Grays Crafts shares how to make a polymer clay cameo

Recently one of our guild members asked how to make a polymer clay cameo and Grays Crafts replied,

"If you need it in one piece (without background), that's what I do. Get translucent and ecru clay, roll out on thickest setting each of them. Stack on top of each other and roll through machine again. Tear in half, stack and roll. I usually stop when there is 30-60 very thin layers. Then create striped cane - slice stack in parts, stack parts, so stripes become the working surface.

Get a good carved cameo (or your best doll face if you only need a face), spritz with water/automotive protectant and press into the molding material. Molding material - 2 part molding compound or Bake and Bend clay. I make all my custom stamps out of this clay. In case with component, let it set. In case with clay - bake with piece in place, if it can be baked or carefully pull it out. Don't bake clay in clay .

Slice piece off the striped cane thick enough to fill the mold and push it into the mold. You want to spritz clay or the mold. Or both . Stripes will get distorted. In my opinion, it gives them a more natural look. Make sure the back is level and generally decent and carefully pull out of mold. Bake, antique, heat set the patina, buff.

Imitates the look of ivory. You can add scratch-like marks before baking to make it look distressed. You can also create background for your cameo from the same faux ivory if you want.

Good luck! "

So there you have it- a fairly easy way to create your own polymer clay cameos! A big thanks to Grays Crafts for sharing her knowledge with us!
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Book Review: The Art of Jewelry Polymer Clay

This post was written by Anna of Grays Crafts

The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay by Katherine Duncan Aimone.

152 pages, soft cover, full color.



It is a wonderful book for intermediate to advanced clayers. I do not recommend this book to beginners. The projects in the book contain just a few illustrations each, and in most cases steps are not described in full, since, being an advanced clayer, you are supposed to know how to do elementary things. I have heard some negative reviews about this book, and they mostly came from beginners, which is understandable. If you are just starting your journey into the wonderful world of polymer clay, you may become disappointed and overwhelmed by this book and may be better off with simpler projects at first, reserving this one for the time when your skills will reach the next level. However, if you are an intermediate to advanced polymer artist, this book would be a sheer delight to you, as you would have a chance to challenge yourself while using well-familiar techniques and learning new ones. Following the instructions in the book, you would truly be making art jewelry, of quality and beauty such as to be easily displayed in an art museum.
The Art of Jewelry, as its title implements, is a jewelry-making oriented book, in other words, all projects in it are polymer clay jewelry. The book contains:
- 12 necklace projects;
- 7 pendant projects;
- 7 brooch/pin projects;
- 6 bracelet projects;
- and 3 earring projects.

Techniques you will be using (and learning) include:
- sculpting;
- forming;
- texturing;
- embossing;
- image transfer;
- transfer etching;
- screen printing;
- freeform mica shift;
- color blends, including Skinner Blend;
- caning, advanced caning and millefiori;
- faux tesserae mosaics (clay embossing);
- faux glass;
- faux ceramics (Celadon glaze);
- faux fresco (gelatin coating);
- creation of hollow forms;
- molding;
- antiquing.

Some of the projects require use of general metalsmithing skills, such as soldering, wire work and riveting.
The book’s cover states Katherine Duncan Aimone as the author, however she is the compiler and the author of the introduction to the book. The introduction is followed by the polymer clay jewelry basics chapter by Mari O’Dell. In that chapter, you can find information on:
- polymer clay, its properties, conditioning, storing and curing;
- materials that can be used with polymer, such as embossing powders, metal leaf, heat set inks and so on;
- an overview of basic and special tools used for working with polymer, including advice on making and using your own molds;
- finishing options and surface treatments;
- use of findings in polymer jewelry, including excellent instructions on attaching a pin back to polymer brooches.

Projects themselves start from the page 24. Artists whose projects are featured include:
- Judith Skinner (3 projects);
- Jacqueline Lee (3 projects);
- Pier and Penina (4 projects);
- Louise Fischer Cozzi (2 projects);
- Mari O’Dell (3 projects);
- Jennifer Bezingue (3 projects);
- SL Savarick (2 projects):
- Stephanie Jones Rubiano (1 project);
- Sandra McCaw (1 project);
- Lindly Haunani (3 projects);
- Jeffrey Lloyd Dever (1 project);
- Leslie Blackford (2 projects);
- Julia Converse Sober (3 projects);
- Wendy Wallin Malinow (2 projects).

The beautiful cover piece, Snow Flower Brooch by Sandra McCaw, is included in the book and is an advanced caning project.
Book contains a lot of useful tips. There is a wonderful inspiring Gallery section which alone makes book to be worth its price. You can learn things by just looking at these beautiful high quality photographs. Pieces presented in the Gallery are advanced to ultra advanced. At the end of the book you can find short bios of the artists whose projects are featured, alone with their contact information. And like all of that already was not enough, the book also contains a metric conversion (inches to centimeters) chart.

I got my book on Amazon.com for $12.76 and, since my husband is a Prime member, shipping was free.
I would give this book six stars out of five and highly recommend it to advanced clayers interested in jewelry projects.

Below you can see a picture of a project I created after reading this book:


You can find Grays Crafts online at http://grayscrafts.com/, on Facebook, Twitter, and her ArtFire shop.

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Meet Smooshers member Grays Crafts

Polymer Clay Smoosher member Anna, of Grays Crafts creates a variety of unique and whimsical items, from jewelry to home decor.  She was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and let us take a peek into her creative world.

With all the mediums available for crafting why did you choose Polymer clay?

Because it is easy to sculpt from. I do a lot of sculpting. It is also awesome as mosaics foundation and tesserae material, and I love mosaics. It can mimic any material of Earth or I can make something totally alien out of it. I used to work with and sell works made out of plasticine as a child and teenager and then with fondant to do food sculpture, so I was very glad when I found polymer clay. If you use it right, it is just very beautiful.

How did you learn to use polymer clay? Internet, experimenting, books, classes.....

Experimenting definitely would be the first. I am an experimenter. I made an Etruscan ship as my first project. Nobody said I have no ambition . Not sure I would dare to do it now . It took me 4 remakes and 1 week of work, but I did it. There was no instructions available simply because nobody else made them. So, I was on my own. Then I went to Internet and watched and read all free tutes available. Then I bought Lisa Pavelka book. After that I bought some more books . And then I took Christi Friesen class.

What is your favorite tool to work with?

My hands.

Do you like to work with any mediums other than polymer clay?

Yes, with a lot of them! Pearls, gemstones, wire, wood, paper, glass, acrylic - you name it. I love to recycle items, that's why I established my "Cycle of Recycle" series. One of the latest things made for it is an ocean view necklace and earrings made of suction cup and drinking tubing. Hey, somebody uses these "Go 360 Clean" things? Don't throw the sponges away; they make awesome brooches!

What is your favorite polymer clay technique and why?

Micro-mosaics obviously. I LOVE extruded canes! Although I generally don't like caning since I bores me. No offense to caning people - I just like things that differ from one another. Mokume gane, especially freeform planned pattern. Mica shift - try using shallow cutters as your stamps - you'll be amazed. If you haven't already . I've invented a couple of my own, such as faux grout micro-mosaics, so I obviously like to use those. Sculpting is awesome, you can't beat 3D!
Why they're favorite? Because they yield awesome results.

What is your least favorite technique and why?

Caning - see above.

What is on your "to do" or "to learn" list?

Work with PMC - I don't have a kiln yet. Perfect my metalsmithing skills, because now, frankly, they suck . Buy professional lapidary equipment - we go on mining trips with my husband sometimes, and right now it's very hard for me to polish these gems. Learn to be more patient and accepting.

Do you mix your own colors? Why or why not?

Always! It's just fun to do. To match little magic happening.

How do you keep your designs fresh and original?

I don't. They keep themselves . After certain point they acquire life of their own and do what they please with it. Generally, I don't repeat things. Even mass-produced designs will always look a bit different. I've always sucked at copying, had real problems with it in school. But here it pays off.

What keeps you from getting into a creative rut?

I hear a lot about creative rut, but frankly don't know what it is. Please, don't think that I show off. I have hard time sleeping, as new ideas keep pushing in my head. I generally create 10-30 designs per week, and 4-5 of them always are totally new. And that's been going on for at least past 5 years.

What is your favorite brand of clay if you have one and why?

"Premo! Sculpey" and "FIMO" - they're just awesome. Easy to condition, stay fresh, don't crack (mostly ), have amazing colors. More than I need.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Don't try to show results of your work, but the beauty of your idea. We all have beautiful ideas inside. Let them out and let them live. Have fun! And thank you.

Link to my work: http://www.artfire.c...es/Polymer_Clay

 

What a wonderfully creative lady! Grays Crafts can be found online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/grayscrafts,  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grays-Crafts/175931129085558,  http://twitter.com/#!/grayscrafts, http://grayscrafts.com/, and http://www.etsy.com/shop/grayscrafts, as well as her ArtFire shop.  Be sure to pay her a visit!

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The newest Meet the Smooshers video

And here's the next in our Meet the Polymer Clay Smooshers video series!  This video features the work of Desert Rubble, Desert Wind Designs, Dreamweavers Designs, Drunkenmimes, Fantasy Clay, Gems PC Creations, and Grays Crafts.  These are all wonderfully talented polymer clay artists, with shops full of beautiful handmade items!

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