Basic Info for all cutout shapes
SHAPE CUTTERS
Examples of cutout shapes & Uses
....beveling edges
Tips for cutting out
.....releasing clay from cutters
.....misc. tips
Small & medium size cutters
....types
....buy, or find around the house
....punches ...can openers
Sources for many purchased cutters
Making your own cutters
...clay
...metal
...bending & shaping
Cutting small tiles
Freehand cutting + Templates, etc.
Cutting out freehand (without cutters)
Stencils & templates, Shapelets (+ make your own)
....Masking

BLADES
...Summary
...Types
.......short & medium blades
.......long blades ....suppliers
...Safety & storing
Sharpness
Bending & cutting
Wavy blades (ripple) ...various tech's
Multiple blade cutters
.... fixed blades (& tube-bead cutters)
.... rotary blades
Other blades
...scissors & wavy rotary cutters
....guided round/oval, guided height
...misc. blades/cutters
Stand slicers (for canes, etc.)
Kids using blades

CUTTERS & BLADES
(& stencils, templates)

Basic Info --all cutout shapes

Shapes can be cut out from sheets of:
......solid color clay
......patterned clay (e.g., cane-slice sheets)... blends... mokume gane... fauxs ... marbled clay
......metallic leaf or powder covered surfaces... textured surfaces.... etc., etc.

Then the cutouts can be used in various ways.
...Cutters are used with polymer clay for everything from embellishing and onlaying clay with shapes, to creating boxes and lids, to making canes or sheets of pattern, and much more.

Cutters

There are various kinds of shape "cutters" one can use with clay)... most of them are similar to "cookie cutters" in that they can cut a shape with one press.
...(size) Some cutters used for polymer clay are tiny, some medium-sized, some large.
...Some have plungers to push the clay out (especially the smaller ones), and some don’t.
...Other kinds of cutters can be appropriated as clay cutters too, such as aspic/canape cutters, cookie cutters, vegetable or garnish cutters from Japanese markets, fondant cutters, alphabet cutters, paper punches (see below), or just whatever-you-can-find!
...they can also be made (see below)

Examples of SHAPES + USES for cutouts

Claudine's fish and starfish cut out from marbled or misc. sheets of pattern, for necklace
http://www.essi.fr/~claudine/Fimo/Gallerie/maritime/poiissons.htm
http://www.essi.fr/~claudine/Fimo/Gallerie/maritime/etoiles.htm (somewhat dimensional)
Lynne Manning's hands & elephant, etc., made from cutout marbled, caned or scrap sheets
http://pcpolyzine.com/january2002/craft.html
Bianca's star shape cutouts, made from "ghost image" mica shift sheets
http://www.polymerclay.com.au/images/Mica%20Shift%20Beach%20Beads.jpg
JSS added a (cane slice) dog face to her dog body cut out from sheet of pattern (hard to see!)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View?u=4153008&a=31266991&p=68352251&Sequence=0&res=high
Margaret R's coyotes, etc., cut out from Skinner blend sheets and added to a votive
http://www.mregan.com/portfolios/portfolio3/photo4.htm
unusual cutouts... some wrapped in different directions with metallic thread?
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays02/jan2002/janClyDy02/pages/inspir e08_jpg.htm
Mike High's crackled leaf cutouts on pendants
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays04/june2004/tinaG1Lg.jpg
cutouts (of snowflakes) textured before cutting out, then highlighted with Pearl Ex (ornaments by playsclay2)
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL526/531344/4530485/75544602.jpg
my flat ghost cutouts strung on fishing line as pendants to give to kids for trick-or-treating
........ghost silhouette first cutout with small ghost cutter... eyes & mouth cut with tiny cutters in shapes like ovals, circles, triangles, leaves, stars, etc (for some I used straws)...made with glow-in-the-dark clay
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/DianeBB/Halloween/ghost_treats1_31k.jpg
Darlene's cutout cat (using animal-type pattern sheet), with a few embellished details (website gone);
Hazel's cut outs from striped sheet butted against solid, with onlaid star (website gone);
Dotty's kimono's with onlays (website gone);
Jan G's cutout shapes from millefiori sheet http://www.tinapple.com/cynthia/98retreat/index.html (gone?)
Kat's calico cat cutouts made from mokume gane or other randomly patterned sheets
http://hobbystage.net/art/media.cgi?site=kgedrich&folder=*&group=9&page=*&id=1058949992-004675 (hobbystage site inaccessible)

Kris Richards' lesson on making "Polydollys"(or any cut-out shape). .http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_PolyDollys.htm:
--creates jellyrolls and stacks of clay (for stripes)
--cuts out a shape of solid color clay with a cookie cutter, or paper pattern & xacto blade
--onlays variously-shaped slices of the jellyroll and stripe canes onto the solid body-shaped base sheet (somewhat puzzle style, but some bits are 3 layers thick rather than 2)
--adds pressed-down balls of flesh clay for head and hands, and 2 seed beads for eyes
--her different-pattern puzzle pieces are:
.......shoes, pant legs, upper pants, belt, shirt, (vest), collar/buttons, arms, & hats or hair...also cuffs at ankles, wrists, on hats
(--she makes pins or frig magnets from them, but could be used for anything)
(--good lesson on making jellyroll/spiral and striped canes there too)
....cane slices could also be added to the cutouts (....left in relief like onlay, or very thin slices flattened in)

shirts ....(cutouts from patten sheets, using a paper pattern)
... many also embellished with little summer items like flip flops, sunglasses, cameras, etc. ...onlaid/attached to them or dangling below
http://www.dragonsglass.com/tshirt.txt (red X's)
Heather P's lesson on making small mitten shapes with clay, then embellishing them with cane slices for cuffs, and also here and there
....(her mittenshapes are cut around a cardboard template or freehand with a Xacto though, rather than a cutter)... ornament
http://www.humblebeads.com/mittens.html

Lynne M's lesson on making a simple figure from flat chopped clay.. (if you don't make you own cutter, use a regular body cutter but remove head from the chopped clay cutout and substitute) add a spiral cane slice for head... bit of wire on back to strengthen for pin
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_jewelry/article/0,1789,HGTV_3238_3335450,00.html

Judy's lesson on making a toy polymer acrobat figure from baked component cutouts joined with wire --torso, arms,legs,etc (each a diff. pattern)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_figures/article/0,1789,HGTV_3237_2831708,00.htm

for adding faces (transfers or molds or actual photos) to freestanding cutouts of bodies (or anything), with bases, see Kids > Other Items
http://www.coolphotostuff.com/photo-sculptures.htm

Margi L's magnet-backed figures or simple pictures... done coloring book style with each Skinner blend sheet component surrounded by black
http://www.studiocrafts.com/Products/Lm/pcmagnets.html

Linda Goff’s fabulous wire-outlined shapes (Linda generally used a copper or brass 20 ga wire, wrapped with a 28 g wire but interspersed with small beads, then set into a groove around the perimeter created with a gouge, and held with superglue ... more info in Wire > Some Ideas)
http://www.lindagoff.com (click on all 4 pages!)
Karen G's cut outs (from sheets of pattern) wrapped with wire outline shapes (with occasional beads) ...hers also onlaid with clay bits
http://www.mhpcg.org/images/members/Kg/Kgpins3.jpg
Dawn N's various shaped cutouts (forming a ring shape) from a clay disk (placed behind a cross pendant as a background)
http://home.centurytel.net/tkaylen/group4.html

FLAT individual shapes can be used as components...then layered in various ways to create a final 3-D clay piece
..... sheets of clay (or even liquid clay) are cut or made as these individual shapes
.....after baking (or drying if not using clay), the component shapes are stacked on each other in various places to create 3-D figures (animals, snowmen, etc., or an object or even scene)
...Linda Calef's samples using a cutter shape to create a base component piece, which then has other component pieces stacked and overlapped on it in layers to create whimsical critters, snowmen, etc.... she uses colored gluesticks in a hot glue gun, to create each shape for the critter on a see-thru hot glue pad (or sheet of glass)...(see examples of Gloobies from pages of her book Wearable Whimsies http://tinyurl.com/f8nhn at amazon.com)
...hacrafter uses just a few wood cutouts (which could be clay) as component pieces of xmas ornaments
.......a large (painted) decorated mitten shape has a snowman head cutout (in this case embellished with a fabric scarf) attached partially behind one area of the mitten so it appears to be behind it, but the snowman's arm (cutout) is another component attached to the front fo the mitten....(mitten's decorations could be polymer too --slices or onlays)
....more patterns (from woodworking) for making many animals with hot glue guns
http://thewinfieldcollection.com/catalog.aspx?catid=113
......http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/craft2decor8/index_frame.html (click on Christmas Crafts, middle of pg)
...more very cool figures made from flat component pieces, which are onlaid with each other to create a whole (painted, embellished wood, but could be clay) http://www.pekin.net/pekin10/wash/artwood_ud/index.html (Wash, Intermed.School, Illinois) (gone?)

ONLAYS...polymer shapes made with cutters could also be placed onto other things or other backgrounds
....snowflake wreath embellished with many large "snowflakes" which are embellished in all kinds of ways (San Antonio Guild members)... (some flakes have faces in the center, chrysanthemum cane center. . . I can also see a regular green wreath with lots of different snowflakes... maybe with tubes on the backs of the cutouts so they could be wired on?)... foam wreath has snowflake shape cut into center also, using a hot foam cutter
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004january/wreath.html

Marie R's lesson on making a log cabin bas relief (on a xmas ball ornament or a votive, or anywhere) with snow
....she uses a base clay cut with a house shaped cookie cutter to put her logs onto to create the log cabin... could use for gingerbread house too.
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_BasReliefOrnament.htm

Kris Richards' lesson on making a snowflake with a large 6-pt. snowflake cutter and small "arrow" cutter
....after cutting the large snowflake shape, then cuts out little arrow shapes from the "arms" of the 6 rays (inner area of the snowflake) leaving enough clay connected to a central area... then places some of the shapes back on the snowflake to act as a bridge between the central area and the arms... sometimes in diff. areas as well....could use other small cutters or snowflake large cutters
....then she brushes ultrafine glitter (clear, white, or prismatic) on both sides and pokes a hole for hanging before baking
......(could instead be textured white clay, highlighted or antiqued ..even with a metallic or off-white, etc.).. or coated with metallic Pearl Ex
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_Snowflakes.htm

Nora Jean's lesson on creating shaded petals (for sculpted flowers) by cutting them out of Skinner Blend sheets with leaf-shaped cutters
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Flowers/WaterLily/Index.htm
(see also "Roses" websites on Sculpting-gen page, under Sculpted Flowers sub-category for many more examples)

lesson on using wire with clay (could be cutouts) to create cute bugs, suns, etc, (fairly flat) ...by bending wires into shapes, then sandwiching parts of the wires with clay shapes for bodies, e.g., leaving arms/legs/etc.sticking out .....(fom Design Originals short book "Down to the Wire")
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/projectsheet?pid=k00028

(unfilled) HOLES:
James L's 2-layer sheets... he uses a holey top layer of clay (holes made with tiny cutters), laid over a solid under layer... in this case a variegated metallic holey layer and a solid color underlayer . . . lots of variations possible
http://www.akrobiz.com/pc/i_72.html
Cutters (or blades or drills) can be used to cut shapes out of he top of two layers of polymer clay which are diff. colors... this will allow the lower layer to show through to the top in whatever shape the cuts were made
...Black & Decker drill bits makes a very clean cut hole in baked clay (Ai-Ping uses them for drilling decorative holes in baked clay ...see Vessels > Hollow Boxes)
..lots of variations possible ...
.....would be fun to use a cutter for cutting a shape from the holey layer placed on top of a solid or blend under layer (plastic wrap trick would hide the edges of bottom layer)
....Cut out shapes with small cutters (or carve out), then back-fill with clay; bake; sand.
...........Oscelyn’s cut-outs, back-filled with gold clay (website gone);

INLAYS: Bob's lesson in Polyzine on using a cutter to make a thin inlay of a larger shape to place into a background (inlay same size/shape as hole into which it's placed)
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/september2001/cutters.html
...If you want to prebake a bunch of Kemper cutter shapes to use as inlays, etc., just press a raw sheet of clay firmly onto a smooth tile or other surface, and cut quickly while rocking the cutter... or use cornstarch over the whole sheet (see below in Cutting Tiles)
........if you put the sheet onto a smooth tile, you can then peel the excess clay off, and bake the whole tile with the shapes on it. Works great. Bean
(see more on raw "inlays" in Sheets of Pattern > Pieced)

REPLACEMENT inlays:
......Jackie's small cutters (hearts, etc.) used to remove shapes from one sheet of clay, and replace those with the same shapes cutout of another pattern sheet
http://gallery.gundo.com/gallery/album55/JackieTexturedClay
...Tina's cutouts from crackled sheet of metallic leaf on clay (frog, etc), replaced into hole cutout of same size/shape
http://www.mhpcg.org/clayDays/claydays04/june2004/tinaG1Lg.jpg
...... to insert shapes of filigree (or non-filigree) into a prepared sheet or spiral of Balinese Filigree, use a cookie or canape cutter to remove some a portion from some portion of a BF spiral, sheet, row of ropes,etc., then fill in with the cutout from another color using the same cutter. (Placing plastic wrap over the sheet before cutting should leave the edges rounded rather than evenly cut, if that's what you want.) Diane B.

BOXES & LIDS (see Vessels for making little boxes and lids with cookie cutters... can also be used for box-type pendants)

FRAMING-BACKGROUNDS... 2 or more graduated sizes of the same, or different, cutout clay shapes can be stacked on each other to create framing backgrounds for pendants, etc
....or stacked and used as end caps for beads... or other effects

CANES: making canes using cheater cutter method ( from stack of same-color)
....Arlene's valentine heart cane http://polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/hearts.html
(see Canes--Info > Types of Canes for more details on this method)
....Cutters can also be used to make clean cuts into logs or canes ....to create component pieces for regular or landscape canes, e.g. (see Canes > Landscape)
.......(see Kris's Polydolly lesson above for one small example)

STAMPS: you could also use baked polymer cut-out shapes (perhaps embedded at the end of a chopstick) to stamp with (for example, stamping metallic powders or acrylic paint onto raw clay, or even fabric paint onto t-shirts, etc.)
http://www.twisteez.com/products.html (like these "chopsticks")
(see also Clay Guns > Disks for another way to make tiny shapes by using a slice of extruded clay)
.....there are way cool small butterfly cutters (8 different wing types) plus 3 flowers in the set at http://www.cookiecutter.com... I will be showing how-to- (do some really neat ones made with stamped and metallic-powdered) wings in my new book (Celebrations with Polymer Clay)... Sarajane Helm

COVERING: Barbara McGuire's lesson on covering a votive (her clay is actually covered with metallic leaf), then using a cookie cutter to cut through the covering clay to create outlines which the light can shine through
http://hgtv.com/HGTV/project/0,1158,CRHO_project_18078,00.html
...or just impressing a plain clay covering with cutters will allow the light to shine through those impressed outlines more strongly than the surrounding smooth clay

MOKUME GANE: Helen Hughes's article & lesson on making mokume gane using a small cutter (pressed into a stack) to create an outline, then using tools to draw/impress details inside the outline (and outside for framing interest) before making her cuts across the slab. She used two stacks for her variation on this method, cutting a shape from one stack, then placing it into a matching hole-shape cut from a different stack, before adding details. This can create more of a different color scheme for the cutter shape (e.g., a butterfly) from its background, etc.. http://www.pcpolyzine.com/september2001/inlay.html
It would also be fun to combine this technique with some of the other mokume techniques like leafing/powders/paints or with mica or other inclusion clays, marbled clays, standing-on-edge folded stripes as for folded canes, etc.. DB

If you're doing a stand-alone cutout, for a pin e.g, using a double thickness of clay, or backing with a black or neutral color sheet makes for most strength.

cutters (or stencils) could be used to apply shapes of powder with a smooth outline... place over the clay and apply powder with a brush (around cutter??).

The edges of the cutters themselves (curves, tips, indentions) can be used as cutters to remove small shapes from edges
....Marlene's use of star cutter to make 3-pointed jester hat (website gone)

Cynthia Tinapple's unusual chain made with Kemper cutters ... for the links, she cuts round and squares disks of metallic Premo with Kemper cutters, then makes lozenge-shaped holes with a somewhat flattened aluminum tube, bakes, then cuts diagonally across the bottom of each link to be able to slip another link through, and closes with superglue
...also her pattern sheet made by applying Kemper cut-outs of different colored clay to (both sides of a) base sheet before flattening in the pasta machine
http://www.tinapple.com/oldsite/cynthia/1098neck.html

Beveled Edges

A sheet of plastic wrap can be used to create a rounded bevel on the edges of cutout shapes ...if small, these could be puffy-looking shapes
lesson:
....place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the sheet of clay before cutting it with a cutter (or blade?)
.........I heard you could also use an old dryer sheet between the cutter and the clay. Karen NC
....for best results, it may help to cut on top of a very hard surface --or a somewhat soft surface like foam??
... press cutter through clay through plastic wrap (this won't cut the plastic wrap)... can wiggle cutter a little against work surface when reach it
....remove cutter, then remove plastic wrap
........using a thicker/heavier piece of plastic will give the edges a gentler and longer slope/bevel than using thinner plastic
........you may have to turn under the outer part of the edges to make the edges of the shape completely smooth when using a cutter this way, but it's quick because those areas are very thin (or cut off thin excess with blade)

OR ....after cutting out a shape without plastic wrap, you can round-bevel the edges later as well:
... by rubbing over them with a finger (perhaps with a bit of cornstarch or Bon Ami or Vaseline, etc.)
... by rolling a rod over each side of the shape (parallel to edge)
........ Mike Buesseler used to create a textured bevel on the sides of his pendants by rolling the long side of a cross-hatch textured ("knurled") metal tool handle (like wrench or leather punch) up onto each edge-side of the clay (which also straightened up the sides a bit)

puffy cutouts
......could be used as freestanding tiles to create create quilt patterns (if placed next to each other)
..............I used this method when cutting "squares" for a quilt, since the beveled edges make it look "quilted" Becky
......or use them for mandala type patterns (if spread out...see more on mandala patterns in Onlay > Uses)
.......especially nice for making a tiny puffy heart
..........pillow beads can also be made this way (as well as the regular way)

Using plastic wrap is also a good way to avoid the dimple created on one side by plunger type cutters

When 2 stacked layers of different colors (of raw clay) are cut out as one layer, the upper layer color should be dragged down over the bottom layer color and hide it (esp. for pendants,etc.)

You can "cover" cutout shapes of wood or other materials (which has straight sides or slightly curved sides --like Woodles, or pieces of masonite or balsa wood) neatly with a sheet of clay, place wood cutout on work surface, cover with sheet of clay then with plastic wrap... make cuts with long blade outside each edge
.........to make more angled or strongly curved cuts around the outside, the end of the blade, or the shaped edges of various other cookie or smaller cutters could be used to take bites out
... if you began with a layer(s) of clay as thick as you want the fattest height of the tiles to be, you could impress the rows of "stitching" or other embellishment in a grid all over the sheet) with a straight edge ... then cut the shapes out (with a piece of plastic wrap over the sheet if you want the puffy look...you'd have to measure the spacing for the stitching lines very accurately first though). Diane B.

TIPS for cutting out with cutters

releasing

As a release, I'd recommend dipping the cutter in water to create a water barrier when you cut shapes. Faun
...I use a lot of itty bitty cutters with clay, so I press my cutters onto a watered-soaked round cosmetic sponge sitting in in a baby jar lid.

OR possibly press cutters in puddle of ArmorAll (silicone) or veg oil (or Vaseline)
........or Diluent-Softener or liquid clay or RepelGel (ca debonder)?
....or wipe cutter edges with sponge or tissue soaked with one of those
(if using ArmorAll, don't use too much or it will resist any powders or liquid finishes you might want to use later)

OR dip cutters in cornstarch (or talc) before using ...or could use a ponce ball with cornstarch or talc, perhaps loosely filled

It can also help to kind of rock the cutter slightly as you cut (esp. when clay is stuck down), so that one cutter side will release a bit while the other is pressed down
...I press the cutter only a little into the clay... then I slightly wiggle it and press further down... and wiggle again. It seems to help release the cutter. Bean
...I find that quickly doing a whole sheet is very important when doing a lot of cutouts. Tamila

I found that freezing the cutters helps too. Nancy (...prob. because heat will be generated from the friction of using the cutter, and warmer clay is stickier)
...cooling the clay sheet can be good too (...refrigerating, freezing, or just letting sit a while)

to keep the clay from getting stuck in the cutters
..press clay sheet securely down onto a smooth surface (so its's stuck down to the surface)
..........(perhaps dust the whole sheet with cornstarch)
......... then use cutters (...can rinse cornstarch off later with cool water if necessary, but usually not nec.)
....or after pressing the clay down on a smooth surface, make as many cuts with the cutter as you but leave all the clay in place... when done, peel up the excess clay leaving all the cutouts on the surface, then scrape the shapes up with a palette knife, etc, to use
.......if you press the clay onto a sheet of plastic (ziptop bag, etc.), you can later flex the plastic to make removing the cutouts easier
.......or if you use a bakable smooth surface like metal, glass or ceramic tile, you can bake them in place if you want stiffened shapes

Putting plastic wrap over the clay sheet before cutting with a cutter can work... will create rounded edges on the clay shape

one solution (for any cutters or for complex-shapes) would be to bake the clay in the cutter (if metal) for only 5 min to firm it up a bit
... then push it out (without messing up the no-longer-raw clay).... bake again for a further 20-30 min. Sarajane H

Getting more complicated shapes out of cutters:
.....small alphabet cookie cutters ... I've tried freezing the clay and this helps some.... Choco
....my little dragon-shaped cookie cutter (actually, a Japanese vegetable cutter) has such intricate details and narrow parts of the design that I can't get the cut piece of clay out in one piece ... also you can't "blow" the clay out of the cutter because there are holes in this design
.... I tried oil, cornstarch, oil +cornstarch, freezing, and putting plastic wrap over the surface of the clay before cutting (this last didn't work because I have to use a fairly thick sheet of clay) Beth

making a custom pusher for an individual cutter:
...I make my own custom pushers for each of my med & large (metal) cutters
..... I bake a very thin piece of clay in the cutter
......then I push it upwards in the cutter, and use that piece to push out other cut pieces (so there's no need to poke at the soft clay)
..... (if there are braces across a particular cutter, you can't push it all the way to the back but it goes back far enough and you can use the end of a tool to push the baked bit down to get the new cut bit out) Crafty Owl
...make a custom pusher for your cutter …first use the cutter (dusted with cornstarch or coated with ArmorAll) to cut a shape in a thick layer of clay, but do not remove the cutter)… insert a stick (the biggest you can allow up to 2/3 of the cutter size) into the clay.... then bake
.........while still warm, push out the clay and let cool .... now you have a custom pusher to get the others out of the cutter. Lysle
...see-through back with pusher ...Christopher Hentz placed his shaped cutter on a sheet of cellophane as a release ....he then mixed a slow setting clear epoxy and carefully poured it into the center of the cutter (...I believe he lifted the cutter for a second, allowing it to spread out a bit, then set the cutter back down into the epoxy). ...after the epoxy had set and the cellophane was peeled off, the resin held the cutter's shape and was transparent
.......to make a pusher for it, he drilled a hole in the epoxy and used a bolt and a spring and something like a big rubber washer to push against the clay
...(see also Small & Med Cutters > Around the House below for making pushers from plastic lids)

for other ways of getting clay out of plunger-type cutters like the Kempers, see just below in Small Cutters

baking clay on a metal cutter when used as a temporary armature
....I use cookie cutters (as forms for cuff) bracelets
... I coat the cutter with cornstarch or talc ...(put the clay around the outside of the cutter?) then bake them for the full length of time
... I do not remove the clay from the cutters until they are just medium warm since the clay isn't too stable when it's still hot
... I use a small dental tool that is rather wide, flat and pointed to ease the clay off of the cutter... sort of like using a thin knife to go around a cake in a metal pan to help remove it.
(...If the clay is completely cured, it has slight elasticity to it and this helps in removing it ...if it's not completely cured, it can break on the edges). Dotty

miscellaneous tips

work surfaces with grid lines are a good thing to work on for any cuts which are straight, or parallel, or measured in some way
...these are also good for cutting strips or squares & rectangles from clay sheets (for making boxes, covering things, etc)
...see Tools > Work Surfaces > Thinnest to Thickest for the gridded Omnigrid ruler... plus more info on other gridded surfaces)

after using a plastic cutter especially, be sure to wipe it off (with alcohol) because some plastic cutters will react with clay (and begin to eat into it) --I found this out when I left a cutter sitting on a slab of clay and they became one. Kim2

finding silhouette images that simulate cutter shapes --for making your own cutters or templates & stencils
...Dover books which feature silhouettes are one resource for these shapes
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486995127.html
.....or look in Google's "Image Search" (then enter the word silhouettes in the Search Box for the item or figure you want... click on "More Results" to see them all)
...see also the" Stencils & Templates" category below, for getting shapes in other ways

SMALL & MEDIUM size cutters

Small & medium cutters can be purchased... or found around the house ...or made.

They can be geometric shapes (round, square, etc.) or they can be shapes of objects (animals, fruits/veg's, houses, hearts, snowflakes, etc.)

BUY online
Kemper Tools makes 2 kinds of cutters used for polymer clay
... 1" tall small plunger-type cutters in various shapes (round, teardrop, flower (5 rounded lobes), heart, star (5 pointed lobes), triangle, lilac (4 rounded lobes)...diameters are tiny to small (for round cutter, 3/16" - 7/8" diameters)
http://www.kempertools.com/index.php?link=eCatalog&page=24
...1/2" tall medium plunger-type cutters in vairous shapes
(UK)... PolymerClayPit --mostly Kemper plungers and Makins cutters
http://www.polymerclaypit.co.uk/acatalog/Cutters.html
PolymerClayExpress's many small/med/large cutter sets, in various shapes (geometric & objects)
http://polymerclayexpress.com/cutters.html
Prairiecraft's many medium geometric cutters (can also be used as forms--many esp. good for making inros)
...single 2" tall cutters (round--1 1/4", double-circle/donut--2 1/2" outer dia., square--1", rectangular--1.5" x 3/4", diamond, oval, ellipse)
...set of 2" tall cutters (6 triangular--3/4" - 3 1/2")
...sets of 1" tall cutters (12 round--7/8" - 4 7/16 , 6 square--1 3/8" to2 5/8")
http://prairiecraft.com/page/DONNAKATOPOLYCLAY/CTGY/KCF
Amaco Friendly Cutter Sets --ovals, leaf & 5 flower sizes, & 8 geometric shapes including long rectangle, equilateral triangles, and teardrops, other leaflike or lobed shapes, figure-8, long pointed oval, yin yang, etc.
(UK) http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/products/Tools/tools.htm ...http://www.herrschners.co.uk/search.aspx?q=cutters&catID=&tab=

(.... see many more below in Suppliers --mostly for med.& lg. non-geometric cutters)

BUY local
craft stores ...often sell plunger (Kemper) cutters, as well as non-plunger types... can also find more cutters in cake decorating aisle, or for paperclays
cooking or baking stores... often have graduated sizes of same-shape cutters (nested)
restaurant supply stores.....I was just over at the Smart & Final, and in their baking "tools" section, they have round cutters (quite a large set - 11 pieces) for only $11.20 (they also have a fluted version for $1 more). Karen H.

Kemper makes 2 types of small and medium cutters
.... both are called "Pattern Cutters" and both have "plungers" to release the clay (but generally it's the the tube type that's referred to as a "plunger-type Kemper")
1) small, slender tube-type brass plunger cutters
2) shorter and wider aluminum round "Rose Petal" Pattern cutters, and "Leaf" Pattern Cutters
The plungers on the smaller tube cutters leaves more of a mark on the clay
...At retail stores, these both come in sets (either same pattern but diff. size, or assortment of same-size but diff. pattern)... or online they can sometimes be bought individually
http://www.clayfactory.net/kempertools/index.htm
http://store.yahoo.com/fimo/tools--blades-and-accessories-pattern-cutters.html (at Accent Arts)

To prevent having a little impressed dot on one side of the clay cutout after cutting with a Kemper tube plunger cutter ( made by the little rod plunger as it pushes out the clay), Nancy Banks removes the plunger ... she drills out the dimples in the cutters ...without the plunger, you can also see just what you’re cutting, if that’s important
......( then you will have to use the wrong end of a paint brush or such to push the clay out ...and you may end up with sore finger tips if cutting alot because the tube is thin)
......(this is a great idea if you have two sets of cutters, I might not suggest it for your only set). Nancy
OTHER WAYS TO PREVENT
.....it should be possible to make a flat pusher for the plunger cutters which is larger than the small rod plunger.... cut out the shape with the plunger cutter from a thin sheet of clay , make sure the edges are smooth (and maybe press it a tad smaller?), and bake it... then place the baked cutout in the plunger cutter before cutting out the shape in raw clay each time (or could possibly superglue it to the plunger instead?)
...or place plastic wrap over the clay before cutting it (will have to clean up the edges a bit though)
...Kris Richards spends 2 pages of her book on Kemper tools, and 3/4 of that on these tools and customizing them ( "New Ways With Polymer Clay....The Next Generation of Projects and Techniques" ). Jeri

regular brass tubes as cutters (not Kemper... no plungers)
...round and square brass tubes of various diameters can be purchased at hobby stores (or Ace Hardware) near their display of metal strips, and used for punching out small shapes of clay
.......if necessary, use a long pusher to push the clay out of the tube ...could be the back end of a paintbrush, a dowel or solid metal rod just small enough to fit into the brass tube being used
...I sharpened the edges of a section of brass tubing on a belt sander and made a tiny 3/4" square (or round or rectangular) cutter . Jody Bishel (only outer or inner side needs sanding)
..........do not use an electric grinder to do metal sharpening... power sharpeners can overheat the metal and destroy the temper (& you will need to sharpen it a lot). Lysle
.....Sarah Lajoie has a lesson on sharpening the outside edges of a square brass tube with a fine file held at 45 degree angle (for cutting small tiles)
http://pcpolyzine.com/october2001/frame.html

even rolled paper tubes are surprisingly strong if they have a lot of layers

....see also Punches below for other hollow things which could be used as small punches

Bevel Edge Cutters, by Amaco (various shapes of double-ended plastic cutters--same shape but one larger than the other)
(the instructions are confusing, I agree, and the cutters are not quite what we'd assumed from the name)
... so, I think they're not cutters for making beveled edges, but cutters which are themselves beveled to allow one to more easily make freestanding bezels-frames, or possibly to simply make a "frame impression," of the same outline shape inside a larger cutout.
(I think the main beveled edge of the cutter unit is there only so that the second smaller cutter on the other end can be a continuous part of the larger cutter...and that the smaller bevel which creates the rim of the smaller cutter is beveled so that it can make that edge sharper and cut more easily)
...USES?... I'd guess these ways:
1. create a freestanding bezel-frame (which would itself end up beveled a bit perhaps depending on the thickness of the clay sheet being cut) .....press the larger cutter's end down through the clay to create a cut-out (or just cut around it like a template if it's not really sharp) .....then center the smaller cutter's end on the cutout, and press down through the clay .....remove the center cutout, leaving a frame-bezel
2. create a freestanding bezel-frame by making only impressions with one or both cutter shapes (in the same positions as above), but then actually cutting them out with something else like a blade --or stiff pin, etc.
3. create a frame line inside the larger cutout simply by making an impression of the smaller cutter line inside it (IOW, do as above but don't actually cut out the center part; simply press the smaller cutter onto the large cut out shape enough to make an impression --which would register visually as a "frame")
.... I thought at first that Amaco might intend one to use a long blade to make cuts using the beveled sides of the cutter as a guide for 45 degrees --actually would be much less than 45 degree angle... but that would only allow one to bevel the outside of the larger shape --IOW, not using the larger cutter as a cutter; but instead placing the cutter large side down on a clay sheet, then laying a long blade up against one of the beveled sides of the cutter and sliding it down into the clay sheet till the cut is complete. Diane B.
(for making beveled edges, see above

avoiding distortion when using cutters
..SHEETS with holes .. . . to cut shapes, (especially with Kemper tube-type cutters) from a sheet where you don't want the sheet itself to distort, lightly press sheet onto a slick surface that's bakable (like a ceramic tile)... then punch out your shape(s) without any of the little tricks for easily removing them... this will allow you to push them out afterwards and leave your sheet intact (see Kids >Games>TicTacToe, e.g.) Diane B
... USING the HOLES themselves .. . . If you want to cut shapes which won't be distorted, but you don't care about disturbing the base sheet ... use a smooth tile, etc., and also then use one of the release movements (like pressing then twisting, or Saran Wrap over, etc.) so that your cutter will come out clean every time
.....then remove the sheet, leaving shapes in tact on tile, and bake them that way... can pop off after baking. Diane B.

I made slab "holder-bases" for my Kemper cutters (could also use for small containers of metallic powder, or whatever) ...
...(lesson) I start with scrap pc put thru at #1, arrange how I want the cutters to be, put them on top of the pc. Have the cutters cut their own little space; I use a release agent .. Make another layer of #1. Take first layer and put it on top of an (uncut) second layer. Have the little cutters do their little cutting again.. Do this process until you have 4 cut layers. Make a fifth slab at #1; this is going to be the very bottom (so also make it big enough to go up over the sides if you want). Leaving the cutters in the form, bake the whole thing in the oven for about 45-60 min.. As the form cools I wiggle the cutters around just so they have a "little wiggle room"....Another little tip I'm taking from Helen is to use your tiniest cutter, cut a little extra piece and put on top of your creation. That little piece becomes its " title". Dar
http://www.afamilyjournal.com/pctools2.jpg and http://www.afamilyjournal.com/pctools4.jpg
...Could you do this with only a few layers in or on a box lid?
..to save clay: ...could you use only one base layer, then add a stack of 3-5 clay disks (or other shapes) of clay for each cutter (cutting after refrigeration to firm the stack), on top of the base layer?
...or could you make one (or two) layer with holes, bake, and add to 4 sides (and a bottom, or to a box lid?), leaving the interior somewhat hollow?

around the house
(modified-objects & temporary cutters)

To make a small round hole shape in a sheet of clay, drinking straws (various sizes) or coffee stirrer straws can be used
...press & rotate the straw where you want the hole... remove from clay ...then either blow out the clay in the straw, or cut that bit off and use straw again.
........McDonalds and some of the smoothie places have really large stiff straws too
...caps from old lipstick tubes make great round cutters (and some also have texture on the outside!) ..H20 baby
...Tony B. uses the caps from eye makeup... (liner pencils, mascara, etc.)
...I use the cylinder from an ink pen. Steph
(these small ones are useful more for making holes in a sheet, than for making the cutouts themselves)

Use the cap from a deodorant bottle, or a plastic container or lid, or other object you find as a cutter
......some will not be sharp enough to cut through cleanly, but you can trim after cutting, or you can simply make an impression first then cut out with a blade
.....maybe wet-dry sandpaper could be used to sharpen the edge of some things (only one edge needs to be sanded)
...also, some objects of this type can be squeezed into other shapes and held that way while cutting (e.g., an oval cutter from a round object) Diane B.

Have you ever heard of using a prescription pill bottle, with the lid removed to trim the end so they are 'slimmer', so it will make a fine cut and not a messy one.... they come in a few different sizes....can be done with a Dremel type hand drill/polisher.
...it's good if you also can cut the bottom off... then you can see exactly what you're cutting..... especially if you are trying to cut out a particular design. Mary Clare
....removing the bottom is a good idea too because I found it hard to hold the "cutter" exactly symmetrical while cutting an oval shape with a film canister, for example (close but not precise enough). Diane B.

I collect tops from numerous items that I purchase and put them to use with PC. It cuts the cost substantially..I use the plastic top from my Loreal moisturizer which is a nice oval. Crafty Michele

I found the bottom of a Mabelline "shine free" pressed powder compact was a rounded square of aluminum (under the powder). Pried it out and it makes a nice cutter. 10more
...That star-on-square shape seems to be made with a contact-lens disinfectant cup piece, pushed into the clay (cutter or stamp?).... I really like the patterns the contact lens cup plastic pieces create and use them a lot. Those indentations mostly have embossing powder in them which is then baked. Karen (find URL)

A perfectly round cutter can be made from the top of any metal can if you open it with the one type of safety-type can opener which leaves the rim sharp... have to look carefully though, because some safety types leave the top thick and unsharp (those cut through the actual lip of the can rather than cutting below the lip onto the can itself)

Making a push-outer for one of these:
.... I drilled a hole in the top (of my deodorant cap).... I cut a plastic margarine lid to fit inside and also a piece of plastic canvas because that won't bend
....I put the plastic lid piece, then the plastic canvas, on the clay that I'm going to cut... then I top it off with the deodorant cap.
....after pressing the cap into the clay, I insert a chopstick or similar item into the hole in the cap, and push. Eltrut
(see also Tips for Cutting Out above for making pushers from clay)

Punches ...paper & other

BAKED clay ...bake very thin clay sheets... punch or cut shapes out when warm (stars, hearts,etc).. many want to bake the clay a longer time for strength
....can also stand on some punches to get them to cut through (esp. if clay is thicker?)
...Polyzine's lesson on gluing punched out clay shapes, or shapes cut with pattern scissors, with white glue to the front of folded cards (cards made by covering the front of the cardstock card with a sheet of same-color or complementary-color clay http://pcpolyzine.com/january2002/tycard.html
.... I used the Sizzix die cut system to cut shapes in baked sheets of polymer clay with fairly good results, especially with very thin sheets of flexible clay. Irwin
....baked shapes can be inlaid into raw clay (see Inlay & Mosaics)... or be used alone or in other ways
...one way to make flat "heishi" (spacer) beads is using 2 paper punches (one which makes tiny hole and one which makes a larger hole)
........take sheets of baked clay (#5 on the pasta machine) and punch a row of little holes with the tiny punch
........then go back and use the bigger punch around those holes and make heishi beads!!
....... you can turn the bigger punch upside down, and use the gap the punchout falls through to center the little pre-punched hole! --Cynthia Toops showed us this one

RAW clay: ...place clay in between 2 pieces of paper, waxed paper, or thin tracing paper ....or on one piece of cardstock
.........or powder it heavily?... or leach ...or refrigerate or rest clay first.... or use flexible-type clay?
....I had more luck using punches on raw clay than on previously cured... the clay would stick to the punch, but when I put a 3 x 5 index card behind it, the card kept the clay from sticking ... I used a curved dental tool to lift the clay off the paper
......I could make the clay relatively thin --all the way down to about a #5 or #6-- and still work with it as long as I immediately removed the clay from the index card
......(if you don't remove it right away, the corners will dry enough that you will have problems lifting it later.) Peggy
....I bought a 1/4" paper punch to make clay stars, and I had a sheet rolled #4 of Premo Pearl & white mixed which had been sitting from the day or 2 before, so it was cool and firm... the punch worked fine
....I didn't need to bake a sheet to use the punch, it worked fine raw as long as the clay isn't too warm and sticky.
....every once in a while I added some release powder and semi-punched it on the nylon hose that holds my cornstarch. Jan C.
....I had a punch in the scrapbook supply box that made maple leaves approx 1" across, so I rolled the raw green clay *real* thin, then punched out the leaves. ....They draped over the pumpkins beautifully for my son's pumpkin patch complete with Snoopy and Linus! ......it was one of the really heavy cast punches, and new, so it was very sharp.... I tried the same thing with a tiny bat punch, but I think it was too small, and didn't work as well.). Denise

BAKED liquid clay ...cut shapes from films (decals) of baked liquid clay sheets (could be colored, or have inclusions, etc.)
.........may be able to punch directly, or use on of the methods of raw clay just below
...spread some liquid clay REALLY thin on a baking tile (I used the colored kind, but soon I shall mix pearl-ex powders into it) ...after it bakes and cools, carefully peel it off.... then just go crazy with your paper punches
...to inset the baked liquid clay shape on a round raw bead, I carefully put the cutout KoKopelli shape on it, making certain no air bubbles were trapped, and gently rolled it around a bit, making sure it was stuck on the bead fairly securely....then I baked the bead, let it cool and glazed it. Pamela

helpful tool ... Strong Arm ...facilitates repetitive punching of polymer as well as paper, and beats using a hammer or standing on the punch! ....the manufacturer is McGill, costs around $20 ...found among the paper punches in local craft stores. Carol http://www.mcgillinc.com

Jan S's lesson on using a large shape punch (frog or leaf, e.g.) to create a a mold or molded piece
....(from a baked clay sheet with a shape punched out, which has been backed (glued to) another sheet of plain baked clay-- or could back with raw sheet attached with liquid clay) ......or do this with multiple shapes punched out?
http://pcpolyzine.com/december2001/punch.html  

leather punches ("belt punches", also grommet punches?, etc.) make small holes ....can make holes in clay and other materials
.....(these create holes differently than a pointed needle-type tool or awl because they are hollow and actually remove a disk of the material (rather than spreading it apart)
...individual drive punches or saddler's punches or center punches . . . .these are struck at the back end with a hammer, etc, to force the punch through the leather http://www.rantektools.com/handtool/hlp.htm (many sizes)
....can be purchased singly for each size hole, or in a set with two handles and 8 or so interchangeable screw-on? punch bits http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/BBK40-S
...rotary wheel (or revolving) set of leather punches...these offer 5-6 hole size punches on one tool (on a revolveable wheel)... squeeze to force punch through... holes cannot be punched far from an edge however with this type
http://www.emocs.com/leatherpunch.htm
...bunches of different punches http://www.csosborne.com/l-punches_1.htm

Japanese screw punch (or "Japanese book drill") ...has various interchangeable hollow bits (various brands?)
....when pressed down, the handle causes the shaft to turn the drill bit (which is actually a hollow punch), creating a smooth hole (the tool itself stays stationary
...(these have the same action as a push-pull drills, which use regular drill bits rather than hollow bits --for those, see Beads-Holes >Push drills)
...creates holes anywhere, in stacks of paper, cardstock for making books, or in baked clay, leather, matt board,etc
.......its smallest bits are good for putting through waxed threads ...larger bits good for book posts, leather cord, etc.
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004february/bookdrill.html (Lauren's article on using a book drill for making polymer books)
...set with 7 hollow-point bits: 1mm,1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm = $69 plus shipping
..... or just the bits $37.50 (in case your screw punch came with only one bit)
http://www.coilconnection.com/bookdrill.htm
http://www.dickblick.com/zz128/66/products.asp?ig_id=6142

Japanese screw punches have some advantages over spring-loaded punches (below)
...use them with one hand only... smooth drilling motion (no sudden punch)

Some eyelet-setting helpers also have bits for creating holes... they require 2 hands, and have a spring-loaded, single hammer action to make hole:
....Click It! (by Karen Foster) ...can punch with it (or also set eyelets, or impress letters/numbers,etc. with separate kit)
http://www.mousememories.com/storefront/Multi_Themed/clikit.asp
...comes with 10 interchangeable tips: 6 (round?) hole punching tips ( 2- 5 mm dia) and lacing tip (makes 2 rectangular holes)... plus eyelet splitter tip,.eyelet rounder tip
..supposed to be quiet, but many say it's not (but makes only one sound, rather repeated hammer blows)... attachments maybe hard to remove from the tool ..not for fabric
...resistance of the punch is able to be adjusted, which is good
....Better Setter (only for setting eyelets??) ..."Noxon spring action tool, 2-bit snapper, 1/8" eyelet setter"
.....shaped like a pen .....(some complained it was difficult to pull the spring to release it)
http://www.blockheadstamps.com/silentsetter.html
...Silent Setter (by Provo Craft) ..... sold primarily for setting eyelets though
...silent ...has 3 interchangeable magnetized bits for holes
...push down on the handle and turn it clockwise (must use quite a bit of pressure?)
http://www.blockheadstamps.com/tools-eyelet.html

....(for mini hand drills which use bits which are not hollow to make small holes in baked clay, see Bead-Holes > Mini Hand Drills)

(bought) Cutter SOURCES

Craft stores like Michael's carry very small cutters in their polymer clay sections; they are right up there with the push molds, or in other areas as for paper clay, scrapbooking, etc..
The cheapest source for these things is Cost Plus. I have seen the same $15 or $18 set of leaf or alphabet shape cutters for $5 that I saw in a cooking store.
Also cake decorating stores.

Another good source is canape or aspic cutters. They come in every shape in the world. Lots of flower shaped ones can be found at large Japanese markets or any good cooking supply store.

fondant cutters are smaller than cookie cutters, and cheaper than clay cutters. bubbles

I was walking down the main drag of San Francisco's Chinatown yesterday when my eye caught a glimpse of what looked like miniature cookie cutters in the window of a cookware/hardware store. ...As the shopkeeper politely led me to a glass case and pulled out a large box filled with a great variety of intricately shaped pieces of metal, and as I picked them up to look at them, my jaw dropped to my knees,...Turns out they were indeed cutters, individually handcrafted and imported from China. According to the shopkeeper, they're called garnish cutters and are usually used to cut turnips and other rootstock into shapes to adorn foods at banquets. They come in a wonderful variety of shapes, including:
a large dragon (2-1/2 inches wide,) smaller version of dragon (1-1/2" wide), large phoenix, smaller version of phoenix, elephant, dog, squirrel, butterfly, large fish (carp,) small carp, pig, panther, rooster, lionfish, lobster, crab, written character for "good fortune", written character for "happiness," and possibly others I can't remember or didn't see. .
The delicate intricacy of the art in some of these shapes just blew me away. . . .the shapes also have that kind of whimsy or joy in them that imbues the best of folk art. ...such perfection comes with a price. The large and most intricate cutters (like the large dragon, the large phoenix) were about US$29.95 apiece. The smallest and simpler animals were $9.95 apiece...I hope the fact that I added embellishments of beads to their eyes, and added a little texture and acrylic to the rooster, will make up for the lameness of my dragon! Ann P.

alphabet cutters ...2-inch plastic alphabet cookie cutters. . . been looking at them but haven't quite figured out what I'd do with them. . . I always figured that if I ever got around to using mine, I'd make kids' names on a little stand or to hang on their door, like you see the painted wood ones. Could also go on a lamp, a school binder, etc. The 1" ones would be even more useful, I think . . . again for kids, the initial/s could be decorated and used as a pendant or pin. . .
....I have a set of alphabet cutters about this size (1-inch tall), all caps. My sis got them from the Wilton/cake area of Walmart, I think. They are marked "Jigglers" as in Jell-O....Patti
... Cost Plus. I have seen the same set of alphabet shape cutters for $5 that I saw in a cooking store for $15 or $18
...I found canape cutters in a kitchen specialty store called "Different Drummer" in Albany NY. They are less than 1 inch tall. I have a selection of several different sets. Each set came in a little tin to keep them together. Tr y searching for canape cutters or mini canape cutters. Sally
...*Sweet Celebrations* http://www.sweetc.com (must look through their huge catalog! --click on 7x),... 2-inch plastic alphabet cookie cutters. Item # 94722, $9.49 for the set. (They also have 1- inch ones alphabet in metal).... 1-800-328-6722. Email- sweetcel@maidofscandinavia.com
...Makin's sells one set of small alphabet cutters (can't tell exact size) http://www.Makin'sclay.com/products/cutterset.asp ..may be available at Michaels?

not-exactly-a source, but 218 (other) ways to use cutters, by CakeWorks
http://www.cakeworkscentral.com/Cookie-Cutters/cookiecutterideas.htm

Mail order & online

To find specific types of cutters, go to a search engine like http://google.com, then enter: cookie cutters
......or (for smaller cutters) enter one of these phrases: canape cutters, mini canape cutters, aspic cutters, gumpaste cutters, or vegetables cutters.

MAIL ORDER
.......(websites for small and medium cutters in geometric shapes, are above in Small & Med. Cutters)

Gooseberry Patch ....a fantastic place that sells all kinds of mini cutters. ...1-800-854-6673.
http://www.delnet.net/~gbpatch/

*Sweet Celebrations* (must look through their huge catalog! --click on 7x), but they have a huge number of medium to tiny cutters of all kinds). . . has 2-inch plastic alphabet cookie cutters. Item # 94722, $9.49 for the set. (They also have 1- inch ones alphabet in metal). Just received a set of 6 nice leaf cutters from them that includes holly, maple, oak and are 1 1/2 to 2 inches. The catalog is a nice source for tiny cutters. they also have lots molds, pressers, etc., etc.!! The number is 1-800-328-6722. Email- sweetcel@maidofscandinavia.com or internet – http://www.sweetc.com

Off the Beaten Path -- http://www.cookiecutter.com (alphabet, plus much more)
Sugar Craft cookie (and other?) cutters, and cutter/molds http://www.sugarcraft.com/ (look under Cookies > Cutters at least)

Happy Cookers...many cutters in diff.sizes (tin & copper)..... many sets... nesting gingerbread figures 2-4"
http://www.happycookers.com/wc.dll/products/listincat/537.html
Wacky Wagon: http://wackywagon.com/cookiecut.html (can't see actual pictures?... text listing only?...but some interesting shapes)
JB Prince kitchen supplies: (very thin, often expensive garnish cutters... nested cutters of rounds,ovals,hearts)
http://www.jbprince.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=242 (click on "Garnishing" or on "Pastry")

Foose Cookie Cutters
Halloween, autumn & harvest and shapes
http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/fall_halloween_thanksgiving_minis.html (mini cutters)
http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/halloween.html (regular size cutters, Hallow.)
http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/fall_harvest.html (regular size, Fall/Harvest)
Christmas and winter (mooses...head and body--under NorthWooods)
http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/christmas_and_holidays.html (reg. size)
http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/christmas_holiday_minis.html (minis)
they also have more categories of cutters:
....(regular size) Animals Gifts Sports Baking Supplies Cats & Dogs Large Cookie Cutters States Musical St. Patrick Cookie Cutter Sets Odds & Ends Transportation Dinosaurs Patriotic Valentine Easter Religious Water & Nautical Southwest Wedding & Baby Miniature Cookie Cutters
(minis...1" up to 1.5", depth 1/2") Animals & Such Odds & Ends Baking Supplies Gifts Southwest Northwoods Valentines, St. Patrick's & Spring Easter Wedding and Baby
...(the joins on these are better than on the cutters I've bought at craft stores...they cut smoothly--no raggy edges (even w/o saran wrap over the clay.) Laurel
....I'm thinking local guilds should get together and order. .... up to 100 cutters for $5.25 flat rate shipping! And a 20% discount for orders over 100 cutters! Everyone could get a real good deal that way. Laurel

Fairy Gardens ...8 nice butterflies/moths and 3 flowers --small
http://www.fairygardens.com/catalog/cutters/mh32075.html

Bed, Bath and Beyond: 100 plastic cutters (I presume alphabet & numbers plus others --the cutters with plastic bits in the middle of the outline shape will make impressions inside the shape as well, e.g. the football, bike, and ice cream cone)
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/Product.asp?SKU=11731422

one thing I have found with the plastic cutters (and I have lots) is that they don't make a clean edge. If you are willing to put in the extra time to trim or blend your clay edges its no big deal. Trina
........or could use sandpaper etc. to sharpen one edge?
....try using a piece of plastic wrap on top of the clay before you cut it with a cookie cutter. This will at least round the edge. Jeanette

MAKING your own CUTTERS

There are various ways to go about making your own cutters (...see also "modified-object & temporary cutters" above, under "Small & Med.Cutters")

from CLAY

...cut an even strip of clay (not too wide) ... then curve and shape it on a glass sheet over a drawn pattern (or shape it freehand)
...join ends as smoothly as possible (cut each at steep angle, or butt)
...fill the interior well with tissues or something similar to hold the shape fairly firmly while baking... be sure to let cool in the oven to avoid distortion... ...afterward, sand down the outside of the edge all around the bottom to "sharpen" that edge
....to use the cutter, you can leave it as is (especially if small shape), or use a glass or plastic sheet to press it on your clay sheet
.....or back the non-cutting side with a clay sheet or something else (the back could be covered only partially, around the perimeter, e.g., or have a strip or two across the opening as seen with some purchased plastic cutters, to stabilize it). Diane B.

...cut out and remove a shape from a thick, flat slab of scrap clay (with an exacto knife)
...use the remaining sheet ...placing it on a baking dish
...spread cornstarch around the inside border of the clay "stencil"
...now, take a separate long flat strip of clay (not too thin, maybe just a little less than 1/8" thick) and line the cornstarched border the whole way around
...... (to make sure it holds the right shape, you can sort of press the edge of the long clay piece down to your baking surface)
....now pull the cornstarched (stencil) piece away ...and bake the shaped strip
...after it's out of the oven and cooled, you can take a razor and cut an angle around the edge that was touching the dish (for sharper cutting), with the sharp part of the angle on the inward side of the cutter. Julia

see "BENDING & SHAPING" below, for more ways to use clay to help shape cutters

from METAL

KITS:
...Polymerclayexpress is carrying a kit for making cookie-type cutters. With this product you can fashion any design in any size. Our guild had a chance to test this product and people really liked it. I've expanded my library of cutters considerably. Ellen .... 72" of 1" (alum) metal stock, 48" of 1/2" metal stock, five shaping tools, dry adhesive, instruc's
.......they also carry a taller version: 2" metal stock for making box forms, bracelet formers, etc.)
http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/cutters.html
...Clay Alley is carrying a kit for making cutters... 72" of 1" (alum.) metal, 48" of 1/2" metal... plus 18" of dry film adhesive, 5 Multi-purpose bending or Forming Tools, $12.50... refills also
http://www.clayalley.com/cookkit.htm
...cookiecutter.com sells a kit with 72" of solid copper strip, 3-M roll of VH- adhesive, working base and forming tools, instructions, starter patterns, craft ideas, recipes ..refills
http://www.cookiecutter.com/tabstyle/makeyourown.htm
...I found this kit for making cutters ...it has the rolled strips, a decent way to glue the ends, plus items to make turns and corners easier.Lori http://www.cookiecraftingplus.com/cocrkit.html

ADHESIVES (glues & tapes)
Be certain that areas to be joined are free of oils and dirt.......so clean the surfaces with alcohol before gluing !
Glues will take awhile to dry, where tapes give an immediate hold.
....To hold the shape closed, apply a drop of super glue and clamp with a clothes pin..
........superglue works very well indeed, and will work with drink can metal (aluminium alloy normally) where standard solder won't.
.....Chris recommended not to use the 5 minute epoxy glues (because they deteriorate with time), but to use one of the longer acting epoxies like Devcon 2 ton epoxy....just avoid the really quick-acting ones.
........I used J B Weld, to bond my 3/4 inch wide brass strips from the craft store or the hobby shop, which I first shaped and cut with metal snips (2-part glue... it comes in 2 metal tubes, you squirt out a smidgeon of each tube, mix with a tooth pick and apply to the brass)... I then clamp with alligator clips, , a few hours later and they are all set.
.......my cutters are simply glued together with a thin film of (2-pt.) epoxy glue.... K. Dewey
.......I found E6000 also works well to glue the cutter edges closed.
...dry film adhesive..
...double sided tapes of very high adhesion (same as dry adhesive?) ...rolls ...like 3M™ Double Coated Polyester Film Tape?... or check for 3M tapes at automotive supply stores? (brown kraft paper backing with green lettering?)
... solder ...my friend Irene taught me how to form my own cutters and solder them closed with a torch and a solder and flux combination paste. It's much easier than I thought it would be. You can use a variety of objects for forming curves, bends and folds. Eliz.
...Creative Versa-Tool..the way I ended up adhering my ends was with a "Creative Versa-Tool" ...it's like a woodburning tool only it has a variety of attachments that you screw on the end so you can do a bunch of different stuff, including soldering
...... it comes with a little roll of soldering whatever you call it (you can also do embossing, stencil cutting , pattern transfering, stamping, leathercrafting , woooburning, paper crafting) .... I used a closepin to hold the cutter togher, though I believe hemostats would have worked good too. Lisa

BRASS .shim stock... in sheets or strips
.....I took Chris Hentz's class at Arrowmont and he thaught us to make cutters using brass shim stock and epoxy glue (sheets or strips?).
....brass shim stock can be found at some hardware stores... or hobby stores that cater to model builders... and also automobile supply stores (brass shim used by automotive engineers works a treat too! )
...... ("old-timey" hardward stores often carry a larger variety of shim stock and brass rods than the newer stores)
....... It comes in a variety of thicknesses from .001 to so thick you have to cut it with a jewlers saw. ...it looks like .01 is about right but you may be able to use .005 also. I

You need to cut off a strip of the brass shim stock (sheet?) that is long enough to make the cutter you want (plus a little extra for overlap) and as deep as you want it.... metal shears should work as long as the brass isn't too thick..
... I cut my strips fairly thin - about 1/2" wide. Irene

I needed to find a means of making repeatable shapes, particularly identical wings for polyclay butterfly brooches...the gauge of metal I used was .005" sheet. The sheets are 4ins x 10ins.
......I first marked the sheet into 1cm strips (yielding 1 cm by 10" strips).... then I used an old pair of kitchen scissors to actually cut the sheet into strips (please take care -it's very sharp).
......the strips can then be bent into any shape and the ends overlapped, clamped, and spot-soldered together (or superglue will also work very well)..... Any fine details can then be added using fine pliers or the shanks of scissors - whatever you have available.
For my butterfly cutters, I only needed to make one side of the insect. I cut two of the shapes, flipped one of them over and later joined the sides (of the wings) under a pre-shaped (separate ) sculpted butterfly body with brass armature and wire antennae. Of course, any shape is possible (half or whole)--Christmas decorations covered in Pearl-ex, the possibilities are endless. Alan http://communities.msn.co.uk/ALANMARY/butterfliesinpolyclay.msnw (cutters & butterflies)
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004may/gadgets.html

I just found some of those wonderful brass strips at the local Ace Hardware store...couldn't believe how cheap it was. The brass strips are very soft and thin and could easily be made into any shape that you wanted. Betty

I bought a bag of "brass trash" at a local hobby store that caters to model train builders. I've had my bag for a year and have only made one clay cutter so far. Kay S

(stronger) metal cans
.... some safety-type can openers leave the rim of the remaining can sharp after opening (there is second type of safety opener, however, which leaves a thickened rim, like the Oxo, which is good for making lids)
... a strip of metal can be cut from the sharp rim and used to make a cutter ...so look for a opener which opens the can on the side (safety) rather than on the top, but don't get one which has its untoothed disk taller and farther away from the toothed disk ...the correct one one looks more like a regular opener in that area).
..... i used one of those (safety) can openers on a can of tuna, but i couldn't get the lid off so then i also used a regular can opener... shazam! . . . the trick is to *not* remove the top after you use the safety can opener... (doing this separates the very outer part of the lid from the flat part of the lid) ...leaving a 1/8" tall ring of metal, with a rolled top and a sharp bottom (...for thicker clay, it'll just make a nice outline and you need to use a needle tool or whatever to cut the rest). .. i can shape it using my fingers needle-nose pliers..... i figure you can make all sorts of shapes, using different size cans. mellybean

I make my own cutters out of (aluminum and brass) strips of Metals Works' Specialty Metal Sheets (from Lefranc & Bourgeois). It's a lightweight 36 gauge 'metal' sheet that can be cut with scissors - but it's soft so you have to be gentle with the shapes or they be easily distorted - it comes in different gauges, - but remember, a thicker tin will be harder to shape (a 32 gauge may be sturdier). Janice

ALUMINUM: beer/soda cans work great for cutting.
You can actually cut a good straight edge with a pair of kitchen scissors, then, for example, wrap them around different sized "things which are round" to cut a decent circle of the same size. I even used it wrapped around wooden dowel of different diameters until my mini circle cutters arrived...
... the sheeting from the cans wrapped around any shape makes a wonderful instant "cutter". Tania
............(leave only a small amount of sheeting extending past the form for the stiffest, strongest cutting egde?)
...However, with the aluminium, if you try to bend a straight edge into it then straighten it out to make like a square shape....it will snap, the stress of the bend is too great for the aluminium.
....It had never occurred to me to use a pointed X-acto knife to cut the ends off aluminum cans. ... On the second can, I found that a utility knife (the kind with a retractable blade) left smoother edges. . . . After further experimentation, I found that after cutting off the ends with a utility knife, I could trim the edges smooth with ordinary scissors. (I had a grand old time after that, cutting up cans and shaping them into a variety of D's and O's!) Sharyn

I make cutters using the aluminum piece from a 3 1/4" floppy disk (it's a strong & thin sheet, though small). It pops right off and can be cut with scissors, just don't use your best ones!!! After you shaped your cutter, put a dab of superglue on the edges you bring together. . .(will make small diameter cutters though)
...these metal pieces are also great for using with polymer clay especially in miniatures. I have made great little rakes, knifes, etc. Kellie B.

I once made cutters for kindergarteners by cutting the thicker aluminum "flashing" (hardware stores) into strips, using a (quilting) rotary cutter and a metal-edge (or thick acrylic) ruler --with the acrylic rulers be especially careful that the ruler doesn't slip!! or you can really cut yourself with the pressure you'll have to be exerting on the flashing to cut it --put a strip or two of masking tape or something sticky or rubbery underneath it). I found that the rotary cutter made smoother cuts than the other things I'd tried, but it took several passes.
I just overlapped the ends and held these together with masking tape because they were only going to be used for Play Doh (the idea was to let each kid bend their own cutter, which was now in a circle, into whatever shapes they wanted. Diane B.

Use mini-blind slats! When I shaped the cutter, their curve dissappears, they are nice & straight. The cutting edge is nice & sharp, in fact, I glued some felt to the top edge to save my hand from wear & tear.

I sharpened the edges of a section of brass tubing on a belt sander and made a tiny 3/4" square (or round or rectangular) cutter . .. They work great and the leftover grid of clay from between the squares is pretty cool too. Jody Bishel

A tube cutter, available at hobby shops that cater to the miniature modelers (trains, planes) is a device made for cutting small (round) metal tubes and works just like a pipe cutter. At Arrowmont, Christopher Hentz introduced a tube cutting method that required no special device, simply a strong, sharp blade. Katherine Dewey

(more on making ) BACKS for small & medium cutters
...I cover the sharp edge with a strip of polymer clay . . . K. Dewey
...or you can add a whole sheet of clay across the top side, or a couple of strips across the back for structural support.
...If you put anything on the back side of the cutter though, you can't then flip it over and cut a reverse image.
...I press down on my cutters with a petri dish -- clear so I can see where I'm cutting, and flat so the cutter cuts the clay straight down, not angled
.. I prefer to push the cutter through the clay using a piece of plexiglass that is *not* permanently attached to it -- that way, I can flip the cutter over and cut a mirror image.
...Another tip for pressing down on double-sided cutters is to go to the kitchen counter department in a home center store and pick up a few of the formica samples. I use these to press down on my cutters. It saves my fingers from becoming irritated and sore. (I also use these to store unbaked little holly leaves and other small, flat things.
...see-through backs ...Christopher Hentz demonstrated a technique for making clear backs on cutters which also covered the sharp edges at Arrowmont
... ...lesson:... first he used thin sheet metal, bent to shape ...then placed the shaped cutter on a sheet of cellophane as a release. ....he then mixed clear epoxy ...and carefully poured it into the center of the cutter (...I believe he lifted the cutter for a second, allowing it to spread out a bit, then set the cutter back down into the epoxy). ...after the epoxy had set and the cellophane was peeled off, the resin held the cutter's shape and was transparent
...........he stressed using the slower setting epoxies to avoid hazardous fumes, and the need to mix thoroughly.
....you can then even make a pusher by drilling a hole in the epoxy... and using a bolt and a spring and something like a big rubber washer to push against the clay and not mar it too much.

bending & shaping cutters

Various shapes and sizes of stiff items may be needed to help create the bends in your cutter (depending on pattern and size of cutter you want to make)... in general, you'll need rods or tubes (large, med, small), items which are gently or sharply angled (angle brackets, books, etc.), and/or pliers of various kinds, etc.
... bend around pens or cylindrical candles to get nicely rounded parts
....use flat-nosed pliers to make sharp angles ... round-nosed pliers to make softer angles (pliers come in larger and smaller noses too).
....If you make a "jig" or have one of the Wig Jigs used for bending wire (see Wire for details), you can set up a pattern with the pegs and use that to bend your metal strips, too. Judi
...use other cutters (or parts of them) to bend the strips around. Diane B.
...I do the bending from each side so I can flip them over and use the other side.. Irene

It is easier if you start and end your cutter on a straight area, or on outside curve, or at a point....inside curves are very difficult to glue and clamp.
...when your cutter is shaped to your liking, clean the brass with alcohol, then glue and clamp. Jo

Make your own stiff (baked) clay "form" or armature to wrap your metal strip around
...cut the shape you want from a clay sheet freehand or around a template
......guidelines for cutting could be created by pricking holes through a drawn pattern into the clay, if necessary
......if one sheet of clay isn't thick or tall enough to shape the metal strip easily, then use several sheets stacked together to make it thicker ...or place 3 or more balls of clay between the 2 sheets to hold them apart & make a taller version

Or draw or prick a pattern directly on clay ... then drag a pin or needle tool down the line to create a groove that will be shape that's wanted
....try to keep from leaning left or right so groove will be vertical, and turn clay while grooving ... bake
... then press a metal strip into the groove to form the cutter shape
......the metal shape could just be removed and glued together, or it could be baked in the clay to keep the shape exact (with or without a partial or complete clay backing). Diane B.

You could also use wood as a form
... my one idea is to carve my desired shape into a block of wood (with an exacto knife), then fit a strip of tin or flashing into the groove made by the exacto knife. Lori Mac (...could use balsa?)
...or you could use one of those wood cutouts as a shape around which to wrap the metal strip (just use one, or stack 2, or apply clay on top of one then trim & bake)

Rather than the whole shape, just particular parts of the shape, or a set of general curves or angles, could be made from clay to use as formers as well ... bake... wrap the strip around the shape
... or just create parts of the cutter ... especially if you want to make multiple cutters, etc. Diane B.

The best way I know to make the cutter is to draw it full size on paper first. ....then I take a string or thread and lay it onto the design
....when the string is straighten out, it will give me the length I need the strip of metal to be.
....do NOT forget to add 3/16" or so for the lap joint.
....try to place the lap joint in a corner
....I normally use a strip of metal about 3/4" wide... the thickness of the metal is dependent on the size and complexity of the cutter design. Lysle

For my butterflies, the method which worked best was to make a series of (half) cookie cutters from brass strip, so each cutter was just one wing. Alan http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004may/gadgets.html

making new shapes from purchased cutters
....many bought cutter shapes can be re-bent into new shapes, or shortened for smaller shapes

various long blades can also be bent and cut to use as cutters
...for info on bending long blades like tissue blades, see Bending and Cutting below in the Blades half of the page
..to make tiny cutters, I cut some doubled-sided razor blades in half lengthwise (I use Wilkenson brand)
.......I heat one of the half blades in a candle flame till it's glowing hot
......and then bend it carefully around a knitting needle ...or use pliers to shape it
.......let cool, and then wash the soot off ... I use them as little cutters (GREAT for making tiny leaf cutters, etc)

CUTTING small TILES
(but see Frames,Mirrors, Tiles for larger, decorative tiles)

You can buy a set of small square cutters (at least) from the Clay Factory of Escondido. I'm pretty sure that's where I got mine, or maybe it was the triangle cutters?

Sarah Lajoie shows a sharpened square brass tube for cutting individual tiles, but cutting a sheet of clay pressed to a smooth tile.. she carefully removes the excess clay and bakes the little clay squares on the tile
http://pcpolyzine.com/october2001/frame.html (lesson)

I just had a thought about those old (grid-type) French Fry cutters (stiff metal strips?).. . . you push your potato through them. If you could get one of those apart maybe that would work (for making tiles, or grids)

At Taco Bell we used something that had wires stretched across a frame, making grid squares, to cut tomatoes. I don't know if something like that could be made for poly-clay, (my photo)

What about those tiny-ice-cube trays, or maybe just use them to mark on clay for various uses? Diane B.
...I use a plastic ice cube tray - the type for tiny cubes - to make 'tiles.' Roll the clay out, put the piece on top of the tray, and roll over the clay with a piece of PVC pipe that is the same length as the tray is wide. One roll and I've got a slug of cut tiles! Nancy

You can make square cuts in several other ways though. You can make your own cutters (see info from my cutters-file below for examples), or you can use some sort of guide.
The simplest guide type would be finding something the size you want, placing it lightly on the clay, then cutting around it with either the tip or the whole length of the long blade. (Donna Kato likes to use a cheapie dental tool to cut around with that looks like the end 1-1 1/2 inches of a medium-sized safety pin, which has been bent into about a 120 degree angle and stuck into a long plastic handle. It's thin and rounded enough to make a very smooth cut --see below in Freehand Cutting)
However, you can also simply cut out a paper square of the desired size, then pierce the clay just outside of each of the four corners, and use those dots as your guide for cutting with the long edge of your blade (this nifty trick is via Sue Heaser, who pokes holes in the intersections of graph paper to give her a guide for cutting dollhouse tiles!). DB
(Sue) . . . .You might find my method for making dolls house "ceramic" tiles works for this: Roll out the clay on a real ceramic tile to the correct thickness - roll the clay out between two strips of wood of the thickness you want the tiles, using a smooth rolling pin. Lay on a sheet of graph paper and prick with a pin into the corners of each square the size you want. Remove graph paper and, using a knife with a long, straight blade, cut straight down along the lines of pricks. Do not move the tiles - just remove the scrap clay around the edges. Rolling the clay onto the tile like this keeps it sticking thereuntil after baking. ****For a gloss surface, press a second tile over the first so it contacts the clay completely, for a matt surface lay down a piece of baking parchment first. Weight with a few more tiles or a casserole dish. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes (longer than usual to get the heat to penetrate the tiles). The top tile keeps the clay from bubbling or distorting. When cool, you may need to cut down the lines to separate the tiles, and slice under them to ping them off the ceramic tile.

*Lisa Pavelka's lesson on cutting small square tiles while clay sheet is snugly lying on a ceramic tile, then baking and snapping them apart...can later be trimmed to other shapes if necessary
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_other/article/0,,HGTV_3239_1396715,00.html

nowwhatzine 's lesson on cutting small tiles by impressing first with a wood block for guidelines before cutting with a long blade... then a letter is impressed into each...then all tiles arranged onto a background and framed
http://www.dotcalmvillage.net/nowwhatzine/hiddenmessages.html (several pgs)

sanding: If you bake your tiny tiles on a ceramic tile or something else that they stick to, and don't pop them off after baking, you'll be able to sand them while they're still stuck to the baking tile. Irene

I used 4 cutting wheels (the type used for rotary Olfa cutters in sewing/quilting) which were threaded onto a long bolt with nuts as spacers when I needed to cut uniform strips wider than the noodle cutting blades on the pasta machine.
...I was able to cut uniform squares for parquet work by running the wheels in one direction, then by running them at 90 degrees to the original cut. I used a straight edge as a guide.
Naturally, I got carried away and cut diamond shapes as well, but all of those uniform shapes made my parquet covered box a sweet little piece.
...Running the cutting wheels over a paper towel sprayed with Armorall kept the wheels from sticking to the clay. Katherine Dewey
(see below in "Multiple Blade" Cutters for more on this way to make your own, rotary or not, strip cutter, or by setting Xacto or longer blades into raw clay and baking to make a strip cutter)

Violette Laporte has a *tile cutting lesson for (Tumbling Blocks or other) geometric quilt and other patterns
http://www.webhaven.com/crick/tb1/index.html ...used to be http://home.istar.ca/~ladydian/tb1/index.html. . . She cuts her tiles into diamond shapes in raw clay by indenting parallel lines, then indenting crossing lines (at 60º), these are then baked and "gently" separated...(pick the closest in size to use); she then uses two layers of raw base clay (#2 Premo on bottom, #5-6 Sculpey III on top for tooth and squish) before lightly adding the cut baked shapes, trimming if nec. with a blade, pressing lightly to the Sculpey (she cuts around her design for this pin), then bakes for 10 min at reg. temp. She grouts with softened Sculpey III, scrapes, most off, and bakes again for 30 min. at 265 (sands & buffs). Many different quilt or other geometric patterns could be created with this "mosaic" technique!!
http://creaplastic.free.fr/10gal_vio.htm

multiple process of cutting tiles which have impressions or onlays, etc., you want to be placed in the same position on all tiles (e.g. faux stitching around the edge, or a centered cane slice)... if you began with a layer(s) of clay as thick as you want the fattest height of the tiles to be, you could impress the rows of "stitching" or other embellishment in a grid all over the sheet) with a straight edge ... then cut the shapes out (with a piece of plastic wrap over the sheet if you want the puffy look...you'd have to measure the spacing for the stitching lines very accurately first though).

Jean Sheppard suggests using " spring dividers " (tools used for measuring, which look like a drawing compass with two pointed ends), or using inside-type calipers, to mark two parallel lines on a sheet of clay, or to cut even strips
http://diytools.com/store/search.asp?ProductTypeID=540
....I like using those old fashioned wooden rulers with the metal edge to cut and/or mark pieces of clay that are longer than the tissue blades. I lay the ruler out and adjust to get my straight line and then simply push lightly up so it's on its side (metal edge down into the clay of course), and then quickly press down with the top of my hand. Works like a charm every time. Lyrael

Beth's barrette made of same-size, but two alternating colors, of tile...laid next to each (with one image stamped across them all)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/swappics/barrerdelac.jpg

Shrinkage (noticeable in larger fit-together pieces only?)
~I learned not to assume perfect fit a couple of years ago when I did a piece which was supposed to have exactly 6" square tiles. 54 of them. After the first 18 didn't fit quite perfect in their places, I got wise!! Anyway: All brands of clay can shrink. The ratio can be from 1% to 5%. I found it depends on the softness/stickiness of the clay--how much solvent and plasticizer is present. thus leached clay will shrink less than fresh clay. the thickness of the sheet seems to have an inverse relationship to shrinkage: a thinner #4 or 5 sheet will shrink more than a # 1 sheet... I suppose this is some factor of resistance and "stretch"; ie. the thicker piece has more body to resist the force of inward shrinkage. If what you are doing needs to be precise, I would suggest you either do a test piece and calculate your final cuts based on the shrinkage you find. Or cut your piece slightly larger than what is needed and trim or sand down to fit after baking. Patti Kimle
. . . someone also said their tiles didn't shrink when sandwiched between two bathroom tiles (while baking?)...

bubbles in clay sheets can be prevented if they are occurring by making sure no moisture or oil or air is introduced into the raw clay (especially when conditioning), and if layered on something sheets are rolled down from the middle outwards and brayered outwards to prevent trapped air which will swell with heating|
... if you do get bubbling, try weighting during baking and/or cooling with a tile (and piece of paper, to avoid shiny areas)

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