Translucent Liquid Sculpey Techniques
By Ann Mitchell and Karen Mitchell, AnKara Designs
Add to My Michaels
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Translucent Liquid Sculpey is a liquid form of polymer clay that can be used both with solid polymer clay and other craft materials. It has the appearance of white glue, yet has a viscous and slightly sticky texture. Although initially translucent, the Liquid Sculpey can be tinted to any color with a variety of pigments. The liquid clay needs to be cured by baking in a conventional, toaster, or convection oven. It can be applied to any material that can withstand baking at 275 degrees (F).
Liquid Sculpey can be stored in lidded containers made of metal, glass, and some flexible (milky) plastics. The plasticizers in the material will react with hard plastic or Styrofoam. The clay can be tinted in wax lined paper cups, and transferred later to storage containers.
Liquid Sculpey will thicken slightly over time, even when stored in sealed containers. The thicker texture is desirable for some decorative applications. To thicken the clay more quickly, leave it out for several weeks in a loosely covered polymer resistant container. To thin TLS, add Sculpey diluent one drop at a time, and mix it in thoroughly. Because of the sticky nature of Liquid Sculpey, extra care should be taken in handling the liquid polymer clay. To clean up your tools, use a dry paper towel to wipe off clay residue, and then a paper towel dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Dry tools completely.
To remove clay from hands, first clean with a baby wipe, and then wash hands thoroughly with heavy duty soap. For sensitive skin, hands can be protected with latex gloves or barrier cream while working with the clay.
Tools and work surface used with both liquid and solid polymer clay should not be used for food preparation. Baking Bake Liquid Sculpey at 275 degrees F (130 degrees C) for 15-20 minutes.
A heat gun can be used briefly to set liquid clay on curved or vertical surfaces before baking. The item must then be baked at the regular time and temperature.
Overheating liquid and solid polymer clays will result in blackening and the release of irritating gases including hydrogen chloride. Use an oven thermometer and timer to assure that your creation is not overheated.
Polymer clay can be baked in a home oven. Polymer clay enthusiasts use a separate toaster or convection oven dedicated to polymer clay baking. Another option is to use a dedicated enamelware roaster pan with a lid to bake clay in your home oven.
Translucent Liquid Sculpey has more of an odor when baking than solid Sculpey clays. Although polymer clay is not toxic, it is important to always bake clay in a well-ventilated area.
In thin layers Liquid Sculpey bakes to a translucent matte finish. Liquid polymer clay can be applied in layers and be re-baked after each layer. Solid clay items can be baked several times. Finishing
Thicker or multiple layers of Translucent Liquid Sculpey can be wet sanded and buffed to a very high shine. Liquid Sculpey can also be left matte or varnished with a polymer friendly product.
Tools for Liquid Sculpey
In addition to your regular solid polymer clay tools such as a work surface, rolling tool, and cutting tool, liquid polymer clay requires a few extra tools, especially for color mixing, storage, and baking. Here are some recommended tools: - Lidded containers, either metal with glass lids or flexible plastic that snap shut
Aluminum palette (used for mixing color into less than 1/2 of a teaspoon of liquid clay) Small glass dishes (used for mixing color into more than 1/2 teaspoon of liquid clay) Small spoon or wooden craft sticks (for scooping powdered pigments into the liquid clay) Wooden skewers, toothpicks, or a pin tool (used for finer detailing and marbling techniques with tinted liquid clay) 91% isopropyl alcohol (for cleanup) Sheet of glass, at least 5-inch x 7-inch (used for thin sheet baking and transfers) Heat gun (used for setting liquid clay before baking, especially in dimensional applications)
In addition to these basic tools, you may wish to have a polymer clay friendly varnish and a brush to achieve a glossy finish for some of the glass effects with liquid clay.
Adhesive Applications Liquid polymer clay has many applications ranging from the practical to the creative. Translucent Liquid Sculpey offers numerous decorative and imitative looks not previously possible with solid polymer clay. Liquid clay also works well for many mixed-media projects.
When baked, Translucent Liquid Sculpey has great adhesive properties for use with polymer clay.
Liquid Sculpey can be used to adhere lightweight polymer elements (raw or baked) to raw or baked polymer clay, or to surfaces such as paper mache, wood, glass, or metal. When using Liquid Sculpey as an adhesive, it should be applied in a thin layer for best adhesion. TLS can be used to assist in attaching jewelry findings. Handling |
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| | Spread a thin layer of Liquid Sculpey at the placement location on the back of the pre-baked brooch.
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| | Open pin back and place on back of brooch
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| | With a thin strip of raw clay coated in Liquid Sculpey, cover the pin back (liquid clay side down).
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| | Press the strip in place and bake the brooch.
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| | Other findings:
When embedding clasps, wire loops, or other wire elements into raw polymer clay, Translucent Liquid Sculpey can be used for extra security.
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| | Liquid Sculpey as a Glaze
Translucent Liquid Sculpey can be used as a glaze to set metal leaf, mica pigment powders, or decoupage. As a glaze it can also help reduce fingerprints on a polymer project.
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| | Liquid Sculpey as a Clay Softener
Translucent Liquid Sculpey can be mixed with solid polymer clay to form a spackle to repair cracks in finished polymer clay pieces. Liquid Sculpey can be used to soften solid polymer clay.
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| | Techniques for Translucent Liquid Sculpey
In addition to practical and adhesive applications for Translucent Liquid Sculpey, this translucent liquid polymer clay can create beautiful decorative details for polymer clay and mixed media projects.
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| | Transfers
Translucent Liquid Sculpey is an effective medium for creating very thin, flexible, translucent transfers from paper to clay using black and white toner photocopy images or color prints from an inkjet printer on fabric transfer paper. Black and white images can be hand colored with high quality colored pencils before transferring (Prismacolor or Walnut Hollow oil-based pencils work well). One of the unique properties of making transfer with liquid clay as opposed to solid polymer clay is that the images will be sheer and paper thin, yet flexible. These thin images can be set into frames to create window transfers great for sheer applications such as candle holders, delicate jewelry, and memory book projects. The Liquid Sculpey can also aid in transferring images to solid clay.
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| | Black and White or Hand-Colored Toner Photocopy Images Baking Method:
Spread a thin, even layer of Translucent Liquid Sculpey on a sheet of glass. Place black-and-white transfer image toner side down into the liquid clay. Allow at least 1/2-inch between the edge of the transfer and the edge of the paper when you cut it out. Fold back one corner of the paper edge before placing it in the clay, this will aid in removing the paper after baking. Gently press the image into the clay starting from the center of the image. This will remove air pockets between the transfer and the clay. Allow image to rest in clay for five minutes before baking. Bake glass with clay and transfer paper at 275 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove glass from oven, and while still hot, carefully peel paper from the clay in a smooth and gentle motion. Peel the clay transfer from the glass if still adhered. Lay peeled clay transfer on a smooth, flat surface to cool. The thin transfer is now ready to be applied to clay or other bakeable surfaces using more Liquid Sculpey as an adhesive. The transfer can also be inserted into a clay frame to enhance its translucent qualities, or used as a paper thin image in memory book projects. Note: It is also best to photocopy the image onto a paper with a minimal finish on it (basic photocopy paper) as some paper finishes will make peeling more difficult. A colored basic photocopy paper generally works well. You may need to test several types of paper for best results. Monitor oven temperature carefully, as that may also affect ease of peeling.
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Heat Gun Method: - Spread a thin, even coat of Translucent Liquid Sculpey on the surface of your toner transfer image. The uncured clay will appear milky white and shiny.
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| | Use your heat gun to carefully set the clay. Move the tip of the heat gun evenly over the surface of the clay so it does not burn in spots.
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| | The clay will become translucent and matte when it cures.
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| | With a clay blade or your fingernail, peel the clay away from the paper while the clay is still warm. You will now have a paper thin transfer.
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| | If you use the side of the clay that lifted the image off of the paper, your image will be reversed. It is a good idea to bake the transfer on a flat tray (if you are not applying it to clay that will be baked again) for 10 minutes to make sure the liquid clay is completely cured.
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| | Color Transfers with Fabric Transfer Paper
Color images printed from your computer inkjet printer onto fabric transfer paper can be easily made into thin liquid clay transfers. Once you have printed the image onto the fabric transfer paper (used for transferring images onto t-shirts and fabric), just follow the directions for the heat gun transfer method. Once the Liquid Sculpey is cured, the clay will peel easily from the paper. This way, you can quickly turn your own digital color images into paper-thin clay transfers.
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| | Adding Color to Translucent Liquid Sculpey
Translucent Liquid Sculpey can be tinted with many types of pigments for a broad range of colors to create incredible decorative effects.
Color can be added to Translucent Liquid Sculpey using oil paints, mica pigment powders, heat-resistant glitter, dry oxide pigments, some embossing powders, and some concentrated inks. Liquid pigments will thin Liquid Sculpey slightly; powdered pigments will thicken the liquid clay. The translucency of tinted Liquid Sculpey will vary, depending on the type, color, and amount of pigment used. Do not use acrylic paints to tint Liquid Sculpey. The water in the paint evaporates during the baking leaving bubbles and a bumpy texture. Add pigments sparingly, as a very small amount will tint the liquid clay quickly.
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| | Uses for Tinted Liquid Sculpey Paint: Tinted Liquid Sculpey can be used as paint over raw or baked clay, or over other bakeable surfaces such as paper mache and wood. Some liquid clay painting effects include patina, oxidation, rust, stippling, gilding, and dimensional elements. Different colors can be stippled in layers to create depth.
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| | - Impression glazing: raw, solid polymer clay can be textured with rubber stamps, texture sheets, or molds, or impressions can be made in baked clay with a linoleum cutter. Once the textured base is baked, the impressions are filled with a contrasting color of tinted Liquid Sculpey and baked again. Covering raw clay with metallic leaf before stamping, baking, glazing, and baking again can create an antiqued metal effect.
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| | - Mosaics: Liquid Sculpey can be used both to adhere polymer clay mosaic tiles to a polymer or other bakeable base and tinted to be used as a grout after the tiles have been baked in place. Thin sheets of tinted Liquid Sculpey baked on glass can be punched and rolled into a raw solid polymer clay base (coated with Liquid Sculpey) for an inlay effect.
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| | - Marbling: Starting with a base of baked solid polymer clay or other bakeable material coated with a thin layer of the translucent liquid clay, several colors of tinted Liquid Sculpey can be dropped onto the surface of the base. Dragging a skewer or pin tool through the different colors of liquid clay can create intricate patterns. The piece must then be baked on a level surface to prevent disturbing the pattern. The same method of dragging and marbling colors can be done with the Liquid Sculpey on a piece of glass. Once baked and cooled on the glass, you will have a patterned sheet of clay that can be cut up or punched and applied to your project.
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| | - Enamel, Cloisonné, and Stained Glass: Tinted Liquid Sculpey can be used to imitate enamel or stained glass when contained within polymer clay borders and then baked. For an enamel look, bake over a polymer clay base or embossed craft foil base, for stained glass bake a solid clay outline on glass, and, once cooled, fill the wells with tinted liquid clay and bake again.
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| | - Lampwork effects: The look of lampworked glass beads can be easily created by forming base beads of tinted translucent solid polymer clay. Once the base beads are baked and cooled, scrolls, flowers, or intricate designs of tinted Liquid Sculpey can be dotted onto the beads using a pin tool or toothpick. The liquid polymer clay can be set between colors with a heat gun held at a safe distance from the bead (if you get too close, the patterns of liquid clay will slide).
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| | Other applications Veneers Tinted Liquid Sculpey baked on glass or paper in thin sheets create elegant veneers that can be punched or cut and applied to polymer clay or other materials. These decorative veneers can also be incorporated into scrapbooks, altered books, or other paper crafts.
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| | Translucent or lightly tinted Liquid Sculpey can be spread onto a toner photocopy or a piece of glass. A piece of well-pressed cotton or cotton-blend fabric placed in the clay, saturated with more Liquid Sculpey, baked (10 minutes at 265 degrees F), and peeled from its baking surface will create a leather-like, non-fraying water resistant clay fabric. The fabric can be used to make larger, lightweight elements for polymer clay projects, stitched or appliquéd like fabric, or applied to mixed-media projects.
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