Tori's Tip - Stencils Aren't Just for Painting

I was recently looking through some of the stencils in my file and found this old and well-used heart stencil that I cut from card stock.  With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it might be fun to try it with Creative Paperclay and one of my favorite texturing tools - scrunched up aluminum foil!

and since I saved the cut-out, I can try it in reverse!

I might use these for card embellishments or a special project for my sweetheart!

This fun technique can be used with just about any stencil and texture tool or texture sheets.

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - Simple Relief Carving

Happy New Year, friends! 

Later this month I will be showing you how to create a set of "art dice".  I have chosen to do a relief carving in the center of each side of my dice, and although it isn't necessary to do this to complete the project, I'm sharing the how-to for my monthly tip.

This type of carving, done on dry clay, can be used for many different types of projects, including page embellishments, boxes, etc.

Bonus tip - I've included a diagram for making your own sculpting/scraping tool :)

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - Embellish with Delight™

3" x 3" package tag - layered paper, rubber stamps, Delight™ cut outs, watercolor

My tip for this month is to keep some rolled out, dry sheets of Delight™ Air Dry Modeling Compound on hand for when you need to embellish a card, art project, package, etc.  The dry clay cuts easily with scissors.  Punches can also be used to shape the clay.  Color to you heart's desire with markers, paints, or whatever you have on hand.   The clay can also be cut and put under sayings to lift them from the page and add dimension.  Shapes can be cut and punched and hung from ribbon, layered over one another, used to make a frame around a photo....the possibilities are unlimited.

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - DIY Glow-in the-Dark Clay

We've mentioned several times here on the Design Team that paint can be added to either Delight™ air dry modeling compound or Creative Paperclay® modeling material, but when considering your options don't forget about specialty paints.

You can make your own light weight, glow-in-the-dark clay just by putting some paint with Delight™ air dry modeling compound.  I mix mine by putting the clay in a baggie and squirting some of the paint in, then squishing it around until it's all mixed in.  Kids would love doing this in the semi-dark to watch how the paint mixes with clay and makes it all glow.

Roll out and cut letters, shape into ghosts, etc.

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - Bones, Horns, & Teeth - Painting Surface Finishes

Hi friends! Last month I gave tips for painting on Creative Paperclay® modeling material, and mentioned how the surface texture makes a big difference in the paint absorption.  This month, in preparation for my project at the end of the month, I want to show you an example of some of the surface texture finishes as it relates to making realistic bones, etc.  These techniques are great for adding dimension and texture to other projects as well, of course.

In the example above, some bands of a burnt umber wash have been painted over clay that was dried then sanded to various levels of surface finish.  I used the sandpaper in one direction only to create the grooves of various sizes - this is how the growth lines (and rings) are created on horns. It is also a good technique for adding texture to leaves, flowers, etc.

For bone finishes, what you choose will depend on whether or not you want the bones to look worn, what age and level of decay you want them to appear as, and what area of bone you are creating.  I may have said this a few (hundred) times before, but I'd like to say again that Creative Paperclay® modeling material is great for making bones, horns and teeth of all shapes and sizes!  Often, you don't need to do anything to the clay at all after sculpting it, other than give it a wash of acrylic or watercolor paint to bring out the sculpting details.

 In these photos of a miniature dragon skull, you can see the different finishes between bone, horns, and teeth.  The horns have lines made from the sandpaper, and have also been rubbed with paper to make them slightly shiny.  The teeth have been polished.








   To polish the clay, use fine grit sandpaper, then a piece of torn paper bag to buff the surface, and finally a piece of newsprint or packing paper.  Paint a wash over the clay, then polish again after the wash is completely dry- repeat as necessary until you have the desired effect.

For the miniature cattle skulls, you can see that the lines along the horns follow the shape, and the teeth are polished.  The skull bones were lightly sanded with 320 grit sandpaper stuck on a shaped toothpick.  I think the dirty greenish yellow cow teeth took three or four washes of various tints, polished in between.

This little (less than 5.5" tall) skeleton
was shaped with files and lightly sanded

and this one is a life-size pose-able hand - the clay was only lightly sanded to shape it, and it was painted with a light coat of gesso, then washes were added.  This is a good technique to use if the piece is going to be used in an area that is not well lit, as it will make the "white" of the bones stand out a bit.   This was one of my Halloween projects for the Design Team last year.  If you want full directions, including a pattern, click here  (The project is easier than it looks!)

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - Some Sculpting Pointers, and a "Sneak Peak" at next month's project

As you can see in the photo, I'm working on a little house.  Next month I'll be showing you how I converted an off-the-shelf paper maché house box into something a little more fun with Creative Paperclay® modeling material.  For now, I thought I would share some helpful tips for sculpting projects:

• Elevate your work to eye level or slightly below eye level
• Use a turntable - don't really need anything fancy, an old box and a "lazy Susan" or turntable (an inexpensive one generally used to hold small items in the cupboard) will work just as well as a commercial sculpting stand in most cases.  I've taped a piece of cardboard, which was covered with adhesive plastic wrap, to the top of the turntable to make the surface flat.
• Have adequate lighting
• Keep a container of water on hand to dip sculpting tools and fingers into while working with the clay
• Keep a spritzer or small spray bottle of water and plastic bags or plastic wrap on hand.  If you need to re-wet the clay while working on it,give it a light spritz.   If you need to stop working for a bit and don't want the clay to dry out yet, spritz the sculpture with water and place the plastic bag gently over it. 

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

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Tori's Tip - Create Lightweight Jewelry with Clay

I like making fun earrings for myself and others, and of course my medium of choice is clay!  Creative Paperclay® modeling material is my first choice for detailed scale miniatures that are to be worn as earrings.

Artsy earrings - 1:12th scale miniatures of a few of my favorite things!
Made with  Creative Paperclay®, mixed media

Garden goods - 1:12th scale miniatures
Made with  Creative Paperclay®, mixed media

For someone who likes to wear larger earrings, pendants, etc., Delight™ air dry modeling compound is sometimes a better choice because it is extremely lightweight.  The items shown below, created by my daughter and her son, show a variety of clay types and embellishments

Earrings and pendants with both types of clay -
finished with paints,  decopauge, transfers, rubber stamps, paints, embedded objects, etc.

A search of this blog for "jewelry" or "earrings" will show you many inventive ways to use clay for jewelry!

One of my previous posts shows how to embed the chain for hanging earrings
- and a really fun way to make jewelry :)
 http://creativepaperclay.blogspot.com/2015/03/hot-craft-crayon-art-jewelry.html

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

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Tori's Tip - Mixing Clays for Marble Effects

Here on the Design Team we usually show a project using either Creative Paperclay®, or Delight™ air dry modeling compound, but did you know you can mix them together?  You can use varying amounts to take advantage of the different properties of each clay (for example, mixing some Delight compound into the clay to make is somewhat lighter)  Or, you can create some great marble looks by mixing them just a little bit -

Roll out some of each type of clay and lay them side by side as shown, vary the thickness and placement.

Squish them together and then flatten the clay.  Fold over and repeat as desired until you get the marbleing you want.  To maintain the marble effect, avoid kneading the clay, just bend or twist slightly, then flatten.

Now the extra fun comes in when a layer of watercolor or acrylic wash is added - because of the different absorption properties of each type of clay, adding color really shows off the effect.

This is the clay piece shown above after a medium green wash has been added

This piece was folded and mixed more than the other one, and a tan/green wash added

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

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Tori's Tip - Dimensional Drawing

Hi, it's Tori again, still experimenting with and learning new things about Delight™ air dry modeling compound.  When I started on the Design Team more than a year ago, I had very little experience with this material, but I am finding new uses for it all the time.  My tip for this month is to try your hand at drawing on dry clay.  You may fall in love, though it takes a bit of getting used to.

As you can see in the work-in-progress flower drawing, the technique consists of layering the pencil(s) very gently at first, a little bit at a time, then varying the pressure to create a dimensional drawing.  Fill in larger areas with the a dull pencil tip or the side of the pencil.

I particularly love this for black and white doodles, using pencils of various hardness.  A kneaded eraser works well for making changes or correcting mistakes in the early stages, but of course won't restore the clay once it has been pressed firmly.  You can also use blending tools as in drawing on paper, but again, start with a light touch and apply pressure when you want to indent areas of the image.

Here is a close-up of the doodle in the picture - which I will probably use for a pendant at some point.  For now, I'm just having fun with the process and seeing how far I can take the medium.  I can foresee many uses such as scrapbook page embellishments, jewelry, decorative objects (because you can still draw on it even if it isn't flat!), etc.

Thanks for joining me here again!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

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Tori's Tip - Preparing Natural Materials

Another thing to love about Creative Paperclay® modeling material is it's ability to bond to natural materials like wood, leaves, etc.  Over the next few months I'll be showing you how to create some projects that combine your favorite nature finds with clay, so my tip for this month is how to prepare those materials.

To prepare rocks/stones - wash them with mild soapy water to remove dirt, rinse well, and allow to dry.

For delicate leaves and flowers - if they are fresh, press them between absorbent pieces of paper and heavy books until they are dry, or, iron them gently with a DRY iron on low heat between two pieces of paper.

To prepare sticks or similar items, brush the dirt off with a stiff brush, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in an oven on low heat to kill any hidden bugs, fungus, etc. (I usually use the lowest setting and bake for a half an hour to an hour for sticks 1/4" to 1/2" in diameter)

If you want to use purchased material such as dried flowers, check for a waxy or oily feel and wash them if necessary - these materials are often preserved with glycerin to keep them supple, but excess glycerin or waxy coating can prevent clay from sticking well.

For  materials that have sap or resin, such as the pine cone "scales" in the project below, clip the scales/seed wings from the cone with clippers or tin snips, wash the clippings then spread them out onto parchment paper and bake as above.  Repeat if necessary to remove the majority of sap.

As always, use caution when using the oven and make sure to check your materials often to make sure they aren't burning, emitting noxious odors or smoking, and take measures to provide adequate ventilation, etc.

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Mix n' Match Mediums - Tori's Tip for December

Wondering if you can use a certain type of paint, crayons or markers on Creative Paperclay®?  Here's my tip - If you can use the medium on paper or wood, then it's okay to use on the clay.  The "secret" is in the prep work.  The assortment in the photo above contains just a few of the many artistic mediums I've used with this amazing modeling material!

- acrylics, watercolors and other water-based media can be painted directly onto the clay without any prep work.  The paint will be absorbed into the clay up to a point, but if you get it too wet you will start removing it rather than adding it, so let the paint dry between coats or washes.  The paint will also be absorbed differently in areas that are left just as the clay dried, and those that have been sanded.  These absorption rates can be used to your advantage to enhance textures, etc.  These media can also be used over gesso.

- pencils, crayons, chalk & oil pastels can also be used directly onto the clay as it dried.  Again, you can take advantage of the texture of the material, leaving more "tooth" for the mediums to grab on to, or sanding the clay smooth.  With pencils, you can either use a light touch to keep the pigment on top of the clay, or use a heavier touch and actually change the surface for texture and 3-D effects.  (Plus, the crayons can be melted onto the clay too! - you can see some of the effects here)

- oils, oil pastels, markers and spray paint, are best used on a surface that has been prepared with gesso, in the same way you would prepare a wood panel.

- inks & dyes also work well with the clay, and it's a great surface for stamping onto with rubber stamps and stands up well to embossing, layering and texture effects.

I suggest making up some samples of dry clay and having a fun day of just playing with different media and prep techniques with no objective in mind other than exploration.  It's a great way to get some inspiration and new ideas!  You might try making up a bunch of 1 or 2 inch square "tiles", using those to practice and play with various mediums, then putting them all together for a unique art piece. (What about a play date with your artsy friends?!) Thanks for joining me here, I'll close with my usual advice - Play, Experiment, and Have Fun!

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Joining Clay Pieces - Tori's Tip for November

This month I'm going to share a tip with you for making the perfect invisible seam when you need to join two pieces of clay together.  This comes in handy when you are covering an object (as I'll be doing for next month's project ;) ) or trying to make a smooth finish with rolled out clay.

Here are the two pieces of clay to be joined - overlap them where you want the seam

Cut at an angle through both pieces of clay

Remove the extra pieces of clay from each side
dip finger or brush in water and dampen the edges to be joined

Gently press the two sides back together and smooth the seam
by rubbing back and forth with a damp finger.

Thanks for joining me here again, and I'll see you next month!

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