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Jo-Ann G Feb 8, 2006

I ended up using Sculpey, which I formed around a glass eye and then baked, as Christine Pike had suggested in a recent TEDDY BEAR REVIEW article (sometime last fall I think.)

Do you have to prepare the glass eye prior to forming the clay around the eye?

Has anyone tried baking a wire in the clay, or will it come out when attaching the eye?

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorFeb 8, 2006

Do you have to prepare the glass eye prior to forming the clay around the eye?

I didn't when I made HIAWATHA with a clay nose and it worked just beautifully!

Has anyone tried baking a wire in the clay, or will it come out when attaching the eye?

I tried baking a jump ring into the clay early in my career, and it does tend to wiggle and/or pull out.  I've previously inserted wire into clay (dollmaking) and it isn't always super firmly embedded and can be worked free with little effort; at least, it did when I did this.  That's why the glass eye idea from Chris Pike was so appealing to me; there's a very solid "anchor" -- the glass -- inside that clay nose.  It worked just beautifully.

Jo-Ann G Feb 8, 2006

Thanks Shelli.  I use to embroider my noses then switched to glass noses after I read an article about embroidered noses falling off "real fur" bears.  It has made me a little paranoid.  I love the clay noses and think that they are a great solution to my paranoia.

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorFeb 8, 2006

That's why I used clay for HIAWATHA; he's mink!

Jo-Ann G Feb 8, 2006

Shelli:

I seen your Hiawatha, he was maaaaarvelous!

Christine Feb 8, 2006

Hi guys,
Since I suggested using a glass eye as a former for making clay noses in my TBR Bear Essentials column (plug, plug!!) I know of several people who have tried it.  Shelli's Hiawatha is one of the best examples I have seen - and I can categorically state that, no, you don't have to prepare the glass eye in any way.  Just wrap the clay arond the eye and shape it, then bake it    The loop will definitely not come out - unless the eye was faulty to start with - since glass melts at a much higher temperature than you need to cure the clay.  I have made a few noses this way and really pulled on the attaching thread to see how secure the nose would be - and I haven't lost one yet...

Hugs,
Chris

Winney Feb 8, 2006

That's good news....please tell us what clay is the hardest or the least breakable ?....Winney

Marie_ Feb 15, 2006

Hello , sorry I just jump in here now. 

Winney, I only used FIMO clay and don't know about others but FIMO works fine and it was easy. I don't have
any pics yet but I baked it for 30 min. and glass eyes inside ( like  Chris and Shelli said ). My problem is that
I can't get the good shape of nose .. 

Hugs/Marie

Christine Feb 15, 2006

That's good news....please tell us what clay is the hardest or the least breakable ?....Winney

I use Super Sculpey, mixed with a little SculpeyIII or Fimo for colour.  To be honest, everyone has their preference and I think they all cure pretty much the same.  You notice the differences more when you are doing the sculpting, as some clays are softer than others and some take finer detail better than others.
Hugs,
Chris

kbonsall Feb 15, 2006

I use a cotter pin joint and turn it like you normally would a cotter pin joint and form the nose around it... I used Fimo clay and once it is baked and cooled, I glazed it... Mine are very sturdy and I haven't had a problem with loseness you just need to make sure you go around the cotter pin enough that it is embedded

kbonsall Feb 15, 2006

Here is the other post regarding clay noses... I don't know if you have seen it, Jo-Ann but I thought it might help you out a bit :)

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=2578