stencil pressed hearts

[beadizzygrl]

These I used gold leafing of all colors.  Even those iddy biddy hearts was pressed with stencil. 


These are kaleidoscope canes

This is a large pendant using mica technique then pressed thru large stencil. 

These are various canes that worked great for the heart shaped.

[craftsbian]

I am in love with the gold leafing hearts!  I have been addicted to gold leafing for the past couple of months.  Where did you get the red leafing?  Have you tired using alcohol inks or leafing?  That makes some pretty cool effects.

[kaleesi]

Wow!!!! Those look perfect!
Professional!  Gorgeous!!!
Wow!
Can I ask when you put the wire loop in?
Before or after baking?

[beadizzygrl]

The red gold leafing I found in refill sheets for a foil pen.  I do not have pen, and know NOTHING about them, but I thought I would give them a try on polyclay.  I found it worked easier than the larger more expensive sheets of gold leafing.  Oh and I found them at discount store called Meyers in the scrap booking aisle.  Compared to walmart they are not so discount.  In that pack they had gold, silver, blue, red and rainbow.  I went back for more, they were not there anymore  , so if ya see them GRAB all they have lol.  I make figure 8 shape wires.  One loop get sandwiched between two stencil pressed hearts with a small dot of liquid clay on loop.  Then smoothed closed then baked. 

[Diane B.]

beadizzygrl, was your metallic stuff leaf or foil?   And if it was foil (metallic plastic that's clear-plastic backed, rather than very thin real-metal leafing), did you burnish it on before pressing through the stencil, or apply it some other way or order?  Looks like you managed to keep a very smooth surface, without any crackling ... purty!



Diane B.
GlassAttic....polym er clay "encyclopedia"
http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
little bit'o photosharing: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianeatglassattic/my_photos


 

[katieclaytonn]

the heart pendant is amazing.

[beadizzygrl]

DianeB you are the one I need to ask.  I call leafing and foil the same thing. I have used the more expensive gold leafing with the burnish then peel off (like band aid removal quick lol)  and had ok time with getting foil to stick to clay.  But the refill kit for a "Hot Foil Pen" by the company "Staedtler" worked awsome.  It contained 12 sheets of 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" size.  They were much easier to peel off and stuck better than the gold leaf.  It amazed me too that the foil did not crack when protruding from stencil.  I have went hog wild with this technique!!!!! I have alot of mica shift beads doing this too.  And thank you guys bunches on your compliments!!!!

[Diane B.]

DianeB you are the one I need to ask.  I call leafing and foil the same thing. . .

Well, as far as I understand, leafing is a general process which puts a metallic film onto another surface, and has been around for a long time.
Previous to the invention of plastic, those films were always very thin sheets (or flakes) of real metal --generally gold, silver or copper, and were applied with some kind of glue (to wood frames, etc.).  Those are still called leaf, as far as I know, and are rather expensive. 

Now we have two new 'leafing" materials available to crafters (in addition to the leaf made from real gold and other expensive metals).

Composition leaf (or composition metal leaf, or imitation leaf) looks and handles like the traditional leaf, but it's much cheaper.  It generally comes in 6" sheets, separated by tissue-type paper, for approx. $9 per 25 sheets at craft and art stores (also comes as flakes). Sheets of this stuff are only .3 microns thick and extremely lightweight, so it can easily blow around. The reason it's cheaper is because it's made from aluminum, brass, zinc, or copper (aluminum is dyed for "gold").  It also comes variegated in color and pattern, and I assume the same kind of dyeing is done for those (but colored alcohol inks will also work, and pearlescent acrylic "inks" may work in ways too).  Leaf sticks readily to raw polymer clay, but must be applied with some kind of adhesive if the clay is already baked.
Composition leaf will tarnish over time though (not sure about all the colors though), and oils from one's fingers make that happen sooner.  So most leaf will need to be sealed to avoid that (one famous clayer even used Varathane sealer before and after baking on her leaf-covered clay, and said it worked well, plus she felt the leaf didn't change color in the heat as it sometimes does.  Future should work in the same way.

The other type of metallic sheeting is "transfer foil."  These foils are not make from metals, but often look metallic (or pearlescent) and they come in solid colors, or patterns.  They're actually  two layers... one a colored plastic, the second a clear mylar sheet which is a backing.  The colored plastic is what sticks to the raw clay and the clear backing is ripped off (...burnishing and/or heat are often used to help).  For baked clay, glue and/or heat must be used.
 
Some foil colors are notoriously hard to transfer (like the holographic ones), and some brands seem more tightly bonded to their backing sheets than others (the Staedtler brand of transfer foil available at Michaels in the rubberstamp section as "refills" or in a combo with a Hot Foil Pen may be one of those brands that's not too tightly bonded to it's carrier and/or stretchier (one person has also suggested that leaving the foil in contact with the raw clay overnight will make it very stretchy and rubbery --and therefore wouldn't do the intentional-crackle thing).
One brand of foil that's been used a lot by clayers is Jones Tones (6" x 12" strips sold in a tube in the t-shirt decorating area for clothing), but there are other foils sold at craft stores (sometimes in the rubberstamp section).
 
Transfer foils have other uses too... they can be run through a photocopier over a photocopy and the heat will transfer the foil to the text or graphics ...they're also used for decorative wall embellishment, leather crafting, nail art, etc., so the foils are often sold at other places as well as craft stores --may also be called thermal foils, heat-sensitive foils, toner-reactive foils, laser foils, or rub-on foils, metallic foils, etc.
Since they're plastic, foils will not tarnish and don't need to be sealed. 

(There are also thicker real metal foils that are sold as "craft foils" for embossing or making cells for tinted liquid clays to simulate cloisonne, etc.)


Is that what you wanted to ask?  If not, ask again 
   



Diane B.
GlassAttic....polym er clay "encyclopedia" http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
little bit'o photosharing: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianeatglassattic/my_photos

[beadizzygrl]

Thanks bunches DianeB.  I am learning so much from you. 
I did find after I applied future floor polish, it made them even more shiney, I am a future girl. I have same bottle purchased over yr ago, and still looks full.  That bottle will last me FOREVER!!!  Future was hard to find believe it or not.  I think I found it at Kmart but not Walmart.  (unless walmart was out)  Which finish do you think is the best DianaB??  All the finishes found in craft stores around here peel off over time.  Future will not peel.  I find my mica shift things show even better after future is applied. 

[Sarie23]

Nice job. They all look great. I think I'll vote the pendant as my favorite though.