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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
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Dear Editor: This is my answer to Celeste's question about the clay gun. Cut a piece from a Scotch Brite pad that is 1/4 inch wider than the tube and about 2 inches longer. Wet it with alcohol or 409 or whatever you usually use to clean up clay. Twist one end and start it through the tube twisting as you go. It will ream that clay right out. Then, depending on how frugal you are, you can either toss it or clean it. Trina Williams |
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Hi, In response to Celeste's question regarding cleaning a clay gun... I scrape the inside of mine with a wooden clay working tool (similar to a Popsicle stick). Then I use a round brush that my husband had used in his job as a gas worker for our local utility company. It resembles a narrow (about one inch across) bottle brush. I shove this up and down the inside of the gun (do this outside as the clay really flies) until all the lingering clay is gone. I don't know why a regular bottle brush would not work as well. I also have a few clay guns, so that when I have to clean the last one, I clean them all at once. This gives me a supply of clean guns on hand (I hate having to stop in the middle of a project to clean the gun!) Hope this helps! Carol |
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Dear Polyzine, Just wanted to help with some of those reader's questions.... For Celeste and cleaning the clay gun....a good friend of mine (Molly Zeck) told me how to do this...you put on the disc you want to use, but before adding the log of clay, squirt Armor All into the barrel and swirl around. Add your clay and extrude. As long as you open up the gun soon afterward, the excess clay comes right out, leaving the sides very clean! You will still have to clean off the disc and cap a little, but it is a huge improvement! And for Jean and cane slicers.... a polymer clay artist and her husband make cane slicers that work quite well and utilize regular blades. See it at: www.3wave.com/chhome/cha/slicer.html. Hope that was helpful!
Heather Roselli |
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Hi! You can buy cane slicers at Poly-tools. You use your tissue blade, so it's not real expensive to replace the blade. There are also some great other tools made by Sue.... Love the Mag! Keep it up! Mindy Baker |
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Dear Editor: For Celeste in Washington DC. When I need to clean my clay gun, I pull it apart and put it in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes. The clay cures and peels off. Since I have absolutely NO patience, I have 3 clay guns, so I can continue to work.
Sally Haskell Dhahran |
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Dear Polyzine, You have the best site on the web. It is easy to read, download and understand. I commend you on your selection of projects. They are all appealing and achievable. Too often the projects seen are too difficult for the nonprofessional to achieve. I do most of my crafting with clays with children and adults who are just starting in polymers. I love everything you have shown so far. The real reason I have written is to let you know of a new source of tin cans besides Altoids, which not as many people use up here. The new can is made for "SQYNTZ!". The are a super sour tropical fruit candy. They are NOT super sour, but pleasantly fruit flavored. They also make MYNTZ! The cans are great. Well constructed with smooth edges and good hinges. They are also cheaper than Altoids. Anyway thought you'd like to know. I now collect these as my family can eat this sugar free vitamin C fortified candy more than the Altoids. Keep an eye out for them. Thanks again for the great ideas. Sue Cross |
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Dear Editor: [Regarding Tommie Howell's article "Mold or Mildew"] Thank you for such an excellent piece. It was well written and chock full of the kind of common sense that makes me smile. Bravo!!!! Maggie Hayden |
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Dear Editor, Thanks for another wonderful issue. I just want to say that Tommie Howell's column is right on every time. If only we had such common sense and reasoning in our government, we would have far less waste both in time, money and resources. Thanks and please keep Tommie writing! Jeanne |
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Dear Editor: Could you pls tell me the addresses of retail sellers of clay, tools and books in Boston? Thanks, Dear Grace: I am not familiar with Boston, but perhaps some of our readers are? Anyone? E-mail Grace! Deirdre |
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Hi from Alaska, Thank you folks for yet another great issue ! The polymer clay world is greatly enhanced by your presence. I look forward to each month. Keep it up. How about articles on the following topics; Pricing your work How do you know when you are ready to sell your work (not just to a friend or co-workers...but at a show or fair type of venues,or approaching shops and or galleries)?
Karen L. Ottenbreit Dear Karen: I think these are great article ideas, and whoever wants to write them up should contact me! Deirdre |
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Dear Editor, I am a novice in the polymer clay world, and still looking around me with rapt attention and wonder at the beautiful jewellery items being made. Mokume Gane in polymer clay is my favourite and I've yet to produce a pad for slicing. I found [Tommie Howell's] article on the 'essence view' very interesting. As an African, I recognise much of our art in 'modern' art forms including jewellery, music, etc. I live in Europe so I am very happy whenever I see or hear something I recognise from home. However, I believe that the very thing that helps us to identify an art & craft form, the 'essence' if you will, is lost when it is copied, often for commercial gain. It loses its potency and when taken out of context, its meaning. Also, not all artists are generous in giving credit to their sources. Unfortunately in this competitive environment, a lot is at stake, so many people will put up a fight to preserve their identity/culture. Purists would argue that the look, function, materials and craft of producing an art form should be maintained for it to bear that name. Take mokume gane in polymer clay. It is really a derivative of Mokume Gane which refers to a particular type of Japanese metal work. Perhaps a solution would be to have other names for describing our interpretation of the age old crafts.
best regards |
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Dear Editor: Re: Sue DeSalvatore I hope I have the name right - I bounced back to find out the spelling, and then can't read my writing where I wrote it. Please pass along to her from me, that I have more than enjoyed - I have appreciated and valued her work and her columns. I will miss her, and wish her the best - she will be in my prayers. The rest of the magazine is wonderful, your the notice generated this e-mail. Lisa was at Ravensdale last year and had her work space across from mine - beautiful work. Your projects are tops, and your photography is wonderful. I love your columns and the info - usually very good. Thanks for the good work, and tell Sue I will look forward to her next column. Carol Acres |
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Hi PC Polyzine, 1st: I really enjoy your 'zine! lots of neat ideas & tips! :) 2nd: The new address for the North Texas Polymerclay Guild is: http://www.ntpcg.net/home.htm Or: http://www.ntpcg.net will relocate you there in a couple seconds My hubby, Michael Reeves, is the webmaster. For some silly reason the 100 megs free people, where the site is located, can't make it possible to delete (or even update) the "old" version (as you have it listed under Guilds) from before we got the domain name, nor a similar problem on the "www.ntpcg.net" site, so he made it jump to the "home.htm" site, just in case someone goes to the 1st one .... (So either of those two are workable) Oh, well!! Anyway, if people click on that "old" URL (with the 100megspopup location), it only partially works & the links to the left *don't* work at all. :)
Nora Denniston |
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Dear Editor: bless you!! what wonderful lessons this month!! along with everything else, of course! i wait with great anticipation for each month's issue. you have such a wonderful service you offer here and i link many of your pages to my bookmarks/claylinx page. have you considered having a page for advertisers? that would be something i would enjoy looking at, as they would be suppliers of interest to me. and it would bring in a little cash for you to compensate you for this wonderful magazine. would you consider it? again, thank you VERY much
Sunni Dear Sunni: It's a question the editors and I have been bandying about. Should we take advertisers? We want to keep the magazine free, but we don't want to clutter up the pages with annoying ads. I think we can find a middle ground, such as a page as you suggest. Thanks for the feedback! Deirdre |
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Dear Editor: Wow, again in Polyzine this month! [Readers' Gallery] I should not say it, but I feel very proud. The necklace you published (mosaïc cane) has been made for one of the first members of our future guild. It is very motivating to read all the enthusiastic letters TO the Editor... In addition, I saw that Marie-Laurence from Paris (we are members of the same group, i.e. CREATIONFIMO), sent a pic too. She is OK to be one of the founders of the Guild, it will be a great fun! I really admire the masterpieces shown in the Jewellery exhibition, from the "pure work" point of view as well as from the visual one : gorgeous colors, wonderful forms. But I feel frustrated : I wish I could touch them. Really, "bravo, encore bravo à tous"! A few months ago, I could not imagine that polyclayers are so great artists. I am every day more and more sure of that. Have a very nice polyclaying month, Deirdre, you and your team(s).
Kindly yours. Dear Chris: Thank you so much! Deirdre |
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Hi, Saw in your June issue someone having trouble with pictures in the magazine. The ending .jpeg instead of .jpg can create this error if Netscape is not prepared to handle these endings equal. And as always you are all doing an excellent job with The Polyzine! Ray (yes, the one married to Christel...) |
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Hi, I recently discovered PCPolyzine and I can only say "Thank you!!!" What an indispensable journal you've created! Now on to my question...I have an Imperia pasta machine, which, for the most part, I love. The only problem is that it often shreds the clay if I try to use the thinnest (#6) setting. Is it the machine? Is my clay too soft (Sculpey III)? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm trying to get really, really thin sheets of translucents and pearls for votives and I'd love to know what I can do to fix this problem. Thanks again for a wonderful e-zine! Libbi Dear Libbi: Sculpey III is definitely hard to work with, and it's not even the best clay for translucents. I understand that the best translucent is Premo. With both clays, you will have the same problem with your pasta machine. I have two suggestions. The first is to spray your machine with Armor All before you roll your clay that thinly. That way, the clay doesn't stick to the rollers. The second suggestion, and the one most people are likely to suggest, is to roll your clay sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper, butcher paper, or deli paper. Then just peel the clay away from the paper. I personally don't like the second way because I'm always getting the paper -- and thus the clay -- crinkled. Good luck! Deirdre |
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Dear Editor: Do you know where I can get the instruction on the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil monkey figures shown on the Sculpey packages? Are they available anywhere? Dear S Scott:
I don't, but one of the other editors does:
They are in Donna Kato's Art of Polymer Clay, pg 33. Deirdre |
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Dear Editor, I was reading through some of the back issues and noticed that you'd recommended my site - The Draggle's Lair - for links in one of the Letters to the Editor sections. I was really surprised and pleased to see it :) That site is still up but I haven't been updating it lately so it probably has a lot of dead links. I have a new site at www.skygrazer.com. The link directories have been updated and are now at http://www.skygrazer.com/polymerclay/resources/. I also wanted to tell you that I really love the Polyzine. The lessons and articles have been wonderful.
Thanks, |
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Dear Editor: Your magazine is the best source of information I have found on polymer clay and you are doing this for free! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shar |
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