Video #619: My test sample has sat for a few months now, without any issues showing up in regards to polymer clay compatibility.
Topics Covered In This Video:
- Testing Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder on Polymer Clay for compatibility.
- Distress Embossing Powder is a grainy powder meant for using in Scrapbooking. The embossing powder is sprinkled onto embossing ink which holds it to the surface of the paper. The powder is then melted using a heat gun, which leaves a raised (embossed) surface design.
- When mixed into polymer clay, or placed onto polymer clay, you can get some cool effects.
- What’s unique about the Tim Holtz Distress brand of embossing powder, is that it contains some larger grains which don’t melt.
- Some of the sandy grains then embed themselves into the melted embossing powder, leaving a gritty surface.
- And some of the grains fall off giving a chipped and distressed look to the project.
- I have taken a sample of raw Premo polymer clay and placed a small pile of the distress embossing powder onto it, then baked for 1 hour at 275F (the recommended baking temperature for Premo).
- My test sample has sat for a few months now, without any issues showing up in regards to polymer clay compatibility.
- The baked sample has a very textural surface that feels very gritty to the touch, like sand or brick.
- When the melted powder is scratched a few sand grains will come off, but the majority is very stuck-on and durable.
- I will be doing a tutorial soon that incorporates the distress embossing powder in the technique. It is a graffiti technique where the gritty texture gives the look of a cement wall.
- The Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder looks great mixed into translucent polymer clay for a cool stone like effect.
- Related Video: UTEE Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel on Polymer Clay
- Related Article: Polymer Clay Faux Jade Technique
- Related Video: Anjou Pear Fruit Beads Polymer Clay Tutorial
Do you have any suggestions for videos on tips, techniques or products you would like to learn more about? Let me know in the comments section below!
My goal is to help you to learn quicker and easier ways to bring up the professionalism in your polymer clay art.
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Hi Cindy – re your invite for suggestions, there’s a new product out there called ‘Oozeq’ and I wondered if you’d considered showing this in your Friday tips section. Can be found here – used for polymer clay et al, blurb says it can be soaked and removed completely, sounds interesting. Have always wanted to make hollow balls rather than just lentil shaped beads and would love to see your take on it.
Thanks – Marion
I have some that I have been testing. It isn’t as simple to use as you would think, so I am working with them to come up with ways to make it more user friendly. I will get to a demo sometime, when I get something simple figured out.
Several years ago, I tried the Distress Powders mixed with transluscent clay. The results were amazing! One of my “mistakes” turned into a wonderful surprise. I was at a polishing class and we were covering eggs. I had some left over clays mixed with Distress EP with me and decided I’d try to do a Chrysanthemum cane with these clays wrapped in gold. Being transluscent clays, the results were not what I expected but I loved it! The egg ended up with a stone-like finish and the gold that got pushed into the cane looked like thorns! I called it my Crown of Thorns egg. Wish I could include a picture so you can see it!
Oh what a great story Gayle! I love it when accidents turn out to better than if you had planned it! Thanks for sharing!
I am making memory beads with rose petals using translucent clay. What can I use to add a slight sparkle to the clay?
Hi Pam, a little pearl clay will bring some sparkle to your beads.
Hi Cindy, thank you for testing these powders. I have not used them as I have so many jars of embossing powders I bought from a gal who was in scrapbooking. Thanks so much for showing the difference between the two powders. They certainly have their place in our medium and now my interest is piqued enought to want to try them.
It has been fascinating testing all the endless products there are out there. (A list that will never get finished!) You’d think that something as simple as embossing powder would all be the same, but there are many different types and brands that have so many different ingredients and properties that you never know how it will behave with polymer clay until you test it. That is one thing that I LOVE about craft supplies. There is a new discovery around every corner!