Art Savvy Questions & Answers

CRAFTS

Q: Most of your dyes are cold water dyes. Do they work as well as the old dyes that required hot water?

A: Yes. Cold water dyes provide brilliant lasting color to natural fibers. Follow these suggestions to guarantee successful projects. Always use 100% natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, wool and non-acetate rayon (unless otherwise specified). Pre-wash and dry the fabric. Do not use a fabric softener. Always use a dye fixative or the color will wash out. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for mixing and applying. If possible, allow the dye to remain in the fabric for 24-48 hours before the final rinse. You may leave it in the bucket of dye or seal it in a plastic bag until ready for rinsing.

Q: I'm interested in learning some warm and hot glass processes. What would you suggest?

A: Fusing and slumping are two warm glass processes that can be accomplished with supplies we sell in our catalog along with a ceramic or glass kiln. The one hot process we offer supplies for is glass casting, which also requires a kiln. It would be helpful to have an automatic kiln controller that can be programmed for all three processes but a manual kiln with a pyrometer can also be used.

For basic fusing and slumping instructions see our lesson plan "The Place Where I Live" in the Lesson Plan Idea area of our website. Also, visit AMACO's website (see our website's Vendor Links) and view their information/lesson plans for fusing and slumping.

For basic information on casting glass, see our lesson plan "AMACO Creative Glass Casting" in the Lesson Plan Idea area of our website. Again, for further information also visit AMACO's website for information on casting glass.

Q: I am confused by all the different types of tooling foil you offer in your catalog. What materials would you recommend for starting tooling foil projects in my classes?

A: The answer depends somewhat on how generous your budget is. To do a number of projects very cheaply you could begin with a roll of 36 gauge aluminum foil that is 12" wide. If your students each work on a 6" square of this foil, a 5-ft. roll would give you 20 pieces. A 10-ft. roll would yield 40 pieces. You can cut the foil with large scissors, utility snips, or with a guillotine cutter. Be careful of the sharp edges! For tools, inexpensive clay modeling tools, plastic or wood, would work. In addition, some dull-pointed tools would be helpful, such as large stylus stick with their tips slightly "smashed" or a dull pencil. A good working surface would be a section of newspaper folded over to make a soft pad. Experiment with the following process.

Draw a simple to moderately complex design on a piece of 6" square scratch paper. Tape the design to a piece of the cut foil. Place the foil on the newspaper pad and use pointed tool to go over the lines of the design. Peek to see that all lines have been transferred before removing the design. Keeping the foil on the newspaper at all times, try rubbing different ends of the clay tools gently back and forth over areas that you would like to "puff out" on the reverse side. Check how far the foil has stretched by flipping it over. Define the area more clearly by outlining the "puffed" area with the pointed tool and flattening the area around it with a straight-edged clay tool. You may also "puff" to the opposite side, creating various levels. Textures may be added to areas on the side that was rubbed.

Now that you have the feel of stretching the foil with tools, you may want to try other tools such as the maple spindles or the Ten Second Embossing Tools. You may also try forming or embossing the foil over various molds such as the Ten Seconds Studio Molds or the Fiskars Texture Plates. The ArtEmboss Pure Metal Sheets come in light and medium gauges that are thinner and easier to work over molds than the more standard 36-gauge foils. Try our colored foils for a completely different look.

For even more variety, add finishes to your foil with Rub 'N Buff finishes, Mayco Magic Metallics Patinas (use with actual copper and brass foils), Pinata Paints and permanent markers. Brushing India ink on aluminum, copper or brass foil, letting it dry and buffing it off the high areas of your tooling is an easy inexpensive way to achieve an antiqued look.