Comments on: Phthalate-Free Premo Polymer Clay – Blessing or Curse

By: Polymer Clay Tutor Doug Lietz

Polymer Clay Tutor Doug Lietz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:08:54 +0000

Hi Jan – I just emailed the pdf to you :-)

By: Jan Neff-Sinclair

Jan Neff-Sinclair — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:21:47 +0000

@Robin Elsey

I came in rather late on this discussion, but if you are still around,
I would love to get a copy of the .PDFs on your dip coater and on
finishing methods. Is that still possible?

Thank you,

Jan

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:02:19 +0000

@Robin Elsey: Hi Robin, I googled Pate de Verre, and it sounds really cool! Yep, with those temperatures, and the powdered and small bits of glass; it’s definitely a no-go for kids. Don’t worry about “prattling on;” I find the history of your home very interesting! I’m sorry about the cancelled flight due to the volcano erupting (that’s a story you don’t hear often!) I’m also terribly sorry about your son.

I suppose your card might be punched, [;~D] but you’re still quite welcome here! You might very well find a way to use the P de V with polymer clay somehow—and wouldn’t that be gorgeous! Not to mention all of the other medias that you can mix in, like metals for instance. But for now, the high fusing temperature is what holds you back from using it with other medias like PC, right?

I looked at some photos of P de V, and it is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to read more about your experimentation with this, as well as see some pictures–if possible. You could contact me on Facebook (friend me–Gianna Spelling, Riverside, CA–and I’ll message you back.) Then you could send me the file to “take a look.” It sounds really interesting—I’d be thrilled to learn more about it! Then I could be on the lookout for other glass artists, too, and then let you know so you could see if they’re willing or even able to publish your work in their book/article. And perhaps someone here at the blog will have some better ideas for getting your work published… I wish you the Best of Luck with your new “love!” ~Kat

By: Robin Elsey

Robin Elsey — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:55:13 +0000

@Phaedrakat:
Let me try to answer your note of july 31st (that’s today I think- yes!)
Ah yes! Firstly the Rabbit I sub-contracted it’s installation and operation to my eldest son who lves near Manchester(UK). Unfortunately he is just too busy earning a living and still hasn’t completed the enviroment alterations and installation.
Meanwhile I have diverted to another form of polymer clay – made of PVA white glue and glass powder and baked – or fired at about 700 deg. C. -a process akka ‘Pate de Verre. It’s been arround for two and a half millenia although the use of PVA is a recent improvement. I confessed this all to Cindy a couple of days ago – I expected to be excommunicated from her community – I was given the thumbs up – but I guess my card has been marked!
Anyway PdeV has some benefits – it is possible to get bright metallic effects. The surface finish is glass hard (as you would expect with glass) so it’s pretty permanent (There are many artifacts from ancient times in museums to prove it). The down side, compared to PC is that one’s work space must be a no go area for children -and cats. There are safety considerations. Oh yes! And there is no equivalent of caning!
The possibilities of ‘multi media work is intriguing and has not been fully explored to the best of my knowledge.
My work with PdeV is very tentative and recent. I have kept a diary of my efforts which is on file. It could- with a few pics, form the basis of a magazine article or even be incorporated into someones book – too old to write one myself. If you wanted I could e mail it to you – it’s an Open Office doc but I could save it as a MS ‘doc I suppose. Now I’m not sure of the protocol about sending you a doc by e mail – some chat groups frown on it. I am a bit uneasy about publishing it here because it might stop me from publishing it elsewhere. (Cindy -I’m sure you understand)’
Was expecting to go to Frankfort(KY) for a concert in aid of a fund set up to remember my youngest son Paul. Unfortunately the Icelandic volcano errupted in April and cancelled my flight.
I live in Surrey (UK) in a little village called Wotton outside Dorking it’s only claim to fame is that it was the home of John Evelyn the diarist who wrote about the great fire of London and the subsequent plague. Also where most of Vaughn Williams family is buried (he himself buried in Westminster Abbey with other famous English composers). Sorry to prattle on ( Cindy -please edit if necessary)

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:40:55 +0000

@Martha L: Hi Martha! You can buy the 1 lb. bricks of Premo (or other clays) from just about any online source. I haven’t seen them in any of my local craft stores, but you might—depending on where you live. I think Hobby Lobby carries them online, but I’m not sure if they carry them in-store (we don’t have H.L.’s on the west coast.) Try polymerclayexpress.com, polymerclaysuperstore.com, or theclaystore.com for starters. If you’re not in North America, there might be a better place from which to order. Let us know where you’re from, and we’ll try to provide you with some tips on where to shop locally.

You can also use the search box at the top of the page to find shopping info (or anything else!) Just about every question has been covered at this blog at least once. Type “where to buy clay” or “buy clay in UK” or something like that to get a list of articles where the topic was discussed. Then search the article and/or the comments below it for the info you’re looking for. Happy to have you here—and good luck with your bulk clay purchase!
~Kat Riverside, CA, USA –Where are you from?

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:21:53 +0000

@Robin Elsey: I’m sorry, Robin–I seem to have missed your comment somehow. Your scientific art (or art-y science) sounds really exciting. I can’t wait ’til you get to a point where you get results that are consistent enough to share. I’m so glad Cindy was able to get you your file—that’s horrible when you suffer data loss. Those dastardly viruses! (I know, there are better adjectives for them!) Please do share with us your bas relief flowers and etched pieces (whatever fun stuff you come up with using the Rabbit.) And do be careful with the laser—we don’t want you inhaling any harmful gases!

You mentioned a trip to Frankfort, Kentucky. Are you still there, or are you in the UK? (I thing that’s where you said you were from…) Anyway, I hope you’re having a wonderful summer… [:~D]
~Kat Riverside, CA, USA –Where are you from?

By: Martha L

Martha L — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:30:41 +0000

Cindy, I want to know where you buy the large packages of Premo that I see in some of your videos!

By: Robin Elsey

Robin Elsey — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:31:18 +0000

Cindy has kindly sent back to me the lost file – very thoughtful and helpful. My background was in precision photography for the electronics industry- when I’m among scientists I’m an artist- when among artists I’m a techie!
Got involved with etched precious metal jewellery -and jewellery has remained an interest during my so far,20 year retirement! Dichroic glass engaged my interest a year ago but the results are very much serendipty dominated! I wanted to be able to design motifs and get them accurately incorporated in decorative objects including jewellery. I thought I had the answer in the metallic foils similar to the Lisa Pavelka foils – using them as originally intended – transfering on to Xeroxed art(in negative form) but using the transparent foil (normally discarded) to then transfer on to polymer clay. Initial results were very promising but there is a serious reliability problem. Consistently good results elude me and I’ve virtually given up. I now expect to get the use of a laser engraver (Red Sail ‘Rabbit’ 40) some time in May. This means I could in theory etch designs on dichroic glass. If anyone is thinking ‘Why not laser etch on polymer clay?’ be warned – the burning process will release hydrochloric acid gas – very reactive and could damage the machine and get you coughing too! There are other uses for the Rabbit that are relevant to polymer clay but I need to do tests before I say any more. I shall post pics of my bas relief flowers on jewellery boxes when I’m happy with the results. At moment preparing for trip to Frankfort, Kentucky but that’s another story.

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:44:17 +0000

@Robin Elsey: I’m sorry to hear about the virus wiping out your computer files. That’s awful! Especially with the scientific way you seem to approach all of your artistic endeavors. Is that the case – are you scientific in your art? You certainly document and test things! I’d love to hear about whatever you’re doing; I find all of this incredibly inspirational. Trials & trib’s to air brushing to perhaps seeing pictures of your jewelry boxes? It’s all interesting to me!

By: Robin Elsey

Robin Elsey — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:47:54 +0000

@Phaedrakat: hi Phaedrakat! I had a disastrous virus and lost my info on making a dip coater – but I did send the file to Cindy so she may have saved it. Dip coating works fine for pendants and that sort of thing. I’m now experimenting with airbrush methods as I’m decorating jewellery boxes with Kato polymer clay bas relief flowers- too big to dip coat. If you want to know more on gold effect designs using the gold transfer foil used to embelish Xerox printing I can let you have an account of my trials and tribulations. I’ve found it a process with great promise – but so far unrealizable with any reasonable degree of reliability. I’m shortly going to try laser etching of dichroic on glass – but that’s outside the scope of poly clay! Robin Elsey