scuplt fruit

Colourizing Fimo (Click thumbnails for larger images)
	Materials: Fimo SOFT white modelling clay (This technique works equally well with white Sculpey clay) Acrylic paint		Stage 1 Ensure your hands are clean before starting. Remove a small piece of clay from the pack, and work it around in your hands to make it more pliable.		Stage 2 Flatten the clay by pressing or rolling it out, and add a small amount of neat acrylic paint.
	Stage 3 Fold the clay over the paint, then squeeze and fold the clay repeatedly. This will be a little messy and you will end up with some of the paint on your hands.		Stage 4 Continue to work the paint into the clay - rolling the clay into a long sausage and then folding it back into a ball works pretty well.		Stage 5 Keep going until you have achieved a fairly uniform colour. At this point, if you require a darker shade you can add more paint and repeat the process from Stage 2.

The reasons for colouring the clay in this way may not be immediately obvious but here are a few.

1) It saves having to buy a complete block of Fimo for a small amount of a certain colour.

2) The pieces do not need to be painted, although, if you want to add a few details they are already "basecoated".

3) The colours can be mixed just like normal Fimo.

 

	Fimo Pumpkins (Click thumbnails for larger images)
	Materials: Coloured Fimo - orange and dark green Modelling tool or knife Cocktail stick		Stage 1 Remove a suitable piece of orange clay, and roll it into a ball. Pumpkins vary a lot in size, so you have a lot of freedom to experiment. This one is about 1 cm (0.4") across.		Stage 2 Using a modelling tool or the blade of a knife, make small indentations in the clay. Start each line at the top, and finish at the bottom of the pumpkin.
	Stage 3 Continue to make indentations all around the pumpkin.		Stage 4 Using a cocktail stick, or other suitable tool, make a small hole in the top of the pumpkin.		Stage 5 Add a small stalk from the dark green clay into the hole. Cook the finished piece(s) as per the instructions on the clay.

 

	Fimo Oranges (Click thumbnails for larger images)
	Materials: Coloured Fimo - orange Coarse sandpaper (about P80 grade)		Stage 1 Remove a suitable piece of orange clay, and roll it into a ball. The ball should be roughly 2-3mm (about 1/10") across.		Stage 2 Roll the ball around on the sandpaper to texture the surface, and cook as per the instructions on the clay. Other citrus fruits can be made using suitable colours of clay and the same technique to add texture.

 

	Fimo Sweetcorn (Click thumbnails for larger images)
	Materials: Coloured Fimo - pale yellow and green Fine sieve or other mesh		Stage 1 Roll the yellow clay into a sausage about 2-3mm (about 1/10") in diameter. Cut a section about 12mm (1/2") long.		Stage 2 Press the clay firmly into the sieve mesh to produce the texture, and remove carefully.
	Stage 3 Gently squeeze the edges of piece, to form it into a roughly cylindrical shape. note that the back will not have any texture.  Place in the fridge or freezer to make the clay a bit less pliable.		Stage 4 Roll the green clay into a similar-sized sausage as the yellow, and then flatten it out with a suitable roller - a small jar or paint bottle works well.		Stage 5 Wrap the yellow piece carefully inside the green, covering the untextured portion of the cob. Cook the finished piece(s) as per the instructions on the clay.

 

	Fimo Cabbages (Click thumbnails for larger images)
	Materials: Coloured Fimo - light green		Stage 1 Roll the clay into a sausage about 6mm (1/4") in diameter. Roll this flat with a suitable roller - a small jar works well. Try to get it as this as you can without it splitting up.		Stage 2 Tear a strip of clay about 6mm (1/4") wide, leaving a jagged edge.
	Stage 3 Roll up the strip. The rough edge should now give you the central leaves of the cabbage. Once the cabbage reaches a suitable size, tear off the end of the strip.		Stage 4 Tear off a couple more pieces from the flat clay piece - these will become the outer leaves. A gentle curved edge is better, like the one on the left.		Stage 5 Wrap the outer leaves around the outside of the cabbage. Try not to press on the upper edges, but make sure the lower parts are securely adhered.
	Stage 6 The cabbage will probably be too "long" now.   If it is, carefully trim off the excess with a knife.		Stage 7 Gently round off the sharp edges where you have cut. Cook the piece(s) as per the instructions on the clay.		Stage 8 If you like, you can add veins to the outside leaves, with a fine brush and some thinned white paint.