| From the pages of Pottery Making Illustrated
Tips from the Pros: Great Stamps in 30 Minutes by Virginia Cartwright
| | Polymer clay can be used to create a variety of clay stamps in a short period of time. |
| Stamps enhance your work by adding
interesting textures to your pieces and depth to your glazes. For
years, I carved stamps from small plaster blocks or leather-hard
clay that was then bisque fired before use. I wanted a way to make
stamps more quickly so I could share them with my students and workshop
participants and found that polymer clay (available at craft
stores) makes a clean, crisp impression that can be cured and ready for
use in 30 minutes.
When making a stoneware stamp using regular clay, you need to let it
dry then bisque fire it before you can put it to use, which could take
several days to a week. Polymer stamps, by comparison, are ready for
use in about 30 minutes. You can then take those stamps, press them
into another piece of polymer clay, and quickly get a negative version
of your designs.
Polymer clay does not crack or crumble as easily as stoneware or
earthenware clays, and scraps can be easily recycled. Since it’s not
water based, the clay doesn’t dry out. This property also makes polymer
clay an ideal material for making impressions from a variety of
objects, including antique furniture, kitchen tools, buttons, Indian
wood blocks and tombstones.
As I began to explore the possibilities
of this material further, I discovered that I could use my inlaid
colored clay techniques to make the stamps beautiful as well as
functional. By layering and blending colors, I can create an endless
variety of intricate patterns. |
The Process
Condition the polymer clay by rolling it ten times through a pasta maker on the thickest setting (figure 1). If you do not have a pasta machine, manually roll the clay into coils in your hands. Your body heat will soften the clay. If you want to mix your own colors, make coils of two or three colors, roll them into one coil and twist the coil like a candy cane. Cut the twisted coil in half, join the two pieces and twist them again, repeating this process until the colors are blended.
You can make stamps using several layers of polymer clay by first rolling it out into a slab that is about ¼ inch thick. Thin polymer clay slabs take a deeper, clearer impression than a thick one. Put a pinch of baby powder or cornstarch on one side of the clay. Next, press the clay (powder side down) on top of a textured object. Place the polymer clay over the texture and press it with your thumbs, rather than pressing the texture down onto the polymer clay (figure 2).
Leave the polymer clay on the textured surface and add a second layer of Super Sculpey clay (figure 3). Press the layers again with your thumbs. Remove the clay and trim the edges.
Bake the polymer in a small toaster oven, following the directions given on the package. Typically, it will bake at 275°F for fifteen minutes, though you may increase the time by five minutes if the stamps are very thick. Be careful not to overheat the polymer clay. You can cover your pieces with aluminum foil to prevent scorching and blistering (figure 4). If you smell a strong odor while cooking the stamps, it means that they are getting too hot. Turn off the oven, and ventilate the room.
Finally, add a top decorative layer and a handle. I join everything together with a thin coat of liquid polymer clay and cure the piece again. The heat fuses the layers and handle together.
Virginia Cartwright has taught ceramics for 22 years, and has shown her work in numerous exhibitions. She currently lives in Fallbrook, California, and can be reached at vcartwright@dslextreme.com.
| 
|  | Figure 1
| Figure 2 | 
|  | Figure 3
Note: These stamps are not as strong as ceramic or wooden stamps. If
you have trouble with your stamp breaking, try making the layers of the
stamp thicker.
| Figure 4
Tip: If you plan to make a lot of pieces, buy a toaster oven dedicated just to curing polymer pieces. |
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Supplies
 There are several brands of polymer clay available (Sculpey, Fimo or
Premo), all of which are good. Sculpey has a product called “Super
Sculpey” which I use because it is a strong, shatter-resistant
material. Super Sculpey is only available in a tan color, so I combine
it with about 25% of another color of polymer clay if I want to change
the color.
You’ll need a clean, non-porous surface to work on, and a Plexiglas
roller made just for polymer. You can substitute this roller with an
8-inch piece of plastic pipe. You should also buy a 6-inch long cutting
blade and an inexpensive pasta machine (both available at craft stores
or garage sales). The pasta machine is used to soften the clay and to
blend the colored clays together.
If you’re just making a few stamps, you can use your hands and roll the
clay into coils until it softens. I find it helpful to attach handles
to the stamps. Buy a bottle of liquid polymer clay and use this as glue
to attach the polymer handle to the top of the stamp.
Polymer clay stamps are best when used on slightly firm slabs of
ceramic clay. If the stamp sticks to the clay during use, baby powder
or cornstarch can be used as a release agent. These embellished slabs
can be used to make handbuilt vessels and sculptures, or left flat for
tile work.
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