Another Product Worth Having On Hand In Your Bead And Jewelry Making Studio:
Today I would like to pass along some cool information I got the other day from polymer clay artist and mad scientist extraordinaire… Valerie Aharoni.
I first introduced you to her a while ago. She is the one who came up with the technique of using parchment paper for doing polymer clay image transfers. If you missed that post make sure to check it out. Also be sure to read all of the comments that follow the article. Lots of great info!
Anyway… Valerie (aka Vaharoni) discovered a spray fixative/sealer that works wonderfully with polymer clay. It can be sprayed onto your polymer clay pieces to seal in photo transfers, powdered pigments, leafing pens, metal foils, metal leaf and anything that you don’t want rubbing off the surface of your polymer clay projects.
The product is called Preserve Your Memories II (PYM2). It was designed for the scrapbooking industry to seal inkjet photos, newspapers and other such items you want to preserve.
Personally I have not tried this product yet because it is difficult to have it shipped into Canada. However, I do have faith in Valerie’s recommendation. She is an experienced clayer and has done extensive testing with PYM2 on her polymer clay pieces. After 6 months there has not been any adverse effects on the clay.
If you try out this new product please do come back and let me know how it worked for you.
A spray like this would be a fast and easy way to apply some shine to many beads at once, especially dimensional beads that can take quite a bit of time to do by hand.
Hello. OMG it is so nice to meet you. I have visited alot of sites and I have to say, I think this will become my new favorite. I absolutely love your site. I was wondering if you would be so kind to visit my web site. I would really appreciate any feedback on my items. I am especially concerned about the Baby Keepsake Boxes. It is for such a good cause but I have not made one sale yet. Is there something wrong with this product that no one has the heart to tell me about? I truly appreciate your time.
Hi Sherry, what a pleasure to meet you too! I took a look at your sites and your baby keepsake boxes. It is a good cause and I wish you lots of success. My cousin was born premature and lived for about the same amount of time. Although it was nowhere near the same for me as it was for you, I do understand the gravity of your loss.
In regards to the boxes themselves, I do have a couple of questions.
Is the entire box covered in clay? How is the photo applied? Is it an image transfer or something else? How is the inside of the box done?
Knowing these things will help me give you better advice.
Dear Cindy…. a photo of some of my first efforts.
The larger front beads are sort of papier mache applications on a bead, from ink jet copies of some of my paintings. Not wildly successful but fun to experiment! Wondering about sanding (can’t yet afford a rock tumbler) it IS a chore, isn’t it! I cheated (?) on these and after just buffing, used Sculpey Studio gloss glaze. Is that Legal?
Heather of course it’s legal! LOL
I sure love your sense of color and texture. The thin crinkly beads with the large round ones looks really good together!
I can’t see the detail of the decoupaged beads very well in this photo, but I love the idea of using images of your own paintings on your beads. Very original and one of a kind!
As far as the Studio by Sculpey Glaze… I haven’t tried it yet but my guess is it is a better quality product than the regular Sculpey glaze (which IMO is illegal! :-)). I’d have to see it up close to know whether it was a nice finish or not.
If you are super careful and avoid fingerprints when making your beads, you don’t have to do a lot of sanding to get a nice finish. See link by my name above for more info about avoiding fingerprints.
Thank you so much for sharing your work with us! It’s wonderful for me as I’m sure it is for others, to see how your polymer accomplishments are coming along. Keep up the great work!
can i use Acrylic Glazing Liquid from Golden Paints to shine up my polymer beads or will it yellow or become sticky later?
if not how do it remove it from the bead i have already it on?
Although I haven’t tried it myself on polymer clay, it should work. Golden makes very nice products many of which are very compatible with polymer clay. What I would do is test it by putting it on a baked piece and see what happens.
Put the date on the piece of clay and let sit for awhile. if after a few months and the piece is not sticky it will be fine.
If it is on a piece and it does become sticky, you can usually remove that sort of thing with rubbing alcohol or acetone. Let us know what comes of your experiment. The more info we have and the different products available, the better for everyone! Thanks so much for your comment!
Hi Cindy,
I wanted to thank you for the write up about Preserve Your Memories II. My husband is the inventor and patent holder and we so appreciate the way all of the artists that find PYM II help us to get the word out. We have just signed Shades of Clay in Canada as a distributor so it should be available thru them for Canada within a week or so. If you or anyone that is on your blog has any questions we are always more than happy to answer them.
Thanks again Donna
@Donna Shepherd: The PYM II sounds great. Will it be available in the San Francisco Bay Area anytime soon?
Good to hear from you Donna and thanks for the heads up about your Canadian Distributor. ~Cindy
**INFO ADDED: Some more information about the Preserve Your Memories II product has been added. The new article talks about using this unique craft spray fixative on polymer clay beads and copper metal findings. Click on the “Preserve Your Memories II” link by my name above to have a look.
I have never been so sure and in love with a product as I have been with PYM II! I have been using PYM for the past several years and it never disapoints me. I’ve used it on both polymer clay as well as sealing my PMC silver clay to keep it from tarnishing. I use it as well on all my paper creations and paint projects inside the studio as well as outside on things around my house!
You can’t ask for better people to work with then Doug and Donna Shepherd they are committed to their product and are always willing to help or find out the answer to a question!
Happy Creating!
Aileen~
I have just started working with Lumina Air Dry Polymer Clay really love the beads I made. They are actually message beads and I wrote the words on the beads with a Sharpie and have been reading several articles about ink pigments and sealing with PYM II. Do you know where I can buy it on the internet…there is not a place where I live that sells it. I also looked at Fusion Beads as it was listed as a supplier and did say in store only…but what the heck…I checked hoping the fusion.com site might have started to supply…not. Any ideas or websites you know of where I could buy it would be much appreciated……. Awaiting your reply with hope…….. Deb
Deb,
I’m Doug Shepherd inventor of PYM II and Cindy sent me your post.
You can order from our web site or send me an e-mail as to how you would like to make contact to discuss PYMII and it’s use.
Doug and Donna Shepherd
Heather this is a gorgeous necklace set – stunning colours. Remind me of delicious sugared almonds (do you have these in the states?).
I agree Aileen! I have been using it a lot and find it just amazing! Can’t say enough good things about it!
Still no response from the large craft supplier regarding stocking this product in the UK – wondered if Penny might be interested in doing so Cindy.
Oh that’s a good idea Polyanya. I will ping her to plant the seed.
I was looking through some beads I made about 6 months ago and found that they were sticky! I had buffed them any applied clear spray gloss. What could be the problem? I use mostly sculpey clay and bake as directed. Thanks for your help.
@Chris Lucey:
Hi Chris,
Do you mind if I ask what type of clear spray gloss you used on the beads?
@Chris Lucey: Yes, Chris. Donna’s question is important. Nearly all spray sealers do not work with polymer clay — they have ingredients that react with the polymers and you end up with a sticky mess. The spray in the article at the top of this page is the only one I know of that is good with polymer clay. Some of the more common finishes that are good with polymer clay are shown in this article: Which Polymer Clay Finish is Best?
And this one shows the newest Studio by Sculpey Glaze.
Both articles have comments that show additional things that should or should not be used to finish your PC pieces.
I’m sorry about your beads getting sticky! Depending on what you used, there might be a way to fix them. Be sure to post back what you used on them, and we’ll try to help.
Hi Heather,
If PYM II were available in a local scrapbook store in your area it would be a 6 oz can under the label CI SuperSeal. If you go to our website you can see a picture of the can and Creative Imaginations has a locator on their website and you could call the stores and check. CI Super Seal is PYM II under their label. Otherwise you would have to order on line and we ship Fed Ex so it would take a couple of days. Hope this helps.
Donna
Amazing to see the sucess of this product. Soak dried pansies in it, and so far…great! Wonder if it would work on curtains to reduce fabric damage?
@Jocelyn:
Actually it will….I have used in on outdoor pillows and its worked great and didn’t leave them stiff like I thought. You will need to reapply each season but mine are going on year two now. I have some outdoor curtains I’ve just used it on as well.
Just ask Aileen she has been using PYM II for about 5 years she is definitely and expert on her many applictions and uses and is greatly appreciated for all the help she has given us. I just sealed my new red leather purse with PYM II. To prevent any color rub off or any water or other stains. Came out perfect. Doug just repainted our wicker outdoor furniture and sealed it with PYM II. We love to hear how people find new ways to use the product. I do know a friend sprayed a flower from his grandmothers funeral several years ago and he said it still looks great.
I do know Lesley Riley (Cloth Paper Scissors magazine)uses PYM II on fabric and quilters use it on the quilts they make to hang to protect the colors from fading because of the UV blocker in PYM II.
On my blog: dovedesigns.blogspot(dot)com I have a page that shows photos of the results of my using PYM II on polymer clay pieces. I am so thrilled with the product that I now sell it through my blog and also on my website: lordstreasures(dot)com.
Hi Cindy,
Douglas Shepherd at Precision Blue suggested I contact you to see if you can help me out with a question involving PYM II and Polymer clay. I’ve been searching for a polymer clay compatible MATTE aerosol spray mist that I can use as a fixative on cured Kato trans to which ground artist’s pastels had been applied previous to curing. Have you ever used PYM II for this application, or do you know of anyone who has? Are you able to give me any idea how matte/glossy a finish I might be likely to get using a light mist of PYM II for this application?
Thanks!
Anita
Hi Anita,
I am happy to help with your questions as best I can.
Although I haven’t tested the PYMII specifically on Kato Clay I do believe it works the same on Kato as it does on Premo, which I use most often. As far as a polymer clay compatible spray finish, I have not found any product better than the PYMII. It is perfect for sealing in powder finishes, such as mica powders and chalks and has a very matte finish. In fact it is so matte that I am hoping Douglas will be able to formulate a gloss version for those who like things shiny.
I use the spray for other jewelry making and crafting projects as well. It is great for spraying metals that you don’t want to discolor, patina or rust, as well as papers, fabrics or anything else you want to protect. It is easy to work with, quick drying, a UV protectant and acid free. (The way I’m talking about it, you would think I was part of the company and I’m not.)
Anyway, although it is a bit pricey, you’ll find it lasts forever and is excellent value. I think you would be pleased to use it on your polymer clay work.
If you have any other questions about this or anything else polymer clay related, there are hundreds of articles you can search through here at my blog, and a large community you can communicate and share ideas with. Feel free to ask anything you want, and myself or one of the members will try and help you out.
~Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Thank you so much for your helpful reply regarding PYM II! Wonderful to know about the matte finish outcome. I think this product may well be what I have been looking for and I think Douglas should hire you to be the official spokesperson for PYM II! Your blog is wonderful. I have been here numerous times and you have many treasures. Thank you for your helpful answer and for all you do for the poly clay community.
Wishing you a rainbow colored day full of beautiful poly clay,
Anita
Help! Have they stopped making the Preserve Your Memories II. I can’t find it even under the alias of CI Super Seal. It sounds like such a wonderful product. Can anyone tell me where I can find it?
Hi Lisa,
PYM II is still available. It is available on our website. pymii.com
Thanks for looking for us. Any questions or problems just drop me and email.
Thanks,
Donna
FYI: PYM II demo video just posted… Waterproofing Hemp Cord Using PYM II
I have been on the internet trying fine PYM 11 spray in Canada.Shades of Clay only have the liquid. I want to purchase the Gloss spray. US Won’t ship the spray to Canada. Have you tried Diamond Glaze? If will it work of Polymer Clay? Take care Rosemarie
@Donna – Nice to hear from you :-) Hope you are well!
@Rosemarie – I went to the Shades of Clay web site and it looks to me like the actually do sell the PYMII spray… and taht they are able to ship this product to Canadian addresses. Here is the link to where PYM is listed for sale at the Shades of Clay website.
As far as the Diamond Glaze, I have not tested that yet, so I can’t give you a good answer for that.
Hi Rosemarie,
PYM II does not come in a gloss spray it takes on the texture of the material it is applied to. I do not work with clay but from the comments I have read it does put a shine on the clay and if you would like more of a gloss you could apply another layer after the first has dried. Cindy I am sure will give you the correct answer on how to obtain the finished look you would like, she has worked with our product for several years.
Hope this helps,
Donna
Hi, Cindy, I’ve learned so much from your tutorials! One thing I’m struggling with is how to coat/varnish round beads to protect surface treatments such as “gold” leaf, mica powders, etc., so they don’t rub off when worn in jewelry pieces. (This is also an issue with flat or curved pieces that have 3-dimensional embellishments added on top or around the edges.). Since PYM II appears not to be available any more, I’ve been looking for something that dries fairly quickly without creating drips on the underside of the beads when they’re hung to dry. Sculpey glazes don’t dry quickly enough, and no matter how thin the coating there are still drips. I’ve recently experimented with Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane (water-based) aerosol sprays, in both gloss and semi-gloss, with rather disappointing results. The semi-gloss creates a somewhat rough texture when dried (and actually looks completely matte — there’s also a matte version of this spray, as well, which I haven’t tried), and I had tested it on a flat piece as well as on a round bead. The gloss spray does somewhat better in appearance, but still doesn’t dry quickly enough to prevent drips on round beads (I also tested it on a flat piece). If you have a product to recommend in place of PYM II, a response and a product-review video could be very helpful. Thanks!
If you want a spray that replaces PYMII there’s a product called Helmar Crystal Kote in Matte that is supposed to be very comparable. I have it in My Amazon Shop if you want to check it out. I haven’t used it myself yet but several artists that I trust swear by it. Hope that helps!
Hi, Cindy,
Thank you for your response. When I checked out the Helmar Crystal Kote Matte on Amazon, I saw that the ingredients listed on the label are acetone and diacetone alcohol. I had a baked (test) piece of Premo clay with Tim Holtz alcohol inks on it, and tested it with acetone. The acetone ate into the alcohol inks.
I am wondering whether any of the artists who swear by the Helmar Crystal Kote Matte, have used it on pieces that have alcohol inks, or whether they’ve only used it on pieces that don’t have alcohol inks.
Thanks,
Abby
That is an excellent question Abby, that I am afraid I don’t know the answer to. One of these days, I’m gonna need to order some myself, so I can do some testing with it. It would be good to know whether it would work for sealing in alcohol ink or not. Soooo many things to test!! :)
Hi Cindy and Abby,
I did the original testing with the Helmar Matte spray here in Australia (Ginger mentions my original testing in her article). I didn’t test it on alcohol inks as they need particular UV protective sprays. There are some alcohol inks that are UV stable but most of the commonly used brands aren’t.
Regards, Laura Yodgee.
Thank you Laura for to update! It is very much appreciated!
Hi Cindy,
Firstly, thank you for all of your great tips! I’m a newbie with polymer clay, and I’ve found your videos to be incredibly informative.
I’ve been using guilders paste on my pieces, and I’m looking for a nice, Matt finish sealer. I haven’t been able to find PYM11, but I see you’ve recommended Helmar Crystal Kote Matt in later comments. Is this still what you’d recommend for sealing guilders paste?
Additionally, is there a different product you’d recommend to use over guilders paste?
I appreciate any advice you can give.
Sincerely,
Katie Cooke
Hi Katie, yes I do recommend the Helmar Crystal Kote Matte though I haven’t specifically tested it myself (people I trust recommended it) nor do I know if it was used on Gilders Paste. So, I can’t tell you for certain whether it will work for sealing Gilders Paste or not. It’s something that you would need to test to be sure. The only other matte finishes that I have used and liked are the Liquitex Matte Varnish and the Golden Matte Varnish… but there again I haven’t tested those on Gilder’s paste either. One thing I know that doesn’t work is Renaissance wax. It will remove Gilders Paste quite easily. Sounds like I need to add a few for things to test to my every growing list!