beadyeyedbrat Pirate Cove Rocks and Trees

beadyeyedbrat	Pirate Cove
Trees and Rocks My love of polymer clay keeps cropping up into this project. And everything else I do. I was given large quantities of old, hard clay because I don't mind working it. Thank you to all my clay friends! Without them I couldn't afford to do what I do. All images are full size. Rocks
This is the clay I'm using. I've had it for so long that I don't even know if they make it any more. This is Fimo, but other clays have a rock-like look to them.
I cut the bar in half to get started. How much you cut off the bar depends on how many rocks you need. It's pretty old and crumbly, so I added a few drops of mineral oil.
Always condition your polymer clay before you start your project. Smoosh (technical term), squeeze, roll it between your hands until it's soft throughout.
Form the clay into a ball. If it rolls easily, the clay is ready.
Start pinching off pieces of different sizes. Flatten the bottoms of the pieces, then shape them like rocks as you like.
Poke, prod, texture however you like to make them rock-like. Make tiny ones, boulders and tweens. Ever seen a truly round rock? Yours shouldn't be either. Some of the things I've used for texture are sandpaper, knitting needles, needle tools, real sand and the side of a stoneware vase. I've even taken them outside and pressed them lightly on a rough sidewalk. If you don't mind having your neighbors look at you like you're nuts, go for it. Bake your clay at temp recommended by the manufacturer for at least 20 minutes. The rule is 20 minutes per 1/4" of thickness. Mine are from 1/4" to 1", so I'll bake them all for about an hour. Polymer clay doesn't burn if you bake it longer, but some clays will brown. If your oven or toaster oven tends to spike, shield the clay with foil.
Trees Once I can see a prop in r/l, I'll know how big to make the trees. Prolly make some bushes too.


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