Sunday, June 27, 2010

Many Changes and New Product

So much to do.... So little time.... A favorite quote that is often used by folks like me and others who find their lives filled to the brim. However, with careful management, I've managed to squeeze out enough time to try a new 'mold-ie' idea.

For a long time the thought of making original Texture Mats from my own drawings has intrigued me. Our current mold rubber is a bit too soft for pressing a design into polymer clay without 'blurring' so researching a properly stiff rubber that will give an imprint and also be flexible enough to bend easily became our first priority. When there was a bit of time, I contacted the rubber company that we have worked with for years, requested samples and found one that is "Just Right".

Next we needed to create an original mat from which a mold maker could be cast. More time provided the research and solution as to what we would need for this step.

There was finally time available to make our first mats. We started with a design called Branches, a sheet of simple interlocking branches on a plain background.


The second is Swirling Ginko Leaves, ginko leaves in a variety of sizes on a background of swirling dots.

On both mats the images are "outies".

Each mat is 6 by 4.5 inches. I'm not sure if I like them this way or if we ought to remake them with the images as "Innies".

When these mats are rolled onto a clay sheet misted with water, the images are embedded into the clay. ( "Innies" ).

However, if we make a new rubber mat by molding the opposite way, when the mat is rolled into a sheet of clay, the line art images will be sticking out ( "outies" ).

Hummm...... Lots to think about. Maybe we should try "outie" texture mats tomorrow.

So much to do..... So little time....

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Just an opinion from a regular texture plate user -- and one who quite frequently goes through several steps to get a design that stands up from the clay instead of sinking down into the clay -- make some that are outies!

Penni Jo AKA Claylady43 said...

Hi Arlene,
Thanks so very, very much for your input!!! It is greatly appreciated. We plan to set a mold tonight and pour a set of outies tomorrow. I would love to hear what you make using outie images. Please feel free to email me anytime.
Penni Jo

Unknown said...

What I think of as outies is anything that creates that look of standing above the surface. I've made several molds that give the look of faux cloisonne. Any mold that creates a raised "embossed" feel can be drybrushed, hit with rub-n-buff or even antiqued to make the design really show up well. If you create some that work to give that embossed look, I'll be one of your best customers! To get that look now, I generally have to start with an existing mold or stamp, then made a reverse image, then make another mold from that image to get the outie rather than the innie!

Penni Jo AKA Claylady43 said...

Thanks for the info on this, like I said, we are new at making texture mats. Tomorrow morning, we will make the outie stamp that you describe. It will be easy for us to create both kinds of mats with the materials that we have and can offer them in either format.

Is there any other design you would like to have as outies? We will be drawing more patterns.

How would a mat of small designs that were designed specifically for faux cloisonne? Like an oval, heart, circle, rectangle etc? There could be several designs on one 4 by 5 inch mat sized for jewelry and even a ring with or without a band???
PJ