Playing with New Products- Verday Metal Paint and Patina

When Melinda Orr of Artisan Whimsy asked me to be part of the 5x5 team for this product, I jumped! 

 

Ten Seconds Studio has a line of metal paints and patina called Ver-Day, and after talking with them at bead fest and asking a million questions, I couldn't wait to try it! 

 

So 5 of us got to play with it, and see what this stuff could do.

 

Of course, I planned to use it on some polymer and see what it does.  We had to create at least 5 pieces with it. 

 

I made some blank polymer donuts to play with, along with some other shapes, and painted some with bronze, some with copper, some with iron and others with the brass.

 

For mine, and the teams test results, you can check Artisan Whimsy Magazine. (which is a pretty awesome free online publication!)

 

 

 

Here are just some of my observations.

 

I have used other metal paints, and these by far were the smoothest and best coating ones I have tried.  LOOOOOVED the paint.

 

Personally, I like the iron and bronze best.  The brass is too shiny for me, as is the copper.  I like those paints ALONE even, with no patina.  They are just gorgeous.

 

The polymer surface HAD to be roughed up nice and good to ensure the paint really cured to it.

 

I also liked mixing them all up, since each one has a different sort of reaction with the patina.

 

I found, that the key is patience. Patience while the color develops (24 hours) and then more patience when you seal it, and seal it and seal it and seal it. 

 

I will say, I was VERY hesitant about the rust on beads.  Since I know rust can be really hard to get rid of, and it keeps rusting and rusting.  However, after sealing mine, and sealing mine, and sealing mine, I really feel like it is stable.  Since there is only a thin layer of iron, it can't rust any further then that layer.  And since I sealed the heck out of it, no air should ever touch it again.  It is super smooth.  The first layer or two of sealer (I used acrylic) soaked right into the rust, and then they started to coat.

 

After playing some more, I began to add it to fancier beads, which also featured my signature paints and crackles.  I am thrilled with the combinations, though it takes longer to make these then any I have ever made before.  So they will certainly be limited and come out in groups!

 

Here they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Here are some process pics.

I did the metal paint and patina first, leaving some parts white.

Those parts got painted with layers and layers of color.

 

It was a lot of fun to find the perfect contrast for my shiny crackle- a matte rust.  I can't tell you how much I love it!!!!  The possibilities are endless.

Here is a before and after shot, just love these....

 

 

The best part is you can use this on anything.  I used it on a small display piece in wood, Melinda used it on sea urchin spines, on and on and on.  Paper, leather, canvas, wood- anything. 

 

Make sure to stop by the test team to see how many different ways you can use it!

Moving In and Movin On

So, now that I am in the studio, there is still alot of little fine tuning to do, and a lot of fear on my part, that I will trash it quickly and it won't be so nice anymore!

 

I tried to set things up in a logical way, giving myself extra room to lay things, since I tend to pile..............and pile............and pile.

 

What can I say, I like things in arms reach.  That is why I made this.

 

 

 

It is a shoe rack, that I used on my desk top for bead storage.  I spray painted it, and drilled holes on the bottom to add casters.   (ok, the hubs did that part!  not me)

Then I added an extra crate I had on top. 

 

Since I LOVE to have everything within arms reach when I work on stuff, and never have enough desk top, I needed something that would help to avoid the piles of things next to my desk. 

 

This can be wheeled over to sit beside me, and hold things like my stamps and molds, polymer clays, metal clays toold, paints, whatever I am working on, and then, if I am not done at the end of the day, it can be wheeled to the side, out of the way.

 

When I am done with say, polymer clay, the bins can go back on the shelves here and my "pile cart" gets wheeled to the side again.

 

Then I can always walk through the room, which didn't happen too often before.

 



 

So I got to use my cart today while making some long overdue polymer beads. 

 

I really just played, I had nothing in mind when I sat down. 

 

I made some big top drilled spikes that I really think will make nice sets.



I made some funky start spikey donuts

And some black beads to be painted with coppery metal paint.

 



 

 

I am going to paint designs on them, like my floor.  The donut below is a sample.

 

 

 

 I also got to play with some metal paint and patina's.  LOVE the results.  These are gonna be REAL fun!

Some more new shapes and things

 

And my favorite beads of the day, skinny sugar skulls!  Can't wait to paint these!  Such a fun shape.  I even made some double sided.

 



Have I mentioned I love my studio?  (sorry, still in shock)

 

Here she is all moved into.

 

 

 

 

Stop by tomorrow for a post about Bead Fest Philly in August, and where you can find me and some other great beady friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!



A Day Trip, A New Discovery and BTW

Last Friday, the family and I took a day trip to LBI, NJ.  The weather was perfection.  We packed some snacks and a lunch and off we went.

We ALWAYS walk out the rock jetty from the light house, to where the bay meets the ocean.  If you have been to see Old Barney, you know where I mean.

Its always a beautiful walk, with little tide pools and lots of cool rocks.

When we got to the end of the island, we had a happy surprise.  The tide was WAY low and there was a ton of "stuff" to salvage on the beach. We found sea glass and shells, and lots of junk (which we try to clean up while we are there).

 The kids could go out sooooo far and never be in deeper then their knees!

If you want to find out about my new discovery, please click here and hop over to Love My Art Jewelry.  Its about a piece of jewelry~ and the beach........................but I won't tell you here!  Sorry!

And, it is Bead Table Wednesday again!  Here is what's on my bead table.........patina'd wings and such. 

I should be doing an Artisan Accents shop update by the end of the week, and these should be part of that.  So stay tuned!


So, how's your summer going???  Any fun trips?  Has it inspired anything new in the studio?

Bead Table Wednesday

First of all~ I am sorry, I am a bit of a blogging maniac this week.  I promise, I will take it down a couple notches after the Bead Soup Party.

I actually have new stuff on my bead table (copper hearts are now to the side of the table:)  So I wanted to play.

This is a little bit of the aftermath of bead soup jewelry, and stuff, that I started while making bead soup jewelry.  Yes ~you can call it multi-tasking, I call it adult ADD.

I am really digging those colors.  I bezeled one of my bronz cabs I made and colored with Miss Fickle Media's wonderful patina set.  I can't wait until that necklace comes together.

 Then there is this mystic butterfly moon one I am working on.  The wings are made by me, in bronz clay, and again, colored with Miss Ficklemedia's patina's.  The other components, the flower link and the moon, I bought from Dime Store Emporium on etsy.  LOTS of cool components on there too.

Whew!  I am DONE blogging for now.  Really.  I'm serious.