“I have a feeling I
am going to turn into a
mold making / texture sheet
making crazed woman.
*LOL!*” ~Lisa-W
On September 28th, I posted an introductory preview clip for the custom Texture Plates tutorial. Today, the full version of this video lesson (Vol-029-1) is available for viewing at the Polymer Clay Members Library. Here is the link: Make Your Own Texture Plates Using Sculpey MoldMaker Clay
For anyone who is not yet a paid member, if you did not know, the cost works out to only $3.32 per month. This gives you 24/7 access to the full versions of my Friday video tutes. Plus you also receive four A-series color recipe cards. This week’s color is: Pebble Gray (Vol-029-1A) from the Beach Pebble Polymer Clay Color Palette.
If you’re trying to decide whether or not to join, you should do it sooner rather than later. When you become a member, you get four videos per month for about $3.32 (or less than a dollar each.) I waited a few months before I joined, and missed out on some great videos! Once a month is over, the videos go into the back issue archives. If you didn’t join, then you miss out on those videos, unless you go and buy the back issue for $9.95. (4 videos) It’s still a great price, but not as good as the same amount for 12 videos! I know I was very mad at myself knowing I wasted money by waiting. It’s such a great deal, and I’ve never been disappointed. I’m disabled, and on a fixed income; still, I find that it’s not too hard to pay $9.95 one time for 3 months of videos. ~Phaedrakat
This is such a fantastic place to be. Anyone still sitting on the fence should jump in and join us. You will never regret it. ~Carol-H
Oh yes we can all say everything again and again. People just don’t know what they are missing and when they find out they want to kick themselves you know where. So much fun is being missed by so many. I wish I knew a way I could convince all people interested in polymer clay this is the #1 place to be not only on Fridays but everyday. Thanks Cindy and Doug for all you have given and will continue to give. Uuuuugggggs to all. ~Peggy-B
If you want to become a paid member, here is the link:
Polymer Clay Video Library
Or if you are brand new to polymer clay, the best place to first learn all of the fundamentals is here: Polymer Clay Beginners Course
To browse other video tutorials that are available for purchase without becoming a subscribing member (in other words… just a one time fee), you can go here: Polymer Clay Video Back Issues
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Open Mic… Please use the comment sections of these Friday posts to discuss polymer clay challenges that you need some help with… success stories about your bead and jewelry projects… requests for upcoming video tutorials. In other words, it’s an open mic :-) .
Listed below are the topics that were discussed in the last Friday’s Open Mic comments:
- Covering plastic eggs with polymer clay.
- Stargazer lily color palette.
- 3D polymer clay design vs 2D graphic design.
- Dreaming of polymer clay.
- Polka dot patterns
- Some info about B-series color palettes.
- Sesame Street Wallpaper (no this is not about Katy Perry).
- Getting back to true passions.
- Tips for measuring 1/8 part when mixing colors.
- Problems with consistency of Fimo and Sculpey.
- Finding the color palette photos.
- And more…
If you need to catch up, here is the link to the article where last week’s topics were discussed in detail: Spotted Lily Petal Cane
Otherwise, you can use the comment section below to start talking about some new topics and ideas. Happy Friday!!!
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Thanks for the great tute. I have always wondered how to make beads with this molding material. Now if only I could figure out your technique for making the actual pendants. I will have to experiment.
So many ideas swimming in my head now for textures!!!! Fabulous video!
I was wondering if I could use Amazing Mold Putty instead of Sculpey Mold Maker. Being on a tight budget, I would like to use what I have on hand if that will work.
How much fun -and you can carve too! Been scurrying around the house looking for stuff to use as textures -stripping bark off trees , robbing onions of their bag ,etc -how crazy is that? Love the video -good advise and lots of ideas —–thanks “Team” ,another top notch video
Great Tutorial! I’ve found several things to use, can’t wait to play with this technique, need to make a trip to Michaels first hope they sell it there.
Have a nice weekend everyone. XX :)
Oh what fun!!! Have to make a trip to town…….
Fantastic tutorial, my head is swimming with ideas.
If you were to make a mold for a 3d object can you bake the PC clay in the mold and then remove the casting or does the casting need to be removed before baking.
Just watched the tutorial and so excited to try making my own texture plates. With Halloween just around the corner I was wondering Cindy if you were going to teach us how to do the Pirate crossbones beads like you made for your lanyard? I loved it and would love to know how to do it. You talked about making a tut for it. Please, Please, Please?! Thanks
OOOOOooooo, I second the motion on a Pirate Bead Tutorial..!! I’ve been dying to learn Cindy’s technique – I tried it myself and had sooooo much scrap clay by the time I finished. So, *begging nicely* Please, Please, Please Cindy, teach us the Pirate Bead Cane for Halloween? Oh and another great tute this week! I’ve finished 7 texture sheets already and I’ve posted a pic at our community Facebook page for anyone interested.
Clay Away,
~Lisa :)
As for baking an object in the mold: maybe the package says something about that? I’d love to be able to make some shaped beads front and back. Am off to Michaels this morning because I don’t have enough black and white Premo and the other colors for the spotted lily cane. And our JoAnn fabrics carry so much from the Sculpey line I’m thinking of checking them also; JoAnn has all those 40% coupons.
@Koolbraider: YAY, on the new Avatar! I know you really wanted to take your time and choose “wisely”…and you did just that! It’s very “you”, LOL! I noticed it first thing, but forgot to mention it when I posted on the other thread.
Baking in molds: you CAN do it if you use silicone/RTV molding compounds (the kind where you mix 2 different colored putties together.) I’ve used Mold-n-Pour, which they sell at Michael’s…and there are lots of other brands out there, too. The silicone stuff costs more, though…best to only use it for molds that need to be baked (like, when using with liquid clay…or maybe Bake & Bond — BTW, wonder how that would work with Faux Opals?)
It looks like sticking with Sculpey MoldMaker for most flexible molds & texture sheets is best…it seems to be the perfect material for ’em (as Cindy showed us in this awesome tute!) I can’t wait to open up my package & get to work…I see Lisa W. already has some cool new textures she’s showing off at Facebook! ;~D Makes me want to get started even more…
What an awesome tutorial and as always made so simple. I just finished a crystal necklace for a wedding – last minute rush order but I will be making some texture sheets for myself . I’ve got an onion bag and a couple of other stuff to experiment with. It’s so fantastic to be able to make our own texture sheets , they can be quite expensive.
Re molding a bead. I would like to know how to get a mold of a carved bead. If I press it into the mold making clay I can go quite deep but it still leaves the top of the bead without the carving. Should I do two haves and join them to get a fully carved around 3 D bead?
@ Cheryl H – two halves would be the simplest way I think to do the 3d object. You would just have to be real careful in putting the two halves together and making sure the seam doesn’t show.
Thanks Ken. I would have to smooth the seams before baking. Will have to try it out soon. I ‘ve made a mold with the mold maker elasti clay. Let’s see how it turns out. I think i should have made more molds so I can do more than a bead at a time but i just wanted to check how it turns out.
@ Ken- I removed the mold after pressing the bead into it and then baked it. i wish I had seen Cindy’s video but I had done it a couple weeks ago. Itoo thought it wasn’t cured to kept it in the oven a bit longer. It discolored a bit but since its just the mold, no harm done. so I guess you would press your clay into the mold and then remove it and then bake. You might need to spritz ith water or something so it will release without sticking.
Haven’t seen this video yet. But: yay, new avatar courtesy of Gravatar! Has anyone read anything about baking in the mold yet?
Hi everyone, thanks for the great comments! I thought I had better answer these today before tomorrow comes and I am buried in a pile of other tasks. Please read the post about this temporary publishing change (link by my name) if you haven’t yet.
Although I will still be around, I won’t be as available as I usually am. If all of you regulars could keep an eye out for me, that would be really awesome. I really appreciate what a helpful little family we all have become!
@Dorothy: I haven’t worked with Amazing Mold Putty yet, so I don’t know if you can use it instead of the Sculpey MoldMaker or not. You can use some scrap polymer clay for the technique if you wish, though the properties will not be quite the same.
@Ken and Koolbraider: No, you can’t bake your polymer clay pieces, inside the MoldMaker mold or texture sheet. It says not to on the packaging. I assume that they will probably bond together, if attempted.
@Kerri, Lisa and others who wanted the Pirate Cane tutorial this month: Unfortunately with everything that is going on this month, I just don’t have time to do that one. I will be doing a simpler (yet still awesome) Pumpkin Cane at the end of this month. Just in time for some quick Halloween earrings or for the Fall and Thanksgiving season.
Help!!!!!! Sigh -I can’t find the mold maker in Tucson. Can you believe it ???? So I bought Bake & Bend. Has anyone tried it. Does it work for this application ? And SAGE advise would be wonderful. I am anxious to try making molds. But here sits the clay -and-me……….
@ pattw – I’m not sure about Bake & Bend but if I remember correctly from the video, you can use regular PC, it just won’t be flexable. You could try out some ideas in regular clay and maybe someone more informed than I might be able to help better. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, I didn’t want you to think you were forgotten about.
@pattw – If you can’t find it at a local JoAnne’s, you might have to order it from some place online. JoAnne’s has their stuff online so maybe you could use one of their online coupons and order it from them? I’ll do a search and see what I can find out for you…
Peace, Love, & Clay,
~Lisa :)
@pattw – Yes, JoAnne Fabrics Online has it. Just do a search for “Mold Maker Clay” and look toward the bottom of the page you’re taken to. It’s in a purple box and says Sculpey Super Elasticlay Moldmaker. If you are not signed up for their emails, do so and you will get great coupons (sometimes 50% off) in your email…some for their online store and some for your local store.
Hope this helps,
~Lisa :)
WOW !Thank you all……I did use the B &B .with sort of success. The thin pieces,( like Cindy’s) came out fine. The thicker piece is not as bendable, but usable. I had a hard time curing at 285 -the darn oven wants to stay at 280 – the stuff may be under-cured. But I am going to try and use it.
I live in Tucson, where it still hot, so
I can’t have anything shipped now, actually. It is too hot and PC arrives already cured LOL. Have to wait a while, to order the Mold Maker
Thanks for the input ! I really appreciate how thoughtful you all are !!! ::::}}}}}
hai,i have few doubts about polymerclay projects,does polymer clay projects needs sanding&polishing after applying glitter on it.And do you use any polymer adhesive for attaching hooks to polymerclay projects,can i use crstals along with polymerclay projects before baking. if you have any advice please give me…thankyou..geetha.
Hi Geetha, wow, lots of questions! :D Let’s take them in order:
1. Polymer clay projects need sanding and buffing? You do not HAVE to, but it’s a good idea to sand & buff your pieces so you get professional-looking results. If you use glitter on a project, you have to be careful when sanding, or you’ll remove glitter. In this case, you would try to be very careful not to leave fingerprints or imperfections, so you won’t have to sand them out. You can apply an approved finish on top (only certain ones work with polymer clay) to protect the glitter.
2. There are several adhesives that work well with polymer clay…you can use them to adhere hooks. The directions differ, depending on the type you are using. One way to do it is to bake the hook into the clay, remove it after baking, add glue, and press it back in for a secure fit.
3. You can put your crystals on your project before baking, if you like.
There are articles all over this blog about these questions & many others…just type the keyword or phrase into the search box at the top of the page. There are also amazing video tutorials available, like the one on how to imbed hooks into your projects.
This is just basic information…leave additional details about your project(s) for a more detailed answer. ~Kat :D
PS: It’s a good idea to sign up for Cindy’s Polymer Clay Newsletter, too, if you haven’t already. You’ll get 3 free videos (one on sanding) and free weekly color recipes — link is at the top of the page.