I spent the weekend working with the casting stuff. It made me realize I am too damn impatient for casting stuff and I need to expedite the process somehow. I am going to try Borax I am not sure if it will work but it is worth a try.
The things I have learned in no particular order:
- It takes Prisma Color Markers very well
- It takes alcohol inks very well
- You can carve it – I used a mechanical pencil. But you can not mark it with your fingernail.
- Durable Once Dries – One fell from my desk onto the shelf and did not shatter.
- It is self leveling like Plaster of Paris
- Sands like real plaster
- It is light – really light when it dries
- It smells good – aka: Baby Powder
- Save your “dust” you can reconstitute it with the next batch
- If you speed up the drying time it cracks like real plaster
- Cheap foam stickers ROCK! They are great for putting in the bottom of the mold.
- There is slight shrinkage like real plaster.
As I stated in my previous post about the casting stuff (I need to think of a kick ass name for it – lol) I am not a chemist, I do not have a laboratory in my garage (that would be cool but I don’t). I am a person/artist/mommy who enjoys experimenting with everyday (non-toxic) items to create something new and economical for the everyday crafter. I don’t want to have to buy something every time I want to try something new, if I can make it. I have been wanting to cast stuff for close to six months but I can’t afford to buy casting stuff. I want to show people you don’t need a lot of money to do stuff like this – I used Dollar Store Baby Powder and Glue. That has always been my goal with my blog is to show easy, cost effective ways to the new fangled product or products on the market or in this case old product (plaster has been around for centuries).
I do plan on making another batch and will do exact measurements for everyone. I have the “guess-estimate” down but I really want to do a full exact proportions (1 cup, 2 cups, etc.) for everyone.
I will say I am a tad giddy with this find and to think it all came from me not having gesso. Maybe I should run out of stuff more often – lol!
Notes on the pictures Saturday night when I was coloring them I did not have my tackle box with my sanding stuff accessible (it was in the Booga’s closet). Meaning I colored some of them before sanding them just think how well they would have taken color if they were all smooth.
The first batch of casting stuff.
BELIEVE – carved out with a mechanical pencil. Sanded, not colored.
O – casted on top of a foam O sticker. Colored not sanded. The O was colored with a Blue Sharpie then covered with red Perfect Pearls. The outside was dapped with a (fuchsia, red, and violet) dye ink pad then blended with water and a paint brush.
Backside of the O sanded after colored.
X – casted with a foam X sticker. The inside was colored with a maroon Sharpie covered with Perfect Pearls Red and Glossy Accents. The outside was Velvet Red Distress Ink, (fuchsia and red) dye inks.
DREAM – Dabbed with dye inks and carved with a mechanical pencil. Covered with iridescent Perfect Pearls – not sanded.
LUCK – Done the same way as the previous one – not sanded.
A new one sanded but not colored. As you can see you can get it rather smooth with some sand paper.
I do have to buy more baby powder and today is a school holiday so I’m not sure if that will happen today or not, Jeff has parade duty = 14 hour day. I hope to at least be able by the end of the week have a little bit more as in exact proportions for everyone – right now it is in the “wing it” stage.
Who Are You Calling Crafty? 