12 Squared Simple Gifts - Polymer Clay Plant Picks and OMG Anxiety about a penpal swap!

The mission... fulfil the prompt below in a flat(ish) penpal swap and send by July 15th.

The Prompt:

Send something blue, and something not round. Something that represents you and something they can put in the ground. And then include something you believe represents them!

The challenges:

• Sending out of country, so less than 2oz - and NON MACHINABLE may or may not be ignored.
• AND... even harder... only 2 questions were asked of the people in the swap... 

• Q: Are there any items you simply do not wish to receive? "Washi. Kitchy stuff."
• Q: Are there any hints you can give your partner about what you really like and enjoy? "Book related things. Something that has to do with photography (or art)"

Sooooo... not my usual style, not my usual art... not anything I actually already have made. Don't use my art in my cards or anything I've done for the shop. Too kitschy. And get it out in a couple of days.

The solution:

A cute square She Seed card from Soul_Positive by Kristi Nazzaro, one of my snail mail stickers (total tat... totally kitschy... but it's ONE STICKER DAMNIT and I'm PROUD OF THEM!), the gorgeous plant pick being made below and a fun photo postcard. (that's blue, not round, something representing me, something to put in the ground and something I think represents her.) Oh, and a little note. NOT cleverly folded or anything else potentially off-putting. LMAO (and between me and you, I'm CERTAIN I'm being theatrically over dramatic about this... it's also just funny to be "by the book" on this one.)

HOW TO MAKE POLYMER CLAY PLANT PICS THAT CAN MAIL IN FLAT MAIL

Ingredients:

• Wire or paper clips, unfolded
• Jewelry tools including: wire cutter and round nose pliers (or whatever pliers you have)
• Cardboard or other flat mailing material to affix the wire to (you've got it easier than me here... remember, no washi! lmao I'll have to get creative and not break the rules)
• Sculpey or other brand of polymer clay - just a small amount
• Wooden, rubber or other stamps
• Pencil or other pointy tool to make a hole in the clay
• Access to an oven to bake your clay
• Acrylic paint
• Sealing glaze (Sculpey brand is good, Triple Thick is better... UV Resin is the best)
• Jute or other natural cord
• Cardstock or cardboard for mailing

Instructions:

From here it's just fast photos, there's really no difference here between making ornaments or making these cute hanging plant pics except the hook from wire, and how I'm packaging them to ship (I've decided to be an asshole and use clear packing tape over bubble wrap. LMAO it's not washi.)

even with the camera these are all less than 1/4" thick

Roll clay out thin (less than 1/4 of an inch) and decorate, stamp, poke hole for hanging ribbon and do all the things "pre bake" that you're planning. (note my supervisor making sure I don't get flappy with my arms! That's Thor... he's a little snuggly some days. LOL)

Bake the clay. Lightly sand where necessary (flat parts touching the pan will pick up a gloss, so just sand it lightly to remove the shine - I bake on a piece of cardboard or cardstock to avoid this) and then paint. Seal. Apply jute cord. 

Fold the wire, note that I'm being specific that the loop, hook shape and everything else lays flat to the paper backing. This will make it flat in the packaging. :D Package. Remember to include instructions how to attach the charm/clay piece to the wire.

And how it will look going in the packaging... lets pray it all survives shipping and first the USPS and then German mail services! And that my swap partner gets me being an asshole as funny and doesn't just think I'm a tactless American asshole sending her tack. Either is possible. LMAO

And final weight... 

Cost to mail... just standard international mailing stamp... $1.40 and mark the 

HELL out of the package NON MACHINABLE!!! (apparently in German this is 

"keine maschinelle Sortierung durchführen" so that will be included as well.) LOL

And if you find this Viv... you can tell ME... was I right to be THIS overly anxious sending you something I really want you to like? LMAO did I hit the target or totally miss the mark?

and btw... last note... this is my first hosted swap for the league and... yeah... panic CITY... they were all so awesome and encouraging and enthusiastic that they took the fear out of it right away - so I sent everyone a cute school note style note and some stickers and little bits. Except my swap partner. She got a She Seed. Because the snail pushes tat and kitch far enough. :D Remember, I want her to LIKE this! LOL