Christmas Cookies

Hi all,

 

In my last post Making unique moulds using Silicone Plastique I made moulds using Christmas tree decorations for a simple Christmas cake.

 



Here are a couple of moulds that I made for cookie toppers, this is what I did with them. 

 

 My moulds were lightly dusted with corn flour and filled with sugar paste treated with CMC powder. The sugar paste was turned out of the mould and placed on a cooled cookies that I brushed (avoiding the edges) with piping gel. These were then put to one side to allow the sugar paste to firm up.

 

 

I used the same sugar paste/CMC mix to fill a mini holly silicone mould, the resulting holly was also left to firm up.

 

 

 

I thought a complimenting design of cookie would be nice, so I printed a design using my edible printer onto an edible icing sheet, which was then placed onto some rolled sugar paste, cut out with a craft knife and glued using piping gel on to some more cookies.

 

 

 

An extruder was used with the sugar paste/CMC mix to create faux piping.

 

 

 

 Which again was glued in place around the topper using piping gel.

 

 

I carefully painted the faux piping using Bright Gold Lustre Dust mixed with Liquid shiny Clear Glaze.

 

 

 

I airbrushed the holly that I made earlier with Sage Green Pearl airbrush paint, the berries were painted with Carmoisine Red lustre dust mixed with the glaze.

 

 

When they were dry I attached them to the cookies with some royal icing.

 

 

Now the moulded toppers are ready to add some colour to. I did this with Petal Crafts dusts, then very lightly airbrushed over this with Dinkydoodle pearl paint. This helps to blend the colours.

  

So here we have it, Christmas cookies ready to share with my family and friends.

 

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Wendy.

 

 

 

 

Making unique moulds using Silicone Plastique

Hi all,

It's been a while since my last post but it's been a really busy time in my cakey/crafty world. Now things are a little less hectic there is more time to play and share the results with you.

 

In this tutorial I’ll be using Silicone Plastique to make my own unique festive moulds from Christmas tree decorations.

 

 

I thought that this tree decoration would look great as a cake topper but because of the shape it doesn't sit flat , to resolve this I'm going to use Safe - D - Clay.

 

 

 

I've rolled a generous amount of Safe - D - Clay onto an acrylic board and traced around the outline of my decoration with a needle tool.

 

 

 

Using a craft knife I've cut a recess in to the clay. It doesn't matter that it looks messy, it just needs to be deep enough for the bottom half of the decoration to sit inside.

 

 

 

 

Now the preparation is done and I have a flat surface to work on I can make my mould.

 

 

 

 

Knead together two equal amounts of Silicone Plastique until there are no white streaks visible and a uniform blue colour is achieved.

 

 

 

I've edged my decoration with an even border of Silicone Plastique as I found that this process gives the best results and a crisper edge to the finished mould.

 

 

A layer of Silicone Plastique that is a similar shape to the decoration is then applied by tapping it on to the entire surface of the decoration. Tapping on the Silicone Plastique ensures that the all of details of the decoration are captured within the mould.

 

After an hour my mould is fully cured and can be removed from the decoration, washed in hot, soapy water and dried thoroughly so that can be used to make a topper for my cake.

 

 

 

Here are a couple more moulds that I have made in the same way for cookie toppers.

 

 

 

 

Before filling my mould with sugar paste that has been treated with CMC powder I've given it a light dusting of corn flour to prevent the sugar paste from sticking. I now have a perfect topper for my cake.

 

 

I've added a bit of bling by spraying the topper with  Clear Glaze Shell and Shine Cake Decorating Spray and sprinkling over edible glitter before it dries.

 

 

Piping gel was used to stick the topper to the cake and with the addition of a few stars and a greeting using Tappit Cutters I have a unique cake that is perfect for the Festive Season.

 

Hope this inspires you to try Silicone Plastique, I love it and once you try it I'm sure you will too.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Wendy.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Try it, you might like it.

Hello again,

I surprised myself this week when working on a jewellery project. It goes to show that you shouldn't say that you don't like something until you have tried it. I've seen Kumihimo braids used many times on Jewellery Maker and on images on the internet but always thought that it wasn't for me.

 

I'd been busy making some Tree of Life pendants and didn't want to suspend them on single cords like I have done in the past but also didn't want to make wire torques for them. I remembered that I had a Kumihimo disk stashed away that I had never used and decided to give it a go.

 

If you haven't heard of Kumihimo it's a traditional Japanese technique of braiding strands of silk to create coloured cords. The technique has been brought bang up to date and easy to do with the addition of the disks and boards that are now available and the various different things you can braid, such as cord, ribbon, beading thread etc. which will all give a different finished result.

 

There are many variations of patterns but a great way to learn out more about the techniques are the DVD's that are available from Jewellery Maker. An Introduction to Kumihimo, and Kumihimo Editition 2 are currently available and there are loads of videos available to watch on Jewellery Makers You Tube channel.

 

So, how did the Tree of Life pendant turn out in the end?

 

 

Rather well, I thought. It is very satisfying to look at a piece of jewellery knowing that you have not only created the feature pendant, but the braid to suspend it and the clasps that hold it all together.

I'll definitely be incorporating this technique into my designs again and hope this has inspired you to give it a try.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Wendy.

 

 

Chain Reaction

Hello and thanks for joining me again,

When I used to hear the term Chain Maille this was the image that I used to conjure up.

 

Although Chain Maille does have its history in being used as a protective garment it also has a very long history of being used for decorative purposes in the form of  jewellery.

 

 Until I started my journey in to jewellery making I thought that Chain Maille was something that you could only buy from very high end designer jewellers. How wrong I was.

 

I regularly watch Jewellery Maker TV, one for it's fantastically priced gemstones and tools but also for inspiration from the brilliant guest designers. This is how I was introduced into creating Chain Maille jewellery for myself. The guest designer was the very talented Debbie Bulford who gave a demonstration and explained the technique very clearly. As with many aspects of crafting when I saw the demo I thought this is something I'd like to try. 

 

Chain Maille DVD

 

As well as designer inspiration on the show, Jewellery Maker produce some fantastic DVD's for the many different techniques that can be used for jewellery making at a very affordable price of £4.95.

These are brilliant for any one who isn't able to attend a class or work shop but are also a great source of reference as they show the techniques and provide projects in which to use them. Chain Maille and Chain Maille Edition 2 are currently available but as there are many different weaves to learn it would be nice to see some new additions.

 

 

 

 

Above, you can see the results of one of my first attempts at Chain Maille . I used 4.1mm ID (inner diameter - see notes at the bottom of the post) and 5mm ID silver colour anodised aluminium jump rings and Abalone flat pear shaped drops to create this necklace, which if I do say so myself, I don't think would look out of place in a boutique.

 

 

I thought it would be nice to then create the necklace with gold coloured jump rings but this time with a twist. The design, I felt, called for a chain rather than suede cord like the original design but I didn't have any in my stash so I carried on with the 2 in 2 Chain Maille weave to create my own chain.

 

Do you know how many jump rings it needs to create a design like this?

 

No, neither did I, as I ran out before completing the necklace. All was not lost though as I had the foresight to get myself a jump ring maker tool, which are also available from Jewellery Maker. These seem to fly out of stock really quickly, so if you see them on the shows or the website and you know you want one, grab one while you can. This is a valuable addition to you tool kit as you will always have jump rings of the size want, in whatever colour wire you own.

 

 

When I felt I had got to grips with a basic weave, which I think looked great in creating some quite contemporary necklace designs, I decided to try something more traditional, not to dissimilar to the high end jewellery which I thought would that someone who makes their own jewellery would never be able to achieve. Although the box weave which was used to make the bracelet above was a bit fiddly at first, once you get in to the swing of  a more complex design it becomes easy and the pattern grows quickly.

 

I'm looking forward to incorporating Chain Maille in to more of my designs, discovering, and hopefully mastering some of the numerous weaves and creating some more jewellery that I can be proud of and that the recipients love to wear.

 

Hope your feeling inspired that you'll pop back soon.

 

 

Wendy.

 

 

[ NOTES: THE INNER  AND OUTER DIAMETER ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN CREATING CHAIN MAILLE, THIS IS EXPLAINED CLEARLY ON THE JEWELLERY MAKER DVD AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Meanings of Agate

 

Hello again,

 

One of the many reasons I love to make jewellery is because of the vast array of gemstones that are available to incorporate in my jewellery designs. Gemstones are Mother Natures gift and come with a lot of history which I find fascinating to explore. So if you want to come along for the ride I'll share some of the history, myth and legend with you.



 

 

 

Keywords: Protection, Strength, Harmony

Agate's most noticeable properties overall are balancing yin/yang energy, courage, protection, healing, and calming. Historically it was placed in water for cooking or drinking to dispel sickness. The Metaphysical and Healing Properties Lore of any specific type of agate depend to some extent on the colour of the agate, but all agates have certain things in common.

Agate is a stone of strength. It was used by the Ancients on the breastplates of armour to give warriors strength and make them victorious in battle. Energetically, it is considered to give strength in both battle and physically.

Agate enhances creativity and strengthens the intellect, making it a beneficial stone for both students and artists. It is also known as a good luck stone. As a stone of harmony, one of the things agate does is balance yin/yang energy. Agate increases energy. However, because it is a grounding stone, it does not increase energy at all times, but rather enables bursts of energy as needed. In this way, agate is a conservation stone, and enhances longevity.

Agate is a very protective stone. It is especially protective for children, and makes an excellent stone for children's amulets, medicine bags, jewellery, or just to carry around in a pocket. Agates are said to be especially useful for protecting children from falling.

Emotionally, agate gives courage, emotional strength, self-confidence, and dispels fears. It can also lessen feelings of envy by grounding the emotions. In the same way, it assists with acceptance of all things. It can be very beneficial for self-examination as well as examination of the circumstances one finds oneself in. These qualities make agate superior for easing anxiety and stress. Plume agates are especially helpful for anxiety and stress relief. Particularly when placed on the Solar Plexus (3rd) Chakra it can help one to accept one's emotions, thereby helping overcome those emotions that one wants to remove.

Because of the harmonizing qualities of agate, and its emotional energies of removing and releasing resentments and bitterness, it is also considered by many to be an excellent stone for helping to heal and improve relationships.

Agate can cleanse and stabilize the aura by removing and/or transforming negative energy.

As far as relationships go, agate is a stone of marital and romantic fidelity.

Agate is said to strengthen the body and the body's connection to the earth. It also increases energy. Agate is used in crystal healing for healing of all kinds by bringing the elements of the healee into harmony. Physically, agate is said to be particularly helpful with tooth and gum issues, stomach problems, physical endurance, insomnia. Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.

White agate is especially considered a stone of hope.

Chakras: All agates can remove blockages from any chakra. Agate also relates to specific chakras according to the stone colour.

Pink Agate brings about calm and wellbeing as well as being known to bring about good luck and prosperity. It is thought to be a good choice of stone for decision making and self confidence as well as all issues related to the heart chakra. It is also considered to be a good choice for situations which cause you to feel stressed and anxious due to its calming influence and helps relax us before going to bed. It is also felt to protect us during sleep. It is thought to be a good stone for those who have to use their analytical ability so would be a good choice to have in a work environment.

Chakra: Heart

Element: Air

Crystal System: Trigonal

Hardness: 6

Colours: Pink

 

Zodiac Sign: Libra

 

Rock Lore & Tidbits: Agate is a variety of chalcedony which is a microcrystalline quartz. Agate is a more translucent microcrystalline quartz and technically is striped, though many stones named agates are not striped. There are many, many different types of agates in many different color combinations, and they are found all over the world.

Agate is so popular and so widespread that it is the state gemstone (or stone) of a number of US states: fortification agate (red, black, yellow bands), Kentucky; agate, Louisiana and Montana, Tennessee (state stone); Lake Superior agate, Minnesota; blue agate, Nebraska; Fairburn agate, South Dakota; prairie agate, Nebraska (state stone); fire agate, Arizona

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Wendy.

Buttons and Beads.

Hi, there,

I've been busy making samples for Cake International at the N.E.C in November using Silicone Plastique to make my own moulds.

For more information about this mould making compound visit:
http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/catalog/index.php  or http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/silicone-plastique

Originally formulated for making moulds for food this versatile product can be incorporated in many other areas of crafting.

Here's a tutorial showing you how you can make your own bead or button moulds with things you probably already have.

 

Take some polymer clay and roll it out, I used a pasta machine on the number 2 setting.

 

Use a texture mat, stencil, textured rolling pin, stamp or anything you like the design of and impress it in to your clay to transfer the pattern.

 

 

Take a cutter the same shape and size you would like your button or bead to be

 

 

turn the cutter so that the cutting edge is uppermost and drape the patterned clay in the recess

 

 

 

then cover this with another piece of clay, again rolled on the number 2 setting on the pasta roller

carefully turn this over, and press firmly to cut out your bead.

Bake the polymer clay bead following the manufacturers instructions. Once the bead had cooled use Silicone Plastique to make a mould. You can see how to use Silicone Plastique in my last tutorial (Textured Knitted Heart)

 

Here are a few moulds that I made using different textures and cutters for my beads. Once you have made your mould you can make your beads quickly and easily for your jewellery designs.

 

 

 

I used different shades of brown polymer clay in my mould to make the wood grain texture effect beads, then used Dinkydoodle Designs Lustre Dusts in copper, bronze and iridescent gold to give them a metallic look.

 

 

The wood grain disks were made from brown and gold polymer clay mixed together until just marbled and then passed through the pasta machine on setting number 1. I used different sizes of round cutters for these. Before baking your beads make a hole in them or insert an eye pin. After baking I sprayed the beads with Dinkydoodle Shell and Shine Spray to protect them. The flat disk beads had three coats of the shell and shine spray which gave them a high shine like varnished wood.

 

My unique beads where then used to make a one of a kind necklace but one that can be reproduced should I want to with the help of my mould.

 

 

Thanks for reading and hope you're inspired.

 

Wendy.

Knitted Texture Heart Jewellery

Hello there.

Long time, no blog.

Some of you might know that from time to time I demonstrate a product called Silicone Plastique for The Cake Decorating Company at some of the numerous cake shows held in the UK and Europe.  Silicone Plastique is a fantastic product for creating your own moulds. It’s a food grade, two part product that when mixed allows you to create a mould.  I have loved this product from the minute I got my hands on it because as a crafter it has allowed me to explore my creativity with all of the capabilities of being able to create my own moulds.

Jewellery making is one of my many passions and using Silicone Plastique has opened so many more avenues for me. I have put together a few tutorials to share with you, using Silicone Plastique and a few techniques I have used for making my own unique moulds, to hopefully inspire you a little bit.

In this first his first tutorial I will show you how to create a knitted texture heart to use in your creations.

 Here’s what I have made....

 

 

 

A necklace

 

 

A pair of earrings

 

 

and a bag charm

 

 

 

 

...and here's how I did it.

 

 

I used a clay extruder with the disk that gives the finest strands and extruded some polymer clay.

 

I took two strands, pinched them at the top and twisted them together.

 

 

 

This was then laid on to a sheet of polymer clay that I passed through a pasta machine on the number 2 setting. 

 

To give the knitted texture, twist another two strands together - this time in the opposite direction and lay it next to the first. Build up your design to the size you require.

I wanted my design to be a little more random so I varied the way I laid down the twisted strands, then used a sharp blade to neaten the shape. This was then baked following the manufacturers guidelines. 

 

 

Now to make the mould.

I took two equal amounts of Silicone Plastique and mixed them together until a uniform blue colour was achieved, covered my baked polymer clay and left it for an hour and a half for the Silicone Plastique to cure. You can find out more about Silicone Plastique at their website http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/

 

 

 

For my jewellery pieces I used polmer clay but you could use metal clay, jewel enamel or resin.

The polymer clay was placed in the mould then popped out, so now I have textured clay. I then used a small cutter to give me the heart shape.

 

I then used my extruder to get some larger strands to wrap around my heart shape and give it a border. You could at this point bake the heart and make another mould from that, but I made all of my hearts individually.

 

 

I then dusted the hearts with Claire Bowmans Gold Decorative Metallic Powder and baked them.

  Once they were baked and cooled I gave them a spray with Dinkydoodle Designs Shell and Shine Spray. This gave the hearts a sheen to look like realistic metal elements.

 

 

 

I then created some pretty, totally unique, one of a kind jewellery.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

Wendy.