One of the things I've been wanting to do for a long time is to explore other art mediums. I don't really consider myself to be an artist, but I'd like to be one! LOL
Anyway I've been watching a lot of art tutorials on YouTube lately and came across videos featuring paper clay projects. I figured that was right up my alley, so I picked up a bag/pack from Michaels around Christmas time and decided to play with it.
When I purchased the clay I initially thought I would use it to create ornaments for my Christmas tree, but time just slipped away and I never got around to making them. I started thinking about what else I could create relatively quickly just to see if this form of art was for me.
Then I remembered these little dishes that I bookmarked to my favorites. These are actually made from ceramic, but I thought maybe they'd work with the paper clay since it hardens as it dries.
So this is what I came up with...
I don't know all the specifics regarding the differences between different types of clay, but from what I can tell, paper clay is similar to polymer clay except that it doesn't require kiln firing or baking. You can just air dry your projects made with paper clay.
After rolling out the clay, I used a background stamp from Purple Onion Designs to add some texture to it. Then I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out my shape. I set it aside for about an hour and then began to mold the edges upward to create a little bit of a "lip" to give the clay a dish shape. After another hour or so I molded it some more, and repeated that a few times.
Then I set it aside for about 24 hours. I used white paperclay, but you can purchase it in a number of different colors. After the dish was hard, I painted it with red acrylic paint. I gave each side about 2 coats of paint, and then let it dry for another 24 hours. Then I applied a glossy varnish to give it some shine.
Not bad for my first paperclay project huh?
