Tip: "I could never find Flecto Varathane, so I bought Minwax Water Based POLYCRYLIC Protective Finish, and I like it much better than Future Floor Wax. I feel it gives a permanent finish to the beads that I make...and very glossy."

Tip: "I have tried a few different techniques for polishing and what I found works best for smaller pieces is clear embossing powder with a heat gun. I love it and you have so many different choices on the market for color powders."

Tip: "An easy way to get your polymer items to shine or have a glazed look is to brush egg whites, covering the clay completely, before baking. After the item is baked there will be some little bubbles on it, just let the item cool and then lightly wipe off any bubbles and it comes out shiny, smooth and clean."

Tip: "Wax paper rubbed over polymer clay while hot from the oven will form a wonderful wax coating leaving the item velvety smooth to the touch ( when used on a doll it looks and feels just like baby soft skin.)"

Tip: "I use primarily two finishes for my pieces, Mod Podge or a spray finish. Mod Podge works great because it dries quickly, can be thinned down easily, and you can have your choice of finish... glossy, matte, or glittery. When I don't have any Mod Podge readily available, I use spray finishes instead. But Mod Podge is great, cause it also acts as a glue so you can affix smaller baked pieces onto the main piece. And like some spray finishes I've used, Mod Podge is never sticky when it's dry. I had made myself Devil Horns for a halloween costume, and after painting some detail onto them, I sprayed them with a spray finish, but it ended up being really sticky, which isn't good since it'd be on my head and touching my hair. But luckily, I had picked up a bottle of Mod Podge the next day and it very easily covered up the spray finish and the piece was no longer sticky."

Tip: "Future Future Acrylic Floor Polish is a wonderful product for finishing polymer clay pieces in a high gloss shine, even if you haven't done much polishing or sanding beforehand. It can be brushed on, or sprayed on, with a wonderful depth to the finish. The "glaze" becomes even more durable if the piece is baked (200F for 10 minutes) after application. You can add as many layers as you wish, getting a deeper shine after each application. Some people bake in-between layers, or after a number of layers have been applied. I've tried both, and have had great sucess."

Tip: "Mica powders, such as Pearl-Ex and Powdered Pearls are often applied before curing, and mostly rub off without being sealed. Painting or spraying the sealant with Future or other sealants can often ruin the powdered mica's effects. For spectacular highlights to raised portions of texture, add mica pigment powder to a small amount of Future. It can be painted on the raised portions and won't rub off after it's dried or cured in the oven. This mixture can also be applied to un-cured clay; however,the Future will most likely bubble at the higher temperatures. Fortunately, the bubbles can be popped and another coat of Future applied and baked at 200F for 10 minutes with lovely results. "

Tip: "I have heard that nail polish can yellow with time, although it is more convenient than a big can of Varathane. I spoke with a Behr rep who said that Behr Decorative Finish was compatible with Flecto but that it was better because it was tougher and non-yellowing. I've heard some say that their Flecto Varathane pieces yellowed and others haven't had that problem. I have never tried either because the gallon of Flecto I came across was over $40. The Behr came in a smaller container but I still didn't break down and pay the $15 for it. I've been using Future which is a bit too thin for me, and Sculpey Gloss, which is too thick for my liking. Picky, huh!? I saw a Generic brand Future in the Dollar Store for those penny pinchers like me! "

Tip: "For anyone who wants a shiny, glass-like finish to their piece but isn't sure which finish to use, super glossy clear nail polish works great! It comes with its own brush and it dries quickly."

Tip: "There's a wonderful product on the market that acts as both a mold release and a fingerprint eliminator on molded pieces. It's Downey Wrinkle Releaser. What's left on the clay evaporates. This product is superior to ArmourAll or Talc and allows artists to get great detail and clarity from molds."

Tip: "I found an easy way to use Future that saves the amount of leftovers. I strand the finished pendant on floral wire, bend it into a V-shape, and then dip the pendant into a waxed dixie cup filled with enough Future to submerse the item. I dip each pendant twice, then hang them on my baking pan that's lined with a paper towel and a piece of aluminum foil underneath. I let each item sit for a few minutes, and then, before I bake them, I take a small natural bristle paint brush and wipe off the drips on the bottom of each item. Repeat this procedure twice (baking two layers on the item) and you will find the results are pretty nice. Also, the remainder of the Future from the cup can easily be poured back into the container. This is a great way to cover the entire item, and to really save on the amount of Future you use."