Frequently Asked Questions by PepperTreeArt on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Hey guys!

Thought I'd make a FAQ since I've received the same questions over and over again. If there's anything else you'd like to know, comment here and I'll add it.

What materials do you use?
I use polymer clay and TLS (translucent liquid sculpey). I don't have a preferred brand, but I mostly end up using Sculpey III and Premo.

How do you color your clay?
I use soft chalk pastels to shade my clay. Any large, solid colors in the clay are just different colors of clay.

What paints do you use?
When I use paints (mostly for the faces on some of the charms), I use regular acrylic paint applied AFTER the item is baked. I then seal it with glaze to keep the paint from fading off.

I want to start working with clay! What materials do I need?
I have a basics guide here for those who are curious as to what you need.

How do you make your charms/miniatures shiny?
I use Triple Thick brand glaze. You can use any glaze you prefer, though. I do find, however, that the Sculpey brand of glaze tends to get dirtier quicker than the Triple Thick.

How long have you been working with clay?
I have been working with clay since March 2012.

Why miniature food? I first became interested in miniature food when I bought several boxes of Re-ment from SuperCon 4 years ago from a vendor who was getting rid of their collection. From there I'd look online at Re-ment sets and eventually saw people making their own miniature foods - how cool is that? So on a whim I picked up a starter pack of clay and tools, and I have yet to set them down.

Where do you get your bottles/plates/utensils/stemware?
I buy all of my supplies online. Miniature bottles and jewelry findings are bought off eBay. Any miniature items are bought from an online wholesale distributor. I am working on adding miniature accessories (mostly stemware and utensils) to my Etsy shop. I can also try and find you a specific item if you note me.

Do you have an online store?
I do!

Why are your items so expensive? I see them other places for a lot less!
My items are priced to cover my time spent working on them, as well as to cover material costs. They are quality, handmade artisan items that are one of a kind.

How do I commission you?
Please read my commission guidelines here.

How long does it take you to finish your pieces?
This really depends on the complexity of the piece. Some can take under a 20 minutes, others can take several hours over the course of a few days.

What type of metal do you use for your jewelry?
All of my jewelry is made of nickle free silver plated metal. It won't leave weird green marks on your skin. All of my earring hooks/post earring backings are made from hypoallergenic surgical steel and shouldn't aggravate sensitive skin. I can purchase gold/sterling silver backings upon request. I can also turn earrings into clip-ons.

Do you negotiate on prices at all?
No, I do not negotiate prices. Making these pieces is my full time job and I need to be able to cover my costs, as well as try to make enough to help pay my own expenses.

What does your workspace look like/where do you work?
I work from home. I even have pictures of my workspace.

Do you only work in 1:12 scale?
No, I do not. I also create foods in 1:24 and 1:48 scale. I'm also branching out into 1:6 and higher scales as well.

What do you do with miniature foods?
Miniature foods are used to decorate dollhouses or miniature scenes. Some people who collect miniatures will buy them as well.

Do you make tutorials?
I have a few tutorials in my gallery.
I am no longer making any new tutorials since I'm working on a small booklet of them.

Why won't you tell me how you made a certain item?
For the majority of pieces in my gallery, I will either point you to a tutorial I used or tell you exactly how something has been made. Since I make a living from doing this, some techniques are trade secrets of mine, or they will be covered in an upcoming tutorial booklet.

How do you make your drinks?
Drinks are made by tinting resin. I use acrylic or watercolor paints to color the resin.

What brand of resin do you use? I use the Castin' Craft brand of resin. It requires measurements of 50/50, which I find a lot easier to use than resins that require drops of harder to milliliters of resin base.

Where do you buy Resin? Most craft stores will carry the brand I use. Amazon.com also has them as well.

How do you get the bubbles out of your resin? I'm lucky that they clear themselves. I let the resin sit and the bubbles migrate out on their own. I've heard that you can use a hair drier to get rid of them as well.

Do you pour your resin in layers? For tiny amounts (like in 1:12 cups), I pour it all in one go. For items like my ponds, I usually do 1-4 layers of resin per piece.

How do you get your resin so clear? I don't really do anything special to it. I follow the directions on the package and go from there. You can't rush resin work, and if you do your results will show that. Go slowly and make sure your measurements are exact.

Are the fish/turtles/frogs/etc in your ponds real? No, they are not. I hand craft each one from polymer clay.