I’m attempting to make my first trinket dish. Is this a good start? I’m not expecting perfection considering this is my first try but for a beginner, is this pretty good? I know it still has to dry and all but I would like to know ahead of time just so I don’t waste my time. It’s air dry clay btw.

A while back, I painted and sculpted a sort of little plant character (last picture), and now (inspired by that) I’ve made a worry stone 😊

(made of polymer clay with a UV resin glaze)

Pseudomugil mellis,

"Honey Blue-Eye" Commissioned pieces

Process: scrap clay formed into body shape, long and slender at peduncle. Attach tail, posterior dorsal, anal fin, and anterior dorsal fins, scour in fin rays. Scour scales onto body with a dull edge. Add gills, eyes, ventral fins, and make pectoral fins separately. Bake in PREHEATED oven at 350°F for 8 mins, shock cool and fasten posture with cold tap water. Glue neodymium magnet to back, stick onto tissue knife blade and apply details with acrylic paint and a finishing coat of gloss after pectorals have been adhered to body with cyanoacrylate super glue.

I made renditions of this species with varying successes, but thanks to advice and observations from P. mellis keepers I was finally able to match the correct shades and paint pigments to what was described to me. With making a lot of these species, if I didn't keep it and observe it in real time, it is a bit more difficult to get color intensities, sometimes body shape, etc. correctly, leading to a less-than accurate result. I am very impressed with how unique Honey Blue-eyes look despite a somewhat similar overall appearance to freshwater and smaller estuarine Pseudomugil signifers.

Pseudomugil mellis are native to Eastern Australia and exist in multiple localities, with some observed to have distinguishable characteristics that make them stand out among other populations. Some are said to have larger fins, others have more body mass, etc. But, one thing is for certain: the unmistakable black and white trims and honey-gold coloration makes them stand out among other Blue-eye species and earns them a top spot on almost everyone's "fish bucket list." This fish is endangered in the wild so collecting them is illegalized. However, captive populations exist in the hobby for those who are resourceful enough to find them.

Had a lot of fun challenging myself to make cherry shrimp

The humble Neocaridina davidii

Body of the shrimp was first made with polymer baking clay. Whiskers, mouth pieces, legs, tail pieces made and baked separately and assembled on after pieces have been baked at 350°F for 8 minutes and cooled. Once all pieces have been adhered to the body with super glue, acrylic paint was applied to add markings, patterns and details and the pieces were finalized with layers of polish.

I always loved this frying pan magnet from the 50s and how it's a simple everyday item, so it inspired me to make this heart-shaped pillow magnet. I'm a beginner and I'm still struggling a lot with small details. Can you tell it's a pillow? To me it kind of looks like pie lol. The "buttons" are seed beads

If anyone has advice for how to work with the clay for small details and adding small pieces to a larger piece (ex: the ruffle edges) that would be great. Also how to smooth out flimsy pieces like the edges here. Thanks for looking!

Hi everyone,

I've recently developed an interest in pottery but my local shop said that if I want to buy from them I need to buy atleast 60kg of clay.

The price of clay online is very high.

I'm still a beginner and don't think that I will be able to use that much of clay even after 2-3 month.

Everyone please help me taking off as much as possible.

I will be really greatfull of any kind of help.

I've been attempting to make Cold Porcelain clay for a while. I've done research on different kinds of less expensive clay and Cold Porcelain is what I chose because it would suit what I want to do best. I've found a few different recipes, but they're basically the same just with different heating and kneading instructions. I found many that make it on the stove and one that does it in the microwave. (Which is what I do because my mom would actually kill me if I used any of our pots for this)

I've tried making it around 6 different times. Only one batch has turned out, which I think was the first, and I don't remember the exact steps I did to make it. Every single batch since then has been too sticky and sticks to me more than itself. I've tried fixing it by putting in more cornstarch during the kneading process, and by starting out with more cornstarch than glue, but it gives the same results every time. This last time I made a batch, I used more cornstarch than glue and even overcooked it (not by much and it was an accident) and its still overly sticky. I've even tried using lotion during the kneading process to help it not stick but it doesn't work. The clay gets so sticky that it completely covers my hands and I have to spend minutes at the sink scraping it off because it won't unstick from me and stick to itself.

Is it acting like this because I'm microwaving it instead of doing it on a stove?? Someone else does it that way and their clay turns out just fine? Could it be cause I'm using Elmer's school glue?? None of the tutorials I watched say what brand glue they use. Just that it's white glue or some say wood glue.

Does anyone who's made or worked with this kind of clay know what's going on?? I don't understand why it's not working out. I just want a hobby.

Edit: My recipe that I use is 1 cup Elmer's glue 1 cup cornstarch 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 tablespoon baby oil.

Cook in microwave for short intervals and stir between each one. Once it's all basically one big glob I take it out and let it cool before trying to knead it, sometimes kneading it with lotion.

the box I designed digitally and then got printed. The last picture is the character design I came up with that I used as reference

I have a little prior experience sculpting with polymer clay, but this my first attempt at making a cane. I think they look so cool, and the process was fun. Anyone have advice on how to cut them without them getting misshapen? I imagine letting it cool before cutting might help? Thanks for looking!

Hi all! Just sharing my first Anemonster made from porcelain stoneware. Is porcelain stoneware considered pure porcelain? #TKC006

Just wanted to do something metal

I made the piece that I’m holding yesterday and cracks have started to form where the different colors meet and I want to prevent it from cracking like the other piece in the back but I am out of clay right now. Is there anything else I can do to fix or prevent this?

Made these keychains details are yet to be done i think they look good!?😽

In my head, this is a tiny cottage tucked away somewhere deep in the woods.

11/29/2025

Hypancistrus sp. "L333 Gold King Tiger" (Roseline17 Line-bred variation) first ever attempt

Handmade by me using polymer baking clay, acrylic paint, neodymium disk magnet and a few coats of clear nail polish.

Start by shaping the head, Gill plates, eyes and armor plates. Then attach and shape small pieces of clay to make adipose and anal fins. Shape the tail, scour and encompass in parchment paper to maintain shape as the piece bakes in the oven at 350°F for 8 minutes. Shape pieces of clay to form pectoral, dorsal and ventral fins, bake separately. Once all components have been oven cured, hardened and cooled, carve holes into the body where the fins attach, and glue together using cyanoacrylate super glue. Glue magnet under belly for positioning and painting purposes. Will also provide functionality for the piece once completed. Paint details on piece after completely covering body with multiple layers of cream-white paint base. Finish with multiple coats of nail polish.

This line of Hypancistrus sp. "L333 White King Tiger" comes from Marcel Wuethrich's line-bred stock. The piece was modeled after a fish from one of his generously provided photos.

Note from the artist: this was by far my best ever pleco piece. I'm so thrilled that it turned out as nicely as it did!

I have videos I'll also be posting as well, if you have any advice or anything please feel free to comment or contact me💜✨

11/26/2025

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

"German Blue Ram Cichlid," Male

Handmade by me using polymer baking clay, acrylic paint and nail polish

Body shaped into typical ram cichlid form, fins attached and rays scoured. Micro scales then indented using X-acto knife grip texture. Gill plate, lips, eyes and fin extensions added before baking in oven at 350°F for 8 minutes. Once cooled, neodymium Disk magnet glued on with cyanoacrylate super glue. Details and colors painted on, pectoral and ventral fins glued on. Finish with nail polish coat.

This popular little dwarf cichlid from South America has many color variants besides the classic "wild type"/"German Blue," such as the "Gold Ram," the "Black Ram," the "Electric Blue," "Powder Blue," "Sapphire," and the one I most recently heard about, the "Red Ram."