Cool Tools: Polymer Clay Skinner Blend Technique by Deb DeWolff

[@mercedesmarton3768]

Finally a tutorial that is not rushed and sped up. Even though I have been doing polymer clay for a while now, still appreciate a tutorial like this.

[@pb124]

Best presentation ever on skinner blends. I learned a lot of extra tips. Thanks SO much. Please do more polymer clay videos😊

[@Nicholasxie]

At first, I thought you were going too slow, but then you corrected all my mistakes while doing the skinner blend. Thank you for your detailed presentation and explanation!

[@gypsycruiser]

Brilliant presentation!❤ your hands are the best tools for polymer clay, very portable and very useful !😘

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

This is ridiculously cool! And, I like that you could stop before you have a full blend and get some really lovely textures.

[@cooltoolsvideos]

We asked Deb how much clay she used and she said, "I’m pretty sure I used approximately 2 ounces of each color. Clays usually come in packages of around 2oz., so I’d use the whole package. The resulting 2-color Skinner blends from using this amount of clay would then contain approximately 4 to 6 ounces of clay, which is a nice amount to use for projects like caning, etc. In my experience, if you start with less than that, there’s really not much you can do with it, and if you start with more than that, it can become an unwieldy amount to work with."

[@dianegreen9005]

Hi Deb. I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much I like your videos. Clay can be quite challenging when you are trying to learn something new. You explain techniques very well, and thoroughly, which I really appreciate. It is easier for me to remember the techniques when I understand the reason behind it. I am looking forward to learning more new things from your videos. Thank you so much for going slow and taking your time with the instructions. Diane

[@augustaalecsa9680]

Thank you :) I so like your clean precise claying!

[@romaarsenault2515]

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you!!!

[@genevievesuzi1549]

I'm so glad I watched your video!! I've been claying since September of 2020, not long, but long enough to make some beautiful figurines for Christmas and Thanksgiving and I want to start making jewelry to add to my collection and give to my family and friends and some of the videos I've watched on skinner blend don't tell me how many times it may take to run through my machine. Well, I think that was my problem. I would go so far and think it wasn't working and I would give up. I always gave up thinking I done something wrong since it wasn't changing fast. So thank you so much for the very detailed video so I can see where it all went wrong. God bless from Tennessee 😘

[@katiemayer7202]

I learned a lot watching this. Thank you!!!!

[@sarassmith6900]

Thank you for sharing a information about Polymer clay.👍🌹🌹

[@nelia_zh]

Magnifficent! Thank you very much!

[@polymerclayinspired7248]

Love your tutorial Deb very thorough and well explained ❤️👍🏻Thank you for your time

[@ealter2636]

I just watched this video and another at your site on making jelly rolls and they were both fantastic. They were very detailed - wish I had seen these a year ago when I began with polymer clay. Will now check out the rest of your videos.

[@cherylhoolihan8494]

I love your videos! Thank you for being so detailed on showing the things I use​ to have so much trouble with.

[@mariewright3490]

Thank you so much for your lesson. Helped tremendously 🤗💜

[@ruthkiley6292]

Hello I’m new to polymer clay. Your videos are so wonderful and informative. It would be more helpful though if you would tell us what brand of clay you are using and exactly how much each time. Thanx for helping us “ newbies” with your skills! 😉😊

[@dawnb1221]

Very nice demo!

[@Luana-sw9oz]

i loved your tutorial! thank you for sharing!!!

[@mariemarshall6736]

Very good for a beginner like me to understand...thank you!

[@macmomma11]

Totally zwesome!!Can't wait totry this!

[@shirley6996]

Thank you i never knew how to get the Skinner blend into a long ribbon for a jelly roll cane or a pendant. Great video.

[@DeeEll86442]

Speaking of tools, it looks like she could use a new pasta machine because her rollers look a little bent. Bent rollers will cause clay to roll out uneven. Or maybe her clay was too thick for the setting she had it on. You also need to be carful when leaching out the plasticizers from your clay, if you leach out too much your clay will become brittle. You can never condition your clay too much, however if you under condition it, it may not reach its full strength after baking. Many people don't know all of the little tips and tricks that can be learned until they have worked with polymer clay for a while. It is such a versatile medium that it can not only be used to make everything from jewelry to art dolls, but it can also be mixed with other items like wood and glass to create beautiful mixed media creations. Just look up the words, polymer clay, FIMO, Cernit, Sculpey, or just clay to find other channels that use this medium in many different ways. Take care, Dee

[@regineramirez8063]

thank you so much! splendid

[@p.siloveyou7266]

wow excellent tutorial. do more.thank you

[@elizabethvallely4044]

Very good video enjoy it, thank you very much for sharing!!!

[@cahyachannel8940]

Your video is the best... I like all... Thank you very much for your sharing.. Really help me...

[@christinaholmes3021]

Awesome video, and very informative.

[@nateleonard8502]

You make it look so easy

[@synergyttm9255]

Hi and thank you for this great tutorial. Excellent! I was wondering how well air dry clay would work with this technique in a clay machine? Thank you for great videos. Really appreciate them.

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Melanie, we have not tested this technique with air dry clay; however we do not think it would work as well due to its stiffness. Thanks for watching!

[@josantos645]

I loved your work you just won a writing.😘😘😘

[@jeanettabussell2580]

Great teacher

[@redgeminiarts3674]

You answered my questions. LOL Thank you!

[@donnarichey144]

There are so many kinds of the clay, which is the best to work with making little people? And which would be best to use for jewelry. I saw Sculpty 11 and 111. Souffle, premo, and others so confused. Thanks for the video so informative.

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Donna, for pieces that require sculpting, such as little people, we would recommend Premo or Fimo. All polymer clays are pretty comparable for jewelry, and it's really a personal preference. Hope this helps!

[@bluetickbeagles116]

Great tutorial in detailed instructions. How do you keep your clay from stretching it’s width when running it through the machine? Mine stretches and gets super wide and skinny😥

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Gwen, make sure that you keep folding the clay over before placing it in the machine. This should help it not get so wide and skinny. Have a good day!

[@grittykitty50]

Gwen, check out PolymerClay Tutor. She has a video on how to make a zipper cane where she shows how to re-shape the clay. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX7Ypomqe8mGqZo. Also, Fiona Abel-Smith PolyOriginals has an excellent video on the basic Skinner blend technique where she gives good tips on how to keep the clay from getting wide and skinny. Fiona shows some tips I had never seen before and they enabled me to make the blend the way I wanted it without using a lot of clay. Don't worry, it happens to everyone and you just have to know the trick for fixing it. Good Luck.

[@margaretmathis4775]

She demonstrates that at around the 12 minute mark.

[@minervamartinezsalgado3083]

You have such grace and patience to teach, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I noticed that your pasta machine has an extension plate on it. Can you tell me where I can buy the extension plate that helps guide the polymer clay? I have seached for it online and can't fine it.

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hello, you can find the feeder tray here: www.cooltools.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=FRM-502 Have a good day!

[@minervamartinezsalgado3083]

Thank you so much, I do appreciate it. :)

[@canalfamiliavieira3273]

HI, DEB I AM CHILDREN NO KNOW DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING EASIER

[@Sphynxmama66]

How much clay are you using?

[@gabysouza9350]

muito bom parabéns

[@dragonflygrandma]

Could you please tell me how much clay was used.

[@redgeminiarts3674]

Thanks for sharing. Can you blend more than two colors?

[@ealter2636]

Hi Red, yes you can blend more than 2 colors; she does mention that in this or could have been another video she did.

[@redgeminiarts3674]

E Alter thank you

[@ealter2636]

You're welcome! Should have mentioned this before, if you do a search here at KZbin for rainbow blends there'll be many; in fact, just to the right of this comment I am making I see one from the Polymer Clay Tutor; it says video 518 and the name of it says "Multicolored Teardrop Blend". Have fun.

[@p.siloveyou7266]

yes she said that if u were to use more colors ,just fit in a square shape several colours in triangle shape as a zig zag .

[@MikaelaBlake]

May I ask what pasta machine you are using that has that piece that holds the clay upright?

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Mikaela, The attachment is called a “feeder tray.” Debs feeder tray came with her pasta machine. We don't have any in stock at this time. Here are a couple of sites that carry this product. Thanks for your question. Have a wonderful day! www.amazon.com/AMACO-Pasta-Machine-Feeder-Tray/dp/B001687DBY or www.walmart.com/ip/AMACO-Pasta-Machine-Feeder-Tray/24575715

[@marisaldo7003]

What a marvel, level of perfection! sorry for my english :-(

[@anslogrgmailcom]

Marisa LdO ok

[@bikerleathertv]

On your pasta machine it has a back/plate to hold the clay up. Is that specific to your machine or where can one purchase it and what exactly is it called? I have the Atlas Wellness 180 and would love to have that to add to mine. Thanks.

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hello, below is a link to the pasta machine and the feeder tray that can be also be purchased to go with it. www.cooltools.us/search_results_a/352.html?Search=amaco+machine&Submit=Search Have a good day!

[@bikerleathertv]

Thank you. Do you know if that feeder tray will work on the Atlas Wellness machine? I hate to order it and it does not work. This is a brand new pasta machine and I don't want to order another pasta machine. Thanks for your help and your time. :)

[@cooltoolsvideos]

We do not sell the Atlas Wellness machine so we cannot be sure if the feeder tray would fit this product.

[@wendymurray2244]

@@bikerleathertv I can't find the machine on here?

[@virrethegreat]

how do u get so big and nice sheets from the pastsmashin??

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Veronica, Deb shows how to create these sheets another video. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3mxeYKijdirnMU Thank you for the question!

[@virrethegreat]

Thank you so much!!

[@sherralieberry-majeski5972]

What brand of machine do you use?

[@cooltoolsvideos]

Hi Sherralie, Deb is using an Amaco. You can find this product and the tray feeder here: www.cooltools.us/searchresults.asp?Search=amaco

[@swapnapatil8907]

can we blend without machine?

[@debdewolff]

Yes, Swapna, you could. It would take much longer, but it could be done. You would just use a rolling tool and roll the clay by hand instead of using the pasta machine. Follow the instructions in the video, but roll the clay with a rolling tool in the same direction that it would be passed through the pasta machine. Keep rolling and folding for as long as it takes to blend the colors to your liking. Good luck and have fun!

[@AlexCren1]

I made a few skinner blends by hand with a roller. I think each one took almost a half hour. My hands were exhausted just doing the prep. When I found out you could get a cheap pasta machine for around $20 on Amazon I went for it and haven’t looked back!!!

[@nokiot9]

I used a news paper to blot my clay and it transferred ilhan Omar’s picture into my slab 😂 as well as a bunch of backwards words