Paper casts

This is Shirleys method of making the paper casts that I showed in a previous post.
As Shirley says, this technique isn’t new - she just experimented to get the results she wanted. Her way is simple, no mess and ready as and when you want them.
You need some of this:Along with some of these:
Some of this:
And finally, this:
Warm the plasticine up by putting it on a plastic lid near a gentle heat source. This warms it up brilliantly and doesn’t grease your hands.
Roll it out quickly and press the item you want to make a cast from into the surface. Make sure the plasticine is level around all the edges and smooth around the immediate edge.
Now put it in the fridge to harden. When hard carefully prise the object off.
To use the mould, make sure it is hard from the fridge. Dust with talcum powder then using slightly diluted PVA and the toilet paper create a papier mache cast.
Use a stiffish brush and small pieces and make sure they go right down in to the tiniest places. Making the tissue very mushy helps on the first layer. Build until required thickness.
This can vary as you can create flimsy pieces or part pieces which look like relics or broken finds.
Leave overnight. Do not try to lift off until thoroughly dry.
Its a good idea to put it back in the fridge again before prising the cast off so that it doesn’t distort the plasticine as you do it.
Keep the moulds in a tin and put them back in the fridge to harden next time you want to use them. Or just warm them up again, roll out and make a different mould.
As you can see, the ones I made are not as clean as Shirleys – in fact, they are not as good, period. Why? Because I was far too impatient and they were not quite as dry as perhaps they should have been plus I didn’t put them back into the fridge before pulling them away from the plasticine. Lesson learned.Once painted you would never know – maybe :)
You can create all sorts like this using old jewellery, brooches, buckles etc. Hours of fun. :)

Final mention of Lottie.
This is the birthday girl in her Tinkerbell costume getting ready to blow her candles out.
My daughter always makes the birthday cakes for the children and this is what Lottie asked for this year – a fairy house. She’s fairy mad at the moment.Charlie, her brother, had Dennis the Menace and Gnasher playing pirates last year - this is my favourite, I love Gnashers teeth.Chelsey also makes birthday cakes by request for friends children along with fancy cup cakes and the latest craze, cake pops.
Everyone tells her how good they are. This is obviously where her artistic talent lies. We keep on at her to take it further but she says she doesn’t think that what she makes is good enough!
Now I wonder where she gets that from. :)

And no, I didn’t win pass the parcel. Somehow all the children managed to get a prize on the way round, wasn’t that a coincidence, and Thomas ended up with the final prize – a set of Moshi Monsters. I could have done with those. *LOL*

‘Fabulous Surfaces’ lesson number 3 is up on the d4Daisy website if you want to take a look – let me know what you think. :)