Air Dry Clay Review : Martha Stewart Air Dry Clay

Thanks to a sale which my aunt informed me about, I managed to grab a pack of Martha Stewart Air Dry Clay as I was really curious to try out its texture. If not for the sale, I probably would not have gotten this as I think it is rather costly in my opinion.

Looking at its texture just from the packet, to be honest, I really can't expect it to perform like resin clay. But I was really curious to know how does it performs compared to the other air dry clays.

I have a feeling that this clay is targeted for scrapbooking enthusiasts who wants to make flatback embellishments to further accessorize their scrapbook. There are quite a few reviews out there with that purpose in mind, so my review is probably more targeted for deco sweets makers who might want to know how this clay works compared to other air dry clay.

Texture

When I took it out from the packaging, my first impression of this clay was - it was FRESH and definitely very wet. It was probably the wettest air dry clay I've touched in my life. ;)

Just wanted to show how the Martha Stewart Clay looks like fresh out from the packaging...

 I think the closest comparison to this clay would be Hearty Clay. It feels the same to me, so I decided to compare them side by side.

Is crumbly good? It all depends on what you want to make. No matter how I press the Martha Stewart Clay, the edges doesn't fray out and crumble slightly like how Hearty Clay does.

One thing about the Martha Stewart Clay is, even if it is very wet,  when you try to roll a round shape between your palms, you might not get a very smooth crack-free ball.

TIPS

If you are using the Martha Stewart Clay with molds, perhaps you might want to smooth out a larger surface area of the clay first to make sure there are no cracks on it before you press it into the mold. This is a better method than inserting a round shape into the mold and pressing it down. Cracks, lines, whatever you call it - should be eliminated this way. 

I actually tried the way I described above with a mold, and that worked for me. I did not see any cracks when I release the clay from the mold.

Towards the end of this review, I am going to show you my failed result when I did not do what I described in one of my earlier experimentation with Martha Stewart Air Dry Clay.

But first, I also wanted to show you another texture comparison between Daiso Clay and Martha Stewart Air Dry Clay so you have a better idea.

Molds are just one way to use this air dry clay, but what I was really interested in, was how the texture really is when I sculpt a more challenging item such as a macaron since it involves more than just popping the clay out of a mold.


Having used other clays to create the fake macarons with the ball method to get the clay into the mold had always worked for me....so naturally I would think that it would work with the Martha Stewart Clay as well.

 See the crack/lines in my experiment

The reason why I would not sculpt macarons with Martha Stewart Clay is NOT because of the cracks and lines, but purely because of how much time it takes me to texturize the feet of the macarons. It's just not the  ideal clay for me to get the most natural effect that I want.

When dried, the Martha Stewart Clay is very lightweight, and flexible. (Think Hearty Clay). You can twist it, so don't expect it to dry to a rock hard finish.

Right now, I shall probably just use this as a Hearty Clay substitute till I find a way to use it for something else. :)

The Art of Making Fake Macarons

I'm not an expert in the art of making fake macarons, but I definitely keep trying to improve my art. I still recall the first time I tried my hand on making the life size macaron was probably sometime last year, and I was nervous as I don't use that much clay at one go creating something. But I was really happy I started because it opened up another world for me :)

As I went on creating macaron after macaron, I gathered some knowledge and I would do a few refinements every time I try making them as I think that's how I know what worked or didn't work for me.

Colour

Pay attention to the colour. The best thing about macarons is they come easily in many shades and colours, so you can almost replicate a colour or shade easily without much difficulty. But the real challenge would be, can you stick to the same colour consistency for the X amount of macarons you are making? That should be something to think about.

Points to consider:

1. If you are making them in bulk, how do you keep the colour consistency so that the whole batch looks the same? (Maybe this wouldn't be your consideration if you are only make one piece, but if you are trying to build a macaron tower, then you might want to think about this.)

2. Do you want to mix them all first before creating? Then again, what kind of clay are you using to make them? 

Gloss

The macarons that I've seen in real life looks moist or semi glossy, so before you actually gloss it, consider the amount you are going to use. Everything in moderation :)

Smooth or Dappled

I don't remember seeing smooth macaron shells in real life - again I'm using my own real life experiences when creating the fake macarons. There are smooth shells out there, but this depends on your personal preference. 

These are the things I think about when I create life size fake macarons, and I hope for those of you who would like to give a try creating fake macarons - hopefully they give you something to think about before you start, so you can be more successful in your attempts. 

Have fun making them!

Shopping for Ranunculus in Singapore

I like going for walks, especially to places where I can admire green plants and flowers. Couple of weeks ago, I decided to pick a new spot to go to - and I wondered why I never ventured there before...but people's likes and interests do change overtime. The presence of plants and flowers is important to me, and I decided to take an exploratory trip.

Now that I figured that it takes only 1 straight bus for me to get to this wonderful place, there is no reason NOT to go again sometime ;)

There are a couple of wholesale flower nurseries locally, and flowers are stored in cold room. It's a big cold room, so people can walk in and pick their own flowers. I went to all the flower nurseries and the first time I walked into one, I was probably like a kid in a candy store. There are ferns, leaves of all kinds, and of course the flower section....

Roses are sold in bulk, I think at least 10 stalks at a go. Obviously they are so much cheaper than what you would find in florist shops! And there is a wide variety of colours for you to pick. I honestly did not know that these shades existed because most local florist shops would only carry the traditional colours that can get a bit boring....you can find various shades of pink, even vintage pink!

Unfortunately not all the flower nurseries allow photography, so I only manage to take a few shots in the cold room of the room that I'm allowed to.

The staff at Candy Floriculture are the most friendly and nice in my opinion, so you may ask them first if you can take photos :)

These yellow carnations are also lovely to look at! 

 These flowers are very fragrant and so lovely to look at!

I also took a walk looking at the outdoor plants on sale.  Everything is nicely arranged. I'll let the photos do the talking :)

 

I had fun smelling and looking at the different flowers in the cold room. When I finally spotted the ranunculus I was looking for, I had to take a couple of photographs right away. Candy Floriculture has really friendly staff.

There were also orange ones, but the photo didn't turn out well due to the low lights. This particular bunch is a mix of several different colour ranunculus.

Have a happy weekend!