Sunday, October 4, 2009

Art Charms From Number 6 Plastic

Remember a couple of days ago when I showed you some images of how I made charms for my art quilts? (The birds and heart triangles.) Well I discovered a slightly healthier source of #6 plastic - shrink plastic. Newman's Organic Ginger-O's.

So here is a fun project.

#1. Eat the cookies. By the way, I am pretty sure that all of the different flavors of Newman-O's come in #6 trays. Share them with friends. Read fairy tales to your children in between nibbles. Settle in with a cup of tea, your dreams and a couple of cookies.

#2. When the cookies are all gone (or if you put your cookies in a jar) rinse out the tray. Dry it off or not: see below, #4.

#3. Take a regular hole punch and punch a few holes. Because I will be sewing this onto an art quilt, I punched once at each top corner and five times along the bottom so that I can both attach it to the quilt and also hang beaded dangles from the bottom edge. You will not be able to punch the charm after it is heated. It becomes very thick and strong. (Like the magic shine on my hole punch?)
NOTE: If you are using the kind of shrink plastic that is sold in craft stores you are likely to get a thicker sheet which will shrink, but not shrink as much as these trays. The Newman People make these trays as thin as they can to keep waste down to a minimum. Thank you Newman People. These thin trays shrink to almost 1/3 of their original size. I started with a 6" x 8" x 2" tray (15cm x 20.5cm x 5cm) and ended up with a charm measuring 2.5" x 3" (6cm x 7.5cm). So use a regular 1/4" (5mm) hole punch - nothing smaller as the resulting hole will be too small for a needle. Look below to see where I threaded the green floss to help you see where I put my holes.

#4. With either a heat gun or a designated art oven at 275 degrees F (I have an old toaster oven that we never use for food), and in a well ventilated area, heat the tray on a metal baking sheet. I use aluminum foil over the oven tray or an old aluminum baking tray with the heat gun. It took me about a minute with my heat gun. In the oven you have to watch it. In both cases the plastic wrinkles and curls - it may even flip over. It will then uncurl and nearly flatten. I use cloth or tongs to pick it up out of the aluminum tray (mine has ridges) and set it on something flat, and while it is still hot press the piece completely flat with something flat (I had a jar lid, or use a book, a block...) Oh! And do you see below where there are little spots and bubbles on my charm? I did not dry my tray off first and I think that the water spots made the plastic take the heat unevenly. I have decided that this was an intentional design consideration...
You can still see the happy cookie ridges.

#5. Decorate with permanent markers. Consider the possibilities of drawing one design on one side and another part of the picture or design on the other side: the trunk of a tree on the back and the leaves in the front? The frame on the back, with accents and a quote on the front? Something like that.

I hope that you have fun, and please do leave me a comment linking back to your blog with photos of your Newman-O's charm!

5 comments:

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Robinsunne,

I put a link on my blog to your tutorial; I thought this was too good for other mixed media artists that might not know your blog to miss.
It in a P.S. as I had the post put together, but KNEW that it had to go in!
I am swamped with seeing right now, so I'll have to wait to play.... <:(

XXOO!!
Anne

Anonymous said...

Wow!...what a great idea,Robinsunne!...I found this on Annes site...I happen to
have just finished a bag of cookies!...glad i did not throw away yet...as i have a new heat gun too!
I so enjoyed your Studio tour yesterday...the Broken Shells bowl is magnificent!
lovely art pieces..
gypsy

Anonymous said...

Leaving another comment, Robin...
Would you ck my blog ?...
An award is there for you!...i saw no email to reach you!
Respond if you can....or, at least post the award on your sidebar.. would be great if you can pass it on!..any questions, my email addy is in my profile!
i love your blog!
gypsy

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I got the door prize yesterday in the mail---thank you!!! That was sooo fast, and I have to admit, the very first ATC I have received. I am thinking that the small size is something I could really enjoy doing.....I have enough paper/fabric/you name it in small pieces already.
You may have started me on another creative journey!!! :)
Again, Thanks! I look forward to trying one!

XXOO!!
Anne

Robinsunne said...

Hi, I got a question about No. 6 plasticand thought that I'd post here.

Yes, the number 6 is in that little triangle on the bottom. Although, it is also true that I have seen No. 6 not have the imprint at all. I have tried No.1 and it is more prevelent, but, alas, it doesn't work. It kinda melts a bit into a wobbly thing. Not the real shrink.

One way to know is to find some No. 6 and bend or wiggle it back and forth: it will have a very noisy sound - compared to any other plastic. They all seem softer ... but there is a real pop and crack about No. 6.

I think that all of these numbers are international. Anyone else out there from anywhere outside the USA? Do you have those recycle triangles on your plastics? Is No 6 brittle and noisy? Is No.2 on detergent bottles?

Leave us a comment and let us know.

Robinsunne