Best Creative Paperclay Tools Tips by Gloriann Irizarry

 

It is finally Summer. The weather is getting nice and hot. Now I have been ask about Creative Paperclay and what's the best tools to use so I will be answering this question to full extend today. Feel free to visit our Creative Paperclay Q&A Facebook page if full of many wonderful Creative Paperclay artist always helping others with any question you might have about Creative Paperclay .

 

 

Rollers are the best way to roll a clay sheet.

It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive a simple old aluminum foil paper roller will work.

Has long the cardboard is thick it should do the trick.

 

Aluminum foil is wonderful to create nice armatures and it is easy to bend and shape to most desired shapes. You can keep in the sculpt or removed the paper after the clay dry.

 

Freezer paper is great to keep the clay from sticking on your working surface.

Lay a sheet on your working table and can be use to keep the clay from sticking when you roll the sheets of clay out.

 

 

Stainless steel wires and foam forms are one of my favorites to use to create armatures for paper clay projects. They will save you time and money.

you can also use regular object like water bottles and foam to create intricate shapes. 

The best way to keep them from falling apart is Hot glue. Now the trick is not to use high temperature but use Low temperature instead and let it fully dry so it nice and thigh.

  



 

Hobby knife and carving tools work great .

 

Any spray bottle can be recycle for you to use has a water clay mister

 

Paper tape is wonderful to create nice armature or use has fillers for your sculpt.

 

 

Flat brushes are my favorite to smooth the sculpt with water.

 



 

Now don't be afraid to try other tools like executers, texture plates or mold design or marketed for either polymer clay of cake fondant they work wonderful on Creative Paperclay . You will be surprise all the wonderful thing available out there for you. If you cant find a tool you like don't give up is always fun to make your own too.  Now the possibilities are endless all you need to do is let your imagination Fly.

 

I hope this help and feel free to visit our blog for more wonderful tips by many other great designers team members so stay tune .    

 

 

Sincerely

Gloriann Irizarry

 

June Design Tip, Alternative to sanding by LuLu Lancaster

Hello This is LuLu and I have a design tip for those of you who can be impatient...like me ;)

Gesso instead of sanding.

Sometimes I want my Art Dolls to have skin as smooth as can be and once in awhile a piece just doesn't require that smoothness. 

Simple acrylic gesso found at any craft art supply store is a great medium to use as a base for your next raggedy sort of project.

 Once your sculpture is dried just generously paint the gesso over and apply a couple coats.

 Easy as can be and the finish is perfect for applying your paint, artist pencils or pastels.

Coats of Gesso

applying paint 

Creative PaperClay® Heads all finished :)

Thank you so much I hope you have found this Tip helpful :)

LuLu

LuLusApple

February Tip, Sanding with Sandits™ by LuLu Lancaster

Hello and welcome!

 this is LuLu Lancaster with a tip on sanding

 your Creative Paperclay® sculptures using Sandits™

These swab like sanders are perfect for getting into small spots where a piece of sand paper even a little torn piece just doesn't do the trick.

 Sandits™ have two sides a 120 and 180 grit. 

I have used the courser side to get "spots and raised areas" off my sculptures. 

And then follow with the finer grit in a circular motion, almost twirling the SandIts ™to define areas around eyes, nose and lips.

Nostrils have always been an area on clay sculptures that tend to flatten when sanded. Using the very end tip of the Sandits™you can twirl the rough edges of the nostril without flattening it.

Hands are another area that can be hard to sand. Using the Sandits™ you can get the edges of the fingers, and by again twirling the sander you can create a pocket of the palm

here I have started to sand the top of the hand showing better definition.

And here is a palm.

The sanders can get gunked up quickly. A few swishes in water and a good brushing with an old stiff paintbrush will clean them right up. 

  And these sanders can be used wet also :D

Thank you for taking the time to check out my Tips on

 Sandits™ sanders 

and be sure to check out their website while you are at it and grab some for yourself :)

LuLu Lancaster

 LuLusAppleDolls

My Secret Weapon - Rubber Scrubbers for Sanding - LeeAnn's Tip #2

Hi Everyone!

I am back with another tip for you.  I have been crafting and sculpting pretty much all of my life.  In my early 20's, I started making porcelain dolls and was introduced to rubber scrubbers.  Rubber scrubbers are these great little sanders with grit on one side and sponge on the other.

What's so great about them is that they bend and conform to whatever you are sanding on.  This is my secret weapon to sanding. I have used these for over 25 years now.  For those of you who use sandpaper, please give these a try.  They will truly change your life!  Seriously!  Sandpaper can be rough, stiff and non-pliable.  These fantastic little sponges are truly bliss.  They are all you need - no other tools required!

They can be found on Ebay  (look for rubber scubbers) or at Kemperdolls.com under the Supplies tab and are relatively cheap.   I love that they last a long time and you can wash them out!  They are made for fine art.  You can use them on porcelain, wood, and yes, our wonderful Creative Paperclay®.  The size is 3x3 (and sometime 3x4).  They come in two different grits -- 100 and 200.  For my paperclay projects, I start off by using the 100 grit and then finish off with the 200.

Here I am sanding over my craft board over a tub of water.  Most of the time, I sand outside because I love the fresh air and Lord knows I am sun deprived.  However, if it's cold outside and you need to sand inside, sand over water.  In my early doll making days, I learned this technique.  Water attracts dust.  You will cut down tremendously on sanding debris by sanding over water.  Soon your bowl will be full of dust particles and not all over your counter.  :)

Here I am sanding outside, you can see how the rubber scrubber just bends to the tiniest shape.  It really is perfect for getting into those tiny, hard to reach spots.

 Another benefit from using the rubber scrubbers is that it knocks down the bumps in your clay fast!!  There is no hard sanding and no abrasiveness to your hands like with sandpaper.  Rubber scrubbers are my little miracle workers.  I know a lot of people out there who absolutely dislike sanding ... I love sanding with rubber scrubbers and you will too!  I wouldn't be without them.

Now, as you go looking for these be aware of imitations.  3M puts out a product called sanding sponges.  These are not what you are looking for.  Look for rubber scrubbers and I promise you will be so happy you did!

Thanks for stopping by and viewing my December tip.  I will be back later this month with another tutorial!

Until then ... take care!  LeeAnn (www.charmedconfections.com)

Sanding Creative Paperclay® Using Tools - Diane's Tips

Good morning! How are you all doing this fine day?
The design team  has had some wonderful tutorials and  fantastic tips, don't you think?
Today,  I would like to share some of my sanding tips using tools. Over the years sanding tools have helped  while finishing my clay creations.

Sanding is an important process in your design.  Some pieces may require more sanding than others depending on the look "you" as an artist want for your piece. A sculpt you would want very smooth will require more sanding. A Rustic look will require far less sanding.

A few years back, I struggled with the sanding process, especially the nooks and cranny's of smaller pieces.
 I observed my hubby who is a woodcarver, and noticed how he would use tools to sand his carvings... Ding! The light bulb turned on and it has been smooth sailing sanding ever since.
Here is what I've learned while on my creative journey.

The tools I use for sanding.
 The sanding tools I use are nothing more then household items as pictured above.
  My favorite is the cuticle stick, it has a beveled edge that can really get into those crevices,
  like wrinkles and such.
  Have fun experimenting with different items and you will soon find what will become your favorite tools.

Sandpaper. I keep two kinds of sandpaper in my finishing kit. A fine grit (tan)
and a wet/dry 330 grit carbide sandpaper (black). I like my sandpaper that i use on the Creative Paperclay® to be slightly worn. The reason for this, is because it is more pliable and easier to work with.


The steps I take to sand and finish a sculpt.

1. When the sculpt is dry, I give it a quick sanding using a fine grit sandpaper (tan).
      With this sandpaper you can sand down larger blemishes or bumps.

Now, a second  sanding using ( as pictured above in the first pic ) wet/dry 330 grit carbide sandpaper (black).  I love this stuff !   Using the wet/dry sandpaper you will start smoothing out your sculpt to a soft smooth finish. Though, this is a wet/dry sandpaper, you do not want to get the black side of the sandpaper wet and use on your sculpt, as it will remove your detail work.

3. For the detail sanding. Now getting to those wrinkles, crevices and tight areas. Using the wet/dry carbide sandpaper (black), with my finger I lightly moistened the back of the sandpaper with water,being careful not to get the front of the sandpaper wet. The reason for dampening the backside of the sandpaper is to make it pliable. Now that the paper is pliable, I wrap it around my desired tool, as shown above.

4. The sanding begins, and getting into those tight areas is much easier with the tools.
      Here in the pic above, with a light touch, I am sanding in the crevices of the wrinkles.

5.  I run my fingers over the sculpt making sure it is smooth. When I feel good about my sanding,
I then dust off  the sculpt using a soft brush to remove any loose dust. A soft, fluffy makeup brush works great.

6. To finish my sanding I buff it out.  I take a small piece of pantyhose, wrap it around my finger and lightly go over the Sculpt. Another, dusting using the soft brush and we are now ready to paint.

NOTE: Creative Paperclay® is an amazing clay to work with and the strength of this clay is very impressive, but at the same time the surface can be delicate before it is finished with paint and sealer.  When sanding your Creative Paperclay® creation, a light touch is all that is needed. Sanding to firmly, can leave unwanted divets, scratches, or it can sand away some of your delicate detail.

To a beginner this may sound like a big process. Don't be alarmed! Creative Paperclay® is by far the easiest clay I have ever had the pleasure to sand and the process goes very quickly.
   
I hope this will be a helpful tip  that you can take with you on your Creative Paperclay® journey.

Please, feel free to leave any questions or comments on this post and I will be sure to get back with you.
Oh, and your welcome to visit me anytime over at my blog.blog.

Many wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy Creating !
~Diane

Rachel Whetzel's November Tip

Sand paper is your FRIEND!! It can make a huge difference in fine details, and helping you to create a sharp edge. I use grit ranging from 120 to 380 grit. The higher the number, the more fine your sandpaper is. I use 120 to sand edges and shape, and then I follow behind that with a fine grit to remove sanding lines.

As you can see in the image above, sanding allowed me to sculpt in the "bones" of my bat wing, and then create a crisp edge that made the wing more realistic once it was painted. I also use this trick when sculpting clothing on my art dolls.

Crisp edges on Steampunk Goggles, Sharp corners on hats, Clean and Straight Trim on waistcoats.