Hi, I'm Debbie and I've been a polymer artist and instructor the last 15 or so years. I create and produce polymer clay tutorials for my website which you can find here: www.debbiecrothers.com/
You'll also find my blog on the website which has years of precious polymer clay information! I'm big on documenting and recording everything I do so there's lots of interesting things to read up on as far as the blog goes.
The goal for my RU-vid channel is to encourage you to think outside the square. I'll share lots of tips and tricks on how I create something but it's my hope you then take that information and transfer it to your own arts practice.
I will seldom share a "how to" on creating a finished project. More often than not you'll find components, techniques and individual processes which you can then expand on.
Celebrate the individual you are and learn to create pieces which are unique to yourself.
aww thanks heaps. I've used blending solution mixed with alcohol ink in this tutorial to allow the inks to flow easier. If you simply drop alcohol ink on to the surface of raw polymer clay it won't flow. You could alternatively add blending solution to the raw clay prior to dropping on your inks but this product dries very quickly so you need to work fast. I foung using blending solution/alcohol ink mix was just another way to apply the inks. Hope that helps. ♥
hey Catherine, absolutely. It's best to carve while still warm or you can mark the areas in your piece to be carved prior to curing and this will make it easier to follow the carving lines once cured. Hope that makes sense. The best tip I can give is to remember to have your piece warm - a bit like when carving lino - it makes it that much easier. ♥
@9:23 I use 12 gauge allimimium wire to bend into a circle then bake it with the wire you do have to carefully work the wire out but they make nice light weigh hoop ear rings using 20 gauge gold silver or copper wire as the earring post. Great tutorial! I subscribed!
oh thanks so much, that's really sweet. Yes you're right, curing with the wire in place is a great idea. I've done that before but had to leave the wire in as the majority of the coils were very tight. That's a great way to make hoop earrings - great thinking. Thanks again xx
Hi there, I mostly work with Pinata and Ranger alcohol inks. There are many more on the market now but because I have a good supply of the two mentioned, I haven't purchased any more. These work fine for the project I create. Thanks for asking.
my absolute pleasure @@kithevronmahoney7092 Thanks for stumbling upon me, that's awesome! I haven't done much here for a while and I'm not monetized. For me it's all about sharing my love and knowledge of this beautiful medium xx
Hi Debbie, that sparkle in the black is lovely and love that technique making the stripes, pretty colours. A question though if you don’t mind, why do you shave it then cover it? It’s just it’s not showing the shaved side as you cover it with the gold blend backing and texturally it’s not making any difference as you then press it on the mat again. I’m just not understanding that step. Thanks Debbie, I’m really enjoying your videos.
oh you are soooooo good to pick that up haha There was actually no need to back with gold clay - you could have used any colour or even scrap! I'm not sure why I did this to be honest - it was a long time ago now! Thanks so much for your lovely comment - you've made my day!♥♥
huge thanks for your comment. As I'm using Kato clay here I would normally cure at 150 to 160 degrees celcius and for about 40 to 50 minutes. I normally follow that rule for just about everything I cure using kato clay regardless of the thickness. Thanks again
I love alcohol inks on foil, but how do you deal with fading ink colors? I’ve read Ginger’s articles on alcohol inks (on The Blue Bottle Tree), and I don’t understand why so many people use the inks knowing they will fade.
oh you and me both and many others I might add. I have loved using alcohol inks with polymer clay for many many years. When the fading issue came up I carried out my own tests and found that yes, some inks do fade over time. I also found some faded during the curing process. I also carried out tests where I created the same piece, put one in the dark and one in the bright sunshine and of course the one in the sunshine faded. I've got samples of alcohol ink test pieces I made years ago which have been kept in a file (which means out of the sunlight) and they are still as bright and vibrant as the day I made them. I would never tell you to stop using alcohol inks, I would simply make you aware of what may happen. If you store your finished alcohol pieces in a box or drawer, I would suggest they would be fine. It's a personal choice and I for one, will never stop using alcohol inks. I hope that helps. Thanks heaps for getting in touch.
Debs, you just appeared in my feed today and I love your channel already!!! What a beautiful piece of art! You’re such a joy to watch and listen to! Looking forward to experimenting with you, actually! I’ve more materials than experience, so I’ll be watching closely and possibly picking your brain 😂 Thanks for sharing your great talent!
oh you are just gorgeous....what an awesome message to receive today. I can't thank you enough - it's just perfect. You are more than welcome to pick my brain honey - anything I can do just call out. Have a beautiful day x
Yes that's true for some foils but there are lots of brands on the market that just don't transfer regardless of how much burnishing is done. I've always had lots of trouble with the Deco Foils but some others are a little problematic too. There are lots of ways to use them so they're not wasted that's for sure. Thanks for your comment.
I love your work Debbie, and I love these pod beads! Thanks for showing us! Keep the videos coming, i want to see you get monetized, if that is desirable thing! Your work deserves it!
Oh my gosh, thanks for such a beautiful comment - you're awesome. I thought about getting monetized for about a minute and decided against it. I'm all about sharing and giving and I don't need to make money from this. Thanks again for your kind words, it means the world xx
I love watching your videos, thank you so much for sharing. Alcohol Ink on polymer lay is one of my favorite techniques. I often use mica powder but I never thought to sue foil. Can't wait to try!
Hi Gillian, thanks so much for your beautiful comment - I honestly appreciate it so much. Hope you have fun trying the foils. And yes, alcohol ink on polymer is pretty awesome hey!!
Hey Vanessa, I have tried sculpey premo and cernit and they worked fine for me. I haven't tried Kato and Fimo actually but I would suggest you could create a few small samples with different ratios of clay to see how they go. Good luck
Turned out beautiful!!❤😊 thank you 😊. Do you add the kato liquid clay with a brush and then do you use a heat gun or just bake it? Thanks again for the tutorial 😊
thanks so much Tanya, that means the world. I do have a tutorial about applying and curing Kato Liquid Clay but it's a paid tutorial on my website not a freebie. You can find it here if you're interested: www.debbiecrothers.com/product/curing-kato-liquid-clay-and-so-much-more-with-debbie-crothers
THANK YOU - I have NEVER been able to get it workable! I saw your video and decided to give it a try -So I just got it out - bought in 2008 - and used your method- SUCCESS! I am so pleased. THANKS! ( I don't know where that line is coming from)
I loved this video!!!! Thank you so much. I’ve never made pod beads before but I’m so excited to try this technique. Thanks for sharing your techniques. How did you get the brown lines around the yellow pod? That looks beautiful.
Huge thanks, I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. Pod beads are such a versatile shape to create and there are so many things you can do with them. The yellow beads with brown lines are a process which is covered in a paid tutorial on my website. Unfortunately I can't share the process here due to this reason. Thanks for taking the time to comment though - I really appreciate it. ♥
good question! You know I can't for the life of me remember if I did this on a white or trans base. The black really makes the foils pop and is my preference but give it a try - it could be very awesome!
Hi Leona, this is a fondant smoother and you should be able to find them quite easily in the cake decorating section any store which sells these products. Hope you manage to find one.
That was an excellent video, you are clear with the demonstration, wording, covering the materials, everything. And I can't thank you enough for sharing. It gave me quite the inspiration.
I’ve just started playing with clay and came across your videos via Pinterest, so I searched RU-vid. Your work is absolutely beautiful. This video concerned me because of the alcohol ink. I’ve been using these inks for a few years, and there are safety precautions that should be considered. The fumes can be dangerous long term, especially for people with lung conditions. I always use a respirator mask and an ink blower instead of a straw. Apart from the safety issues, your flower looks beautiful 😍
Hi Cara, thanks for your comment - I really appreciate it. I created this video 4 years ago befand was unaware of any safety concerns back then. I'll make sure to go and put a safety warning in the description (which I should have done ages ago). Thanks again.
@@debbiecrothers1 no worries. I wasn’t trying to come across in the wrong way. It’s just concern for people just starting out. I love your work, it’s very unique. Will have to try kato clay, I noticed that Riot now stock it. I live rural and rely on online shopping mostly. Thank you for sharing your techniques. I’m going to work on pods today. ✌️❤️
@@carrma57 oh absolutely honey - I never thought you were coming off the wrong way. It's something I should have thought of ages ago and didn't. I'm so glad you like my work - thank you - that's so kind. Yes Kato clay is one of my faves and unfortunately has had a bit of a bad wrap with some of the new generation of clayers. It has a completely different conditioning process which is why I created a tutorial on how to condition it. It's a perfect clay for the climate I live in and for the processess I like to use - especially shaping those pods. Thanks honey - take care xx
Hey Deborah, I assume you're talking about some of the pieces shown at the end of the video. There are a variety of different surface treatments used in these ones. I've used crackle medium on the first beads and silkscreens on the black and white beads. Hope that helps.
Hi fellow Aussie! Great tutorial! Would you be able to press this into a silicon mold before baking? Would the ink transfer to the mold? I can’t wait to try this. Thank you 🇦🇺❤️
g'day fellow aussie - thanks for getting in touch!! You know I haven't tried pressing into silicone mold but it could very easily be done that's for sure. I would suggest brushing the mold with powder first so the ink doesn't stick - just in case it might. The powder won't affect the ink or clay at all so I would say give it a try and see what happens. yay!!
