My work tray;
All of my most used tools are either kept on the tray I work from, with a glass chopping board that has lots of useful measurements.
I plan to buy a turntable when I can afford a decent one.
My less frequently used tools, texture sheets and stamps, are kept in my beautiful red old fashioned metal tool box. Next to this is a plastic tub that I keep all my 350g bars of clay. My pasta machine also lives with them.
Small clay pots
I keep a smaller amount of each of the clay colours in their own tupperwair pots. I was exceedingly lucky to find a box that fit them all so perfectly. Unfortunately it has got quite tatty from a year's use.
Mica powder
I have a tub that I keep all my mica powder, a few brushes, dust mask and some information leafletson mica powder.
Varnishing kit
My varnishing kit is kept in the conservatory. This includes; a strong sack cut open that I use as a cover (I drip varnish even when I am being careful), rubber gloves, kitchen roll, brushes, varnish (a small amount in a glass jar, from the larger tin), trays to put my bits to dry and white spirit and washingup liquid for cleaning.
Photography kit
My photography kit actually folds up flat. I keep the tape measurespermanently stuck to the back. I keep the 50p with the set.
I plan to buy a few more lights when I get the funds. I need to figure out a way to get a top that has bright lights shining down. I like LEDS.
Pasta machine
My pasta machine. I only use the back flat roller bit. This is very useful if you want a sheet of clay that is a uniform thickness.
This is just a cheap one. I am wanting a particular one that is available for lots of money. It is wider with longer legs (so it doesn't all fold up in the bottom) and it is motorised, so no struggling with turning the handle. Mmmm one day my precious, you will be mine!
Bits for shaping
I have various different bits that I have found lying around the house, that I use to help me with shaping some of the things I create.
Tissue blades
These are tissue blades. They come in flexible, ridged and crinkle. I tend to bake a bit of clay on the corner of the blunt side, so that I don't accidentallypush down on it only took find that I had it sharp side up.
Craft knifes
I also have a few craft knifes. You really need both types of knifes/ bades.
Canyou believe that there is a type of clay gilotine that I am craving. It is amazing, you can get very accurate slices.
Wooden handled tool set
I call this lot, my wooden handled tool set. This lot all came as one set. There are quite a few doubles, so I make sure that I have one of all the different heads on my tray and the rest go in the red toolbox.
The last tool on the right, was not in the set. It is a felting needle. It's a lot finer tip than you would get on the other pointed tools.
Metal handled tool set
I call this lot my metal handled tool set. This was several different sets that I merged into one. I keep most of them on the tray. The few that I don't, live in the toolbox.
The first 8 are a really useful general shaping set. The next 5 are the tools dentists use to scrape your teeth (I was quite alarmed at the thought of this, as they are very sharp). The next 2 are thin wire bristles that are fanned out. This is good for fur and grass. The last 4 are a set of larger tools. Then, there is a little pair of scissors, a small screwdriver and some tweezers. These are my most used set.
Ball tool set
These are my ball tools. The blue lot and the plastic one are sugar craft tools. I keepthem all on my tray (except the plastic one) as I use them on everything I make. The list of things I use them on is huge, you will wonder how you lived without them.
Rolling pins
On to rolling pins. There are times when I really can't be bothered to get out the pasta machine and it takes time to clean it before I can put it away. This is when I love my rolling pin. I tend to use the one with the metal handle less because it's squeaky.
Palate knife set
Next is my palate knifes for smoothing. I keep 1st, 2nd, 4th 7th and 10th on my tray and the rest go in my toolbox.
Ceramic tiles
I have 6 plain white ceramic wall tiles. These are really important. I can use them as little work surfaces. Due to being weak and painful, I cannot have my work tray on my lap. I have it either at the end of the bed or more often, next to me on my husband's side.
When I make my boxes, I will put them on a baking tray with the lid on the tray next to it. I then put a tile on it. This keeps the lid flat throughoutthe bake. Without this, the corners tend to curl up a little.
I place a layer of them underneath everything I bake. This is because they help hold the heat at a constant temperature.
Measuring tools
I keep a roofer's set square and a ruler for measuring. I plan to get a spirit level (a decent sized one) and a set of calipers.
Plyers and tin snips
A selection of needle nosed plyers, normal plyers and a pair of straight tin snips (the left an right ones were not where they should have been, I will hunt them down later).
Miscellaneous things you use
Aluminium foil for armetures and to cover bits I am baking, greaseproof paper because clay is sticky, various thicknessesof florist wire and a roll of crafting wire. Lastly a bag of uncooked rice. You can fill space with this while it's baking, so that it can hold its shape.
I want to get a sheet of tin, as this would help me with structural stability.
Rubber smoothing tool set
These are rubber tiped smoothing tools. Once you have taken all the rubber heads off and superglued them back on, they are very useful. I do also use the ball tools for smoothing as well.
Improvised tools
This lot are my improvised tools. A comb as a spork are good for texturing. 3 different types of straws. These make good feathers when you press the slanted side into the clay. 3 types of wire brushes. These are good for texturing and for cleaning up the tools.
The next one is a metal rod that I surrounded in pink fimo. I then put a different sized eyelet in each side point in the clay, then baked it. This makes brilliant scale pattern. You can also use netting with mica powder. I plan to make a similar tool, but around 20 pins will be mounted one side and 5 the other.
Then it's the serrated strip from a aluminium foil box. Lastly are various brushes. The last is a test tube brush, it's very useful for cleaning clay from hard to reach places.
Other miscellaneous tools
The 9 flat steel shapes are used as another option for smoothing. Then there are 2 glass coasters, see my post on making canes for the use. Then, below that is a clay extruder and a bag of the plates with the different shaped holes. Under these are metal knitting needles. I use these with kitchen roll to clean out my pasta machine.
We are then going right from the coasters, to the 3 wooden handled tools for making holes. The colourfulpack next to this are tools for making various sizesof small holes. The silver things below, pinch the clay into a few different shapes, I was very underwhelmed by them. Lastly are 2 different types of crinkle cut chip slicers. They work far better than the crinkledlong blade.
Texture sheets and rubber stamps
Texture sheets are made from transparent plastic, they are things like a cobble stone effect, dots, wavy lines, weaved, checkered ect. I have also found lots of packaging has interesting texture design. You can make your own with bits of plastic that you have drawn your design with a glue gun. I will get one eventually.
This is my very small collection of rubber stamps. I am not buying more because I am holding out for my father to retrieve my mum's big collection. They went into storage when she died a few years ago.
Alphabet moulds
These are the only moulds I will use.
Last few bits
A set of small clay chisels. Some small shape cutters. Liquid fimo (this is used for loads of different things, there are lots of tutorials online devoted to it). Fimo softener is great! You put a little of it with your clay if you feel it has gone too dry and crumbly. Kneed / condition it into the clay to bring it back to good. Last of all, is the measuring guide produced by Fimo.
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