Well, it’s taken forever and grown from the ‘few pages’ I thought it’d be to over 80, but I have finally finished my Polymer Clay tutorial, or e-book to be precise 🙂

There are 81 pages and over 200 photos illustrating clear and simple instructions. The book focuses on my very simple method for producing smooth, even clay and how it can be adaped to suit different techniques for creating gorgeous and unique polymer clay pieces such as brooches, pendants, buttons or tiles for mosaic. And you don’t need any specialist equipment or expensive gadgets. Or a pasta maker.

The introduction features the tools and products that I find really useful for Polymer Clay work. Most of the things I use are from around the house, and in my everyday craft supplies. There’s also suggestions for cheap and free alternatives.

There are seven other parts to the e-book with sections showing some easy ways to shape polymer clay without the use of cutters, commonly available products for applying colour to the surface of clay, and using beads and metal as embellishments. Throughout the book, there are complete instructions for 10 different techniques including how to achieve a fake porcelain look; inlaying; applying acrylic paint for an aged look; and using beads to enhance designs. You might remember my previous attempt at that where I dropped the camera on the clay and dented it! In addition, there is also a gallery of polymer clay examples made with combinations of the techniques described for further inspiration.

The methods and techniques in the book are suitable for complete beginners, and anyone with no previous experience of polymer clay can create items just like those featured on the front cover in a few minutes with just Polymer Clay and a few commonly available items.

Thanks a lot to Kaz, Ruth and Ann for looking at and checking through the first and second drafts for me and making sure it’s understandable 🙂 Thanks a lot to Lyn too, for checking through the drafts as well and checking over my rewrites and extra photos at the last minute, and a big thank you to my girlfriend for putting up with me (again!) over the last couple of months, helping me rewrite difficult parts and coming up with the perfect title yet again 🙂

If anyone is interested, it’s available in PDF format from my blog, I’ve added a new page at the top called Polymer Clay. I’ve been trying to upload it to etsy too, but for some reason it’s stuck on the ‘Preview Listing’ page 🙁

*** Edit

I managed to list on etsy now, there was a problem with using characters such as apostrophes and dashes in the tags. https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/156604010/polymer-clay-simply-made-tutorial-e-book

Marilyn was asking where I got my rubber stamps, luckily, I saved the envelopes (from 2007!). The main place I got large sheets of unmounted rubber stamps is The Stamping Ground. I bought quite a lot from there, their prices are very good. I also bought a couple of sheets from The Stampsmith. I bought some texture sheets — deep etched rubber in abstract designs, from Creative arts by Obertin. I think I bought a Klimt based stamp from them on ebay too.