YAY! My Rachel Doll is finished!!!

Even though the egg dye worked better than nothing, it wasn't good enough for me though. Maybe for a fun funky doll, but not for a commission. So today on Easter my wonderful hubby took me out running all over town trying to find a place that was 1. open and 2. sold dye. And he rocks and we found some. I am so happy.

Come to my facebook page and take a look at the photo album with all of her progress pics.

---

Pooped but learning

My Rachel Glee doll's hair wasn't dark enough. The viscose that I have only comes in certain shades, and I didn't have any that was the correct shade. Because I now live in a TINY town (which I love) I have no place to go to get emergency fixes for problems. Our local super Walmart had decided that only children do crafts, so they've destroyed that section of their store. I couldn't find any dye there that I could use. I tried using regular hair dye (I knew it wouldn't work, Viscose is NOT hair) -- epic fail. Exact same color but now smells funny.

One thing they did have at Walmart was this:

Sooooooo, I mixed up the colors of blue and red and orange, and a tablespoon of vinegar and started the experiment.

Inside the dye bath I have enough "red" viscose to create a new wig (with the thought that red hair plus brown/purpleish dye should make a darker brown hair). And also a weft of the brown hair that I used for the current wig. They soaked in this bath for over 10 minutes. Afterward, I rinsed them and placed them on the pyrex pan to go into a 250 degree oven to dry.

While I was at it, using the sponge brush, I soaked the current wig I had made for the Glee character Rachel. This one I did NOT rinse and put on the pyrex dish as well, and in the oven to dry.

From what I can see at this time (by peeking into the oven), the sections that I rinsed are right back to their original color. The wig is still pretty much the color it looks in this picture.

The egg dye kit doesn't say to rinse your eggs when you finish, but I didn't know if I should or not with the viscose. I have no high hopes for this experiment, and am very tired. Tomorrow hubby has said he'd take me to Joann's in the next town to get some acid dye which is supposed to work on viscose. (We'll see) but no matter how you look at it, I'm going to have to make another wig.

Results with be coming as they happen. :o)

I am surprised at the results. I thought there was no difference in the viscose where I rinsed it, but it turns out there is a difference. The piece on the left is the original, and the piece on the right is after soaking in the easter egg dye bath.

There is a difference here as well. The viscose on the top is the original and the lower one is what was in the bath. The difference is not as dramatic with the red viscose, but the color is more intense. I find it to be quite pretty.

And the color change on the wig (that I did not rinse the color out) is a definite difference. I can't lie this next to the original to show the comparison, but I will add the photo below of Rachel with her hair before her dye job and after.

The problem with this is that the dye didn't take evenly as seen in the picture above. The ends are darker.

---

Today is a small experiment day.

Ever since I began sculpting with polymer clay there have been little pet peeves that get under my skin. Little problems that I haven't been able to solve in a way that satisfies me. Today I'm working on a couple of them.

I'm starting a new Kawaii Shimai, and one thing I hate about making them is the foil in their heads. I don't like making the foil ball because I don't have as much control of the shape as I'd like. And I smooth it hard with a spoon, which works, but the black aluminum gets on my hands and we all know dirt and polymer clay are enemies!

Another thing that bothers me about the aluminum balls is that I don't feel like they really hold on tight inside of the head, and that it seems like the Shimai's heads have to be "tightened" (turned so the wire twists a little more). Which always concerns me, because wire can only turn so many times and then it's broken wire.

So experiment #1 is that I've used a wooden bead as a core, and then covered that with almost 1/2 an inch of super sculpey. You're not supposed to really use it thicker than 1/4 an inch but I'm going to add to the baking time, and not worry about it darkening (since it's inside).

I'm now baking that in the oven at 275 degrees for 40 minutes.

When this comes out, I may need to add yet another layer of Super Sculpey before I start making the face with the Kato clay. My theory is that the polymer clay CAN be thicker than 1/4 inch as long as it's fully baked at each stage. So the second time I go into the oven, the inside core is already cured, so I should only have to worry about the outer core.

**** Do not confuse this experiment with the INCORRECT information that was being spread a few years ago about baking polymer clay in stages and adding up time to equal a total bake. This does NOT work, and many new doll artists were done a disservice by this information, selling dolls that were not baked thoroughly and setting back the progress of our art in the industry years. It's been a long road bringing polymer clay to the level of acceptance as a quality medium. The experiment I am using today is a theory of MORE baking not less. ****

The other part of the experiment, is that when I started out the head armature, I put 4 wires through the bead. Twisting them 2 in the clockwise direction and 2 in the counter-clockwise direction. This is in hopes that the head will stay tight and never feel like it needs turned.

I still concern myself with the wire, because the wire I used is green painted floral wire, and I notices specks of it coming off in my hands as I was adding the Super Sculpey. I'm not sure how I will deal with this issue, except to be very very careful as I sculpt and next time choose a different wire.

And Off we Go!!!

The head armature came out of the oven and I feel that I need to make it even bigger before I consider putting a Shimai face on it. So I've added more Super Sculpty only to the top of the head. Here's a picture of the new layer of clay I'm going to bake.

This to me looks like about 1/4 inch of clay will be added around for the final bake. (don't mind the head in this post....::rolling eyes:: I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I made it.

Back into the oven!

Alex Toys » Air Hardening Clay (1Lb.)

July 4th, 2009

This is the first air dry clay that I’m experimenting with. I know, age 3 years. Well I’m over 3  years, so I guess that means it’s ok for me to try. ;) So far my results have been as expected. What I’m making looks like a 3 year old made it….LOL But you have to start somewhere and the price was right to give it a whirl. I’ll update this post with results pictures when I have them.

Air Hardening Clay (1Lb.)
USD$ 5.49
Item #265 – Item is available.
QTY
For clay creations that you want to last, use this paper based white clay that dries and hardens overnight and can then be painted. (1.10lb/500g)
Suitable for age: 3 year(s)
via Alex Toys » Art » All Art Products » Air Hardening Clay (1Lb.).

---

Experimenting with Clays pt 2

Well, I've found another cold porcelain recipe, and have been testing this one. I'm really not sure. Sculpting with it was good as far as firmness went, but blending was difficult because the recipe writer said "do not use water".

I HAD to use water, but it seems like things worked ok.
Here are some pictures of what I sculpted.

I used food coloring to color the CP. My hands are still stained blue in places...LOL

How look at the difference once the clay dried.

The head is in a different position, because as it dried, the front legs shortened, which made the head lean too far towards the ground. The back legs also shrunk which caused it to lean even more.

In the 2nd picture, I have taken the legs off and repositioned them using more cold porcelain as well as tacky glue and some wire.

in the third picture, I've added eyelids, and reinforces the areas around the legs. I'm not sure if you can see it, but the ears kind of puffed up as they dried. The place where the eyes are also puffed, so the side profile is no longer the same. These are things I'll have to learn in order to work with this medium.

Whatcha think? Do you like the CP?

Air Dry Clays

Here you'll find pictures of my attempts at working with home made clays. I so have been wanting to make my own, but find that I have trouble with the mixtures. Granted, now that it's been quite some time since I've done these, I see them in a different light, and actually think that the blue salt-dough chibi is quite adorable.

This was my cold porcelain failure. See how his little left leg deflated? And his ears puffed out, yet shriveled where they were attached to his head. Below is a picture from the back where you can see that his neck also shriveled.

This next picture is another cold porcelain attempt, and this one came out better. I used a different mixture. This chibi is actually quite acceptable too. Boy I was being hard on myself at the time.

This guy is a salt dough chibi. He's adorable, but a total mess. It's my fault! I was impatient and wanted to hurry up his drying. So I put him in the microwave. You're not supposed to do that, but I do a lot of things you're not supposed to...lol I wonder what he would have looked like if I hadn't got impatient.

This little guy is also salt dough, and I think this one is really neat. I'm not sure why I rejected him. I think it was because I was on this "must look like" kick and not just seeing it for what it was. One thing I did like about using the salt dough was the ability to get such beautiful colors. I can't paint polymer clay and get that kind of watercolor look.

I may have to try some home made clay again soon. Especially the salt dough.

Experimenting with Clays

Over the past month or so, I've been using different clays. I've got tons of different kinds here that I hadn't tried to sculpt a whole chibi out of. I've got more to try, but here's three.

I am definitely a better sculptor when it comes to polymer clay. But I think if I work with the cold porcelain recipe I might be able to learn to be pretty good with that too.

The Ultralight Chibi was hard to sculpt. The ultralight doesn't like to blend at all. So it had to be sculpted differently. Couldn't do a lot of adding on unless the seams showing didn't matter, like the ears and the cheeks.

The Cold porcelain came out much better than the first one I tried, and I'm happy with the body. I kind of like the puffiness of it. The head is lopsided and it cracked a little, but I like this little guy. I think he's cute.

That's all for now.

Kato Durability

Chibitude level: 10/10 (headache gone YAY!)

Kato Clay Crack Update

I am posting a follow up to my Beheading a Chibi post as well as my Kato Clay Crack Test post.
This is the head that I wacked off. If this concerns you chibi lovers, please watch the video to see that no harm has come to the chibi. As you can see, this head had quite a few cracks and moonies as well. This head was a mix of 5 parts Kato Translucent and 1 part Fimo Quick mix. It was baked for 15 minutes at 300 degrees.


This is the new head that I made. As you can see, there are no moonies nor are there any cracks. The mix was exactly the same (5 parts Kato Translucent and 1 part Fimo Quick Mix) and the baking time was the same (15 minutes at 300 degrees). The difference between the two is that this one was baked over an epoxy ball, with the clay not being thicker than 1 quarter of an inch in any areas.

When I had started working on this chibi, and then beheaded it yesterday, I was noticing that none of the imperfections ever appeared in on the body. It was always on the head. And in comparing the way the two were sculpted, the only difference was that the head was thicker. Much Thicker.

The epoxy that I used was plain old everyday 2 part blue and white plumbers epoxy. I couldn't find the kind I use online, but I just go across the street to Ace Hardware and buy their brand. I also like the Aves Fix-it if I have the patience to wait, as it has a slower curing time and isn't as sticky. I'm pretty impatient though. Don't like to wait. Gimme fast glue, fast epoxy, fast clay, fast paint, fast glaze and I'm a happy sculptor. ;)

Oh, and I've also in the past tried to use foil to bulk out the centers of my stuff, but I find that if I make a tiny ooboo and don't get all the air quinked out that it can cause the clay to crack. So I'm a no foil kind of gal.

Chibitude level: 8/10 (could have been a 10/10, but I have a headache and am feeling sleepy)

Beheading a Chibi

Chibitude level: 9/10

Kato Clay Crack Tests

::note:: please see the update for the final results of my testing.

Today I'm starting some tests on Kato clay. It has a tendency to get little cracks, which close when cooled. I look at them as Kato's version of moonies, because I've yet to see a true moonie in Kato.

I will keep updating this same post so that all the results are on the same page.

Test #1:
All spheres are approximately 3/4" in size.
All spheres were baked by putting into a cold oven set at 300 degrees F
All spheres were baked for 20 minutes and removed immediately from the oven.
All spheres were cooled under cool water directly after removing from the hot oven.

---

Sample 1 results:

---

Sample 2 results:

---

Sample 3 results:

---

Sample 4 results:

---

Test #2:
see images for details
Sample 5 results

---

Sample 6 Results:


NOTE TO SELF: I have noticed that clay that is more thoroughly conditioned does not seem to get the large open gaping cracks in it. The smaller cracks are not actually open when the item is removed from the oven like the larger cracks were. The conditioning at a lower (thinner) setting of the pasta machine also appears to do a more complete job. I'm of the conclusion thus far that these cracks may appear in translucent as a plaque like the moonies are to other clays.

My next series of tests, I'm going to attempt to duplicate these tests, but baking at 275 for 30 minutes for each piece (that's 10 minutes preheat time and 20 baking time). If the results again turn out the same, I will begin experimenting with mixing small amounts of color into the clay.

Why I love Kato Clay

Kato is my favorite clay, and I made this little video to show why.
It's so flexible and strong, and even though you can tell people with words, it's just not the same as seeing it with your own eyes. This is a cured piece of Kato that is 1/8" thick.

Experimenting

Today, I'm trying to make wings for some new sculptures that I've been baking (in my melon). They are dragons with dragonfly wings. I wanted to try and make them with Kato liquid and wire for the veins. Nothing too elaborate, but different for me.

So I went to the store, got some wire, and a small picture frame (for the glass) and came home to get started. I don't know if this is going to work. I tried to super glue the wires together at the points where I want them to meet. I know that super glue isn't supposed to hold up to heat, and I'm kind of counting on that, because I glued the wires right to the glass. Not big long lines of glue, but tiny little pin pricks of it. Then filled it in with the Kato.

Well, it's in the oven now (only did one wing just in case) and am eager to see if the glue released itself. I hope it did, but also fear that it will have turned white, and left a residue in the liquid clay. I'll post results as they come in......stay tuned. LOL

--
Ok, the glass is out of the oven and there are no white spots where the glue was applied. The wing is as clear as the glass it was baked on. It's still attached, because the glass is very HOT HOT HOT. But so far the wing looks very pretty! I hope I can peel it off of the glass.

more to come.

--
WHOOO HOOOO!
It worked it worked it worked!!!! Just as I predicted, the super glue let loose from the heat of the oven!!!! I'm so super excited (can you tell?)