Hi, Jaynie-
        I made  few models in Sculpey for use in a display at a zoo. they held
up very well except for our lovely Michigan weather (you can get
frostbite and heatstroke in one week); they all cracked. They may not
have done so if they hadn't been bolted down; I suspect the folks who
assembled them cranked down on the bolts too hard. Other than that, they
seemed to stand up to handling by the public ok, and were up over a
year. I still have them; it's been three years now & they're ok (other
than the aforementioned cracks).
        you can paint with acrylics after baking; if this will be handled,
though, acrylics don't hold up well unless you coat them with something;
I've used acrylic-based varnish.  I'm now trying acrylic enamels, Delta
Ceramic paints (craft store), to see if these hold up better.
Supposedly they can be used in the oven at low temps, microwave and
dishwasher, so they must be pretty tough.
        Sculpey is very easy to use; nice to work with.
        Good luck; let me know if you try something else for paints.

-Gail