3 day Workshop at the Creative Journey Studios in Buford, Georgia

"The Circus Necklace" 

I am very happy to announce that I will be teaching a 3 day workshop at the Creative Journey Studios in Buford, Georgia. This is a brand new class and over the 3 days we will have time to get into details and work on that! Since I have been at the Creative Journeys Studio first I allways wanted to teach there, and it will also be my birthday! Two great gifts in one...;-) What could be better? I hope you will be able to join me there!

3 day intensive Workshop at the Creative Journey Studios in Buford, Georgia.

February 26-28, 2016 (10:00-5:00 pm) $350

For more information please check out the CJS website here:

http://www.creativejourneyart.blogspot.de/p/upcoming-classes.html

Testing ChameleonTM Pens and Polymer Clay - Varnishes

After my blog post about the use of Chameleon Pens on polymer clay (if you missed that post you can read up on it here ) I got a couple of questions about the use of varnish on the finished pieces. I had to admit I did not know if any varnish would affect the surface of the painted clay and so it naturally lead to more testing! So today I would like to share my results of my tests with you.

This was my set up:

I rolled out 3 squares of Sculpey Soufflé Igloo (my preferred surface for the use of Chameleon^TM Pens) and stamped them with a stamp with lots of details. I used a stamp from EfCo. It is called “Texture Mat Moments”, just in chase you were interested, and I used a black “Archival ink”  stamp pad from Ranger with it.

After stamping I cured all 3 test tiles for 30 minutes at 275°F/130°C. After they have cooled down completely they were ready to be painted with the Chameleon^TM Pens. I use a wide variety of colours and blends to see how they would react. In my experience sometimes only one color of a color combination can be difficult with a certain material or varnish, so it is best to have a wide choice for testing. 

Then I took out all the varnishes that I have in my studio for the actual test. These are the ones I used in no particular order (some of the product bottles have a different label, because I had them for a while and producers changed the look of the labels):

1 Fimo – Semi Gloss Varnish (by Staedtler)

2 Fimo – Gloss Varnish (by Staedtler)

3 Lisa Pavelka´s Magic Glos^TM

4 Sculpey´s – Gloss Glaze

5 Ranger´s Glossy Accents^TM

6 Judy Kins´ – DG3 Art Gel

7 MP-Multimedia Spray Varnish (this is a German product that is similar to PYM II , which I can not  easyly get hold of here in Germany. I can not garenty it is exactly the same, but I asume it will give similar results)

8 Golden Varnish – Polymer Varnish with UVLS (gloss)

9 Golden Varnish – Polymer Varnish with UVLS (matt)

Having 9 different varnishes, I cut my testing tiles in 4 quarters to have enough pieces for the varnishes, plus three to be untreated for comparing my tests.

I have some glossy and some matt varnishes, so I expected them to look quite different. Also not all of them require the same way of treatment. So first I will list each single one of the varnishes I tested and finally I will give you my personal results from this test:

1 Fimo – Semi Gloss Varnish (by Staedtler)

I applied the varnish with a small brush. It need to be shaken before use and can be cleaned with water. I added one layer for all my test, so I could compare all varnishes. This varnish has to dry for 24 hours.

The description says the varnish is semi gloss, but I actual find in not very glossy at all. Not even semi. The good thing is that all the colors were not altered by the varnish and it does make the surface a bit smoother than without varnish. So I think it can be used as a coat of protection, when you do not really want to change the look of the original piece.

2 Fimo – Gloss Varnish (by Staedtler)

This varnish comes with a little brush in the bottle (only for the small size I had) and it is also water-based. It does look a tiny bit more glossy than the semi gloss varnish, I tried before. But with one layer this is hardly recognizable. It might be different if you apply more layers. 

Everything else is quite the same as with the gloss varnish of the same make: no color change visible. Needs to dry for 24 hours. Makes the surface a bit smoother than without varnish.

3 Lisa Pavelka´s Magic Glos^TM

Magic Glos^TM was the first disappointment in my tests: it did change the colors quite a bit. Especially the reds. Also it bend the thin polymer clay base and so the varnish had spots, were the varnish did flow off and leave places without much varnish on them, that do not look good.

I applied it and left it to dry together with the other pieces, but I did not like the color change at all. So no recommendation for this varnish from me.

4 Sculpey´s – Gloss Glaze

Sculpey´s Gloss Glaze is easy to be applied with a small brush. The label says that you should NOT shake it before use (because that will create bubbles in your varnish!) and it can be cleaned up with water and soap. Easy peasy! It dyes completely in 24 hours like the other varnishes I used. And this varnish does have a gloss, like it says on the label! Even with one coat it gives a nice shiny surface, but it is not covering the texture from the stamp impression up. I really like that!

There is no color change or anything. So if you want a little shine and some protection for your pieces, this is a definite option for you!

Unfortunately I did not have any Sculpey´s Satin Glaze  to try out, but as soon as I have some I will definitely add it to my tests!

5 Ranger´s Glossy Accents^TM

This varnish is similar to Magic Gloss, but with two big differences: it does NOT change the colors and it covers the clay completely! Dont shake the bottle (to prevent bubbles to appear in you glaze!) and it is a bit hard to squeeze the bottle to get the varnish out. It is rather thick and forms a thick layer on top of your clay. But you can easily see were you missed a place and so the varnish does cover the whole area, when applied properly.

Just like the Magic Gloss^TM it does bend a thin sheet of clay a little. If you are aiming for a thick glass like surface, this is the varnish I would recommend!

6 Judy Kins´ – Diamond Glaze 3 Art Gel

Judy Kins´Diamond Glaze is another one of the very thick and shiny varnishes. It is applied similar to Magic Gloss^TM with squeezing it out of the bottle, which can be quite hard at times. It is not quite as thick as Magic Gloss^TM though and you have to be careful to apply it to all places on you clay tile! I missed a couple of them in my test.

What is better with Diamond Glaze is that it does not bend the thin clay at all! This is definitely a point to take into consideration, if you what to choose the right varnish to have a thick glass like finish for your pieces. And Diamond Glaze also does not change the Chameleon Pen^TM colors at all. So I would recommend Diamond Glaze as a very close second to Magic Gloss^TM.

7 MP-Multimedia Spray Varnish

As I said before the MP-Multimedia Spray Varnish is a German product that is similar to PYM II. I use it instead of PYM II which I can not  easily get hold of. The varnish is sprayed on the surface after shaking the bottle thoroughly. This is best done outside to be on the safe side!

The effect of the spray gives a shine, but not quite as smooth at the Fimo Gloss Glaze, because it is difficult to apply it very evenly with the spray. It dries, like all the other best over night and it does not affect the colors.

8 Golden Varnish – Polymer Varnish with UVLS (gloss)

The Golden Varnish (gloss) needs to be diluted before applying it with a brush. The label suggests 4 parts varnish to 1 part water. After mixing the dilution it is easily applied with a brush. This varnish can be heat set after it is applied. I did that for about 20 minutes at at 275°F/130°C. 

The Golden Varnish (Gloss) gives a nice shine without overdoing it. No effect on the colors at all. And it is barely recognizable that there is a varnish on the clay at all. Something I do like a lot.

9 Golden Varnish – Polymer Varnish with UVLS (matt)

The Golden Varnish (matt) is applied the same way as the Gloss and also heat set. It gives a protective layer over the clay, but it is hard to see that there is any varnish on the clay at all. So this is perfect if you want to protect, but not change the look of your piece!

Here is also no change of color to be seen. I really liked the way this tile turned out!

The following pictures are all from the test tiles with the varnishes on.

In conclusion I can not recommend Magic Glos^TM, because of the color change it causes. All other varnishes are good to use, but it depends on the effect you are looking for.

If you want a shiny glass like finish I would go for Gloss Accent or as a second choice Diamond Glaze.

For a shiny surface without a thick glass like layer I would recommend Sculpey´s Gloss Glaze.

And for matt surface I would use Golden Varnish (matt).

All these are good choices to protect your Chameleon Pens^TM on polymer clay.

 For more information about the Chameleon Pens^TM take a look at their website.

If you have any questions or like to share your own tips, please let us all know and share in the comments below! 

Join me and 21 teachers at the Polymer Clay Adventure 2015

Could you do me a favor and yourself as well?
I need some more people to know about the wonderful POLYMER CLAY ADVENTURE - virtual retreat and so I would like to ask YOU to help me share the link to sign up. I will give a way ONE FREE scholarship (worth $99) for the year long virtual retreat with 22 teachers and artists. What do you have to do to win the free spot?
Share the following link on your blog, facebook page, pinterest, homepage or anywhere else where people might be interested in signing up. 
Two things are important: you need to use THIS LINK ONLY and you need to come back to this blog post and tell me where you shared the link. just comment here and tell me were you shared the link, will you please?
 On the 31st of October I will randomly pick one lucky winner. And the more you share, the more chances you will have to be the lucky winner.
 Please use this link: 
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Up and down and up again

After such a lot of activities, I am not surprised, that I need some time to recharge! Last week was hectic and there were some final corrections, that had to be made for my book, as always ASAP! And after that I thought, I would take it slow and relax for a bit. But there were other things, mainly the dreadful paperwork, to be done and my body was screeming for down time. And my body is very wise and clever: if I don´t give it what it wants, it just makes me do it! So I caught some strange bug, and it was like someone had pulled my plug: no more energy! I still did do a couple of things, but very slowly!! So now I am also very slowly coming back from hiding and try to get all my stuff sorted!
Nach so vielen Aktivitäten, bin ich gar nicht überrascht, dass ich so ausgepowerd bin! Letzte Woche war noch mal sehr hektisch und, wie üblich auf den letzten Drücker, musten noch ganz eilig einige Korrekturen an meinem Buch so schnell wie möglich fertig gemacht werden! Und danach dachte ich, ich könnte mal ein bisschen eine ruhige Kugel schieben und mich etwas regenerieren. Aber Pustekuchen, es gab noch so viel anderes was unbedingt erledigt werden wollte (hauptsächlich der furchtbare Papierkram), und mein Körper lechtzte schon nach Entspannung. Und mein Körper ist ziemlich clever und wenn ich nicht drauf höhre was ich brauche, werde ich kurzer Hand einfach mal dazu gezwungen! Das Spiel kennen wir schon! Und so hab ich mir auch gleich was eingefangen, und es war wie wenn jemand mal einfach den Stecker gezogen hätte: Null Energie! Ich hab zwar trotzdem noch ein kleines bisschen was gemacht, aber alles gaaaanz langsam! Und jetzt komm ich gaaanz langsam wieder aus meinem Versteck und versuch mal ein bisschen Ordnung zu schaffen!

What I still did was making my weekly earrings! The top ones are for week #28. I could not get my fingers off the nice things, that Barbe had sent me. So I took two tiny gears, two tiny blue glass beads, two orange polymer clay beads, which I drew on and put it all together with my favourite cooper wire. I must say I am very pleased how they turned out! A lot of the earrings, I had made have been quite big, but these are just the perfect size and very wearable AND cool! I am happy!

Was ich jedoch immer weiter gemacht habe, sind meine wöchentlichen Ohrringe. Die ganz oben auf dem Bild sind diejenigen, die ich für die 28.Woche gemacht habe. Ich konnte meine Finger nicht von den tollen Sachen, die mir Barbe geschickt hatte, lassen. Daher hab ich zwei kleine Zahnrädchen, zwei kleine blaue Glasperlen, zwei orangene Polymer Clay Perlen, die ich noch bemalt habe, genommen und habe alles mit meinem Lieblings-Kupferdraht verbunden. Und ich kann nur sagen ich bin sehr zufrieden damit, wie sie geworden sind! Viele der Ohrringe, die ich gemacht habe, sind relativ groß, aber diese hier haben genau die richtige Größe sind sehr gut zu tragen UND cool!! Ich bin sehr glücklich damit!

The next ones are the earrings for week# 29 and the theme was microscopic. I had a look at some microscopic photos and I really love the structures and wild colors some of them have. So I made some sketches and tried to converted it into polymer clay. As always they turned out slightly different, but they are fun and unusual colores ( for me at least!).
The "52 earrings a year" group has become quite small now, but I hope that is due to it being in the middle of summer now! But still there are great ideas in the mosaics anyway!

Das zweite paar Ohrringe sind diejenigen, die ich für die 29. Woche gemacht habe. Das Thema war microscopisch. Ich habe mir einige Microfotografien angesehen und ich finde die Strukturen und die wilden Farben bei manchen wirklich faszinierend. Danach habe ich einige Skizzen gemacht und versucht das ganze in Polymer Clay zu übetragen. Natürlich sind sie wieder ein bisschen anders geworden, aber sie sind lustig und haben ungewöhnliche Farben (zumindest für mich!).
Die "52 earrings a year" Gruppe ist ganz schön geschrumpft, aber ich hoffe das liegt hauptsächlich daran das es gerade mitten im Sommer ist! Es gibt aber trotzdem immer in jedem Mosaik tolle Ideen!

Oh and BTW: I send out my summer newsletter last week! If you like to recieve the newsletter, too, please sign up in the white box just under my profil on the right hand side of the blog! You even get a free tutorial for doing so...,-))
Wish you all a great week and enjoy your summer!
Oh , was mir grade noch einfällt: letzte Woche habe ich meinen Sommer Newsletter raus geschickt! Wenn Ihr auch meinen newsletter haben möchtet, tragt Euch einfach in der weißen Box, direkt unter meinem Profil hier auf der rechten Seite meines Blogs dafür ein! Ihr bekommt sogar eine Tutorial als "Dankeschön" dafür das Ihr das macht...;-))
Ich wünsche Euch allen eine schöne Woche und geniest des Sommer!

Studio Time

its the best!!! I have been really grumpy lately, because I had so much stuff to do but not much studio time at all! So I decided this can not go on any longer! I need to in the studio at least on day each week and play! So this week I did not finish a couple of things, but I gave myself the much needed time in my studio! And it was sooo good! One of the best ideas ever! See what I have made:
In Studio zu sein ist doch am besten! In letzter Zeit war ich ziemlich grumpelig, weil ich soooo viel zu tun hatte, aber keine Zeit, um was im Studio zu machen. Also habe ich beschloßen soo kanns nicht weiter gehen. Mindestens ein Tag in der Woche muß drin sein, um neues zu machen und Inspirationen um zu setzten. Und diese Woche hab ich einfach einiges NICHT fertig gemacht, aber mir dafür Studiozeit gemonnen. Und das war soooo gut! Eine der besten Ideen überhaupt! Hier ein paar Bilder von meinen neuen Arbeiten:

Wish you all a wonderful weekend, what ever you are up to...;-))
Ich wünsche Euch ein wunderbares Wochenende, was auch immer ihr gerade so macht...;-)

Etsy auf Deutsch - Etsy in German

Ich weiß nicht ob ihr es schon mitbekommen habt, daß es seit dem 24. Mai Etsy endlich auch in Deutsch gibt! Ich finde das prima, den es vereinfacht doch einiges für alle die mit Englisch doch nicht ganz so firm sind. Und ich bin stolz darauf, nun auch meinen ganz persönlichen Etsy-Shop komplett in beide Sprachen übersetzt zu haben. Alles was neu rein kommt wird natürlich auch zweisprachig sein! Ihr könnt jetzt einfach einstellen, ob ihr alles in Deutsch oder Englisch sehen wollt, ganz nach Eurer Vorliebe. Ich werde diese Jahr auch viel mehr in meinen Etsy-Shop einstellen und bis Weihnachten eine schön vollen Laden präsentieren...;-)) Vielleicht schaut ihr ja auch mal vorbei?

I do not know if you noticed it, but Etsy is since 24th of May bilingual! You can see everything in German, too! I think that is wonderful and it makes it much easier for all the German Sellers (me incuded!) and German buyer, that have difficulties with English, as well. Now I also translated everything in my own Etsy-Shop and I am proud to say now it is bilingual, too! Everything I will add from now on will be bilingual! You can choose if you prefer to read everything in English or German, just as you wish! This year I plan to add much more to my Etsy-shop and have a pretty full shop for the holiday season! Maybe you like to come over for a visit?

Und weil das ja noch nicht genug ist, gibt es noch ein paar andere Neuerungen (vielleicht haben es ja schon einige gemerkt): ich habe meine alte Website herunter genommen und angefange eine neue Seite zu bauen:  www.anke-humpert.de
Sie ist noch lange nicht fertig, ich denke auch das das ein Projekt ist, an dem ich immer mal wieder was verändern werde. Was es aber jetzt schon gibt, ist eine Verlinkung zu allen wichtigen Stellen, wo ihr mich finden könnt (endlich alles an einer Stelle!): zu diesem Blog, zu meiner Flickr Gallerie, zu meinem  Etsy-Shop und ich habe nun auch einen Newsletter. Als Bonbon gibt es ein nettes Polymer Clay Tutorial dazu, wenn ihr Euch einschreibt! Das ist doch was, nicht war?

And, as if that would not be enough, I have some more news to share (maybe some of you noticed it already): I took down my old website and started building a new one:
www.anke-humpert.de
It is far from finished, and I think this will be an ongoing project. But there are allready some important links to where to find me in the web (I finally wanted to get everything together in one place!): this blog, my Flickr Gallery, my Etsy-Shop and I also started a Newsletter. As a little "thank you" you will get a Polymer Clay Tutorial for free, if you sign up for the newsletter! How is that?
I wish you all a wonderfull weekend! I know I will be busy: lots of family time and party time...;-)) Take care until next week ;-)

Euch allen ein wunderbares Wochenende! Ich werde sehr beschäftigt sein: viel Zeit mit der Familie und Party time...;-)) Machts Gut! Bis nächste Woche;-))