. If you add Polymer Clay to TLS, it gives the mixture a very spreadable texture, and is much more thicker than using something like Oil Paint. Just take a ball of the colour of polymer clay you want your icing to be, and knead/warm it in your hands. When it is nice and warm, tear it into pieces and throw it onto a ceramic tile or into a container.

With the back of a spoon or a solid mixing object, add TLS and mix and mash it until it becomes smooth. A lot of people get discouraged because it is chunky at first, but trust me... just KEEP mixing. If it is too thick, add more TLS... if it is too thin, add more clay. After it is nice and smooth, spread it onto your cakes, cupcakes, and cookies with a stirring stick or something that spreads well! Here is an example of FROSTING/ICING: [link]

Syrup & Sauces A great way to make syrup is with TLS or Fimo Decorating Gel and shaved chalk pastels. If you want a VERY clear syrup, I suggest using Fimo Decorating Gel. Take a brown chalk pastel, and swipe it across a nail file or piece of very fine sand and put it into a little baggie. Add a little bit of Liquid Clay and squish it around with your fingers until it is mixed. This will make Maple Syrup! If you want something like a strawberry syrup, just use red chalk pastel! If you don't have any Fimo Decorating Gel, mixing the chalk pastel with some gloss also works well. Now you just pour it on top of Pancakes, Waffles, Cheesecake and such!

Here is an example done with Fimo Decorating Gel: [link]
Here is an example done with TLS, see how much more opaque the syrup is? [link]

Peanut Butter Whether you like it crunchy or smooth, all you need is TLS and some kneaded brown (peanut butter coloured) clay! Just knea the clay, add the TLS and mix mix MIX! The more you mix, the more smooth your peanut butter will be. If you don't mix it all the way, you have chunky peanut butter!

Whipped Cream Like Frosting/Icing, Whipped Cream is also made with a mixture of TLS and Kneaded Polymer Clay. Just add slightly more TLS. If you want that "piped" look, just scoop some into a baggie, cut the corner, and squeeze it out! You can also use Cake Decorating bags and tips, as well! Just make sure to keep ones just for using with your clay - don't use them for cake decorating once you use them with clay! Sometimes I like to add a tiny bit of Vanilla Scent to my whipped cream just for fun! Here is an example of Whipped Cream: [link]

Here is an example of how whipped cream or frosting can be PIPED to make it look really pretty: [link]

Chocolate Sauce: Is made the same was as blood and slime (Gross, huh?) except with Brown oil paint!

Drizzle: Great for finishing off baked goodies like cinnamon rolls and donuts! Just mix some TLS with some white oil paint (for Vanilla Drizzle) or any colour you want, stick it in a small baggie and make a TINY cut in the corner! Drizzle across your piece, and bake! Here is an example of Drizzle: [link]

Have anymore suggestions? Go ahead and make a comment!

Working With Polymer Clay

2009-05-20T13:25:00.001-04:00

If you remember your kindergarten days, you might re-call several occasions in which you mashed and poked away at that vivid and doughy sculpting clay called Plasticine. This stuff would entertain me for hours, and I always loved it more than Playdough because it would never dry up. Whenever something looked all wrong, you could just ball it in your hands and roll it around some more to create something entirely different.

Polymer clay is quite similar to Plasticine. Both of these clays are somewhat solid when you buy them, but are softer from the heat of your hands. They both have an "oily" feel to them that leaves that residue on your hands, and they do not harden in the air. Plasticine is one of those clays that does not solidify at all, unlike Polymer Clay which, when baked, turns hard as a rock. So, if you intend to create a figurine, piece of jewelry, or some dollhouse miniatures that you would like to last forever, than Polymer Clay would be your best bet.

But Polymer Clay is a clay in name only. It is actually PVC based, and is more of a moldable and sculptable plastic than anything. It doesn't actually contain any Earth clay at all. Polymer Clay doesn't require any curing in a kiln, but it does require you to bake it in a conventional oven, ranging from 265* F to 275* F for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the object you are baking. Afterwards, you may choose to sand buff it to create a surface sheen, file down any imperfections, and than leave it as-is or gloss it with a water-based finish.

Polymer Clay isn't a new concept. In fact, it has been on store shelves for almost 40 years as a sculpting material, and even longer for other purposes. So, it's no surprise that there are a vast array of clay brands and colours to choose from.

The most popular and well-known brands of Polymer Clay are Fimo Soft and Sculpey III. Through the years, these companies have come out with different formulas for their clays, so the texture and feeling of the raw clay in your hands has changed tremendously overtime. For a beginner, I would suggest that working with either Fimo Soft or Sculpey III would be your best bet, namely because they are easy to handle and easy to find. You can easily find other brands as well online, such as Premo or Kato Polyclay, and they can also be found in your local hobby or arts & crafts store.

Polymer Clay generally comes in small 2oz packs of one particular colour, although many brands also offer boxes of 24 or 32 small packets of various colours to get you started. This may be your cheapest option if you have never worked with clay before. If you wish to create something with just a few colours, than you might be better off just purchasing the small amount of colours that you need. You may want to go ahead and buy just one block of each brand just so you can get a feel for their qualities and decide which brand works best for you.

One of the most favourable aspects of working with Polymer Clay is that it comes in so many colours. There is basic colours, fluorescent, metallic, pearl, glow in the dark, translucent, glittery, and even textured clays. Unlike sculpting materials like Terra Cotta, you don't have to spend all the work painting your creations afterwards. The option is always there if you would like to add details after your goodies have been baked with paint such as acrylics.

The great thing about colourful Polymer Clay is that it does not shrink or alter shape after baking, and most of the colours only change hues a very small bit and are quite unnoticeable. The downside of so many colours to choose from is trying to keep them separate. If you have several packages of opened clay, you may want to invest in some zipper-top baggies and an airtight container. If you have too much clay to handle, invest in one of those plastic organizers with the different compartments. Grab some sticker labels, write down the colours, and stick them on the matching compartments. This will keep your colours separate and clean. A good idea is to keep opened clay in one place and un-opened clay in another place to avoid opening several packages of the same colour when you already have some opened.

Cleanliness is another huge factor in Polymer Clay sculpting. Light colours such as White and Yellow just love to pick up specks of dirt and dust from the air and your hands. Even when your hands appear clean, these specks somehow seem to find their way onto your clay. Here are a 3 steps to keeping your clay nice and clean.

1) Keep a smooth and clear work surface. An ideal surface would be a big chunk of ceramic tile or glass. Clean thoroughly with soapy water, baby wipes, or some rubbing alcohol. After the surface starts to get tacky or oily again, keep paper towels and alchohol to give your surface a wipe down.

2) Keep your hands clean. I find that washing up with dishwashing liquid and letting your hands air dry works the best. Cotton towels are monsters for little specks of dust, so avoid them. Also avoid wiping your hands on anything or touching anything. A good hard wipe with a paper towel on your hands does wonders in getting off any dust. Keep a scrap piece of clay to roll between your hands to get off any spare dust that the paper towel didn't pick up.

3) Work with dark colours last. Dark colours leave dark residue on your work surface, and when you are rolling light colours on the same area, you are going to pick this residue up and your colours can get very muddy. Also, red seems to be a bad culprit in bleeding into other colours, so consider this a "dark" colour.

Another addition to Polymer Clay is the very useful "Liquid Clay" usually sold under the names "TLS - Translucent Liquid Sculpey" under the Sculpey brand, or "Fimo Decorating Gel" under the Fimo brand. Use liquid clay on your wire when you insert it into the clay before baking. This keeps it from slipping or falling out eventually, and acts as a very good adhesive or glue. When you attach pieces of clay to each other before baking, try adding a bit of Liquid Clay to the joint before sticking it on, as this will ensure a strong grip onto the clay base. Liquid Clay can make very attractive garnishes, such as frosting, icing, syrup, and glaze. If you add some colour, either by Oil Paint or by shaving in some hard coloured pastel, you can make yourself some glaze or syrup. If you add solid clay to the liquid clay, you can stir it constantly to a smooth consistency and make some very tasty looking frosting or icing for some clay cupcakes. Liquid clay can be baked with the rest of your clay at the same temperature and the same time, so they can be combined effortlessly.

Polymer Clay can be rolled out and cut out with cookie cutters, it can be pushed through a clay "extruder" to create strands in all different sizes and shapes, it can be sculpted with an unlimited amount of tools such as toothpicks and Popsicle sticks, and it can be rolled into different shapes and stuck on itself. Experiment! If you look up "Polymer Clay Tutorials" on the internet or in a bookstore, you will get many helpful resources to get you started as well if you do not know where to begin.

You can do a lot with clay. It doesn't just have to sit on a shelf and collect dust. You can wrap pens in it, create picture frames and light switch panels, or you could do what I do - make some jewellery! Before baking, try sticking some wire loops or eye pins in the clay so that it can be hung on things like jumprings and earring loops. Polymer Clay makes very attractive necklace pendants, rings, keychains, and all sorts of accessories that anyone can enjoy.

Sculpting with Polymer Clay is an entirely different world where you are free to create all that your imagination conjures up. What I have explained will get you started, but if you are ever curious to know more about the art, there is a wonderful Polymer Clay encyclopedia on GlassAttic.com. The creator is a Polymer Clay guru, and she is always happy to explain anything you need to know about the wonderful art of Polymer Clay. Experiment and enjoy!

Original Source: Crafts: Working With Polymer Clay

The Independent Artist

2009-05-19T22:27:00.005-04:00

This shall be my very first blog - and I intend to stick to it! I had an online journal way way back, but that is much different than a blog. A blog is more public, and it is the purpose of the blog that people know who you are. In online journals, you do not state any details about who you are, and if you do, you do so in an anonymous way.

What is this blog about, exactly? Well. I want to give the world some insight in what I do and what I create. I am a mad scientist of polymer clay, and I want to show you what I make! I also want to share tips, tricks, and all sorts of information on polymer clay that is useful to reader. I don't want to sit here and yabber on about myself all day - that would get very boring.

In addition to that, I might add a bit of my writing on social/youth issues, music, etc. I am very passionate about things like that. I am also passionate about the DIY ethic, and I would LOVE to feature independant artists and their creations online. So all in all, this is a blog about the Independent Artist - taking nothing from nobody, creating by feeling, and expressing who they are. That is an artist, my friends!