Why I want to be a polymer clay teacher

If you decided that you liked to mess around with polymer clay,  you might consider methods to learn more about it. While there are a range of books out there  (your local library will have some), online tutorials, websites, if you encounter any problems then you are left asking around on forums.

So, it is worth paying for lessons.  There are some who run online courses and others who teach in person.  I am planning to become the latter.

My main reason for wanting to become a teacher,  is actually to get to know new people. I know that there are a lot of teaching roles where you are not allowed to make friends with the students, but since this is a adult teaching adults and there is not any big power difference,  then this is fine.

Having a lot of long term health problems prevent me from getting out and about, so I don't get to meet people that way. Since I work for myself from home,  that takes away all the people who we meet through work.  I am not Billy no mates by any means, but I think I really need to work at that part of my life.

I have looked around the UK and found that there are quite a few teachers out there, but none of them are in Surrey and there is no clay groups either.  The teachers I did find, teach either jewellery and bead making,  canning, flower making and one or two who teach various model making or sculpting. I plan to be a little different.

I am planning to run classes for 8 people at a time. They will pay for one lesson a few hours long, rather than a long course,  but I also plan to run a much larger clay group, which I will explain more about at the end.

Lessons 

I  will start the lessons the same,  with showing how to use the clay and tools properly.

The main body of the lesson will have several options. I am making worksheets that are the step by step process to make different items.  Each step will have a photo and a explanation. The help sheets are divided into two types;

1) Design
How to make a type of pattern or effect with the clay.

2) Project 
How to make a home decor item from clay, either patternedor plain. These will be things like bud vases, little boxes, tea lights, decorative bowls etc.

I know that I will need to have all 8 students working from the same 2 cards, but I am not sure how I am going to do this.  These are the options,  let me know which one you think is best;

1) The democratic option 
Once 8 people have signed up,  allow them to vote between them.

The benefits to this is that I can run a class as soon as I have 8 people.  The down side is if someone want to do one in particular and it doesn't get voted for.

2) Advertise them as different courses
I would permanently pair the designs and the projects and then advertise each option as individuals classes. When I get 8 people I run the course.

The benefit to this, is that everyone gets what they want.  The downside is that it will take a lot longer to get 8 people who want to do that specific course,  so it would make organising the dates for the class very difficult.

3) Cycle the lessons  
This is my least favourite option. Like before, I pair off the designs and projects,  I then run each pair one after the other.

The reason why this is my least favourite option,  is that I really am not sure how to deal with it if I have too few people who sign up for the class.

So....
I will need at least 6 people attending in order for me to make it so that I make any money for my time.

I have already bought all the tools and equipment needed to teach 8 people,  so that I know that I will definitely be doing this as soon as I am well enough.

Clay group
As I said,  there is no clay groups going on locally, the nearest is London.

One of the first places I checked was with The British Polymer Clay Guild.  Since they had nothing in Surrey,  I have decided that I am going to do it myself.

A lot of the different guild groups organise tutors for each of their meetings and charge  £10+ for members to attend the meeting/ lesson,  but I as usual want to do it different.

My plan is that everyone comes along and works on their own thing in a social environment.  I  will keep a loose eye on things and help anyone who wants some help,  but I will not be a tutor.

I  will be happy to supply the clay  (which I will sell to people at the price I got it.  They will get to use my tools on a "you damage any,  you replace it" basis,  but it will be encouraged for them to bring their own.

Doing it this way,  all people would need to pay, is enough to cover the room between them. If I get a church hall or scout hut,  then this should be very cheap.

This really would be me on my own time, organising a social event for like minded people to have fun claying around.

My dragon's first ever cousin and I could not be more proud!

As all who follow my blog know,  yesterday I posted my first ever tutorial  (other than the page showing my swerly parren). I  posted it on various polymer clay groups,  fantasy groups and dragon groups,  only really expecting a couple of likes.

This morning however, I saw that someone hadactually commented 😲

It was a lovely woman called Jamie  (a complete stranger). She said that she could not sleep last night,  so she decided to follow my tutorial with some scrap clay.

She had never made a dragon before and had found that when other people had posted illiterated tutorials, they where difficult to follow,  but  she didn't find that to be the case with mine.

Here he is!  It's not the greatest photo,  but  it's good enough to see that it's a truly fabulous little fellow,  especially since his mum was tired and doing this for the first time.  I  assure you that he is far superior to my first.

I asked her if there was any part of the tutorial that she thought I needed to change in any way and she said no.

I was so happy that I actually cried a little and I am not a crying kind of girl!  One of my big dreams/ ambitions, is to become a polymer clay tutor.  There are a fair few out there, but most teach you how to make jewellery, beads, replica food and model babies and canes.

I want to teach model making and home decor items such as my boxes and bowels. I am too ill at the moment to do this,  but I am slowly working on writing up some lessons and handouts.

I have even got  (through much scrimping and saving) all the kit required for 8 people plus me. As soon as I stop shaking  (it's been happening for over a week and is really annoying, I am having to adapt my clay techniques to cope with it) I will be filming my first YouTube tutorial.

So, unbeknown to the lovely Jamie,  when she decided to combat the boredom of insomnia. She had actually validated all of my dreams and hard  (usually painful) work.  I'm not delusional,  I can actually teach 🎆😆🎉

How I make my dragons in 30 steps. Fimo / Polymer clay tutorial

Today I am going to show you how to make this lovely blue dragon.  I  have used my swerly clay pattern that I show you how to achieve here How to make swerly patterned clay

You will need:

• 2 different coloured clay (Fimo/polymer clay)
• 2  crystal beads for eyes and any crystals you are going to have it hold or mounted in its head. 
• Some florists wire and something to cut it 
• A pin or pin tool 
• A rounded tool for smoothing and making the eye socket. 

A base to mount it.  I  have  used a lid of a box I had previously made and baked.

Method

1) Roll out a ball of clay,  making sure that you have it smooth.  Then, one Side you roll between your fingers and pull out into the tail. Using the same technique,  pull out a thicker and stumpyer bit for the neck as shown in the above picture. 

2) Putting the body to one side,  we are going to make the legs.  The top 2 are the arms and they are in the position to hold something.  

Make sure you start out with 4 smooth balls the same size. Then you use the same technique as with the neck and tail, to pull the clay out into a long cone shape.  You then manipulate it into the right shapes as pictured. 

3) Very easy.  Get the body and press it firmly onto it's base.  Remember,  the  base needs to be able to go though an oven baking without melting. 

Pinch along the back to create a spine. 

4) Using your contrasting colour,  you are going to roll out 12 tiny claws, like in the pipicture above.

5) Push the back legs onto the body and get the feet into a position you like,  then make sure they are secure.  

Then add 3 claws onto each feet.

6) If you are planning on having your dragon hold anything,  then add this to the front and push it against the chest to start to secure it in place. 

7) Add the front arms.  Make sure you press them to the body,  so they are firmly attached. You then position the arms and paws where you  want. Make sure that they are firmly stuck to the base and the crystal,  as you want the crystal to be very secure. 

8) Now add 3 claws to each of the front paws.  They will overlap.

9) It's time for the tail to get some TLC. Position it how you like  (I often bring it round the back legs ), remember that if you have it lifted off the ground,  it is far more likely to break while baking.  

I advise you insert an extra bit of florists wire to strengthen it.  Don't forget to cover up and smooth off the resulting hole in the tip. 

I  decided to add a spiral in the contrast colour.  Make a small sausage and press it flat,  then twist it with your fingers. 

10) Put the body to one side as we are going to make it's head.  

Roll out a smooth ball,  then roll on side of the ball to make a kind of pear shape  (like in the picture).

11) Using a ball tool,  uo make eye sockets on both sides.  

Remember that predatorshave their eyes to the front and prey have their eyes to the sides. 

12) If you are using crystals for eyes,  place a bit of baking foil in each of the backs of the eye sockets  (shiny side out) and smooth it in place with the ball tool. 

If you are using a ball of clay or something not reflective,  don't bother with this.  It will make your crystals sparkle. 

I  like to use coloured Swarovski crystals. 

13) Add your eyes to each eye socket.  

14 ) Putting the head to one side,  we are going to make eyelids.  

You want a small sausage tapered at both ends,  for the bottom lid.  For the top lid,  you want a little semi circle that is flat and tapered at the corners. 

I  have  put a eye crystal next to them,  so you can get a size idea. Obviously you want 2 of each unless you are making a cyclops. 

15) Put the bottom eyelid in place.  Make sure that it is overlapping the crystal a little bit,  as it is the job of the eyelids to hold the crystal in place. Press it firmly to the head.

 16) Now for the top eyelid.  Just like before,  make sure that it overlaps the crystal a little bit and press it down firmly.

17) Smooth the joint  of the top eyelid over with the head.

This is so it looks like part of the head rather than something that is attached.  It looks far more natural.

Repeat this process with the bottom eyelid and then repeat on the other eye.

18) Add 2 little balls of the contrasting colour to the tip of the nose and press down firmly.

19) Using your pin tool,  wiggle some nostril holes in the blue dots and then use it to make a mouth.  I  turn up the ends for a happy look.

Sometimes, I make 2 of the claws in white and place them under the top lip as fangs.  Use your pin tool to make sure they are firmly attached.

20) The head goes to one side and we are back to the body.

Remember how you smoothed the eyelids to the head?  Well we are doing the same thing for the shoulders.

In the picture, I have done the 2 on the right and not the left so you can see what a difference it makes.

21) It's time to put the head on the neck.  Make sure you push it down firmly, so it bonds well to the neck.

If your neck is thin or long,  you will need to put some florists wire down the neck.  Leave some sticking out,  so you can inpale the head on it.

22) Roll out a tiny sausage that is long enough to go around the neck.

23) Put the sausage around the neck in the join between the head and the neck.

24) Smooth the sausage intothe joint to strengthen the joint and make it look natural.

Position the head in a pose you like.

25) Make 2 thin sausages out of the contrasting colour,  then press them flat.  Then while holding one end,  you twist the other.

Do this with each ofthe 2 sausages, then place them above the eyelid,  going in a slight curve down the back of the head.

Then put it to one side.

26) Cut 2 L's of florist wire.  I hold it against the dragon and then I can see how big to make them.

You're going to need a few centimetres of wire out the bottom of the wings to stick into the dragon's  back.

27) Roll out 2 balls. On each of the balls, push one of the wire Ls through the middle until the ball is in the corner.

Roll and pull the clay out, like you did with the tail.  One side of the L is thicker and it stops half way and the other is thinner, covering the whole wire completely. Make sure you cover and smooth out the tip.

Use your fingers to pinch out a little hook at the corners.

28) Roll out 2 balls of the contrasting colour. Using your hands to flatten the balls into disks,  the thickness you want the wing.

You then press the sides of the disk against your board,  to turn it into a triangle.

Then using any of the tools handles ect,  put in 3 dents along the long side and smooth out any creases this causes.

Then push the tangle into the L's.

29) Roll out some long very thin sausages in the mane colour.

Start them from the corner and bring them to the top of each of the dips in the edge.

Push them down firmly, to make sure they are attached.

30) Push the wire ends of the wings into the dragon'sback at an angle.  I  tend to do both wings at once,  so they lay right.  

Push until the side of the wings are securely attached to the back,  making sure that the rest of the wing is laying right and not getting caught up in his leg. 

Smooth down the join of the wing to the back and ad a polished pebble for a front horn if you wish. 

All finished!  

You can do verious embellishment's like spikes on the back and various head frills and horns.  Play around and see what you like. 

Baking

Follow the instructions on the packet. 

I  personally use the temperature needed for Fimo professional  (110oc) but as it is a thicker piece,  I  bake it for an hour. 

I  generally cover the tray it is on in baking foil  (as my husband don't like the smell of Fimo in the oven). 

I  would use a oven thermometer to make sure that your work is at the right temperature.  Too low and it stays like soft clay inside,  too hot and it will scorch.  

You need to leave it in long enough to make sure that your creation gets to 110oc all the way through, as a soft core will cause cracking and even breakages. You can't bake for too long,  as the clay is happy at that temperature. 

You can give it a coat of varnish once it has cooled,  but only certain varnishes.  I  will do a blog on that in the future. 

Do show me your end results and let me know if you have any questions and tell me if you found this helpful. 

Good luck and big hugs.