plastic industry india » Beginner Friendly Plastic http://plastic-industry-india.com plastic industry article and news Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:30:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Entangled in zentangle http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/06/04/entangled-in-zentangle/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/06/04/entangled-in-zentangle/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:39:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-7595285174803738516
It is an artform that is becoming increasingly popular and is spreading into international waters too!

Australian artist Mylene Hillam shares her rendition of zentangle in this beautifully designed necklace.



I think this is simply stunning - don't you?  To see more of this story and get more inspiration visit Mylene's blog at http://www.milllanestudio.blogspot.com/

Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/06/04/entangled-in-zentangle/feed/ 0 Finding a new love….. Friendly Plastic http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/30/finding-a-new-love-friendly-plastic/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/30/finding-a-new-love-friendly-plastic/#comments Sun, 30 May 2010 13:42:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-5446714702007940853 Knitting and Things blog discovered a new love - check out her story:


I love finding new things to create with used items. Bottle caps are my new obsession and I have a few items I have been making with them. First is my Bottle Cap Pendant using Friendly Plastic. I was lucky enough to get some samples of Friendly Plastic from Linda Peterson. I have used it on a few projects previously and I really love the way it works with the bottle caps.






First, I tool 2 used bottle caps and washed them with warm soapy water and dried them well.








Then I hammered one out until it was flat and took pliers to the other one and bent out the sides.






I then took the bottle caps, laid them on a piece of wood and hammered a nail through the top. I will use this later to attach a jump ring.






On a heat proof surface I cut pieces of the Friendly Plastic in different shapes and colors.






I arranged a few pieces on the bottle cap and used my heat gun to heat them for 3 minutes. I continued to add more pieces and melted until I was happy with the colors and pattern.


I let it cool for 4-5 minutes, then I wet my finger and lightly pushed and blended the colors to my liking and made sure that everything was flat.


I let it cool for another 10 minutes and added Glossy Accents to give it a great gloss. I poked my nail through the hole again just to keep it open. I let it dry overnight and then I added a ribbon with some beads to finish it.





Friendly plastic is available at Hobby Lobby or online at Friendly Plastic Marketplace.
Are you new to Friendly Plastic?  Why not take a class to help get you started.  Check out CrafTECH University's class schedule. 










 






0
comments:


Post a Comment


Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)

Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/30/finding-a-new-love-friendly-plastic/feed/ 0 It’s Cool2Craft Monday – Basic Jewelry Techniques http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/03/its-cool2craft-monday-basic-jewelry-techniques/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/03/its-cool2craft-monday-basic-jewelry-techniques/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 02:56:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-5398845160568600034

Well...a bunch of us designers have gotten together and said...enuf is enuf! We took it into our own hands and while it is taking a bit of hard work to launch we are seeing the fruits of our labors.


Im on each Monday with exception of a few - on COOL2Craft Live hosted by Aleene's daughter Tiffany Windsor. She's on a quest to gather together 1 MILLION viewers who think it's cool 2 craft! I know she can do it.




Today I featured Jewelry basics and my latest book - Beading in No Time.

Gotta get back to those basics.....as boring as we all may think they are...you can never practice them to much or ever stray away from them because everthing in life will fall apart if you do!

While this isn't Friendly Plastic specific....it relates.  Why? because if you dont know how to put your Friendly Plastic pieces together to make jewelry...all you have is a bunch of Friendly Plastic pieces.....

As soon as the archived link is available I will post it. You can go to www.cool2craft.com to watch any of the shows.

I also talked about my latest venture...which is SOOO COOL! LIVE INTERACTIVE WEB CLASSES.  This allows you to take classes from the industries BEST TOP designers right from your own home.  Saves you money...saves us time...We get to meet and talk with you....and you talk back to us....We're all happy - Life is good.

More information click here:  http://www.craftechuniversity.com/




Next big question...where to buy Friendly Plasic...well...FRIENDLY PLASTIC MARKETPLACE!  will solve that problem

If you wanna win free stuff...like Friendly Plastic...well just join us on Cool2Craft!  (HINT HINT - I have a big giveaway on May 17th - Fun with Friendly Plastic segment!)


Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/05/03/its-cool2craft-monday-basic-jewelry-techniques/feed/ 0 COOL2CRAFT Live with Friendly Plastic – Springtime Drop earrings http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/23/cool2craft-live-with-friendly-plastic-springtime-drop-earrings/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/23/cool2craft-live-with-friendly-plastic-springtime-drop-earrings/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:26:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-2305211766816372883

DONT MISS THE NEXT LIVE DEMO!!,   ITS FUN, FREE AND FRIENDLY!! Learn how to create these EASY Spring Fling Drop earrings using alcohol inks and Friendly Plastic! 


So many exciting things are happening in the Friendly Plastic world! COMING SOON! LIVE INTERACTIVE FRIENDLY PLASTIC CLASSES in MAY - more details to be announced.

And a new FRIENDLY PLASTIC ADDICTS CLUB! A $61 value for only $30 - CLICK HERE for details

SEE YOU ON MONDAY!


Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/23/cool2craft-live-with-friendly-plastic-springtime-drop-earrings/feed/ 0 Friendly Plastic by Linda Sechler http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/02/friendly-plastic-by-linda-sechler/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/02/friendly-plastic-by-linda-sechler/#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:38:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-7191889119586158602
 This is Linda's first try at Friendly Plastic and I believe she did very well!  Love the glitzy!!!!  Great Job Linda and thank you for sharing your work with the world!



Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/04/02/friendly-plastic-by-linda-sechler/feed/ 0 Let’s end National Craft Month with a giveaway!!! FREE FRIENDLY PLASTIC http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/24/lets-end-national-craft-month-with-a-giveaway-free-friendly-plastic/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/24/lets-end-national-craft-month-with-a-giveaway-free-friendly-plastic/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:37:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-2900677919067406215
This one is easy peasy.....simply send me a photo of any of your Friendly Plastic artwork!  I'll pick a winner and a runner up to receive a sample pack of Friendly Plastic!  It's so easy!!! You don't have to run out and create anything - unless you want to...just send me a photo! 

Hurry contest ends March 31st! 

email:  lindapetersondesigns@yahoo.com




Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/24/lets-end-national-craft-month-with-a-giveaway-free-friendly-plastic/feed/ 0 Advanced Photography Tips in Friendly Plastic http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/17/advanced-photography-tips-in-friendly-plastic/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/17/advanced-photography-tips-in-friendly-plastic/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:21:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-5665366059940407891
Why?  Because a picture is worth a thousand words.  Pictures can express feeling and emotion and they can create an impulse to buy...or a emotion of "I just gotta have that!"

So, with that thought in mind here is some more advanced tips.

Use diffusers to create soft light.  You can do this by placing a white shower curtain over a brightly lit window.  Or you can purchase a photography studio box for about $40 to $50.  These boxes have fabric on each side for you to diffuse light through.  This lessens harsh and undesirable shadows.

Avoid using a flash as this creates harsh shadows.

Play with the more advanced exposure settings on your camera.  If you find yourself in a low lit area, instead of turning on lights, which can effect the white balance, try increasing the "exposure" setting on your camera by a notch or two.  Take a test photo to see if the lighting is adequate.

Use a mirror to bounce light underneath objects to highlight the bottom or take away harsh shadows.  For a softer look, use white card stock to bounce light around and add a little highlight to certain areas.

Styling your jewelry or projects can really upscale their value.  For ideas on how to style your jewelry, look at jewelry or fashion magazines for ideas.  You don't need to spend a fortune on props.  Have a look around the house and get a little creative with your imagination.  Perhaps you have a vase that you can dangle some earrings from?  Or a nice simple wine glass?  Sand?  Rocks? and believe it or not, rice and black beans are great options too!.

Of course, this tip list is NOT exhaustive...there's so much more I could share.  But these are a little more advanced to get you started.  

Let's put those tips into practice.


Here Shari Wallace of WolfCreek Designs on etsy uses sand to stylize her photograph.  She's displayed the bracelet on a rock, which adds a nice effect without being overpowering.


 Jana Ewy of Just Bananas always does a great job of stylizing her artwork in her photos.  Here's she's used some inexpensive pebbles to add an organic touch. 

Notice that neither of these photos have harsh shadows and both are in clear focus.

I believe if you put these few tips into practice, you'll really make your artwork shine!!!



Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/17/advanced-photography-tips-in-friendly-plastic/feed/ 0 Simple Photography Tips for Friendly Plastic http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/16/simple-photography-tips-for-friendly-plastic/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/16/simple-photography-tips-for-friendly-plastic/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:48:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-144616606465382060 Friendly Plastic projects - Right????  I sure hope so!!   Now it's time to share them with the rest of the world.  But how do you photograph them so that they will stand out in the photo?

Here are a few of my favorite tips if you are just beginning:

  • Select a camera that will do nice close up (macro) shots.  This is very important.

  • Hold the camera steady - if you can't, consider using a tripod and the timer button on the camera

  • Use a simple background.  A light grey, black or light blue works well.  As an option you could use a pretty piece of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper with a gentle pattern.  Stay away from pure white as this tends to confuse the camera and sends the white balance in a tizzy.

  • Use natural lighting if at all possible.  Shoot by a window, but not in direct sunlight.  You can also take your project outside and choose a nice shady spot.  This helps avoid shadows.  Lighting is so important - so give attention to this particular tip!
  •  
  • For nice detail shoot the photo in as high of resolution that your camera will allow.  Mine is 8mp.  The higher the megapixel the more detail in your photo when enlarged.  
  • Here's an important one.....if emailing your photo to your Flickr, Photobucket, Facebook or to me to share, please resize the photo down to an "email version".  Most photo editing programs will allow you to resize these photos to send quickly over the internet.  If you are using Photoshop, simply click on FILE then SAVE FOR THE WEB and this will do the trick!!  
The photo below is a good example of simple photography.




I photographed this on a patterned piece of scrapbook paper.  While the paper has a light pattern to it, it doesn't detract from the Friendly Plastic pendant.



 You can see that the patterned background that I used above would not be a good choice for displaying a variety of beads, such as these beads created by Liz Welch.  She effectively used a lighter grey background to highlight each and every bead. 




 This is an example of a close up photo.  Liz used a black background to make the individual bead stand out.  The photo is clear.  Just a word of caution, be careful using black backgrounds, since they could come off as greys, blues or purples. 

Have fun with the photography and stay tuned tomorrow as I give some more advanced tips!

Email me your photos!!

Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/16/simple-photography-tips-for-friendly-plastic/feed/ 0 CELEBRATE NATIONAL CRAFT MONTH WITH FRIENDLY PLASTIC http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/08/celebrate-national-craft-month-with-friendly-plastic/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/08/celebrate-national-craft-month-with-friendly-plastic/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:11:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-7257023583010626649
All you have to do is tell everyone via a comment to this blog or to our Fan Page on Facebook what your favorite Jewelry making tip is.  I'll enter you into the drawing to be given away March 19th. 

Get your friends to join in!  The more the merrier!  Also join the Inspired at Home Pajama party on Wednesday nights and share your jewelry too!!  We'd love it if it was Friendly Plastic related!


Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/08/celebrate-national-craft-month-with-friendly-plastic/feed/ 0 Friendly Plastic on Cool2Craft and FAVE CRAFTS radio http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/07/friendly-plastic-on-cool2craft-and-fave-crafts-radio/ http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/07/friendly-plastic-on-cool2craft-and-fave-crafts-radio/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:49:00 +0000 Linda Peterson Designs tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923172618884530773.post-4251033073313904718
April 4th - FAVECRAFTS RADIO - I'll be interviewed about my newest book which will be released March 30 "Beading in No Time" and yes it does have a couple of Friendly Plastic projects!

April 5th - Live demo on Cool2CraftTV - Friendly Plastic Fracture and Fusion pendant based on project in my new book

April 19th - Cool2Craft TV - BLING BLING Rings - while this isnt Friendly Plastic related - it's still fun

I'll give away a signed copy of my book on each show - so tune in!!!





Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Become our Fan on FACEBOOK!!
]]> http://plastic-industry-india.com/2010/03/07/friendly-plastic-on-cool2craft-and-fave-crafts-radio/feed/ 0