Calif. aquarium raises awareness of marine debris
March 8th, 2010
The Sea Life Aquarium at the Legoland Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., has a new exhibit aimed at raising children's awareness of plastic marine debris. The project is called "Beach Trash, A Whale of a Problem." First grade classes from a...
CELEBRATE NATIONAL CRAFT MONTH WITH FRIENDLY PLASTIC
March 8th, 2010
Help me celebrate National Craft Month with Friendly Plastic. To get you started, Im giving away a copy of my book Metal Jewelry 101 which does feature a couple of Friendly Plastic projects inside.
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.
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!!
Friendly Plastic on Cool2Craft and FAVE CRAFTS radio
March 7th, 2010
A quick post for today to announce upcoming WebTV and Radio dates:
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.
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!!
Friendly Plastic Tip! Storing Friendly Plastic
March 6th, 2010
This tip is courtesy of Jana Ewy who took the time to write the Friendly Plastic Encyclopedia which is available on the side bar of the blog. We continue to grow in readers who are new to Friendly Plastic so these basic techniques are good reminders to all of us, whether we are seasoned FP'rs or just in the beginning stages. What do you need to know when purchasing Friendly Plastic? And, after you purchase what's the best way to store it? What if you've purchased a dreaded SNAPPER???? Read on for Jana's tips:
Friendly Plastic® has a shelf life if not properly stored. Exactly what that shelf life is, is unknown, with so many determining factors to be considered. The main points of this section is to help you purchase fresh Friendly Plastic®, suggest a few storing options, and share a little trick for reconditioning old Friendly Plastic®.
Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
Friendly Plastic® has a shelf life if not properly stored. Exactly what that shelf life is, is unknown, with so many determining factors to be considered. The main points of this section is to help you purchase fresh Friendly Plastic®, suggest a few storing options, and share a little trick for reconditioning old Friendly Plastic®.
- WARNING: With the renewed interest in Friendly Plastic®, a lot of old product is re-surfacing like buried treasure and being put up for auction. Buyers Beware!
- Purchasing – When purchasing Friendly Plastic®, you want to make sure the plastic is fresh. You do this by giving it the flex-test, simply give the stick a little bend, it should flex quite easily and then straighten back out. If it snaps in half, you guessed it… it’s a SNAPPER (old plastic). This is where ordering on-line can be a problem. My suggestion is to make sure you are ordering from a reputable dealer. Try to resist de-stash bargains and auctions. You want a guarantee that the plastic is fresh, be sure the dealer offers this.
- Storing – Keep your plastic in a closed container or zip-lock bag, when not in use. This seems to be the trick to longevity.
- Reconditioning – If you have SNAPPERS (old plastic), all is not lost. Old Friendly Plastic® can be reconditioned. Here is how: Place the sticks on a nonstick pan and either place the pan onto a griddle or into an oven, temperature set at 200°F (a heat tool will not work). Allow the plastic sticks to soften completely. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the sticks to cool completely on their own. DO NOT run them under cold water. Once they have cooled, remove them from the pan and check the flexibility. Hopefully this has done the trick. It is not fool proof, but it does work most of the time.
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!!
Friendly Plastic Classes in Australia by Mylene Hillam
March 5th, 2010Classes offered in Australia by Artist/Designer Mylene Hillam of Milllanestudio. See her website for more information: www.milllanestudio.blogspot.com
Here's another slight variation of the resin and Friendly Plastic pendant we'll be making in tomorrow's class at Stamp Antics. This promises to be a really fun class - making these little pendants is so addictive!
If you were unable to get into the class I'm happy to say that there will be another one scheduled soon. So why not give Jenny a ring at Stamp Antics (07 3393 3022) and ask her to add your name to the waiting list. She'll get back to you shortly to let you know when the class will be.
That's all for today, folks!
I'll be back soon!
Myléne
Here's another slight variation of the resin and Friendly Plastic pendant we'll be making in tomorrow's class at Stamp Antics. This promises to be a really fun class - making these little pendants is so addictive!
If you were unable to get into the class I'm happy to say that there will be another one scheduled soon. So why not give Jenny a ring at Stamp Antics (07 3393 3022) and ask her to add your name to the waiting list. She'll get back to you shortly to let you know when the class will be.That's all for today, folks!
I'll be back soon!
Myléne
If you are offering classes - please email me and I will post the information.
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!!
Plastic banknotes coming to Canada
March 5th, 2010
Pretty soon, you won't be using paper money in Canada. Bank of Canada announced yesterday that starting in 2011, it will begin to issue a new series of bank notes printed on a polymer material. The new notes will incorporate...
One city wants to educate its citizens, not ban plastics
March 5th, 2010
Here's a radical idea: a sustainability committee in one California city, concerned about litter and marine debris issues, wants to start a "massive public education" program instead of banning products like plastic bags. That's the recommendation of the South Lake...
Jana Ewy’s designs inspire Wolf Creek Designs Friendly Plastic Bracelets
March 4th, 2010
Shari Wallace of Wolf Creek Designs credits her inspiration to Jana Ewy's ID bracelets. Read on as she shares some of her latest work.
Linda Peterson is compensated and endorsed by AMACO. The guests features may or may not have any affiliation with AMACO.
This is a Friendly Plastic cuff, made using alcohol inks and antique brass pieces. I adore the art deco feel of this piece, the dragonfly is amazing! This is one of my favorite cuffs so far. I'm gonna hate to part with it but someone needs to give this one a home and love it as much as I do.
Been trying some different finishing techniques with the cuff. I love Jana Ewy's hint on using the resin while the piece is still flat (see her article in the latest Belle Armoire Jewelry issue) - it works great with the ID bracelet pieces. I keep getting the resin too thick on the cuffs (because I love the look of the thick resin) but it makes it hard to get a good smooth bend. And the thicker the resin, the stiffer the bracelet ends up and its hard to get on and off. I need to find a happy medium in there! Next batch I will try the flat resin technique again but not make the resin quite so thick!
Want to see my ID bracelets too? Here's a sneak peek at one..
Jana, thanks so much for the idea on these! I love them and everyone that I've showed them to loves them too! I 'assembly line' the work so it seems to take forever to make them, but once the process is done I have more than a dozen ready to go at once.
I promise I will be back here more often...now that I am excited about jewelry again. I have a few more pieces to upload to Artfire and then I'm be putting some up on Etsy as well, but I haven't finished creating my store there yet - but soon!
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!!
Dangerous marine debris
March 4th, 2010
Marine debris is a serious issue, but here's a story that's a little more lighthearted. From NBC's Today show, a video of a diver in Florida removing a plastic ring from around the neck of a nurse shark. Reminds me...
Friendly Plastic Swirl Beads simulate Polymer Clay by Mylene Hillam
March 3rd, 2010 Friendly Plastic can replicate so many wonderful looks. As Mylene describes, these beads look similar to those made from polymer clay...only these have metallic BLING! Enjoy Mylene's post:
I had a brilliant idea one night this week. It was one of those light bulb moments! You know the kind..... the ones that come just as you're drifting off to sleep.
Normally when an idea like that hits I would reach over to jot it down in my Little Book of Big Ideas but four months after moving into our new house, we still don't have bedside tables and so my Little Book was not there. So I went over and over the idea in my head, working out every little detail hoping I might at least remember something about the idea come morning. Do I start with a basic cylinder bead? Should I roll it into a ball? When should I add the stripes? Do I use the hot water method or stick with the heat gun...... so many questions. It's a wonder I got any sleep at all.
So what was my brilliant idea, I hear you ask? Well, take a peek below!
These are my first experiments.... you can just make out the beginnings of a swirl forming.
Not bad, but I'm sure I can improve the technique. So I tried a completely different method for the second batch and got much better results.... a swirl is definitely happening here! 
That's much more like what I had in mind. It's a similar effect to polymer clay swirl beads but it takes a totally different technique to achieve the effect in Friendly Plastic. I'm calling them Swirl Beads because they look just like their polymer clay counterparts.
As with most of the beads I make from Friendly Plastic these will get a coat of resin so that they can be turned into jewellery and then they'll be ready for my next jewellery project.
I'm off to play some more with this technique so I have some finished pieces to share with you soon.
'Til then,
Myléne
Visit Mylene on her blog at: www.milllanestudio.blogspot.com
I had a brilliant idea one night this week. It was one of those light bulb moments! You know the kind..... the ones that come just as you're drifting off to sleep.
Normally when an idea like that hits I would reach over to jot it down in my Little Book of Big Ideas but four months after moving into our new house, we still don't have bedside tables and so my Little Book was not there. So I went over and over the idea in my head, working out every little detail hoping I might at least remember something about the idea come morning. Do I start with a basic cylinder bead? Should I roll it into a ball? When should I add the stripes? Do I use the hot water method or stick with the heat gun...... so many questions. It's a wonder I got any sleep at all.
So what was my brilliant idea, I hear you ask? Well, take a peek below!
These are my first experiments.... you can just make out the beginnings of a swirl forming.
Not bad, but I'm sure I can improve the technique. So I tried a completely different method for the second batch and got much better results.... a swirl is definitely happening here! 
That's much more like what I had in mind. It's a similar effect to polymer clay swirl beads but it takes a totally different technique to achieve the effect in Friendly Plastic. I'm calling them Swirl Beads because they look just like their polymer clay counterparts.As with most of the beads I make from Friendly Plastic these will get a coat of resin so that they can be turned into jewellery and then they'll be ready for my next jewellery project.
I'm off to play some more with this technique so I have some finished pieces to share with you soon.
'Til then,
Myléne
Visit Mylene on her blog at: 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!!