this page is all about where to go shopping, which who doesn’t love to shop?!?! anyways this will give great locations both on and offline where to find clay and other nifty tools and fun art stuff at great prices.

online shopping:

1. whole lotta whimsy

2. polymer clay superstore — have coupons and great free gifts with purchase

3. munro crafts — orders over $200 50% off, so you only spend $100.

4. create for less

5. the clay store

6. dick blick

7. the clay station — excellent open stock of perfect pearls by ranger

actual go to a store shopping:

1. Michaels

2. A.C. Moore

3. Hobby Lobby

what is polymer clay?

polymer clay is a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride and liquid plasticizers . it actually does not contain any clay minerals and is only called clay since its textile properties resemble clay. polymer clays are cured in a standard home oven at temperatures ranging from 265-275`F for approximately 15 minutes per 1/4 inch of clay. no shrinkage or color change occurs during the curing process. polymer clay can be colored using a variety of media such as:

• paint
• ink
• colored pencil
• chalk
• mica powder
• metal leaf
• glitter
• embossing powder

currently there are quite a few options out there as far as your choice regarding which brand of clay to choose. each brand has its strengths and purposes depending on the project at hand. all brands have a large assortment of colors and there is always the option of blending colors or adding color using an additional media (my personal favorite). below are the brands of clay that i use along with my observations regarding the particular brand.

• sculpey (original)–
  • easily conditioned
  • brittle; little flexibility after baking
  • very soft after prolonged manipulation, can be troublesome to work with if over conditioned
• PREMO! sculpey–
  • easily conditioned
  • strong; good flexibility after baking
• fimo classic–
  • difficult to condition
  • holds detail very well
  • very strong; little flexibility after baking
• fimo soft–
  • easier to condition than fimo classic
  • not as strong or durable as fimo classic
• kato polyclay–
  • extremly strong; flexible after baking
  • easy to condition
  • never feels sticky/soft/over-conditioned