Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bead and Button and Class Issues

Hi All!
It's great to see we've added more followers to our blog! Wilma and Mari spent last weekend at the Bead and Button Show in WI. They were at the International Polymer Clay Guild booth. They demonstrated both the extruder and the DREAM machine. Did anyone get to see them in action?

Also, we've had to put some rules in place regarding classes at the ArtWay studio:
As of June 10, 2009, the following requirements are needed in order to ensure your spot in a class.
**50% NON-REFUNDABLE Deposit by Check is Necessary to Hold Your Spot.**
The Other 50% is Payable to the Instructor at the Start of the Class.
In Case of Extreme Emergency, Your Deposit Can Be Credited to Another ArtWay Class.

That's it for now! Happy Claying!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

IT's COMING!!

I heard from Rob yesterday that the D.R.E.A.M Machine will be showing up by mid July!
This is very exciting to everyone. The parts are being cast and are in production. Once the parts are made, then it will need to be assembled. Once that's done, they will get shipped to PCE and they will start filling orders!
To see new pics of the DREAM and it's accessories, click HERE.

In Atlas news, the 150 pasta machine will be out of stock until June 1st.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

It's Coming!!! Shop Now and Save!!!

Hop On Over to PCE before Easter and you can save big on the D.R.E.A.M machine. Maybe you've been on the fence about ordering it. You know it's got to be one of the coolest clay tool around. Imagine being able to condition a pound of clay quick and easy. Then imagine this clay in ONE 10 inch strip of polymer clay goodness!
You know you want it.... Now's the time!
Currently, the prices are $160.00 for the D.R.E.A.M. machine only. The motor is an additional $310.00. If you buy them both at once, it's $450.00.

However, as of April 13th, the prices will no longer be the Pre-Order Pricing.
The new pricing is as follows: The D.R.E.A.M. machine will be $195.00. The motor will be $375.00. The combo price will be $550.00.
So, if you order now, you can save $100!!

For those of you who have already ordered the D.R.E.A.M machine, you will receive a call from Rob or Wilma making sure the CC is the correct one and if you would like to definitely order.

Speaking of really cool tools, you have to check out the new coring tools. Wilma has modified the coring tools so that they are more compact, easier to transport and still enable you to have various sizes for flexibility in designs.

The two hole coring tools are still in the protoype stage, but here's what they can do. Aren't these the cutest buttons you ever did see?

Friday, March 20, 2009

FanDanGo DREAMs

We're back from Fandango, and the D.R.E.A.M. machine was a hit! Wilma showed off a rolled pound of gold clay. One HUGE sheet of polymer clay goodness! As we near production, the pricing of the DREAM machine will change.
HURRY and get the GREAT price that we have now!
Just to tempt you further, here are a few pics.




Sunday, November 23, 2008

What's New at PCE?

As always, things are busy at Polymer Clay Express. Some of you have been waiting on more news about the D.R.E.A.M machine. This is what Wilma has to say:
It takes time to create perfection and the polymer clay sheeting/conditioning machine is no exception. I appreciate your patience and understanding. I am closer and closer to my goal for this tool. I have tweeked yet again a few things on the 4th prototype.
All is going very well,but I have pushed back the date of it's arrival /availabilityto Spring 2009.
The price for the motor is going to be $310 preorders and $350.00 regular price.
Perfection takes time.
Thanks for your support.
Wilma
We appreciate your business. Have a wonderful day!

If you go to our Home Page, you'll see we are trying to streamline our look and make it easier for you to navigate our site. Check out our What's New page to see the latest stuff added to the website.

We are also looking to add a Gift Idea page. So, if you want your beloved to get you something from PCE, let me know via comments and we'll try and put it up on this page.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The ACE is in!!

We all know patience is a virtue (one I certainly don't have! ) and it is paying off for all of you that pre-ordered the ACE extruder. For those of you who must have it now, you can go HERE, but now you'll have to pay the full price of $75.00.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Did You Know???

With the new formulations in polymer clay, some have found it difficult to condition... So, here is a document helping you with the conditioning issue!



CONDITIONING KATO POLYCLAY


Preparing Kato Polyclay for a project requires conditioning. When polymer clay has been idle for the period of time between production and its final destination in the hands of the consumer, all of the particles in formulation have been resting. An extreme example would be to compare it to liquid craft paint. In time, the paint develops a visibly obvious separation of ingredients. Shaking the bottle or jar for a minute will bring it back into suspension. Although the polymer clay is not a liquid, its resting ingredients need to be returned to a coalesced state. Basically, conditioning is “shaking up” the polymer clay. Conditioning reinvigorates it, makes it pliable, and improves its workability. Another comparison can be made with athletics. It is always advisable to stretch and warm up before participation. Conditioning can also warm up the clay and prepare it for use. A warm clay also adds to the ease of conditioning; however proceed with caution when using other means to warm your clay because you always face the risk of starting the curing process. A safe temperature to work with would be your body temperature. If your clay has been exposed to elevated temperature it will become slightly firmer, adding a small amount of Kato Clear Medium will help bring it back to a workable condition.


Kato Polyclay is a firm clay by design and conditioning might be a little more intensive than it would be for softer clays. We recommend two methods of conditioning. The first is a procedure developed by Donna Kato is a “Slice and Roll” method. It is a “culinary” approach as it requires the use of a rolling pin. The second conditioning method is one used by polymer clay artist Jana Roberts Benzon and is described as the “Jana-Whack” method. It is more of an “industrial” procedure and requires the use of a mallet.

Here are the descriptions of the two methods. Tool information is listed following the methods.


METHOD 1SLICE AND ROLL


Tools – Acrylic rod, work surface, slicing blade, pasta machine


Step 1 – To condition a small block, slice into ½ inch slices.


Step 2 – Flatten and compress each slice with an acrylic rod, thinning each slice until they are just slightly thicker than the thickest setting on the pasta machine – this is an important step, so don’t skip it!


Step 3 – Roll these pieces through the thickest setting on the pasta machine. Reset the machine to reduce the thickness and roll through again. Repeat this reduction again and roll through.


Step 4 – Fold and roll each slice through the machine until the clay is soft and pliable.


Step 5 – Roll through, two at a time until you have one large sheet of clay.


METHOD 2 - THE “JANA-WHACK”


Tools - You will need the same tools as Method 1 with the addition of a mallet


Step 1 - Do not remove the clay from the wrapper. Working on a hard surface (preferably a cement floor), whack the clay bar on all four sides multiple times with the mallet until it is reduced to about half its original size. Do not whack the front and back because you want to maintain as much of a block shape as you can for slicing.


Step 2 - Once you feel that the clay has softened up remove the wrapper and proceed to your work surface. Cut the compressed block into ⅛ - ¼ inch thick slices. You can go directly to the pasta machine and roll the slices through or you can start at Step 2 of conditioning Method 1 to finish.


TOOLS

1. For making uniformly thick or thin slices, the pasta machine is the best tool.


2. Sheets may also be made using a rolling pin or rod. Wooden rolling pins will work but the clay will build up in the wood, making it necessary to frequently clean them. The best rod is an acrylic rod ( like the Kato Pro Clay Roller). Clay does not readily build up on the acrylic surface and it’s much easier to clean. The Kato Pro Clay Roller also comes with three pairs of gaskets that will enable you to roll sheets of three thicknesses.


3. A good work surface is a necessity. The oils in polymer clay may damage fine wood surfaces! Glass, acrylic, marble and formica are good materials to work on. Formica has a very fine texture on which the clay will not stick. You may find your clay sticking to very slick surfaces like glass and marble. In certain instances, you may want the clay to stick, so this isn’t necessarily a negative trait. In very warm climates, the coolness of marble may help maintain a level of workability and keep your clay from becoming very soft and sticky.


4. You’ll want a good long blade for cutting canes. The Nublade has become the standard among most polymer clay users. Its thickness makes it easier to cut through blocks of clay and large canes with minimal torque and twisting. Clean your blades frequently for best results. These blades are not for children’s use! Single edge razor blades are great for cutting small diameter canes.


5. The Marxit measuring tool makes it possible to mark canes or sheets of clay in 6 different mm sizes. If you’re cutting canes and wish for uniform thickness, this is the tool for you.


6. A mallet with a hard plastic surface works best. However you can achieve good results with a rubber mallet.