My Molds Newsletter
News that Inspires Imagination! – By MadAboutMolds.com
March Issue 2010
The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds
Over 980 Clay Push Molds to Choose From Today!
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In this issue:
l Tips & Tricks
l New Molds Just Listed
l This Month’s Article
Hello Crafter,
Yes, it's that time again! We are so excited to show you our new molds that you have been waiting for! Now there’s more for you to choose from! Think of all the possibilities! You do not want to miss out. Crafting can be a good thing that will relax you and make you happy. It can also be profitable and good for the mind. Think about “your time” as time to give to yourself so you can be more for others during the rest of your day.
So get your molds out, play and have fun and see what you can do. Also check out our new molds to see if there’s any more you would like to add to your collection. Create and enjoy. Live and create.
Until next time,
Marjorie with Mad About Molds
New Molds Just Listed:
You can purchase our new molds here!
Tips & Tricks:
7 Ways to Use Mineral Oil with Polymer Clay
1. Cleaning your hands. Mineral oil works so much better than alcohol for wiping highly-pigmented colors of clay off your hands. I just rub a little dab of mineral oil into my hands, then wipe it off with a paper towel (repeating if necessary). And it's not just polymer clay that it's good for either -- mineral oil is also very helpful for getting alcohol inks off your hands... which isn't an easy task otherwise!
2. Cleaning your supplies. It works great to clean your cutting blade. You can also use it in combination with dish soap or rubbing alcohol to clean your pasta machine.
3. Conditioning old clay. You can mix a few drops of mineral oil into polymer clay. Add only a small amount; it's easy to overestimate how much you need.
4. Thinning polymer clay & liquid polymer clay:
Mineral oil + Polymer clay = A nice mosaic grout
Mineral oil + Liquid polymer clay = A good consistency for a glaze or for adding frosting to miniature food. Be sure to compare mineral oil to Sculpey diluents for liquid clay mixtures. The diluents mixture seems to be clearer and stronger, making it a better choice for certain projects.
5. Using as a release agent. Apply mineral oil first to glass, metals, or Styrofoam to act as a release agent.
6. Smoothing clay before baking. Brushing down clay with mineral oil before baking to help reduce fingerprints.
7. Lubricate clay cutters with a bit of mineral oil to make a nice clean cut.
Mineral oil is a surprisingly versatile craft supply and at a great value.
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7 Ways to Use Alcohol with Polymer Clay
1. Use rubbing alcohol to clean your work surface and clay tools -- including pasta machines, clay molds, and paint brushes (after using liquid clay).
2. Spread rubbing alcohol over the back of your paper for a better image transfer.
3. Smooth alcohol lightly over clay before baking to help get rid of fingerprints.
4. Use baby wipes soaked in rubbing alcohol to clean clay residue (especially that pesky red!) off hands.
5. Clean any greasy residue off baked clay before applying a glaze finish.
6. It's good to cultivate a habit of cleaning your molds with isopropyl alcohol after each use. This will make them last longer, and it will also make the next use easier-- no sticky residue to contend with.
7. Remove pasta machine streaks from clay.
Sounds like rubbing alcohol has earned its spot on the craft room shelf.
We now have Mineral Oil and Alcohol available on our website on our tools page.
This Month’s Article:
Style Yourself With Polymer Clay Jewelry
In the creative and striking world of jewelry design, there are many different materials available for artisans to make into jewelry. However, the most common choice include typical materials such as metals, gemstones, and possibly glass, but if you look at other available options you will find that there are many other things that can be made into excellent jewelry.
And one such material to make jewelry and perhaps the most popular new sensation in jewelry is polymer clay. Polymer clay is a definite type of clay that is quite different from modeling or pottery clay.
It is fashioned from PVC plastic and a type of plasticizer chemical that keeps the clay moldable and soft until it baked into a final shape. Once you use this material, you will find that there are certainly many opportunities while working with it.
Many people will wonder how the polymer clay jewelry gets all the colors and sparkle that most of them exhibit and catch the eye. This can be added to it through the use of micas, which are colored pigments, and metallic sparkles and kaolin clay which makes the polymer opaque, make it a very diverse and easily workable medium for creation.
This type of the clay is also definitely a good choice for people who are interested in making jewelry at home. Another great part of polymer clay is that it does not need high temperatures to be baked; in fact for the proper results a home oven can do the job.
With the wide popularity, artisans can also find a couple of brands that are well known. These brands include FIMO and Sculpey.
Finding these brands is not a difficult task as most of the major craft stores and suppliers carry these brands of clay in many different colors, ranging from fluorescent and day glow hues to metallic shades like silver and gold.
In this material, the metallic colors can easily be shaped and used as a replacement for working in the metals themselves, which makes jewelry creation more accessible to designers.
Another amazing benefit this material offers is the lesser number of tools that are needed in order to fashion and create jewelry. Most designers conveniently use a pasta roller machine in order to flatten their clay to desired thickness, and also to acclimatize the clay for use. With this the clay can be easily rolled and shaped into whatever designs the designer wants to use it for.
If you want a piece of jewelry that is colorful, less costly and unique then definitely try something made out of this material. Whether you choose to buy it readymade or create your own pieces, this clay jewelry can be a great way to express yourself.
Once you have the basics down, experiment with different varieties and brands, each of which has a different level of pliability. You can also get this clay in a variety of effects, such as translucent, iridescent, and glow-in-the-dark, to create beads and jewelry that are truly unmatched.
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