Sunday, December 21, 2008

Christmas Baking

I've spent the last few days baking. No, not Christmas cookies, although I'm wishing I had a few right about now. Rather, I've been mixing, shaping and baking polymer clay into marble mantles, hearths and fireplace surrounds.

This set is for the dining room; I made a nearly identical set for the parlor.

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It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but this set is pink marble (for the conservatory/music room).

I also made a set of black with veins of gold for the library.

I still need to add a coat of clear lacquer; I photographed them before the lacquer to keep the flash from bouncing off them.

I'm really pleased with how these turned out. One of the things I really love about miniatures as a hobby is that it encourages creative problem solving. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to make marble in miniature. I read about some faux painting techniques, but I've never been very good with paint. Also, the results don't seem to have much depth. You can buy marble tiles from miniature shops, but they're expensive and only come in certain dimensions. But with polymer clay, I can create any dimension I want and achieve, through the incorporation of translucent clay, some of the depth that is so characteristic of marble. I also plan to use this technique to create marble decorations, vases, statuettes and furniture tops.

5 comments:

Amanda S. said...

Super cool! I'm having fun reading about all your innovations.

Living said...

How do you get your fimo cut so straight?

Texas Belle said...

Thanks for asking, Living. I used a 6-inch long blade, specifically made for cutting polymer clay, to make the cuts. Very easy! Here's a link: http://www.katopolyclay.com/nublade.html
I bought mine at Hobby Lobby.

Sue said...

Just stumbled upon your blog (actually from your sister's as I am into sewing) and have read back through your entries and am finding this all so fascinating! I'll be back so I hope there will be more soon!

Josje said...

As I am not a clay person, I paint my marble. But this looks great! Super idea. I'm thinking you could even rout some lovely edges to the baked pieces, or use a mould to press the clay into, sanding it smooth after it has been baked.