A few quick tips on using shape templates with polymer clay…
After making your decorative clay sheet, lift it off your work surface and place it onto a piece of plain paper. This will make it easy to lift the cut shapes out later without distorting them. It also makes it easy to rotate the clay to try different viewing orientations when positioning the shape template, so you can better envisage the final product.
Metal cutters make sharp, clean cuts… except for the “bobble” most make where the metal strip they’re constructed from is joined, which needs to be trimmed or smoothed out for a professional finish. Manufacturers such as Kemper make seamless metal cutters, but what do you do if you can’t find them in the size you want?
Go to the hardware store, of course! :D
Add visual interest to your polymer clay jewellery by shaping it in three dimensions rather than leaving it completely flat. There are dozens of everyday objects you can cure polymer clay on to give it interesting dimension. Here are some of my favourites, with some other tips at the end.
Sue Fisher 