Nellin Shoppi: How to make a polymer clay cat bookmark

Here is how I make my polymer clay cat bookmarks, step by step.

Materials and tools that you need to make this:

Polymer clay

Toothpick or similar stick

Baking paper (to cover surfaces)

Lacquer (I use waterproof lacquer that takes 30 minutes to dry)

Your choice paper (I used orange, pink and golden papers as in the picture above.)

1-1,5mm thick cardboard (2 pieces, one for molding the cat, other for the bookmark itself)

Super glue

Paper glue or Erikeeper

Brush for the lacquer (and glue is you use Erikeeper)

Book (to help drying the cats)

For the cat you need polymer clay, wooden stick and some thick cardboard.

Make a ball out of polymer clay. If the ball is too big, the cat will be fat
if it is too small then it will be harder to handle.

Slowly make the ball longer and evenly thick.

Slowly bend the clay and make it longer, while keeping it evenly thick.

This is how it should look like now.

Pinch the ends of he clay with your fingers to make small legs for the cat.

The legs should look like this.

Both side legs done.

Now attach the cat to the cardboard and press the legs a bit so it
keeps the body still and stuck on the cardboard.

Measure a small ball of polymer clay that is the right size for the head.

Shape the head for the cat by hand. I like to keep them simple.

Use the stick to attach the head to make sure it sticks well.

Measure a tail for the cat. I like them quite long.

You can model the tail like this to see if it's a good size.

Shape the tail of the cat.

Use the stick again to attach the tail properly.

Remove the cat carefully from the cardboard and it is ready!
If you can't remove your cat from the cardboard, don't panic.
Put the cat in the fridge or freezer for a while (15min) and it will be easier to take off.

This time I made four cats.

Bake the cats like it says in the polymer clay instructions.
(I bake them for 30 minutes in 130 celsius)

I sand all my creations to remove the fingerprints and other marks I don't want in the cats.

Sanding makes the polymer clay grey.

Difference between sanded and not sanded cat.
After sanding the cats its time to put the lacquer on.

You need a book, thick card board, brush and lacquer.

Use the cardboard when you paint the lacquer on so you don't leave fingerprints on the cat.
Put 2 or 3 layers of the lacquer to make it nice and shiny.

Use the book to leave them dry like this.

This is how my four cats looked like after all the layers of lacquer.

You need cardboard for the bookmarks, paper glue or Erikeeper
(I watered the erikeeper down about 50/50) brush, your choice colored or patterned paper.

Put glue on one side of the cardboard and glue it to the paper. make sure
there's no wrinkles. Then cut out with scissors and make the other side too.