I didn’t get a lot carried out on the closet chandelier yesterday as a result of I don’t have a variety of time on Wednesdays to work. I used to be capable of get a couple of extra flowers made, however that’s it. I nonetheless have 21 flowers to go. And I had deliberate on working all day at present, getting all the flowers completed, and making my highest effort to have the chandelier carried out and put in by the point I am going to mattress tonight.
Then I spotted that there’s no means that may occur. The flowers take about 24 hours to totally dry, after which they need to be primed and painted earlier than I can connect them to the chandelier. So there’s actually no means I’ll have this gentle completed earlier than Monday. I assume, in hindsight, I actually ought to have used oven-baked polymer clay. Now that I really feel snug working with clay, maybe I’ll return to Michael’s at present and decide up some oven-bake polymer clay and take a look at my hand at that as nicely.
Anyway, I had some questions on utilizing air-dry clay, and since I’m an professional now (having used it for 2 entire days and since I’ve made a complete 18 flowers with it now), I figured I’m now absolutely certified to reply these questions. 😀
First, let me present you all the flowers I’ve made up to now. Right here’s all 18 of them…
I positively discovered my groove with making these flowers as I went alongside. The primary ones I made look slightly completely different than those I made yesterday as a result of I stored working with my approach slightly extra till I discovered simply the best technique that I used to be actually happy with. I imply, I used the identical technique that I shared yesterday, however I started to roll the clay strip in such a means that the middle petals caught up a bit larger, after which I curved the outer petals down extra in order that the entire flower has extra dimension and peak to it.
Just a few individuals had expressed concern that the flowers seemed good from the highest, however as soon as they’re connected to the “stems” of the chandelier, the beautiful half might be hidden from sight. However the flowers actually gained’t be seen from beneath. There might be an island beneath the chandelier, so I’ll by no means be standing instantly beneath the chandelier. And since it is a chandelier and never a flush-mount or semi-flush-mount gentle, the underside of the chandelier might be about 60 inches from the ground. That implies that the flowers will largely be seen from the aspect moderately than from the underside. And from the aspect (like when somebody is standing within the doorway to the room) or seen at an upward angle (like after I’m standing on the island), I believe it’ll nonetheless be apparent that these are flowers.
Right here’s what I’ve realized about this explicit air-dry clay (Inventive Paperclay) that I used for these flowers:
Air-dry clay will be sanded as soon as it’s dry.
I used some 220-grit sandpaper to easy out some edges and a few areas that seemed wrinkled on the petals. The air dry clay sanded very simply and easily. I used to be truly fairly impressed with how easy it sorted sanded. I don’t actually plan on sanding all of my flowers as a result of I truly just like the considerably messy, handcrafted, papier-mâché look that the air dry clay has with out sanding it. I don’t need it to appear to be porcelain. However there are a couple of areas right here and there that I’d wish to easy out a bit.
Air-dry clay is just not brittle as soon as it’s dry, however it’s additionally not sturdy like ceramic or porcelain.
A few individuals requested if the air-dry clay is brittle as soon as it’s dry. In fact, the sturdiness will rely upon how thick the fabric is. Should you’re making one thing like a bowl, will probably be extra sturdy as a result of it’s a lot thicker than the flower petals I’m making. However even on these flower petals, I nonetheless wouldn’t name it brittle. It’s additionally not sturdy like a kiln-fired ceramic or porcelain, although. On the sliding scale between brittle, like a dried leaf, and sturdy, like a kiln-fired ceramic piece, I might place the air-dry clay proper within the center, particularly on the skinny flower petals that I’m making.
That implies that I gained’t be assembling the entire chandelier, flowers and all, earlier than hanging the sunshine. I would definitely break a couple of flowers in that means of making an attempt to put in the chandelier. I plan to color the chandelier, dangle the chandelier, after which connect the flowers after the chandelier is put in. That means, there’s little or no likelihood that any of the flowers will get damaged.
Air-dry clay will be painted.
I haven’t gotten to the portray a part of this mission but, however air-dry clay can positively be painted. I’ve watched a number of movies of individuals utilizing air-dry clay for numerous initiatives, and I’ve seen it painted with each acrylics and watercolors. I plan to prime mine with a sprig primer (shellac-based primer) after which spray paint them with the identical spray paint that I’ll be utilizing on the remainder of the chandelier.
Based on what I’ve learn and seen in movies, the paint also can add to the sturdiness of the air-dry clay, relying on the kind of paint you employ. I wouldn’t think about that utilizing watercolors would add to the sturdiness, however I can positively see how primer (particularly a brush-on primer) and acrylic/latex paints would add to the sturdiness.
I’ve even seen that you need to use resin to coat the air-dry clay, and that would definitely make it rather more sturdy as soon as it has cured. I truly simply purchased some new ArtResin for a distinct mission, so I would give {that a} attempt on these flowers. ArtResin is fairly straightforward to make use of, and it may be brushed on so long as you combine up tiny batches at a time and don’t let it sit for too lengthy earlier than utilizing it. So I’ll be testing that out on a flower or two and see if that may work to strengthen the flowers and make them extra sturdy.
However like I mentioned above, in case you’re actually involved concerning the sturdiness, and also you don’t occur to have a kiln available, and also you don’t need to use paints or resins so as to add to the sturdiness, oven-baked polymer clay is perhaps the higher possibility. You simply need to take into account that oven-baked polymer clay, as soon as it’s dry and cured, has some flexibility to it. So relying on the mission, that is perhaps one thing you’d want to contemplate.
Anyway, I’m nonetheless studying, however I’ve completely liked working with this explicit air-dry clay. It’s very enjoyable to work with, it’s straightforward to mildew and sculpt, and my thoughts is now spinning with all types of concepts for initiatives that I can use air-dry clay on now. I can’t imagine it took me this lengthy to buy some and take a look at it out, however I’m so glad that I had this chance to offer it a attempt. And naturally, since I really like making jewellery a lot, I’ve all types of concepts of various jewellery, beads, and so forth., that I might make utilizing this clay. It’s an entire new world of creativity that has opened up for me.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You may be taught extra about me right here.
