First Button Test -- Results!

A looong, looong time ago ;o) I wrote about the fact that I was learning more about making buttons with polymer clay. Initially, it was to prepare myself for any questions some family members might have if/when I taught them how to make buttons for their quilts. (Still haven't done that. I'll have to check and see if they're still interested.) Now I've gotten more interested in the buttons for my own sake. Actually, I'm kind of obsessed with buttons, for the time being. (g)

Anyway, I made up a few test buttons and decided to put them through some tests. I wanted to see how different "finishes" would hold up through multiple washings and dryings, so I sewed them to a scrap of fabric and tossed them in whenever I did a load of laundry. They've been through many washings and heated dryings, by now. I stopped counting at around ten, but I kept putting them in with the laundry. It's probably more like fifteen or twenty, total.

They've been swirled around in the washing machine and knocked about in the dryer. They've been in repeated contact with regular detergent and fabric softeners (both liquid and sheets)-- but I kept them out of loads I washed with bleach. (The bleach might not have been a problem, but I didn't want to be too hard on them, and bleach isn't something you have to use with most laundry.)

And the results?
For the most part, they're fine. In fact, with one exception (which I'll get to in a minute), they're perfect!

Here they are-- the cleanest buttons this side of the Mississippi! ;o) (As usual, you can click on the photo to see it bigger. It's not a fabulous photo to begin with, but it gets the point across. (g))


Starting with the top left and working clockwise:

1) Plain, unvarnished clay.

2) White clay highlighted with mica powder, then glazed with tinted liquid clay.

3) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Only the top was coated with clear liquid clay.

4) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Nothing on top of crackled paint.

5) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. MinWax Polycrylic over the whole button.

6) Acrylic paint crackled on metallic clay. Clear liquid clay over top and sides of button.

I had feared that the unsealed crackled paint might begin to loosen or flake away, but it turned out that the only button I had a bit of trouble with was the one coated in Polycrylic (a product similar to Varathane)-- and even that one isn't too bad (as you can tell from the photo). It just began to peel very slightly on one side. I can think of a few possible explanations for this problem. Maybe it needed longer to dry (or go back into the oven for a little while). Another coat might have strengthened it. Or it could be that it just isn't the best product to use on something that's going to be put through the washer and dryer. I'm not a big fan of varnishes to begin with (I usually only resort to them when I "have" to), so I'm not likely to run more tests with Polycrylic.

Today, I started another test with a few different buttons. I'm curious to see how that'll turn out. . . Two loads in, the "subjects" are still looking good. Who knew laundry could be so interesting?! ;o)

Edited to add:
Treasurefield wondered what brand of clay I used for these buttons. (Thanks for asking! :o))

Oops! That might have been worth mentioning, huh? ;o) I used Premo for all the "regular" clay. The liquid clay I used was Kato brand. I imagine TLS would have produced similar results (as far as durability goes), but I wanted the best clarity I could get-- thus the Kato. (For European clayers or anyone else who can't find Kato-- Fimo Decorating Gel/Fimo Liquid is supposed to be comparable to Kato for clarity-- maybe even better.)

I haven't tried making buttons from any other clay, yet. I would expect Kato to yield buttons at least as sturdy as these. Fimo Classic would probably be fine, too-- but I have to admit that I'm a little wary of Fimo Classic after all the talk (a year or two or three ago? (g)) about the new, softer formula. However, we all know that Premo's been reformulated into mushiness, too, so. . . *shrug* When in doubt, it's always best to run a small test first.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Mica Powder on Clay

Mica powder is great to use with clay! As you can see from this previous list of ten, there are numerous ways to incorporate this marvelous product into your work. All you need is an idea and the willingness to experiment. How about a little "clays meets mica powder" eye candy to add a little shimmering inspiration to this Tuesday?

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Mica Powder on Clay

1. Mica Garden, by Julie Picarello

2. Single Parents 001, by Elizabeth Bonura

3. Carnival Glass Look-a-Llike, by Ruby Shoes Sam (Sandra Miller)

4. Blue Glasses Silver Vines, by MaevinWren (Morgan)

5. WISH-ornament, by tejaesart (Tejae Floyde)

6. Flower Earrings, by beadworx (Bettina Welker)

7. Mistress Maggie's Metal Garden, by dcdesigns (Denise C.)

8. The Critters, by nancymesaaz (NancyMicheloni)

9. Enchanted Tree Pendant, by chickiegirlcreations (Janet)

10. Lumière sur des Effets de Lumière, from Parole de Pâte
(I'm not sure which individual person made the ones in the photo at the top-- Françoise, perhaps? but the photo further down the page is from Tewee. If you go to her blog, you'll find still more pictures of pretty combinations of mica powder and clay.)

You may have noticed that the mica powder was on the surface on all of those objects-- or on the "surface" under a protective clear coating of some sort. Don't forget about all the other ways to use mica powder-- mokume gane, inclusion, etc.

Happy creating, everyone! :o)

Pretty Things

I've been trying to catch up on a few months' worth of blogs. It takes time, but it's certainly a pleasant way to pass an hour.

I recently came across these beads by Mariane S., who describes them as being inspired by Donna Kato. Yes, I see the Kato influence-- the stripes and general shape-- but the "curlicue" and the interesting series of holes are something new to me. Very pretty!

I was also interested to read this entry on Tina Holden's blog. (Another blog to add to my list! And I found two others, as well, while reading other blogs!) Tina put another twist on the faux ceramics technique. Before adding the glaze of alcohol ink-tinted Kato liquid, she touched the clay with mica powders. Great idea! I'd already tried a light sprinkling of embossing powder, but I hadn't been thrilled with the results-- too bumpy for my tastes. (It might look better with different embossing powders. . .). After seeing Tina's lovely examples, I gave the more finely textured mica powders a try last week. It was fun to play around with the powders, and I'm looking forward to doing it again! There are lots more colors combos to try! :o)

One of these days, I'll make myself get out the ol' digital camera so that I can post pictures of my own "pretty things". ;o)

Top Ten Tuesday - top ten ways to use mica powders with polymer clay

Mica powders are very popular with clayers-- one of the top few "extra" materials most of us buy, I'd say. It's no wonder, considering how many things you can do with them and the way that they can turn a ho-hum piece into something shimmering and beautiful.

Top Ten Ways to Use Mica Powders with Polymer Clay:

10. Use it with a stencil.
Place a bought (usually in the paint section of craft stores), found (such as a paper doily), or homemade (cut from cardstock or a thin sheet of plastic) stencil over a piece of clay. (This technique works most easily on flat projects.) Gently tap mica powders (as many as you like) onto the exposed clay. Carefully lift stencil to reveal your pattern.

9. Make a sparkling glaze.
Mix a little mica powder into a small amount of polymer-friendly finish (Future or Varathane) or acrylic medium. (You can mix some in a painter's palette, if you need very little, or use a small paint pot or film canister if you want to make enough to save for another time.) Thin with water to reach desired consistency. Apply over plain or decorated cured polymer clay pieces for an extra touch of sparkle.

8. Crackle it over raw clay.
In order to crackle mica powders, you'll need to mix them into an acrylic medium or polymer-friendly finish. Future Floor Wax works well for this. Mix it (as described above), then paint it onto a sheet of raw polymer clay. Allow the finish to dry, then feed through the pasta machine or roll with a brayer or acrylic rod to produce the crackling effect.

7. Use it in mokume gane.
As described in last week's Top Ten Tuesday, you can use mica powders in mokume gane in a couple of ways. Either apply occasional dabs of it to painted or plain polymer clay sheets, or mix it into Future (etc.) and paint it onto the sheets.

6. Salvage ugly scrap clay.
An unattractive mix of scrap clay (or a color mix gone wrong) can take on a whole new life with an application of mica powder. Just shape the clay and apply the powders before curing. Be aware that certain colors (such as the interference colors) may not completely mask the color of the underlying clay. If in doubt, experiment with a tiny bit of clay and powder.

5. Create faux effects.
Mica powders are useful in a number of faux effects. Metal colors (such as silver or bronze) create an instant appearance of metal. A mix of colors (blue, purple, pink, gold, etc.) "splotchily" blended on black clay imitates the look of raku. Pearl powders make. . . well, pearls. ;o) A touch of these sparkling powders lends a realistic look in a number of faux stone mixes.

4. Tint liquid polymer clay.
Translucent liquid clay can be tinted in a few different ways. Using mica powders as part or all of the colorant gives it a subtle shimmer that's lovely.

3. Tint solid translucent clay.
Translucent clay tinted with mica powders can seem almost to softly glow. Use this mixture "as is" or make a Skinner Blend between two mica-tinted bodies of clay for a ravishing effect.

2. Cover the exterior of a piece.
Using one color or as many as you like, cover an entire piece with mica powders. If you want texture, apply the powder to both the clay and the stamp or texture sheet prior to making the impression. If any portion of the clay remains unpowdered, fill in those spots with the aid of a paintbrush.

1. Highlight textured clay.
For a different look from the "all over sparkle", texture the clay first, then apply mica powders (in however many colors you want) to only the raised portions of the pattern or texture, allowing the clay color to remain visible in the impressions. This can give the appearance of antiqued metal.

Remember: Most mica powders require a coat of polymer-friendly finish (such as Future or Varathane) to prevent the powder from rubbing away-- particularly if the piece will be worn or handled. If you've mixed the powders into Future, Varathane, or another polymer-friendly finish, the extra coat is unneccessary, unless you want more layers for protection or added shine.

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten products to add to mokume gane

I've taken it into my polymer-crazed head to post a weekly feature here called "Top Ten Tuesday". (We'll see how long this lasts. . . (g)) Every Tuesday, I'll focus on a different clay-related topic. Since this is the inaugural list, I thought I'd go easy on myself and choose an easy one. ;o)

Top Ten Products to Add to Mokume Gane (and Why):

10. Nothing
No, seriously. You can get some gorgeous mokume gane effects with nothing but polymer clay. Try mg with your own special mixes of mica clay and translucent, clay, too. This style of mg looks best, imho, when patterned with deeply-etched stamps. Check out some of what Nan Roche has done with this technique, if you're seeking some mg inspiration.

9. Glitter
If you're a sucker for that glitzy glittered look, why not sprinkle a little into your next batch of mg? There are a couple of ways you can apply it. Sprinkle it over a sheet of translucent clay, if you want just a little. (Putting too much will prevent the sheets of clay from adhering properly.) If you want more, use the glitter as an inclusion in some translucent clay, then roll that into a sheet for the mg block. Very fine glitter will work better than larger-scale glitter, and polyester or glass glitters perform best during the curing process. (Metal glitters can distort in the heat, with unattractive results.) You could also try a thin application of glitter paint on translucent clay.

8. Metallic Foil
Mylar-backed metallic foils (as opposed to real metal leaf) can be used with mokume gane. One example of this material is the line produced by Jones Tones. To use metallic foil in mg, just burnish it onto a sheet of translucent clay, pull off the clear backing, and use either as is or after crackling the foil by feeding the sheet through the pasta machine. Metallic foil comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and "effects" (such as oil slick, rainbow, etc.), so there are lots of possibilities with this product. (The downside is that some foils can be difficult to apply to clay.)

7. Lumiere Metallic Paints
Lumiere paints (from Jacquard) come in a gorgeous array of metallic colors that can be mixed to create still more colors. This paint tends to stretch with the clay-- not crackle. There are two ways to approach this property. First, you can embrace it and not worry about crackling. However, if you've got your heart set on crazing, you can dilute Lumiere paint with water-- up to a 1:1 ratio. The addition of the water improves the "cracklability" of the paint. Apply a thin coat of paint to a sheet of translucent clay. Once it's dried, feed this through the pasta machine or roll it with an acrylic rod to create crackle (or not, depending on the look you want).

6. Posh Metallic Inkabilities
Ranger's Posh Metallic Inkabilities come in two sets. Luminous Metallics (the one I own) contains a rainbow of six colorful metallic inks (blue, pink, teal, violet, green, and red), while the Precious Metals set comes with six "metal colors" (silver, copper, charcoal, rich gold, white pearl, and bronze). These inks come in .25 ounce needlepoint applicators and were originally designed for use with stamping, but they work great with polymer clay, too. Gorgeous metallic colors-- and they crackle, too. Just drop a tiny bit onto your sheet of translucent clay, spread it around with a brush, let it dry, and crackle away.

5. Mica Powders
Mica powders, such as Jacquard's Pearl-Ex line, are popular with polymer clay artists, because they have a number of applications. There are a couple of ways to apply them to mokume gane, as well. First, you can put little dabs of them here and there over a sheet of (painted or unpainted) polymer clay. (Be careful not to put too much, as this will prevent the sheets of clay from adhering to one another.) Another way to incorporate these sparkling colors into mokume gane is to mix them with an acrylic base of some sort. Future Floor Finish works well. Just mix a bit of powder into a few drops of Future until you get a nice paint-like consistency. Apply and crackle (or not, as you like).

4. Metallic Acrylic Paints
A number of brands of acrylic paint include metallic and iridescent colors in their lines. By all means, try what you already have, but if you're still building your stock of art supplies, be aware that you don't have to spend a great deal of money on metallic paints. Every brand behaves a bit differently-- and often there are variations within a brand, from color to color-- but often the cheaper "craft paints" work just as well, if not better than, the more expensive artist-grade paint, when it comes to crackling. My personal stock includes some FolkArt Metallics (from Plaid), some Dazzling Metallics (from DecoArt), and a couple of Anita's Metallics. All will work with polymer clay mokume gane. You'll have to experiment to see which crackle best to your liking, but even those that don't crackle as well can still be very pretty in mokume gane (as well as in other polymer clay applications, such as antiquing and dry-brushing).

3. Alcohol Inks
For a dash of transparent color, you needn't look further than alcohol inks. Alcohol inks have a number of uses with polymer clay, and at least a few of them apply to mokume gane. Jacquard's Pinata Colors come in 17 bold colors, while Ranger's Adirondack Alcohol Inks are available in 24 more subtle, earthy tones. Both lines are beautiful and can be used interchangeably. Here are just a few ways to use them with mg (and you can probably come up with more): First, drop a bit on a sheet of translucent clay and use a brush to cover the whole surface. (You can use straight ink for darker color or dilute it with alcohol or extender for a watercolor effect.) You'll be able to see through this layer of color, in the finished pieces. Second, drop the inks onto metal leaf in order to colorize it. Leave the drops as spatters of color or blend them over the whole surface. You'll be able to see through the color to the metallic sparkle of the leaf. Third, apply a drop or two to some polymer clay. When the ink is dry (after 15 - 30 minutes), condition the clay until the color is distributed through it (either evenly or in a marbled pattern, as you wish). Use this clay as a sheet in your mg stack. It will be colored, but still somewhat translucent.

2. Daler-Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Inks
Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Inks (from Daler-Rowney) are a favorite product of many people, including artist Allison Ingham, who uses them to achieve attractive crazing in her polymer clay work. They come in a range of lovely colors, go on smoothly, and crackle beautifully. I've read that the best way to apply them for optimum crackle is to not shake the bottle, but to drag up the thicker "dregs" from the bottom of the bottle and paint with those. Personally, I do shake the bottle and just dip from the top, and I've been happy with the results I've gotten. Try both methods and see which you prefer.

1. Metal Leaf
It's the classic mokume gane addition, and for a very good reason: combined with delicately tinted translucent clay, it creates an absolutely gorgeous effect. Metal leaf adheres easily to polymer clay and crackles easily. The gossamer shimmer of crackled sheets of real metal-- it's the ultimate draw for those of us with inner magpies. Lindley Haunani is credited with pioneering this style of mg. For a slightly different look, apply metal leaft to sheets of untinted translucent clay. Slices from the mg loaf can then be applied to base clay in any color(s) you want. In this ways, you can make mg beads, pens, etc. in a variety of colors, all from one batch.

The Final Word on MG-Related Products:
Whatever you put in your mokume gane, whether you like to "mix it up" and put a little bit of everything in there or your style is more restrained and classic, don't be afraid to try something new. There's no telling what we'll be adding to mokume gane five or ten years from now, and maybe you'll be the one who discovers the next great product!

Fire Mountain's "Mica Polished Pigments"?

I'm an admitted craft supply addict. If it has something to do with a craft I'm interested in-- and especially if it's also sparkly, shiny or otherwise "fancy"-- I want it. I don't necessarily run out and buy it, but it's definitely on my radar. (g)

So, of course I was intrigued when I saw a new product in the Fire Mountain Gems catalog, some time ago. "Mica Polished Pigments" look like they're similar to Pearl-Ex Powdered Pigments, but I haven't read any reviews of them, so I'm just speculating.

The colors of the Polished Pigments in the catalog are more vivid than those on the website... I think it's because the ones on the website have the lids on (most of them), so you can't really see the colors as well. I like some of the colors they offer, but they're not exactly cheap-- (according to my catalog) $20.51 for a set of four 10-gram jars. (You do get a better price if you buy more than 14 items at one time-- about $15.70-- and if you buy 200+ items, the price goes down to $11.66. I wish I had a group of local beaders to "go in with" on bead orders. I don't think I'll ever buy that much at once by myself, so I'll never be able to take advantage of the bulk purchase price.)

Well, it's still fun to look, and I am curious if anyone's tried them and has compared them to Pearl-Ex or Powdered Pearls.

Speaking of Powdered Pearls-- I was sad to read several months ago that the creator of Powdered Pearls, Sandy Lemons, passed away in July of last year. According to this page, her daughter and son-in-law were planning to continue the business (Lemon Tree... Etcetera). I wonder if that's still in the works, as at least one on-line shop I visit still has most of the Powdered Pearls listed as "out of stock", and I can't locate the business' webpage. I would certainly understand if they had a change of heart, but it was an excellent product, and I'm sorry to see it disappearing.

Key chains with photo transfers

Oh, forgot to mention in my last post that I uploaded a few photos to my Flickr account this afternoon. Not many, but a few.

Among them were some key chains with photo transfers-- made as "a little something extra" to go in with the Christmas gifts for a few pet-loving family members. While I'm happy that the photo transfer process I'm using seems to work pretty well, I'm less than satisfied with the overall project. I'm just not that great at putting together different elements of clay.

Buy hey, they're just key chains, so they don't have to be perfect!

Here are a couple made with black clay for trim. I added a silver metallic wax rub-on to give a faux metal look, so I "had" to seal them with something (to keep the wax from rubbing off). I used two or three coats of MinWax Polycrylic, glossy.



For this one, I used very lightly tinted (too lightly tinted, as I realized when I saw the result) translucent clay with glitter inclusions. I also sealed this one, more to protect the photo transfer than anything else. Oh, and the accent bead is a twisted together bit of white and black clay, dusted over with Pearl-Ex powder-- duo yellow-green... or gold-green... or whatever it's called.

I need to think out a better way (or at least a way I'm more satisfied with) of using photo transfers with jewelry and such. (It's the covering up the back of the transfer clay and finishing off the edges nicely that gives me the trouble...) I'd like to try more transfers, but I'm not sure yet what all I want to do with them! (g)

Testing out my texture sheets...

I've been testing out the mini texture sheets I made a few days ago-- using them to make small, textured pendants.

For the first batch of tests, I mixed up some faux stone (translucent clay with inclusions). I now have all of those sanded (inclusions sometimes make for rough edges when you're using shape cutters), antiqued with acrylics (mostly white), and re-cured to heat-set the paint. I'm going to try buffing a few of them to finish them off. Strictly speaking, they don't even have to be buffed, but I prefer that look, myself. Then, maybe, I'll get around to photographing them.

While antiquing them, it became apparent that some of the textures probably lend themselves better (or at least as well) to metallic wax, mica powder, or other "upper surface" highlighting than to antiquing. So I've just finished baking another batch with black clay, which I intend to treat with metallic waxes, once they've cooled (and I have time). To tell the truth, I had intended to touch some with waxes and others with mica powders, but I didn't realize until they'd been in the oven for 30 minutes that I should have done the powders prior to curing. Doh! Can you tell I haven't used that particular technique very often? Well, I'll just have to make another batch, sometime.

I've also started the first steps in one of the other projects I mentioned before-- the crackled paints on very thin sheets of translucent clay, applied paint-down to base beads. So far, I've just painted the clay and am waiting for it to dry so that I can crackle it. I used each of the three new Daler-Rowney acrylic inks I got for Christmas-- Silver Pearl, Birdwing Copper, and Mazuma Gold-- plus a new shade of Dazzling Metallics (Festive Green), FolkArt's Metallic Blue Topaz (a lovely teal color), and a color of my own mixing. The color is a pale sky blue mixed with a product that can be mixed with any acrylic paint to create a pearlized equivalent of the color. It was a bit thick and didn't go on very smoothly, so I may have to look into changing how best to use that product-- especially if it doesn't want to crackle very well. However, even with pre-mixed, store-bought paints, I've noticed that there is a wide variance in how well they crackle-- even between different colors in the same line of paints. I like to crackle, but it can be a bit unpredictable. That's part of its appeal, actually. If all else fails, I can always use scrap clay!