Well moving on from yesterday..................and still snowed in................apologies for the photos, it's a dark day, and even darker in our little bungalow - I used a 'daylight' bulb but still didn't get a good photo - perhaps a photography course should be next on the list! The background is white in real life!
An update on my Julie Piccarello inspired slices
Now sanded and polished and glazed.
This one made from all the project scraps is so thick that I need to make a special ring for it!
I enjoyed having a go at this project, and learnt a lot of what not to do as usual.
The original concept was to turn them into pendants but on reflection, these and the other couple I made are destined for keyrings methinks, for the garage, shed, back door, and front door.
I have had the most wonderful emails from their Global Sales and Marketing!
I was thanked for my email and the project list has been updated to include the box.
Not sure if I should mention the gentleman's name - but he wrote me a really nice email, and took the time and trouble to make it personal too.
He obviously did some research and gave me information regarding the Polymer Clay Guilds in the UK, and gave me other information. He asked if I was aware of Sue Heaser - and gave me some info about her: I replied that I had been on a one day course with her. He knows her very well too. He was so very helpful and encouraging, and really kind. I asked him a couple of questions about what clay to use for a couple of projects I have in mind and he replied instantly.
I did feel rather guilty that he took the time and trouble and patience to answer my questions - and when I thanked him and said that I was sure that he had far more important things to do than deal with me he wrote:
Thanks everyone for all your emails and comments on here and forums.
I have just received an email from Polyform Products Company
It made me smile to read the following reply which I have just received from Polyform Products Company (Premo, Sculpey etc)
Quote
Dear Lottie,
Thank you for contacting Polyform Products Company and your interest in our products. I am so sorry that this project did not work for you. You are probably right in your assumption of why this did not work for you. Wood as a base for a clay project must be cured before baking. Because it holds moisture and will expand during the baking process (which is what happened with your project) it should be baked at 130°C for 30 minutes to bake out the moisture. After cooling you can proceed with the project as directed and it should be fine.
If there is anything else I can help you with, please contact me again.
Regards,
Technical Assistance
info@polyformproducts.com
Unquote
What do you think of this reply?
Are you, like me, of the opinion that the least they could do was to say that they would edit their website project page. It just needs '1 x round paper mache box' added to the list of requirements - not difficult! And surely it's the most important part of the project and is not even listed!
Well as we are snowed in, I thought I would spend my time productively over the weekend - and decided to follow a video and instructions I found on the official Polymer Clay website here
I rely to a great extent on written instructions as I can't hear the videos - but they are good to watch.
List of supplies needed: (From their site)
Clays:Premo! Accents: Antique Gold - 2 oz-- 2 blocks
Premo! Sculpey®: Black - 2 oz - I didn't need this much as I wasn't going to do the extras'
Large Texture stamp - I improvised
White Craft glue
old foam brush
(Note that there was no mention of the box)
It took me ages, but I spent a happy Saturday afternoon and evening working on the box. It was a bit fiddly - but I was really proud when I had finally covered the box.
Firstly I painted the box and lid inside and around the outside which was under the lid - then followed the instructions to the letter.
For the design on the lid I used an old crocheted napkin, which I thought worked really well.
For the side of the lid and box I used a whirl style stamp and stamped all along the strips of polymer clay before attaching
As you will see from the instructions on the link above. I used the glue specified to stick the Premo Sculpey to the sides, and top, and underneath the bottom and trimmed it all to fit.
Following the instructions, I left the box overnight - to allow the glue to dry to avoid any air pockets.
Then yesterday, I put it in my halogen table top oven with other pieces of clay to bake. I was feeling really proud of myself for making a good job of it and so looking forward to the next stage that would finish it off and make it look really professional, with silver rub and buff to accentuate the raised patterns.
So it was with great excitment when I went to unload the oven.
DISASTER
I used a box which looked identical to theirs - but mine was made out of wood - and the baking has melted the glue! I spent almost four hours trying to glue all the pieces back together. I tried E6000 which sticks absolutely everything - but not the base. I tried and tried and tried and used small bulldog clips to keep it together, pegs - and just pressing it for ages with my fingers - and it just sprung back open. I tried super glue - as you can see from the photo below where it is shiny, the super glue just kinda poured out and wouldn't stick - but it did stick everything else my fingers came in touch with.
If you look carefully you can see where the lid is peeling away and it just won't stay stuck! The pictures above are taken after I took the box and lid out of the oven - didn't I do a good job with the deeply embossed patterns.
When you are a beginner, and products are not listed correctly in a tutorial how are you supposed to know that you can't use a wooden box in a cooker - mine looked identical to the one in the video!
I have spent quite a while today doing some research and found out that you need to use paper mache objects if they are to be covered with polymer clay that needs baking. It's perfectly safe to put polymer clay onto typing paper, cardboard, mount board etc in the oven, as the temperatures are so low that it doesn't affect them. So it didn't occur to me that a wooden box would be affected - it wasn't it was the glue!
I sent a nice polite email to the Polyform Products Company to the address on their website, explaining my predicament and asking if they would please be sure to put the actual products used in the list and explain why.
As a beginner we really don't know these things - its what they don't tell you that causes the angst!
All that wasted clay, and time and effort. And it was my best bit of work to date! And no - I haven't heard back from the website or company.
These beads are from the same batch I made - but are bigger and chunkier.
So they make a big statement on a big chunky silver chain.
I think that I like this one. It really is chunky and the beads 'fall' perfectly, and it's so light.
When the sun shines on it, it really twinkles and glows with the glitter I put in the blue rock beads and it will go with so many summery dresses. I have to wear gloves whenever I go out - so this will be perfect over them.
I really ought to concentrate on some swaps I am entered for - using fabric.
When I saw on Crafty Cardmakers that the challenge was 'beads' anything with beads on it or something make with beads - I decided to make some out of polymer clay and enter them into the challenge.
This is one of the two bracelets that I am making from the polymer clay beads I made the other day. I sanded and buffed them until my fingers were sore and still couldn't get them as shiny as those I see in books and on the internet. Maybe they have a better way of photographing them than I do.
So I painstakingly gave every bead two coats of varnish - and they really shine in 'real life' now.
I reshaped the blue beads into 'rock' beads, and you can really see the glitter that I added inside them.
Any marks or 'dimples' are not marks - it is just that the beads are really shiny and the light is reflecting off them
I knew it would happen - when I now look at the first set of beads I made, they don't look half as nice as these. Maybe it's that these are a darker colour and varnished and look so much richer. The others were summer colours
Well at last I have made time to make an altered domino for a forum swap on Cardmaking Paradise.
I had made several previous attempts at stamping and colouring, using Stazon to stamp on an image, and Copics to colour it. Unfortunately the Copics ended up with black nibs and so I messed up a few.
