Happy New Year!

2011 is coming to an end and time flies by this year...

I'm really pleased with how things panned out this year. I think I've been very blessed. Truly, I can't complain. This year, I learnt that I can be contented with very little things - when a friend actually misses you, or just saying hi online, or a friend who would take the time to go exploratory walks with you...these are little things that don't really cost a thing but means so much. I am extremely grateful and thankful for all the friendships, support and love that I've gotten.

I've never been excited over the new year, but I'm quite hopeful and optimistic about the next year. I don't really have new year resolutions, because I don't think I am one who will stick to them. I am actually hoping time can fast forward to March, even though I only know how true it is that the only thing that is constant is change. Before I know it, spring time will be here, so I will start living at this moment right now.

Call me old fashioned, but I do think health is most important, so I wish all of you good health and be happy in 2012. :)

I want to continue to make people smile, to me it's the greatest gift that I can give. To make someone smile through my creations, photos or writing is a pure gift...so I am mindful and will continue to work hard at that.

Thank YOU for accompanying me through this journey. I am happy that you are here.

Wishing you a blessed New Year!

Dollhouse Miniatures Christmas Swap

Earlier this month, I participated in my very first dollhouse miniatures Christmas swap organized by Caterina. I was picked to make items for Caterina and in return I would be receiving items from Ana.

I received Ana's package and am so happy...she makes such romantic sweet items and here are what I received.

Sweet pink pillows and linen towel....Love the tiny blue ribbon

Ana made me this basket of lovely pastel sweets :) I love the white christmas candle stick!

Thank you so much for all the items, Ana. I would always treasure these handmade miniatures....They might be appearing more often in my photos in future too! :)

And thanks to Caterina for organizing this swap. I'm so glad to take part of it - I really felt the Christmas spirit! :)

Air Dry Clay – Grace Clay : Another Discovery

I’m always discovering something new about air dry clay, in this case, Grace Clay. I bought some grace clay recently, and when it arrived, I pressed on the package to get a sense of whether it’s a fresh pack of clay or not. When it didn’t feel as soft as another batch of clay that I’ve got, I started investigating.

I studied the packaging and pressed on both packets of Grace Clay again (bought at different times). I suddenly thought of how my mom taught me how to tell if a fish is fresh when buying one in the market. One of the ways to tell was by pressing the meat with your finger. It should be resilient enough so your indentation disappears. If your fingerprint remains, move on.

Now, simply reverse this theory for testing Grace Clay. If the indentation remains, or it takes a longer time for the clay to revert back to its original shape, then it is a fresh packet. If it feels hard, move on.

I flipped to the back of the packaging and started to look for signs. Noticing a difference, I seriously wonder if this was the cause of it. I also did a search on the internet to find images of Grace Clay. I specifically wanted to see the back packaging (Not the front). But all I found are images of the front packaging which wasn’t helpful in my research.

Are there even “grades” for Grace Clay? But the packaging seems to indicate so. Even a non-clay user whom I asked thinks that it refers to Grade A and Grade B from the print. What do you think?

I did the finger indentation test just to show you what I meant. Below are the results.

This means details being sculpted on the Grade B clay would show up less obvious than on Grade A clay since it would spring back slightly, compared to Grade A which is softer and likely to hold details better.

I then tested the Grade B Grace Clay texture. I was thinking that maybe the finger indentation test was just psychological on my part. Maybe there would be no difference. I can recall very clearly how Grade A Grace Clay felt like on my fingers. It was very moist and soft. I can definitely say there is some difference. It’s not as soft as Grade A. Grade A also tend to retain its softness very well even after you’ve opened the packaging and keep it in good condition as what I’ve described in my tips here.

Does it mean it’s Doom’s Day?

This might be what you’re most concerned about. What does it mean to you as a user? Unfortunately, there really isn’t a good or bad because everyone sculpts different things in different sizes. How fast they consume the clay, and how well they keep their clay are other factors to consider.

Sure, of course everyone wants the best Grade, considering if my suspicion is true that there really is a Grade differentiation for Grace Clay. Based on my personal experience, the Grade A Clay keeps really well even for over a year. It remains soft. But what if you didn’t know beforehand, and you already have a Grade B clay sitting in your cupboard?

I always think that there are ways to work around it. Although you can’t change the texture of the clay, but you can think of what are the things that you can use it for and how you can use that to your advantage. What about making bigger items, or items that does not need that many fine details but still in good, long lasting durable quality?

This might also be a good experimental opportunity to mix it with other clays to see what results you can achieve.

You should always also consider these questions when buying your clay.

• What kind of things are you making them with mostly? (this should give you a rough indication of usage each time)
• How often would you be using the clay? (Once a week, everyday, every other week, once in a blue moon?)
• Would you be able to store it well until the next time you are using it?

So what is the Grade of your Grace Clay? Start flipping to the back of your packaging and inspect it today. I would love to hear from you, so I can continue to investigate and research. Would we even discover a Grade C or D? Or was it a batch number? Let me know. :)