FIRST POSTING!! SKULPTOOLS TODAY UP AND RUNNING

Today I are a blogger! Wow! Who da thunk it?

As my profile states, I've been a polymer clay sculptor since 2002 and I love creating a variety of things in this material, from practical objects to whimsical characters. Many have found, as I have, that tt's extremely versatile and very user friendly for all ages. You can fashion it into anything from a tool handle to an earring, a statuette, a decorative box, a wall hanging, to well,... you get the idea.

It comes in a huge array of colors and is great for creating endless patterns, textures and motifs. And in the world of art media, polymer clay is relatively young and truly an exciting and emerging material to work in.

The more I sculpted, the more frustrated I became with sculpting tools that were available. Being the child of creative and resourceful parents, I began making things from found objects at an early age. So when necessity demanded, I put on my thinking cap to find ways to make new sculpting tools or adapt existing ones to create the effects and textures I needed in my clay piece. The biggest need I had at that time was for a tiny tool that would be very precise for creating fine details.

And so, I began to begin to commence to start putzing!.....

I glued and hammered and shaped some tips just the way I needed and VOILA! My very first sculpting tool was born! I call it my "fave tool" because it really is. And I still use it a lot, just as it is! Even after seven years of constant use it still works great! I liked it so well I made several more in other sizes.

And now, many, many tools and re-makes later, I have developed a line of around 24 different hard and soft tip style sculpting tools, which I've named SkulpTools. Among all that I make, my fave' tool still stands out as a popular classic. And it still comes in five sizes.

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I've looked all over the internet and local stores at sculpting tools available far and wide and have found they fall into one of several groups:

Too skinny and slick

Too big and bulky

Too sharp or dull

Shaped all wrong for what's needed

CAN ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE RELATE TO THAT?

I soon found that I'm not the only one who felt like this about manufactured sculpting tools. But few folks had the time, tools or desire to work out their ideas.
I was encouraged to make more of my sculpting tools and sell them online and locally. So just in July of this year I brought a few of my tools to the local polymer clay guild meeting to see how they liked them. Their enthusiasm blew me away! This is a great group of gals and a couple of guys, who LOVE working in polymer clay as much as I do. These gracious folks gladly offered to be my tool-testers and give me their invaluable direct feedback on my designs, as well as contribute to new tool designs. I set up shop online with Etsy.com, a venue for handmade and vintage goods. Check out SkulpTools on Etsy.

Since that first tool I made, a whole series of new designs have emerged. They are all designed to be strong, durable, very comfortable to hold and control, and clay won't stick to the highly polished tips. And they're actually quite attractive too, if I may say so. SkulpTools have really comfortable ergo-shaped handles that are easy to grip and control. The tip's edges are honed to be thin enough to get into [or create] small crevices, yet they're still blunt, so they won't cut too deeply or make ragged tool marks. Tip shapes vary from smooth-angular to rounded, depending on the tool.

Do you ever wish you had a tool that would perform a certain way for you, 
but you can't find one like what you need?

Well now you have an option! YOU TOO CAN BE A TOOL DESIGNER! 

Contact me with a sketch, photo or written description of your ideal tool and If I decide your idea is workable and that others may like it too, I'll not only send you one of them free, I'll name the tool after you! It's kinda like having your own tool maker!

I also do made-to-order special request tools for just a bit more than my regular rates. You can custom order via SkulpTools shop on Etsy or drop me a line via email.

Now, if what you describe resembles something that's already being made, I will do my best to point you to where you can buy it. No sense reinventing the ol' wheel or taking away from another tool maker's good work, now is there?

So, there's my very first blog entry, ever. Eh, maybe not real impressive, but now you know a little more about SkulpTools than you did before!

More tools news coming soon!