Polymer Clay Glaze

polymer clay glaze Anyone know how to seal a polymer clay bead, after it's painted? I make beads and jewelry charms out of polymer clay. I made this one bead out of polymer clay and before I put ...


polymer clay glaze

polymer clay glaze
Anyone know how to seal a polymer clay bead, after it's painted?

I make beads and jewelry charms out of polymer clay. I made this one bead out of polymer clay and before I put it in the oven to make it solid, I coated it with this clear paint. The paint was called Glaze Sparkle. It added a shiny finish to the bead and also some sparkle/glitter. When I took the bead out of the oven, the painted coat I applied made the bead feel STICKY! =/

It's been a few days and the bead remains sticky (but usuable, to some extent). Is there anything I can put on this bead now to make it NOT sticky?!
I also used to have a clear coat of paint that was suppossed to be a elaer, but it had the same effect on my polymer clay-it felt sticky. Any other ideas how to make this bead non sticky?

First, polymer clay never *needs* any sealing at all like air-dry clays do. Polymer clay is a plastic, so it's oil-based and waterproof already (whether raw or cured).

Generally, coats of clear gloss liquid or color acrylic paints are put onto clay (if they're even used) *after* the clay is already cured, but some can be used before without problems or even "re-baked" on purpose.

The main problem you may be running across though is that because polymer clay is a plastic, it can be eaten into by some solvents (those that are petroleum-based, and must be thinned or cleaned up with paint thinner, etc., instead of water). The eating-into/dissolving of the clay can begin happening right away leaving a sticky feel, or it can suddenly happen up to 6 months later. Some sprays can be a problem too since even acrylic paints can have the "bad" solvent only in the propellants of their sprays.
(This kind of thing also happens if raw polymer clay is left in direct contact with certain other kinds of plastics --many kinds of clear hard plastics, though not all...over time the oily plasticizer in the clay will begin dissolving the hard plastic leaving a gooey area.)

So I think that you may have used a "clear paint" (not really a "paint" though since paints have color) that shouldn't be used directly on polymer clay.
I'm not familiar with "Glaze Sparkle" so can't say exactly what it's made from. But if you want to use it again sometime, first coat the plain baked clay with acrylic paint or with a water-based acrylic sealer and let dry, THEN add the Glaze Sparkle.
(There are other ways to get "sparkliness" onto polymer clay though, sometimes as "inclusions" of microfine glitter added into clear liquid finishes that are safe for polymer clay, sometimes in other ways.)

If you used a really thick coat, or several coats that weren't allowed to dry *thoroughly* in between, you could just have a drying problem too but usually several days should be enough even if that were true.

Sometimes finishes like that can be "re-baked" to harden them or harden them further, but if you don't want to do that you could always apply a "safe" clear finish on top of the other stuff and that would probably work.

You can read a lot more about all those things on these pages of my polymer clay "encyclopedia" site, if you're interested:

http://glassattic.com/polymer/finishes.htm
http://glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htm
http://glassattic.com/polymer/powders_metallicwaxes.htm (especially the category *As Paints*)
http://glassattic.com/polymer/paints.htm

HTH,
Diane B.



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Polymer Clay - A Popular Choice For Jewellery Artists

Polymer clay is one of the most versatile art mediums available today. It is quickly becoming extremely popular, especially with girls jewellery artists. There are numerous creative options available with a full color palette which can be mixed together to make your own original colours. Translucent, metallic and night glow clays are also available.

Polymer clay is referred to as 'clay' because it can be used in exactly the same way as mineral based clays, as it is pliable and can be molded or sculpted into shape. However, this compound does not contain minerals or clay, but instead it is made up of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) that is suspended in plasticizer.

It is non toxic and is safe for older children to use. So whether you are a serious artist looking for a new medium, looking for a hobby or perhaps even looking for craft projects for the family to enjoy, polymer clay is such a versatile medium to work with, and the best part is that it does not have to be kiln cured, your kitchen oven is all you need.

The finished product, once hardened in the oven can be drilled or even sanded. There are a wide range of polymer clay enamels/varnishes available that will help protect your creation and really brighten the colours of the clay, these glazes can generally be used before or after the firing process and 'micas' or glitter can be added to this.

One of the most wonderful traits of polymer clay is that, like 'plasticine', it stays pliable so you can try out several new ideas and if it does not look the way you want it to, then you can just start again. I really cannot stress how great this product is. Apart from being easy and fun to work with, you can let your imagination run wild, the possibilities are endless. I use polymer clay to produce homemade children's jewellery which is mainly girls jewellery.

This colourful medium allows me to be bold with my designs, perfect for making really unique jewellery for girls that can stand the test of time, always keeping its vibrant colour.

About the Author

Heidi has been designing and making unique handmade children's jewellery, especially girls jewellery, for several years and loves finding new and unusual ways to create beautiful pieces that are not available on the high street.

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