What do blue bottle trees mean?

What do blue bottle trees mean?

When African slaves arrived in the U.S., they created bottle trees from dead trees or large limbs next to their quarters and adorned them with glass bottles scavenged from garbage piles. Blue bottles were coveted, because they repelled evil and trapped night spirits to be destroyed by the rising sun.

Where can I get polymer clay?

US

  • Poly Clay Play – Trish Hodgens – Premo and Sculpey, Pardo, Viva Decor supplies, Ranger, (everything, really)
  • Munro Crafts – Most clay brands, full retail prices unless you buy in bulk, but then it's super cheap. ...
  • Clay Factory -Howard and Marie Segal – Fimo, Cernit, Pearl-Ex, some supplies.
  • Polymer Clay Superstore.

Does polymer clay break easily?

Polymer clay beads should be bendable if they are baked correctly. ... Under-baked polymer clay won't be bendable. It will be brittle and easy to break. So if you can bend your beads without them snapping, like the one in the photo, then you're baking polymer clay the right way.

How long do I bake polymer clay?

Bake this polymer clay at 285 degrees F, or 120 degrees C, for 20 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness. Sculpey Bake Shop® Eraser Clay: A fun twist on polymer clay, Sculpey Bake Shop® Eraser Clay manipulates like normal polymer clay but hardens into an eraser once cured.

What does polymer clay feel like after baking?

But it won't feel done. Polymer is quite soft when first removed from the oven. It needs to be cooled completely to reach its final hardness. When polyclay is cured correctly your cooled piece will be difficult to break, but if it is thin it might bend easily.

Can polymer clay explode in the oven?

Can polymer clay explode in the oven? Polymer clay does not burn and turn black unless the oven is near 350°F (190°C). If you reduce the temperature out of fear of burning, you will underbake your project which leads to breakage.

What happens if you over bake Sculpey?

If your clay is burning, the temperature of your oven is too high. Address your temperature, not your bake times! That being said, longer bake times can cause some colors of polymer clay to darken. White and translucent can turn slightly amber or brown.

How long do I bake Sculpey?

When baking Sculpey Bake Shop® Eraser Clay, bake pieces for 20 minutes at 250°F (121°C) per 1/2 inch (12 mm) thickness. We always suggest that an oven thermometer be used when curing the clays to ensure your oven is reaching and staying at the desired baking temperature.

Can I bake Sculpey on aluminum foil?

Yes, you can bake it on aluminum foil. ... Please don't bake any form of plastic. There are a lot of ways to color polymer clay.

Can you bake polymer clay on glass?

Lots of artists like to use glass work surfaces. They are easy to clean, easy to find, and work well with oven bake polymer clays. I do have one glass work surface that I use more often when I'm traveling than I do at home because it is very small and easy to pack.

How long should you let polymer clay cool?

Fimo: 30 minutes. Pardo Art Clay: Minimum of 30 minutes. Cernit: Approximately 30 minutes. Kato Polyclay: 10 minutes.

Do you paint polymer clay before baking?

Paint Before You Bake Polymer clay doesn't shrink or expand as it cures, meaning you can paint it before you bake. Unbaked clay may create a better bond with paint as it cures. ... For Sculpey III®, Super Sculpey® and Original Sculpey®, bake for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness.

Does polymer clay stick to parchment paper?

Non-Stick Work Surface Especially if you need to work with a super-thin and delicate sheet of polymer clay, it is helpful to lay it down on a piece of parchment paper, so the clay doesn't stick to anything. You can easily lift it from the paper when you're ready to use it.

Can I bake polymer clay without parchment paper?

Do not ever try to microwave your polymer clay. Sculpey Clay can be baked on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or cardstock. Some people like to use ceramic tiles or glass that can serve as both a work and clay baking surface. It's important to understand accurate Sculpey baking times.

Can you bake polymer clay with aluminum foil inside?

You can safely bake polymer clay together with Aluminium foil without any problems, which makes it perfect for creating a core four your polymer clay project.

How do you know when polymer clay is done?

Bake for 15 minutes per quarter inch of thickness. For example, a piece of 1/2" thickness should be cured for 30 minutes. To test the curing, try pressing the tip of your fingernail into the bottom of your piece after it has cooled; it will leave a mark but will not actually enter the clay.

Can polymer clay harden without baking?

No, you cannot air-dry polymer clay. Polymer clay has to be baked at the correct temperature for it to harden.

What happens if you burn polymer clay?

In addition to phthalate exposure the research indicates that when polymer clay is overheated enough or accidentally burned, the PVC will break down and release highly toxic hydrochloric acid gas.

Can you boil polymer clay?

"Boiling" can be used in some circumstances instead of dry heat baking or heat guns, etc, to cure or partly cure polymer clay, but only for items that are mostly rounded so projections won't be damaged. ... There's also silicon for molds that can handle heat at the same temperature as the polymer clay.

Can you use hot glue on polymer clay?

Can you bake hot glue? Instant glues (cyanoacrylate glues like Super Glue, Krazy Glue, etc) will be somewhat weakened by heat during baking but will hold before baking so can be used along with the stronger liquid polymer clayglue” (just put them in slightly different places, not on top of each other).

Can polymer clay be used outside?

Polymer clay is a great material to use in outdoor crafts. ... When hardened, polymer clay is waterproof, making it a suitable material for making outdoor pieces such as mosaic pots, lawn sculptures or tabletops.

Can you add glitter to polymer clay?

Adding Art Glitter, Glass Microbeads or Pearl-Ex Mica Powders to your beads to create sparkling or metallic effects! Condition your polymer clay well then roll into your desired bead shape. Apply your choice of sparkle to the beads before baking.

How do you make polymer clay shiny?

Polymer clay is not glossy after baking. You can sand, buff, and polish the clay itself (see below), or you can apply a glossy varnish. To make your clay project less shiny, you could apply a matte varnish. Note that adding a glossy varnish can make translucent polymer clay seem more clear.

What can you add to polymer clay?

Polymer clay can also be softened by mixing in a few drops of mineral oil or liquid clay. Many clayers report excellent results by adding in small amounts of Fimo Mix Quick, Sculpey Mold Maker, or a very soft translucent polymer clay.

Can you mix mica powder with polymer clay?

Mica powders are added to polymer clay to make your favorite pearl and metallic colors. ... Mica powders will not stick to the surface of baked clay, so you'll need to mix them with your favorite varnish or clearcoat to make a “paint”.

What is Mica shift polymer clay?

Mica shift is a polymer clay technique where you create a ghost image in metallic or pearl clay. Perfectly smooth, a well-executed mica shift effect fools the eye and intrigues viewers. Mica shift looks like the design is raised or depressed into the surface, but it's an illusion. It is perfectly flat.

Can you drink mica powder?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule allowing “the safe use of mica-based pearlescent pigments prepared from titanium dioxide and mica as color additives in certain distilled spirits.” Mica-based pearlescent pigments are currently approved as color additives in many foods and beverages, ...

Why is Mica bad?

Long-term inhalation of mica dust may cause lung scarring which leads to symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, and weight loss. VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: Workers in cosmetic manufacturing factories, mines, mills, agriculture and construction work. ... Mica use in cosmetics is not a concern for consumers.

Is Mica cancerous?

Though the organic mica itself has no documented health side effects when used in products, you would not want to inhale it as a powder or flake form. ... These colors, though approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), are chemicals and have serious health side effects such as causing cancer.