Can you use sculpey glaze with polymer clay?

How do I make polymer clay necklace charms?

• http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7293557&section_id=6130957 Like those. I know you have to use polymer clay, but which do you recommend? I currently use the sculpey ultralight. I also know that you have to glaze it, but after you paint the clay? Also, How do they get the paint and molding so perfect?

• Answer:

  You'll want to use a brand/line of polymer clay that's strong even when it's thin or has projecting parts (so avoid Sculpey, SuperSculpey-flesh, and Sculpey III for those), and which takes detail well when you need it. I usually recommend Premo or FimoSoft to beginners because they're both medium-firmness polymer clays (so not too hard to condition) but they'll still be strong when thin. Kato Polyclay, FimoClassic, and SuperSculpey-Firm (gray only) are great too, but require a bit more conditioning. (Ultralight would be reasonably strong, but not good in the detail or smoothing department.) As for glazing, you *do not* have to glaze or otherwise seal polymer clays. Air-dry clays will require sealing however to prevent damage from humidity/water and sometimes from bugs. If you do want to add a gloss finish, that's usually done after baking. And it's usually done with a water-based gloss polyurethane or a cyanoacrylate floor polish (Future-Pledge, Mop 'N Glo) since those are very good and also cheap. It can be done with other liquids too like those sold for use with polymer clay, or with clear *acrylic* fingernail polish, or with things that scratch more easily after drying like clear acrylic mediums, clear embossing powder, epoxy resin, thinned white glue and "dimensional glues" like Diamond Glaze, etc. (Polymer clay can also be given a shine all the way up to a high-gloss finish by wet-sanding, then buffing.) As for paint, most clayers use colored polymer clays rather than painting on top of things, but paint can come in handy for some things like facial features, etc, when making whimsical sculpts (they're also used in some ways for more realistic sculpts). Often though, clayers who don't do much with their polymer clay except make sculpted items with it will paint on top because that's all they know and it's what they're familiar with from using air-dry clays. Polymer clay can be shaped in many ways --by hand entirely, in molds, with tools of all kinds including blades and shape cutters, etc., etc, or some combination. It's just a matter of learning how to make basic shapes, and making them smooth if desired ...(tip: always start with a ball rolled in your hands, a log rolled on the work surface, or a sheet created in a pasta machine or with a roller/brayer, to remove all seams and lumpiness before doing any further shaping or cutting). The kinds of "charm" shapes you're seeing are usually called "miniatures" in polymer clay since basically any small clay item can be dangled from a necklace (or bracelet or pin, or as earrings, etc.) just like regular "beads" made from polymer clay... in fact, "charms" are usually "sculpted" beads, though they could also be textured, molded, etc. You can find a load of info about all those things on the following pages at my polymer clay "encyclopedia" website. Instead of giving direct links to each page though (since YA frowns on too many links in one answer), I'll just give a direct link to the "Table of Contents" page for the whole site, then you can use the alphabetical navigation bar on the left to go to any of the pages --use the first letter of each page's name. (I've also listed the particular category on a page if that's relevant): http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm ...Miniatures ...Sculpting-Gen. >Fingerprints & Smoothing ...Molds ...Cutters ...Tools ...Finishes >Varathane ... >Future.... >Other Acrylics ...Characteristics of Clays (brands, lines, etc.) ...Paint >Painting on Top of Clay ... >Acrylic Paints You might also want to check out the 2 polymer clay boards at craftster.com since the members there mostly just make little sculpts with their clay: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=359.0 HTH, Diane B.