I can't
imagine having done a tutorial (or much of anything) while my son was that small, but then he was also a little time-intensive.
Anyway, until beadingjunkee gets around to a tutorial, there are
loads of lessons at my site about stamping on clay, "highlighting" (and/or "antitquing") it with mica powders or other materials, cutting stamped or textured clay into shapes, and making pendants by adding holes and/or connectors for them.
So for anyone interested (especially
horsygirl321,
heids, and
pinkricepudding), those lessons/etc would be on these particular pages:
Stamping >
Basic Techniques .....and also >
Purchased Stamps,
Having Your Own Rubberstamps Made, and
Making Your Own Stampshttp://www.glassattic.com/polymer/stamping.htm(and also
Texturing which is similar
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/texturing.htm )
Powders >
Techniques Summary, then scroll down to the info on "Highlighting" and "Antiquing"
....and also >
Mica Powdershttp://www.glassattic.com/polymer/powders_metallicwaxes.htmPendants >
Loops & Holeshttp://www.glassattic.com/polymer/pendants_cording.htmto
BrknArrow518, about "firing" polymer clay... polymer clay isn't "fired" at high heat in a kiln like earth clays; it's simply "
baked" at a relatively low temperature for a short time in a regular home oven (or some other heating mechanism) to cure --it won't ever "dry" like air-dry clays though since it's not water-based; instead it's chemically fused or "polymerized" when heated sufficiently but not-too-much to make it harden:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htmto
bekibutton about
cutting the shapes:
Generally shapes are cut after the clay sheet/etc has been textured just because the edges will be neater, but they don't always have to be cut then:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/cutters-blades.htmto
p3bbl3s:
If your
clay is getting too soft, you probably will want to switch brands,**
and/or to use some of the "cooling" methods for firming clay up discussed on this page:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/Conditioning.htm >
Cooling**avoid Sculpey III, Sculpey, and SuperSculpey-flesh (perhaps also FimoSoft and Premo if your hands or your environment tend to be really hot):
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/Characteristics.htmThat leaves using FimoClassic or Kato Polyclay for the absolute least-soft brands/lines --or perhaps "leaching" and cooling the other brands or soft bars that you already have...see "Conditioning" page link just above for information on how to
Leach clay as well as how to cool it.
HTH,
Diane B.
P.S. Anyone really interested in using polymer clay should check out the
2 Polymer Clay clay boards here too:
Polymer Clay Discussion and Questions:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=239.0Polymer Clay Completed Projects:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=238.0.
