Tear Away Success

Thanks, Jennifer, for a great night of burnishing and tearing paper and polymer clay! Here is Janice exercising her arm, rubbing and rubbing....

With a row of pasta machines (to condition the Studio Clay by Sculpey), several toaster ovens to cure the clay and a laser printer loaded with glossy paper, Jennifer Finley led us in a productive evening of creating low-relief polymer and paper texture plates.

Experimentation confirmed what the online tutorials told us - not all polymer clays will adhere to the toner on the paper - which is what pulls the design off and leaves the negative plate. Also, when using a commercial copier (such as Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, etc) be sure to specify LASER printer, not ink jet (which results in transfers, not tear-aways).

• burnish 2 minutes, rest, reburnish 2 minutes
• work on small ceramic tile that will fit into the oven - moving clay from worksurface to tile causes ripples
• don't push too hard, but work to create friction heat
• pull paper away quickly - like a bandage
• back both clay and paper tear away to get a positive AND a negative plate of same design
• let clay cool before removing from baking tile
• use copies that have definition - no half-tones or too-fine lines

Can't wait to see these textures used on some pmc pieces!! 

March 2012 KC PMC Guild Meeting Plan

At our March meeting, Tuesday, March 20, Jen Finley will be teaching us the Tear Away Texture Technique – developed by Gwen Gibson and made famous by Celie Fago’s extensive use in her awesome jewelry.

If you want to read ahead there are several tutorials online. (Search for Tear Away Technique)

The process requires some materials and your texture design must be printed onto GLOSSY paper with an old-style toner copier.

Jennifer will be bringing a variety of designs you may use, but if you want to use your own original texture drawing (such as one of your Zentangle drawings or anything else you have drawn – which we encourage—as long as they are large enough lines. See below.)

Line art printed on heavy glossy paper. Jen will bring a variety of designs that people can use.  If anybody wants to bring their own stuff, there are a couple of options:

1. If you have access to an old fashioned toner based copy machine, the art can be copied onto 32# glossy paper. A canon or HP laser printer will probably work, too.  Inkjet printers will not work and other brands of laser printers are not  likely to work.

2. If you want to copy your own take your designs to Office Max or Staples (80 gloss text) and request copying onto 32# glossy paper.

NOTE: Your designs should be graphic – lines that are too delicate will not transfer well.

The guild will provide:

            Polymer clay (requires old formula Sculpey III or new Sculpey Studio clay) in a light color

            A toaster oven to bake the clay. 

            A dedicated pasta machine (we’ll have at least 3, but the more the merrier. Perhaps the polymer people could also bring theirs?)

Glass mats or flat shiny porcelain tiles to work on

32# glossy paper

 You should bring:

            Work surface

            Polymer working tools (such as tissue blade, acrylic roller etc) optional

            Small glossy tile to bake on