6 Videos #622 to #627: Valentines Day is coming… Time to take your Sweet Hearts to a whole new level of fun… Introducing Street Hearts!
With Valentines just around the corner, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share with you this neat graffiti inspired surface technique, that I call Street Hearts.
Of course this tutorial can be used year round and not just for Valentines Day. Hearts and love are relevant any time of the year!
And you won’t need to restrict yourself to just heart shapes either. This versatile technique will have you creating wonderful Street Style polymer clay projects in many different colors, designs and patterns. It really is limitless.
You’re going to just love the freedom of this style of polymer clay art! I will teach you how to layer all kinds of different types of paints and mediums using multiple techniques. You’ll learn to use cool supplies like Gelato pigment sticks, crackle paint, acrylic paints, distress paint, embossing powders, stencils, spray bottles, sponges and wipes to create funky graffiti on clay.
You’ll also learn how to back any thin polymer clay pieces with a backing/bezel giving your clay ‘veneers’ substance, strength and functional beauty.
Posted just below is a Sneak Peak and overview of my Street Hearts – Graffiti Style Surface Technique Tutorial. The rest of the 6 part video series will be posted tomorrow (Friday, February 6, 2015) in Vol-081 at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library.
BTW, if this Graffiti Style Street Hearts Polymer Clay Tutorial looks exciting to you, please do click that YouTube Like button. Many of you have been giving the Thumbs Up to the weekly YouTube videos, which is great… Thank You! However, these monthly intro clips need some love as well. When they don’t get as many likes, it makes it look like they are not appreciated as much… which surely can’t be true with all the nice comments you all leave :)
Vol-081-1: Video #622: Introduction: In this 6 part video tutorial series, you will learn how to use polymer clay, paints, stencils and other cool stuff to create an awesome graffiti style polymer clay surface technique to make Street Hearts for Valentines, pendants, magnets, earrings, buttons or whatever you want. And if heart shapes aren’t your thing, then you can use this urban style technique to make any design or project you can imagine! It is a wide open palette so to speak.
Vol-081-2: Video #623:
Reverse Stenciling:
In this video, I’ll teach all about the cool products you will get the chance to explore in this tutorial… and also get you started on the first of many layered paint techniques to come. You will also learn what I call, reverse stenciling where color is removed using a stencil rather than applied. You are going to look at stenciling in a whole new way after this.
Vol-081-3: Video #624:
Crackle Paint:
This video is all about the crackle! Lots of very easy and cool crackle paint stenciling tricks in this part… and I have a tip for getting two prints out of one application… no paint goes to waste, and better yet, two totally different looks can be made with one stencil. How cool is that!
Vol-081-4: Video #625:
More Paint:
In this video you will learn even more stenciling tricks by adding yet another layer to your graffiti design. It will seem as though someone started painting a wall… then another artist came along and left their mark… then along came another with even more to add. Your mind will be spinning with all the creative things you can do with this great layering technique! Then you’ll cut and pop your cool street art pieces into the oven for their first bake. Don’t worry… I’ll show you exactly what to do.
Vol-081-5: Video #626:
Baking and Bezel:
In this tutorial I will guide you through the process of creating your own unique clay backed bezels, that not only support your funky graffiti clay piece, but frame it and give it that finished look it deserves. You can actually use this trick to back any polymer clay veneer or thin polymer piece that needs a little more rigidity or strength.
Vol-081-6: Video #627:
Finishing:
In this video you will find out what’s needed to finish your piece professionally. From giving it a quick sand that will make your piece feel good in your hands… and antiquing it so that the texture stands out and the piece has a beautiful finished look. I’ll also share with you the right way to glue on a metal bail to your polymer clay pendants… it’s probably not the way you’ve been doing it! When the project is all completed, you will have a handful of one of a kind graffiti style artworks that you will be proud to give away, sell, or keep for yourself. Talk about giving it your whole heart!
Other Suggested Supplies:
- Bowl of water for cleaning brushes.
- Towel or Paper Towel.
- Wet/Dry Sandpaper. 400grit or 600 grit.
- Soft cotton cloth for applying wax.
- Ruler.
- Baking tray with foil pan or card stock for tenting.
- Artist paint brushes.
- Make-up Sponge.
- Baby Wipes or Cleaning Wipes.
By the way, many of the “shopping” links I provide for the various tools and supplies used in my tutorials, are “affiliate” resources. That means companies like Amazon and the other suppliers I refer, pay me a small commission if you click on the links and end up making a purchase at their site. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps in keeping the cost of my tutorials down. And, the prices for products that you may purchase through my links, are exactly the same as what you would normally pay, even if it is a “sale” price. So please feel free to click whenever you need to pick up a few things for your studio. Thanks so much for your support.
The full video series for the Graffiti Style Street Hearts Tutorial described above, is available in Vol-081 at the Polymer Clay Library.
If you would like to receive 3 free beginner videos right now, plus some free color recipes that get sent out each week in my Friday email newsletter, please click this link: Polymer Clay Tutorials
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… Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my monthly library tutorials is that you have a good understanding of the polymer clay basics, including: conditioning clay, using a pasta machine, clay blade and other simple tools, making Skinner Blends, baking clay, as well as sanding and finishing. If you need help in these areas, my Polymer Clay Beginners Course will get you up to speed quickly. There is also plenty of free information on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page to find articles on specific topics.
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Customer Feedback About Membership Value:
Hi Cindy – You have such a wonderful imagination and so many other tips as well. I never cease to be amazed at the way you find new things to show us. Thank you again for all you share with us! ~Marion-R
Cindy and Doug – I don’t know how you cram so much into each week! Your tutorials are such good value for money. I also look forward to your snippets of your road trip. ~Best Wishes. ~Sue-P
I know whatever you and Doug do, is always well thought out. I’ve been with you almost from the begining and have enjoyed every minute, and have learned so much. Thanks for all your hard work. Love you guys. ~Jeanne-C
Welcome to the Best (imho) polymer clay site anywhere – ever!! ~Tantesherry
We have such a warm and friendly group here. Cindy and her family is awesome and they produce magic with their talent. We are all truly blessed to have found this site. ~Karonkay-C
I’m a retried operating engineer and worked around equipment that had rusted to the point of peeling. I would dread it but was always fascinated by the colors and process. Thank you for turning my dread into excitement. I have had a mid winter block until now. I can’t wait to get home and try this making my own rust. I could also see this in dark greens with paprika, pepper, and turmeric. I am really enjoying all of you tutorials. Great camera work also. Please Thank Doug also. ~Denise-O
With the very small cost to join as a member have no clue why anyone would not join. Cindy and Doug, you both have worked so hard for this site and your members. Thanks. ~Edie-H
The full video series for the Graffiti Style Street Hearts tutorial described above, is available in Vol-081 at the Polymer Clay Library.
If you would like to receive 3 free beginner videos right now, plus some free color recipes that get sent out each week in my Friday email newsletter, please click this link: Polymer Clay Tutorials
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Really looking forward to seeing this tomorrow. Oops, I had better get my new e-mail address to you.
Thanks Lawrence! Yes do make sure to give us your new email, if you haven’t done it yet. We wouldn’t want you to miss out!
Hi Cindy: I changed my e-mail address on my “Dashboard” yesterday but your mail is still coming to my old e-mail which is cancelled on Monday.
Is there someplace else members should update their info.
Thanks
Hi Lawrence… to have the Friday Newsletter emails re-directed to your new email address, there is a “change subscriber options” link at the very bottom of each of the Newsletter emails.
Thanks Doug. I have never read to the very bottom of the newsletter
What a gorgeous pendant. I love the tutorial!! Does Michaels have the polka dots and stripes stencils?
I got my stencils at Michaels Cherie. Those particular ones were from the Recollections brand but many companies are making them now. Stenciling has gotten really popular… there will be lots of new designs coming into the stores in the next few months, so you should be able to find whatever patterns you need. They can be all over the store if you look. The wood department, the glass paints, the mod podge stuff, Scrapbooking, face painting, kids area are great places to look.
I’m curious what the round piece was that you set your cured clay piece on and then drilled your hole in it. That looks like a tool I could use.
It’s just a chunk of plastic I found on the ground. A piece of wood works great too!
How much fun did you have with this new technique !?! I bet LOTS :) Totally impressed with your reverse stencil technique, that was inspired.
Thank you for saying that Sherry!
A sort of relevant question…I bought Martha Stewart blank stencil sheets to make my own, but they are rolled up like a jelly roll. Does anyone know how to get them to unroll and stay flat. The’re useless to me rolled up. I’m thinking I could make my own polka dot stencil using a paper punch.
Hey Peg, I missed this one… Have you tried warming up the sheet with a blow dryer then flattening it out with some books or something? That might help to straighten them out.
What a fun tutorial! Can’t wait to try some of these techniques! Thanks!
Glad you liked it Denise!
Hi Cindy,
I’m back from my amazing holiday in Bali. What a beautiful Island and the people so talented. We got to see the different craft workshops and were shown the Batik making and weaving.Then on to the silversmiths who were working with very fine silver wire and teeny tiny silver balls. Just had to have some dangle earrings in silver with blue Topaz.
Later we visited the woodcarvers, sitting with the wood between their bare feet carving away. (I wonder if they count their toes after finishing for the day )
hee hee.
As it was the rainy season we got soaked on a few occasions and up to our knees in muddy water when we did the night walk to see the nocturnal creatures at Bali Zoo. I got to hold the biggest Python I had seen and rode a rescued Elephant at the sanctury who’s name was MONA. So cute as after taking me into the pool for a paddle I fed her bamboo shoots and she thanked me by cuddling me with her trunk and placing a garland of flowers on my head (so gently).
The traditional costumes were stunning and the fire dance was quite scarey as the male dancers wore just loincloths (no health and safety here) I got to have nail art in the local Spa and asked if they knew about polymer clay canes. It took some explaining as they had never heard of this form of nail art. Think I will have to return one day to teach them!!
Back home to freezing snow but some wonderful memories of our trip. The colors still swirling in my head and a sketch book filled with new ideas.
Loved your take on Valentine street hearts and the clever use of different paints etc. and must now save up to buy a few of the paints you showed us Cindy…….cheers xx……….
Sounds like a great trip Elaine. Did you get a chance to visit Jon Anderson”s studio while you were there?
Curious whether you were on one of Barb Alexander’s tours to Bali.
Hi Lawrence,
My first trip to Bali, but would love to go back for longer next time. My daughter who lives in Australia and had been before, organised the whole trip and our feet didn’t touch the ground as we visited all the places on our wish list. She hired a driver whose name is Rocky Balboa of ” Cool Dude Tours”. Great guy, a laugh a minute who was proud he had learnt Cockney Slang. We told him what we wanted to see and he was waiting at our villa every day on the dot with the itinery. Wow, great time was had by all (Including Rocky) lovely places, lovely people.
Sorry for my ignorance but never heard of either of the people you mentioned will have to find out more. It is a 19 hour flight for us in UK but my daughter and my son-in-law were waiting at the airport complete with driver. She is a great organiser and was lovely to see her and spend time as a family group along with my younger sister who has now decided to take up wood-carving, so bought her a great beginners book and her first carving tool for her birthday. I got some new batik tools so looks like we are both going to be busy….cheers xx……
Elaine, your trip sounds amazing!! I would love to travel more… it is so inspiring!
I really enjoyed this graffiti heart tutorial you did. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much Pat! I am glad you enjoyed the tutorial!!
Hi Cindy, thanks for another oh so inspiring tutorial! I’m not much of a heart shape/girlie pink kind of person. But I thoroughly enjoyed this tutorial. You have genourously shared with us lots of new techniques!! Really appreciate that!! I was wondering if instead of using the distress crackle paint (which I do not have), would mixing some black acrylic into plain crackle medium work too? Also, here in Australia we dont have Michaels. I mainly buy everything online these days, but have had trouble finding small stencils like yours, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. So wanted to see if you or anyone else here has any suggestions on where (online) I can get good stencils from. Many thanks, Joyce.
I don’t know if this will help you, but I found a little stencil and texture set for children. It was $5.00 @ Walmart. I just went to Walmart.com and there are a few that might work. Many skin art tattoo stencils and quite a few quilt stencils. Or you could get blank stencils and cut your own. If you have a quilt supply store close by you could check out their stencils. I’m sure Amazon has them as well as eBay. Good luck!
Thank you very much for the suggestions, I will sure look into it. And will keep googling. Many thanks peg! :)
Can you believe I just had time to watch this series? This is soooo cool! It is kind of like the Art Sheet Tutorial which I really like, too. I wanted to make more of those Graffiti Beads, too. The ones with the words stamped on them but I can’t find those stamps!! Those stamps would work great with these hearts. The sad thing is thay are discontinued. Looked on eBay awhile ago and they were few and expensive. :( I might try these with butterfly cutters. Now, to play!!
OMG Catalina, looks like we are both behind! Look at how long it has taken me to get to responding to the comments in here. I agree, it has that same freeing feel of the Art Sheet technique and the graffiti beads. I hope you have a lot of fun with this tutorial. Would love to see some pictures!
Hi Cindy, I love your work, and have made most all of the beads from the tutorials that I have watched. Thank you for posting your videos. I enjoy getting them each Friday as I can’t wait to see what you share.
Thanks, Cindy. I’ll give that a try.
Lol! We are such a pair! I hope we can meet up in August. To be sooooo close and not meet would be a sin! I made a few of these beads and will make keychain charms. This tute would be cool to make Easter egg charms, too!
I really hope we can meet up too… we will do our best to be here. I feel like we are old friends and it would be a shame to miss you when you are here. (To be honest I would love to hope on that ship and go to Alaska with you! I’ve always wanted to go.) The Easter Egg idea is a great one! I’d love to see how they turn out.
I would love to have you come along! I do have a very large suitcase that I can squeeze you in!! Lol! I hope to make some Easter Eggs this week. I’m sure this technique will be so cool!
I you are just going to use the thin hearts in your art journal would you bake those for one hour or just the thirty minutes.
Thanks, really enjoyed the videos
Hi Joe Ann, I pretty much bake everything for one hour just to be safe. That way if you change you mind later and use it for jewelry, you don’t have to worry about it breaking.
Hi Cindy,
Well I cooked for one hour and burned them all up – I really liked how they turned out until I cooked :) I am using a convection oven – does that make a difference? I normally cook sculpts and cure ghsp on reborn dolls – I don’t make beads or anything like that – when I saw your heart – I thought they would make great pops of color for art journal pages in all different shapes – now I just have to figure out this cooking thing and start over – I think I will need to watch the videos again – how long do I have to watch it before I would need to pay again for it?
Hi Joe Ann, sorry to hear about the burnt beads. :( There are several videos you need to watch about baking. Just type baking into the search box to find them. In regards to how long you can watch the videos… you have unlimited access to that video so watch it as many times as you want for as long as you want… there is no time limit. Good luck and let us know if you need any mire help.
Hi Cindy,
I just want to tell how much I enjoyed this tutorial. I love the different medias and techniques. I love how you explain the ‘whys’ ! I cant wait to try this one out! Thank you
I was at Michaels today and they a few of the faber-Castell Gelato products on clearance.
Same at my Michaels Anna! Hopefully this means that they’re making room for new colors and not just eliminating them from the shelves. I really love using them with polymer clay.
Hi Cindy! I am working my way thru the different tutorials like crazy and enjoying them very much. I had a question regarding e6000. It has been my go to adhesive for a while on other things. I had mentally stored away that e6000 and polymer clay were not compatible. I had heard that it never really properly dries and the clay gets sticky under it. Now I have no idea where I heard it., and clearly it can’t be true because you use it. I was just wondering if you have ever heard this or if I’ve just confused something. I always prefer it when glueing anything metal to anything else. Thanks for clearing my confusion and allowing my e6000 back on the desk!
BTW you are very good at explaining your tutorials making them really easy to follow. I’m kicking myself for not jumping on sooner. I read where you will quote a price to make up the back issues but I’m sure it will be the national debt. So little by little ill add to what I have!
Thank you Laurie for your kind comments! I have already emailed you in regards to the back issues, so I will just address your E6000 questions here. I have not had issues with the glue not properly drying before, though I have had issues with it not holding that well… because of user error on my part mind you. If you use it quite a bit with other projects you probably already know how to use it properly, but for others reading this… it works best if you put the glue on each side that you want to glue together and let it dry just a bit first before sticking them together… a little like working with rubber cement. As far as it being incompatible, I have had good success with it. Lots of other professional clayers use it too, so perhaps the people who have had these issues with it were not doing it right? Or maybe it was reacting to something else they had put on the clay? I can’t say that they are wrong without knowing all the parameters, but since it is one of your favorites, I suspect it will work just fine for you!
I pulled out my Gelatos and Gel sticks (another Faber Castell product) last week after a long time and used them on fresh Premo. I’ve used the gel sticks before but the Gelatos were brand new. Somehow both the products seemed much too hard for my clay. Rather than transferring color to the clay, they left nasty gauges on the surface and hardly any color. Has anyone experienced this? Premo white has been extra soft lately, but it did feel like the color sticks were very hard, not at all creamy. Any suggestion on how to fix it?
That is odd Krithika about your Gelato getting hard like that… Do you live in a hot dry climate maybe? Any way, they are water based so you could get the end wet before using. Or you could try rubbing or scraping some of the stick onto a craft mat and mixing with water before using a brush. That would work, I think…
I just looked at mine and most were the same creamy consistency they were when I bought them, but a couple were firmer, with kind of an oily surface. I was able to smear them on my surface though, so I do think that will work for you.
Let us know if you can revive them. They are really that cheap so it will be good to get the most use out of them.
I live in Washington state, not too far from you actually :) While it has been quite hot at times since I got these, I don’t think it was hot enough to “bake” the Gelatos like this.
I’ll try leaching my clay to make it firmer and wetting the surface of the sticks. Hopefully I can revive them, I have the variety pack for both!
Thank you for the quick reply!
Maybe sometime when we go on a roadtrip through your area, we will have to meet up with you. It would be lovely to put a face to the name. :)
That would be so cool!! Yes, most definitely!
Just want to comment on how much I appreciate all the links that you provide for supplies that are needed for each project. Sure makes shopping easier! I’ll buy materials through your site whenever I can so you’ll get a commission. Nice work!
Thank you Sharon that is very much appreciated!! :D
Can you tell me the brand and/or where I can purchase the types of stencils that you used on the Street Heart project?
Thank you, ma’am! :-)
Phillys
Oops! I found the answer above, so I apologize for being one of THOSE people who asks questions that have already been asked and answered! ? I just did not know where to look.
Thank you, ma’am!
Glad you found your own answer Phillys… it is usually faster to find stuff than to wait for me! ;)