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Welcome to the World of Mixed Mediums. I've been doing a lot of experimenting with Rubber Stamps on Polymer Clay lately, and thought I would share some of my successes. This isn't the be all and end all of information... the world of Polymer clay is so young that there is plenty to learn and much to discover. Here is my advice about making a simple decorated Holiday Ornament using Polymer Clay and Rubber Stamps.
As with most of the lessons I have written, there are several ways to accomplish many of the tasks. I will cover a few variations, but I don't want to turn one lesson into a book. I would like to encourage you to experiment on your own, and if you come up with something interesting, please email me at , I would love to include a section at the end of the lesson for everyone else's ideas and suggestions.
Supply List:We will be using PREMO™ for the ornaments because of its flexibility after it is cured. This makes the ornaments more durable. Other clay can be used, but the ornaments will tend to break and crack faster than anything made with Premo. As with all clays, Premo will need to be conditioned, but it's much easier to condition and comes pasta machine ready. Put it through your pasta machine about 10 times at its thickest setting.
- Clay - (Premo is advised)
- Rubber Stamps - (Symmetrical)
- Stamp Pad - (suggestions: Fabrico or Encore Metallics)
- Color - (Suggestions: Gel pens, metallic pens, Pearl-ex powders, acrylic paint and glitter)
- Embellishments - Crystal Lacquer (clear or colors) Glue and Glitter (fine and ultra fine)
- String or Ribbon
The ornaments can be as thin or thick as you choose. I found that a #4 or a #5 setting works best, with less distortion when you try to pick up or move an uncured piece. Put the clay through the pasta machine at progressively thinner settings until you reach your desired thickness.
If you are new to polymer clay, then I suggest you use a thicker setting until you get used to working with the clay. If you don't have a pasta machine, a rolling pin or a piece of pipe can be used to flatten down your clay, just as if you were making cookies for the holidays. I have found that using a piece of wax paper under your clay will make life much easier, especially when it comes to pulling the flat sheet of clay off your work surface.