Question:

Peggy asks: "I've heard that you shouldn't let your Polyclay clay touch metal surfaces, that you should always bake on a glass or tile surface -- or if you use a cookie sheet, it had to be covered with baking parchment or interfacing.

I've read about using aluminum foil as a mold and using cookie sheets to bake on. Have they changed the chemical composition of the clay or were they just fooling us all this time?"

Peggy:
It would seem that there is contradictory advice out there, but the fact of the matter is that the metal won't harm your clay nor react with it chemically, but it can cause the bottom of your piece to become shiny.

If that isn't important to you, then bake away! If, for instance, you were curing a piece to make into a brooch, you could cure it on a metal sheet, and the shiny part could be the back. If you were using the foil as a mold or armature, it would be on the inside, and again, the shininess wouldn't be an issue!

By the way, if you do choose to cure pieces on a non-metal surface, you can use a plain piece of printer/copier paper, instead of the more expensive baking parchment. If you are curing beads, an accordion-folded sheet of cardstock makes a wonderful barrier between the beads and the cookie sheet. (It also keeps the beads from rolling all over the pan!)

Kim asks: "So I've finally found something I needed that required making a cane. I tried it this morning and it came out fine, but, one question: you're supposed to cut it while it's warm and I made a really long one, more than was needed. So, what do you do with it when it gets hard? Can you heat it up again and slice when needed? Oh, and PS.... what in the world is a face cane???

Kim:
Well, there is good news! Polymer clay will NOT get hard until you cure it in your oven. If you have a cane that's too long, you can save the leftovers in plastic storage bags, and have more cane whenever you want it!

For more info on storage options and the kinds of plastics that would be safe for polymer clay, I would suggest a visit to Diane Black's Glass Attic.

And, actually, you will probably have better results cutting a cool cane than a warm one. The design can smear and the cane distort pretty badly if the clay is too warm. Some folks even refrigerate their canes before slicing them.

However, refrigerated or not, letting a cane "rest" before slicing is always a good idea.

Kim, a face cane is simply a cane with a face design. Instead of a flower or other shape, each slice is a face. Easy to explain, more difficult to do! (Speaking from my own experience).

It's hard to believe I'm saying this already, but have a great month, and Happy Halloween!
Deborah