Cernit red translucent fixes

There have been a couple of changes in the red/ruby translucent.
I am going to show you how I usually do with things that could be potentially be a real pain when manufacturing for myself.
As in yarn dye lots, there are always differences and then there is the added changes in products for using in polymer clay being in the safety and availability ever changing field!
So I usually go with the flow on the changes coming forward nowadays and hack the color. Or as close as I can get!

 OK, the skull in the middle is the older red/ruby, the one on the right is the new red/ruby, and the one on the left is the red/ruby I made from the new red and the Yellow/Amber translucent color.

They are all slightly different: the one on the right, the new one, is very Carmine-y and bluer, It is lovely in its own way. I thought this may be a better mixing red, it is but I will get to that later. Notice the darker skull at the bottom right, that is the purple I got from 3 part  Ruby and 1 part Sapphire, it is a gorgeous purple and rich, if you added another part of the new ruby, you will a bight intense purple which most people know as violet.

One advantage of this new red is pleasing purples and oranges from it's mixing abilities.

The one in the middle is the oldest red/ruby color package that I had, it is definitely Warmer in color.

The one on the right is the color I mixed up the first time: it is 3 parts Ruby and 1/2 part Amber, it is not warn enough to match or get close to the middle colored skull. But is it good and you can barely see the difference, so it probably needs maybe 1/4 part more. I can tell that from these sheets below.  

 

The red on the left is the mixed color I made after using the new red 3 parts and the amber 1 whole part now to  see where to go next with the color. I believe that the paragraph above is the answer with 3/4 part amber to 3 parts Ruby.

This is the purple I mixed up with the new Ruby Color as per my last shipment.

The purple on the right is the one I mixed up from the formula 3 parts ruby and 1 part sapphire. The one on the left is the purple that we have available to us in the Cernit palette, Now these work fabulous together and can be the other color you need in your purple shades that you use.

The photo here on your right with one piece of purple clay I am holding. Isn't it gorgeous? It is also yummy hit you in the face face color, that I love so much. But when you use it with light behind it, oh my goodness. This is wonderful!

Here is the whole palette of all the colors mixed and otherwise and this a great bunch of colors that shout come play with me!
All of these Cernit translucent sheets are rolled out on the thinnest setting in my machine. My setting go from the thickest being 0 and the thinnest being a 9.
I am quite pleased at how Cernit does this so very well.
Just roll down one thickness at a time to get sheets like this! Oh and do not try when the clay has just been made, it is too smooshy for that!


Need some incredible translucent clay to play with?
www.clayfactory.net/
http://clayfactory.net/cernit/cernit-polymer-clay-translucent-colors.html

ToolTime with Marie #1- WS tool

I carry a ton of tools at the Clay Factory, I thought it might be nice to show you a few of them.
This first one on the list is mini wire tool, used for Sgrafitto, the wiki definition for the word, give it a click.
Or for carving out small areas, like around the eyes when sculpting. I am also playing with tool for texturing.
This is the way I learned sgraffito on Ceramics back in the early 70's.
This is a lovely little wire tool with many applications and many possibilities.
 
I am going to show you "A" way to use it with Polymer clay-Cernit, Pinata inks, and the WS tool, called a wire stylus by the manufacturer.
Here is the link the the picture of it.
http://www.clayfactory.net/kempertools/pages/WS.htm
Here is how much it costs from my Clay Factory
http://www.clayfactory.net/kempertools/Page9.htm 
Scroll down the page a little 

You will need:
WS tool
Pinata Inks
Porcelain White Cernit
Pasta machine or stainless roller
Ruler
LED night light w/clear acrylic shade
sharp blade
glue- e6000 or scotch quick drying paper glue or Ultimate glue from Crafter's Pick

Step 1. Condition and roll out your clay on the thickest setting in your pasta machine.
Step 2. Make the sheet if clay 2 3/4" tall by 2" wide.

Step 3. Ink it, I am going to draw a basic Mountain scene for the project, please feel free to go nuts. Draw in the blue line for the sky. I am using Baja Blue Pinata.

Step 4. Blur the line with a cotton swab. I waited between pictures awhile, and the ink had dried partially

Step 5. Add more ink and blur. Fill the sky

Step 6. Using now, Lime green, I fill in the mountain.

Step 7. I used the Baja blue side of the cotton swab to blend the mountain and gave some variation to the green color of ink

Step 8. Once I make the sheets I let them dry. it only takes a hour or so to be completely dry or in my area right now about 10 minutes. The ink will also dry out the surface a bit and make the scratches easier and cleaner while carving.

Step 10. Start carving, the tip on mine bend down a little I like this. Cut in to the clay lightly with the wire and in one stroke with out turning the head  of the tool pull the tool towards you at the same level.

Step 11. Start carve in the outline of the mountain. It is harder to turn the head of the tool as you go so go slow and steady and not too deep. With practice you will be amazing. If you work on cardboard you can turn the cardboard while you are carving. The wire tip needs or works best when it parallel

The more detail you put in the better it looks. You  zentanglers are going to love this.

Step 12. Finish off the picture, it is a practice one anyway, Practice!

Step 13. You will have little bits of porcelain clay colored by inks so... to leave nothing to waste. Roll a ball of clay porcelain or another color in the little bits to clean them up and to use them up.

Step 14. Picked up.

Step 15. Roll in to the ball.

Step16. Flatten a little, make a hole in it, and cure in the oven at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

Step 16. Bake your piece on the curve of the jar. I made this from one of my glass vitamin jars and I pressed the jar in to 1/2" logs of clay. They will stick so you can bake this piece with out gluing it.
Once the legs or logs on the bottom side of the jar are baked I glue with Scotch paper glue and let dry. That way I can re-bake this and use it over and over again.


Use the glues mentioned above to glue the Clay piece to the clear acrylic shade of the NightLight.
Do not block the Sensor with the clay sheet.

This night light is done with a mandala rubber stamp stamped right in to the porcelain colored clay.
The stamp is from Studio G, and distributed from Hampton Art Inc. Another great source of stamps for Polymer clay is Rubber Stamp Plantation in Honolulu Hawaii. Tell Deb, Marie sent you!
After stamping and carving while the clay is raw drop on colors of ink and spread, wipe off extra ink with clean up solution added paper towel. Do not scrub with paper towel, but wipe off gently!

As beautiful hanging out during the day!

 As it is lit up at night!

Have a great weekend, it is a holiday in the US, drive careful and be nice while you are out and about, you may give another being a reason to live another day by your miracle of kindness.