So, you have liquid polymer clay. Now what ?

Liquid polymer clay is more than just a bonding agent for 2 pieces of baked polymer clay or attaching finding. It can be used to do image transfers like I did on this candle screen. I tied for 1st place in a contest hosted by Amaco. πŸ™‚ The pictures I used were taken in my garden. Here is the Candle Screen Project written up on their website.

Here is a short tutorial I wrote many years ago that shows how to do liquid clay transfers.

Here is a video that is great too πŸ™‚ Foolproof Image Transfer by Willowbird Studio

Liquid polymer clay can be tinted with various mediums to be used as glazes or grout in your projects. These mediums include oil paint, mica powder, pastel chalks, powdered pigments, and alcohol ink. Alcohol inks must sit on top o the liquid clay until the alcohol evaporates before you mix the color. You can also mix in glitters, embossing powders, spices, or anything that is oven safe. Just keep in mind you don’t want to mix too much of any medium into your liquid clay, because it can change the basic properties of the clay and may not work as expected. I personally like to keep it to to no more than 3 parts liquid clay to 1 part other medium.

When tinted with opaque mediums like the chalks, alcohol ink or powders pigment you can use liquid clay to do glazing techniques like faux ceramic. This is my favorite tutorial to make Faux Ceramic.

If your glaze seems a little too thick , you can use diluent to thin it to the consistency you need.

This is another example of the same project above created by another artist, Valerie Brincheck.

Liquid polymer clay can be made into a grout for your clay project in 2 ways that I am familiar. First is to mix a thick paste made of regular polymer clay and liquid clay. Keep adding liquid clay to the polymer clay and working them together until the clay turns into a paste. The second is to mix in a powdered medium like pigment powders, mica powders, or pastel chalks. This will thicken the liquid clay, but it will still flow. Squeezing the thickened liquid clay out of a fine tip bottle is the easiest way I have found to use it. Fill the gaps in your mosaic and then wipe away any excess “grout” with a paper towel and bake. This next picture uses the paste method.

 

You can use tinted clay to do faux combed paper. The mica powders are especially nice for this technique!

Here is the tutorial from Fire Mountain Gems

This is a more intricate example of combed liquid clay created by Linda Heins.

Liquid Polymer Clay can be used to make window clings.Β  I have done this and it is so much fun ! Great project to do with the kids. The key is to bake the liquid clay on a piece of glass or smooth ceramic tile. After baking and it’s cooled off enough to safely handle, peal the clay off the glass or tile then stick it to a window. Many years ago I made some dragonflies for my bathroom window. Wonder what happened to them ?Β  Hmmmm. Here is the only example I could find online, also made by Linda Heins.

I almost forgot about making Faux Enamel Cloisonne. I tried this technique a few years back, but I no long have the pictures of what I made. A computer crash ate hundreds of pictures. 😦 Back up your important stuff regularly !Β  But back to the subject. πŸ™‚ I did find some pictures online to show you what I mean.

I found a tutorial by Crafty Goat which may help you get the idea of how it works.

I’m sure I have forgotten some great technique liquid clay can produce. If I have please let me know in a comment and I will add it to the list πŸ™‚

 

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60 New Stamps & Silk Screens Now Available

I just got done listing 60 new silk screens and clear stamp textures in my Etsy shop. They are all made to order and all made 100% with my own 2 hands πŸ™‚

Tonja’s Treasures Etsy Shop

Here are some actual pictures of my stamps.

coral pair

Coral Pair

Springtime

Springtime

under the sea

Under the Sea

tapestry

Tapestry

woodland

Woodland

rain leaf

Rainy Skeleton Leaf

 

Have you checked out Lucy Clay Tools lately?

Well, if you haven’t you should ! Fair warning. There are an tools and inspiration to make you drool (and empty your wallet LOL) . http://www.lucyclaystore.com

I own the original CZExtruder and I will NEVER go back to another brand. The quality is so beyond superior to the others it’s like night and day. Plus there are now 8 different sets of shape discs available to extrude a mind boggling number of patterns and#9 is on the way.

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You can use your old Makin’s extruder discs and Cynthia Tinapple’s discs in the CZ Extruder, too.

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I also have my eye on the Lucy Clay Slicer. I hear it is a fabulous tool for slicing even sheets of clay off of a slab. Imagine getting nice veneer sheets for Mokume Gane !

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Where to buy your Lucy Clay Tools

Lots of new stamp and silk screen design available soon

I have spent the last week coming up with new designs for myΒ  silk screens and stamps. With Spring being here there are lots of flowers and leaves. Plus I have some very interesting organic designs that I am hoping will be very popular. They are perfect for doing Mokume Gane and mica shift. Here are justΒ  a few of the designs you will find very soon in my Etsy shop.

flowers 2015 a copy

These next 2 are from my new duo stamps – 2 designs each.

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These 4 are new silk screen designs for Spring.

repeat patterns 3 copy

Friday’s Featured Artist: Janine MΓΌller

I saw this picture on Facebook and I was quite intrigued. So I headed over to Flickr to look at more of Janine’s work.Β  Talk about eye candy ! This is one talented lady. I love her use of color and organic design.

I supposed i you twisted my arm to choose a favorite I might say this one called Tiger Heart

But then there is a really good chance I might say it’s this one called Violas Garten

or perhaps these earrings becasue I adore ginkgo leaves πŸ™‚

You can browser through all of Janine’s pictures in her Flickr Gallery

How to “Bail Out” a Pendant

Sometime I make a really great pendant and then realize I did not think about how I was going to hang it on a cord. I am going to supply you with some quick and easy ideas on how to add a bail to your polymer clay pendant.

First are the non clay solutions:

Add a jump ring and run the cord through it.

Or a jump ring with a bail added.

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Here is a wire wrapped bail I made.

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Or you can add a screw eye to the clay before or after it’s baked.

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Sometimes you can find interesting filigree findings and connectors that can be folded in half to create a bail. They can add a really nice design element.Β  It will need to be glued in place for it to be permanent.

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Then there are pinch bails. They come is different colors and designs.

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Glue on bails can be handy too.

Here are some ideas if you want to add a bail made of polymer clay:

You can make a tube of clay ( I wrap clay around a knitting needle and bake. Remove the clay while it’s still warm) and attach it with liquid clay, which will obviously need to be baked again to be permanent.

A fold over clay bail can be fun, too.

I extruded a flat strip of black clay and looped it through the holes I cut in this domed pendant.

This Weeks Featured Artist: Susan Gross

What first caught my eye when viewing Susan’s Flickr album was the beauty in a simple spiral. I just love how she accents this piece with a little texture and berries.

This one is call Tropical Swirl and it most definitely makes me feel like having a fruity drink with an umbrella in it. πŸ™‚

I also found some stunning silk screened pieces. I think you all know how I feel about silk screens. LOVE THEM!!!!!

This next piece is a shining example (literally) of translucent mokume gane done correctly. Look at the layers of silver leaf and color. Beautiful work, Susan !

But……….. I think my favorite piece is this pendant. I love the contrast of color and pattern in the patchwork design.

 

To see all of Susan Gross’ work check her Flickr Gallery.

Cabochons Now Available in my Etsy Shop

I have discovered I love making polymer clay cabochon. πŸ™‚ I spend a lot of time getting the shape just right. Then I take the time to sand them by hand with 7 grits of sandpaper so they are smooth as glass. Lastly, I buff them to a high gloss finish. I have a large selection in my Etsy Shop, with more on the way. Grab them while you can. They are in demand !

Here are a few you will find available at this time.

 

 

Friday’s Featured Artist: Sonya’s Polymer Creations

This weeks featured polymer clay artist is Sonya’s Polymer Creations and she has quite the flair for organic design, which I especially like when it comes to jewelry. For example, this first piece named Cleopatra’s Bubblebath is so simple, yet it has such depth. It makes me think of sea urchins.

 

This next piece is called Driftwood. Love the connections.

I especially like this pair of earringsΒ  called Winter Mood. The detail is incredible.

More examples of Sonya’s work

 

You can see all of Sonya’s work in her Flickr Gallery

 

Etsy just messed everything up…. Again.

Etsy proudly announce the launch of all new categories. Yeah ? More like Yikes !! What a nightmare. They deleted all reference to Polymer clay in every category. I found my texture stamps filed under Ceramics & Sculptures. Yep, you read that correctly. Now they are filed under the generic category of General Supplies, because I can’t seem to find a proper home for them any longer.

I was reading through all the complaints made by shop owners in the forum that Etsy deleted Lampwork from the beads and that there is no longer a category to put Christmas Ornaments. And those fancy delicate beautiful polymer clay figures or mermaids and fairies? Oh, those were added to Toys category. LOL Seriously??

The new categories look like the WalMart.com website now. So sad and frustrating. Rather than spend the day working on orders I am faced with checking on my 362 listing to see just how badly Etsy @#$% things up for me. Here is a couple threads to visit to add you 2 cents to this matter. Please make your voice heard. https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/15994118/
https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/15992322

 

Bad Etsy image courtesy of http://www.blissfulmondays.com/2013/02/14/307/

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