Alginate

Alginate is a wonderful thing. It's made from sea-weed, and highly non alerginic.

Have you seen those booths at the fair, where the little children get a cast of their hand? It's alginate, at work.

A very fine powder, you just mix with water. It sets quickly so what ever body part, you happen to be casting, has to be inserted or covered immediately and then held very still, for about 5 minutes. An eternity, for a child. :)

The new mold, then has to be used almost immedately, as the alginate will begin to dry and shrink. It eventually dries up into a little wad of nothing and is useless. So your newly made mold is short lived.

Because of that, you need to have everything in place, before you even begin the mold. If your making an object out of plaster, have the plaster ready to add water.

Your new mold is also spineless and needs back up, to hold its form, unless it happens to already be in a can or cup. So if your making a mold of the face, your very patient model must remain in a lying position, while you add a layer of plaster over the top of the alginate mold, before removing the whole unit (alginate and its new mother mold of plaster).

You can use straws in the nostrils, while you work and (of course) the eyes remain closed.

The set up alginate, is like wet, spongy rubber and separates easily from the face.

Once the alginate mold, along with the plaster layer is removed, you can mix up plaster and pour into your new mold. As soon as the plaster is set, you can then remove it from the alginate.

There is always residue left behind but not to worry. As the whole unit dries, the alginate chips and flakes off like powder.

Easy as puddin' but you have to remember alginate is expensive, for a mold making material and it used once and then your mold wastes away.


Be sure to drop by Judy's Corner. It's a new portal just for crafter's in business. Sell your crafts online. It's free. http://judysbookshop.com/nuke/

Rubber Molds

This is a subject, I've thought about writing and illustrating, for a long time. Just recently, it seems to be popping up more and more.

I'm presently in the middle of producing a number of rubber molds which presents me with the opportunity to get pictures.

I guess my next project will be another instruction booklet, this time about rubber molds. So hang tight, I'll be working on it.

I plan to include my list of suppliers (I prefer) and a reasonable brief on the different kinds of rubber compounds. I'll keep everybody posted and let you know when I've actually accomplished and finished the new booklet.

New web portal

Well folks, I know I've been really quiet lately, but that's because I've been busy. Really busy.
I've built a new web portal just for networking crafters in business. Boy, that's a long winded term, but that's exactly what it is.

So....if you're into crafts, if you're into selling those crafts, then you should also be into networking with others interested in the same thing. Networking brings business.

So head on over and see what's I've been up to
http://judysbookshop.com/nuke/

Pretty soon, every addy involving judysbookshop, will be redirected into this new portal. Not yet, though....there's a lot that needs to be moved into our new home, before I close the doors to the old one.

One thing is for sure-this new home is a whole lot more interactive than the old one. You can keep a blog, upload pics, write about yourself and your product, submit articles.....there's a classified section and I forget what all. And I just keep scrounging around the internet looking for more goodies for the site. :) So who knows what this place will look like, a year from now.

For sure, I plan to take over the crafts networking on the internet.

Now, the whole idea of this new portal is getting the crafters and their product, out there for the world to peek at. Then, as soon as we can get a good base of crafters built up, I'll head out into the internet world, and find those shoppers for you and bring em in. I don't want to get too excited about bringing the shoppers yet, until we have something really exciting to show them. So it's a waiting game for me, now. Just waiting for the kiddos to get their stuff included into the site and give me plenty of ammunition for creating a virtual shopping center.

Come on.....join in and start building.

Liquid Latex Molds

As I was checking the traffic for this site, I was amazed at the search words used to find it. Most of them questions and yet nobody goes to the trouble to post a reply here, to ask those questions. hmm
Liquid latex mold medium
different types of molds
how thick will liquid latex set
how to make a rubber mold of my hand
liquid latex art craft
liquid latex mold making tips
liquid rubber latex mold making
plaster of paris mold release compound


The answer to some of these search terms, goes like this.
Liquid latex is a brush on compound. You start with a thin layer, let it dry then add another layer. Never leave areas that are thicker than most of the layer you're working on. Don't let the layers sit over night, it's best to keep working the mold until you're finished.
Using a hair dryer will speed things up.
Keep layering until the mold is as thick as you want it. Anything from 1/16 inch to an inch (if you're that patient)

As for mold release compound for plaster, you can buy mold release or even make your own. To make your own, mix about 1/4 dish washing soap to 3/4 water. Brush on with a soft (short) paint brush. Let dry. Polish with a smooth, soft, dry towel. Reapply, dry, polish. It's best to build up 2 or 3 layers until you get a sheen.
The soap must be completely dry, before applying plaster to plaster.

I'll be glad to answer any questions. Just ask away. :)

Talking about Copyrights

Especially those copyright laws concerning the crafted product, which includes ceramic designs.

This, according to the federal copyright laws.

Things like vases and dishes, cannot be copyrighted unless the object is also art, which can be viewed as art in its own right, aside from its utilitarian purposes. In other words, a vase cannot be copyrighted but if the design itself would be displayed, simply for its artwork (which is actually in pot itself, not painted on), the its the artwork that is being copyrighted.

Painted designs on things like a plate or vase, cannot be copyrighted, simply because the copyright law covers only those items which are 'fixed and tangible'.

Fixed and tangible means, in its final form and capable of being used or viewed by others, in its finished form. This means a sketch of the pot is not copyrightable. Only the final finished piece, is copyrighted. So if you're designing something, it cannot be copyrighted until you can actually hold the piece up and show it.

Many times, people are confused about what laws protect their painted designs. Actually, there is no such law. You have to find ways to protect yourself, ie secret paint mixtures or techniques. If someone catches on to what you're doing and copies your technique, there is actually no law to protect you.

Ideas are not copyrightable. So if you have a great idea, don't share it until its in a fixed and tangible form.

To protect yourself, when the piece is finalized: pack into a small box, your original sketches, photos and the first attempts along with the first finalized piece. Mail it to yourself and don't open it. If you ever have to go to court, the only person you want to open the box, will be the judge. Once there has been a judgement for the copyright ownership, that judgement replaces your box. Until then, it's the U.S. postal service, serving as your witness.

Any time you feel someone has infringed on your copyrights, make sure you've filed your copyright at least 30 days before any court date.

What is a Mold? What is a Master Block?

Have you ever used cookie cutters with special little designs imprinted? You press the cutter down onto the dough and it leaves an exact opposite of the design you see in the cutter itself.
That's actually a mold.

A mold is something you can use over and over to replicate a design, shape, form. Think of the mold as the negative that forms your positive.

A master block is actually the permanent positive for your mold. From the master block, you can make numerous molds and from the mold, you can replicate numerous positives in the finished form.

Place your hand down onto rolled out dough and make a print. Your hand is the positive-the print in the dough is your negative.

If you happen to want numerous copies of an original, you will need a mold. From the mold, you can make 'repeats'.

If you also happen to need to know that you can make numerous molds, all exactly the same as the original mold, you will then need to freeze that design for all time, by making a master block of the original mold. In this way, you can continue to make the same exact mold, over and over for years. Thereby, freezing your design for all time.

Replace-Restore? What Is It?

One of the first questions, one has to answer, when faced with the project of replacement or restoration, is 'What is it?'

Is it ceramic? Is it some sort of plaster or cement? Is it wood? Stone?

Identifying what a piece is made of, can sometimes be perplexing. If the piece is broken and you can see its interior, it helps in identifying.

Some soft clays can fool you into thinking it's plaster. Here are some tests, you can try out.

If the interior appears pure white, it might be plaster, it might be clay. If it's clay, it might be earthenware or it might be china or porcelain.

Test with the point of a Xacto blade, to see if it easily powders off. If it does, it's either plaster or very soft clay. If it's pure white, it's most likely plaster. If it has a slight pinkish hue, it could easily be mexican clay.

If it does not easily powder off, and is very hard, then it's either earthenware or porcelain. If it's shiney, even inside, then it's china. Porcelain will still have a dull appearance to broken edges.

So now, if its very hard but not shiney, then we're down to earthenware or porcelain. Tap the piece with the handle of your Xacto blade. Does it ring? Earthenware, depending on the size of the piece, might have a ring to it but it will not have the 'thin', high pitch as that of porcelain. Porcelain will have a high pitch and will last more than a quarter second, where as earthenware's ring is very short (time) and not as high pitch (tone). When testing for a ring, don't hold the piece. Set it on another hard surface, like a dinner plate or a metal turn table.

If still in doubt as to whether the piece is earthenware or porcelain, run the sharp point of your blade, along the broken edge. If absolutely no pieces, flake off, then it's porcelain.

Mexican clay will have a pinkish or slightly brown hue to it and will chip off easily. It has no ring.

Earthenware can sometimes fool you, as it can be colored. Usually white or red (terra cota). It has a slight ring to it when tapped, but short lived. Not very high pitched and has a 'thick' sound.

Porcelain also can be colored. Just about any color. It will not flake off, when you drag your blade across the broken edge. It has a high pitch sound and clear (not thick sounding) It appears very hard but not shiney.

China is unmatched by any clay. A broken edge is still shiney.

Stoneware (harder than earthenware clays), may have a slight shine to the broken edge but very visible coursely ground stone pieces. Very hard and does not flake off easily.

Plaster appears very white but when matched up with the white of china, it appears dull. It easily flakes off with a light drag of your blade. Much like chalk. Very chalky.

Another plaster, which is super hard, will still flake off but has a harder feel and appearance. Can be easily mistaken for mexican pottery.

Filled resins, can appear much the same as china but will have a hard plastic sound when tapped. These are clear resins mixed with things like plaster or other powdered chemicals. These are restored with yet more clear resin.

Any time you need a filler that is pure titanium white, you can actually purchase powdered titanium from a pottery supply.

Knowing what a piece is made of, helps you determined what materials you will need to repair or replace a piece.

All clays can be molded from a plaster mold. All resins and plasters, can be cast into a rubber mold.

If a piece is not broken but you can still see the interior, you can use the same way of testing. If the piece is not broken and you can't see the interior then you have to go by appearance and feel.

Again, the tapping to hear the ring, helps a lot. In addition, just the outward appearance can help. If it appears to be clay and has a bluish hue to the white background, it's china.

Porcelain can be just about any color. If it feels very hard, harder than clay, has a slight high pitch ring then it's probably porcelain.

If it has a ring but not very high pitch, it's probably poured clay (earthenware) Does it have a hole in the bottom? It's earthenware or stoneware.

Stoneware is rarely used for figurines (poured).

Resin, when tapped, has no ring and a definite plastic sound. Usually solid.

If I've overlooked anything, give me a holler here.