Learn With Me: Talking About Alcohol Ink And UV Resin Fun

 I love learning and lately I have been learning more and more about using Alcohol Inks.. The possibilities are many. Depending on the non pourous surface you apply them to, the way they work together is amazingly cool. Using acrylic paint most of my life as well as other paint types, alcohol inks are a completely different medium. Then encasing the alcohol ink piece in resin add even more neat dimension. Alcohol ink can be used in or on my fave, polymer clay. It can colour metals, glass, acetates, ceramic tiles - ny non porous surface. Yupo  paper has been mentioned often in tutorials I have watched. Sounds like a plastic light "paper." I want to try it soon, just costly. But above I used aluminium foil, so use what you want. Paper will just soak up the ink and it won't be the same experience.

48 Ferro Rochers were in this container. I  love those hazelnut delights. I love great containers too!

Thanks to Debbie Crothers (check out her great tutorials), I used a Ferro Rocher container's liner as a palette to pour some inkk into. She uses ice cube trays. Let it evaporate and then rubbing alcohol reconstitute it whenever you need them. Or I dipped my paint brush into rubbing alcolohol and it picked up the evaporated ink's pigment. Experiment. It isn't drippable like this but you can turn it back to that with enough alcohol.

Watch My UV Resin and Alcohol Ink Video Below

I have talked about this before....the UV resin from the easily recognized UV resin from China. The bottles I keep trying have basically no english on them. In the video above, I have come to more conclusions about this particular brand of resin. I tried a total of about four different bottles and all did the same thing. If I leave it in a mold away from UV light, it still hardens even if I let it sit awa from light. Thinking you have all this pot time or work time....nope, it just won't sit a  stay liquid like. So frustrating. But that is all I will say on that for now. Just watch the video for more thoughts on the topic.

Or you can buy a watercolour palette on Ebay and pour it into the compartments and let evaporate. I tried to label the colours.

If you want to help out feel free to check out these links and share em!
Love you all.
Anita

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POLYMER CLAY JOURNEY: More On Large Hole Tube Beads

I know I recently posted my many photos of some recent handmade tube beads with one really large holed focal beads (click here to see). But, I decided I would take the bazillion pics and make them into a video. I hope it encourages you to create or at least be entertained for a few minutes!

HeArtfully Creating,
Anita

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Polymer Clay Journey: More Fun Large Holed Beads With Great Textures

Here are some great textured tube beads that I really enjoyed making. But then I love making tube beads. Oh and it helps when you love the colour palette you are working with. Hopefully you will be inspired to try experimenting with colour and textures when you make polymer clay beads.
Colour Mixing 101
Being able to mix colours in polymer clay like you can with paint is a wonderful thing. It is why I love working with polymer clay, painting in three dimensions! These beads were made by creating a colour been using a technique called the "Skinner Blend." It was created by someone named Judith Skinner. You can make it with a roller or a pasta/clay machine. Click here to see a tutorial on how to create a skinner blend, by a great new channel I like called "Jessama Tutorials."

Some folks like to mix colours of clay that are premixed by the company that makes the clay. It is a good way to start. But if you love colour mixing like I do, you often like to mix your own colours first and then put them into a skinner blend mix. These beads were created a little while ago so I can't remember for sure what I did. I think I used ready Mix colours, Premo (pretty much the only clay I use) Turquoise, Wasabi and Purple. Then they blend into some really great variations.

It is helpful to know the basics of colour mixing to achieve a palette you would like. Click here for some Colour Wheel Images. 

In Paint it is easy to mix combinations of paint do see what colours create when combined. With Polymer Clay you can practice using little amounts if you want to by smooshing little portions of clay. 

It helps to know the basics of colour mixing. 

Primary Colours are:  RED, YELLOW and BLUE. They are called Primary because we can't create them, hence the name "primary."

*Colour Note: of all colour results will vary depending on the primaries you use to begin with. For example mixing Cobalt Blue and Alizarin Crimson make a different purple than Cadmium Red mixed with Cobalt Blue.

Secondary Colours meaning we need to take two Primaries to make a Secondary colour: BLUE + RED = VIOLET/PURPLE

RED +  YELLOW= ORANGE

BLUE + YELLOW= GREEN

Tertiary Colours are when we combine three colours to achieve yet another colour! 

Analogous colour palette is what I ended up using for these beads. Analogous means using colours that are beside each other on the colour wheel.

Complimentary Colours are when you use colours that are opposite each other on the Colour Wheel. Because they are opposite, it is a great way to make a colour "pop!" Experiment, have fun and create what you love!

Here are some of these fun textured, large hole beads and one very large focal bead! Take a look....

Using a Skinner blend (see the sheet in the back.) Making a large focal bead began with  one idea, making thin strips and laying them down in various patterns. That was all I was going to do. But then....

Then I started using my dotting tool to add textures and designs in the surface. As well, I started adding small balls of clay. When you create, try different things like adding shapes, textures, contrasting colours...whatever you think looks good to you. Adding interest makes your art work something you and others want to look at.

Since I love designing beads, I also made an array of smaller tube beads. Save all your bits of clay so you can make  elements like dots and strips and whatever you can think of.

To bake, I just made a paper accordion or fan out of card stock, then the beads can just lay there, safe and secure.  As well, I have baked using kleenex or tissue all puffed up. It won't burn at 275 Fahrenheit. Just make sure it doesn't touch the element. 

To highlight areas and add shimmer, I did dust on some mica powders. Use your own preference. I just like shimmery mica powders.

Here they are. All cooled and ready to be turned into wearable art!

SNEAK PEEK!....EVERYTHING, PEBEO FANTASY PAINTS!

Yay, we are enjoying our first hot summer day, 37F on our thermometer! In our city in Northwestern Ontario, that is a huge event. Do I hang outside in this weather? Nope, not anymore. Since creating art is what I love doing daily, I enjoy the weather from inside. But it is nice to know I can go outside without shivering :o)
The number one medium I used for most of my artistic career has been Acrylic paint on canvas. In the last eight years, my focus changed to jewelry making and design using beads, wire and such. And the lasT year and a half, my new favourite medium of course is, polymer clay. Which means, I haven't worked on very many two dimensional works of art since eight years ago. There are a few exceptions though. What are they you ask?  I discovered a really cool oil based paint called "Pebeo Fantasy Paints." Not only can you use them on polymer clay pieces to create really beautiful special effects,  you can use them on glass, wood, metal and epoxy resin and, I am sure more surfaces than that! I used Pebeo's glass paint "Vitral," to re-furbish an old pair of metal framed glasses!
When you drop in the paints with a tooth pick or eye dropper pipette type device, the paints have a special formula that causes them to actually move and transform into really cool designs. It reminds me of molecular or chemistry images. The Moon paints contain Mica powder for the shimmer, metallic look and it is the Prisme (Prism) paints that create a honeycomb look!
You don't use a paint brush on these paints in order to get the proper effect. Stirring the paints prior to use is critical in order to maximize the effects they offer. Other wise ingredients like mica will just sit on the bottom. I used disposable pipettes as you can see in my photos to keep it as neat as possible. Toothpicks or skewers work well also to stir and to use as a dripping mechanism.
Because they are oil based, it does take a long time for them to dry. Soap and water clean up is not possible. I love what they paints do. Glad I bought them and tried them on a variety of surfaces. Just see below to find out what I did.

Take a look below to see but a mere sampling of what Pebeo Paints are capable of.

This is a preview to let you know the next HeArtfully Creating video will be all about Pebeo. So stay tuned or subscribe so you can find out as soon as I have it posted. (Just started working on it :o)
 Pebeo On Canvas

Painting In process by Anita Berglund - Pebeo Fantasy Paints and outline or "leading" paint for outlines. 

As well, using their tubes of acrylic based imitation "leading" or outlining paint, I had great fun drawing abstract designs and then dropping in the fantasy paints. Oh, and I also delved into epoxy resin. Made some pendant bases and again, dropped in Pebeo paints to create some gorgeous molecular effects.

Painting In process by Anita Berglund - Pebeo Fantasy Paints and outline or "leading" paint for outlines.  Then I dropped in Pebeo Fantasy and some Vitrail paints.

Paintings by Anita Berglund - created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints 2015

Pebeo On Resin

I was having great fun, learning how to make epoxy resin pieces. Some more on that adventure in the future. Once the resin cured after 24 hours, I was able to drip on the Pebeo Fantasy Paints to create some incredibly beautiful pendants. 

 by Anita Berglund - these pendants were created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to resin pieces and jewelry bezel settings. 201

 by Anita Berglund - these pendants were created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to resin pieces and jewelry bezel settings. 2015 

Pebeo On Metal Jewelry Bezels

 by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a jewelry bezel setting. 2015

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a jewelry bezel setting. 2015 

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a jewelry bezel setting. 2015

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a jewelry bezel setting. 2015

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a jewelry bezel setting. 2015

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a polymer clay  disc that I made. 2015 

by Anita Berglund - this pendant was created with Pebeo Fantasy Paints applied to a resin base that I made. 2015

DIGITAL DRAWING: Illustrating to Convey A Point, Or To Tell A Story

Illustrating to Express A Thought or Make a Point
Something that I often need are drawings or cartoons to illustrate a point or a story in some of my other blogs and videos. (Click here to see a previous article about drawing with a mouse) We all grew up with story books being read to us. And the really memorable ones usually had incredible illustrations. Illustrations are all about drawing for a purpose. Especially if you are a Graphic or Commercial artist, or, you like to write and illustrate your own children's books. The ideas and uses are endless! You can become a graphic designer, illustrator, web designer, fashion illustrator...like I said, the possibilities, endless!
Drawing With A Purpose
Yesterday, I created this cartoon. If you are familiar at all with the Star Wars saga, you may think as I once did...Darth Vader is remembered forever saying to Luke Skywalker..."Luke, I am your father." Is that not how we all remember it? I have seen that episode at least ten times in what, thirty years?! Well it turns out, we are remembering it falsely because when we actually watch the movie, he says this....

Original Digital Hand Drawn Illustration by Anita Berglund, 2016

Are you surprised? If you know nothing about what I am saying regarding Star Wars, the lesson about illustrating or drawing with a purpose, still applies :o)

So if you love drawing, think about what you can do with it, if you want to make a living. There are others who often commission artists like us, to create drawings or illustrations for their own web sites, blogs, books and magazines...endless, remember!

Thanks for stopping by.

HeArtfully Creating,

Anita :o)

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Polymer Clay Journey: Polymer clay challenge 2016 Week 11

Life Happens, Yay!
 I was hoping to be much more consistently submitting to the 2016 Polymer Clay Challenge hosted by the very imaginative poly clay artist,  Katie Oskin from KatersAcres. But life and some ongoing health issues have been slowing my productivity down. Bummer. For me that is a tough one. As an artist, creating daily, all day is normal for me. But adapting and working with what God blesses me with is what I must do these days. It isn't worth making your health suffer in order to create. It is tempting to just work hard and not take the breaks needed, but as I have discovered the hard way, the cost is too high. It can mean not being able to work at all! Heed that advice if you too deal with health concerns,
So, here is my WEEK 11 submission. 

I was hoping to be much more consistent with my submissions for this challenge. I have been working on mokume gane technique designs and my goal is to create a few new jewellery pieces for my Etsy Shop, A Bergie Creation.  when time becomes more precious, one tries to multi task, making the most with the time given.

Hope the pieces can count toward my week 11 contribution.

Want to see more?
A Bergie Creation blog is here.

Walking Way Overrated blog about our lives here.

mokume gane slices, love these colours

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

mokume gane slices, love these colours

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the sheets into beads too

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings!

turning the cabochons into pendants and rings

Polymer Clay Journey: Some Of My Favourite Polymer Clay Tutor You Tube Videos

It has been over a year since I started working in polymer clay. Thanks to the many great polymer clay artists who share their tips, tricks and wealth of information about working in polymer clay. Cindy Lietz is one of the most knowledgable online clay tutors/artists that I watch almost daily. On that note, I want to share a hand picked selection of the You Tube videos from her channel, that I have gleaned a lot of useful information from.
I hope she will inspire you, even if you aren't into polymer clay. I get inspired just watching artists create in a variety of media.

HeArtfully Creating!
Anita

A recent mokume gane stack I have been working from

Here is the link to Cindy Lietz's YouTube Channel-click here...













Below Is A Collection of  My Cindy Lietz- Polymer Clay Tutor Favourite Videos:
How Long To Bake Clay

Baking Clay

Don't Burn Polymer Clay

Artist Studio

Hole Piercing

Baking Flat Pieces

How Mica Shift Works

Chalk Pastels

Premo Sculpey Colours

Liquid Polymer Clay

Zipper Cane

Natasha Beads

How To Reduce A Clay cane

Storing Clay 

Swirly Lentil Beads

Making Same Size Beads

SNEAK PEEK TIME- POLYMER CLAY JOURNEY: MOKUME GANE TECHNIQUE NEW DESIGNS

hot pink, orange, red and white

It has been a fast paced winter working away on new polymer clay designs using the Mokume-Gane technique. Here is a link describing this ancient Japanese metal working technique. It was originally used to create a wood grain look using layers and layers of metals.
A beautiful effect that works in a similar way with layers of polymer clay sheets.

I am so excited about finally having a few different colour palettes of new mokume-gane technique  poly clay designs, that I wanted to share a sneak peak of my next HeArtfully Creating article/ accompanying video.

So take a look and see what you can create by layering 3-4 different colours together in thin sheets. Because the pieces that I will be creating using these clay designs will be jewelry items in my Etsy shop - A Bergie Creation, I love naming my pieces and mokume-gane designs, but this is so hot off the "press" that I haven't had a chance to name anything. yet.. 

What I am making using the pink/red/orange palette

Until next time!
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita

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Here is a Mokume Gane Block ready to be sliced and used in my designs

Here is a sampling of a few designs.

Made a couple of pretty colourful rings...just the beginning.