Sometimes a touch of sparkle is just the thing to spice up a piece of polymer clay art.
There are many colors, shapes, and sizes of glitter in craft stores today. These are only a few of the ways you might use glitter with polymer clay:
- Mix into translucent or semi-translucent clay as an inclusion.
- Apply liquid clay where you want the glitter, then sprinkle the glitter over the piece and cure.
- Mix glitter into any clear medium that's compatible with clay (including liquid clay). Paint on details and shapes. If you mix it with a medium that crackles, you can paint a sheet of clay and make glittery crackles.
- Use iridescent, confetti-style glitter to make faux opals or faux rose quartz.
- Sprinkle glitter over a piece and cover with a tissue-thin slice of translucent clay.
- Combine different types (sizes, shapes, colors) of glitters for a range of effects.
Some say that cheap brands of glitter will melt, "explode", or change colors during curing, which could potentially ruin the look of a piece. They suggest that you buy only polyester, non-metallic glitter-particularly the finely-textured glitters made for fabric decorating and rubberstamping. However, others have used the cheapest glitters available with no adverse effects. The best advice is to use whatever you feel comfortable using. Be aware that any time you try an unfamiliar product, you can't be certain how it will behave during or after curing. It's always a good idea to start with a small test piece.
A word of warning: As anyone who has used glitter knows, the stuff has a tendency to get everywhere. Be prepared to find particles of glitter days and weeks after you've put it away. If you want to avoid getting (even more) glitter scattered around your usual clay workspace, consider using a different spot while you use the glitter (if possible), work over a piece of paper (or even the wastebasket), and clean your hands and tools carefully when you're finished with the sparkly stuff. Also, if you put glittered clay through your pasta machine, you'll want to clean it thoroughly afterward. Otherwise, prepare to find specks of glitter in your clay the next time you use the pasta machine.