So epoxy clay has eclipsed polymer clay as my absolute favorite medium to work with.  It hasn't been an easy relationship to build and I have made some unspeakably craptacular things with it.  However, once you get used to the process of working with it I think you will also place the polymer clay on the back burner.  There are two other posts in this series so far that introduce the pros and cons of epoxy clay and discusses the tools I use in creating the projects.  

I have tried a few brands, certainly not every brand.  I really can't recommend Aves ApoxieSculpt and Apoxie Clay enough.   The Apoxie Clay is the firmest of the clays I have tried and hence the most forgiving to work with.  Crystal Clay I found too soft to work with for sculpture but would make an excellent medium to add crystals and elements into a bezel, almost like a grout.  Magic Sculpt was acceptable, not as squishy as the Crystal Clay, more like the ApoxieSculpt.  I don't use it really but it is a good clay to play with for molds, etc.  For the kind of detailed work we will try today I recommend the Aves Apoxie Clay.

So here is what you are going to need to work on this very simple project.  The intent here is just to get you used to the texture, timing, and forming simple objects.  Make a few projects like this and then begin to branch out!

The strand of jasper beads is readily available at Michael's and Joann Fabric stores.  Don't want to buy those?  Use a shell, crystal, bottlecap, anything really.  There are some flatback crystals to incorporate as well.  The real lesson here comes from the powder pigment and the oil and acrylic paints.  Apoxie Clay does not come in the wide array of colors as the polymers, but you can really use different processes to get some great color effects.  Let's get our tools and Apoxie Clay and jump right in!

I am using white Apoxie Clay because we are going to color the clay itself.  As per the package instructions, mix equal parts of each container of clay.  Mix less than you think you need so you don;t have waste.  You can always mix more when you run out.  If you plan to use color in the clay, you may want to use one of those templates with various size circles to mix exactly the same amount of clay with the same amount of pigment each time.  

You can mix many kinds of pigments right into the Apoxie Clay.  You can mix in the pearl ex powders, chalk pastels, acrylics, and oil paints.  I have tried them all.  I Can say you need a lot of powder to make a good color and I found that the clay became crumbly to work with and made a piece that broke easily.  If you are making a very subtle color and don't need much of the powder pigments you can likely use them.  Acrylic paints can also be added and not really affect the strength and workability.  I did find that they did not mix well and remained a little streaky no matter how much mixing I did.  Perhaps the water base does not make very good friends with the epoxy compound.  But oil paints work wonderfully.  You only need a tiny amount.  If you measure your clay for each batch you can get consistent colors by measuring out the paint.  I use a toothpick and apply uniform dots to the clay.  As long as I make the same number of dots on the same amount of clay each time I end up with good consistency in color batches.  

So here is the epoxy clay with the oil paint blended in.  I have a pretty light but consistent color.  

SO the first 30 minutes of Apoxie Clay curing it is a very strong adhesive.  I like to get the base pieces on there at this stage, then wait 15 minutes or so and start with the details.  This way I get any stones or hanging loops on there while I have peak stickitude.  It bonds very well for the first 60-75 minutes too so don't freak out at minute 35.  After 75 minutes it is really starting to firm up and I'd not try to bond anything with it at that point.  You can see above I have simply rolled a ball shape out and flattened it into a pancake shape and popped it on my rock.  

Super helpful tip for placing your clay bits onto the rock:  this is when you really need that tub of vaseline.  The clay often likes sticking to your fingers and not the nice smooth rock.  With a teeny dab of petroleum jelly rubbed into your fingers you'll have a less frustrating time placing your elements onto the base piece.  

You can see above that I have added a flat backed glass gem into that disk and pressed it down.  The snake of clay rolled out next to it is for the hanging loop.  One thing epoxy clays don't do well is to stretch.  You can stretch polymer as you roll it out.  Epoxy will just tear.  So only roll the clay out, no pulling on it.  Not even as you place it onto the piece.  Epoxy is nudged, never tugged!

Take the snake shape you made and wind it around the glass gem and across the top any way you like.  You can see that the extra time I am taking to photograph and check that I have a good picture has accelerated the timetable on my sculpting.  Note the cracks in the epoxy from shaping.  You can use a paintbrush dipped in a tiny bit of water to smooth that out.  I'll be leaving it in the interests of finishing the tutorial!

Once you have the hanging loop how you want it, add some other crystals the same way you added the first glass element.  I have begun to roll out a thinner piece to wind around piece like a vine.  

I have added some vines wound around the hanging loop and formed into spirals.  You can work in small clay balls into the spaces between the vines and other elements.  I use the ball stylus tool to press them down and make a little cup shape.  Coat the tool in a thin layer of petroleum jelly so that the clay prefers to stick to the piece and not the tool!

Just to show you how to work in other color processes.  Before the clay gets too cured (within 60 minutes), you can brush on powder pigments like pearl-ex or chalk pastels and they will bond with the clay.  You can see I have brushed on some pearly blue.  I'll likely paint over much of it as I show you how to add acrylic paints to the clay in the next post.  For now I will wait for the piece to cure.  Epoxy can be painted while it is curing, since it does not shrink or deform as it cures.  It is just really difficult to do so since it may be slightly floppy.  

So part 2 will be posted later in the week and will be short!  We'll look at adding some acrylics and perhaps some alcohol inks to the piece.  I hope you have enjoyed this simple tutorial and that it gives you a fun, creative way to get used to working in epoxy.  

One super important thing to keep in mind about 2-part epoxy clay is that it is permanent.  Really, really permanent.  This stuff bonds stronger than super glue and does not come off with a little acetone like glue does.  Once it is on something, you better love it there because it is staying.  

How, may you ask, did I discover the epic bonding power of epoxy clay?  Well it wasn't from reading the instructions or any warnings.  I didn't so much as peep at a blog post about it.  Nope.  I jumped right in and started making stuff.  I ruined my folding work table in the process.  It looked like it had broken out putty grey acne.  No zit cream will help epoxy acne!  But the best part was the glob I got on my left thumbnail.  It was an amorphous blob hanging right by the cuticle.  I did not wash my hands frequently enough and it set up on there.

It looked like the tiniest hinkypunk took a crap on my nail, and I had to let it grow out.  Worst.  Nail art.  Ever.  So avoid my tragic mistakes:  learn about the media, wash your hands, and protect your work surface.  

So here are some things you'll need to get into working in epoxy clay!

One of the wonderful things about epoxy clay is that it holds sharp detail well.  It will brilliantly hold detail from a silicon mold.  You can see above my absolute favorite and my least favorite 2 part silicone molding compounds.  The purply-pink stuff is what Michael's and other craft stores tend to carry.  Don't be fooled by it.  It is garbage.  When it sets up it's limper than a pancake in the rain.  Soon as you begin to press some clay in there it flattens out like a pancake in the rain under my truck tire.  

The larger containers are the best 2 part silicone molding compound I have ever tried.  It's called Alley Goop and you can get it from Clay  Alley.  These molds are firm, not limp; a firm mold is better (wink).  They are firm enough to not completely distort as you press clay into them, yet flexible enough to easily pop your casting out.  They really take a detailed impression as you can see from the crow original next to his mold.  If you plan to mold your epoxy, get some goop!

Finally, the same tools you feel comfortable using for polymer clay tend to work well for epoxy.  Just remember to wash them often.  Soap and water does the trick.  I often rub the mineral oil over them before I work and after a wash to give an added layer of protection from having that clay set up on my tools.  

Next up, blending and working with the clay and some tips on coloring it yourself!  There is an art to timing here, you won't want to miss it!  If any questions have come up for you, pop them below and I will answer them!  In a short time I'll have the newsletter exclusive project up for newsletter members, you can sign up below!

I've been nursing a growing dissatisfaction with polymer clay for a long time.  I still like part of what it lets me do, but I think it has become too constricting.  It's brittle, it will fade out in sunlight, and it has to bake all the way through to have a long life.  Proper curing is a science of its own.  

My mind is filled with bird feeders and fountains.  I want to make wispy and delicate jewelry.  I have fallen in love with lights and want to make sconces and chandeliers.  Very different things from my past work, and polymer clay is not well suited.  

I've been using Epoxy for some time now, specifically Aves Apoxiesulpt.  My customers have really loved their pieces and my students have been asking me to teach the medium.  So here goes!  Over the next few weeks I'll be working on some blog posts discussing how to use epoxy.  Today we'll discuss the many kinds of epoxy clays and the pros and cons of the epoxy vs. polymer.  In the next week I'll show you some tools and other things you will need to work well with epoxy.  I'll post a few tips and tricks, like how to color the white epoxy clays.  At the end of the basics, I'll pop up a simple project to get you used to the feel of the clay.  You'll want to be on my newsletter, because I am doing an exclusive tutorial right in the newsletter using epoxy.  Sign up to the right or on the bottom of the page.  

This is my favorite kind of epoxy clay.  Aves Apoxie Clay  I have tried a few others, Crystal Clay and Magic-Sculpt among them.  I like the Aves better because the Clay is firmer and holds detail well.  Epoxy clay works very differently from polymer.  Polymer clay is PVC and a plasticizer that hardens when the clay reaches the right temperature for the right amount of time.  Epoxy is a self-hardening clay.  Like liquid resin, two parts are mixed together, beginning a chemical reaction.  Over a 24 hour period the clay hardens.  No kiln needed, no oven required.

Let's get down to the real nitty gritty.  What are the key differences between the clays.

Next up, the dos and don'ts of epoxy!  What I want you to do now is to comment or e-mail me with anything you want to know about epoxy clays.  I'll answer as many of them as I can!