Craft DictionaryPolymer clay crafting terms
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Armature Internal structural support for a piece, usually sculpture. The armature could consist of wire, aluminum foil, stiff paper, or anything else that can be baked at the same temperatures as the clay. An armature can add strength to a piece and it can also save on baking time since a solid clay object will need to be baked longer than one with a foil core.
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Back Fill To fill a carved or indented pattern in baked clay with unbaked clay. Usually any excess is sanded down after baking again.
Bakelite A synthetic plastic that was used in jewelry extensively during the 1930's. It is popular with collectors today and can be imitated with polymer clay.
Bargello A technique which imitates the bargello style of needlepoint stitchery by using strips of clay in gradated colors.
Bead Roller A tool used to roll uniform beads. It is usually made up of two pieces of partial tube which the clay is placed between. The top piece rolls the clay down the trough and it is formed into an oval or sphere as it rolls.
Bench Grinder A power tool which has rotating grinding discs. It can be modified by replacing the grinding wheels with muslin buffing wheels for buffing polymer clay.
Bezel Setting A way of securing a stone with a thin band of metal around the edge. It can be imitated with a thin snake of clay.
Brayer A tool which looks like a rolling pin with a handle. It is used for smoothing and flattening clay.
Buffer Any machine or tool used for buffing, or putting a gloss on a surface. This could include an actual buffing machine, a modified bench grinder, a Dremel with a buffing wheel attachment, or a pair of blue jeans.
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Cane A technique, originally adapted from glass, where a design is constructed using long rods of clay so that the design runs lengthwise through the log or block. This allows for identical slices of the same design. Canes can also be reduced or made smaller so that you can get the same design or pattern in a smaller slice.
Cernit A brand of clay which is often used by doll makers for its translucent skin tones.
Clay Gun A metal tool with a plunger, similar to a syringe, which when squeezed forces clay out through interchangeable disks. The disks have openings of various shapes and sizes. It is used to make consistent ropes and strings of clay for the Balinese Filigree technique among other things.
Condition To mix and soften the clay into a workable state by kneading, running it through the pasta machine, putting it through a food processor, etc. Different brands of clay take different amounts of effort to condition.
Cure To bake the clay so that it sets permanently and is no longer soft or workable.
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Embossing Powder Powders used by rubber stampers which melt when heated. The powders can also be used on and in polymer clay for a variety of effects.
Extruder An extruder could also be a garlic press, sugar craft implement, or other tool which will force out shapes of clay.
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Faux An artistic imitation of a real substance. Some examples which can be made in clay are faux ivory, faux turquoise, and faux jade.
Filigree A technique which uses strings or ropes of clay in coils or freeform shapes to create an intricate textured surface
FIMO A brand of Polymer Clay. FIMO Classic is harder to condition than some other brands but good for canework. FIMOSoft was just recently introduced and is easier to condition.
Findings Jewelry findings are any jewelry component such as clasps, jump rings, pin backs, etc, etc.
Food Processor A motorized implement for chopping food, it has been adapted by some people to condition stiff clay.
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Inclusion Anything which can be included, or mixed, in to clay. Some examples are spices, ground up crayons, gold leaf, dirt, and embossing powders.
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Lace Cane A simple but often elegant cane made up of many smaller repeating cylindrical canes.
Leach Reduce the amount of plasticizer in the clay. Sometimes clay can be too sticky and one solution to this problem is to lay the clay in thin sheets between clean paper. The plasticizer will leach into the paper and the clay will become stiffer.
Lightbulb Vessel A clay vessel or container which is formed around a light bulb. Once the clay has been cured, the glass armature of the light bulb is carefully broken out of the clay, leaving a cavity, or light bulb shaped hole..
Linoleum Cutters Small carving tools, traditionally used to cut linoleum blocks into stamps. These tools work wonderfully for carving cured polymer clay, as well.
Log A term often used in tutorials and instructions for a cylinder of clay.
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Marble To partially mix two or more colors of clay together.
Mica Shift This technique takes advantage of the mica particles found in metallic and pearl Premo. The mica can be aligned in different directions to give designs or even holographic effects, as the light reflects from the mica, using only one color of clay.
Millefiore This technique was originally used with Venetian glass. Canes are constructed with the pattern running through the length of the cane. The cane can be sliced, and even reduced so that you can get identical, or smaller, slices of the same design.
Mokumé Gané This technique was derived from Japanese metal working. It involves stacking layers of clay, pushing up and pushing down into it and taking slices off the hills and valleys to reveal rings of the different layers. A particularly nice version of the technique uses metal leaf between each layer of clay and tinted translucent clay so that the metal leaf shines through the surface.
Mold An impression of an object or texture can be taken in polymer clay using water or talcum powder as a resist. Once the mold has been baked, more clay can be pressed into the mold and a copy of the original can be created. One sided push molds are the most common, but two-part molds can also be made.
Mosaic An image or design formed from many small colored tiles.
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Needle Tool A pointed tool used for piercing, texturing, manipulating small pieces of clay, etc. There are commercial needle tools available or you can just make your own by putting a clay handle on a needle.
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Pasta Machine Originally designed for making pasta, the pasta machine is an invaluable clay tool. It consists of two metal rollers which are turned by a handle. It is used for conditioning clay, mixing colors and rolling out thin even sheets. The most popular brand seems to be the Atlas.
PearlEx Powders Brand name for a line of mica powders made by Jacquard. The powders can be used to create metallic and iridescent effects on the clay.
Polymer Clay A clay-like synthetic modelling material which will not dry out and can be cured at ordinary oven temperatures of about 275 degrees.
Premo A brand of polymer clay made by the manufacturers of Sculpey.
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Reduce Make a cane smaller by squeezing, choking, rolling or pounding it. Ideally, the cane will end up with a smaller version of the same pattern running through it with little or no distortion.
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Sculpey III A brand of polymer clay. It is a good beginners clay although it is a bit soft for some techniques.
Sheet A thin flat piece of clay. A pasta machine is really useful for getting consistent regular sheets but you can also make them using a rolling pin or brayer.
Skinner Blend A technique developed by Judith Skinner for creating smooth gradations of color. It involves triangular sheets of two different colors and repeatedly folding them and running them through the pasta machine. See the Resources links section for lessons on this topic.
Snake Long thin cylinder of clay.
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Texture Plates Plates with different textures on them which can be pressed into the clay. Some can even be run through the pasta machine. They are available online from several distributors.
TLS Translucent Liquid Sculpey A liquid form of the clay made by the makers of Sculpey. TLS cures to a flexible, almost transparent film. It can be painted onto solid clay, used for transfers, faux enamel effects, and a variety of other techniques.
Transfer Putting an image onto polymer clay. The clay will pick up certain types of copier toner, colored pencils, chalks, etc, which allows an image on paper to be transferred to the clay. There are several types of transfers. Most photocopies and some brands of colored pencils will transfer directly if placed on the clay. Some brands of T-shirt transfer paper can be baked onto clay to transfer the image. Transfers can also be made onto Liquid Sculpey.
Translucent Clay Clay which allows light to pass through it. The thinner the clay, the more transparent the effect. There is currently no truly transparent clay and plain translucent looks rather milky on its own.
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Vessel A generic term for a container, it includes vases, bowls, boxes, etc.
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Wet Sand The process of sanding polymer clay, either underwater or with a dampened sanding medium. Wet/dry sand paper is available in fine grits from automotive stores. The best effects are achieved by progressing from about 400 grit (depending on whether the clay is very bumpy you may want to start lower) to 1000 grit or above. If the clay is then buffed, you can get the clay to almost a glasslike finish. Wet sanding provides a better finish and keeps down the polymer clay dust which isn't a good thing to breathe.
Work Surface Any surface that you work with clay on. Good work surfaces can be glass, marble, Formica, a sheet of waxed paper, etc. Do NOT use fine wood as a work surface since raw clay will eat away at the finish.
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