Sunday, February 6, 2011

Make Your Own Flexible Texture Plates

This is how to make your own flexible texture plate so you can use them right in your pasta machine afterwards.  For this technique I use ....


That's right ... Sculpey Bake & Bend.  It has some really good uses other than making bendable animals...  I found they make great texture plates -- and flexible ones at that.

I found these paper heart doilies at the dollar store.  I want to use them to make a texture sheet.


1.  First of all, make sure the Sculpey Bake & Bend is well conditioned.  I find some of the colors aren't quite as soft so I like to mix them until I get a nice consistency.

2.  Roll out enough clay in your pasta machine on the 3rd thickest setting (I used the #3 setting on my Atlas) that is slightly larger than the doily.


3.  Making a texture plate from one of the paper doilies won't make a deep enough impression so take a stack of about 4 - 5 that are "stuck" together and do not separate them.  This will add depth and make a better impression.


4.  Lightly dust the clay sheet with some cornstarch to prevent the doily from sticking.  I generally use water but with the paper that won't work so well.

5.  Change your pasta machine setting to the 4th thickest setting (#4 on an Atlas).  Lay the doily face down onto the clay sheet and carefully insert the two together into the pasta machine and roll through.

6.  Place your clay sheet facing up on a clean ceramic tile making sure there aren't any air pockets trapped underneath.  Lightly tap it so it sticks to the ceramic tile.  Carefully peel away the paper doilies and trim the edges all around so they are nice and neat.  Bake your texture sheet right on the ceramic tile following the temperature and time on the package.


7.  Allow your sheet to cool completely before removing it from the ceramic tile.  You now have a texture sheet you can use with your regular polymer clay over and over and it is flexible so can be used right in your pasta machine at your thickest setting.


These are a few pieces I made from my new texture sheet that I highlighted with mica powders.





You can use this method to make other texture sheets.  Here is one I made from a piece of vintage lace.


And some pendants I have made from it:

Oh yes, and another cool thing I found is the container from the Sculpey Bake & Bend works great for storing canes afterwards!


Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and have fun with it!

8 comments:

Marian Hertzog said...

Your work is soooo perfect! I really want to try this. I bought an artist block to make a carving for a stamp that would be my own artwork... but the possibilities are endless with all of the textures already out there. Thanks!

Dori T said...

Thanks for sharing this idea. I just may have to run out and pick some up!

Marney said...

awesome, thanks so much for sharing, I have some of that clay & have had it for quite a while. now finallya good use for it. Can't wait to try it..thanks thanks thanks

ArtFairly Aware said...

Very cool!

artsyclay said...

Wonderful idea, thank you for sharing! You made such beautiful things from your sheets.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much! I'm so glad I hadn't gotten around to giving away the bendy clay in the colors I would't use. Sing Ho! for procrasination...
ellenrb

Debbie Bellibone Goodrow said...

Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea! I have some laces and hand tatted handkerchief edges that I always wanted to figure out a way to use as texture - this will do it!

Unknown said...

Thanks for this! Just found Bake and Bend locally. Will be trying it.