Techniques by Jana Ewy & Friends

Bead Making: With AMACO Bead Rollers

Technique courtesy of designer Myléne Hillman

Cut a strip of Friendly Plastic® to size. Heat and soften the plastic foil side down, on a non-stick surface, using a heat tool or hot water bath. Begin rolling from one end into a cylinder. Squash the ends between thumb and forefinger to create a cube. Roll into a ball in the palm of your hand. Place the ball into the base of a lightly oiled bead roller. Place the lid on top. Using gentle pressure, roll the top back and forth until the bead is formed. Using a bead pin or needle tool, pierce a hole through the bead. Cool the bead completely in cold water. See AMACO’s
Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

• To help prevent any distortion of the bead, place it in a dish of ice-cold water for a second or two to harden the outer shell before piercing. The center is still soft and can be easily pierced using a needle tool.

• If preferred, you can drill a hole using a very fine drill bit after the bead has hardened.

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Blending

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Blending like marbling is simply the intermingling of softened colors. Select several different colors of Friendly Plastic®. Heat and soften the plastic, on a non-stick surface, using any heating method (dry heat or wet heat). Using a needle tool, begin pulling the colors one into the other, creating either a precise or random design. Once you have achieved your desired design, allow the plastic to cool completely. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

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Cylinders

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Heat and soften strips of Friendly Plastic® on a non-stick baking sheet, using a griddle or oven (dry heat). Once all the strips have softened and fused together, remove the pan from the heat and allow the plastic to cool completely. Place the cooled plastic back on the cutting mat and cut the plastic into a 1” wide strip. Place the 1” strip on a silicone sheet, foil side down, and re-soften, on the griddle or in the oven. As soon as the entire strip is shiny, remove the silicone sheet from the heat and lay it onto your counter or work surface. Carefully lay the rubber tubing along the top edge of the softened plastic strip. Moisten your fingers and hands with water, to prevent sticking to the plastic, and begin to roll it up and around the tubing. Continue until all of the plastic is wrapped around the tubing. Now you can use your fingers and palms of your hands to roll the cylinder back and forth on the silicone sheet, to secure and seal the overlap. Allow the plastic to cool completely. Remove the tubing from the plastic. Cut into desired size beads. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

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Fracture and Fusion

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Cut (fracture) Friendly Plastic® into strips. Soften and fuse the strips of plastic together on a little gold pan, using the griddle. Remove the pan from the griddle and allow the plastic to cool completely. Remove the fused plastic from the pan and cut (fracture) it into strips. Turn every other strip, the opposite direction creating a mosaic type patter. Place the strips back in the pan and re-soften to fuse these strips of plastic together. Once the fusion is complete, remove the pan from the griddle.

Allow the plastic to cool completely or use shaped cutters to cut out a variety of shapes while the plastic is still soft. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

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Freeform

Technique information courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic®, using the hot water method. Working on a non-stick surface, just like the name implies, use your hands to free form the softened plastic into the design of your choice. Several layers and colors can be worked into the design. There is no right or wrong way to manipulate the plastic in a free form design. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

• You can use a variety of items or objects to be included into these designs.

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Fusion

Technique information courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Friendly Plastic® to Friendly Plastic® fusion is accomplished by softening Friendly Plastic® on a non-stick surface, using any of the heating methods (dry heat or wet heat). By simply touching the softened plastic to another piece of plastic, will create a bond or fusion. No matter if it is hard plastic or another piece of softened plastic, the two pieces, by the nature of the product, will fuse/stick together. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

Projects:

Butterfly Headband and Ring by Linda Hess.	Christmas Card by Sian Cheetham.	Fantasy Dragon by Natalie Young.	Fallen Apples scrapbook page by Caryn Gehm.
Noah's Ark by Kathy Palmer.	Out of Asia by Linda Peterson.	Copper Kimono by Linda Peterson.

Impressions

Technique courtesy of designer Liz Welch

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic® on heavy weight aluminum foil or a Teflon sheet using hot water. With the water acting as a lubricant (release agent), press the chosen object or objects, down firmly into the plastic and then remove. Keep in mind, that you can use a variety of objects to make an impression in the same piece of plastic, creating an unusual and one of a kind texture, instead of a single reproduction. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

• With this technique, you can use a wide range of items to impress with; stamps, thick lace, found objects, feathers, leaves, buttons, beads, miscellaneous household objects all work well.

• If you think there is a possibility that an item might stick, dip it in cold water or rub a tiny amount of cooking oil onto the surface of the object before stamping. Work quickly to avoid any sticking problem.

• Use AMACO® Rub ‘n Buff® to highlight the design and dimension of the finished piece.

• Apply a wash of acrylic paint over the finished piece, rub off the excess and when dry, then add Rub ‘n Buff® highlights. The paint turns the shiny Friendly Plastic® into something that looks more like porcelain.

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Inked Impressions

Technique courtesy of designer Liz Welch

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic® on desired non-stick surface, using a griddle, heat tool or oven (dry heat). Apply ink to a rubber stamp or other suitable object to create an impression in the plastic. Press the stamp down firmly into the plastic and leave until the plastic has cooled completely. Peel off the stamp. This method gives you the exact impression of the stamped image.

 

 

 

Inlay: Friendly Plastic® into Friendly Plastic®

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic® on a non-stick surface, using a griddle or oven (dry heat). Arrange and carefully place the chosen pieces of hard plastic onto the softened plastic. Allow the hard pieces to soften and inlay into the base plastic. The longer they are left on the heat the more complete the inlay will become. If a more dimensional effect is desired, you will want to remove the plastic from the heat, once the desired effect is achieved. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

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Inlaying Objects

Technique courtesy of designer Liz Welch

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic® using a griddle, heat tool or oven (dry heat). Position and press the chosen items onto the softened plastic. Be sure to press the items in deep enough to insure a permanent setting. You may want to drag tiny amounts of the surrounding plastic over the edges of the items for additional security. If neither of these is an option, you can wait until the plastic has cooled completely, remove the item, add a spot of glue and adhere the item back in place. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

• With this technique you can use a wide range of items; Buttons, sequins, beads, trinkets, charms, feathers, wire, washers, found objects, micro beads, glitter, fabric (small pieces), yarns and threads, punched paper shapes and small scraps or cut-outs of Friendly Plastic®.

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Marbling

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Heat and soften strips of Friendly Plastic® on a non-stick baking sheet, using a griddle or oven (dry heat). Once all the strips have softened and fused together, place the teeth of the marbling comb against the baking sheet and draw the comb towards you in a wavy “S” pattern cutting through the plastic.

NOTE: It is very important that you keep the teeth of the comb against the pan while cutting through the plastic.

Next, place the teeth of the marbling comb in between the lines you just cut. Now push the comb away following the same wavy pattern, bisecting the previous pass. Allow the cut lines to seal back together. Remove the pan from the griddle. Allow the plastic to cool completely or while the plastic is still warm, use shaped cutters to cut out shapes. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

Projects:

A Simple Tree of Hope and Peace pendant by Jana Ewy.	Flying Heart Brooch by Jana Ewy.	Autumn Fires pendant by Jana Ewy.
Magnificent Marbled Pendant by Jana Ewy.	Marbled Button by Liz Welch.	Frame with Marbling by Michelle Zimmerman.

Molds: Using Commercial Silicone Molds

Techniques courtesy of designer Myléne Hillman

Method 1

Lay the mold on a heat resistant surface facing upward. Cut a square of Friendly Plastic® a little larger all the way around than the cavity of the mold. Use either a heat tool or the water bath method to soften the plastic. Place the plastic foil side down over the cavity. With wet fingers, gently work the Friendly Plastic® into all the nooks and crannies of the mold. Allow the plastic to cool completely or drop it into cold water for 20-30 seconds. The plastic will pop out of the mold, easily. The back can be packed with softened scraps if a flat back is required for attaching to your artwork. Trim away the excess if preferred.

Method 2

Cut small slivers of Friendly Plastic® and place them into the mold one by one using the heat tool to soften before adding further pieces. Use wet fingers to mold each additional piece into the softened Friendly Plastic®. Continue adding layers, working the Friendly Plastic® into all the recesses of the mold until the cavity is full. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

NOTE: Krafty Lady has a large selection of Art Molds to choose from.

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Oooze!

Technique courtesy of designer Liz Welch

Just like the name implies, this technique explains how to get softened Friendly Plastic® to ooze through the holes in any sturdy mesh like material.

Heat and soften Friendly Plastic® on heavy weight aluminum foil, using a griddle, heat tool or oven (dry heat). Position and place the mesh material over the softened plastic (make sure that it is larger than the piece of Friendly Plastic®). Pick up the foil, while holding the mesh securely in place over the plastic; use your fingers from underneath the foil to press up against the softened plastic, forcing it to ooze up through the holes in the mesh material. Allow the plastic to cool and then cut into shape. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

• Anything sturdy with holes in it that resembles mesh, is a candidate for the ooze technique;
WireForm® Metal Mesh, Netting, Punchinella, sequin waste, Laser Mesh, metal mesh, fancy lace, punched paper, thin metal, fabric with holes in, Angelina fibers, etc.

• This technique can be enhanced using metal sugar craft cutters.

• The mesh material will stay in the Friendly Plastic® forever.

• Depending on the material, be careful not to heat Friendly Plastic® with the material in place, it might destroy or distort the material (Sequin Waste and Angelina fibers are particularly susceptible to the heat of a heat gun).

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Splash

Technique courtesy of designer Jana Ewy

Place a stick of white Friendly Plastic® on a protected work surface. Apply a wash of alcohol blending fluid over the plastic stick. In a random pattern apply drops of alcohol ink in one or two colors as your background colors. Allow the colors to blend together. Use a paintbrush to fill in any white areas. Dip a paintbrush into rubbing alcohol and touch the plastic where you want to create white circles (puddles). Choose a coordinating color of ink and dilute slightly with rubbing alcohol. Splash the ink across the surface of the plastic. Repeat this with as many colors of ink as you like. Allow the finished design to dry completely. See AMACO’s Friendly Plastic Craft Library for a variety of projects using this technique.

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