The Future is Clear!

Happy new years everyone!  I have something exciting I recently discovered that I realized I had not shared here yet so figured now is a good time.

I see so many asking the question "what sealer works best on polymer clay?"  But does polymer clay really require "sealing"?  My answer:  "No it does not".  A lot of my creations have no "sealing agent or glaze" and even years later they still look good as new.  If I want a high shine, I prefer to sand and then buff with my Dremel tool.  I especially love how it feels when I touch it with my hands.  You can read more info on this if you click on the tab at the top of this blog "Polymer Clay Tips".  Here is a video of my past hubby/claymate buffing a piece with the Dremel tool.  I have the buffing pads I make myself listed in my online store here.  (right now on sale until the end of the month).

I also create pieces that I cannot sand or buff and DO require a sealing agent or glaze.  This is when I add coloring agents to the outside of my piece such as mica powders, inks or pan pastels as in the textured tube beads shown in the photo below -- my tutorial for this is here.  If the coloring materials are not sealed, they can eventually wear off over time.

Textured Tube Beads

To Glaze or Not to Glaze . . .

I wrote a blog post quite a few years ago on glazing your work (in 2010) and realized it needed an update.  So many products are constantly changing and have even been discontinued over the years.  It seems I just find a product I like and then it suddenly isn't available any more!  I am constantly in search of a better product -- not just something better to work with but that gives excellent results and is also safer for the environment.

One of the products I have been using for many years to seal my work (that has coloring agents which require sealing) is, believe it or not, "Future Acrylic Floor Finish".  I know many who have been working with polymer clay over the years are aware of this trade "secret".  Some, like myself, still use it today.  Many "newbies" are not aware of it, or when they see a photo or a reference to it, they are confused.  This is a product that was introduced into the market as far back as in the 1960's.  The bottle pictured above is of the original vintage bottle.  Over the years, the label had changed many times and was later purchased by Johnson & Johnson, thus eventually becoming "Pledge with Future" and then lastly, "Pledge Revive".

So now, Johnson & Johnson discontinued their latest product and sadly, is no longer available.

Or is it?????

Well, introducing . . . . drum roll . . . .   Quick Shine!

It is by a different company but very much the same as the original "Future Floor Finish".  I have been testing it out to see how it compares and so far, it is pretty darn close --- other than the smell.  I really didn't mind the smell of the original Future (had somewhat of a fruity odor) but this one is not as strong and slightly different, yet not objectionable -- at least not to me.

I should mention I also like to use the other glazes made for polymer clay such as the Cernit brand -- which comes in a matte finish besides glossy.  I find they are far better to use than a typical varathane.  But when working with mica powders, I still prefer to use the acrylic floor finish (now Quick Shine) for the following reasons:  

# 1 - Safer for the environment and our health!  Just compare the labels.  Quick Shine has the "Safer Choice" seal and all you have to do is look at those danger warning signs on the Varathane.

# 2 - Quick Shine has just as hard a finish as the varathane, and maybe even tougher.  After all, it is made to be used on floors which can take quite a beating.

# 3 - Cleans up easy off your hands, etc. with soap and water.

# 4 - Cost!  Quick Shine is by far way cheaper than the varathane plus the bottle size is larger as well and keeps for a very long time.

So where can you get it?  I bought mine in a hardware store in the floor care section.  You can google it to find what stores sell it in your area.  I did see it on Amazon but at double the price but if you cannot find it elsewhere, then that can always be a back-up plan.

And here are a few quick tips for working with the Quick Shine (or Future if you still have some hanging around like I do):

• Pour some Quick Shine into a small clean jar (not too much as you can top it up as needed).  This way when you are done you can tightly seal the jar to use next time.  Over time, the Quick shine can start to thicken.  If it does (reason for not too much at a time in your jar), take some paper towel to sop it up and wipe the jar out.  Discard the paper towel in the garbage and add some fresh product into your jar.

• When applying it to your piece, use a dry, soft, clean, brush.  Apply a thin, light coat to your piece.  Allow to dry and then apply a second or third coat if necessary.  It is better to do several thin coats than one thick one to prevent streaking, etc.  It will also make the finish more durable. Wash your brush out with soap and water before it dries and hardens.

• After your pieces have dried, they can be "heat-set" by baking again but this time at a much lower temperature (200 F or 100 C) for 15-20 minutes.  Also be sure to place the pieces in a pan that has a cover or tightly cover with tin foil to prevent any fumes from escaping (just in case).

So lastly, if you prefer, you can always use other glazes that are created just for polymer clay such as Sculpey or Cernit.  I quite like the Cernit glaze and like how it also comes in a matte finish besides glossy.  These both also recommend "heat-setting" which makes them more durable.  I haven't used them for sealing mica powders as of yet but have another special use which I will share with you in another post later sometime.

Snowflakes in Purple and Testing Mica Powders!

We love the rich jewel tone colors and shimmer effect of mica powders.  One thing we have learned is that the colors in the jar can look real exciting but sometimes don't look the same when applied to the clay and can even be a little disappointing.  One example of this is the new color Magenta by Pearl Ex.  When you open the jar you are greeted with a shade of hot pink.  When you apply it to some black clay, however, it doesn't look pink but instead it becomes a pretty purple!

So this is the powder we used to create the purple background on our snowflake items such as the "snaps" and shawl pins.

Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Necklace with Snowflake "Snaps"

"Snap" Bracelet with Snowflake "Snaps"

Snowflake Shawl Pin in Purple

There is only one week left to receive a free copy of my Snowflake "Snap" tutorial and we still have some snowflake charms in stock.  You can read about our promotion in a previous blog post here.

Mixing Up Mica Powder Colors -- Zircon Teal Blue

Have you found that sometimes you just can't find that perfect mica powder color for a project you are working on?  I have and when I was looking for a shade of teal to match the Zircon colored Swarovski crystals we use I decided to pull out our mica powders and mix some up until I got the shade I wanted.  It is fun to experiment and create new colors this way.

Before I actually started mixing up lots of powders I combined tiny amounts on a piece of parchment paper with my fingers.

Once I figured out the combination, I then proceeded with mixing up my actual recipe.  All you need is a container for your new mix and a small (1/8 or 1/4) measuring spoon.

Measure out your powders and add them to your new container.  I used a metal poultry lacer (bead piercing tool) to level off the mica powders.

The end of the metal skewer works really well for mixing up the powders without spilling and making a mess.

I share this Teal color recipe I mixed up in my new "Snowflake Snap" tutorial.  This tutorial is not for sale right now.  It is a bonus offer and you can receive your free copy plus a snowflake charm when you order $35 or more from our Snap Supplies in our online store.  You can read more about this promotion and find the coupon code in my past blog post here.

Extruded Square Spiral Beads and Memory Wire Bracelets

When I first saw this free tutorial published by Marie Segal a while ago, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  It was even one of the first things I pinned to my Polymer clay pinterest board but it kept getting pushed down to the bottom of our "things to play with" list.  Then one day while working on our memory wire bracelets, I remembered those beads and immediately pulled out our extruder and dies and had to give it a whirl.  You need to make the extruded tubes first with the special clay core adapter to create a hole in the tubes for the beads.

Extruded strands with mica powders applied before twisting

I love how they turned out but for a memory wire type bracelet, we decided they should have a curve for a better fit and easier threading.  We had a bunch of these cool tins for covering with clay which are the same size as the wire so decided to use some as a baking form.  After applying the mica powders and twisting the long ropes, we gently arranged them inside the tins.  We placed the lids on each tin so they could be stacked on the baking tray in the oven.

Here are the long bead tubes after baking.  To seal the mica powders we like to spray them first with the PYM11 (Preserve Your Memories 11).  It was much easier to spray them first before cutting into bead lengths.  This way the mica powders wouldn't rub off during the cutting process.  To make cutting easier, we warmed the tubes first in the oven and then used a sharp, rigid tissue blade for cutting.

We then applied several coats of Pledge (Future) and then baked again at 200 F to harden the finish.

Here they are a few strung on the memory wire as bracelets.  We like adding our own clay rondelle spacer beads in with the twisted tubes.

To see our tutorial on how to make your own memory wire bracelets you can click here.  Making the beads and the bracelets are a lot of fun and so we have been making them in a wide assortment of colors.

Tip for Organizing Your Mica Powder Samples

I love working with various textures and then tinting them with mica powders.  The results are these deep rich jewel tone colors that shimmer with a pearlescent or metallic effect.

A few of the stores that sell our buttons, beads and shawl pins, like to place special orders for their customers in customized colors.  To make it easier for matching up with their yarn or fabric, we made these color samples for them.  These are so handy that we made a set for ourselves and is a quick and easy method for figuring out what color we want to use or match up with various beads and findings in creating our jewelry.

The * (see below) means I have Swarovski crystals to match.

Making a Glamour Necklace from a Button

When we were delivering a button order the other day to Katja's Quilt Shoppe, she had a huge tub of buttons on their counter they were sorting through.  For someone such as me who loves to sew cannot resist running my hands through all those buttons and taking in all the fun shapes and colors.  I came across one that really caught my eye and came home with me that day.  I could visualize it remade with polymer into some beads.  This is the button and a mold I made from regular scrap clay .....

... and here are some beads that I made from that button:

And here is a necklace I made for myself (yes, you are seeing correctly -- this is a different color than the beads above -- I wanted a necklace to coordinate with a bracelet and earrings I already had.)  Now all I need is a special event to wear this too!

.... I later made some buttons with shanks from that same mold.  I applied mica powders to each one to create different color combinations.

We were at Katja's store again today and so decided to look through her tub of buttons again and found a lot more to play with.

Designer Pieces for Myself

I'm taking a break away from the salmon for a bit and hoping we put enough stock out the other day to last until the 24th of October.  If it doesn't, then I guess I will be back to making more which I don't mind at all.

One of the greatest perks of being a clay-jewelry artist is that I get to go shopping for new clothes and then make as many jewelry and accessory pieces for myself as I want that match so I can show them off!  I'm really into the matchy thing and so when I create a piece for myself I have to make a whole set that coordinates which usually includes a pendant or beaded necklace, earrings, watch bracelet and hair barrette.  I might even make matching buttons for a blouse or sweater.  I'm working on some new belt designs as well which I will show you later when they are finished.

Here are two sets I've completed over the last couple of months.   The pendant and earrings in this set were from my first attempt with using Helen Breil's Radiating Lines Tutorial.  When I created the texture sheet for this one I used a finding for the centre impression and then did the remaining part free-hand with my sculpting tool.  I had some rivioli crystals I purchased for these new designs and of course had to use a green one since it is my favorite color!

I have a rich velour jacket in a deep teal that sets everything off perfectly.  The beads on the watch bracelet are the double-sided textured in the Funky Swirl design combined with my own pearl rondelles in teal.

I used the Bezel part of the CaBezel moulds for the pendant and bracelet links in this set and then filled the centers with textured pieces accented with mica powders and Swarovski crystals.

As you can see,  I love working with all kinds of textures and mica powders and so both sets were made using these.  I usually use the new prototype designs I make for myself as a springboard for our pieces to sell and so I'm now working on some new sets for our Christmas shows that will be starting soon.  Will hopefully manage to have some pieces listed in our ArtFire studio as well.

It's a Brooch and Pendant All in One!

I'm so excited about our new design.  I really like both brooches and pendants but sometimes wish they could be worn either way.  It would just make them more versatile.  I bought a pendant converter that slides onto a brooch pin which is okay but doesn't work on a lot of brooches since it depends on where the brooch pin is positioned, or it does not hang right.  And then, how can you make a pendant into a brooch?  Well you can, but it isn't that easy.  So, after a lot of brain stretching, I finally came up with a design to make a brooch and a pendant all in one! And yes, it coverts back and forth very quickly and easily.  Want to change it from a brooch to a pendant?  Just slide your cord or chain into the holders in the back and Voila!  Instant necklace!  The holder even "locks" the cord into place so the pendant will not fall off.  We have three designs we have made so far, one of which is shown here, which is for sale on Etsy.  

The technique used for this brooch-pendant is a faux cloisonne where I started with my own original drawing and sculpted a mould.  From that mould I make the design form by etching and using pure mica powder pigments for color and then antiquing and glazing with a polymer-resin type glaze.  The piece is fired between each application so by the time it is completed, it has been fired at least 4 times.  Then for a smooth and crystal clear, glassy finish a heat gun was used at the end.  As a matter of fact, the pieces are so glassy and shiny, it is very difficult to take good photos due to the reflection.  So if you see any "haziness", it is from the camera and not in the piece.

We also have optional cords in various colors for sale as well in case you don't have one of your own.  They are a "Softglass" rubber cord which have a silky feel to them and drape really nicely.  We have made them stronger by running 49 strand flexible wire through them and double securing at each end.  I have more drawings and ideas in my head yet so look for more designs coming soon!