After months of anticipation I finally got my hands on MS Crafter's Clay and I'll wrap up my findings in one word,
'Fantastic'!
Saturday is another Open House at Michaels and I will be demoing this clay! In preparation for the demo I got all the product I would need off the shelves, went to the classroom, and began to explore and play with the clay! ( Gee, I kind of like the ring to that!)
I was happy to see the beautiful fern and butterfly molds! I also needed a floral tool kit. I love the texture of the clay; it almost feels like unsticky marshmallow. Then I discovered how easy it was to mix and blend colours! I love that they include a colour mixing guide in all their kits and with the individual primary colours package; it's very helpful to those who are chromatically challenged!
The clay is very easy to manipulate and it practically falls out of the silicone molds.
Something I was concerned about, before I used the clay, was 'how would it affect the skin on my hands'? I have very sensitive skin and my hands are prone to eczema outbreaks so I was actually worried that after my long wait for the product to arrive, I may not be able to use it.
There was nothing to worry about! I am absolutely thrilled to report that not only did the clay not irritate my hands (not one bit), but it also didn't stain my hands. Could it be hypo-allergenic? Wow - that really made me happy.
I had to leave my little creations at work to dry but you know I just HAD to buy a kit for myself!
I purchased the Crafter's Clay Nature Starter Kit, and it's beautiful.
I found that the clay dried in about 13 hours ( but it does say to give it 24 hours in the kit). I left it on my Tim Holtz craft mat, but discovered that the bottom couldn't dry if it was on it, so I flipped the shapes over to complete the drying process. I think this can be avoided by drying the pieces on a porous surface, eg. paper towel, sheet of paper; it will not stick.
The consistency of the dried shape is rather spongy and similar to craft foam. It is strong, but very pliable.
I really have to get back to my clay!
What am I going to make next???
Thank you for stopping by,
~Roberta
I am so happy to announce that I will be teaching at another Michael's location in Toronto. It is the newest store and it is expected to open mid-July! I am really excited to be returning to my old 'stomping grounds' in North York! The new store is located in the old DeBoers store, across from Mel Lastman Square.
I purchased the Crafter's Clay Nature Starter Kit, and it's beautiful.
Today I held another 'Altered Canvas Trio' class at Michaels and I loved every minute. My three students are friends and the most lovely ladies you could ever hope to meet. After a slightly trepidatious start they slowly eased into a comfortable rhythm and it really was wonderful watching the transformation. One of the ladies speaks very little English so translations were flying! What I loved about Sharon, visiting from Taiwan, is that even though she understood very little of my instructions and didn't seem to have much confidence, by the end of the class she had managed to create 3 beautiful canvases! The pride in her face was worth 'the price of admission' (if in fact I had paid admission :))
