Experimenting with Translucent Pardo Art Clay

A couple weeks ago when I was at Hobby LobbyI picked up a couple packages of Pardo Translucent Art Clay. I also purchased bronze, gold and silver metallic Pardo Jewellery Clay.  It's fairly expensive so I thought I would give these a try before I invested in a wider variety of colors.... though I was tempted to buy one of everything.  

 I started with the translucent.  It was easy to condition, I conditioned it the same as I do other brands, ran it through the pasta machine on the # 1 setting 20 times.  I divided it into 5 pieces and tinted with Ranger alcohol inks.  I let it sit until the ink dried and then used the pasta machine to blend in the colors.  I made a muted skinner blend with the blue, lavender and green with clear between the colors and a second skinner blend with the amber and red. 

Click on the photos for a closer look.

I then covered a sheet of Kato Pearl with silver leaf, ran it through the pasta machine on the 2 and 3 settings to get a crackled effect.  I ran a sheet of the tricolor translucent to the #8 setting and placed it over the Kato Pearl.  Next I cut thin slices of my Jackie flower canes and placed them on top of the translucent.  I smoothed the cane slices by placing a piece of parchment paper over the surface and burnished with the back of a spoon. I then cut a shape I liked and popped it in the oven for curing.  I dropped it into an ice bath right out of the oven...and I immediately saw the translucent begin to clear.  After sanding and buffing I used Pigma Micron pens to draw the curlicues. I found it difficult to draw on a slick surface with a permanent pen... it's obvious I need to practice, hopefully  I will do better next time.  I added micro glass balls in tiny drops of Kato liquid clay and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes to set the liquid clay and the ink.  The frame is black Kato clay painted with PearlEx silver.

 For the next one I used the 2nd Skinner blend, again running it through the pasta machine to the #8 setting. The background is crackled gold leaf over red and I used more of Jackie's red flower cane to decorate the top. I'm not through with this one. I may add more to the top or bead around it.  I love the way the flowers seem to be floating across the surface.

I was very pleased with the Pardo translucent. No problems at all, it was easy to condition, the inks mixed well and it went through the pasta machine to the thinnest setting without any wrinkling or sticking to the rollers. It sands and buffs to a high shine and it is clearer than the other brands of translucent.

Now I am off to try the metallics.

Polymer Clay Flower Canes

It is HOT today.... mid 90's and high humidity! A good day to stay inside which in to bad cause it is the annual Switzerfest in our little town. The festivities take place on the square which is very close to where we live. We can sit on the front porch and see all the comings and goings. In years past they put the tilt-a-whirl right in front our house then last year they moved it down the block. I like that better. I'm getting cranky in my old age and all that yelling gets old after a couple hours. My favorite part of the fest is the food. I'm having a pork burger and funnel cake for supper. I love funnel cake.

Here are the tiles I made from the previous canes. I am very pleased with the way they turned out.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

When I went to the clay room today I had every intention of trying to make a clown cane.... but my muse took a look at all that left over clay and said "Nope, let's use this clay to make flowers" so that's what I did. Not sure what I will do with them but I like the colors, don't you?
Maybe I will make a clown tomorrow.

Heather will return from her YaYa retreat tomorrow, hope she took lots of photos.