CPSIA

Lots of stuff out there right now.

Found this petition. To ammend change the rule to protect the small crafter. If this is you, you might want to consider signing it.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rethinkthecpsia/

CPSIA and crafters

I have seen a lot of talk on the net about the CPSIa nd who is a manufacturer and how does it pertain to us and all kinds of questions.

Well hee is the link to the CPSIA site and the downloadable guide which is basically a FAQ.

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.pdf

Basically we as crafters fall under manufacturers. go figure here we thought we were making something we like.

Well the little history I know is when all those big business brought those toys in from China a couple of years ago they were tainted with high lead content. So guess what we get penalized cause they wanted to make a bunch of stuff cheap.

This guide is for us but this law also affects anyone who makes anything that can be targeted at the 12 and under market. If you don't I don't think you have to worry, If you do you need to put your head up and find out how to testify and how to take action to help keep your livlihood afloat.

This law even affects things like packaging and pricing. I make school spirit jewelry targeted at the high school age but it is priced so it can be used as a fundraiser which means that the littler ones can afford them. Guess what I have to stop making them because of the price point-It is attractive to the younger set. and don't prepackage anything to cutesy or it might be thought you are targeting the little ones to.

OH well my 2 cents.

also check out www.change.org

and http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/ these guys are on the fore front.

Oh yeah I have also seen the question how does it affect me in Canada. Well you are required to meet the guidelines too.

Thought for polymer clay

Well today is truely the day I move into the 21st century. Figured out how to get into this blog and get it going.

I put up my banners both here and etsy thanks to thequeenofBanners great job.

Well some words of enlightenment for today don't expect them often the brain can only handle so much when you get older :)

Polymer clay has long been thought of as a material for beads, cane work, and sculpture. I am trying with the lhelp of some fellow clayers, trying to turn it into something that is functional-key word here-and beautiful.  I have learned a series of techniques and use a clay that allow you to get almost tissue paper thin edges on the clay. With the use of Bake and bond and some loc tite superglue you can add it to just about anything.  If you make the design right you don't even have to use the superglue.

You use bake and bond any time you want to cover an object that is paper mache or wood with a polymer clay design. I blogged about this on my other blog www.creativeclaycottage.blogspot.com

With the use of shape makers and texture makers and paint you can make the most amazing designs. I have really jus started to experiment with this. The results are at my etsy site www.summergirl38.etsy.com

I must be doing something right my green man-see avatar-one first prize at www.polymerclaycentral.com in November and one of my designs was taken to the CHA show in Anaheim and will published in Crafts and Things magazine-when I don't know but if I find out I will let you know.

I really love the cane work and appreciate the talent of those artists but I am a sculter at heart. I do some cane work but my designs always get lost when I reduce so I got frustrated and have never really explored it much more.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. 

Saturday blues

Well started out late. Did a jewelry class or should I say 3 classes with kids from k-4 what a blast. This is the second year for us. Hopefully we'll be back next.
We did memory wire bracelets and pony bead snakes. The K had less trouble with the snakes than the older ones. I guess they just do what they are told and don't think to much about it.
Even the little ones tried the memory wire bracelets. All the kids were really well behaved but then I would expect that from doctors kids.

Seemed like I ran a little late all day. Tomorrow I gotta work all day and at one point be 2 places at once. go figure- Anyway hopefully I will be back to claying in the next couple of days. The ideas are running rampant and the hands hurt to play.

merits of Bake and Bond

To me Studio by Sculpey Bake and Bond has been a godspend. I use it to permanently joinmy polymer clay designs to peper mache, wood, and metal objects. The best way to do this is: Do your design on the object. Flip the clay piece( the base if you are adding layers) then generously smear the bake and bond on the object. Let the smeared item rest for about 15 minutes or so. The bake and bond will self level. the flip the base back onto the object. Give is a little squiggle to set it and help remove any trapped air.

Once the base clay is set you can build up from there adding cane slices, dimensional pieces, transfers etc.

I haven't had any luck with recuring but it could have been the substrait I used(wood made in china) I have joined the polymer clay to the these objects with bake and bond.

Glad to answer any questions.

Bear with me

I gotta do this a little at a time so bear with me as I get this together, and believe me eventually I will

Well I finally have taken the plunge

I keep ending up and reading about other folks post on their blogs so I finally decided to start one of my own. don't know how this will work but I'll give it a try. First of all I am a huge Polymer clay nut. Took the plunge almost 30 years ago and keep coming back to the clay. Have tried all of them(or they are in the mail). My current fav is Studio by Sculpey.

I like to do sculptures and flowers so this clay lends itself really well to what I want to do. I do prefer to work small teenytiny little things not really to any scale. But the cutters and whatnot for Studio are all big.

I decided to take the Studio Home Dimensions certification, simply because I wanted it. Besides since I was one of the first 500 I would get everything-tool wise-that was made so it was actually very cost effective. Even if I hadn't got everything since all supplies and tools needed for those projects were included with the fee it was more cost effective than any other workshop I had ever been to.

Claying is my true love. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and the clay has always been an outlet for me.