Monday, August 25, 2008

Polymer Clay Lessons

Ali was nice enough to spend most of her Saturday teaching Nicole and me how to work with polymer clay. We set up two manual pasta machines and lined the table with wax paper. Then we grabbed some clay and started working.

First you condition the clay. That means either kneading it by hand until it's the right consistency or running it through the pasta machine. Usually a little of both. And we blended colors. And rolled beads. And talked. And ate. And baked the beads. And played with Sherman. It was a great time.

What was funny was how some of the lessons of working with polymer relate to life in general and writing in particular. I want to use them in the Bennie books. The one I'll share here is:

It's always important to chill a while.

Nicole made some beautiful dark beads with spots of royal blue. Some had flecks of silver leaf. She'll have a knock-out set when she's done. Ali made all kinds of wonderful things while we worked. She even gifted me with some pinkish marbled beads that go with the green and pink beads I made. I also made green and fuschia for a different set.

Of course, I don't have pictures yet. But I will when they're put together. Promise.

Thanks to Ali and Nicole for on of the best Saturdays I've had in a while.

3 comments:

Ali said...

Any time :) Now, hurry up and get those pictures posted.

Nicole in RI said...

I had a great time too. Dunno about my beads though. They're very dark -- kind of round balls of dirt. Your beads were lovely though. And, of course, Ali's.

D.B. deClerq said...

I think you're underestimating how great those are going to look with just the right spacers and accent beads. Very classy.

Which now makes me want to see the incredible ring of hugeness. I bet it's prettier than you said.