Jumping Clay

Jumping clay- $4.70 per 50gm found in Popular.

I consulted Kin on the clay to use and she recommended Jumping Clay. This clay feels similar to the soft clay I used that day, so it should be the same. Jumping clay really lives up to its name as it is really bouncy. Even if it is not rolled into a ball, it will still 'jump' upon landing on the ground. I don't like this feature though because when I accidentally drop small pieces of clay, it is so difficult to find it back! 

The packaging is great because you can reseal it back. However, it is best to keep it in another airtight container or ziploc bag to be double secure. Upon opening, you can smell the strong and nice jasmine scent. This is a very good difference from other clays which generally are not nice smelling. 

Jumping clay does not stick to your hand so much. It has a blue tack consistency and water can be added to increase moisture. There is no need for glue to stick the parts together. If there are cracks at any point, you cannot just blend it away, you need to re-knead it and apply some pressure while rolling the ball. 

I think that Jumping Clay does not take acrylic colours well. A lot of paint is required, but the colour still remains quite light. The paint should be blended in bit by bit, hence more kneading is required to get a darker colour. The result of the colour is also abit patchy dotty if you look closer, not evenly spread. Jumping clay is bad if you wish to get a darker shade. Super dough would fare better in this case.

Jumping clay is good for making irregular shapes, shaped with the bare hands. The shape also stays better because it is not so soft. After the clay dries, it is light and slightly squishy. When bent, it does not break. The dried clay (before gloss) seems to attract dust more than super dough. Surface feels less smooth and more sticky (in terms of texture of flat surface) when dried.

Fimo varnish works well with Jumping clay, providing a good shine. The finished product also feels harder after the varnish. However, when I tried to bend it, the dried varnish teared on the surface, leaving a wrinkly surface. 

Coloured Jumping Clay.

I thought that Jumping clay would get its colour by mixing the coloured ones with the white one. Hence, I bought a used gift set on carousell. It was all half dried when I received it so I added water. Never ever buy second hand clay unless totally sealed! 

The result is bright vibrant colours. But do note that jumping clay only comes in certain colours, so to get a special colour is a difficult task. Hence, I still prefer mixing acrylic paint to get colours. I think you can make more professional crafts than my cutesy examples below with better colours.

For the coloured clay, everything was good until I applied the fimo varnish. The varnish is not taken well by the coloured clay. Gosh it made me super disappointed. Somehow, the colour lightens upon contact as if the clay never dried because it mixed with the gloss. My octopus was wearing white shades before the gloss dries up and after it dries, my octopus looks like it is peeling from a sunburn. I don't think I would buy the coloured Jumping clay anymore.

The good points:

Add water to increase moisture,

Does not crack so much,
Does not break,
Parts stick together without glue,
Takes varnish well (white only),

Jasmine scented, 

Package is resealable,

The bad points:

Does not take acrylic colours well,

• Knead for a longer time 
• Fingers get tired 

Does not take varnish well (Coloured only)

The verdict: I may buy the white clay, but not the coloured ones. Ideal for models with lighter colours. I think this is more for figure making with no moulds. 

Bliss House Theme Restaurant

My birthday lunch at Bliss House, The Central. 

Bf researched on a place to bring me on my birthday and he thought that I would sure love this place. And sure did I! As we walked in, I was thinking to myself "wah so romantic feeling, well done!!". This place is a theme restaurant which has a lovey dovey ambience which suits my personality well haha. They probably spent a good deal of money decorating the place but it is absolutely lovely! 

They should change their menu since the words have faded already! Lol. I cannot remember the soup of the day but I think it tasted like borsch soup and it's yummy.

The staff was nice to recommend me a nicer range of vanilla milkshake but my ordered milkshake was not very good either. It didn't really have any hint of passionfruit. His oreo milkshake was good though.

While bf liked his grilled chicken, I found my cheesy pork chop very xin 腥. The porky taste is strong and not covered even with the cheese. The fries don't look so appetizing but it taste alright. The calamari is crispy and slightly saltish. I think this can be made better.

Their service is great, providing assistance to us promptly, delivering the food quickly and showing initiative to help us take photos. This is also an area catered specially for wedding events. The background decor is perfectly suited for such an occasion and great for photoshoots. 

I didn't dare to sit fully on this thingy because I'm not sure if we can even sit on it. So afraid that I would spoil it haha. 

My impression of this theme restaurant is quite positive. It is a place that gives off a happy and relaxing feeling. However, if you are a person who place more importance on the taste of the food, then this is not for you in my opinion.

Paulinda Super Dough

After Daiso clay, I went to search for a better air dry clay. At Artfriend, I bought Paulinda Super Dough [$2.95, 40gm] and Jovi clay [$6.95, 1kg]. There is a bigger tub of super dough but I played safe and bought a smaller portion first. Super dough also comes in different colours but I prefer mixing acrylic paint into the white one. 

As super dough comes in this small container, I am not sure how air tight it is. Hence, I transferred everything into a ziplock bag. It is so soft and extremely sticky! Look at how it sticks to my fingers. Eventually I found a way to make it "unstick" my fingers. You have to use a part of the clay and keep tapping and dabbing on the fingers filled with it, and the clay would then become one whole.

I think super dough is great with acrylic colours, but the additional moisture makes it even more sticky! I can knead the clay till my thumb gets tired and achy. This pencil is abit ugly here. But because the clay is super soft, it does not take shapes that well. Due to this reason also, it changes shape very easily before it dries, therefore you need to take note of the pressure while holding the model. You can't use it with moulds or cutter too as it would stick to them. This clay is better for figurines you can knead with your bare hands. The parts stick together without any glue. It does not crack like Daiso soft clay since it is so moist. 

Super dough should dry totally in 2-3 days, to a lightweight finish. It is squishy but firm at the same time. I tried to test whether it would break by bending the pencil, but it does not! It should be quite durable in this sense even though it does not dry hard. It works well with my fimo gloss varnish too. 

I learnt how to make this unicorn on youtube. Since super dough produces great colours when mixed with acrylic paint, I used it for the colourful mane by twisting long strands of the clay. However, the strands all stuck together because it is too soft and sticky. The end result does not show the layering effect of the strands.

The good points:

Add water to increase moisture [you probably don't even need to],
Mixes well with acrylic paint,
Does not crack,
Does not break,
Parts stick together without glue, 
Takes varnish well,

The bad points:

Does not take moulds and cutter well,

Too soft and sticky,

• Changes shape easily before dry, 
• Knead for a longer time 
• Fingers get tired

The verdict: I would not buy it again but I think this clay is still okay. I saw their youtube video, using their clay to make some models. It does not look so sticky and it even can be cut into pieces. My recommendation would be to let it dry for awhile before use.