CUTTINGEDGEDieSets

Sets? Ready... Go!
We are pleased to present the newest product line in our collection of precision tools for polymer clay: The Cutting Edge Die Sets.
Specifically designed for this medium, our Die Sets have been the companion tool to one of our most popular workshops, Relief Beyond Belief. Now, they accompany the debut of our first digital MasterClass book, Relief Beyond Belief: Silhouette DieForming in Polymer Clay.
Our debut collection includes six Geometrics (fundamental shapes for foundational forms), and twelve Organics (designs from nature, ready to evolve in your own way). Take a look below to see all eighteen die shapes, plus review the extras you get in each set...

Check out all our shapes & sizes.
The collection started in 2007 with some prototypes, in a trio of classic shapes: the Circle, the Oval, and the Square. A small run of these ended up in the hands of workshop students in Korea, Japan, Israel, and a few other dots on the map where we were teaching at the time.

When the time came to turn these start-up shapes into something more, we completed the Geometrics Collection by adding three more shapes (and three more colours): a Rectangle, an equilateral Triangle, and a 'tumbling block' Diamond.

We also designed a dozen additional shapes, inspired by forms found in nature, hand-drawn and then refined into archetypal silhouettes to represent leaves, seeds, pods, pebbles, and other elementals for the Organics Collection.

So, what's in the box?
Each Cutting Edge Die Set includes a series of nine concentric shapes, ranging from a minimum width of .375" to a maximum height of 2.25". The dies are rigid enough to support your clay sheet as you dieform, but still flexible for easy form release.
At each size, you have two parts: the die, which also acts as a 'what you see is what you get' window for accurately isolating your veneer design; and its perfectly matched cut-out, which doubles as a template for cutting out shapes from flat sheet veneers.
The sets are colour-coded for easy visual reference and sorting. The dies are numbered 1 through 9 (smallest to largest), to cross-reference and combine different die shapes at the same scale (perhaps a necklace featuring a series of 1" beads in five different shapes), or stagger the same die shape at different sizes in a graduated series (2, 4, 6, 8, or 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 1, 5, 9).
Each set comes with its own 2.5" by 3.5" safety-edged glass baking tile, so you'll always have the best surface for cleanly firing both the form and flange of your piece.
Leaf Die Set: 9 dies, 9 matching cut-outs, a glass baking tile, and a storage case
Everything fits into a clear storage case, perfect to stack on your studio shelf, and also convenient to take on the go. The dies are 2.5" W by 3.5" H, so a set of nine can also easily be stored and viewed in a standard nine-pocket Trading Card binder page, or your own signature ATC container.

Elegantly simple, simply elegant.
If you've learned how to Build Better Beads or create Relief Beyond Belief, then you know how simple it is to use these dies to turn flat sheets of clay into unique and elegant three-dimensional forms.
Dan has been designing and making his own dies for years, for structural dieforming (to make armatures and molds), and with decorative veneers (to showcase mica shift, feature pattern, highlight texture, and accentuate blends). With BioForming, Dan has evolved even further from this technique's metal origins, devising unique ways to transform the simplest shapes and colours (and even no colour at all) from plain to complex, flat to convex, in minutes.
Why not give your patterns a little push? Take your textures to higher heights. Bend your blends, and see your shifts really shimmer. With our new Cutting Edge Die Sets, you can celebrate this three-dimensional medium by actually giving it that third dimension. No 3D glasses required.

So what’s the big deal with dieforming?
Since the very first push more than ten years ago, dieforming has really changed the way we work. With a medium that’s meant to be more than flat, we think dieforming is, hands down, the easiest way make 3D forms. Here’s what you need to get started. 

Please note, the digital book is available to purchase and download at any time. For the Die Sets and the Burnishing Kit, quantities are limited.
All prices are listed in CAN$, and do not include shipping & handling.

get the tools

The Cutting Edge
Die Set Collection

get the book

Relief Beyond Belief Silhouette Dieforming
in Polymer Clay

what’s in store
All of our Die Sets are IN STOCK and available now for purchase and shipping.
Please note, quantities are limited. All orders will be filled and shipped in the order they are received.
Please visit our store for the most current Die Set availability info.

our book is always on the shelf
Get your personal copy of our new book  Relief Beyond Belief: Silhouette DieForming in Polymer Clay
Please visit our store to purchase any time and download right away.

always be first in line
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