Polymer clay first came to popularity in the hands of doll
and miniature makers, and it remains a favorite. In fact, the rise in its
use for model makers, jewelry artists, animators, collage and sculptural
works of many kinds continues to put this wonderfully versatile clay into
the reach of more and more artisans all the time.
Kato Polyclay is one of the newer formulations, joining
Premo, Cernit, Modello, Sculpey and Fimo along with other brand names from manufacturers
around the world. Kato Polyclay and Premo have given the strongest results
in our testing, which is ongoing because formulations and products do change
over time, sometimes with notice from the makers, and sometimes without.
Products need to be re-evaluated now and again to check
for continuing chemical compatibility.
A good example of this is that spray finishes were widely believed to
all be unusable with polymer clays because of the propellants---but experiments
have shown that some are indeed usable with no ill effects showing after
two and a half years.
One such spray finish is the
Rust-Oleum
Varathane water based formula. The liquid version is a mainstay in our
studio, used as a protective sealant coating, a glue, and the basis for stains
and other finishes.
Stain made using it to dilute black and gold acrylic paints was used
on the faux wood portions of this miniature bedroom set. It really brings
out the details and contributes to the "antiqued" look.
Created in "fashion doll scale"
(1/6) where 1 foot
in real life size becomes two inches (1'=2"), this vanity is about
12 inches tall. The bed is approximately 15 inches
long. Click here for a miniatures page
with a scale conversion chart.
The picture below left
shows the pattern used for making the vanity, and the same rounded back piece
was used to make the bed headboard and foot board. (The bed's "mattress"
is a piece of blue insulation foam cut to the right sized rectangle and
covered with a fabric sleeve and glued into place on the head and foot
board.)
The picture on the right
shows the template shape used to create the vanity table top using polymer
clay. The straight piece shows the height of the leg, and the interior skirt
piece is also cut out of cardstock to use as a template, with the addition of
a straight strip of cardstock around 2 inches wide 11 1/2 inches long (use the
side of a piece of cardstock). Fold 1/2 inch down the entire length of this
strip, and then make little slits down to the fold line. Wrap this to fit the
interior skirt piece and glue it in place. Use it to bake the trim that goes
under the table, and then glue the cardstock template into place under the
table. The fabric and trim is then glued into place over it in layers. The
vanity's settee is made using a piece of insulation foam cut into an oval
shape covered with fabric and trim and polymer clay legs. A cardstock oval was
used as a pattern to cut it, and then a small bit of quilt batting was glued
lightly to the cardboard pattern piece. A piece of silk 2 inches larger all
around was cut and sewn onto the card stock and batting with pearls. The edges
were then brought down over the foam and glued onto its top. Then the fabric
skirt, lace and polymer are all glued into place around the settee. Polymer
clay baked on bamboo skewers were cut with an inch of the skewer still
exposed, and those were stuck into the foam and then glued into place as legs
underneath.
Click on the image
for a larger version you can print, or draw your own shapes to use.
Kato Polyclay in white, translucent, gold and a smidgen of black was
used to create the faux marble tops on the vanity and the drawers---which
are made by covering small match boxes.
Each drawer is painted inside with gold Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS)
for strength and color.
The faux golden tone wood trim is made with a mix of gold and black clay.
Gold clay, with varying amounts of black or copper added, can mimic wood
tones of all sorts.
The faux ivory/white wood details and leg pieces are made using the rest
of the clay left over from the original faux marble mix, but now completely
color blended.
The mirror, brush and comb set use gold clay, white clay and a small
mirror set into the clay( its facing down and not visible here).
The gold leaf finish is
created by using a Krylon Gold Leaf marking pen
after baking. This gold pen also forms the edge of the two miniature trays,
and is used on the handles and the cosmetic and manicure pieces. It is available in gold,
silver and copper and though it may not be durable
enough for some jewelry purposes where there is a lot of contact, it works
beautifully for display pieces.
Carefully selected beads are used to create the perfume bottles. Small
glass, porcelain, metal, and plastic beads are chosen for their shapes and
colors, as well as size. These are glued together with Zap-a-Gap cyanoacrylate
glue.
Here's a close up of the items on the vanity table.
To keep the scale in mind, the back of the hand mirror is a little over an inch
across.
click
here to see the pdf on making the miniature vanity items
To get the textures and patterns into the clay, I use molds made from
buttons, created using 2 part silicone mold
compounds, and rubber stamps and matrix trays that
I design and get from Ready Stamps
in San Diego. All of the "molding" details are made using these
trays, which were created for use in making the rubber stamps. These particular
designs are formed using dingbats. (To learn more about dingbats,
click here) There is more information about these products at my web site, linked here
live and also listed at the end of this article.
Shown in the pan at left are baked and stained pieces ready to be glued
into place. Much of the bed and vanity table and settee are made of illustration
board, silk, and braid trims, and a purchased oval mirror. The rest is polymer
clay and some assorted beads.
The beads on skewers
become the legs of the vanity set--the legs
of the bed are gold, and were stamped and then draped over skewers for baking,
which were removed for ease in staining.
This fold is slipped over the edges of the head and foot board.
The faux ivory feet are made using a button mold, and then poking a hole
in the center, as is done for bead caps.
The oval shape of the vanity trim
(underneath the table top) and the settee was acquired by baking around a cardboard
cutout of the shape. This allows the piece to be easily fitted into place
when gluing. You can see how many of these components were put together
on the bed as shown here in the picture below left.
The bedroom set is not yet completely finished...but
its all coming right along!
The best way to achieve a realistically sumptuous look is to keep adding
more and more layers of detail. Antique handkerchiefs are just the right
scale to use as bedding, giving the look of ivory linens.
The pillows shown here are not even sewn yet---but the fabric gives it
the right "look" already. When all assembled, there will lots
more in the way of details---pictures on the wall (and walls!) and flowers
in the vase, candles, and everything that a fashion doll scale lady could desire
in her bitty boudoir.
Zap-a-Gap super glue and high heat glue gun adhesives were both used
in making this---clay to clay adhesion is best with super glue.
Superglues don't work
well with fabric, though. Fabric and illustration board both do well with hot glues used carefully.
You can also use white glues like Aleene's, Sobo, or carpenters white glue.
The pictures below show Madame's Bedroom and also a close up of the vanity
set.
Copyright©1995-2010 Sarajane Helm All rights
are held by the artist
Reproduction without permission is
a violation of copyright law
