FAQ

i will no longer entertain questions related to how i make stuff as 1) i'm more interested in making than teaching 2) it's faster for both of us if you'd just read or google for it 3) i'm not a fan of tautology. oh, and i'm a grumpy old lady XD

if it's not stated in the blog, it means i consider it either common knowledge (which you can find easily with the help of google or a quick browse at the bookstore/library) or that i just don't feel like writing about it (due to either complications, or lack of confidence, or just...don't want to). I think the most important lesson a person can learn, is learning how to learn :) yanno, learning how to fish vs given a fish, yada yada yada...

but, for those with a shorter attention span (me inclusive, don't get all insulted ok? XD) here it is:

PERSONAL STUFF:
How long have you been making miniatures?
- I started my reseach in Dec 2008, and finally made my first items in I believe Jan 2009. My
first blog entry
was dated Mar 2009 when I decided to start documenting my progress.
Do you do swaps?
- yes, and no. i have recently started converting this 'hobby' into more of a 'business' and i have lots of bills to pay, including office rent :( but i would be open to swapping usually around Christmas time, and will usually ask for stuff i find difficult to obtain here (usually supplies or Re-Ment LOL).

Do you sell your stuff?
- have been selling on Etsy for a while now, but expanded to a number of other venues. You can find my work at the following links.

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/snowfern
Zibbet: www.zibbet.com/Snowfern
Luulla: www.luulla.com/store/snowfern

What about facebook?
- "Like" my facebook page!: www.facebook.com/pages/Snowfern-Clover/184573203156

TECHNICAL STUFF:
what materials do you use?
- polymer clay and Japanese air dry clay, unless stated otherwise in the description. mixed media is my thing, since i love experimenting to see which can achieve the best results. there's no hard and fast rule on this one. pastels, paints, glosses etc too, of course.

what brands do you use?
- polymer clay - Sculpey, FIMO, KATO; air dry clay - Grace, Daiso, Sukerukun; Epoxy Resin - Envirotex Lite Pour On Finish. Different brands have different properties, it's more useful to play around with different types of clay and figure out each type's properties and use it to your advantage. I'd love to try out other brands of clays, but I'm always broke :X

what tools do you use?
- needle tool, razor blade, pasta machine, toothpicks, sandpaper, toothbrush mostly. and assorted tools i've purchased or made.

where did you learn how to make these miniatures?
the internet is an amazing place isn't it? there are several useful links to various miniaturists around the world, everything I learnt was either through google (various links here) or hours spent at the library. and even more hours experimenting and coming up with my own techniques etc.

how do you do your icing?
- with a lot of patience, cursing and swearing. and a seriously sore thumb. but seriously, i do. with the help of either polymer clay + liquid polymer clay, or Grace whipped cream air dry clay. it takes alot of practice, wiping off and retrying to get it 'right'. my advice would be to keep practicing, and clean your tip often.

what are your favourite tools?
- i have this needle tool that i purchased from a children's clay starter set, out of the 5 or 6 in the set, it is the only tool i've used XD I use it to texture, shape, mix paint, apply paint, apply 'frosting'.....it's like my 3rd hand. i plan to purchase another set just for a backup needle tool i love it so much! as to other tools....they're all specially self-made for individual purposes, since it's too costly for me to purchase specialist tools. before anybody asks what they are, i don't plan on revealing them since they are too numerous and too specific to individual purposes i'm losing interest as i type this..... XD maybe if i write a book (eventually) they'll be in it! :P

how do you make your accompanying accessories like plates/cups etc?
- simple answer, i don't. i purchase almost all my plates, cutlery, drinkware etc off various ebay stores, or online dollhouse shops. in fact, most of my earlier plates etc were from swaps as i had no idea where to get them either XD the few attempts i have blogged about were just to figure out if it was worth my while to make my own plates etc...my opinion is: NO. :(

how do you make the cupcake liners/printed packages/ will you be making more tutorials? etc etc...
- there are a few things i'd like to keep to myself as i have plans to come up with a book (one can dream!) and would like to reserve that information, or my book would be utterly uninteresting. I'm sure for those with more initiative, you'll figure it out eventually. ;) it's not rocket science!

do you use a magnifying glass?
when i first started out and had a request for some 1:48, yes. but not lately, though I think I really should...would make my life easier :X

do you make your own air dry clay?
- no. see above re: what materials do you use? / what brands do you use? i would like to, some day, though. seems easy enough according to what i've discovered via google!

what's wrong with my canes? they are brittle, distorted, colour is inaccurate etc? (or other cane questions)
- too much to go into, and i've already blogged about it here:
Tips on Caning
basically, as long as you follow faithfully the baking instructions for your brand of clay, ensuring that the oven is baking at the correct temperature, you shouldn't go wrong. invest in a good oven thermometer, often the oven temp dials are wrong, and if you're using a toaster oven with no controls, you really shouldn't they bake waay too high. also, different brands have different properties, some have been known to be more brittle than others. i personally stick to only 2 brands (see above), so best you do your own research online, many many MANY polymer clay sites have cited the differences between the clays, so it's better to trust them, not me XD

also, keep in mind the thickness of your clay. most brands recommend "X" temp for "Y" mins per 5-6mm thickness, if it's not on the back of your packaging, double-check with manufacturer site for more info.

which type of clay do you recommend i use?
- refuse to answer this. best to figure out what's most available and suited to your environment. save up, invest and experiment. that's what i did. a deciding factor might be whether you can have a dedicated use of an oven. since polymer clay would require baking to cure.

where can i buy materials?
- i'm in Singapore. for those who are in SG and wish to know, there's a lengthy post on my blog. snowfern-clover.blogspot.com/2009/06/tips-starting-out-with-polymer-clay-in.html

can i commission you to make stuff?
- commission slots are closed at the moment due to my erratic health :(

what are the prices for your items?
- depends on scale and detail. for smaller items, i charge mostly just the work hours. and although it may seem that larger stuff is easier to make, please keep in mind the material costs and surface area to detail. you can view my Etsy to see what I have currently for sale.

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ok so the technical stuff is everywhere on the net, seems like i don't need to explain further. go forth, and google~