Hi everyone! I haven’t felt like writing over the past few days because I’ve been perseverating on polymer clay. Today, I thought I’d write a post after all to sum up my week and my word for this week is “Hyper”. After all, I’ve not just been perseverating on a special interest, but it’s been costing me my sleep too. I was almost going to choose “Manic”, but that would be appropriating the bipolar community, as I doubt my episodes are bad enough to qualify even as hypomanic. They’re more like autistic or ADHD (not that I have that last diagnosis either) hyperfocus. So yeah, hyper.
I’ve been literally working with polymer clay for hours everyday except today for the past week. I’m improving, but not as fast as I’d like.
And it’s not even that I’ve created anything worth mentioning really. I mean, yesterday I decided to bake a project, but it didn’t turn out as good as I’d hoped.
Okay, I did create a purple cat on Wednesday, because my husband had been asking for it everyday for a week. Purple because it’s the least ugly color for a cat out of the ones I currently own. My husband said it was pretty well-proportioned except for its whiskers, but then again that’d be practically impossible to do with actual polymer clay. I didn’t bake this figurine though.
Yesterday, like I said, I did bake something, but I was quite disappointed in its outcome. For this reason, I was up late ruminating about how to prevent it from getting ugly again. As you might see, it is a multi-layered star, so I figured if I baked the bottom layer first and then attached the unbaked second layer, baked again and so forth, it should work. I also figured I’d create my piece directly on the baking surface as to not have to move it too much. Well, there I made a mistake, because the baking surface I normally use is an oven dish normally also used for food. I until now figured it wouldn’t be a problem since I lay parchment paper under my polymer clay. Until today, that is. So now I promised my staff a new oven dish.
After this happened, I decided to give up polymer clay until I can go to the hardware store to get myself a tile to bake on.
In addition to hyperfocusing, I’ve also been spending more money than may be considered sensible. I mean, like I said a few times before, I won’t go broke anytime soon with my current spending habits, but with the fact that my special interests tend to be short-lived, it may not have been wise. On Thursday, I ordered some cookie cutters and an alphabet clay stamp set at an online store, only to be told yesterday that not everything is in stock and hence my order would probably be processed a week later. Then in the evening, I impulsively bought a whole lot of polymer clay supplies, including cookie cutters, from someone on Facebook. It seems to have gone alright, both the paying and the actual supplies being on their way. I decided to cancel my store order that evening. I might order the stamp set separately later.
Overall, though my perseverating might be a little worrisome, I’m trying to reason that I’m not getting into trouble yet and won’t in the foreseeable future even if my state of hyperfocus continues for a while. And it most likely won’t. The only thing I can hope for is that I won’t give up on the craft entirely then.
I agree that making cat’s whiskers with clay is impossible! Perhaps you can try using another material (broom bristle, thin wire) by poking holes in the polymer clay before baking, then gluing in the whiskers afterward. It’s great that this clay is so ‘forgiving’ by not drying out before it’s baked. If you have little bits leftover, try rolling them together & making beads (bake round or tubular ones with the hole facing up so they can’t flatten too much)
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Thank you for your suggestions. Yes, I agree, I love the fact that polymer clay doesn’t dry up while using or when stored even, although it may get crumbly.
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I like the blue Star of David, even if you weren’t intending that!
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What, a blue star of David? I’d never heard of that. I mean, I do know six-pointed yellow stars were what the Jews wore during Nazi occupancy, which is why I don’t want to make a yellow star with this cookie cutter even when I do get yellow polymer clay. However, I had no idea blue is also somehow significant. Or was that not what you meant? Anyway, thank you for commenting.
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The six-pointed star. The way you layered it reminded me of some Stars of David, jewelry designs and such. Very pretty!
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Oh thanks for clarifying. I was afraid I’d done something offensive or something.
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We like your clay art and the purple cat is very cool!
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Thank you so much. I’m glad you like it.
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It sounds like you have been busy with your clay. Great work. I love the little cat. How cute. x
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Thanks. Yes, I’ve been having fun. I’m so glad you like the cat.
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I like what you’ve created so far, I can understand how difficult making whiskers on a cat would be.
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Thank you for commenting. Yes, I am thinking of asking around in the polymer clay Facebook groups how the experienced sculptors do whiskers, but am afraid I’ll get criticized instead.
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The purple cat is brilliant! I’m just like you when I get a new special interest, I want to Buy All The Things haha. But it sounds like you’re doing really well and having fun with it. Keep going! 🙂
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Thank you for the compliment on the purple cat. I’m glad I’m not alone on how I handle my special interests.
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That sounds like a fun hobby. Keep practicing. I think you will get good at it.
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Thanks so much for the encouragement! It’s definitely fun.
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