Monday, March 26, 2012

Polymer Clay and Embossing Powder Enameling

I really like the depth I can create using STAEDTLER Fimo and marsgraphic jr markers with different embossing powders. I want to keep playing and not do my house work. This really is a whole lot of fun. I can imagine a bunch of these little garden critters made up to create a halo or tiara of beautiful sparkling hair embellishments. Have you tried using these products together yet?

Things you will need to create this project:

various garden themed stamps
Scalpel
Gold sparkle embossing powder
Clear embossing powder
medium grit emery board
cream colour felt
Fabri-tac adhesive
large hair clip


I tried to get a good shot of the baked piece for you but I don't think I've quite been able to show how cool this turns out. This shot comes close and shows how the markers behave just like watercolour.


Roll out some of the Fimo to about 1/8th cm thick and stamp your design deep into the sheet. I loaded my stamp with a gold pigment powder so you could see it. Yours won't show colour.


Use a scalpel to cut the shape out and bake it at 270 degrees for 15 minutes and let it cool.


Load the baked and cooled Fimo pieces with gold embossing powder. Use your finger to brush away any powder not in a crevice. Bake the piece again for about another 15 minutes at the same temp and let it cool.


With a medium grit emery board sand away any of the embossing powder that is on a high point of the design.


Use the marsgraphic jr markers to add colour to the piece. The colours will blend and mix when baked so don't worry about adding detail. It will all melt into a beautiful watercolour effect.


Add some clear embossing powder to the top of the piece. I used my finger tip to smooth the powder out and make sure it was as even as possible.


This is what the piece looks like after another bake session. I left it in the 270 degree oven for another 15 minutes and allowed it to cool completely.


I glued the piece onto a hunk of felt and trimmed away the extra felt with some sharp scissors.


Then I used another piece of the same felt to glue the Fimo piece onto a large hair barrette but you could certainly glue it onto a hairband or a brooch back or make a pendant for a necklace. This is a great technique and I can't wait to spend more time with it. I would also like to try this on other colour background clay. 
Wish there were more time in the day!