nelly3007

Hello everybody! I need help !!! I have a talk to make in English and I chose to do it on the polymer clay... I would like to know if what I have writing is right. I know that it is long but there should not be much error but I hope you can help me and thank you very very much !!!!

Hello everybody,
Today I would like to talk to you about my hobby: to make jewels with polymer clay currently called Fimo. First of all who know what is polymer clay Fimo ? I will explain you what it is, how to use it and of course how to make beautiful jewels. But be careful when if you start to use polymer clay Fimo, you will not can stop !

First of all, Polymer Clay is not true clay found in the earth. It was first developed in 1930, in Germany. It is made from PVC, polyvinyl chloride...the same family of plastics that make up the plumbing in your home. It is mixed with a plasticizer and color pigment is added.
Polymer Clays are available in many colors.
Fimo is a name for a brand of polymer clay. Though other brands of polymer clay exist (Sculpey, Cernit..) Fimo is the best known. And in French polymer clay is currently called Fimo, although there is a lot of other brands but it’s like for example Nutella, we don’t say “pate à tartiner” but only Nutella.

You can sculpt polymer clay, carve it, texture it, and build with it to create sculpture, accessories like pens, boxes, beads, jewels, figurines.
Polymer clays can be incorporated with other materials, plastics, metals… It can be mixed with powders, glitter, metallic leaf and anything that will not melt when baked.

After preparing and shaping, the "clay" is baked in a conventional oven at low temperature for a period determined by the shape and thickness of the design, so you don’t need a special kiln you can fire it in a kitchen oven.
The temperature causes chemical changes in the clay, making it hard and strong.
There is no shrinkage, and colors remain true through baking. The finished product can be sanded, glazed, painted.

Where can I find the polymer clay ?
Polymer clay is undergoing a surge in popularity and is more widely available than it was a few years ago. Look in local craft stores, art-supply stores, bead stores and mail order. Polymer clay is generally available in small and large packages. In France a package of 63 grammes usually costs between 1,50 euros and 3 euros.

What tools do I need ?
It is entirely possible to make an item from polymer clay using only your hands and your oven. Your HANDS are your most important tool for working polymer clay. But, there are many tools available to make working with polymer clay easier.
1.Most important, is an OVEN - either your kitchen oven
2. Piercing tool : If you want to make beads, they will need a hole for stringing. You can make this hole with a long sewing needle.
3. Knife A knife is useful to cut the clay. It can be a kitchen knife (but don't use the same knife for both food and clay).
4. A clay gun for modelling clay.
5. A pasta machine The pasta machine is used by many clayworkers to roll thin sheets of clay and to make a skinner blend of two or more colors.
6. And gloves to not leave fingerprints.

How do I make a simple bead?
First the color : You may be perfectly happy with clay right out of the package; Fimo comes in some beautiful colors. However, sometimes you can't find just the right color in the clay brand you want to use : so you can mix different color to obtain the right color you want.
To make a round bead take a piece of polymer clay and roll it between your palms until it is a round ball and pierce the ball with a needle or piercing tool.
You can also make oval beads or cylindrical beads.
How do I make a millefiori bead?
A millefiore ("thousand flowers") bead is one decorated with slices from a cane I will explain you later what is a cane. You can decorate a bead with a few spaced cane slices, or cover it completely.
To make a millefiore bead, first make a base bead from solid clay. If you're not going to cover the surface completely with cane slices, make sure the clay is a color that goes well with your cane. Take as many slices from the cane as you need. Make the slices as thin as you can get them without distorting the pattern.
Once the bead is covered, roll it very gently between your palms to smooth the seams between cane slices. Once the seams have disappeared, pierce and fire your bead.
You can generalize the method for beads to any object.
What does it mean “cane” ?
Caneworking is a technique used for making complex designs. A cane is a log or cylinder of clay that has a design running through it, so each slice of the cane - the cross-section - contains the design. You can make a large design that's easy to handle, and then reduce the size of the cane by pressing or rolling it so the cane becomes longer and thinner and the design becomes tiny and the design stays intact no matter how small you make it.
Canes can be made of any design at all. The cane can be round, triangular, or any other regular shape.
You can use a single slice of your cane, or decorate a bead with a veneer of slices from the same cane (it is the technique called "millefiori" which I explain previously).

Is polymer clay safe ?
Polymer clay is certified as non-toxic, but it is advised that you do not use the same utensils or other tools for any food preparation. Thoroughly clean any area used for polyclay manufacturing before preparing food in the same area.
Polymer clays, baked at the proper temperatures do not present a hazard. If you accidentally burn the polymer clay, immediately ventilate the area. The gases produced from burning polymer clay can be irritating to your lungs and eyes.

I expose and I sell my collars in an art gallery called Aset located street of the cathedral in Poitiers.
If you haven't tried using polymer clay for making jewelry, I hope I give you the desire ! There are tons of step-by-step tutorials on the Internet. Don't forget your local library. Let's get started!