I love that so many of my readers share my polymer clay articles on social media. Thank you! Many of my readers have recommended my articles on cleaning an Atlas Pasta Machine or clay machine. The only thing is…I don’t actually have an article like that! But I wanted to gather the information so that if you found your way here looking for ways to clean the mucky polymer clay out of your pasta machine or clay machine, you will still find your way to the right information. What is an Atlas? Pasta rollers like the Atlas 150 and Atlas 180 machines from Marcato are designed for rolling out sheets o ..read more

Clays are solid, so how can there be liquid clay? Well, that’s just because it’s the liquid form of polymer clay. It’s the same exact thing, but it doesn’t contain the thickener that makes it become solid, regular polymer clay. It’s the same otherwise. That being said, each brand of liquid clay has a slightly different look, feel, and behavior. You can nearly always use them interchangeably for most situations where you’ll use liquid clay. Feel free to mix and match the brands you have on hand. The article What is Liquid Clay? appears proudly on The Blue Bottle Tree ..read more

Fine jewelry generally refers to the classic “sparkly gemstone and precious metals” type of jewelry. Usually expensive, this kind of high-end jewelry has traditionally been used to mark or commemorate a special occasion such as weddings or anniversaries. This jewelry is usually quite personal and sentimental. It’s often worn for formal or special outings, though we traditionally wear our matrimonial jewelry daily. When worn for fashion reasons, the cost of this jewelry generally makes it an expensive luxury item. Costume jewelry is inexpensive jewelry made from glass or plastic “stones” and p ..read more

Are you confused about the difference between mica and pigments? Pigments are a very specific category of material that has been used since the beginning of time to make paint. Well known pigments include ultramarine blue, cadmium red, zinc yellow, burnt sienna, and quinacridone violet. Some are natural and some are lab-created. Mica powder is pulverized mica stone. It is sometimes coated with metal oxides to give it color. Mica powder is shiny, and it’s used in much the same way as pigments. But it’s not technically a pigment. To an extent, I’m being pedantic because sellers are using the te ..read more

I just noticed that the couch next to me is wet. Why? Because I laid my water bottle there. I made sure the spout was closed before I laid it down. But … I made a mistake … the cap was slightly unscrewed. So, it’s been dripping water for the past hour. Half a liter. Joy. No matter how well you plan, how much you anticipate, how perfectly you know exactly what you are doing and have shown yourself to have competence in many areas of your life … you will screw up. Sometimes it will be small, like a wet sofa cushion. Sometimes it will be a spectacular face-plant like getting yourself fired. Mist ..read more

Often used interchangeably, these two words have very different meanings. Findings are the hooks, clasps, latches, jump rings, button shanks, posts, bezels, blanks, and other utilitarian things that allow jewelry to function. They are always functional, sometimes decorative, and hopefully part of the overall aesthetic. Components are the decorative parts of costume jewelry. This might include charms, dangles, spacer beads, metal accents, crystals, tags, or even beads. These are the component structures that make up the jewelry itself. There is, of course, a lot of overlap between these terms ..read more

If you ask about baking glass on social media, the answers will sound scary and ominous, giving you the impression that glass might somehow not be safe in the oven. While glass can shatter when stressed, it’s actually quite rare that glass will shatter when you bake polymer clay on it. The caution you hear people express greatly outpaces the actual likelihood that your project will fly apart into a million pieces. Here’s the deal. All glass, even the ordinary non-tempered stuff, was created with extreme heat. Our mild polymer clay temperatures won’t harm the glass at all. If you really, reall ..read more

It’s well known that the dyes in alcohol inks or alcohol markers will migrate through polymer clay, causing the colors to bleed with time. But have you ever had this happen when using paint, pastels, or other pigmented media? What is the cause when paints bleed on polymer clay, causing a halo or fuzzy edge? Sabra was disappointed that the red paint bled on these heart earrings.Pigments vs Dyes Before I get deeper into this, we’ve got to rewind this a bit and talk about the difference between pigments and dyes. Pigments are powdered, crushed materials that give our art materials color. The simp ..read more

Renaissance Wax is a brand of wax that is highly esteemed among clayers for creating a nice finish. Apologies in advance to fans, but I want to be clear about what this wax does and what it does not. The marketing for Ren Wax speaks of its use in the British Museum to protect artifacts. This gives the impression that it also creates a protective finish on polymer clay. This is a misunderstanding. Museums must preserve delicate materials, such as wood, ivory, polished stone, leather, and bone, that can dry out or oxidize. Historically, beeswax was used for this. Beeswax is a lovely material, b ..read more

Polymer clay is solid vinyl plastic and does not need to be sealed against the elements. It is waterproof and does not crumble in the cold or melt in the heat. It will, in some cases, fade in the sun. In fact, varnishes and paints are just thin layers of plastic and will deteriorate in the weather much faster than polymer clay alone. Skip them. All plastic is brittle in the cold, and unsupported shapes can warp in the heat, so it’s best to place the item in the shade and avoid flexing during cold snaps. (Remember this if you sell at outdoor markets!) You’ll still need to clean the item regula ..read more