Invisibility Cloak -- a handy thing for your car

If you have a hatchback car with a black interior, a large piece of black fabric can be your own "Invisbility Cloak." A two-yard piece of 60" black knit fabric spread over anything in the car virtually makes it disappear to passers-by. Knit fabric doesn't unravel so no hemming is required. And when you don't need it, just fold it up, or don't... it won't wrinkle. Best of all, when you're not using it, it barely takes up any space.

I made one each for my mom and stepdad as gifts. Wait until Joann has a 40% off sale on fabric and you can make an invisibility cloak for about $12.

The groceries and a blanket randomly strewn in the back of my little hatchback.
The black fabric can be seen on the roof.

The Invisibility Cloak has been placed over the items... it looks like nothing is there!

Good Question: Black Pearl Ex vs Kato Black Liquid vs acrylic paint

Laura Lang wrote to me with a question about using Black Pearl Ex vs Kato Black Liquid vs acrylic paint. My experience with the brands I use is below...you may get similar or different results with other brands. I have specific uses for each type of product:


Black Pearl Ex 

This was my go-to material for almost everything until recently. It mutes the colors a bit for a nice antique look and it is easy to control during removal. The color is called "carbon black" for a reason...it is dark, dark, dark flat black. I mix a tiny bit of gold Pearl Ex with it to give some sparkle. A $6 jar will last a long time!

You brush it all over your piece before it goes into the oven. You don't have to put a ton of it on, just make sure it's all covered. It looks scary, but don't be frightened.

You should wear a mask to be safe. I put the powder in a butter tub so I can hold the piece down in the tub and brush it with the powder. It helps keep it contained and reduces the amount that might blow into the air. It's also a good storage bin because it has a lid!

When the piece cools you wet sand it. The 3M "sand blaster" pads are critical for this step. They are flexible which is perfect for the curved surfaces and they remove the darkness gradually.

Regular sandpaper seems to remove the darkness too starkly for my taste. The Sand blaster material removes the dark gradually so you end up with a nice ombre effect to the shadowing like you see below.

The nice thing is that once you've sanded (and perhaps buffed the piece if you want more shine), the shadowing will not rub off. It bakes into the clay for a permanent finish. 

I love using the Pearl Ex concoction on gold Kato clay. It ends up looking like aged wood.

Kato Black Liquid Clay

I had a bottle of this for a while but didn't quite know what to do with it. I recently took a workshop with Barb Fajardo where we used Kato Liquid to fill in the grooves we had made in our pieces. The pieces were impressed, scored, scratched and marked, then cured, then rubbed with Kato Liquid and the excess removed before curing again.

It is very messy but surprisingly easy to control. I put a few drops on the piece and then rub it with my fingers to get it down into the grooves. Then wipe the liquid off the surface with a paper towel (I am brand loyal to Viva paper towels! I like their mostly untextured fiinish.)

I like the end result of the liquid because it's very opaque and has a bit of shine. It makes a nice sharp line in the groove, and doesn't mute the colors too much. You also don't have to sand afterwards if you don't want. However, at a minimum, I always like to give the pieces a quick sanding with 1000 grit to clean them up a bit and polish the surface. Or if I want a higher shine, I do the sandpaper and follow with the buffer. (I don't do the multiple grit process...I don't have the patience. However, if you're trying to create a glass- or metal-like finish, you would put more effort into sanding.)

Acrylic Paint

If you want a color other than black for antiqueing or coloring, you would need to venture into the paint world. The paint goes on your piece after curing the item. I almost never use paint because I think it's difficult to put on and then remove without taking too much off which then requires you to put more on, then wipe it again...and around and around you go. I find it very frustrating. It can also wear off a bead after a while if there's no protective coat. Perhaps that wouldn't happen if you cure it after painting (though I don't know about that for sure...anyone?) or spray it with PYM II or another finish.

I know some of you use oil paint...I've never tried that and don't know anything about the process but it looks interesting. I know Doreen Kassel uses oil paint on her absolutely adorable characters and I would like to take a workshop with her some day.

If you have favorite methods for antiqueing your pieces, shout 'em out!

Kitchen tip: fast bacon crumbles

I cook an entire pack of bacon at one time. I put it in the pan, chop it with the spatula, and stir it around until it is crispy, and drain it on a paper towel .  Takes about 10 minutes.
(Caveat: I use Oscar Meyer lower sodium turkey bacon, which is delicious by the way. This process may work differently, or not at all, with pork bacon.)

...and presto, 

crispy bacon bits!

Handy tip for making a gently curved pendant

File this one under: It may not be news to you but I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out.

One day last spring I searched the big neighborhood garage sale for something with a dome shape to use as a curing surface for pendants. I found an old metal gas cap from a car which was perfect, except that I could only do one at a time. Recently I had a need to cure many pendants but they were not round so a dome wasn't necessary. Just a simple curve was required but every bottle or can I found had a tighter curve than I wanted.

After staring at my messy clay table, it dawned on me that the solution was literally in front of me. I realized my bead rack could be used in a different way. I laid my pendants on 3x5 index cards and rested the cards on the "rails" of the rack, allowing the weight of the clay, the gravity and the heat coax the pendants into a gentle curve.

Some of the test subjects are above...no clear winner yet (and some don't fit the assignment but were all part of the mix of this holiday "playcation" on my day off.

Polymers of a different sort

If you have  the condition known as TWHE, this is for you!

What is TWHE? It is The Worst Hair Ever, a condition I've had for most of my life. Stick-straight, baby fine, goes flat in damp weather. It's like spiderwebs touching my face. ick. Two products have helped me overcome my condition:

Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hair Spray

John Frieda's Frizz Ease hair spray. It is intended for girls whose hair curls up in humidity but it also works fantastically if you have hair that does the opposite...completely limp in humidity. Supposedly the spray applies a protective barrier that prevents the dampness from affecting hair. Whatever the magic, I just know it works better than any other I've ever tried. I am brand loyal for life. He better never quit making it!

got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder

I just recently discovered this powder that you sprinkle on your finger tips and gently rub them together. The powder disappears and there's a slight stickiness on your fingers. I hang my head upside down and rub my fingertips directly on my roots, sort of pushing toward the top of my head as I do so. Flip back over, arrange, and then spray the heck out of it.

I think there's one other thing going on...my gray hair to old mousey brown ratio is about 75:25 now and it's a bit stiffer than my "normal" hair and seems to give it more body. However, because of the gray ratio, I've gone blonde again. I'm going to let the gray grow in and dye it the lightest blonde in Miss Clairol's collection. Catch me next year at this time and I should look like my three-year-old self again!

Wendy asks a question about the buffer

Wendy asked me about the wheels that came with my buffer. After using the buffer quite a bit in the last two weeks, here's what I learned about the fabric wheels:

The buffer came with two wheels. One is plain muslin (on the right side in the picture at left), the other was more soft and fluffy. I decided the fluffy one didn't really work well for me. The plain old muslin, once I broke it in, has been perfect. After I used it for an hour or so, the fabric frayed, thereby making it softer. So if you get one I recommend buffing up some old pieces to soften up the muslin.

I also bought a denim wheel which makes a softer shine. However, I have to keep it off the light clay...it made marks on a pale piece of white and pink. On dark clay it was fine.

Also, wear safety glasses or goggles and a dust mask! The buffer turns out a very, very fine powdery dust that nobody needs in their lungs. I placed a box directly behind the wheel and put paper on the table to catch most of the dust. But it still left an expanded trail behind the buffer.

Microsoft Outlook + Dropbox = Self-Serve Information Dispenser...and a few polymer pics

First, a few new clay pictures, since that’s why you come here! But then I’ll describe a system I set up at work that is going to prevent hours of irritation for me! It’s a magical self-serve system using Microsoft Outlook and Dropbox. If you have to answer the same questions day after day, and email jpgs, PowerPoints, and other documents frequently, you will find this useful.*

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

I made this Purple and Pink flower brooch a few weeks ago. I like the shape and the design; what I don't like is the lack of shimmer. I forgot to add a little metallic pearl or gold in the mix for shimmer. Oh well, next time.

The Magical Answer Dispenser -- how it works:

At work, I am frequently asked for the same information by my co-workers and any number of our 7,000 employees. My first solution* for responding to these frequently asked questions was to create an answer to each one as a separate signature file in Outlook. You can set up as many as you wish and they can contain text, images, tables, or links – they’re very versatile. When a question landed in my inbox, I clicked reply, then inserted the appropriate signature, and sent it off.

Sometimes, however, the requestor might need a PDF file or JPG. An attachment can’t be part of an Outlook signature so I still had to browse for the file, attach, and email the file to them. To end this poor use of my time, I got the idea to store the files in my Dropbox public folder where they could be easily accessible by anyone with a link.

Next, I created an Outlook signature consisting of a simple menu list of links, each of which links back to an item in the Dropbox folder. The "sharing link" provided in the menu allows a user to open the file or download it, but they cannot edit my original or accidentally delete it.


Now I send out one email at regular intervals to key contacts so it's always handy. And when I get one-off questions from other people, it's very easy to insert my "Marketing Menu" signature and mail it off.

This new system will eliminate a ton of repetitious, non-productive activity that took too many 10-minute chunks out of my day, every day. Updates to the files are easy and as long as I keep the file name the same, I don’t even have to edit the menu. It’s extremely simple, but I really think it’s going to prove invaluable. I used it several times the first day I set it up!

(*The true first solution is our company intranet but it’s behind the firewall so it's very difficult to reach for those outside of headquarters. It's also cumbersome to upload, search and download. Not user-friendly at all!) 

Tips: Flickr Cross-Pollination

Many artists who sell on etsy also post photos on flickr.com. (If you don't already, you should.) Post your photos in a variety of groups to bring more eyeballs to your work. I personally bought a set of glass beads because I saw the item on flickr first, then immediately flipped over to etsy to purchase.

However, are you taking advantage of ALL the groups on flickr to bring new "not-necessarily-your-own-category" people to your work? Branch out! If you are also a gardener, post images in a flower group; if you have a cute puppy, post his photo in a dog group; if you love cooking, post your pictures in a food group, if you draw, post images of that work in a drawing group, etc, etc!

If people like your images, they'll pop over to see what else you have. Maybe those people don't ever search flickr for jewelry because it's not their focus, but they could be potential customers once they know you exist! They can find your shop listing in your profile, you can put a blog link in the photo description, and they can always google your name. Make it as easy as possible for people to find you!

These are some of the photos I posted to "cross-pollinate" into various flickr groups -- pastels, hydrangeas, cute cats, home decor...

Tips: Here are my favorite etching tools

Click on the photo to see a larger view of it

Demonstration: The "etching" process

I finally posted some photos on flicker to show you how I do my etched focals and bead sets.
You can see the photos and my notes here: Demonstration of the "etching" process

It shows how I went from this:

to this:

You can see more of my etched beads on flickr.

Tips: The best thing for cleaning clay off my hands is...

Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover! I received a tiny free sample bottle in the mail a while back. One day while looking for something to wash the gummy clay feeling off my hands, I tested a number of different liquids and that was the best. It's a bit pricy but a little goes a long way and I figure, it can't hurt my hands if its actually designed to be used around eyes! I got mine at a makeup store at an outlet mall so it was a bit more affordable.
Goo-Gone also works great, but after I used it my skin felt sort of dried out, and after the Bi-Facil, my hands feel smooth and a little bit moisturized. Olive oil also works, and I suppose vegetable oil would too, but surprisingly Baby Oil gel did not work at all in my test.

Babel Fish Translator: Just added, and so easy!

I just found out how to add the Babel Fish translator to my blog. If you want to read my blog in your own language, look for the translator toward the bottom of the right-hand column.

If you want to download the translator for your own website, I found it here:

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/free_trans_service

Just add an html gadget to your page, and copy and paste the line of text that Babel Fish gives you when you click on the "I want this one" button. 

And speaking of fish, this trio is swimming off to a customer in Massachusetts tomorrow!

Mother's Day: Moo cards for travel

Rob's parents do a lot of big trip traveling every year...a trip down the Amazon, a visit to China, a few days in Belize...they're always headed somewhere. Occasionally his mother wants to give her email address to someone they meet. Rob has electronic files of their vacation photos so he's making her a set of moo.com business cards for Mother's Day.
On the front of each card is a different photo of her in some exotic place and on the back is a photo of both parents, their names plus city, state, country, and email. He also bought her a passport cover and matching business card holder from GracieDesigns on etsy to complete the gift. Isn't he a clever boy?

Tips: Cleaning with Curb Alert!

I am somewhat neatness-challenged so when I ran across this blog, 365daysofdecluttering, I welcomed the systematic process to decluttering my house.
ROUND 1: Weeks ago I wandered my house gathering "flea market-worthy" items. Rather than bothering with a garage sale or hauling to Goodwill, I posted a "Curb Alert" under the Free category on craigslist.com. You simply post a list of what you have and where to find it. As soon as the boxes are gone, delete your ad. It doesn't usually take more than 24 hours. (I don't live on a busy street so a "free to good home" sign might not guarantee my boxes would get picked up.)
ROUND 2: Today I tackled two small areas: the kitchen junk drawer and a shelf in my "studio" room that was full of good Curb Alert items. The only areas remaining are...every other horizontal surface in the place! Oh well, slow and steady wins the race!

Glass: Pittsburgh Glass Center

If you have never tried lampworking or any other glass technique, you should try it. I've taken a few classes at the Pittsburgh Glass Center -- lampworking, fusing, stained glass, and paperweights. I didn't do it enough to get good at anything, but it is really fun. Someday when I have more money, more time, and more space I will try lampworking again.

Check out their class listings.  If you're in the Pittsburgh area, you can take a one-day or multi-week class. However, even if you're from somewhere far away, they offer week-long intensive classes for all skill levels. Make a vacation out of it!

Photography: Cheap "photo box"

In the summer it's easy to take pictures of my beads. I head outside and the sun does all the work. But when winter set in this year with the typical Pittsburgh gray skies, I had trouble getting good shots of my beads.
My mother bought me a photo box last year but it's a bit larger than I can leave up on a permanent basis. And when I tested it, the lights weren't quite bright enough and there was a glare. I'm sure all that can be worked out but without a permanent spot, it's a fair amount of trouble to set it up for only a few items at a time.
These lamps from IKEA solved my problem. I bought this set for my nightstands and then discovered that with a Philips "Naturally Light" 75 watt "daylight" bulb in each, they provide enough light for my photos and the frosted glass takes care of the glare problem.

I place them on my kitchen counter below two recessed light for additional lighting power. (Make sure you get the two lamp set. IKEA sells a smaller version as a single item but it won't work because it only takes a 40 watt bulb and that's not enough light.) Unfortunately IKEA doesn't sell the set online.
See the picture above for the set up. I put my beads between the two lights or in the corner created by putting the two lights next to each other. I use a white Tyvek envelope or a paper towel for the white base.
I usually have to do a tiny bit of additional brightening in Photoshop but pretty minor. It's a great wintertime solution! Here is an image straight out of the camera and the same image after I tweaked the levels and brightness in Photoshop.

Tips: Link Within!

I just learned how to make the "you might also like" links under my blog posts! I've seen them on other sites and wanted to have them on mine. Just now I noticed the link under the pictures on someone else's blog. It led me to this link. You just click nd the software will load! How easy is that? Yay!

www.americanframe.com

I order all my frames online through www.americanframe.com. Easy interface (but it used to be easier before they changed it!).  They also used to let you order small frames but no longer. However, the prices are still good so those are minor quibbles.
The picture at left and in the blog header is one I have not gotten around to framing yet. My reference material was a photo that a co-worker took while on vacation in China and it was the first picture I tackled in a weekend workshop in September. Desmond O'Hagan was the instructor. He was a great teacher. He worked on each person's painting as he demonstrated techniques so we all got to go home with a partial O'Hagan original!

I have my own web page but I've been starting to think a blog might be easier...and it's free!

I will consider the pros and cons and see what works better.