Provided By: Polyform Products

Ghost Image Stamping On Metallic Premo! Sculpey

Materials:

  • Premo! Sculpey metallic clay in color of choice

  • Deeply etched rubber stamp in design of choice (here we used Stampendous’ TC51 Foliate Quad Cube)

  • Shapelet Template in design of choice (here we used a Classic design)

  • Sculpey Super Slicer

  • Wet/Dry Sandpaper in 400, 600, 800 Grit

  • Soft cloth for polishing or Dremel tool Fitted with a muslin wheel

Note:

For further refernce on this technique, see Mokume Gane Technique Using Rubberstamps And Premo! Sculpey Clays.

Directions:

  • Condition clay by running through the pasta machine several times until smooth and elastic. Roll a sheet on a #1 setting, about ¼” thick.

  • Press stamp firmly into clay, making sure that all boundaries have impressed evenly into the clay. Lift stamp away. At this point you may want to adhere the sheet to a ceramic tile or a glass sheet so it won’t move easily.

  • Impression will have “high spots” and “low spots.” Your goal is to very carefully shave away the high spots until you can see the image in the flat surface. Because the mica flakes have been moved into a different direction, the image will remain as a sort of holograph; the light is being reflected differently, so the image remains. Do this shaving in very thin sheets, gradually working across the image.

  • When you have completed the shaving process, pick up your Shapelet Template. “Frame your image” and pick out the best part of the image. Lay the template down onto the clay, and with an Excel pointed craft knife, carefully trim the shape.

  • You may want to layer several colors beneath the hologram to give the piece a matted look. With a piece of wax paper laid down over the initial image, use your finger to bevel the edges of each layer.

  • Bake the embellishment piece at 275 degrees F for 30 minutes per ¼” of thickness. Be certain to check the accuracy of the oven with an external oven thermometer. Even new ovens can be off by as much as 30-50 degrees!

  • When the piece has cooled, you will begin to wet sand; begin with the 400 grit sandpaper and work up. Work under water or under running water. Rinse your piece and the sandpaper often. You want the piece to be as smooth as glass. If your shaving was carefully done, this won’t take long. Continue with the higher grits. Rinse well and dry.

  • Rub the piece vigorously with the soft cloth, or use the dremel. If you have a bench grinder fitted with a muslin wheel, this will speed the process up. Move it carefully back and forth across the wheel. Watch your fingers!

  • You may want to spread a very thin coat of acrylic glaze or Future Floor Wax across the surface.

  • Use embellishment in the application of your choice.