April's Review	Andrea's Review	Chris's Review	Renee's Review	Lynn Anne's Review

Review by April

I have always admired clay creations, but really have not had much experience using clay myself. I have some stashed away in my scrap room, but couldn't tell you where it is. It's one of those mediums I have always hoped I could learn more about, but have never taken the time to until now. I always look forward to trying new things, so I was excited to be included in this review. Someday I would love to create beautiful clay art pieces and jewelry, but I would also like to find ways to incorporate clay into my scrapbook layouts and altered paper crafts.

For this review, I received several 3oz. bars of Kato Polyclay, one 8oz bottle of Liquid Polyclay, and a Kato Clay Roller. I was extremely happy with the clay colors. The metallics were beautiful and sparkly, and the earth tones and brights were all rich in color, and to my surprise, stayed the same even after baking! The Liquid Polyclay is considered a clear medium and can be used for a variety of things like providing a clear finish, to add glazing effects, for photo-transfers, to make mosaic grout, it helps soften clay, and can even be used as an adhesive! The Kato clay Roller is a wonderful tool used to condition polymer clay, roll out sheets of clay, smooth clay surfaces, and helps when squaring up canes. It was 8" in length, had a non-stick surface, and cleans up easily.

I was very interested in trying out the Liquid Polyclay on my first project. I used my Kato Clay roller and a pasta machine to roll out a sheet of copper Polyclay, then cut out a frame using an exacto knife. I applied copper metallic paint to the edges, then coated the entire thing in liquid polyclay. I also used the same copper clay to create the flower and stem embellishment for my page. After baking all the pieces, I added a little more paint, and some glitter pen doodling and journaling. The frame coated in liquid polyclay, came out with a glossy smooth finish, a beautiful glazed effect, and the best part was that the finish made it easy to add pen work to the clay. I am anxious to use the liquid polyclay for photo-transferring!

Title: Silly Love
Materials Used:
Clay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Polymer Clay Roller (Van Aken Kato Clay Roller)
Liquid Polyclay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay) Paint (Ranger Paint Dabber)
Pens (Sakura Gelly Roll)
Stickers (Making Memories)
Buttons (Autumn Leaves)
Stamps (Fancy Pants)
Rub ons (EK Success)
Arrow (Heidi Swapp)
Rhinestones (Making Memories, & Heidi Swapp)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, K&Company Quick Dry Craft Bond)

I love creating all types of magnets, and I thought the Polyclay would be great to use on my next set of holiday magnets. First, I used the clay roller to roll the clay over the rubber stamp images. Then I trimmed the clay outside of the stamped image, added a little paint, and baked them. Afterwards, I embellished them with glitter glue, alcohol ink, and rhinestones. I adhered magnets to the back of each one and was very pleased with the results.

Title: Holiday Magnets
Materials Used:
Clay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Polymer Clay Roller (Van Aken Kato Clay Roller)
Paint (Ranger Paint Dabber)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Alcohol Ink (Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink)
Rhinestones (Making Memories & Heidi Swapp)
Magnets (Hobby Lobby)
Stamp (unknown) Adhesive (E600)

For my third project, I made a cute charm bracelet for my daughter. I wanted it to be bright and fun, so I used stamped images like butterflies, flowers, and little chicks! The blue and purple clays I received were my favorite, so I not only used them as is, but also combined them to create unique colors for the charms. I forgot to poke holes in a couple of the charms before I baked them, but this worked out well because I discovered I could use my Crop-a-dile to easily punch the holes in the charms even after they had been out of the oven for over 5 minutes.

Title:Charm Bracelet
Materials Used:
Clay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Polymer Clay Roller (Van Aken Kato Clay Roller)
Paint (Ranger Paint Dabber)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Stamps (Fancy Pants, October Afternoon)
Bracelet (7gypsies)

I will be honest and admit that I basically just broke open the clay and dove right in. At first I found the clay to be a little harder to condition then a couple of others I had tried before, but once I finally got it flat enough to run through the pasta machine, all was good and it was easy to recondition. It was not until later that I realized there were specific instructions on the back of the Kato Clay Roller stating in detail the easiest way to condition the clay...which would have been very helpful and I believe made my entire clay experience more fun. I also visited the Van Aken website, and discovered all sorts of interesting facts about the clay and their other products, not to mention the best way to condition the clay. I am very glad I got the chance to experiment with this clay and I loved the end results of all my creations. I thought the clay embellishments really added a cool effect and provided great dimension on my scrapbook layout. I loved the fact that all of my creations only took 10 minutes to bake, and after cooling for just a short while, were ready to go. I would definitely recommend Van Aken Kato Polyclay to all clay enthusiasts and other beginners like myself.

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Review by Andrea

Polymer clay is a medium that is a must to explore. Like many crafting options, clay has multiple manufacturers with each of their products performing a little differently. A friend had told me that she saw a demo of Van Aken's Kato Polyclay a year or so ago and that it's characteristics were fantastic - beautifully colored, conditions easily and remains somewhat flexible after cooking. Hmmmmm, all of those sound interesting since 2 out of the 3 are consistently reasons for why crafters don't like working with clay - the difficulty in conditioning and easy breakage after cooking. Needless to say, I was very anxious to start working with the clay as soon as soon as I could!

We received a great variety of 3 oz bars of Kato Polyclay ranging from the bright colors of red and ultra blue to metallics like gold and copper. Each bar was wrapped in cellophane with the color on it and baking instructions easily readable for quick reference. We also received an 8" long acrylic roller used to condition the clay. It's a great tool because it's solid, has a definite weight to it and is clear to see what you're doing with your work space. The cardboard piece that the roller comes packaged to has a wealth of information on the back - how to condition the clay, smooth it, square up canes and how to clean the roller after use. One of the best features to the roller is that it is non-stick - a great one when working with clay!

As soon as I started working with the clay, I noticed a difference. There was a slight elastic feel to the clay allowing for easy rolling and slicing to start the conditioning process. When working with clay, it must be "conditioned" which means to work with the clay to make it supple. As the clay is rolled using an acrylic roller or pulsed in a warm hand, the clay responds by getting softer and more pliable. A clay machine (basically a pasta machine) is a great help in working the clay faster and more consistently. By slicing and making a couple passes with the acrylic roller, the Kato Polyclay is ready for the clay machine. Within 5-8 passes through the clay machine on the thickest setting (meaning the rollers are the furthest apart), the clay is pliable and ready to work with for the next activity. I found that the darker colors needed more passes through the clay machine to condition it to the level of the lighter colors done in fewer passes.

Speaking of colors, they are terrific! This first project includes some of the brightest colors in our package: yellow, orange and magenta. I couldn't resist making some wine charms from mini quilt patterns. The patterns were easy to use and by following some instruction from the PageSage DVD Millefiori Story, the 4 charms were complete in a short time. I added some texture by using different rolling wheels along the quilt patterns and completed each charm by wrapping a black and white striped cane around the outside, a charm and some wire. What a neat gift for a friend or I may keep them for myself!

Title: Clay Quilt Wine Charms
Materials Used:
Clay, Acrylic Roller and Blade (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Clay Machine (AMACO)
Clay Texture Tools (TENseconds Studio)
Project Inspiration (PageSage Millefiori Story)
Quilt Patterns (www.taunton.com)
Charms (Maya Road)
Wire (unknown)

Making clay embellishments for scrapbook pages is a natural for polymer clay also. To make the faux rope accent on this page, I rolled 3 thin canes of brown Polyclay to braid. After braiding them, the rope was formed into the shape that worked on the page, then flattened for the scrapbook page. Since the rope looked a bit too smooth, I again went to the texture wheels for some added visual and tactile interest. The slanted line wheel brought a nice rope look to the clay. A couple metal western buckle embellishments went well on the end of the rope after using craft glue to secure the clay to the page.

Title:Western Win
Materials Used:
Clay, Acrylic Roller and Blade (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Clay Machine (AMACO)
Clay Texture Tools (TENseconds Studio)
Patterned Paper (Flair Designs, Horsin' Around)
Acrylic Fragments, Grungeboard and Texture Hammer (Tim Holtz)
Alcohol Ink (Jacquard Pinata)
Flowers (Prima Sprites)
Letters (Heidi Swapp Iron-ons)
Paint (Ranger: Copper and Black)
Ink (Colorbox Fluid Chalk: Dark Brown)
Stickles (Ranger)
Sketch (ScrapFriends)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

My favorite color combination is red, black and white, so I used those vivid colors to create a cover embellishment for a metal business card holder. The "A" was cut from the base red clay and some yellow clay went in that location for some added color. The black and white border was left over from the wine charm project, so I wrapped that around the red clay and distorted it a little more to look like a zebra print. The clay baked up like a charm within 10 minutes and remained supple like leather. That extra tactile feel is terrific for this business card holder, making it easier to open to hand out a card.

Title:Altered Business Card Holder
Materials Used:
Clay, Acrylic Roller & Blade (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Letter Cutter (Makin's Clay)
Business Card Holder (Dollar Store)

I totally agree with Van Aken's claims of easy conditioning and handling with no crumbling. Other clays tend to be brittle, especially when first opening the package to work with it off the block. The colors are consistent throughout the block and I found no color change after baking. The Van Aken web site claims that Kato Polyclay is the strongest polymer clay on the market and is priced very competitively for the package size and performance. The site also says that the clay utilizes vacuum processing to remove internal air pockets. I would say that in doing that process, Kato Polyclay stays semi-pliable after baking making it the strongest clay available. I also found that even leaving the bars open has not make them rigid or less pliable, at least for a couple weeks now.

If you're even toying with the idea of trying polymer clay or work with a different brand in your current projects, you need to definitely try Kato Polyclay. It is a real treat to work with - and this comes from someone with arthritis in her fingers and thumbs! Enjoy your clay crafting even more by using Kato.

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Review by Chris

There are two major brands of clay that are commonly available in the mass market. And then there is a third brand that, in my opinion, is much better, for reasons that I’ll share throughout this review. This third clay, Kato PolyClay produced by Van Aken, is by far the best. It is also much harder, at least for me, to find in the local retail market, which is very frustrating. It’s not more expensive, and in fact it is less expensive when you consider that the small block of Kato is 3 ounces and the small block of the other two brands it just 2 ounces.

What are the differences and why do I think it’s better? Clay must be “conditioned” before you can create with it. This is a little like kneading bread. It’s a process of working the clay, by kneading in some fashion, until it has softened and blended into itself. This can be accomplished with just your hands, or by using a roller, or the easiest way is to use a pasta machine (devoted solely to clay – don’t use your clay machine to make real spaghetti!). The Kato clay conditions with much less effort and time and becomes suppler, with no crumbling. Of course the pasta machine makes the process very quick and easy, however conditioning even by hand and then using some type of roller to smooth out the final sheet of clay is easily accomplished with the Kato clay. Yet while being worked, this clay does not become over-conditioned and sticky. Sticky clay is no fun and it requires that you stop working and wait, often hours or overnight, before you can start up again. I don’t know about you, but once I’m on a roll (no pun intended), I don’t want to have to stop and do something else for hours.

Another difference, in my experience, is the trueness of the color from the soft to the baked state. I find the colors truer with the Kato clay so I am not disappointed in the outcome of my project. Also, once baked the Kato clay remains slightly flexible, preventing breakage during manipulation. I once created several ATC card bases from the Kato clay. They are firm yet flexible and I don’t worry about them breaking, cracking or chipping.

The final major difference for me, as I have already mentioned, is the price. The Kato Polyclay is a more reasonable purchase per ounce.

The challenge for me was not in working with the Kato clay, which is a delight. It was in creating a successful clay project. I attempted the canes demonstrated in the PageSage DVD, Millefiori Story with a modicum of success. My checkerboards certainly need work! In creating the charms for this project, I certainly relied on my pasta machine. However, once my stripes and checkerboard sheets were assembled, the Kato solid acrylic rod clay roller was indispensable. This acrylic rod did not stick to my clay and certainly helped me fashion smooth, flat sheets from my pieced clay strips.

Title:Charm Bracelet
Materials Used:
Kato Polyclay, black and white
Clay roller (Kato Clay Roller)
Charm bracelet and jump rings
Inspired by PageSage Millefiori Story DVD

I love the look of the extruded canes as shown in the PageSage DVD Millefiori Story and I decided that I wanted to try that technique. So I purchased a small metal extruder from my local craft and hobby store. It was a learning experience, to say the least. Once I got my clay conditioned, I created the cane as demonstrated in the DVD by piling small circles of clay on top of each other. Once that stack was rolled out to the proper diameter, I inserted it into the extruder. I tried this with the “other” clay and then with the Kato clay and I can say that the Kato clay went through the extruder much easier. I did spray a little WD40 into the barrel for each type of clay. Once the cane was extruded, it was easy work to create the beads. Once they were baked, I created the bracelet. When the Kato clay first emerged from the oven, it was slightly discolored, but after cooling, the colors were the same as they were in the raw form.

Title:Extruded bead bracelet
Materials Used:
Clay (Van Aken, Kato PolyClay, violet, magenta, green, white)
Roller (Van Aken, Kato PolyClay)
Various bead findings
Inspired by PageSage Millefiori Story DVD

I vowed I would not even attempt the tessellation as demonstrated in the PageSage DVD Millefiori Story. But, I could not resist. The colors of the Kato polyclay are quite vivid and contrast well when paired together in a complex cane. I followed the instructions in the DVD to create a cane which, when tessellated, produced this gorgeous charm. Granted the tessellation is less than perfect, but not too bad for a first attempt. Creating a tessellation requires an extended amount of time working with the various canes, and through-out the construction stages, the Kato clay remained firm yet malleable, but not sticky. The Kato polyclay is really perfect a clay to use for a project that takes an extended amount of working time.

Title:Tessellated charm
Materials Used:
Clay (Van Aken, Kato PolyClay, red, green, black, white, gold)
Roller (Van Aken, Kato PolyClay)
Inspired by PageSage Millefiori Story DVD

Van Aken’s Kato PolyClay is truly the preferred clay available on the market today. It’s ease of conditioning, color reliability, flexibility once baked and price value all join together to create a product with the best value. Although it may be difficult to locate, it is well worth the extra effort!

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Review by Renee

Every since I was a child, I have loved working with clay. I always loved the smell and feel of a new package of playdoh. I would make all kinds of clay projects until the clay colors were so mixed that they were an unrecognizable shade of grey. As an adult, I began working with air dried clay, incorporating this medium into my scrapbooking. However, the one type of clay I have always steered clear of has been the polymer clays. For some reason, I have always been intimidated by the process of using them. Even though I was intimidated, I always loved to watch Donna Kato as she worked with the clays.

For this review, I got my chance to work with polymer clay. I received seventeen different shades of Van Aken Kato Polyclay. I received nine shades of regular colors including yellow, orange, red, green, blue, white, violet, magenta and turquoise. In addition, I received eight shades which were more earthy in color. These included translucent, beige flesh, copper, silver, gold, black, and brown. Each clay package contained a generous three ounces of clay. This was more than enough clay to make several projects using each shade. I also received the Kato acrylic roller to work with while I used the product.

For my first project, I wanted to try the modern styled necklaces that I often saw on the televised craft shows. This was one type of project that I found air dried clay to be unsuited for, due to it’s feather light weight. I began by rolling out the clay somewhat with the acrylic roller, to get it flat enough to feed through my pasta machine. I was impressed to find that the clay did not stick to the rollers at all as I had expected it would. I also found the clay quite easy to condition and work with. I used the copper shade and fell in love with the rich, slightly metallic look of this clay. I was quite pleased with the oblong pendant that I ended up with. The weight was heavy enough to handle well, but not too heavy to wear.

Title:Clay necklace
Materials Used:
Polymer Clay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Clay Roller (Van Aken Kato Acrylic roller)
Ribbon (Wright)
Pasta Machine

For my second project, I decided to go back to my prior projects and try a project that I often used in scrapbooking. I decided to try clay tiles for use on a card. I used a roll of the copper clay to cut small tiles for stamping letters. Once conditioned, the clay was very easy to roll out. It cut easily and shaped well for my tiles. I loved the texture from the clay and loved how it held it’s shape when stamping into it. I also really like the way the tiles baked up. The look and feel is much like leather, something I was not expecting. I plan to try this technique again using a buckle template because of the look I got from baking the copper clay.

Title: Love Card
Materials Used:
Polymer Clay (Van Aken Kato Polyclay)
Clay Roller (Van Aken Kato Acrylic roller)
Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Scenic Route)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I was very pleased with the projects I made from the Kato Polyclay. After being initially a little intimated by the clay, I found it very easy to work with. I will definitely be using it again for other scrapbook embellishments as it stamps extremely well and has a beautiful finished look to it. I also really enjoyed making the necklace. If you ever thought you might like working with polymer clay, this one is for you.

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Review by Lynn Anne

Polymer clay, a user-friendly clay that 'cures' in the oven instead of a more a specialized kiln, used to be known mostly to either camp counselors or professional artisans. In recent years, however, its flexibility and ease of use has won it a spot at the table of papercrafters everywhere. As a result, a minute's stop at a craft store can yield a variety of brands, formulas, characteristics, colors and tools from which to choose. Kato Polyclay is a known quantity in the polymer clay market. The brainstorm of Donna Kato, a polymer clay artist who teamed up with Van Aken to produce an improved version of the clays she'd been working on for years, Kato Polyclay is a 'hard' clay available in standard colors as well as translucent, metallic, and pearl varieties. Kato also produces a line of clay tools, of which I was sent an 8" acrylic rod called a Clay Roller.

I used to pick up the softest clays I could find, since I had no tools but my hands to work with and I didn't think they were up to the challenge of a 'harder' clay. (Note that all polymer clays can be conditioned by hand...I was just intimidated by the thought!) Softer clays have some downsides, though - the most concerning for me at the time was how sticky it could be to work with - and by the time I started trying out the Kato, I had acquired a pasta machine in addition to the acrylic rod. To begin conditioning each slice of clay, I rolled over it a few times with the roller to get it going, then let the pasta machine do the bulk of the work. Kato advertises its clays as 'no-crumble,' which I found to be true with the standard colors such as the Brights. The Metallics did crumble a fair deal in the beginning of the conditioning process, and the Pearl less so. It didn't take but a couple of passes through the machine before they were holding together nicely.

The wonderful thing about papercrafting with polymer clay is that you if you can think up an embellishment, you can make it with clay. Short a button in the right color? Not a problem. Title lettering? Easy-peasy with a set of clay cutters or cookie cutters. I love working with coordinating paper/embellishment collections, but when I saw this coffee themed patterned paper on its lonesome I still had to have it. Paired with a couple of my favorite Kato colors, Metallic Gold and Copper, coordinating title letters, button embellishment and curlicue didn't take long to make. The heart was shaped freehand using a craft knife, with the holes added after baking the clay using a Crop-a-dile tool. I knew Kato advertised as a strong clay, so I was hoping my piece wouldn't crumble if I tried to punch holes in it - no problem, strong and resilient! Holes can be placed while the clay is still soft using a needle tool or similar, but I much prefer the control and lack of distortion when using a hole punch. Title lettering was cut from a set of clay cutters (which look just like miniature cookie cutters), baked and adhered when finished with a liquid adhesive. The finished polymer pieces are very lightweight - another papercrafting plus - so it's not difficult to convince most adhesives to keep them on the page!

Title:Coffee Girl
Materials Used:
Kato Metallic Polyclay by Van Aken (copper, gold)
Kato Clay Roller
Kato NuFlex Clay Blade
Sweet Bella Blooms by Scissor Sisters
Stickles glitter glue by Ranger
Glossy Accents by Ranger
Drinks Delight stickers by EK Success
Permanent Bond Glue Runner by Ad Tech
Metallic Cardstock by Prism
Patterned Paper by Flair Designs (coffee) and Diane's Daughters
Craf-T Metallic Rub-ons

I love stamping and I especially love the textures that can be achieved by stamping in clay. When I wanted to create a stamped label for this spice jar with a favorite rubber stamp, I found some pretty clay leftover from my recent layout, rolled it out again, and stamped it with ink. After baking the 'label' right on the jar (sans its cover), I colored in parts of the image with metallic rubons. A similar label could have been created with paper, but using clay means I don't have to worry about using it near water or greasy hands in the kitchen...the cured clay won't stain the way cardstock would!

Title: "Apple Pie Spice"
Materials Used:
Kato Polyclay by Van Aken (copper, beige flesh)
Kato Clay Roller
Kato NuFlex Clay Blade
Metallic Rub-ons by Craf-T (coloring the stamped image)
Adirondack Ink
Stampin' Up! stamp
Making Memories acrylic paint
Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Ink
Fiber

Kato's Translucent clay deserves a special mention. Translucent clay allows light to pass through it, whether left as-is (a somewhat creamy coloring) or colored with another translucent medium, such as alcohol inks. Beautiful effects can be achieved by creating projects such as clay-covered glass candle jars or nightlights. For papercrafting or jewelry making, layering translucent clay over reflective foils can lead to stunning embellishments as well. This is the Kato clay I ran out of first, and the one I'm going to be re-stocking first as well.

After I'd finished a number of projects with the different Kato clays, I promised my children they could make something too - they had hovered closer than was probably safe throughout every step of every project, wanting to help with anything I'd allow them to help with. Since they're four and two, I felt the small clay lettering would be too difficult for them to punch with, so we went to the supermarket and picked up a couple of sets of inexpensive plastic cookie cutters for them to try. But...how could I resist making a snowman along with them?

This was the project where the Kato Clay Roller came out from its smaller role to date, and really ended up saving the day! This 8" acrylic rod retails for $3.99. I have no idea what I was thinking to have used clay without it in the past. The Clay Roller has a number of applications for claying: conditioning clay prior to use, blending different colors, flattening sides of clay canes to make squares shapes, and attaching various pieces of raw clay to each other are a few of the more common ones. It is also apparently useful for attaching other items to clay before baking - in this case, Magic Mesh! I had seen a project at a Magic Mesh convention booth years ago that had incorporated mesh and clay together in an altered photo frame and I loved the look, but had been completely unable to replicate it at home. No matter how I tried to get that Mesh embedded in raw clay, it stuck to my hands or whatever I was trying to press it in with, and pulled right back out. It occurred to me after I'd cut my snowman shape (from the beautifully shimmery Pearl) that the roller might work to embed that Magic Mesh. I cut a little hat for frosty and voila! I can't believe something I'd put so much effort into unsuccessfully a while back took so little effort with the right tool.

Title:Let It Snow Card
Materials Used:
Kato Polyclay by Van Aken (pearl, yellow, red, white, black)
Michael Miller Fabric Paper
Prism Cardstock
Fine Weave Magic Mesh
Kato acrylic Clay Roller
Kato Nuflex Clay Blade
Dymo tape labels
Heart 'buttons' technique learned from Page Sage's "Millefiori Story" DVD
Ad Tech Permanent Glue Runner

In addition to providing a creative solution for the Mesh, the roller also helped me out big-time when my pasta machine suddenly stopped working right in the middle of the project. Clay had become backed up in the machine, and I couldn't get a smooth sheet - and I really didn't have the time to take everything apart right then and there to fix it. (Remember that two impatient preschoolers were chomping at the bit to cut out their shapes!) At the height of my frustration, I remembered the Clay Roller at my elbow, and I was able to finish conditioning and shaping the acrylic rod instead. The Clay Roller then finished the job for me by attaching the button and scarf shapes so they could be baked together into a single finished piece.

Kato Polyclay has a user-friendly website at katopolyclay.com that includes tips, an image gallery and even instructions for sample projects. I admit to some confusion when I realized that the baking instructions on the packaging (300 degrees F for ten minutes, no thicknesses mentioned) and on the website (275 degrees F, 30 minutes for every 1/4" thickness) were different. I made some projects using one set of instructions and others using the other, and if one method was better than the other I can't tell which it would have been. All seem to have cured properly.

Every piece I've created thus far with Kato Polyclay has turned into a lightweight, strong, and hassle-free custom embellishment or project I've enjoyed making. So the only thing left to ask - what kind of a value is this stuff? Kato prides itself on offering hobby-crafter sized blocks in a 3oz size - that's a full ounce, or 50%, larger than other brands - for nearly the same price. I checked, and they're right. I found one leading brand selling 2 oz. for $1.50 and two others pricing 2oz. at $1.75. Kato's 3oz blocks sell at that same $1.75 for spectral and neutral colors, with the metallics going for $2.25. For an even greater value, Van Aken also offers a larger 12.5 oz size for around $8.00 apiece. If Kato hadn't become my clay of choice after the success and ease I had working with it, the greater value would have worked to tip the scales anyway. And I can't imagine another claying day without my Kato Clay Roller, either. I've been very impressed with Van Aken's clay products, and recommend them with confidence to novices and more experienced clayers alike.

For more information visit Van Aken