The 'Skinner Blend' is one of the basic building blocks of polymer clay techniques. Named after the polymer clay artist Judith Skinner, it uses a pasta machine to create a smoothly gradiated blend of two or more colours. The steps below demonstrate how to create a basic Skinner blend. You will need: Half a block (i.e. approx 1oz or 28g) of a light-coloured clay - e.g. white. Half a block of a darker clay - e.g. purple. Pasta machine Step 1 Create a sheet of purple clay on the thickest setting of your pasta machine and then trim it into a triangle shape. Do the same with the white clay. Join ..read more

Hello... ......and a massively warm welcome to the first edition of the new newsletter from the British Polymer Clay Guild. Our publication PolyNews will complement our website, www.bpcg.org.uk and will bring you a regular and concise round-up of all the current highlights. PolyNews will ensure you don’t miss out on polymer events in the UK, Europe and further afield; we will test drive new products on your behalf, seek out exciting work from other polymer artists, check out blogs, write book reviews, track down elusive artists and persuade them to reveal their darkest secrets! There will be a ..read more

Polymer clay is a plastic man-made modelling material. It is hardened permanently (or 'cured') by baking at a low temperature in a home oven. It is available in many colours and is marketed under several different brand names such as Fimo, Cernit, Sculpey III, Premo Sculpey, Pardo, Creall-therm, Kato, Studio by Sculpey, Dukit and Uro. It can be used to create a remarkable range of creative artwork. It can be mixed together to form new colours with endless design possibilities. By pressing items into the clay it will take on the texture of the object and is often used with rubber stamps. In a ..read more

We are so excited that Valerie Evans, AKA Unruly Housewife (YouTube) and Torn Up Art (Facebook) has agreed to compere our 20th Anniversary Event. Come along and meet her in real life! Here she is announcing her involvement. #unrulyhousewife #valerieevans #tornupart #polymerclay #britishpolymerclayguild #BPCG20 #youtube #fimo #cernit #sculpeyclay #kidderminster ..read more

Read the June 2017 edition of PolyNews - the newsletter of the British Polymer Clay Guild "It's more than just a lump of plastic" - Editorial by Lizzi Bucklow-Holt A Day in the Life of .... Allan Marshall, Miniaturist Regional Round-up with Fiona Abel-Smith How to start your own polymer clay group - by Lisa Walker Summer Hobbycrafts Show dates, NEC, Birmingham Save the Date! British Polymer Clay Guild 20th Anniversary Click here to read the entire newsletter #PolyNews #britishpolymerclayguild ..read more

This is an 'archive' tutorial - originally posted on the Guild's website many years ago by Sue Heaser - the original founder and president of the BPCG. Polymer Clay pencils are surprisingly easy to make and, like polyclay pens, can be decorated in countless different ways. These pencils are made entirely of polymer clay apart from the pencil lead and can be sharpened like any ordinary pencil. Materials Polymer clay in the colour of your choice Pencil lead for a clutch pencil - these are available from art supply shops. HB is a good choice for a general use pencil. They usually come in length ..read more

The Environment is currently a hot topic, particularly when it comes to climate change and plastic pollution. As artists using a plastic-derived product, how can we answer questions about the material we use and how we are taking care to protect the environment? These questions are coming up more frequently at exhibitions and fairs and in online forums, so I hope this blog post will help to have some facts at your disposal: Polymer Clay manufacturers keep their recipes a closely guarded secret, but we know that polymer clay is based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plasticisers, binders and fill ..read more

Read the August 2017 edition of PolyNews - the newsletter of the British Polymer Clay Guild "Should I attend? [the anniversary event]" - Editorial by Lisa Walker 20th Anniversary timetable of presentation, demonstrations and make & takes Regional Round-up in NEW GROUP for West Cornwall with Fiona Abel-Smith Autumn Miniatura show dates, NEC, Birmingham Top Tip of the Month for your pasta machine no.2 Winter Hobbycrafts Show exclusive offer for BPCG members Click here to read the entire newsletter #PolyNews #britishpolymerclayguild ..read more

Do you struggle to condition old blocks of polymer clay? BPCG Group Liaison Officer, Fiona Abel-Smith, demonstrates how, in under two minutes, you can condition this crumbly clay into smooth, flexible, workable clay. #polymerclay #howtoconditionpolymerclay #helpihavecrumblyclay #fimo #sculpey #premoclay #cernit #katopolyclay #pardoclay #britishpolymerclayguild ..read more

BEGINNER Whether you are a complete novice or a seasoned clayer, there is always something new to learn; so in some respects, we are all beginners, so take heart and get stuck in to your new challenge. Here are some tips to help you on your way… JUST PLAY! Experiment, practise techniques, make yourself a colour reference chart or blank bases and components – there are lots of ways to get those creative juices flowing - and practise, practise, practise! You may have a masterpiece in mind (or not) but just play without any expectation and just see what happens. If that’s not for you, get togeth ..read more