6 Videos #479 to #484: A new way to batik your clay… with some surprising (household) ingredients.
Batik Fabric is a wonderful type of dyed fabric that is well known in Indonesia. The patterning and crackled backgrounds are created by using a resist (usually wax). Then dye is added. And finally, the wax is removed leaving the original color of the fabric showing where the wax used to be.
I have been able to develop a polymer clay technique using Alcohol Inks and regular household ingredients, which mimics the look of batik, almost exactly.
The inspiration for this technique came to me through an interesting chain of events. While creating the Polymer Clay Journal Tutorial (Vol-068) for you guys, and playing around with a variety of different techniques, I stumbled upon a process that I am pretty sure is the way another polymer clay artist creates her batik technique. Naturally I was intrigued.
But… not wanting to step on anyone’s toes or to be seen as a me-too-er, I decided to challenge myself to come up with a new method for mimicking Batik Fabric on polymer clay… done in a completely different way.
After testing out a variety of approaches, supplies, tools and ideas, I believe that I’ve come up with a truly original technique for creating a realistic looking Polymer Clay Batik Technique, unlike any other I have seen in our marketplace. I think you’ll be surprised what you’ll be using to create it too!
Posted just below is a Sneak Peak and overview of my Polymer Clay Journals Tutorial. The rest of the 6 part video series will be posted tomorrow (Friday, February 7, 2014) in Vol-069 at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library.
BTW, if this Polymer Clay Batik Technique 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-069-1: Video #479: Introduction: In this 6 part video tutorial series, you will learn how to create my original Polymer Clay Batik Technique. You will also learn many tips, tricks and techniques that you can use to create your own unique patterns and colors to make truly one-of-a-kind beads, pendants, jewelry projects and more. The ideas and techniques can not only be used for the projects I demonstrate in this tutorial series, but also for other home decor and other creative projects as well.
Vol-069-2: Video #480:
Creating Your Batik Design:
In this video, I show how easy it is to create wonderful Original Batik Designs on flat sheets of polymer clay. The secret ingredients you will use in this technique are probably already in your home right now, and I think you’ll be surprised what they are! For pattern design inspiration you can use the ideas I share with you as well as patterns researched on your own over the internet. The options are once again, truly unlimited!
Vol-069-3: Video #481:
Adding the Inks:
In this video, In this video, I demonstrate the simple techniques and tools needed for batiking your polymer clay. I teach how to get a dyed rainbow effect, and give tips on how to avoid getting muddy colors on your own Faux Batik projects. You’ll see the pattern and crackles appear as if by magic, right before your eyes. And you’ll learn how easy it is to remove the resist from your clay in a way that you most likely will have never thought possible with a sheet of raw polymer clay! Oh the mystery… the intrigue!
Vol-069-4: Video #482:
Laminating and Cutting:
In this video, In this video, I walk you through the process of laminating your fresh sheet of polymer clay batik, onto a thicker sheet of polymer clay and then to cut it into the desired shapes needed for your specific project. You can use these polymer clay components to create earring, pendants, bracelets, links and a huge variety of other polymer clay jewelry and home decor projects. Anywhere you can use a sheet of polymer clay… you can use your sheet of polymer clay batik technique. Plus, I will share with you my nifty technique for using up all the leftovers to make some extra ‘crazy quilt’ pieces… so nothing will be wasted!
Vol-069-5: Video #483:
Making Shaped Batik Beads:
In this video, In this video, I teach you how to form your own custom bead shapes that you can use as your tiny canvas on which to ‘paint’ a batik pattern onto. These beads can be made in many shapes and sizes, that are perfect for jewelry making as well as many crafting projects. I will show you examples of how I used wire and seed beads to create unique polymer clay pendants, but you can you use your beads however you wish!
Vol-069-6: Video #484:
Baking and Finishing:
In this video, In this video, I teach you how to how to properly bake and finish your Polymer Clay Batik Technique Beads and creations, so that they not only look great, but will also be strong and durable for many years to come. You will also learn how to sand your pieces to a smooth and professional finish, using the proper grits for this unique technique. Included is a quick demo on how to drill holes in your polymer clay beads and components, And… I share many tips and ideas for customizing your creations with your own unique voice. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!
Other Suggested Supplies:
- Paper Towels.
- Rubbing Alcohol.
- Fine Liner Artist Paint Brush.
- Wide Flat Fan or Varnish Brush.
- Soft cloth or fabric for waxing.
- White Glue.
- Tile for baking on.
- File Folder or Cardstock for baking and tenting.
- Liquid Soap.
- Soapy Water for Sanding.
- Egg.
- Drill Bit in Pin Vise.
- Scrap Wood or Soft Plastic for Drilling on.
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 Polymer Clay Batik Technique tutorial described above, is available in Vol-069 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:
Cindy, your way is always so much easier with even better results. I have made faux abalone with the translucent and pearl ex powders before. You have to make thin slices then lay over base color. I never like the results I got so I just made a few pieces and gave up on it. Your tutorial is so much easier to follow and I love the way you use the thick slices. You can sand it to perfection without worrying about going through to your base color. Then your results are so much richer. Thank you Cindy for giving me another chance to try to make some beautiful faux abalone. Your way is the best way for me every time. Another wonderful tutorial you and Doug have created for all of us to enjoy. Many Uuugggs. ~Peggy-B
To All My Fellow Newbie Poly-Clayers: Cindy is the best teacher, and her videos are the best videos!!! :) :) :) I have learned so much. Cindy teaches the “between-the-lines” information that you don’t get when reading an instruction book. Cindy makes sure that every detail of the subject matter she is focusing on, is addressed, and made to understand. Not only that, but her videos are a really good quality, which makes watching them an effortless and seamless experience. The lighting in her videos is always right-on, and the angles at which she tapes what she is so eloquently teaching is very thoughtful and conducive to the viewer’s learning experience. I can not say enough for Cindy’s videos. See for yourselves!!! You can’t go wrong. ~Cindy-E
Hello Cindy. Boy do I look forward to Fridays now thanks to you. I cant wait to see what you will post next. And I’m never disappointed! This week is no exception. Another finger dancin video I must say. Cause you know the minute I see your e-mail in the inbox my fingers start itchin for some clay. And I luuurv your purple heart shaped bead! I’d join the army if they gave me one of those! The Fimo army that is. Only extruder guns here, lol. Do you ever make a bad video? Probably not right? No chance of maybe a hidden blooper reel or two? Just askin, hee hee hee. XOXO. ~Jaime-H
Cindy – Yeah, it is awesome that you’re helping us to develop our own artistic voice rather than just instructing us to produce copies of your work. Maybe I should challenge myself to adapt projects that don’t immediatly attract me into something a bit more “me”. ~Silverleaf
Hi Cindy, I made some beads following your faux bone tutorial and I’m quite pleased with the outcome. They are far from perfect but for a first try I’m happy :). The reason I’m sending pictures is not to boast (we Swedes are a modest people ;) ) but to genuinely thank you for helping me feel it was doable. I always think too much when I want to make something and it always stops there. But your teaching inspires me to stop analyzing so much and dive in and do it. So thank you, Cindy! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a wonderful tutor and bubbly person (you always make me smile). Much love. ~Cecilia-K
The full video series for the Polymer Batik Technique tutorial described above, is available in Vol-069 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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Hi Cindy,
I have so enjoyed watching the last 3 Vols. with my new subscription. And I can’t wait for tomorrow- I am already addicted. I stayed up late going through all the YT vids to see what was there also.
Thanks again for your personal attention to each and every member- it certainly comes through when I read the member comments and Q&A.
Wow I am so excited. I have been trying to figure thie technique. Thank you so much for making this available.
Can’t wait for this tutorial! I love batik and have done some place mats and some material for a friend when we were in high school – long time ago. I used fabric dyes of course and wax. She used the material to sew herself a top. Love making tasseled pendants too and with this technique there will be so many more ideas.
Me, too, Cherie! I had two pieces of quilted Batik wall hangings that won awards. One went to the Governor’s Show in Ohio and one went to Japan – unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend that show. But, my work has traveled a lot! Silverleaf sent me a heart shaped pendant using a Batik technique. I wondered if her pendant was done similar? If she doesn’t see this post I will ask her. So, glad Cindy got this figured out for us!! Cindy… your pendant is amazing. The crackle is really unique. This will take polymer clay sky high! I would like to try this today but you know I fell down my icy porch steps and hit my head pretty hard. The headache finally went away but I need to take it easy still. The steps to my studio look scary to me now, lol!!
Diana, congrats! Wonderful that your artwork won, and traveled internationally.
Aww, sorry to hear about you hitting your head Catalina! Hope your headache clears up quickly. Wonderful about the Batik Quilt awards though! I had no idea you were a quilter.
In regards to the Batik pendant Silverleaf sent you, that was done using a technique by Tina Holden called Batik and Shimmer. It was done in a completely different way than this technique, using totally different materials. I do believe I am the only one who does a batik technique in this manner with polymer clay.
Better get that head checked out – just to make sure. i went to the doctor today and I have to do an abdominal ultra sound because of the pain i still have radiating from my spine towards the pit of my stomach. I still can’t sit up straight if i am laying down on my back. Have to grab hold of the sides of the bed. she thinks the nerves got a bit damaged and has affected the muscles. I’m very wary of the steps now; i hold on to the railings and make sure I’m looking at the steps- no more running up and down for me.
Wow, Cherie! I didn’t realise you haven’t really recovered. I hope get well soon! I’m doing ok. No more headache and moving around ok, too.
Cindy, I thought Silverleaf’s pendant was different! I think yours is amazing. I the crackle is really unique. This will take polymer clay sky high!
Well, you know I love anything that looks like fabric, Cindy, so this will be a great treat :)
Monique U. (A Half-Baked Notion)
This totally blew my socks off! What an exciting series of tutes. Being an avid quilter I use batik fabrics extensively and have a huge cabinet full of them. To be able to transfer this technique to polymer clay is just the most exciting thing and I can hardly wait to watch Cindy teach this to us. I had no idea this was even doable but leave it to Cindy to come up with a way. This is that “more bang for your buck” I’m always telling my friends about. If any of you out there are still only thinking about signing up, DO IT! believe me you will not regret it. Thanks guys for another fantastic video series.
I’ve just watched this series and I am so excited to try this. I’;ve already got ideas flying around in my head and one in particular i am going to try tomorrow. It will be saturday here so will have ALL day to play, roll on morning.
Thanks again, Cindy. I almost bought a tutorial about batiking sooooo glad i didn’t.
Hi Cindy,
This project looks amazing, I love the look. My only problem is that for ethical reasons I don’t buy or use eggs. Do you have a suggestion for another product that would crackle? Thank you so much:)
Ginny
Hi Ginny, without giving away too many secrets from this tutorial… I don’t have a substitute that I know of right now that would give the same effect. But you could possibly try using the Rangers Distress Crackle Paint instead… it might work… but who knows if it would react the same way with the other materials used? It hadn’t crossed my mind that it could be an issue for some folks. I will email you privately, if I think of anything different that might work, since I would rather not discuss the tutorial in detail in public.
Hi,
Love this tech. but, I, too, thought of the egg issue with salmonella. I thought of using the item from Ranger instead (then saw you mentioned it above LOL!) That crackle item is made to work with the other Ranger items (trying not to be too specific here) used so I think it will work! We’ll see. Thanks for all your hard work and great ideas. I love getting inspiration to then take it and make it my own. You are good at providing that spring board and I appreciate it.
Silverchakra
Wow! I adore this technique and cannot wait to try it. Leave it to you to come up with an original method, using white glue and egg whites. Thank you Cindy! This technique is the bomb!!!!!
I cannot take credit for this, but, for those specks in white clay, use a nail file or square nail filler to gently rub the speck while the clay is unbaked, and it removes the offending material. Works like a charm.
Love, love Batik!! Can’t wait to try this. Like Dixie Ann, I have batik fabric in my fabric drawer. Maybe I can copy some of the designs.
Low tech wonder!!! Had to laugh – old ways are sometimes the best yet!!!!
This will be one of my all time favs. Thanks so much for spending the time to figure this out. Did I say I loved Batik??????????
Oh boy -oh boy- oh boy………..grin
I love being able to design anything I want with the glue and using ink colors that I like. This is a very nice technique – reminded me of the raku look (if that’s the right name). Thank you Cindy, I enjoyed watching this video.
Yes, my Mom and Dad trained at the School of Arts and they talked about egg white for a crackling effect too. My mom used to also make some special composition (not egg) and make textured frames for their paintings.
Cindy, I have just been watching the 2nd video and it shut off 3 times. Will watch the next one now and hopefully it will play uninterrupted.
The other videos played well but I had the same problem with video # 6. It shut off twice.
Hi Cherie – that is a “server load” issue caused by lots of people trying to watch the videos all at the same time. In a way, that’s a good sign that this series is so popular ;-)
Btw, video playback issues like you experienced can often cause your browser to “cache” the problem… meaning that you either have to manually clear your browser cache (and maybe even the cookies).
Or… just give it time and your browser cache will eventually clear itself.
Or.. watch the videos in a different web browser. So if the problem happened in IE, then use Firefox or Chrome.
What an original technique! Egg white …. who would have thought? I can’t wait to try this, the results look absolutely beautiful!!!!
You guys are going to freak out when you see how easy Cindy has made the new original way of making this faux Batik — One of my fave things to do is make beads and as you can see from her free intro video this technique can be used to make beads Cindy’s monthly rate works out to about $3.33 — An amazing deal! Everything she and her hubby Doug produce is very well planed out and the close-ups are a huge, huge help. If you can find $10 every THIRD month you will be trilled with all the knowledge she gives you! What ever you have a question about, type it into the search box at the top right of the blog, and be prepared to learn and don’t forget to read all the comments. A Lot of X-tra goodies and info there too.
I have to agree with Sherry, Cindy Lietz is a most wonderful teacher, together with her husband Doug they create fantastic videos. I own each and every one they ever made. I can highly recommend getting a subscription to their videos!
Well here’s a thought fellow clayers, why not add a drop of alcohol ink in the glue so you can see where you are painting on your design! And to take it further, why not use some of those stencil patterns you have laying around and paint your glue designs with them! You could also do a reverse technique by stamping your clay with stamp designs using Stazon ink and glue paint over the stamp design. I don’t know if these all will work but it sure would be fun to find out! Got the glue, off I go!
Adding ink will stain the area, that’s why I didn’t do it Dixie Ann. And as far as the reverse idea, I am not sure if that will work either, but it never hurts to try things. Like to see that you are trying to think outside the box. It is the only way that new things get figured out.
All this stuff is flying through my brain while I’m in Michaels trying to find some glue. (grinning from ear to ear) This is what happens when we get so excited over one of your new tutorials. Everybody wants to yak about it! I’m zippin it up!
I work as a machine quilter in a small town in Oklahoma, and my very favorite section of our wonderful quilt shop is the extensive batik collection. I was so excited to see this video series and tried it out immediately on some ink pen barrels. They turned out great! One set I just used white glue, but the other set I tinted the glue with green alcohol ink to deliberately stain the white clay, since many of the batik fabrics I love have tinted designs…not white. It worked well, although to get a good stain, I will either use a darker ink or simply more for further color saturation. It also does make the design easier to see as you paint it on. Next, I will try your idea, Dixie Ann, of using texture plates or rubber stamps for my design.
Robin, your way ahead of me but it sounds exciting using the inks. Please let us know how you make out using the stamps and textures. I love thinking outside the box and who knows, like Cindy says, you never know what you might come up with!
Hey guys, I know that you are all excited about this new technique, but please be careful not to give the secrets away by going too much into details. You have all paid for this tutorial, but there are many others who like to reverse engineer my tutorials, so they don’t have to pay, which is unfair to not only us, but you too.
If you need to ask questions, try and be a little cryptic about it, so that only those who own the tutorial, know what you’re talking about. Ok? I wouldn’t say this at all, but it is happening so much lately that it is getting difficult to keep bringing these original tutorials to you all at such a good price.
I do love your comments though, so keep them coming and am very happy that you are enjoying this tutorial! Thank you so much!
Hi Cindy, I was quite upset to read some of these comments mentioning the ingredients you use. So please guys n girls, respect Cindy’s wishes.
Love Batik, tie-dye etc. Us ‘ recycled hippys’ never grow up. We just fade in the sunshine. (unlike Ren wax)
Our fantastic Cindy spends hours figuring out, testing and trying out different experiments until she gets it right. It is what makes this site so unique, it is not “half-baked” unlike many other people who put freebies on U-Tube but give you wrong information or only part of a technique.
With Doug’s camera work you can follow every step. (Thanks Doug)
Now Cindy has generously given away her special secrets such as the “teardrop method” etc I think that was a very brave thing to do. I am sure a whole lot more peeps will want to become members. So if you are reading this, come and join the most informative, detailed tutorials you will ever see. Yours to play over as long as you subscribe to the PC Tutor. It is the best.
This takes me back to my Hippy Chic days. When I first went to night school to learn the original Batik method I decided to do a Tigers head. I had taken it through five different dyes and had two more to do but it vanished! Never did find out who took it? So if you ever see an incomplete Tiger Batik wall hanging, IT’S MINE……enjoy….cheers xx
Elaine, I know how you feel!! I had my work “stolen” many times, too! The biggest lesson I learned was to sign your work immediately!! (I liked signing it when I was finished.) The last time this happened I was in college. It was a ceramics class. We had to produce an certain number of items, no exception, and I was told an A grade was never given to “beginners” no matter how much experience you had prior!! (I was a scholorship student and was worried I might not keep my scholorship if my grades were not top notched!) I made 30 thrown pots, and glazed them in pairs! So I could pick the best 10 pots to turn in. I had 4 during my review!!! My professor asked where was the rest of my work. (He knew I made a lot!!) We checked the kiln and found 6 pots!! He told me to take it as a “compliment” that someone wanted to steal my work!! Uh, no thank you!! I did get an A for the class and I was probably the only one he ever did that for. Now, with my own, basement studio, it is MY fault if I can’t “find” something. :)
Hi Catalina,
Hope you are OK now. Searched most of yesterday for a fishing tackle box with all my mini cutters in (no luck) so will not do the batik until it turns up! But went bargain hunting at the sales
Got a great set of 6 art brushes for £1. They usually cost over £1 each. A box of soft pastels for half price and just been asked to help out in a fabric/textile class twice a month, and wondering if they include Batik, so looking forward to that.
Given up looking for the elusive cutters but have found my ‘Wilton Flower cutter set’ so am busy making spring flowers. Might even make a way-out batik Calla Lily, with pattern on the inside. I so hate not to do a tute as soon as Cindy releases it. Now where is that glue!! ….Well done with your ceramics, might get back into that one day but do not have a large workshop for kiln, potters wheel etc. but can dream!!……..cheers..xx…….
Hi Elaine – don’t wait till you find your cutters – why not cut shapes using a flexible blade – you can draw and cut out shapes from paper and use them as a guide. Or cut nice rectangles if you only have a rigid blade :-)
The tutorial is far too good to have to wait to try it!
Elaine, hopefully you noted my apology and request to delete my comment (which has not been done). Also hopefully, you noted the two ingredients I mentioned were listed in the supplies.
I have nothing but respect for Cindy and Doug’s work. They have enabled me to re-enter a craft that I had given up due to personal medical issues. It is now a source of discovery and joy, thanks to them.
Sorry if I am taking your remarks a little too personally, you are also a joy to have here as a commentator and poet.
Thanks Jocelyn for your kind words.
You are one of my fav. people on this site and give so much information, lead me to other places and so you ARE forgiven hee hee.
While I was in Wales visiting my sister we went beach combing. One of the things we love to do.
She was looking for pieces of drift-wood to fashion a heart for Valentines Day.I was searching for limpets, ones with holes in the bottom. Why?
Well I had this idea to use them as “baking-cups” to hold my wired flowers. I had drilled a wooden block with holes in it to poke the wires in (cut short to fit) or bent over. I had my new convection oven turn up but cannot test this out as it came with an American type three point grounded plug so until I buy a travel plug converter my oven sits in it’s box. I had collected limpet shells in all different sizes so can’t wait to experiment. So glad you are still able to clay. (me too) …….cheers xx….
Thank you, Elaine….cranky day, lol.
Your limpets are so much larger than the rare tiny ones that wash up in Rhode Island, sounds like a wonderful idea.
Think Cindy’s new oven (saving for mine) is going to solve a lot of problems for clayers, especially since it will set and hold a temp. That, and the JoolTool, will hopefully get me from creation to marketing this year. Cannot wait for that tax return, rofl.
Cindy
Please forgive my earlier indiscretion. If someone does inadvertently gives out too much info, I think you should delete the comment. Please delete mine.
Cherie, so sorry to hear that you are still having difficulties.
Hi Cindy and all,.
Congrats Cindy on this fine tut.
What a great technique,I love batiks and have done it with the wax and silk
paints on material.I will be trying this soon as I also make Sculptured fabric dolls
This would be great to make some embellishments with.
You are so right to say to protect your tutorials as some people only
need a few words to put things together, so keep it under wraps gals, and have everyone ooh and aaah at your expertise.
Bye for now
love to all.
Back to Claying.
XXX
Hi peeps, I’m back again remembering my hippy chic days and recall that we also used a thick flour and water paste to use as a resist.
Then when it dried hard we would crackle the design gently. Not sure if it would work but with the other foodie ingredient you might end up with a polymer-pancake hee hee But have fun and let us know if you try!!………………..cheers xx…………………….
Love this technique Cindy! Have you tried using a liquid frisket pen instead of glue? That just peels off paper and wondered if it would on clay? Can’t wait to try your technique! I’m going to use Tim’s alcohol ink blending tool though at least on some pieces. It takes WAY less ink and you have more control. If you just put a dot of 3 different colors in close proximity on the tool then you twist and turn it as you pounce it onto the clay. There are mixatives for the AI too in silver, gold, etc. which you can work in for a look like variegated stones. Also sprinkling a few drops of alcohol will make for lovely patterns in the color of the batik look too! This is going to be fun! Thanks for your great videos!
Hi Shauna (and Cindy P below) I don’t know if Friskit would work or not. Maybe you can try it, since I don’t have any here. I would imagine it would be more expensive to use anyway, so there may not be much benefit to using it, but you’ll never know unless you try it. As far as using the blending tool, I am not sure if that will work either since it could interfere with the resist and the crackle. Pouring the ink on lets it soak into the clay better too. Sprinkling the drops of alcohol should work though, so that would be fun to see what kind of patterns you can do with that. Have fun with the tutorial. I’d love to see what you end up making with it!
can you use friskit instead?
Other Cindy
Perhaps we should have a private blog where paying members can discuss the different projects and ideas they produce? It’s only natural that we would want to talk about these but it’s also difficult at times not to give away some of the items used especially since Cindy lists all the materials needed for the projects on the blog. I would certainly want to protect her ideas from non-paying members but I also would like to be able to discuss them with other paying members. Perhaps there could be a private group set up on Facebook where only paying members get access. Would that be a possibility? Doug and Cindy what do you think?
Hi Dixie Ann, Doug and I have been wanting to do that for some time now, but up until now it was a difficult thing to do, because there would need to be a different blog (or Facebook page) for each tutorial and there are hundreds! Not everyone owns all the tutorials, so the same problem would occur there too. Doug has figured out a way that this can be done with a new player so he is working on that. In the future ‘letting the cat out of the bag’ won’t be as much of a problem as it is now. But for now we just need to be as careful as possible. We may not be able to completely stop the unscrupulous people… but it would be nice to a least slow them down a bit!
Well that makes sense. I keep forgetting that not all of your subscribers have purchased the complete library like me. That would be a daunting task to link every tutorial to a facebook private group only available to those who have paid. Yes, a lot of people do not realize how much hard work goes into producing these and all the behind the scenes work and want something for nothing and it is totally unfare to those of us who have paid. The concept Doug is working on sounds exciting. I hope he can bring it to fruition.
Hello Cindy and everyone, I have just joined and am slowly working out how things work! Cindy, I loved the videos I just received and am looking forward to trying this when I have got some of the ingredients. Years ago, I was a silk painter and am keen to see whether some of my old applicator bottles can be put to good use? I hope you can work out a way of controlling information that does NOT involve Facebook. I know there are one or two others who aren’t on Facebook – no moral objections – I just can’t imagine how people have time to do that as well. Maybe I am just aware of my own failings in the self discipline department! Anyway, a huge thank you for your thoughtful presentation and thorough teaching. Warm regards from Australia, Wendy
It is wonderful to have you here as part of our community Wendy… Welcome! I hope you enjoy what you learn. Remember that the search box is your friend. There are many years of posts and comments that are a wealth of information should you need it. Looking forward to seeing what you end up making!
Hi Wendy, welcome,
It’s great here, as you are finding out. My daughter lives in Australia (miss her a lot) as it is a long journey from here in UK to Adelaide, 2123 km or so she tells me.
I don’t do “Facebook” or ” Twitter” etc. Suppose I am missing out, but I find it difficult to tear myself away from my computer once I have logged on and if I cannot sleep I will watch PCT in the early hours of the morning, knowing my Ozzy friends and family have enjoyed their day and getting ready to party!
I too have “stuff” stashed away from my silk painting days and sure we can put it to good use. I was thinking of using the gutta as a resist and my other Batik tools (when I come across the box it is stashed in) All manner of bits and bobs from other crafts lend themselves to being utilised into the polymer-clay tool-kit. You would be surprised at what I use (or perhaps not) Where abouts in Australia do you live? and are there good shopping outlets or do you buy online? ….cheers..xx……….
Cindy – this is one of the best, MAYBE the best, tutes you have ever made. Love it!
I had a go yesterday, and I have to say, I really, really enjoyed it! It is true that I successed only with the second batch, but I have to say it is an awesome technique, and so much fun!
Hi cindy,
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial ,I have learned so much since I joined PCT,
am keen to get started on this one.
Love love all your jewellery tutorials (Hint for future projects)
Thank you Kay for saying that and welcome to our little clay family! I will be doing tons of polymer clay jewelry tutorials so stay tuned for those. And make sure to participate in the conversations. There is so much that can be learned from each other and friends to be made. Have fun!
Well, I have been a member for about two weeks and I have managed to watch every single back issue I paid for, read tons,prepared as many colors as I could with the basic colors I had and watched all the YouTube vids whew! I have decided to share my “Jumpstart for Cindy Leitz’ Tutorials” findings. So, for anyone feeling overwhelmed or just wondering where or how to start-here’s what I did
1) Looked through the pictures of the palettes and read the info on the A series of videos to choose the ones I was most interested in learning about- then bought those. DEFINITELY WORTH BUYING ! In case anyone is still hesitating.
2) Went to the craft store (actually did it online) and purchased large blocks of black,white,cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue, along with small blocks of the other basic colors I needed to make as many of the palette colors as I could.
3) While waiting for the package to arrive, got together a craft kit – I already had an acrylic roller and a pasta machine- but after seeing Cindy use alcohol, bab oil, cornstarch and a little spray bottle of water, manila card folders, index cards ( for colors) I put all those things in useable containers.
4) Rummaged through my craft supplies from days gone by and found small cookie cutters, modeling tools and things that could be used for texturing clay.
5) Back to the craft store (this time for real with coupon) to buy slicers, an extruder, and some liquid Sculpey
6) the clay arrived and I already had the color cards saved in files on the computer- someone very clever in this group showed how she made 2 sets of color chips, one for individual colors and one with colors in the palette grouping – they looked amazing-i decided to do the same on a smaller scale.
By spending the first part of my journey making and baking small batches of color I have been able to try out all types of techniques to see how to do them- including taking apart the pasta machine and putting it back together again!
It has been so much fun watching the beautiful new colors emerge from the basics, I am now waiting for the next batch of clay in new colors to arrive so I can continue.
Now I have to get back to the oven…Thanks so much Cindy and Doug, and everyone here who contributes their expertise- i have finally gotten all the packs of clay open and in use! next- making lots and lots of fun canes :)
Wow, Laurie! You must have been on a lot of caffine! It sounds like you went through 5 years of tutes in 2 hours!! Lol!! I’m sorry to say you are now an addict of clay! Better hold on, you are in for a great ride! Welcome to the club :)
Hi Laurie,
You made me laugh and I imagined you scampering around collecting all your “stuff” like a busy bee collecting nectar from the flowers. Cindy’s colour recipes are amazing. Before I joined PCT I used to end up with lots of “mud”, mind you mud is not such a bad thing. There is a lot you can do with mud. I have baked small amounts of it. Ground it up and used it for stone effect items. Also use it for bead-cores and sprinkles for my miniature dolls house food items.
We all welcome you to this site and as Catrina says, you are now hooked and have joined the rest of us clay-addicts………………..cheers xx………
Lori I LOVE your list! Way to get yourself immersed in your polymer clay learning experience! I see everyone has gotten inspired by your enthusiasm. As you can see we are a kind, supportive and creative bunch. Have fun!
Hi Laurie M, welcome to our clay family. I had to laugh out loud when I read your last entry because I did almost the same thing. I was so excited once I joined and started watching Cindys videos. I can’t tell you how many trips I made to the store and still do. It’s always fun and exciting to watch a new member grow and explore this art of claying and share their experiences with us. Happy claying!
I was laughing at myself Dixie Ann, as I stayed up til wee hours watching videos and tutes that I knew I wasn’t going to be using anytime soon, but it was so much fun to see how it’s done :) I used Sculpey with my kids when they were young and we always enjoyed it, but I never got past the basic roll some balls and make a snowman or a a log and make a snake – I used to feet guilty opening a package knowing I would only use such a small amount. Now they are all open, and I can’t wait to try something new- the clay is pretty forgiving, like scrapbooking- if I mess it up, I can probably make something else out of it!
Hi Laurie, All they had when my kids were little was playdoh and they had fun with that. I still carry around a very small container in my purse in case I run across something I want to make a mold of and it is not easily accessible. I keep well over 100 packages of clay now besides several 1 pounders of black and white and pearl. I stock up when Michaels has their 4 for $5 sale. I’ll buy a bunch and let it sit for 6 months and then by the time I get to that batch, it’s time to buy another. I keep a wish list going of things I want to get and save all my pennies for whatever extra I will need when Cindys comes out with a new tutorial. I call her my “one video wonder” because I was hooked after her first video.
Please let us know when you do post a photo of your creations on the Members Facebook Page. Happy Claying!
In the past I’ve tried batik using artists’ latex masking fluid but it only worked on baked clay. When l saw Cindy had worked out this beautiful, realistic method l decided the day had come to subscribe! I love the videos, Cindy and Doug – they are so clear and detailed. Can’t wait to try, after l have tracked down the correct type of **** for the resist pattern – hopefully there’s something similar here in the UK.
Hi Carrie, just use the white washable type, that the kids use at school. You don’t need to use the same brand that I did. Thanks for your sweet comment!
Thank you, Cindy :-)
I discovered that my hubby recently bought a huge bottle of the right stuff so now it’s in my half of our crafting room, ha ha!
Anyway, l now have several amazing, wonderful sheets of batik-ed clay making me go “oooh” and “aaah” ……..it all worked an absolute treat! I am a bit scared to cut into them, to tell the truth!
I mostly used stencils as l am not too good at freehand and they worked extremely well. I also dabbed with the blending pad tool and that was a success as well so l am a happy bunny this evening!
Now l just need someone to remind me to wear gloves next time…..
So glad l joined!
Hi Carrie H,
Would love to be able to use flex blade etc. to cut out shapes but due to one of the side effects of medication I have lost the feeling in my first two fingers of right hand so need to use gadgets that help me to keep playing, ie: punches, cutters etc
A lot of my work is in miniature so I scour Amazon, Ebay and other sites for anything I think would be useful for me. Years ago when I did interior design I used to cut all my own stencils but luckily these are now freely available and at a reasonable price online. I am typing this with my ring finger but it is difficult for me to hold a pair of scissors or cutting blades as have not got the strength I once had and useless fingers get in the way. Lucky both sides of my brain are still working (I think) and I have made polymer clay handles on some of the tools I can use to help with grip………cheers xx ……………
That’s a shame. Hope you find your cutters soon :-)
I love your videos of the stunning polymer clay projects you make. I hope one day I am able to create them as well as you do. Thank you very much for creating these videos.
Hi Cindy, watching this technique and got to the shaped beads and had a thought. Has anyone asked about a hollow bead tutorial? I know there’s a few techniques out there, they seem quite difficult. I just wondered if you had a different take on it.
Cheers
Sandra
Hi Sandra, I have put the thought of a hollow bead tutorial into the back of my mind, to see if something comes up. You’re right about the bulk of the ones out there being kind of difficult. The problem is I haven’t yet come up with something simpler yet. When I do, I will be sure to make a tutorial on it, since you aren’t the only one who has been asking!
what a wonderful video this is, I love Batik and wanted to learn how to do it with polymer and now I can do it.thank you so much for such easy to follow and clear tutorials, so glad I found you
So far one of my favorite video series and not just because you mentioned me LOL. Thanks for that.
Sorry but have been so busy since Jan. I have fallen behind on the blog posts here.
Thanks again to you and Doug for all the hard work you put into bringing us excellent monthly videos.
I just paid up so am on board for another year of clay play with this wonderful group.
HI – I wanted to use this batik technique to cover a pen. I made a small square, and everything went well until I washed off the glue and tried to roll the clay, when it just broke into pieces. It was very stiff, even though I thought I had softened it sufficiently before starting (I used kato). Did I do something wrong, or does this technique only work for flat surfaces such as pendants? Please let me know if I should try again. Thanks!
Hi Debbie sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I am not totally sure what is happening here. I don’t actually use Kato, so I don’t know whether or not that is where the issue is happening or if it is just a conditioning problem. Also, I don’t think I ever tried to stretch the sheets after they were created. I am trying to remember back but I think I only cut out flat shapes from the sheet and didn’t try to bend and roll it like you did. I am wondering if the inks cause the raw clay to be more brittle until they are baked? I don’t real ever having that type of issue when working with the raw sheets. Do you have any Premo you could try the technique on again? Perhaps you could try a couple of small tests and see if you can get the sheet to bend without falling apart. I don’t have time right now otherwise I would go do some tests myself. It may not be suited for pen projects… but then again it might be. It certainly would look cool! Sorry I can’t help you more right now. Maybe someone else has a suggestion for Debbie?
Hi Debbie, You should not have a problem rolling the clay around your pen. If the clays is breaking, 2 things come to mind. Kato is a very stiff clay, It has to be worked really well and is not always ideal for some projects. Has it been underbaked or overbaked. Did you check your oven temps while baking to be sure it wasn’t spiking? Was the clay too thick? It should be rolled out at a fairly thin setting for this project. If it were me, I would try it again, keeping all of the above in mind. If it does break again then you might want to try a different clay such as Premo or Souffle. You could also try it with sculpey III if you have any of that about. Good Luck Debbie. let us know how things go.
Great advice, Dixie. Only thing I can think to add, did you leave the finished clay sheet on paper? Paper is absorbent, and will remove plasticizers quickly (Search “leaching” in upper right corner). It might have caused the clay sheet to crack, when you tried to bend it. Kato is used by polymer clay artists around the world for just about any project, like Premo and other major brands, so I would suspect conditioning first. Donna Kato has her own site on the web, for her brand, so maybe if you asked her directly she could shed some light on the issue? She also demos her conditioning method in a video.
Thanks for your answers, Cindy and Dixie Ann: The problem happened before the clay was baked. Perhaps the clay wasn’t conditioned well enough before I began, but I had the feeling that it was the crackling process that had made it brittle. What I can do is try again – but try rolling the clay before I begin to make sure it is flexible enough. The positive side is that even though I didn’t get the batik look I hoped for, I did learn something interesting about alcohol inks, and I’m going to be experimenting with them more. Something else just occurred to me – this technique might not work with pens, but it would certainly work to cover purse mirrors – something else I do. So I’ll give that a try next!
Cindy to the rescue on that effect, too, Deb. Check out her faux raku tute from (help me Doug) several years ago, when your sheet starts cracking. Just take it all the way, and you get your work preserved in a brand new effect. Sure beats starting over, or makes it sting less, if the sheet proves too dry in process. All best.
Hi Jocelyn… here is the link to the Deep Crackle Faux Raku Tutorial from way back in 2009. Is that the one you are referring to?
That’s the one. This precious tute has saved my neck more times than I can count! Thanks Doug!
Great technique!
Is the blow dryer needed to produced any of the effects? I wondered if air drying would work just as well for the glue, ink, and egg wash. Also, can you let the pieces soak for a while to help them get clean? I’m sure it still takes some scrubbing – but wondered it it would help much.
Thanks Lena! Sure you could just let these materials just air dry instead if you wish. And it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to soak your clay for a bit too if you want… only if you’re using Premo though. I don’t know how the other clays out there would do with soaking… especially Fimo since it tends to get sticky when exposed to water.
I am using Premo. I love it and can’t see me using anything else. Thanks for the response. I can’t wait to try this one. So fun!!!
Mine have all cracked as well before baking. I think it was the hair dryer that did it. The next time I try this I am going to just let everything air dry.
Hi Christine, whenever you use a hairdryer to dry inks and paints on raw clay it is important to not let the clay get too hot, or it will start to cure… which unless that was your goal, then it usually isn’t the best thing to have happen. Try using a cooler setting or hold the hairdryer further away from the clay to avoid that. Or you can let the piece dry naturally if that works better for you.
I finally got around to trying this technique tonight and wanted to post a comment on clear as opposed to white stuff for resist. The new clear version of the old standby white stuff does not work with raw clay. I only had the clear stuff and figured it would work, but it doesn’t. In fact it seemed to eat into the clay shortly after applying it it. I had applied it to the clay and walked away for about 5 minutes and when I returned there were deep blisters in the clay every where the clear stuff touched. My daughter brought me a bottle of the goes on purple dries white version of the stuff and it seemed to work great. So for those who were looking for a way to be able to see the design they were applying, try the purple colored version. It is great because the purple color fades away as it dries too..
That is great info Beth! Did not know that about the clear glue. The color changing stuff is an excellent idea! I should have thought of that. Thanks so much for passing that along!
This was an awesome tutorial very easy to do and the results are stunning. I am having some awesome results with your tutorials which are the absolute best. I spend most of my days off with you :-)))) Keep them coming.
Thanks so much Linda! I am so pleased that you are loving our tutorials!
Hi Linda, do you have any pictures? I’d love to see what some other people are coming up with! Especially after reading your excited comment!
You can see my pictures on my facebook page The Caged Bead
Thanks for noticing.
Wow, you’ve got some gorgeous pieces there! Thanks for sharing! I hope you’ll keep posting!
This was so fun! I definitely need some more practice though, and maybe even a different glue, I’m not sure. I made a lot more pieces but the first batch got ruined because I guess I didn’t let the alcohol ink dry well enough and it washed away long before the glue ever did. I had it under my blow dryer for a while but I kept the dryer a few feet away because I was really afraid to cook the clay. Maybe I should be a little less hesitant next time. Anyway the second batch I had a lot of ink either smear or go under the glue and there was one section where the little dragonfly I painted turned into a strange blob with a bit of a dip in it into the clay. I don’t know if that was because of the glue or what happened exactly. I still got a couple of pieces out of that though.
The Orca I did on Pearl clay and it’s really interesting to me that you can see all the sparkles in the clay right through the alcohol ink. That one isn’t very crackled and I left a wonkey little corner just for the fun of it. Because I was struggling with the glue and washing away ink so much even after waiting overnight for the ink to dry, I did another batch where I skipped the crackle process and didn’t let the glue dry very much at all before adding the ink. The pattern on those came out nice but it’s definitely lacking something without the crackle. I have to keep trying this with different glue and maybe not quite so much ink or something, or maybe just dry it a lot better. But the scraps made some lovely beads. I love how versatile this is and I ended up getting carried away with the alcohol inks doing all kinds of different stamping things in various colors. My hands are still tinted a lovely shade of blue green.
I think you did a great job Katy! Some of the techniques I teach have variables in them that may take a couple of tries to get it perfect. For example if you put on too much ink than it may take longer to dry and then it may bleed under the glue or too little ink and the color may wash away. I try my best to anticipate these kinds of things and let you know about them, but sometimes it will just be a matter of trying things, seeing how they turn out, analyzing the results and tweaking the technique a little the next time you do it. I think you have done exactly that. Keep going and come back and let us know how it goes. Each time you do a technique, your skills will improve. It is important to make sure to not only try many techniques… like you are doing, but to also do the same ones, several times until you have done it as well as you can. Variety as well as repetition is the key. Great job!
That’s a very good point Cindy. Depending on the technique (or how much trouble I have with it the first go round) I do sometimes kick it to the back burner sort of indefinitely… I won’t give up on the batik technique. I’ll keep at it! Tonight though, I’ve got a micro mosaic in the oven and I’m off to watch the next tutorial on my list while I wait for it! :D
You will probably find Katy that when you re-visit this tutorial down the road, that the new skills you have learned from the tutorials you did after this one, will help you do a better job the next time around. The skills aren’t specific to a tutorial but add to one another. The point I am trying to make is that it is good to go back to something you had trouble with and try it again. You will learn things the second time that you weren’t ready to learn the first time. Hopefully that makes sense… perhaps I should come back at a later date and answer this again… it might turn out better! :)
I think your answer is great! I see exactly what you mean and I’ve noticed that some already. In fact I decided to go back and start with older tutorials first now so I can can go “I remember! Maybe I should go check that out again!” every time you mention having shown something in a previous video. I definitely think revisiting them over and over is ideal. Especially since I’m flying through and not grasping everything completely. I love the idea of going back through and picking up details I missed or realizing I was don’t something wrong that I can fix or just seeing how much better in getting at something… Eventually I hope to branch out on them and come up with some of my own ideas more often too.
Hi! I just purchased and watched your Batik Technique tutorial. I’m excited to try it now! I’m not sure if you still check your comments for this tut, but just in case, I do have one question. Is the blow drying essential to the process or can I just let things air dry. I hope it’s ok to ask this here without giving secrets away. Thank you.
Thank you Dawn, I am glad you are excited to get making the Faux Batik! You can definitely air dry your project rather than using a blow dryer. Using a dryer is quicker, but not necessary to this technique. Let me know how it goes for you!
Cindy, I was wondering about using a stencil with the flat sheets of clay for putting on the glue design. Do you think it would ruin my precious stencils?
Big cheers from Aussie,
Morag
As long as you stencil is plastic, you will have no problems using a stencil for this technique. Just make sure to wash it right away.