Thursday, September 10, 2009

Doing the Mica Shift



Another technique I love to do is called a mica shift.  It is also referred to as ghost imaging which I think is a better name.  The pill box shown above is a good example.  The pattern appears to be textured when in fact it is totally smooth.

Only metallic or pearl type clays can be used in this technique due to the mica particles they contain.

To create this effect, the clay is rolled, folded in half and rolled through the pasta machine  many times in order for the micas to be evenly distributed.  The clay sheet is then impressed or stamped with a pattern.

Here I'm using a texture sheet I made from clay.  You can see the raised leaf pattern on the green sheet of clay.



Using a bendable and sharp blade, I carefully shave off all of the raised areas.  If I cut too deep, I will lose some of my pattern.  It takes time, a steady hand and patience to do this but can be very rewarding when it turns out.



The clay sheet below is finished and you can see the leaf images left behind in the clay.  These are some of the tiles I created for my mosaic tiled table ready to bake.



 The tiles are much smoother after sanding and here they are mounted onto the table top.



The necklace below is another example of some mica shift shown in the pendant and the two round beads.



Here is a bracelet that was created with a color blend (green at one end to gold at the opposite)  combined with the mica shift pattern.



The bracelet is attached to a watch face and is a new listing in our Art Fire Studio.




4 comments:

Michelle Anderson ♥TheCamerasEye said...

Thanks for sharing your talent. Your work is amazing. I enjoy creative people, especially when they are generous with their knowledge and skills....sharing and caring...
Chelle
aka
TheCameraseye
and
Ibreak4glass

Vanessa said...

Hey Carolyn

I just wanted to let you know that I am a follower of your wonderful creations and blog. I have added you to my list of fav blogs!

Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor said...

Very nice Carolyn! I especially love the mica skinner blend tile bracelet. Really pretty!

2 Good Claymates said...

Thanks so much Chelle. I love to share what I can and hope it inspires other people like others have inspired me.

Thanks Vanessa -- I will add you to my list as well --

Thanks Cindy. The bracelet is one of my favorites and been tempted to keep it for myself at times but you should see the drawer full of watches I've made for myself! Should show a photo of them some day.