I have a couple of FAQ videos on my YouTube, but unfortunately, not a lot of people watch them or look them up. I do get a LOT of the same questions every single day - most of which have already been answered in my videos. But I decided to move all the questions to this post, so you can look through them in case your question has already been answered :)
Useful info; I don't check the comments on this blog to look for questions, video suggestions etc. If you have a request, please leave them on my videos :) I also don't write down requests left on my instagram - I don't have my notebook/work stuff near me when I'm not on youtube.
This FAQ was originally made for my main channel. In regards to requests on "sugarcharmshop gourmet" please keep them food related. Requests for my main channel (posted on gourmet) will be deleted.
1, Can you do a craft area/room tour?
already have; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7quDeFR-zlo
2, Name, age, where are you from?
Tanja, (birthday; 7th of Feb. 1991), Denmark
3, How long have you been working with polymer clay?
I started making simple charms in the second half of 2010 and started making miniatures in 1:12th scale in 2011.
4, Where do you buy your supplies?
Stores here in Denmark and online. I love ebay! and 2 of my favorite sites to shop from are www.clayaround.com and www.metalclay.co.uk
Unfortunately I can't help you with stores in other countries.
If you're looking to buy things online, I'd recommend going onto Google and make a search for whatever you're looking for. Then just find a location near you or a website that has what you need. I often add "UK" after my keyword to find shops in the United Kingdom as shops in Denmark often don't have what I'm looking for, and also to avoid US shops (which would result in extra fees).
5, Where do you get your plates, bowls etc?
I used to get all the ceramics off ebay/miniature shops etc. I later started making my own from polymer clay because I felt the majority of the ceramics you can buy are too thick and clumbsy looking. However, since I was still unhappy with the look of the polymer clay plates I decided to invest in the supplies for making my own ceramics (Video showing some of the tools can be found on my second channel, SCScraft) - All plates, bowls and ceramic pieces used in my videos from the 8th of May 2015 till now are made by me, I no longer use the ones you can get online or in stores.
6, when buying off ebay, do you buy from a specific seller?
No, I just search for the item I want, find a listing I like and buy that one :)
7, Which tools do you use, what are they called?
Tools/materials for making miniature food; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js1xjtmvykk&t=485s
You'll also be able to find a video on my channel where I go through the materials I use for sculpting miniature dolls,. materials I use when working with silver clay etc.
8, What brand of clay do you use?
I like using a mix of brands. I prefer the more firm brands, but I most often mix them. The ones I use are; Fimo, Cernit, Premo, Kato & Pardo, My favorite brand is Cernit, second place is Fimo.
9, What brand of liquid clay do you use?
All of them :) Here's a link to a video on my second channel talking about the differences etc;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkKPnx_UzM4
10, Which glaze do you use?
Quite a few different ones eg; Fimo gloss & semi gloss,.. studio by sculpey satin glaze,.. Darwi varnish,.. Winsor & newton matte glaze,.. Cernit gloss & matte glaze etc. Check out my updated room tour for more info :)
11, What brand of mold maker do you use?
Amazing mold putty, Siligum & Sili put
12, How do you get your clay so soft?
As I said I prefer using the more firm brands of clay. I just condition it really well with my hands for multiple minutes before I start working with it. Also, please keep in mind that you can't necessarily see how much pressure I'm adding to the clay in the videos and that woking with tiny pieces will make the clay seem softer than when working on a large piece.
13, How do you know what size to make each item when working in scale 1:12?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePNgO_fAu0
14, How long does it take you to finish 1 piece?
It varies a lot depending on what I'm making, and also whether or not I'm filming a tutorial; Recording it slows down the process a lot. In general I don't time it - I just enjoy the process. It's not important whether you spend half an hour, 2 hours etc. The important thing is that you enjoyed it and didn't rush through it.
15, Where do you get your inspiration? and how do you know how to make each item?
I look at pictures of real food, real animals etc. It doesn't matter how many times you've made eg. a hamburger - it's always a good idea to have a picture next to you.
I'm self taught and have never liked being told how to make things or seeing how other people make it. I want to figure it out on my own.. I've always enjoyed drawing, and to me, sculpting is very similar; you copy what you see - shapes, colors and textures.
16, How do you keep your clay clean?
Make sure to clean your hands and work surface (clean your hands again if you touch a pack of clay, tools etc). Some people use baby wipes a lot - I usually only use these if I have to clean up paint or liquid clay.. I like using a small piece of white clay or 'fimo mix quick' and roll it between my hands, on my work surface and so on. Clean your hands every time you've touched a pack of clay, a tool etc. You can also use your blade or the tip of your xacto knife to remove dust from the surface of your clay.
17, Which cameras do you use?
Filming; Sony HDR-CX200
Pictures; Samsung galaxy EK-GC100
Recently purchased a new camera for filming; HDR-CX240
18, Can you show us your filming setup?
Check out my room tour (first question). It's basically just my cam on a small tripod in front of me. My desk lamp is the light source.
19, What software do you use to edit your videos?
Adobe premiere elements 9.0
20, What surface do you work on?
Glass - the glass from an A3 picture frame.
21, what brand of pastels do you use?
I show the pastels I currently use in my video about my tools; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js1xjtmvykk&t=485s
22, What brand of acrylic paint do you use?
For my miniatures I prefer Jo Sonja's and Winsor & Newton :)
23, Can you show us some of your first miniatures?
http://www.scs-craft.com/2012/12/looking-back-my-first-miniatures.html
24, Do you sell your creations?
I sell at miniature fairs here in Denmark - I also have an Etsy shop which I as of 2017 will be listing things in, once in a while.... not very often ^^
25, Please make a charm/miniature collection video showing all your creations!
I can't - because I sell them :) If you go to my channel there's a playlist called 'polymer clay updates'. I upload slideshows a couple of times a year showing recent creations.
26, Can you make......?
99%, if not more, of all the videos I upload are requests. if you have a request, please feel free to leave it in the comments on my youtube videos.
I write down all requests, but I can't promise which ones I'll be making, or when they'll be up if I do make them. Requesting it multiple times on a lot of videos doesn't increase the chances - I write down all of them.
I don't take requests for animals.
27, What is the round base you're sculpting on in a lot of your videos?
In a lot of my newer videos I'm sculpting on a ceramic base I made myself :) I made it with the intention of sculpting on it and then moving miniatures directly into my efcolor stove or an oven without having to remove them from the base. I won't be posting a tutorial on it as it requires you to have ceramic clay, ceramic glazes, a kiln etc. - if you have access to those supplies I guarantee that you don't need a tutorial to be able to make it <3
28, How do you bake your clay? what is prebaking?
I made a video about baking, so hopefully that'll help; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKua1-lzoKs
29, What fur/hair do you use in your videos and where do you get it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCkCC7FWJKE
Craft, polymer clay, charms, 1:12 scale dollhouse miniatures & more :)
