It's Alive!!!

It's ALIVE!!!!! It's ALIVE!!!

I feel like Dr. Frankenstein today after bringing 5 tins of Gilders Paste back to life. Late last year my friend Claudia from CalliopesAttic, a great vintage findings shop on Etsy, sent me her old tins of Gilders Paste because after trying them she decided that she likes other patina techniques better. She said she was embarrassed to send them to me after opening them and seeing that they'd dried out, but I convinced her that for playing and learning, they'd be just fine.

Before

I have to say that they smell a lot like shoe polish. As you can see, they were in various stages of dryness, from totally dried out to just a little dried out. After searching the web for instructions on reviving Gilders Paste, I ran across directions to add odorless turpenoid and mix to the consistency you want. And guess what? It worked!

From this...

 

To this!

After

See the broken plastic knife? I had to really work that tin to get it back into condition, and the knife paid the price. Poor knife. All for a good cause though. Note: turpenoid is flammable and is toxic if swallowed, so take care when using it and always use it in a well-ventilated area and wash hands thoroughly after using it.

To add the turpenoid, I used a straw by dipping the straw into the liquid and putting my finger over the hole so that I only got small amounts of liquid at a time. I then worked the liquid into the paste and added more until I got the consistency I was trying for.

Next comes the fun part! Using it!!! So I got out some raw brass findings and scrubbed them with a toothbrush using soap and water to make sure that they were clean. Raw brass finding often have oils from the stamping process and your patinas will not adhere to the metal if it isn't clean. Here are the results:

Gilders Paste in Rust

Gilders Paste in Foundry Bronze with Rust accents

What are you working on today?

Happy creating!

~Mad

Today I Dyed My Fingers Purple...

Today I dyed my fingers purple... well, not the whole fingers, just a few spots. That's what happens when you use Alcohol Inks without gloves....

I got a set of Adirondack Alcohol Inks for Christmas and decided to break them out today and see how they work. What fun!!! It was hard to stop. So many findings to color, so little time...

And, of course, this is what my supervisor did while I worked...

Maybe tomorrow I'll see how many saw blades I can break...
~Mad

Playtime!! Adventures With Gilder's Paste Part I

OK fellow crafters, raise your hand if you are panicking that it is already NOVEMBER 10TH!!!!! Today, instead of hiding under the bed, I decided to break out my latest toy: Gilder's paste. This toy was a gift from a friend who tried it, but liked using a different medium better, so since it was just sitting in a corner drying up, she gave it to me to play with! **giggling with glee like a 3yr old**

Because it hadn't been used in so long, it had begun drying up. The back of the can says to use paint thinner to "rejuvenate, soften, blend" although Claudia said I could use water... Weellll, I bought some acetone (which can be used to thin paint) and decided to try both methods.

I have some raw brass that I washed with soap and water to remove any remaining oils and residues from the stamping process and sat down to play with the Gilder's paste. I can tell you now that it is not easy to revive. :-)

I have 5 different colors to play with in various stages of drying out. I will post again after I figure out the best way to rejuvenate it.

Cans of Gilder's paste

Wings in Antique Gold

Well, we have to let it dry for 12 hours, then buff it and seal it with acrylic sealer. Tune in later for an update on how it turns out! And don't forget to always have fun with your crafting!

Adventures in Patina

Yesterday I used a patina technique for the 1st time!! It wasn't as hard as I was afraid it would be. I modified a recipe for making patina at home from B'sue Boutiques. ** http://www.bsueboutiques.com/pi_cool_ways_to_age_brass.shtml ** I used what I had on hand, distilled white vinegar and Morton's salt.

I soaked the rings in the solution for an hour. Then, baked them for 13 1/2 minutes, took them out and let them cool. They looked really funny and salty. hehehe

After they were cool, I rinsed the dragons off in water and rubbed them dry. They came out a rosy hue with purple accents on the scales. Awesome! Now I just have to get some wax for them (hopefully tomorrow). Can't wait to see how they come out!