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Friday, May 31

Dine In Style... Making Hand Crafted Chopsticks
with Isabel Villarreal


I LOVE making things that are both beautiful and useful and with Amazing Crafting Products anything is possible! Sushi is one of my absolutely favorite meals and I'm a firm believer that everyone should own a few pairs of "good" chopsticks. After attempting to shop for what I wanted I discovered that the pretty ones were also pretty expensive, so I decide to put my craftiness to use and make my own. It's very simple and you can make them in any theme. In the next few frames I'll show you how to make your own custom hand crafted chopsticks that will WOW your guests!

   

I started by preparing equal parts (A & B) of Amazing Mold Putty and set them aside while I found a pair of chopsticks in my kitchen drawer. I had a couple of different types and I decide to use a pair of round wood ones that I felt were weighted and balanced nicely. I mixed the parts of the Amazing Mold Putty together until it was a solid color yellow, rolled the putty into a tube shape as long as the stick, then firmly pressed the stick into the putty until it was halfway covered. 


I allowed the mold to set for about 15 minutes. Before making the top haf of the mold, I coated the bottom half of the mold in Alumilite Mold Release. This is VERY IMPORTANT!! The rubber to rubber mold release insures that the two halves of the mold (top & bottom) will not bond together, allowing you to create a two part mold that will make this project a breeze. A thin coating of petroleum jelly will also work for this purpose.


I made the top half of the mold and pressed it onto the bottom half, making sure to leave a little overlap. Once it set I made marks on the mold using a Sharpie. The marks will make it easy to line up the two halves so that you have a perfect casting every time. I used Amazing Casting Resin using equal parts of "A" & "B" and mixing until it was clear. Pour resin into both halves of the mold and when it begins to turn white, join the two mold halves making sure to line up the marks you made earlier. Amazing Casting Resin sets in about 5 to 10 minutes but I gave the resin about 40 minutes while I ate my dinner. I cast several sets so that I would have lots to play with.


After removing my casting from the mold I smoothed out any rough edges using a 1,000 grit sanding sponge. The chopsticks will have a matted white finish. The next step was to coat the chopsticks in a thin layer of Amazing Clear Cast Resin with a little Alumilite Pearlescent Powder to give it a finished shine and also some added strength. After coating the chopstick wait about 40 minutes and then press in your desired decorations like stickers, pictures, beads or anything you can imagine. You can use a toothpick to help press them into the coating. The clear coat will be slightly tacky and act as adhesive and permanently set them onto the surface once it's dry. Drying time is 24 to 48 hours depending on temperature and humidity.

Dining In Style!


I used foil stickers to decorate mine and made them all unmatched for fun. They are all different but still look like a set. I plan on making tons of these chopsticks for myself and as gifts for friends (sorry to spoil the surprise guys!). 

If anybody decides to try this project, please let me know. I'd love to see what you create!

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Thursday, May 30

Seaside Inspired Ornaments... AMAZING Inspiration by Michelle Frae Cummings


Hi Everyone, Michelle here to show you some Seaside Inspiration made from Amazing Crafting Products! We decided to keep up our tree from last Christmas because with the lights on, it adds a nice glow to our living room.

I had also always wanted a seaside inspired tree with glittery sea shells and mermaid ornaments!

Now that Summer is here, I decided it was the right time to start decorating and made up these easy ornaments from sea shells and plastic toys. 


Here, you can view how I made the molds and poured the resin. I used the following Amazing Crafting Products for these ornaments: Amazing Mold PuttyAmazing Casting Resin; also Silver and Pearlescent Alumilite Powders.


I simply brushed the powders into the molds before pouring the resin and added a bit of wire before the ornament had set so I would have a instant hook. 


What are you creating for your summer seasonal decor?

Thank you so much for coming by to see my Inspiration. Please feel free to visit my blog for more idea's! ~ Michelle Frae Cummings

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Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty
website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase.
Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}.
Coupon expires May 31, 2013.
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Wednesday, May 29

Tchotchke Charm Necklace... by Carole Lassak

Hi, there!! Carole here with a piece of jewelry created with Amazing Crafting Products. This necklace has lots of baubles and trinkets – many of them created from items I've molded using Amazing Mold Putty. There are reasons I molded these pieces rather than use the originals. First, I don't own all the originals – the flower basket and the bee are from friends' jewelry collections. The original of the gilded baby was a toy that as a child I played with in church, and I want to preserve the original. The frozen charlotte original is white porcelain – not the look I was going for. But, that's what so great about Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin. I can have my cake and eat it, too.

For all the pieces in this project I followed these basic molding and casting directions.

Here are close-ups of the flower basket, frozen charlotte, and the bee.

     


I used Amazing Clear Cast Resin with butterscotch Ranger's alcohol ink added during the mixing process to get a translucent finish. For the bee I used Amazing Casting Resin with no color additive. The bee was white when it came out of the mold, and I used the same butterscotch alcohol ink to stain it. Then, I added a couple drops of ginger and pitch black to accent the recessed areas.

I cast the baby doll with Amazing Casting Resin. Next, I coated her with USArtQuest Duo Adhesive. This adhesive becomes effective and tacky only after it dries, and it the perfect thing for using with gilding. My little gilded baby lives in a shrine from Coffee Break Designs.



For this heart charm I covered the bottom with fine gold glitter and filled the bezel with Amazing Clear Cast Resin. I let it sit overnight, and when it was cured, I glued the red rhinestone to the top.



Here you can see the finished necklace with
all the fun charms, trinkets, and Amazing pieces.


What will you mold and cast
into a jewelry piece?

Thank you so much for visiting! You can see more projects on my Create & Craft blog.  ~ Carole



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Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty
website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase.
Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}.
Coupon expires May 31, 2013.
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Tuesday, May 28

Totally and AMAZINGLY Inspired... by Rachel Whetzel

Hello everyone - Rachel here today... and I have been AMAZINGLY INSPIRED!!! The idea that I can take one of my "One-of-a-Kind" vintage items that I keep NOT using in my art work, (because it's ONE-OF-A-KIND) and create MORE of them, BLOWS MY MIND!!


This month, I am SO excited about this One-of-a-Kind vintage doll arm, that I'm sharing it with you BEFORE I create with it. I'm always finding pieces that are old, and a bit "loved". I also NEVER used to use them because once I had, that was IT! 

FINISHED.  No MORE.

All gone... 

There wouldn't BE another piece unless I seriously lucked out at the thrift store or a garage sale. I wasn't taking the risk. Then along came Amazing Crafting Products, and their beautiful Amazing Mold Putty, and their Amazing Resins.

Which brings me to today. I've been inspired by the use of Frozen Charlotte dolls in art work. I started collecting doll bits here and there with the idea I might use them similarly. The other day, I got to thinking about creating some of this paritcular doll arm, and experimenting with some of the dies and resins.

Now I'm totally inspired, and excited about the ideas in my head! I can't wait to get them out into the world!! Feels like an avalanche of ideas over this one piece!!

What about you? Do you have a special One-of-a-Kind
piece you have been holding onto instead of using?
Please share your projects in the comments below! 

If you create something inspired by my idea, please leave a comment with a link here, so I can come and visit to see! I would love for you to visit me at my "house" too!! Thank you so much for reading!! ~ rachel
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Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty
website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase.
Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}.
Coupon expires May 31, 2013.
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Want to SOCIALize? Please follow Amazing Crafting Products on Twitter at@AmazingCrafting and on Pinterest HERE -or- join us on our Facebook page.

Butterfly Kisses... AMAZING Inspiration
from Brenda Burfeind

I love little vintage picture frames and have a few sitting around the house here and there with pictures of the kids when they were young and also of the grandkids and so came the Inspiration for this project. I love these so much I thought I'd make one using the Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin and using it in a bit of a different way. Not necessarily as a photo frame, but to "frame" a butterfly on a plaque.


Using a small nail file I was able to get into those tiny areas and cleaned them up a bit after the frame was cast to get the finer detail of the butterflies and flowers. I painted the pieces and then used black rub-n-buff to tone it down and give it an aged look. I also used my stylus and dotted the butterflies "flight path". To see a full how-to on how I created this piece... CLICK HERE.


Just imagine how many AMAZING photo frames you could make. I know I will have a few more added to my collection now also and if you make something using the Amazing Mold Putty or Amazing Casting Resin, please let me know so I can come see your creations.

"Creativity is Only a State of Mind..." You can always find me here to see what else I create. Thanks for stopping by!  ~ Brenda 

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Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty
website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase.
Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}.
Coupon expires May 31, 2013.
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For both written and video instructions showing how to create Amazing Mold Putty molds, and cast resin objects, please visit the Amazing Crafting Products library.

Monday, May 27

AMAZING Inspiration from Sandra Strait... Fisherman's Paradise Brush Holder

Happy Memorial Day all! Sandra here today to bring you some out-of-the-box inspiration today. I take daily vitamins, which means, every month I end up with a cool container of a goodly size, perfect for crafting!

I've been piling them up (or giving them away) waiting for inspiration to strike, and when I saw these Mylar sheets in a local craft store, inspiration struck! BANG!!! So, I glued the Mylar sheets onto the containers.

Then I cut illustration board and a textured shelf-liner into the shapes of three fish. When I cast them in Amazing Casting Resin, I used a mixture of Alumilite Metallic Powders dusted into my molds, so I'd have a clutch of colorful fishies.


My tip for today: Illustration board makes a good base for a shallow mold. If you have an object too thin to mold by itself or want to create your own object, cut the illustration board into the shape you want and glue or tape thin objects to it. Shelf liner, drywall tape, micro-marbles – the list of items that can add texture is endless! Then just press it into your Amazing Mold Putty.



I always keep the bits and pieces of resin that overflow my molds, and I used these to create the ripples of water and added lace at top and bottom to finish off the container. 

Voilà, I had a Fisherman's Paradise brush holder!


For more of my work in Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog.
~ Sandra Strait
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Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty
website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase.
Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}.
Coupon expires May 31, 2013.
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Want to SOCIALize? Please follow Amazing Crafting Products on Twitter at@AmazingCrafting and on Pinterest HERE -or- join us on our Facebook page.

Saturday, May 25

DIY Polaroid Coasters {EASY PEASY}...
by DeeDee Catron

Good Evening folks! What a fine fine Saturday :)

DeeDee here today and I'm sharing some Polaroid Coasters that are UBER easy and SUPER awesome for your living room, teacher gifts, grandparent gifts, or even parties!


In a couple of quick easy steps - you've got a set of commemorative coasters!

Let's get started...


1) Grab some supplies... ceramic tiles (mine came to 4.25 x 4.25), photos (I cut them to 3 x 3.75), paint brush, and Helmar's Decoupage paste.
2) Coat ceramic tile evenly with decoupage paste with strokes from top to bottom.


3) Coat completely.
4) Now, with a minute amount of decoupage paste on your bush, stroke the opposite way, from side to side. This will help even out the paste and get rid of brush strokes.


4) Position photo onto WET paste.
5) Cover photo in the same manner as the tile, from top to bottom and then side to side. Make sure your paste flows from the picture to the tile, creating a bond and ultimately a seal.


6) Cover completely and let dry.
7) Gather MORE supplies! Amazing Clear Cast Resin, stir stick, measuring cup, and dried tile.


8) Mix equal parts of Amazing Clear Cast Resin "A" and "B" in your measuring cup.
9) Stir completely, then let sit for about five minutes.


10) Cover your tile in resin! Don't pour too much at a time, and don't pour all the way to the edge. You can use your stir stick to pull the resin towards the edge after you've got enough to cover it.
11) Cover and allow to cure!

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Think about all the fabuloso things you could do with this! I really love the polaroid look, but you could scrap your tiles, too. The decoupage acts as a sealant for anything that might "leak" into the resin while it's curing. So really go wild! Add glitter, alphas, paper bits, ribbons and fibers! It's like working on an assemblage necklace bezel, only much larger! What might you be doing for coasters in the future??
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Thanks for stopping by! ~ DeeDee

Don't forget!! We have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase. Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}. Coupon expires May 31, 2013. **PLEASE NOTE** THIS OFFER IS EXPIRED.

Molding a Slice into a Stamp for Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop


Amazing Crafting Products is proud to be participating in this bloghop which celebrates and says "THANKS" to our men and women serving in the armed forces. Each one of us has a family member, friend or co-worker that has dedicated their life to protect our freedoms and to these brave folks we say "THANK YOU!" Also we would like to say "thanks" to all who support Operation Write Home in providing over two million handmade cards to our Military Men and Women abroad.


If you arrived here and would like to get back to see the rest of the blogs participating... CLICK HERE to head back to Operation Write Home!


You may be wondering why a company of three dimensional product would be part of this event. Two reasons: first because several of our Creative Team Members are Military Families -or- are supporters of Operation Write Home - AND - secondly, because the background paper for this card is hand-stamped from a HANDMADE stamp created using Amazing Mold Putty... REALLY!!!

Creative Team designer Susan, loves making molds of interesting items, many from nature and especially food! She created a mold from a slice of an orange, then when mold was cured, generously lubricated mold with vaseline {because Amazing Mold Putty will fuse to itself}, then filled mold with another batch of Amazing Mold Putty to make a reverse. When cured, she had a relief stamp that is a slice of heaven! Earlier in the week, Creative Team designer Michelle showed how to make stamps using embossing folders and stencils with Amazing Mold Putty - CLICK HERE to view this how-to. A circular border and sentiment by Inkadinkado paired with Operation Write Home's Sketch number 83 complete this sunny "Thank You" card.

BLOG CANDY...

As part of the event, Amazing Crafting Products is hosting a giveaway of AMAZING proportions. One winner will be chosen from those who leave a comment telling us "what you would love to mold in Amazing Mold Putty" on this post. Winner will receive one box each of Amazing Mold Putty, Amazing Clear Cast Resin and Amazing Casting Resin!!! ALSO, we would love everyone to have a little something, too - SO - we have a COUPON to shop at the Amazing Mold Putty website HERE and receive 20% OFF your purchase. Please use coupon code " amazingmay " {no quotations}. Coupon expires May 31, 2013.

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Thanks for stopping by and we hope you have an AMAZING weekend!

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog via email on the right side bar:
Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

Friday, May 24

Featured FAN-DAY!!! Meet our AMAZING Fan
Tracy Alden of Art Resurrected


It's Memorial Day Weekend - we hope you are having a great evening! Today we are so excited to celebrate another Featured FAN-DAY for A-MAY-ZING May with Amazing Mold Putty!!! Announcing Tracy Alden – proud fan of Amazing Crafting Products!!!


Today's featured fan is sharing some AMAZING jewelry.
We hope you enjoy meeting Tracy Alden!


This is a faux amber scarab necklace. I made scarab molds from Amazing Mold Putty and then poured each piece to make beads. Each bead is hand drilled. Vintage Siam silver links and cattle bone beads.

 

This is a brass bracelet; with each bezel filled with glitter and bookboard
embellishments with a coating of Amazing Clear Cast Resin on top.




This is one of my first tries at putting shed snake skin in Amazing Clear Cast Resin, in a 40x30 cabochon mold made with  Amazing Mold Putty . (No snakes were harmed. My female Burmese Python Cyrene sheds her skin every few months. The shedding is somewhat like working with tissue paper).

"I have been a fan of
for years!
I am a designer and often get my clients to use
your products because they love the results so much."
~ Tracy Alden, Featured Fan

You also see more of Tracy's work on her website Art Resurrected HERE... and lots of wonderful things to see! Click HERE to jump to her blog.

What have you made with Amazing Crafting Products?


If you missed out on today's event and want to be one of our "Featured Fans" – please send us your BEST photo of a project made using Amazing Mold Putty, Amazing Casting Resin or Amazing Clear Cast Resin to:


Please include one AMAZING photo {and a detail if needed}, your info, blog link and a brief paragraph explanation – you may be featured on our blog for all the world to see on our next FEATURED FAN-DAY!
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Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:
Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty
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Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic evening!  :) Sb

We are starting the Memorial Day Weekend Early... with a FEATURED FAN-DAY today!



Happy Friday!!! Guess What???

Today is another featured FAN-DAY for our A-MAY-ZING May with Amazing Mold Putty!!!

Are you a proud fan of Amazing Crafting Products???


This is your chance to have your work showcased here...

What have you created with Amazing Crafting Products?


If you want to be one of our "Featured Fans" – please send us your BEST photo of a project made using Amazing Mold PuttyAmazing Casting Resin or Amazing Clear Cast Resin TODAY by 7pm EST {Eastern Standard Time} to:


Please include one AMAZING photo {and a detail if needed}, your info, blog link and a brief paragraph explanation  – you may be featured on our blog for all the world to see TODAY!!!

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Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend!

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:
Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

Thursday, May 23

“How To” – Creating Custom 1:64 R/C Bodies...
with Lonnie Sexton



Radio Shack licensed an SE version of the popular 1:64 Scale ZipZap R/C’s years back. They no longer offer these cars on the market and parts have become rare. I wanted to produce some custom bodies and Amazing Crafting Products made it possible.

Parts/Tools:
Amazing Mold Putty - Link
Amazing Casting Resin - Link
Mixing Cup - Link
Mixing Stick – Link
Mold Release -

Poster Board
Styrene Sheets .30” think
Green Putty
MEK – Styrene Bonder
Masking Tape
Wood / Styrene Rods (dowels) ¼” dia.

Hot Glue Gun
2-part quick set epoxy
Box Knife (razor for cutting poster board)
Xacto Knife
Ruler
Sharpie
Vacuum Chamber (DYI Vacuum Chamber)
Scale – - Link
Primer and Paint of Choice

Steps:

  1. Create Primary Object
  2. Prepare the Part for molding
  3. Make the mold box
  4. Prep for Bottom ½
  5. Press Bottom Half – wait for cure
  6. Apply Mold Release and Press Top Half –wait for cure
  7. Casting and Vacuum
  8. Sand and Paint
Primary
I created the primary out of styrene plastic. It’s easy to work with and creates a smooth durable molding surface to press into the Amazing Mold Putty.

Pre-Planning

90 degree Aluminum Channel for alignment

Underside of styrene primary

Shell and Cab

Shell and Cab Approved

Trim and Bumper added




Prep Primary for Molding
-Sand the part and coat with 2-part epoxy. You don’t have to use epoxy, but I wanted a smooth finish on the part. Depending on the texture you can use different materials (wood, metal, etc).

Mold box
Amazing Mold Putty doesn’t require a mold box method and can work with the basic press in method, but I am in the habit of making a box for 2 sided parts. The basic rule to a mold box is it should be 2x the height of your part and .25 - .50” wall around the edges.

-Lay the primary down on a piece of poster board. Mark and Measure the size of the base. Cut out the parts and Hot Glue the Mold Box together. You can use duct tape or packing tape to hold the box together. I prefer hot glue.

Prep for Bottom ½
The Styrene or wood dowels are used to create the casting resin and air inlets. They will be pressed into the Amazing Mold Putty between the wall of the box and primary object.

-Place the primary in the box, measure and cut the dowels. Set aside.

Pressing the Bottom ½
-Weigh and mix the proper amount of Amazing Mold Putty parts "A" and "B". It’s important to get them equal. A digital scale is useful.

-Press the Amazing Mold Putty into the box and flatten it out as best as possible.

-Align the Part in the box where your pre-cut inlets will fit and press the part firmly into the box. Press the Inlets into place and Finesse the Amazing Mold Putty around the edges of the primary. Try to avoid any overlapping of the part and putty. If needed only press the primary partially into the bottom ½ to avoid unwanted undercuts.

-Press alignment dimples into the corners so the half’s line up better.

-Let the Amazing Mold Putty cure.

F550 Truck Cab Primary pressed into Amazing Mold Putty.

Apply Mold Release and Press Top Half

After the bottom is cured, lightly mist the mold and part with mold release.

Mix the 2nd batch of Amazing Mold Putty and Press it into the top of the box, working it down into any edges to avoid air pockets and finesse it flat. Scratch a part name or number if you wish.

De-molding and Mold Finishing

Separate the mold carefully. Remove the primary object and trim the inlets.

Casting and Vacuum

Secure the mold together with rubber tough rubber bands. Make inlet funnels with some old business cards (crafting tip: business cards make great crafting disposables. Funnels, mixing, spreading filler, etc.)

Mix the Amazing Casting Resin per instructions and pour into the larger funnel until you see it pop out the smaller funnel. Make sure there is enough casting material in the funnel to fill the space the air bubbles take up.

Place in Vacuum chamber, pull a vacuum for aprox 10-15 sec, then release vacuum pressure and let the cast cure.

Amazing Cast in 2-part mold

                                                         F550 - Truck Cab 20 minutes later...
Amazing Cast XV-LT Shell in Amazing Putty mold. 

Styrene Primary and 2 Amazing Cast copies.

Sand and Paint

F550 Cab, EarthRoamer XV-LT Shell

Bumper, Cab, ER Shell, all 3 molds and decals

Amazing Micro Decals Applied



I still need to paint the fender flares and figure out a way to replace the old dry rotted rubber tires....

Thanks for visiting! Please come back and join us for more exciting projects and tutorials.

~ Lonnie Sexton
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