As the temperatures hit triple digits this week, I started thinking about ways of cooling clay, instead of the ways of warming it that usually concern us.

If you find, as I did, that you have "hot" hands, you may notice that clay becomes stickier as you work with it. Classic Fimo doesn't seem to become sticky as readily as the Polyform products, but if your hands are really warm, it may happen to you with any polymer clay.

Suggestion One:

Keep a container of ice water near you (not close enough to spill, though!) and occasionally dip your hands in it. This cools the surface of your hands enough to extend the period for working the clay before it gets mooshy (a technical term I love!).

Suggestion Two:

When you have made a cane and it needs to be reduced or cut, chilling it will help. The fridge is recommended by some and the freezer by others. It seems, however, that the consensus is that, although you want your clay cold, you don't want it frozen. If you opt to put your project into the freezer to chill, be sure to remove it before it freezes.

The important thing is that the center and the outside of the cane are both nice and cold. Reduction is more precise when the temperatures are uniform.

Suggestion Three:

We have central air conditioning, but it doesn't seem to matter to the clay when I am working it. After a bit of work, the clay gets gooey. Consequently, I have several projects "in the fire" at one time, in various stages of resting and cooling.

Suggestion Four:

To keep your pasta machine cooler in hot weather, try putting an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the rollers for a while before rolling clay. Turn the rollers around a bit so they can cool evenly.

Summer Is Nice, However!

Although some of us live where it's too hot to work clay outside in the summer, some are luckier. If you live where it's warm but not too hot, you can work outside, as long as you keep your clay out of the sun---instant clay warming, courtesy of Mother Nature!

Bubbles in Clay

I had a question recently about bubbles popping up in clay projects. One thing to remember is that bubbles are caused by air getting into the clay. One way to minimize air bubbles is to put the clay sheets into your pasta machine fold first. When applying the prepared clay to a surface, place it from the center out, pressing towards the edges as you go.

If you're using a rolling pin or other manual device, make sure to roll from the fold to the ends.

Translucent clay is another matter altogether. There is a phenomenon called plaquing that appears as the clay is worked. You may see little white spots called plaques in the clay. Whether the spots are caused by moisture or heat or oil is unknown. To minimize plaquing, the experts advise working the clay as little as possible, just until it's soft enough to use.

Of course, plaques can be helpful, too. I do faux stone and lots of mokume gane, and I love how the plaques change them. Therefore, I play and play and play with the clay!

Of course, your mileage may vary!

Have a wonderful summer!

Deborah