Thursday, November 10, 2016

Family Treasures

Now offering Family Treasures from your keepsake photos.  These are made using the same process as transferring images onto china.  Instead of fragile china I use a newer art media - polymer.  The results are very durable and light weight.

It's easy:  Send me your pictures by email; I'll send you a picture before you pay; payment by PayPal; finished work sent to you within 3 weeks.

Pricing:
Single Photo - $40
(Pendants, pins, charms, and keychains)
Bottle Stoppers - $50


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Sometimes a SIMPLE Solution is Best.

As a Polymer clay artist, my SIMPLE mission for SIMPLE  SLICER™ is to provide a polymer clay slicer that is:


1)  High Quality
2)  Affordable
3)  Durable
4)  Portable
5)  Easy to Use
6)  SIMPLE


SIMPLE  SLICER works equally well with either mokume gane slabs, canes, or larger design constructions. The SIMPLE  SLICER has an infinitely adjustable acrylic frame that supports the clay while you slice it with a tested SIMPLE  SLICER blade (peeler). 

To allow you to choose your  blade (peeler) at a price that suits your budget, we offer three styles of SIMPLE SLICER peelers for your SIMPLE SLICER frame—all at one low shipping cost.  

You can also purchase any SIMPLE SLICER blade (peeler) separately.

Visit Simple Slicer at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleSlicer




Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Has a wonderful shimmer that didn't photo well. Looks like antique sari silks.
Polymer cuffs and bangles get warm next to your skin so I texture the inside to allow air flow between the polymer and skin. Using plastic fondant sheets for very flexible impressions, I cut pieces from the design and then press the texture to the inside of bracelet.

Monday, April 9, 2012

New buffing technique

Sometimes I want a high polish on my bracelets. And have been relatively successful in the process by sanding, tumbling and then buff, buff, buff, and buff more. But I'm always on the hunt for "what-if" or "got to be something better". Sooooo, how about those lens cleaning kits that are for restoring scratched headlight lenses ?????
Polymer clay is plastic and so are car headlight lenses, right? RIGHT!
The 3M kit contains a disc that fits on your adjustable drill, several grits of sandpaper, a polish, and a polishing head.
Less than 10 minutes later this is the finish on a bracelet and no hand sanding or 24 hours of tumbling. Also tried, and liked:
Tried but it didn't buff to high finish:

Problem with a high buffed finish

A high buffed finish has one big problem. It will show EVERY flaw, scratch, mismatched section, finger nail dent and ALL imperfections. So it's best to carefully 'pre finish' your work. Check it under a good light, set it aside for hours, and then inspect it again. You can save a lot of work by finding and correcting imperfections before you ever bake. Once baked you can back-fill small gaps in Premo pieces. This pin was buffed, cussed, back-filled, baked and then repeated 3 times.

High buffed finish

Some pieces made from my William Morris cane: Pendant:
Pin:
Original Cane (approx. 3"x3"):

Buffer

I had the opportunity to use a Foredom Buffer and thought that it left a better finish than my cheap Harbor Freight buffer.
Upon close inspection my buffed work had large scratches. So I was on a quest for a used Foredom Buffer. WOW - even used ones are $200 (when you can even find them). So, I got to thinking, "What's the difference between my cheap-o and Foredom - besides the obvious $200?" hmmmmm. They both spin at high speeds, both have variable speeds, and both have muslim buffer pads. Ahhh, my pad was purchased somewhere but wasn't a foredom buffing pad!!! So I ordered new pads from boredom, Yoohoo.
Only other difference is the size of the buffing pads, but the scratches are gone.