5 Crafts I'd like to try

Since most of my posts lately seem to be about decoden, I've decided to make a post about some other crafts I'd like to try. This will mostly be jewellery related stuff with a few other things mixed in.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorian-Diamante-Pendant-Necklace-Antique/dp/B005RR0XJY

1. I'd love to try hand carving one of those Cameo Pendants out of polymer clay! I love the way they look, and I know a lot of people make them using molds... but I just can't imagine buying already made molds off of the internet! Most cameos are actually carved out of stone or sea shell, but I want to make one out of clay. I know it can be done!

This is probably the one I want to make the most. I haven't had much experience carving polymer clay, but I know the very basics on how to do it. I can't wait to try it out!

2. I want to try to make a really intricate Victorian style Choker like the one on here. I've already made a few ribbon chokers, but they're nothing really compared to the sort on that website. The problem is, I need to buy in all the things I need for that project, and I don't really like having to do that unless I really know what I'm doing. Another thing is, I've never really tried anything like that. Maybe I'll try it when I've had a lot more practice with jewellery making (and have more money).

3. Resin Charms! There are so many different styles you can make with them! I'd like to try making the 'kawaii' or cute style ones, like the ones here! I know this will sound a little strange, but I kind of like the idea of being able to use real sweets in crafts with out worrying about them going all nasty and mouldy (no air gets in resin)! I'd also like to try different styles I've seen, like these steam punk style ones. I don't have any resin at the moment, but I hope I can find some someday! 

4. I'd like to try Mokume Gane with polymer clay. I'd like to try making some with gold leaf like the ones here, but I doubt that's going to happen lol. 

5. I never actually learn how to make Friendship Bracelets. I'd like to have a go at learning how to make them. I have no idea when I'd actually wear them, but it would be fun to give them a try. I'd need to buy lots of cord of course, since you need about 10 miles of cord for one bracelet (ok, that was a little sarcastic, but you really need a lot of cord!)

So, there's five of the many things I'd love to make, but I'm not exactly sure if I'd ever be able to! If I do manage to make any of these, I'll definitely make a post about it :)

Decoden! (in the process...)

Well, I decided to do some more decoden. I still had quite a lot of silicone 'whipped cream' from my last box. In this post I'm going to be showing pictures of how it looked as I made it, with a few tips and techniques.

So, I took this box that I got a long long LONG time ago when my dad bought me a watch (that I've definitely had since before I was thirteen because it has leather on it, nowadays leather makes me throw up). I tend to keep boxes like this because they're good for keeping stuff in, I use this one mainly for hair pins.

from the side :) I really like the pattern on this box, it's really
pretty!

Here comes the 3D paint! I'm using Tulip. I suppose this is like icing? I'm not exactly sure what I should call it. I painted some over the top, then painted some dripping down the sides.

As you can see, I didn't make the drips too big! I was frightened that if I did it would become another failure box :( Also, I need to leave some room just in case this box requires a ribbon. No, I don't decide to add a ribbon. The box does.

NOW FOR THE BEST PART!!!! (if you like piping chocolate stuff on your box, that is)

I've Improved lol! It looks a lot better than my last box. (feels proud) I suppose you could just leave it like this, but I'm putting cabochons on it. And rhinestones. Not to forget the pearls. Oh, and cane slices. Maybe even a few beads.

 Now, this is why you DO NOT try to attack Sapphire's crafts. I originally had a bow in the middle, but my sister decided to rip it off! So, she now knows very well why you don't try to destroy my Decoden. I ended up staying up really late to correct it... (yawns)

So this is what it looks like now I've cleaned the paint up a bit. I know very well that I could have waited until the morning to sort is out, but no. Of course not. 

So, anyway, I used all the same things that I used last time, except for one thing. I used some cabochons that I had made out of air dry clay. I used Fimo Air. I haven't tried any other types of air dry clay, but I really like this one. 

On another note, my mum decided to buy all this cereal.

Fortunately, I love cereal. With skimmed milk of course, anything else is just too creamy for me. Yes, I am a little strange, aren't I?

Triple layer bracelet!

Yeah, there's a big story behind why I decided to make this! So, my sister bought a bracelet at her school one day (they were having a Summer fair), and I thought it looked really cool and decided to make one! I searched the internet, in the hope I would find a tutorial, but nothing. I really could not find any tutorials. Obviously, other people had had the same idea, because I was finding pictures that looked very similar to it. So, rather than giving up (I'm just too stubborn!), I had a good look at my sister's bracelet and realised it really wasn't a very difficult thing to make at all. I decided to get all of my stuff together and make one myself! I had to make some of the beads myself, and this of course had a nasty effect on my lovely bead collection (I literally had to use all of them!).

So, here are a few beautiful picture of my arm I mean, my bracelet:

I like the way this angle of my arm looks for some reason...

And one with out my arm:

Sorry for the blurry-ness!

As you can see, it just won't stand up on it's own. I think this is because of the cord I used, but I don't think it really matters. Here's a picture of it next to my sister's bracelet (I didn't steal it btw, she let me borrow it for my blog!):

I love the way they both look together! they are both very colourful. I don't normally wear very bright jewellery, but I love these bracelets. They are very good for stacking bracelets, and I'm definitely the sort of person who likes to wear lots of bracelets at once. However, I haven't really worn this bracelet much. It just doesn't match the sort of clothes I wear. I'll probably be selling it at some point in the future, in fact. Not that I don't like it, it just isn't really me.

Anyway, I do plan on making a tutorial on the pattern for this at some point! I just don't have enough beads left at the moment to make another one. So watch this space! :D

Another Decoden Box!

So I managed to get some silicone! And not the stuff that belongs on tiles and in walls :) The only problem was, it didn't stick very well at all so it was pretty much impossible to pipe on to the box at first. I felt a little ripped off lol. I did get it to work in the end though, and I think it came out quite well for my first time using silicone. And, another plus to not using the stuff that belongs in walls, it didn't stink at all! In fact, it was pretty much odourless.

Here's what I used to make it:

• Silicone (of course). As already mention, it wasn't sealant or caulk. That stuff belongs in walls, for a start. It won't last if you use it for Decoden... it'll get dirty and don't forget it absolutely stinks. Anything that smells that bad is obviously bad for your health! Anyway, the stuff I used was made purposely for Decoden (like I'd use anything that wasn't!). I got it from Ebay, but it's not in stock any more. In fact, when I bought it there was only brown left. But I would've bought this colour anyway.

• 3D paint. The brand I use is Tulip, mainly because it's the easiest one for me to get.
• Polymer clay. I used it to make the charms or 'cabochons' whatever you call them. Most of them I'd made ages ago, but hadn't used for anything. So they got recycled. Oh, and I used a few cane slices I'd baked too. I even put a few Union flags on it, just to show people that just because you're interested in something that originated in Japan, you're not so obsessed with Japan that you wish you were Japanese and hate your own nationality for it lol.
•  Rhinestones and pearls (with flat backs). I had to use the tiniest ones I could find of course. I also used a few of the slightly bigger coloured ones as well. 

I think I forgot something!

• An old box that I keep my shop bought stud earrings in. A long time ago, I bought some earrings and this is what they came in. And some how, I ended up keeping all of my stud earrings in. Well, it's better than keeping them where they can get lost or stab you in the hand/foot. 

So, I'm quite proud of it for my first attempt at decoden with silicone! If you like the look of decoden, you should really give it a try.

Edit: I've added a bit more on to the box now! 

There were a few gaps in the silicone so I decided to fill them in. I also decided to add on a ribbon! I love it :D. I got the ribbon from a craft shop, and used a glue gun to stick it on. If you don't already have one, I got mine from Wilkinsons. I don't know if you have that shop outside of the UK, but any glue gun will do really. Most of the glue guns I've seen aren't really that expensive, but the majority don't come with the actual glue sticks. You can get the glue sticks from craft shops, DIY shops... and the packs they come in do contain a decent amount of glue. You don't have to just settle for clear glue either: you can get the glue sticks in all different colours and you can even get shiny ones with glitter.

I never actually took the label off of that box. Well, there's no way it's coming off now! 

Polymer clay Plumeria Flower tutorial (re-made!)

Real Plumeria flowers (I didn't make these lol)

So I've decided to re-make my tutorial on how to make Plumeria flowers! My first plumeria flower tutorial looks a bit messy to me now :( 

Here goes, then! You will need: clay (in one colour), a craft knife or blade, a teaspoon (that you will only use for clay) and chalk (or acrylic paint). You could also add a scent to make it smell all flowery and realistic.

1. First you need to condition your clay. You can either use your fingers, a pasta machine or a rolling pin. This part is probably the most important. Tip: If you're using white or light coloured clay, try not to touch it as much as you can. This will help keep the clay as clean as possible.

Optional: if you want, you can add a scent at this point. Just mix it in to the clay.

2. Roll out the clay and cut in to 5-6 pieces. Try to make them as equal as you can, but don't worry too much if some of the pieces are slightly bigger/smaller. Flowers don't all have perfect petals!

Here's pictures of how I did it: first I rolled it out, then cut it, and rolled each piece in to a ball.

3. Now for the fun part! Well, if you count squishing clay with a spoon as fun, at least.

This part is critical for giving the petals their shape! You have to squish the ball down and use the spoon to give it it's shape. When you pull it off of the back of the spoon, it will have a curved shape like the real petals. Do this with each individual ball.  Tip: if you don't have a teaspoon available (possibly because you need them for food), you can use your fingers and a paint brush. It's a little harder, but it can be done like that.

4. Now what you need to do is arrange the petals in to a flower shape. Use TLS or the Studio by Sculpey Bake & Bond Adhesive to stick the petals together.

5. This is optional, but I'll assume most people won't want to leave this bit out. You can either use chalk to add the second colour or acrylic paint (but you have to bake it first if using paint). Start by adding the colour in the centre, then use your brush to push it out. You can put in an eye pin now if you want.

Now blogger is annoying me... It won't let me add my picture how I want it to... lol. Anyway, I made a little mistake with that one, and used a brush I hadn't cleaned properly. So it went all sorts of crazy colours! All is not lost though - I can still paint it now it's baked! I'll add the picture later :D

Here's a picture of one I made a while ago (sorry for bad quality). I used purple chalk, then painted over the backs of the petals with white acrylic paint, so you can do something like that if you want!

How to get started with polymer clay...

So, I've been using polymer clay for just over a year now, and I'd like to give you guys a few tips for starting out with polymer clay! 

Fimo clay

The first, and most obvious thing you need to get started is polymer clay. Do your research before you go out and buy lots of clay! I guess this is one of the most common beginner trap to fall in to. When I first started, I bought a set of clay that contained about 12 different colours. Most brands do these sets of clay. However, this was a set of Sculpey III (3) clay, which in my experience, is the worst type of polymer clay. I know it works for some people, and it does make good canes, but it almost always breaks!!! And we're not just talking about it breaking a tiny little bit, we're talking shattering in to tiny pieces over time because it's so brittle! Studio by Sculpey seemed to work a little better, but it still breaks as it's not designed to be used for jewellery or charms. At the moment I only use Fimo because it's the easiest brand to get where I live - but I'm planning to try out more when I get the time! Anyway, always do your research before buying clay.

The second most important thing is the tools. When I first started out, all I had was Sculpey III and a mat (and of course an oven!). I didn't have a blade, needle tool, rolling pin... Or anything 'fancy' like that. Now, I don't know how I managed without them! My top five must-have tools for beginners are:

1. A blade or craft knife! These are the most important tools. You need them for virtually every project. I use a craft knife with changeable blades. Personally, I find these nicer to work with, but that's just me. These are also safer because you can remove the blade completely when you're not using it, however, they're harder to clean as clay gets all in the pen part of the craft knife!
2. Some sort of a rolling pin. It doesn't literally have to be a rolling pin - you can use pens (that are rounded in shape) or paint brushes (preferably the thicker ones). You don't have to have a fancy pasta machine when you're only starting out.
3. Wipes - I always seem to use them! They're great for cleaning your hands, the surface and you can even use them to soften the clay itself! 
4. A mat of some sort to use your clay on. 
5. Scrap paper - scrap pieces of paper are really useful to have around. I use them for making templates and mixing liquid clay (which is useful to have but not a necessity).

As you go a long, you can pick up other tools (like liquid clay, chalk, pasta machine, extruder, etc), but these are the top five things I probably use for everything I make. You may however find that you already have some of these things lying around in your house. 

Another good tip is to watch videos of people making things with polymer clay on YouTube and look at plenty of tutorials. I have a growing collection tutorials here about Polymer Clay :D 

Decoden box

So, I guess I realised I don't fail at Decoden as much as I thought I did. I had another go at it last night :D

In the process...

The finished box :D

It looks so much cooler in real life :) For some reason, I decided to use the slowest method possible and use about a million tiny rhinestones instead of using the larger pretend pearls or silicone. I guess I couldn't be bothered to wait until the next time I could get to the craft shop, order them off the internet or brave the snow. So I decided it would look more awesome like this, and spent about 3 hours doing it. Yes, I know there are better ways to spend a week off from school, but this seemed more appealing... lol.

Anyway this is what I used to make it:

• 3D paint. I was having some trouble with it before, but now I've learnt how to use it... I think. You can get it from craft shops.
• LOADS of rhinestones!!! I got the smaller clear ones from a craft shop, and the coloured shaped ones from the Works. (I think we only have it in England, but you can get get them like that from most craft shops)
• Polymer clay. I mostly use Fimo at the moment. Some (not all) craft shops have it, but your best bet is to search it on the internet.
• Some old embellishments I've had since FOREVER (well, since I was about 13 at least). I think I might have got them from a card making shop, but I might have got them from the Works again. They also came in the box I used to Decoden.
• As for the glue, I used PVA, but I don't recommend it unless you really can't use any other sort of glue. I can't really handle the fumes from stronger glues, even in a well ventilated room. The same seems to go for most glazes :(. Anyway, I used a brand called 'Anita's Tacky Glue'. I find it's slightly stronger and seems to hold on to things better, so if you really can't use any other sort of glue, you should try this. If you can use super glue/glue guns, it would be much better to use them. (Edit: I've had to re-stick some of the charms back on using a glue gun. I really don't recommend using PVA glue, unless you really can't use any other kind of glue).

My sister made this charm... Now I have to
pay her £1 for using it...

If you like the look of Decoden, you should really give it a go! Just don't make the same mistake I did with my Nyan Cat box, and just rush in to doing it. I find it's best to either plan out what you're going to do or have a good idea of it in your head. Before you use 3D paint, test it out on paper to get the feel of it. Let it dry before you do any thing else. This way, you can see how it works with out making a mess of your box! I know it looks easy, but it's very different when your doing it yourself for the first time. 

What's New in the Nyan Galaxy?

So I've been trying a bit of Decoden, and I needed a new box to keep all of my stuff in. I got an empty ice cream box (which had been cleaned good of course) and turned it in to a box for my stuff :)

But I'm having a bit of a Nyan Cat phase at the moment!

So, I guess you guys can watch my fail attempt at Decoden as I make it... I've already done half of it though!












Welcome to Nyan Galaxy!!!! (lol, I had to!)

First, in Nyan Galaxy, we come to the Pop tart cat! Wait, is Nyan Cat a girl or a boy?

 S/He is having an amazing time flying whilst pooping rainbows across the box! I made the pop tart part first, by using tan coloured clay to make the shape of the pop tart, then putting liquid clay mixed with pink clay on the top. Then I placed red sprinkles on it. After that I made the body, using wire to keep it secure in the clay. After that I baked it, attached the rainbow, and baked it again. There, one Nyan Cat!

Unfortunately for Nyan Cat, s/he is heading straight for a massive chocolate waterfall!!!

FAIL!!!!!!

So, it started off ok, then it turned in to a fail! It's just 3D paint, beads, and a few cane slices. When I get round to it, I'm going to sort it out by painting over the parts that went all flat and weird.

NEXT TIME ON NYAN CAT GALAXY.... I'll be making more fail decoden!!! If I can, I'll try to get my hands on some whipple cream (Which is fake whipped cream!). I know this deeply offends some people, but I think I'd rather make my own. I have all the stuff I need at home to make it, so why bother buying it? It's a waste of money! (Sorry for offending every whipple fan in the world lol!)

(Edit: I have now made a decoden box that doesn't fail so badly!)

Dragon Fruit cane

I love dragon fruit, or any exotic fruits really :) Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my family who likes them!

(picture found online)

Here's what they look like, in case you haven't seen one before. I know it might sound strange,but a lot of people I know have never even heard of dragon fruit! You eat them in a similar way to how you would eat a kiwi fruit: you basically cut them in half then take out the fruit. They taste quite similar to kiwi fruit, they're a little bland but sweet. The fruit has a soft and slightly slimy texture, but there's also lots of tiny seeds in fruit.
Anyway, I've only seen ones with white fruit before, but you can also get them with purple fruit. I don't know if they taste any different.







Now we've got that out the way, let's start with the tutorial! 

We're going to be needing the following colours: black, translucent, and a bright pink colour mixed with a little white.










Start by rolling out the black. then cut it in to equal size pieces.

What I did with the translucent clay, I rolled it in to a ball then flattened it out. Then I cut it in to quarters. I rolled out one of the pieces and used it for the centre. I put 4 rolls of black clay around it. Then wrap it up.
Keep doing this until you've used up all of translucent clay quarters.

Now we've finished making the fruit :) Now for the flesh. Take your pink clay and roll it out. Wrap it around the clay (or 'pack' the clay) and reduce it in to a cane (start by using your fingers to reduce/squeeze it down and after that you roll it).

Now you cut the ends of carefully with a good blade. Don't just push the blade down or you'll mess up your cane (typical beginner mistake!). Instead, sort of roll the cane with the blade as you push in through gently. 

And, you're done :D When you bake the slices, the white part will go translucent. Sorry, I don't have a picture of a baked slice just yet.

I don't recommend baking the cane unless you know what you're doing. If you want to use it for Decoden or nail art, I think it'll be best if you make as much slices as you think you'll need and bake them as normal.

How to make eye pins

for beading, it's best to use head pins, because they have flat head (but you can get them with different shaped heads). For polymer clay charms, you can use either head pins or eye pins. It's probably best to use head pins on charms that are flat at the bottom, and I find it's best to make the eye at the top after you've baked it. 

To make the eye pin, or make an eye in the head pins, it's very simple. You need round nose pliers to do this, and if you're making your own eye pins, you need wire (preferably quite firm/hard wire) and wire cutters. 

You just basically take the wire and form a loop in the top of it. You can make lots at once, or make them as you need them. I usually make them when I need them, but you can do whatever suits you. 

If, like me, you think this style is way too boring, you can try my style of eye pin! :D

Sorry the quality is so bad, but you basically need to make your normal eye pin, then bend the wire back on itself to make another loop. After this, you make one more between the first two. This one is like the 'eye' where you will put through your jump ring or whatever else you want to put in. The wire should go away from the 'eye' after this. You can cut the end off after this, but make sure you leave a good amount of room on the eye pin so it has enough room to go through the clay charm or whatever else you want to use it for.

Tips on making eye pins stay in polymer clay!

You won't have this problem if you are using head pins, but you can't always use head pins. Some times, you can only really use eye pins. The only real problem is, they tend to fall out. Usually what I do, is I pull the eye pins out after I've baked the clay and put glue on the pin. But there's a better way :)

If you make the pin an L-shape before you put it inside, it shouldn't fall out.

After you've put it in, squeeze the charm around it so it stays in. This is quite a common trick to use, but it is very useful to know :)

polymer clay Christmas Cake

The cake originally said 'Merry Xmas' on it, but now all you can see is the 'merry' part. lol.

Ok, tomorrow I'll be showing you how to make my very weird looking eye pins. :) I've not seen them like that before, so I'm hoping I've come up with an ooak idea lol! The only problem is, I've been having a few issues with my computer (again). Maybe my computer will behave tomorrow!

Polymer clay Biscuit style Christmas tree decorations

Bad quality ftw! (that stands for 'for the win' btw)

Yay! I'm getting more excited about Christmas everyday :D It's not like last year, I spent the whole time super depressed. Anyway, I had the random idea to make these :) I have no idea whether they've already been done or not. But I made them anyway because I felt like I was making ooak tree decorations.

Anyway... It's the 12/12/12 and NOTHING exciting happened. That's right. Just another day. Ugh :( I was expecting at least something to happen! It's kind of depressing to think about, though. To be honest, I wish something did happen. (Now I'm hoping someone will turn around and say "Oh, but something did happen...")