Polymer Clay Productions Review: A New Way to Learn Polymer Clay Techniques

There are lots of excellent resources out there for learning how to work with polymer clay. There are books that can help you learn new techniques, websites full of great tutorials, and web forums where you can ask questions and get answers from other polymer clay artists.

But as good as these resources are, there are times when pictures and text don't convey quite enough information. You may need to actually watch to see how something is done, and nothing beats having an experienced artist showing you just what to do. A good teacher can guide you through a project step-by-step, show you how to use your tools to their best advantage, and demonstrate certain techniques. Taking classes would be a good option, but it may not always be the answer. There may not be polymer clay classes in your area, or the classes that are available may not work with your schedule. Possibly you could buy, rent, or borrow instructional videos instead, but they can be hard to find. And if you're like me, you may be reluctant to spend money on a video you've never seen before.

There's one more alternative: Polymer Clay Productions. It's a new website that produces free videocasts and podcasts about polymer clay. The show is hosted by Ilysa Bierer and Kira Slye, who share their experience, knowledge, and insights on working with polymer clay. A videocast is released every other Friday, which will show you different techniques and tools you can use with polymer clay. A podcast is also released every other Friday in between, a talk show where Ilysa and Kira talk about what's new in the polymer clay world, recommend a book, and discuss polymer clay in general.

Polymer Clay Productions also has an online shop where you can purchase the kits and tools that are used in videos, such as texture sheets and fibers. The acrylic rolling rod tool in particular is worth noting since it was developed by Polymer Clay Productions: It's easy to use for rolling out clay, has a good feel, comes in four different colors, and has bubbles inside for a fun touch. The rod is especially useful if you don't have a pasta machine, or if the pasta machine you have is too small to use with texture sheets. You can get tools like this individually if you want to, but you can also buy a subscription that gives you a discounted price on the supplies and kits that are released with the free videos.

The first podcast and videocast episodes were released this month (June 2007), so they're mostly geared towards beginners. However, there are tips that even experienced polymer clay artists can learn from. The instructions and projects will grow more advanced over time. Even if you don't get the tools, you can still learn a lot from the free instructions.