Comments on: Polymer Clay Jewelry Made with Several Styles of Flower Petal Beads

By: Marsha

Marsha — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:06:37 +0000

While it would be nice if we could somehow keep the flowers’ original color, I kind of like the surprise that comes with the drying process as well as how the dried petals will then react with the clay. I always prepare my customers for the possible surprise and they’ve all accepted it very well. It’s good to experiment though and I do apprciate hearing what has been tried. Thanks to everyone who has commented here!

By: Heather Graef

Heather Graef — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:19:12 +0000

@Sue F: Thanks for the input Sue. Have a good evening.

By: Sue F

Sue F — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:06:41 +0000

@Heather Graef, Catalina, Marsha: I've tried using PYM2 to seal leaves to preserve their colour, but it didn't work. I gave some leaves several sprays, front and back and around the edges, and I left some leaves alone for a control. The PYM2-ed leaves still shrivelled and changed colour after some time. They were MAYBE very slightly richer in colour than the leaves that were dried without giving them any PYM2 coats first, but that's probably just because the PYM2-ed leaves are shiny from the PYM2 which would make them appear darker anyway. The PYM2 definitely didn't preserve the original colours that the leaves had straight from the plant. I haven't tried it with flowers or petals but I expect it would be the same.

By: Heather Graef

Heather Graef — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:51:29 +0000

@Marsha: Hi Marsha, I was thinking that the petals should be dry before PYM… I’ll come back and leave a comment on this post if I try these ideas out. Good luck with your beads! ~H

By: Marsha

Marsha — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:04:42 +0000

Heather, Thank you for your comments! I would be interested to know how the PYM II works on sealing the petals before they’re dried. One caution I would have is that if you tear or chop the petals after you spray them with the sealant, their natural moisture could leach out through the torn/cut edges which would not be a good thing. Let me know how it works for you! For now, I’m content to dry the flowers well before mixing them with the clay.

By: Heather Graef

Heather Graef — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:31:40 +0000

@Phaedrakat: The PYM II is supposedly protects against UV.

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:28:17 +0000

@Catalina: I wonder if UV resin would work? It’s bakeable, so — maybe?

By: Catalina

Catalina — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:16:07 +0000

@Heather Graef:great idea using PYM II for preserving the color of the pedals. I got to try this. Maybe Carolyn has tried this. If you have, Carolyn, let us know!

By: Heather Graef

Heather Graef — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:34:20 +0000

Oh, now I see the keepsake jewelry idea has already been mentioned! Great minds think alike : )

By: Heather Graef

Heather Graef — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:29:50 +0000

@Marsha: Its a little late to comment on this post, but I like your flower petal beads. Ken mentioned possibly pressing the petals, and Carrie asked about fading. Well, I’ve been reading up on a lot of techniques on this blog today, and it sounds like the PYM II Sealant (aka “SuperSeal” in the USA) (pymii.com) works really well on a lot of things – maybe use it on the petals to seal them before adding to the clay. I’m going to try it as soon as I get a chance.

So, you used some of the flowers from your son’s wedding… this made me think of a nice gift idea – pendants made with some of the petals for bride/bridesmaids gifts (or cuff links for guys?). Random thoughts…