Review: Polymer Clay vs Air Dry Clay

still learning how to handle slicing the clay. must learn to be patient and wait at least 2-3 days (depending on weather) before attempting slicing. also must learn how to minimize wastage :(

all that, and only 2 'decent' slices LOL but i shall persevere!

a semi-failure.
lessons learnt:

- although the cake art goes on beautifully, after it has dried fully it 'flattens'/shrinks down to the base, revealing all the cracks i'd been trying to hide XD but it's ok if the cake base is flat.

to try: NAIL POLISH! XD (thanks readers! i will experiment on that next!)

MY CLAY IS HERE!!!! ok i guess i should give PCE another chance...at least they didn't mess up my order, and the clay arrived quickly. the order was placed on 22nd Dec 2009 and arrived 08 Jan 2010, during the busy holiday/festive period too!

lessons learnt:

- always ask for a quote on shipping/items BEFORE making payment
- don't be too quick to anger. mistakes happen. XD


REVIEW ON POLYMER CLAY VS AIR DRY CLAY

DISCLAIMER: i can't rightly say that i've enough experience with air dry clay to be objective. don't take my word for it. try it out for yourself, then decide.

Polymer Clay vs Air Dry Clay, GENERAL differences
Polymer Clay	Air Dry Clay
can be stored indefinitely	quality deteriorates over time, might even get moldy
storage is easy, keep away from hard plastics  and dust, cool place	needs to be stored in air tight containers, even while working with it
no shrinkage	possible shrinkage dependent on brand/type and manipulation (i.e. amount of water/white glue added)
fast curing time, just bake and let cool	long cure time
does not require sealant	requires sealant since it is not waterproof
can be used for caning	not impossible for caning, but different techniques required with not as good results as with polymer clay
requires deliberate manipulation to obtain textures	excellent inherent qualities for cake textures
more detailed textures	limited time frame to texture surface
bakes hard, almost like plastic with little resistance  (just don't go pressing hard into it with your fingernails)	depending on type of clay, can dry a little soft
depending on brand, non-sticky	if too wet, sticks to hands unless barrier cream is used
requires conditioning	no conditioning required
might burn in oven	curing time extended in humid conditions
needs baking/specialized oven	dries when left in open air
can't use certain plastic tools	plastic tools can be used safely
needs more specialized materials i.e. liquid polymer clay,  dliuent etc all of which are expensive although there are alternate sources (risky results)	everyday materials like white glue, water, paints can be incorporated easily
need better understanding of what plastics can be suitable  to store the clay	can be stored in pretty much any container
basically only 1 type, POLYMER CLAY, different  brands have slightly variant properties  (level of translucency, hardness etc)	wide variety of types of clay, resin, stone, paper, wood, wheat etc, each with different properties, shrinkage, effects etc. some better than others for flowers vs cakes etc.
harder to clean, older batches of clay might contain toxic  phthalates	cleans up easily with water, non-toxic (i think?)
cures somewhat matte, depending on brand (KATO bakes to a sheen)	dries matte
raw clay surfaces pick up pastels very well, hence easy  colouration for realistic detailing	requires pretty decent paint techniques to achieve more realistic details

PERSONAL PREFERENCES - POLYMER CLAY VS AIR DRY CLAY
better for baked goods, breads etc cos it can pick up pastels	better for RICE, sprinkles, cake slices, stuff that doesn't require too much surface detailing
does not require sealant, i'm lazy, ha!	do not like having to seal it as details can be lost, sealant/paint details may rub off
FAST CURING TIME! I can finish a project within a day	have to wait and plan out projects over a few days to complete
lack of availability is frustration	pretty easily available in Singapore
messy sticky, needs special cleaning materials like baby wipes, baby oil, lots of tissue	cleans up easily with water, non-toxic (i think?)
have to be careful of which surfaces that come into contact with it	not so many worries XD just don't get it wet
creams, cake art can be easily manipulated with  liquid polymer clay	have to work with specialized mediums ('cream' clay, texture pastes etc) to achieve results
personally find it picks up dirt faster than ADC	not as 'dirty' but still does pick up dirt (ok i'm a dirty girl XD)
colouration, graduation of colours using skinner blend makes for realistic transition of colours	HAVE TO PAINTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT, am TERRIBLE at painting, washing brushes not a fave thing to do either
hurts when i have to condition it	no need to condition. Less resistance than polymer clay
easier for me to add details without worrying about distortion	too soft, shape difficult to maintain when adding textures
more difficult to work with molds, molds might react with clay	easy to work with molds. Just let dry and remove

VERDICT:

I LIKE BOTH. i am thinking of experimenting a little more to incorporate the 2. feel free to add your comments on your preferences ^ ^