Category Archives: Advanced

See How to Make Rose Petal Using Creative Medium

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by Kyriakos Pachadiroglou

See How to Make Rose Petal Using Creative Medium

Working with the Creative Medium on some of my crafting projects, I noticed how it shows when it gets dry on the craft mat. Combining the nonstick feature of Imagine’s Craft Mat with the elasticity of the Creative Medium, I thought it could create a new kind of project–rose petals! Leaving a thick coat of the Creative Medium on the Craft Mat, it gives you a material for dimensional creation. The roses crafted with it can be part of the decoration on a festive table, attached on gift boxes, gifted as they are, or be an inspiration to use on various craft projects. The Creative Medium can be also mixed with different inks to make multiple colors of flowers.

Skill: Advance
Time: 1 hour + drying time

Directions


Step 1

Use a palette knife to lay a thick layer of Creative Medium on the Craft Mat making circles. Let the Creative Medium dry well. For each rose, you will need 7 circles to create the petals.


Step 2

When the Creative Medium dries, remove the circles and start rolling one to make the center of the rose.


Step 3

Continue by attaching more circles forming them to petals. Note that you may need to trim around a bit the circles if the Creative Medium is not spread nicely on the craft mat.


Step 4

While you attach more petals, bend the edges a bit and hold them to keep the shape of the petal. The Creative Medium is sticky enough to keep the petals together with no need of extra glue.


Step 5

Press the branches on the VersaMark inkpad, cover with Imagine’s Embossing Powder in Gold and heat set.


Step 6

Cut small pieces of the florist brown tape and trim the edges to form triangles.


Step 7

Press lightly the branch in the rose, secure with hot glue and cover with the trimmed tape. Add more tape around them for a better presentation.


Step 8

Color the fabric roses with the VersaFine Clair Chanti ink pad and then distress them with the irRESISTible Pico Embellisher in Gold. When they dry, glue them on the branches.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Thin branches
  • Faux/fabric rose leaves
  • Florist brown tape
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun

Learn to Make a Pendant from Clay

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by Iris Rodriguez

Learn to Make a Pendant from Clay

Making your own jewelry can be so rewarding. You get to make fun and exciting creations, express yourself and make a statement. Making beads out of polymer clay is a great way to get started or simply experiment and see if you like it. The beads can be stamped, colored, and even embossed. For this project, I made a round, dome-shaped bead, stamped it and embossed with silver embossing powder.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes + baking time according to clay manufacturer instructions

Directions


Step 1

Set out your mat. Ceramic, glass or special mats like Polyform’s Sculpey Make ‘N Bake Mat surfaces work best when working with clay.


Step 2

Begin by conditioning the clay with a clay roller, or pasta machine. When first taking the clay out of the package, roll the clay a few times in order to soften it. If it cracks when running it through the pasta machine or roller; this means that it’s not conditioned. So continue to condition. If using a pasta machine, roll one sheet of clay to the third thickest setting. If using a roller, aim for 1/16 inch thickness. Place stamp over the clay, press firmly into the clay with your fingers or clay roller.


Step 3

Remove stamp. Ensure you get a deep indentation so that you have good dimension.


Step 4

Using the Premo Sculpey Circle cutters, cut out the clay. Use the second largest cutter from the set.


Step 5

Prepare the pendant for baking. In order to get a dome shape, place the clay over a rounded object, like a burned out light bulb or the round edge of a ceramic bowl. Bake the clay according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.


Step 6

While the clay is baking, prepare the bail. Using the Premo Sculpey Circle cutters, cut out a circle. Use the second smallest cutter from the set. Then use the smallest cutter and cut out tiny slices off on opposite sides of each other.


Step 7

After the clay cures, roll out a small sheet of clay to the 4th thickest setting in the pasta machine. Spread a little bit of liquid clay on the back of the bead. The liquid clay adheres the clay to each other. Adhere the newly rolled out sheet of clay. Cut out the excess with a precision knife. Texture the back. This is in case, the bead flips while you are wearing it and it will still look fabulous. Add a couple of drops of liquid clay to the bail and adhere to the bead. Before doing so, lay down a piece of wire, so that it bakes with an opening. This is where the cord will go through. Bake the bead according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.


Step 8

Ink the raised areas with the VersaMark ink. Add embossing powder in Silver. The clay tends to attract the embossing powder so it will want to go into the non-inked area. Use a liner brush to remove the embossing powder from the crevices.


Step 9

Heat set the embossing powder, just like you would on paper. The clay will tend to get a little soft with the heat. Let cool off, do not touch and risk distorting it. The clay will harden again. Seal the bead with Sculpey Gloss Glaze. It is very important to seal the clay. It protects the embossing powder and clay. Add the leather or cotton cord and clasp. Now you have a necklace to add to your wardrobe.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Polyform – Sculpey Souffle Clay in Poppy Seed, Gloss Glaze, Graduated Cutter Circle Set
  • Lightbulb
  • Rubber Stamp
  • Leather or Cotton Cord
  • Jewelry Hardware: jump ring, clasp, needle nose pliers
  • Ceramic tile, crafting glass, or Sculpey Work ‘N Bake Clay Mat

Use a Plaid Stencil for a Mixed Media Christmas Card

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by Kassy Tousignant 

Use a Plaid Stencil for a Mixed Media Christmas Card

It’s never too early to start making Christmas cards! How about making them mixed media style?! Imagine makes so many wondering mixed media products that work great on canvas layouts and cards alike. In this project, I use Fireworks Craft Spray and a plaid stencil to create multiple Holiday backgrounds at once.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour

Directions

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Liquitex – Flexible modeling paste
  • Prima – Heavy body gel, flower
  • Cardstock – white
  • Gold thread
  • 49 & Market – flower
  • My Minds Eye – brads and embellishments
  • Christmas patterned paper
  • Echo Park – plaid stencil
  • Stampin Up – dimensionals

Create and Color a Beautiful Trumpet Flower Card

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by Jennifer Vanderbeek

Create and Color a Beautiful Trumpet Flower Card

After spending several hours carving the stamp for this card (because I had an idea but not the right stamp available—DIY to the rescue), I wanted to make sure that the flower and banner image got the best possible color treatment I could give it. At first glance it’s a simple card, but the layers of color that went into creating it and the attention to detail (like coloring the cut edges of the fussy-cut image to blend with the stamped outlines) in finishing it, hopefully, show how an otherwise simple card can stand on its own without a lot of embellishments.

Skill: Advanced
Time: varies due to hand-carving element

Directions

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Cardstock – White, Black, Green embossed
  • Fiskars – Scissors, Craft Knife
  • Xyron – Create-a-Sticker 500, Adhesive Pick-Up
  • Acrylic Block
  • Studio Calico – A to Z stamp set
  • Speedball – Speedy Carve Blocks, Linoleum Cutter

Learn Vintage Monotone Watercoloring with Walnut Ink

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by Arjita Sepaha Singh

I stamped a beautiful flower bunch from Simon Says Stamp with Brilliance Ink on a watercolor paper. I added some water on a small scoop of Walnut Crystals and painted the entire bunch with it. This is a monotonic theme card and I have used only one pigment to create all the highlights and shadows. I stamped a simple sentiment with Pinecone Versafine Clair ink and the painted panel is ready.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour + dry time

Directions

 

Supplies

Imagine

Other

Learn How To Make Three Unique Bowls

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by Iris Rodriguez

Learn How To Make Three Unique Bowls

Ink is not just for paper. You can use it on fabric, metal and more specifically Polyform clay. You can use inks to transform polymer clay projects into a wide variety of pieces. Use ink to simply color your clays projects, use with stamps to add designs, or blend it into the clay to create a new color clay. For this project, I create three different bowls using Sculpey Souffle clay with VesaMagic Dew Drop and StazOn inks and demonstrate several techniques when using inks. Hope I pique your interest and give these projects a try.

Skill: Advanced
Time: 1 hour per bowl; baking time according to clay manufacturer instructions

Directions

Making the Round Yellow and Purple Bowl


Step 1

Ceramic, glass or specially made mat like Polyform’s Sculpey Make ‘n Bake Mat surfaces work best when working with clay.


Step 2

Before starting, determine bowl size. Use a template or a real bowl as a guide. This will help to determine how much clay you will need. For this bowl, use the Canary Sculpey Souffle clay.
Begin by conditioning the clay with a clay roller, or pasta machine. When first taking the clay out of the package, roll the clay a few times in order to soften it. If it cracks when running it through the pasta machine or roller; this means that it’s not conditioned. So continue to condition. If using a pasta machine, roll out two sheets of clay to the third thickest setting. If using a roller, aim for ~¼ inch thickness. Ensure that the sheet is big enough for desired bowl size. Place one sheet over the other sheet, roll the clay roller over the sheets; this allows them to stick together and avoids bubbles.


Step 3

Place a long string in a random fashion on top of the clay.


Step 4

Squish the string with an acrylic block or tile. Avoid using your fingers to push in the string, as you’ll get fingerprints and finger indentations on the clay.


Step 5

Pounce the Purple Hydrangea VersaMagic Dew Drop ink.


Step 6

Remove the string.


Step 7

Place a bowl or template over the clay, cut the excess clay.


Step 8

Smooth out the outer edge (or what will be the bowl’s rim) with your fingers or clay tool. Color the outer edge with the Purple Hydrangea VersaMagic Dew Drop ink.


Step 9

Place the clay bowl into a real bowl and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package. The clay bowl will take on the shape of the real bowl.


Step 10

Seal the clay bowl with Polyform Sculpey Gloss Glaze.

Making the Square Teal and Red Bowl


Step 1

Following the same instructions in Step 2 above. Determine bowl size. For this bowl blend 2/3 Sea Glass Sculpey Souffle clay and 1/3 Igloo Sculpey Souffle, to lighten it up a little. Roll out one sheet to the third thickest setting or ~1/16 inch if using a clay roller.


Step 2

Ink a large background stamp or clay texture stamp with Claret StazOn ink.


Step 3

Stamp into the clay. Press firmly with your fingers. Cut out holes with a cutter or use the cap of a pen.


Step 4

Following the same instructions in Step 2. Roll out one sheet of the Cherry Pie Sculpey Souffle clay to the third thickest setting or ~1/16 inch if using a clay roller. Place the Cherry Pie clay sheet under the Sea Glass sheet. Roll the clay roller over the sheets; this allows them to stick together and avoids bubbles.


Step 5

Cut the excess clay. Place the clay bowl into a real bowl and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package. The clay bowl will take on the shape of the real bowl.

Making the Oval Blue and Green Bowl


Step 1

Following the same instructions in Step 2. For this bowl use the Igloo Sculpey Souffle clay. Roll out two sheets to the third thickest setting or ~1/4 inch if using a clay roller. Place one sheet over the other sheet, roll the clay roller over the sheets; this allows them to stick together and avoids bubbles. Pounce on the Spanish Olive and Aegean Blue VersaMagic DewDrop inks onto a rubber stamp.


Step 2

Stamp into the clay. Press firmly with your fingers.


Step 3

Add interest to the edges with some markings. For this bowl, I inked a wooden clay tool with the Aegean Blue VersaMagic Dew Drop ink and pressed it onto the edges.


Step 4

For this bowl, I wanted a sort of uneven edges. I placed the clay bowl in a real bowl and lined the sides with aluminum foil, giving it ruffled like shape. Bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package. The clay bowl will take on the shape of the real bowl. Dealing with backs of the bowls. I like to stamp textures or images stamp to backs of them, but not add color. It is very important to seal the bowls. Sculpey’s Gloss Glaze works great for sealing the bowls. Sealing clay projects helps to protect the ink and clay, makes it look lively and purposely finished.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Polyform – Sculpey Souffle Clay – Sea Glass, Igloo, Canary, Cherry Pie
  • Polyform – Sculpey Essential Tool Kit
  • Polyform – Sculpey Gloss Glaze
  • Ceramic or Glass Bowls
  • Rubber Stamps
  • Ceramic tile, crafting glass, or Sculpey Work ‘n Bake Clay Mat
  • Hemp string
  • Exacto knife