Play Dough: I couldn't keep from thinking about the beautiful pattern on antique silverware as my mother has collected it for years. I got out my hot glue gun and some craft sticks. I covered the pattern on the silverware that I wanted with hot glue and pushed the craft stick down onto it. I let it cool and pulled it off. Then I got out my play dough, rolled a rope and pushed the mold I had made with the hot glue into the dough. It came out perfect, I got so carried away I now have about a dozen little push molds to use on clay. This trim can be glued onto things and painted and varnished. By the way play dough dried and sealed with a water base varnish makes some adorable small objects. It has to be solid I made some old boots out of it and they were to thin, after a time they split where I had joined pieces. I made some tiny children's toys and after 4 years they are fine.

Wiggins

Easy tool for Klay Guns: You can modify a caulking gun (found in any hardware store) so that the Kemper Klay Gun fits inside. Then, you can use the caulking gun's pressure (many, many times stronger than just using your fingers) to push the polymer clay through. I've done this for several years and it works great. Nan Roche wrote an article in the December 1999 issue of Bead & Button that explains how to modify the caulking gun. (Her version is slightly different from mine, and I think hers is probably better.) The article is clearly written and has pictures, so it would be a lot easier to refer to Nan's article than to decipher anything that I'd try to explain in an email.

If you can't find Bead & Button magazine in your local library, you might go to their website and inquire about getting back issues. It's at http://www.beadandbutton.com/

Leina Johansson

Dolls from Fimo: There are a lot of sources to get information on making miniature dolls from Fimo, here are some online:

http://www.englandthings.com/carrington/ James Carrington wrote a very nice book on this subject.

http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/sue/suetemp.htm And so did Sue Heaser.

http://home.ici.net/~sams/happiness/howtos.htm Here you can learn a lot about size and proportion.

http://members.tripod.com/~Astralos/clay-intro.htm

Marjon de Haas

Balloons: I use a tiny Styrofoam ball (found in just about any craft store). Mold my Fimo, Sculpey or whatever your preference is, around it. Attach a tiny ball of Fimo to the bottom of the balloon where the balloon would be tied, Insert a thin dowel or a toothpick into the ball of Fimo, to create a "well" in the center of it so that it is now "cup shaped" like the tied end of a balloon would be.

Now I insert a piece of white floral wire. This is the type that you usually see in green and looks like it's wrapped in some type of thin threads...but they also come in white and look just like string in mini! I stick the floral wires into a block of scrap Fimo so that they are standing while baking. The Styrofoam melts inside the Fimo "balloon", and when you give the balloons a coat of matte spray they really look like latex.

Fern Marie

KLAY GUNS - Oh yes, you need to be Superman to get the polymer clays through it. But sometimes they can be really useful and here are some hints to make using them easier. 1. Knead your polymer clay (mixed with Mix-Quick to soften it all the more) until it is super soft. 2. You can coat the barrel of the tool with baby oil (I have never tried this but it is mentioned in a few instruction books. 3. Mix your color, fill the barrel and hand the Klay Gun to someone you know with strong hands (perhaps your DH), and have them extrude your clay. 4. If all else fails, you can try to stand on the two handles, plunger side down and your weight will extrude the clay. If anyone thinks I am joking here, then you have never tried to use a Kemper Klay Gun - desperation inspires ingenuity. There was also a question as to how to clean the gun. Bake the gun in the oven on low temperature for about 10 minutes. Let cool....the baked clay is easy to pick off the metal tool.

Mary Eccher

Extruding clay with a Klay Gun: I'm not sure if someone mentioned this already, but my sister
mentioned that a polymer clay artist on Carol Duvall recommended the following:
Roll the logs of clay that you want to extrude.
Place a clay log in the Klay gun.
Heat a clay warmer pad.
Place the Klay gun in the warmer pad for 5 minutes.
Remove Klay gun and extrude the clay.

Alix in San Francisco

Play Dough: I couldn't keep from thinking about the beautiful pattern on antique silverware as my mother has collected it for years. I got out my hot glue gun and some craft sticks. I covered the pattern on the silverware that I wanted with hot glue and pushed the craft stick down onto it. I let it cool and pulled it off. Then I got out my play dough, rolled a rope and pushed the mold I had made with the hot glue into the dough. It came out perfect, I got so carried away I now have about a dozen little push molds to use on clay. This trim can be glued onto things and painted and varnished. By the way play dough dried and sealed with a water base varnish makes some adorable small objects. It has to be solid I made some old boots out of it and they were to thin, after a time they split where I had joined pieces. I made some tiny children's toys and after 4 years they are fine.

Wiggins

Easy tool for Klay Guns: You can modify a caulking gun (found in any hardware store) so that the Kemper Klay Gun fits inside. Then, you can use the caulking gun's pressure (many, many times stronger than just using your fingers) to push the polymer clay through. I've done this for several years and it works great. Nan Roche wrote an article in the December 1999 issue of Bead & Button that explains how to modify the caulking gun. (Her version is slightly different from mine, and I think hers is probably better.) The article is clearly written and has pictures, so it would be a lot easier to refer to Nan's article than to decipher anything that I'd try to explain in an email.

If you can't find Bead & Button magazine in your local library, you might go to their website and inquire about getting back issues. It's at http://www.beadandbutton.com/

Leina Johansson

Dolls from Fimo: There are a lot of sources to get information on making miniature dolls from Fimo, here are some online:

http://www.englandthings.com/carrington/ James Carrington wrote a very nice book on this subject.

http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/sue/suetemp.htmAnd so did Sue Heaser.

http://home.ici.net/~sams/happiness/howtos.htmHere you can learn a lot about size and proportion.

http://members.tripod.com/~Astralos/clay-intro.htm

Marjon de Haas

Fimo canes: Donna Smolik sells the canes you are looking for. Also sells completed items. Her web URL is http://home.flash.net/~wolfes/and e-mail is dsjsws@yahoo.com

Patricia / Redwood City, CA

Fimo canes: I carry some of the fimo canes that you mentioned. http://JBsDollhousesMiniatures.com

Jackie

Child's handprint in Clay: If you have a child doll and a lump of clay you can do this one yourself!
- - - Roll the clay into a ball and flatten it.
- - - Dust the doll's hand lightly with baby powder or corn starch and blow off excess.
- - - Press doll's hand into the clay and remove.
- - - Use a pin to scratch the doll's name into the edge of the clay.
- - - Follow the clay directions to bake or air dry.

Laurie Sisson

Kemper Clay Gun: Never used one but the problem is familiar. A few things totry.
Before use spray inside of gun with Pam kitchen spray. If you run into problemswith that, after use of the clay gun
1. Dip into very hot water to loosen the residual clay or
2. Put the gun in the freezer and when clay is rock hard pick it out with a "nut' picker

Dr. Bob, Delray Beach, FL.

Plaster Molds: I have worked with plaster molds professionally and as an amateur in the past. I have even made molds, but have worked almost exclusively in porcelain and earthenware. I will attempt to offer some suggestions. I believe that if you use hydrocal plaster to pour into the molds you may have some success. It is stronger and there was some discussion on where to purchase it some months ago. So go to the archives and search for it. When I made molds I used tincture of green soap ((pharmacy) as a separator, not baby powder and other things. I know that many people will suggest other things and they probably will work. I can only tell you what I have used and been successful with. Brush on a light coat and try to avoid bubbles. And if you are attempting to mold very thin intricate things perhaps plaster is not what you should use, but rather resin or something else that will hold the intricate shape better. If I can be of any further help, please email me. It will be helpful to know exactly what you are trying to replicate.

Gary in NH

Molds: regarding what to fill to replicate from Plaster of Paris mold. Try to fill the mold with auto body putty. Once set up it can be filed, sanded, painted, etc. Smear Vaseline into your mold, then you can pour Plaster of Paris into the Plaster of Paris mold if you prefer that material to work with.

Ava

Molds: a rather unconventional material to use, not to mention CHEAP, is paper pulp. I know what everyone is thinking already, but I use a recipe by Ronny Burkette a Canadian puppet artist (besides minis my other passion in life are puppets and marionettes). His recipe is located at http://home.echo-on.net/~props/recipes.html. If you compress the material in your plaster mold and allow to dry completely before removing your cast will have an almost porcelain finish to it. Plus it can be sanded, drilled, added to after drying, can be baked at low heat to speed up drying time, finished anyway your imagination can come up with. If a smoother finish is needed mix Elmer's school glue and Plaster of Paris together to make a homemade gesso and apply it to the cast and then lightly sand. I make dolls for my daughter's dollhouse out of the stuff and just cast a mold of a section of siding to make a cheap durable siding out of it. It is that strong and
detailed.

Joshua

Molds: You need a container in which to make the mold - throw away cartons work pretty well. The item you wish to cast from must not have undercuts. Wipe it with a thin coating of liquid soap or mold release (some other things don't stick well to plastics). Anchor the piece to the bottom of the container with clay or tac material. Mix the plaster to the proper consistency in a different container and do not stir it! Tap the container to help get rid of bubbles. Carefully pour it into your prepared container and allow it to cure (it will get hot, then it will cool). Carefully tap the container to release the plaster block (it shrinks slightly) and then lift out your master mold. One thing I have found if there is difficulty getting something out of the cured mold is to try removing the master shape when it is still slightly damp and that sometimes works but is dangerous because the plaster is soft and easily breaks at that point. Do not try to use the mold until it is cry and warm to the touch. If this is not clear please e-mail me directly.

Jacqui

Molds: I love making molds and have been fortunate to have learned some of the craft from several very good mold makers. One of the best sources for both information and supplies that I've found is http://www.polytek.com/. They are a great source for various flexible mold making materials and "plastic" casting resins and polymers--the best thing is the description of each product and it's uses. They have an online version of their newsletter--you'll need a magnifying glass to read it. Another good site for an easy casting product is http://www.alumilite.com/product_line.html. Alumilite is a 1:1 two-part casting compound that cures in just minutes. This site also has an interesting section on mold making--it concentrates on silicone, but the two-piece mold demo uses the same steps you would use to make a two-piece plaster mold. There is a good "link" page to many different sculpting and sculpting supply sites at http://www.dolldesigns.com/sculpt.html

Diane Foster

Molds: An excellent mold making instruction page with diagrams and product list can be found at http://www.lagunaclay.com/. The directions are for a simple two-piece plaster mold to be used with ceramic or porcelain slip. If mold making is of interest to you, be sure to visit this site.

Diane

PaperClay: I also read the article in Collector about using it to make stonework, so I used it to make a stone fireplace. I thought I would let you know about my experience with it. (It's great - I love it!) First of all, cover your work area with plastic wrap. (If you are like me, you will really get into your work, and make a mess) Don't use wax paper, as the clay is somewhat sticky, and also you will be using water, as the clay will dry out relatively quickly, and the water keeps it from doing so. Wax paper just didn't hold up.

You will need a small cup of water, which helps to keep the clay from drying out, or helps to smooth it once you have put it in place. While the clay is a little bit sticky, I found that using a little water makes it even stickier, and using a bit of carpenter's glue worked best for covering my wooden fireplace frame. For dressing dolls with it, I would think that a little tacky glue would work, but you may not even need it.

Only take a little bit out at a time to work with, and keep the rest in a plastic bag or container. But if it starts drying out on you, you can just knead in some water, and it softens right up.A wonderful thing about it is that you can add paint to it and color it any color that you want. I used just tube acrylics, and kneaded it into the clay. (You would think that this might take forever, but it doesn't; it takes the color very fast) I also added color to the stones after it was finished, and it paints nicely, too. Plus, it is unbelievably lightweight!

The whole thing was dry in about a day, and the stones were hard as rocks! Pun intended. I also did some sanding on the base of it - be careful if you do this because it sands easily, and you could take off a lot more than you intended very quickly. I hope this helps some of you who are looking for a new medium, or just were wondering about how it works! Give it a try!

Deena