Polymer clay

We have a good warm weather in France right now, and I've planned in running a few half and full-marathon in the following months, except that my right knee completely prevents me from running more than 5 minutes. So I've been going from one doctor to an other, doing scans (while most of my friends who go for scans right now are probably pregnant...), x-rays to get to the conclusion that my right kneecap is a bit thin and slanted on one side and probably causes stress on the rest of the knee. They also found a bit of liquid in there but didn't seem to be a big deal. Finally I got physiotherapist sessions with electrodes to build up my right thigh (this is very weird that sensation when the alternative current makes the muscle contracts without me asking for it, it tickles hard inside my leg).

Anyhow, I can't go running! So I stay inside and play with food and Fimo!

Here it is, my new friend! The polymer clay! I'll say fimo, because it's shorter and it's one of the most popular brand. Alright, for those of you who are totally impermeable to crafts, I would certainly not do a good job in saying this is colored plastic clay like what you used to play with when you were kids. This is actually a colored clay, that you can do basically everything with! You can make shapes, you can mix colors, you can imprint whatever on it, even make patterns with sand, salt, sugar... anything. And you can paint then after you've baked them. 

So I've tried from a magazine, that was not the best colors I'll ever used, but still I got an idea of the concept.

I managed to make a flower and I tried to experiment a kiwi.

As you can see, I still have to practice!

I also saw people making pastries in Fimo. And macaroons were the perfect shape and colors for that kind of work!

And then I remembered Amélie and Julie's awesome work (see their blog, they really master this clay!). I asked for advices and Julie gave me a lesson! That was at her cozy place, with the 4 staring eyes of her daughters! During 4 great hours (sorry it took so long!), she taught me how to make color gradients in a pasta machine and how to build up canes. The canes are then used in thin slices to decorate beads for example. I had a really good time! Thank you so much!

P.S. I'm sorry for the crappy red saturated colors and the bad quality of the pictures in general. This is from my dad's point and shoot camera. I'll do a better job as soon as I come back to Toronto!