A place to encourage the creativity of artistic minds of all ages. Offering Ideas, Inspiration and Instruction and sharing the work of others who inspire me!
Finally, here is the video about how to create your own shimmery alcohol inks. A substitute or compliment to the new Ranger Pearl Inks with mica powder. I am sure many of you have already thought about doing this. Just incase you haven't, here is what I did. As well, a bit of a review about the types of pointy tip bottles I like best. Watch Below!
A bonus is the latest look at our ever changing kitchen table top using the shimmery inks.
Materials
Hi guys! Hope you are having a warm winter, Especially if you win where it is actually winter in the northern parts of this world- That's Where we live! Yup, It has been about -30°C With the windchill. What is a wind chill you ask? First you have an actual temperature on the thermometer, And then the wind comes up. Depending where that wind Is coming from, Like the north, It can make the air feel colder than the actual temperature. Hence the Windchill factor. Regardless, It's kind of cold Up here.
Today I wanted to introduce something that may or may not be new to you. It is called metal leaf. I have made an introduction video that you can watch below And then my next video Will be a polymer clay application for Metal leaf. Yes I am sharing it Because it is really cool to use it on polymer clay, Or in a polymer clay.
Watch Below
One of the artists who have inspired me the most When it comes to using metal clay or gold leaf, Is one of my favorites, The great, The fun, The imaginative Artist, Christi Friesen! In fact the technique that I will show in the next video (I will post it within the week), Was inspired by her Sgraffito bead.
The metal leafing Technique has been around for 5000 years or so. I am not an expert on the history, All I know is it is really cool to use it with Polymer clay. It is also used in Cake decorating And other sweet Delights. However, I do not recommend eating your Metal leaf, no matter how good it might look. I am assuming there are edible types.
But we're here to talk about Artistic applications That are not edible!
I have purchased mine on eBay.ca. I find a lot of supplies that way, At a fairly low cost. I just search what I'm looking for, click on free shipping, and the "Buy Now" feature. It usually comes from Asia somewhere, So it can take a while to arrive. But I find it is worth waiting for. So if you're looking for metal leaf, Just search for Gold leaf and you will find what I did. As well look for nail art supplies, and nail art powders - If you're looking for more polymer clay tools and enhancers.
I hope you're inspired to try Using this item. Just remember to not Use it in a windy area! In fact be careful not even to sneeze Where the package is open. You will find out more when you watch the video above.
Please don't forget to join the HeArtfully Creating group on Facebook. There are you can share what you're working on, Ask questions, And just playing talk about anything creative. It is not limited to polymer clay only. I'm a visual artist, So the Topics are endless.
In these modern times we may have cordless devices everywhere, but have you noticed all the cords we still need? All devices still require cords to charge. And then there are all our other tangled web of electrical cords. Always looks messy, right? Wanting to make some sort of method to contain them, the idea came to use paper towel or toilet paper rolls and/or small metal cylinders wrapped in wax paper, to create a spring action coil. A way to easily get the cords to slip inside and be contained, using a neat and artistic method.
Watch Video Below!
You can see in the video below, the shape of the cord holders.
How I Made Them:
It is pretty easy. Roll out a long thick cylinder or sausage (depends on how long you want your holder ), and flatten it out by rolling it out by rolling a texture plate or roller (see my original texture makers). Don't make it too thin or they won't be strong enough.
I decorated the surface with mica powders. Then I laid the pieces on a designated baking pan on top of kleenex that I puff up. As well, you can use polyester fiber fill. Then your pieces will not get a flat spot.
Bake at 275F if using Premo. Always bake all items for at least one hour, it makes them stronger. Let cool. Remember polymer clay is a plastic, not hard like earthen clay.
Special Holder Design in the video
You will see this holder in the video that is not a coil shape. For this one, I cover a metal cannoli form with wax paper and then wrapped a square sheet of clay in
a diamond fashioned. Leaving the corner that overlaps the clay free and laying a piece of wax paper between the end corner section and where it over laps. Then I baked it and before it was fully cooled, I carefully pulled it off the form and removed the wax paper between the clay layer. The cords slip in by just gently pulling the end corner away from the under part and pushing the cords inside. It is just another practical way to organize your jumbled cords. I made smaller and large ones. Depends on the thickness of your cord sizes.
Hope you give it a try. Let me know how it goes.
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
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If you love working in polymer clay like I do, you probably love creating textures in your clay. And you may already know about creating your own
texture Plates, Sheets, Or rollers. Have you ever heard of texture rockers though? If you have I would love to hear about it, so I won't wrongly take credit. I do think there may be styles of rubber ink text or number stamps for things like administrative purposes, such as a date stamp or a word like "CANCELLED" across your unpaid cable bill, ha ha.
As for the kind I am sharing with you, I like to think that I invented them as a solution for those of us with weakened or arthritic hands or those of us who can't stand up to apply even pressure. If you have learned from watching polymer clay tutorials, like I have, Then you will know that it is often recommended when impressing a texture that you should stand up and press down hard and evenly. Can't stand? Then you are with me maybe on how to find a solution to figure out how else to do it. That is why I am sharing this new video with you. It is about the TEXTURE ROCKERS or my new name may be "Rockit!" Hey, any big corporation like Makins or Polyform interested mass producing my idea, ha ha. No seriously, anyone? Of course, if I didn't invent this concept then, no million dollar invention for me 😁
The theory is that if you cannot stand up to push down on your texture stamp or plate, that way or you just don't want to, you can use the rounded texture surface and just push as much as you can and rock it back and forth on the clay, until it is how you want it to be. Therefore, making impressing textures and such possible or easier. That was my theory anyway. To find out if it worked Please watch the video below!!
Watch "Rockit" in Action Here:
Please share your thoughts, or ideas below and don't forget to subscribe if you want to stay up to date on posts and videos!
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If you are new or have returned for more fun, here at HeArtfully Creating, Welcome! I know it has been a while, But I finally have had a chance to put together a new video To hopefully inspire you to make your own polymer clay texture Making tools. That means they can be in a roller, sheet, or plate form. Because I am I was experimenting learning, You will see that I have tried Some variations. Since I love making my own texture tools, I have decided to make a three or four part series on the subject. Otherwise the video that goes with this article, would be way too long. Personally I find it easier to watch shorter videos in a series as opposed to a really long single video. I would love to hear what you think. It's much easier to focus on one or two pieces than my entire collection all at once.
Before we begin here is the video that goes with this article.
Tools You Need 💕1. Scrap polymer clay. Note: Now is a good time to use cheaper clays like Sculpey 3, or clays you do not like as much, That you happen to have lying
around. Also a good times to use up Colour Blends That you really don't like.
💕2. Sculpting tools. As well as Purchased tools. Use whatever you think will work best to make the shapes and textures that you want. If you're new to polymer clay and do not have An addiction to buying Clay tools, Like I do, Add want to save money, you can actually accomplish pretty much the same end result by using use items you would find around the house. For example: toothpicks, Knitting needles, Crochet hooks, dental tools (I was able to acquire some from a hygienist who is going to throw her tools away), Popsicle sticks, Skewers, Icing Tips for cake decorating, Screwdriver tips, Utensils....Just make sure whenever you use Stays dedicated for clay only.... NOTE: Because some plastics React to Polymer clay, Be careful not to leave whatever household item, you may be using In contact with the clay for extended periods of time. Metal And glass As well as wood, Are all safe. 💕3. An acrylic roller. Again if you're new polymer clay, You can use anything that we'll roll out your clay. You can use Metal cannoli forms, I wouldn't dowel, A smooth pen Or pencil. And for those who have the supplies, You can use the roller or the pasta machine. Again a reminder that anything used with Polymer clay, can't be used for food items after.
Polymer clay is not toxic, But, It is not recommended that you interchange tools That you would use for food preparation Or eating. 💕4. A dedicated baking pan For baking your texture sheets/rollers.
💕5. A ceramic tile Or a piece of glass that can be put in the oven To work and bake on. 💕6. Card stock Or file folder. 💕7. Tinfoil Or an aluminum baking pan that fits As a lid On the pan you will be baking your clay in. 💕8. Baby Wipes 💕9. Water spritzer 10. For A roller or rocker style, use a toilet paper tube, or a metal tube shape covered with wax paper. Most important, Your creativity!
Beginning
I like to work in a freestyle manner. If you have a specific design or texture or image you would like, then be sure to jot down your ideas in your sketchbook.
Foundation:
In this video you see that I am making a roller style texture tool. I wrapped wax paper onto a metal tube used for nail art. Using tape holds it well. Then I roll out polymer clay and in this case I added and shaped pieces as I wanted. Remember any texture left on the piece will appear on the raw clay you want to texture. So be sure to smooth out all that you want to be smooth.
Ready To Bake
Always bake on a dedicated baking pan, using a ceramic tile on top, with an insulating layer of card stock or a file folder. This helps distribute heat and avoid scorching.
Once your roller or rocker is ready. It is important to not bake your piece on a flat surface or you will have flat spots. I use bunches of tissue including toilet paper. Make a nice bed of soft kleenex or t/p. You can use quilting batting as well. At 275 degrees fahrenheit, these products will not burn. Make sure they do not touch the element. Lay your pieces down.
Tent It.
To help contain fumes and to avoid scorching, always use an oven thermometer to insure your oven is to temperature. As well tent some tinfoil over top or lay an aluminium cake pan on top.
I always bake my pieces at east one hour, even if thin. It makes it stronger.
When baked, let cool. And you are ready!
Using Your Texture Sheets and Tools:
For those of us with weakened hands like I do, we can still work with clay but we need to modify techniques at times. For instance, many tutorials talk about how you need to stand up and look straight down when slicing a cane or pressing on a texture stamp. In my case, I use a wheelchair and standing isn't an option. So, it just means that I need to be extra careful to slice straight down from a seated position. And regarding textures or rubber stamps, I have been learning that because we can't stand up, for leverage and to apply pressure, making a roller style texture stamp works better. I did try a rocker style stamp as you will see in the videos, but I still wasn't strong enough to apply pressure by rocking it back and forth. On that note, I find pressing the clay down onto the stamp or flat plate works best. Using your finger tips, pushing it carefully into the nooks and crannies. Just be careful it doesn't stick by using water or corn starch or even better...Baby Oil....
BABY OIL TIP: Baby oil has more than one use. I use it in small quantities to condition rock hard clay. In fact because my hands are weak, if clay is too stiff, I work in a bit of baby oil to soften it up. Maybe I will make a tutorial about that in the future. Regarding texture tools made from polymer clay, to avoid clay sticking to my polymer clay texture tools is, rub a light coating of baby oil onto the stamp or roller's surface. No only does it smell great, it kind of keeps the clay made sheets and such in a non-stick state. It reminds me of how you condition or season a cast iron pan or wok.
Next time, I will share another video in this DIY Texture Series!
Thanks for stopping by.
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
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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
Subscribe! Like and Share!! (if you want of course :o) LIKE HeArtfully Creating Here on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/HeArtfullyCr... HeArtfully Creating Blog: http://heartfullycreating.blogspot.ca... A Bergie Creation Shop Blog: http://abergiecreation.blogspot.ca A BERGIE CREATION - my handmade jewelry shop www.abergiecreation.etsy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abergiecreation Twitter: https://twitter.com/abergiecreation YOU Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/anitaand... Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/abergiecrea... HeArtfully Creating: http://heartfullycreating.blogspot.ca Sure Hope Gazette: http://surehopegazette.blogspot.ca Walking Way Overrated http://walkingwayoverrated.blogspot.ca TUMBLR http://anitaberglund.tumblr.com
If you are new to using polymer clay, You may not know that the one piece of machinery most of us use is either a pasta machine or a polymer clay conditioning machine. Essentially, the latter looks just like a pasta machine. My husband bought me one when I first started claying a couple of years ago, from the Michael's craft store. Normally I don't recommend going there because it is so expensive- Unless you have a coupon for 40% or 50% off of course. Needless to say, he did.
First of all, I do recommend the Amaco machine. Mine worked well.
The machine is by Amaco. Actually contrary to some of the reviews I've seen, it worked very well, for just over two years. It wasn't until recently that the knob that I'm going to talk about in the video below, fell right off. The knob I'm talking about is the one that tightens the clamp - Like a C clamp that holds the machine to the table while you crank it. It was plastic of course. Kind of ironic, since polymer clay Is polyvinyl Chloride which is a type of plastic as far as I understand it anyway. Necessity Breeds Ideas...
Wrestling with what to do next, I got the idea to make a new knob for The clamp. After all Polymer clay once cured or baked, when thick enough, is quite strong. Want to see what happened? Did It Work? You will have to watch below:0)
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Howdy fellow artists! As many of you may already know, Visual artists love colour. It makes sense that God, our Creator, Thee most Perfect Artist ever, created not just our eyes to see - but the bazillion of colors all around us. It is why some of us have an art supplies. Count me in as one of those people.
Since I began working in polymer clay, aside from chalk pastels, paints and polymer clay... I love them all and have gotten into the collecting of mica powders. They may be best known by a couple of brand names Pearl Ex and Perfect Pearls. Mica is actually a natural mineral that somehow has been processed in a manner that has been turned into a fine powdered pigment with great shimmer and special effects. It can be used on raw polymer clay or mixed into glazes, clays, liquid clay, gel mediums for acrylics and the like - even water and a spray bottle. Not Just Eyeshadow!
It is probably most familiar as eyeshadow. So if you can't afford the jars, do what I first did and buy a thirty or more plus eye shadow palette on Ebay for under ten dollars! You can use the myriad of colours to add dimension to your polymer clay pieces! Swatch Out!
Below is a video with more details about making swatches of your powders as well as some important notes about Primary Elements Pigment/Mica Powders by Luminary. Take a look.
Be inspired!
Hope everyone is having a great week! I am still working on finishing my puffy heart pendants and charms. This week I have been glazing them using a thinned out triple thick glaze. TIPS ON GLAZING 1. Air bubbles are easily produced when painting on glaze with a soft bristle brush. I discovered that they tend to lessen with gentle single strokes. Moving the brush around too much incorporates air. The air bubbles dry and then my pieces are "un-sellable" - is that a word? So gentle stroke on the glaze, ideally in a single stroke. If bubbles appear, pop them with the brush, gently.
2. Thinning out some glazes.
I am using Triple Thick glaze. I tried it as a thick product and I found it was too thick and sticky. So it seems far better to add some water and gently mix, (remember those air bubbles we want to avoid!)
3. Varathane Be Warned:
Well, I was going to use my Min Was Polyurethane Varathane to glaze everything. But, guess what? My little can had not been opened in about seven months and after about 20 minutes of prying, hammering and prying again, my husband got the tin lid off (it is the same as a paint can lid) and lo and behold, it had all dried out! A basically full and new can, hardened, unusable. Why? It isn't the first time for me, so I think hopefully, it was my fault for not making sure the lid was hammered on tight. Also make sure to clean off the groove where the lid goes into so it won't dry solid and be easier to open! Should have took a picture. It looked like yellowed, clear caramel. Not tasty!
4. Suspending your dangles or charms or pendants to dry.
Since my clay journey began I have been learning megatons! One thing I did this week, thanks to watching all those YouTube tutorials, was to cut about 3 centimetre or 1/25 inch wire pieces and make "S" hooks. Then, as you can see here, because my dangly pieces have jump rings (eye screws work too) embedded in the clay, I coated both sides with glaze and then suspended them on an earring rack I got on sale at Michaels.
5. Or Coat one side, Dry, Then Coat the Other Side:
I did that as well and laid them on wax paper. 6. Waiting Before Storing: Make sure you wait a full 24 hours for any glazes to fully cure or dry before putting them in storage or you may end up with a lump of pieces!!
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Please comment below. Like and Share and don't forget to Subscribe if you liked this article!! HeArtfully Creating, Anita
If you haven't read this blog or watched any videos on HeArtfully Creating you won't know that Cindy Lietz of the Polymer Clay Tutor YouTube Channel has been a great help to helping me with my Polymer Clay Adventure or Journey, whichever word you prefer. Below is a list of just a few of her many helpful videos here. (Yup just click this.) And lower down are more videos about bead baking racks.
Here is my Amaco rack with SUGRU- Thanks Cindy Leitz!
Baking Polymer Clay beads was one of the first problems I had to solve when I began my polymer clay adventure. Yes, I saw what was out there. In fact, I just posted the Y/T videos by one of my favourite Poly Clay Artist/Tutors, Cindy Lietz, and now see videos below about bead baking racks on the market. Cindy talks about three different brands of bead baking racks. When I started, I was inspired to not spend any more money on polymer clay supplies. Click this link to see!
Really cool product. Thanks for telling us Cindy Leitz!
https://sugru.com/buy?gclid=CPa96vDDtMwCFZCIaQod0eYLng
So I problem solve by working with what I have and made my own.
Here is my Amaco rack with SUGRU- Thanks Cindy Leitz!
Now that I know I love polymer clay, thanks to cindy's advice and reviews I chose to purchase an AMACO bead rack. And also I took her advice on using SUGRU (click here to see how cool this stuff is) to improve the Amaco rack bead pin slots.
It works beautifully. I will share more on this in the future, but for now I couldn't wait and wanted to post this article as well as some more great Polymer Clay Tutor videos by Cindy Lietz on the subject of baking polymer clay and bead racks.
Click below to watch Cindy Lietz baking with a "lid" on polymer clay projects
Baking Your Polymer Clay
The bead baking racks that you can buy, that I know of are the one you will see here made by AMACO. And then there is one by Sculpey Polyform and a new one made by a company called LUCY CLAY. (I have posted the videos that one of my favourite YouTube Polymer Çlay Artists, Cindy Leitz features in her product review below. Sugru Hack For Amaco Bead Baking Rack: by Cindy Leiz, Polymer Clay Tutor
Sculpey Bead Baking Rack:Review By Polymer Clay Tutor
The clay nubs that the floral wire "bead pins"
sit in from one side of the cake pan to the other.
Baking Polymer Clay beads was one of the first problems I had to solve when I began my polymer clay adventure. Yes, I saw what was out there. In fact, I will post the Y/T videos by one of my favourite Poly Clay Artist/Tutors, Cindy Lietz, see videos in the next article I will be sharing after this one. She talks about three different brands of bead baking racks. When I started, I was inspired to not spend any more money on polymer clay supplies. So I try to problem solve by working with what I have on hand.
A cake pan makes a large baking rack.
You can use the bottom to bake more items too,
But one dilemma was how to bake the raw beads without wrecking them. Because I saw people like the Polymer Clay Tutor talking about bead baking racks, I got ideas from seeing what they look like. Especially my now favourite, AMACO bead baking rack. Based on seeing them, it helped give me the idea of how to make my own baking rack. So, I do suggest starting out with making your own bead baking rack if you want to. On Old Cake Pan & Scrap Clay:
If you look at the picture to the right, you can see the cake pan that I placed nubs or small balls of polymer clay across from each other. Make sure to mould the little balls of clay snugly to the cake pan lip or edge. Most of my baked clay nubs, actually slide side to side now like a rail. It just worked out that way.
Floral Stem Wire For "Bead Pins:"
Then I cut up floral wire from 20 and 18 gauge floral wire, to the right length across the width of the cake pan. One long giant bead pin" I suppose. I do pre-pierce my beads with a needle tool first. Wire is too dull to make a neat hole. Then I slide my beads on. The picture below that is the floral wire 18 gauge, curled at the end with round nose pliers. Bamboo skewers work too. I would recommend using them for beginners, but know that the clay can stick to the bamboo so twist them a bit before baking.
The curled end helps to hold the strung beaded wire onto the polymer clay blobs or nubs. Now make sure you make a little slot to rest each end of the wire on. If you just push your wire ends into the raw clay nubs that you bake, it will bake, then harden and trap your wire and you won't get your wire free when your beads are done. You can see that my clay nubs were left with a wide indent. Make sure the indent is deep enough to hold your wire or skewer from rolling off.
The clay nubs that the floral wire "bead pins" sit in
from one side of the cake pan to the other.
I used this bead baking rack/cake pan a zillion times. Okay, A lot of times. When clay is baked at the right temperature, it can't burn when cooked repeatedly. Bonus, you can string of rows and rows of beads BEFORE baking your bead nubs. Just mould them all on, lay down all your loaded up bead pins/wires and push them down into the clay. Making sure you are NOT leaving them in a way that they will bake right into the wire holders. Problem solving and working with what you can, saves money!
HeArtfully Creating! I would love to hear your ideas, comments and questions below :o)
Okay, sorry, initially I wanted to recommend a YouTube DIY crafty/DIY channel each week. However, obviously, I made a commitment that was unreasonable for me, in light of the happenings of life. So for now, I will just be a recommending channels that are good for children of all ages, as they inspire me. This young lady's channel "SoCraftastic" is one I have watched off and on for years now. Sarah's bubbly personality and love for creating make me smile. It matters to me that children have "safe" channels to watch and learn from. Sarah's is one of those channels. Watching good tutorials is how I learn and I am almost 50 years old. People of all ages inspire me and help me to learn whatever it is I am wanting to know more about.
Below I am sharing just a few of her many polymer clay tutorials. She has more than polymer clay tutorials of course, but I am partial to that subject. Just click on here to go to her channel or watch each YT video below. Take a look and like and subscribe to her channel. Impressive!
What impresses me as an artist and as a student of creativity are those YoutTube artists who make their own videos and those who are able to clearly show us how to make whatever it is they are making. Even more, I love the effort they put into their tutorials, providing great videography, graphics and are able to present their ideas well, no boring moments! Way to go "SoCraftastic!" Thank you for your dedication and heart to teach and share what you love! Congratulations on being successful at it :o)
I love watching DIYs especially art making, crafty and review type ones. As a middle aged female, I too enjoy sharing what I love to do in video format as well. However, I admit, to record, edit and produce tutorials or videos of any sort, takes time. It isn't as easy as many think. That is why I was super impressed with a channel I discovered last night during my usual YT surfing. I was trying to understand what "decoden" was. Lo and behold, I began watching this video...listen to her great enthusiasm and very clear directions....
There are a lot of youthful craft making enthusiasts who love making YT tutorials. Crafts Are Cool has such a bright, cheery and enjoyable attitude and personality, I found myself watching more than just a couple of her videos. No, I didn't need to learn how to make what she was making, I just really enjoyed the heart in her videos. I may be old enough to be her Grandmother, but I really was impressed and wanted to share her channel with anyone of any age. Refreshing and fun! Thanks Crafts Are Cool! Keep up the great work! Happy Crafting.
