Tuesday 7 February 2012

Embellishments for pennies

So, in an attempt to keep using up my stash (rather than saving it and stroking it) I thought I should use some of my 2 part moulding compound (especially since I have had it for well over a year and it DOES have a shelf life!!  In fact, I find that I keep the nice stash and some of it goes off-take my crackle paint, that dried up until it was a solid mass, same with my silver clay!!! These are not cheap items, so now I intend to keep Using It Up, it you haven't taken the pledge yet, pop over to the UIU blog and check out the projects we are all making in an attempt to use stuff up).

So I decided to make a mould out of 3 metal embellishments I have been saving (too nice to use....hmmm, I'm seeing a theme here!).



 Once the moulds had set I went about looking for what I could use to cast them from.  I tried UTEE but with no melt pot I tried melting it in a tin foil dish heated from a heat gun, that didn't work so I decided to use hot glue (well I use it for everything else, so why not!!).





I melted the glue into the mould and with my asbestos fingers I smoothed it out to try and get rid of any air bubbles and let it cool and set.  

When cool, I painted them with black acrylic and then used black, copper and gold waxes to add highlights and a sort of metallic finish.


Then to seal it all I added a thin layer of matt studio-medium gel to make sure the wax doesn't wear off.

And in less than an hour and for only a few pennies I have some lovely embellishments to play with!

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

3 comments:

  1. Well done you! I didn't know that 2 part mould compound stuff has a shelf life - mine has probably dropped off the shelf and run away by now as I've had it about 3 years - and to my shame, used it only once and not very sucessfully at that!!

    It's interesting that hot glue works in the moulds too. Even though you haven't got a melt pot, if you have a block of wax you can hold it over the mould and drip melted wax directly into it if you use a mini quilter's iron on it - that's what I use even though I do have a melt pot - it's quicker and less to clean up!

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  2. Well done! Those embellies look fab. I must get some of the mould stuff some time soon. I want to have a go now!

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  3. You are so clever to use hot glue! I am in love with the heart with wings! Fabulous!
    xoxo Karen

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