Frustrated I asked on the BPCG’s Facebook page for advice and started a long discussion about not only the best use of the Dremel, but also alternatives. One member advised me to make my own Dremel buffing wheel out of denim,  as it works well as a polishing cloth ( you can even see the difference when you are just using it without a Dremel).

Following the instructions on FloRaeMe’s blog  I made my own wheel.

Denim buffing wheel - copyright Helen White

I polished two of my nautili which unfortunately got slightly spiked in my oven, so they serve as test pieces. The result it pretty good. I use Fimo and was told that you get a higher sheen with Kato clay. I haven’t used Kato so can’t really comment on it.

Dremel with denim buffing wheel - copyright Helen White

Dremel in action - copyright Helen White

The downside to using the Dremel with denim is that it frays very quickly and is incredibly messy. The fibres are flying everywhere. And it’s also noisy and requires a steady hand. You really have to make sure you are only lightly touching the wheel.  I was recommended to use muslin instead of denim but don’t really know where to get it from (so if you can recommend a supplier let me know).

Nautilus - copyright Helen White

Nautilus - copyright Helen White

Dremel after use - copyright Helen White

Another member recommended a polishing compound normally intended for cars. It’s called “auto-clay” and supposed to clean the car surface, getting rid of dust, dry tree sap and other things that normal washing can’t .The stuff is detergent-free, has no soaps or surfactants and is a product that’s actually made in England (rare these days). It’s really easy to use. Just cut off a small amount to use on the piece you want to polish, sprinkle it with a bit of water to lubricate it and rub it firmly over the whole piece. Use a cloth to give it a polish.

Auto-clay - copyright Helen White

Auto-clay bar - copyright Helen White

The result is a subtle sheen, plus the stuff does lift off dust and dirt, which might have been missed out otherwise.

Nautilus polished with Auto-clay - copyright Helen White

What I like about it is that it’s safe and easy to use, however it doesn’t provide you with the ultimate shine.

The final product I have tested for polishing is the versatile Renaissance Wax. It’s  also a product made in England, smells like shoe polish and is used by museums all over the world to preserve paintings.  You can use it with all sorts of surfaces: marble, string instruments, leather, wood, metal and polymer clay.

Renaissance Wax - copyright Helen White

Renaissance Wax - copyright Helen White

It’s super easy to use – just dab a soft cloth in the pot for a tiny amount, rub it in and polish it. For extra shine you could of course use the Dremel again.

Nautilus pendant polished with Renaissance Wax - copyright Helen White

As it does smell a lot I recommend only using it in a well – ventilated room.

I love Renaissance Wax and intend to use it a lot – It’s economical to use and also gives the polymer clay designs extra protection.

Nautilus pendant - copyright Helen White

I would love to hear from you and your polishing experiments.

However I do welcome guest posts from fellow crafters/ designers on subjects that could be of interest to my readers. This can be either craft/business related, or about cats or animal welfare. As long as it’s relevant, not spammy or a shameless plug.

If you are interested in writing a guest post, drop me a line and I will see if it fits in with my blog.

Polymer clay Nautilus pendant in blue and white- copyright Helen White

Me walking Bobby in the Wenallt - copyright Paul White

Those of you who have been following this blog for a while know that my husband and I walk our cat Bobby not only in the neighbourhood, but also in the local forest. We started this at an early age with her mainly because we live on a very busy road and have seen dead cats on it in the past – so didn’t want her to roam around. She still raises eyebrows when we are out and about, but I don’t care, plus often we get positive comments and compliments for our gorgeous moggie.

Me walking Bobby - close up - copyright Paul White

As she’s a people cat, who is very attached to us, she doesn’t mind the harness at all and is used to it. She is also very grateful when we take her out for a long walk and rewards us with lots of purrs, rubbing and affection.

You can find my past entries about Bobby’s walks here , here and here

The other day I stumbled across this video featuring American comedian Mo Rocca (and have to admit I have never heard of him before) walking his cool cat Radar in New York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyBwBqiz4zA

It looks like walking your cat has become quite trendy and it is recommended by vets, because a lot of cats in the States are indoor dwellers and obesity among cats is on the rise.

Our Bobby can go out in the garden, where she also uses her “litter”, but we made sure the garden is as safe as possible so she can’t escape (not that she wants to, she’s far too content)– she even has her own massive cat climber, which my husband made for her.

I found the cat stroller in the video amusing, but liked the Kitty Holster harness mentioned. However a normal harness does the job just fine as long it has breakaway clasps. The key to walking your cat is – starting early when they are kittens and to have a lot of patience. They don’t walk like dogs, they love to take their time, sit down and sniff a lot, and occasionally they like to roll around on the ground (much to the owner’s embarrassment!).

When I was browsing this website   Metal Clay I stumbled across two moulding compounds I have never heard of before, so I decided to try them out and I’d like to share my findings with you.

First up: The Amazing Mold Putty

Amazing Mold Putty - package - copyright Helen White

This is an American product which works on the same principle as the Siligum, but at £17.99 it is a slightly cheaper than the Siligum (though just noticed on Metalclay.com that they have lowered the price to a very competitive £19.99, and as far as I know this is the cheapest on the net).

Amazing Mold Putty containers - copyright Helen White

The putty comes in two parts – yellow and white and you mix two equal parts of the putty together for about minute until the colours blend in nicely.

Amazing Mold Putty - copyright Helen White

Then you form a ball to eliminate creases in the putty and put it over the item you want to mould. Make sure the whole item is all nicely covered to get all the details.  Be aware that the compound has an open time of 3 minutes before it starts to harden.

Amazing Mold Putty - copyright Helen White

I used my polymer crosses and they are an awkward shape to mould. Other items like shells certainly would work better.

Polymer clay crosses to mould - copyright Helen White

Amazing Mold Putty - copyright Helen White

Let the compound set for about 20 to 25 minutes, remove and you have a nicely detailed mould to use with your polymer clay, Art Clay, PMC, ice or even chocolate. The stuff is non-toxic.

Amazing Mold Putty cross mould - copyright Helen White

I was quite impressed with this product, the detail of my Celtic cross came out nicely, though when I later refined it I used my trusted Kemper ball stylus to enhance the pattern (I also do this when using my Siligum moulds). According to the manufacturer you can actually extend the allotted working time by simply sticking the containers in the fridge. Though the putty will be a bit stiffer and harder to knead, the cold will give it a few extra minutes to work with before it sets – however it also takes much longer to set. I haven’t tested this though. Another thing you can do with this putty is to accelerate the curing time (if you can’t wait 20 minutes) by using a heat lamp or put it in the oven at a low temperature of 125F (52C) for about 5 minutes.

Amazing Mold Putty cross mold and polymer clay cross - copyright Helen White

You can also add to an already finished mould and you can bake your food or polymer clay in the mould at a temperature of 395F (200C).

The mould is sold at £17.99 and gives you 300g of putty (150g of each).

Second test compound: Oyumaru Instant Mold Moulding Compound

Oyumaru package front - copyright Helen White

Oyumaru package back - copyright Helen White

The reason I bought Oyumaru’s compound was because it is reusable, which makes it very economical to use. This Japanese product comes in a plastic tub of 7 x 7cm long sticks. The instructions are all in Japanese though, but Metalclay have a brief description on how to use it on their website and it is really easy- peasy.

Oyumaru sticks - copyright Helen White

Basically all you have to do is put it into boiling water for a couple of minutes. You can speed up the process by boiling your kettle (and making yourself a cuppa in the process ) and then put boiling water in the designated pan with your sticks in. Be careful when you get the sticks out though as they will be quite hot. You might want to use a slotted spoon.

Oyumaru sticks in water - copyright Helen White

Roll the warm compound into a ball and press the item you want to mould into it. It only takes a few minutes until it hardens and is ready to use. The stuff is not as soft as Siligum or the Amazing Putty and you have to be fairly quick when you mould your pieces. I would also not recommend using big pieces with awkward shapes like the crosses I used. However the result is pretty impressive. The compound picks up the detail nicely.

Oyumaru cross mould - copyright Helen White

Oyumaru cross mould - copyright Helen White

I would definitely invest in another box. It’s perfect when you only want to make a few items and then re-use the compound for something else. Also when you are not happy with a result you can try again. What’s also great is that the compound is non-sticky and you don’t need to use any starch or water with your polymer clay. It pops out easily.

Oyumaru mould - copyright Helen White

You get 7 sticks for £4.95

Necklace with butterfly pendant and millefiori beads - copyright Helen White

This is something jewellery designers have to deal with from time to time – you made a beautiful item and it is just sitting in your inventory. You tried selling it through your website and at fairs and shows or even at jewellery parties, but it just doesn’t shift and you are getting tired of the sight of it and simply need the space.

Don’t despair, because here are 9 things you can do:

1. If you only list it on your website – try other shopping platforms such as Artfire, Etsy, Folksy or DaWanda. This is especially useful if you only have one-of-a-kind items
2. Offer discounts for this item (if it’s part of a range) or reduce it.
3. Earmark it as a giveaway for a good cause that is close to your heart. This can also potentially help you in attracting new customers.
4. See if you can simply improve the piece by making slight changes – this is obviously something you can’t do with every item as it depends on the materials you are using. It would be difficult to alter a finished silver ring, but is achievable with a charm bracelet.
5. Offer it as a giveaway for your newsletter readers as an incentive to fill in a survey or just to celebrate a business milestone (it could be a number of subscribers or Facebook fans, or your business anniversary).
6. Wholesale the item to a shop or gallery.
7. Sell the tutorial of the item to a jewellery making magazine – you get paid for the tutorial and get more exposure for your business. I have done this with foot thongs I made when I just started out and a friend of mine, who is into belly dancing, suggested to make these. I found it impossible to market them and make them as cheap to be able to sell them, and I didn’t enjoy making them much either, so  I offered the tutorial to Making Jewellery magazine and in the end I was making some money of the unloved foot thongs. I then followed point 9 and destroyed them.
8. Earmark it as a gift for a family member or friend – however this is only advisable if you feel it would be something the recipient would really love to wear – for example if it’s her/his favourite colour or stone.
9. And finally – destroy the item and re-use the beads, findings and what’s left of the stringing material in future designs. This works well with beaded jewellery, but wouldn’t work with things like silver sterling items or polymer clay pendants. You will lose some of the stringing material – especially,  when it’s knotted, fishing line or beading wire with lots of crimps. I tend to keep the beading wire bits though and recycle them for test pieces. They also can come in handy for earrings.

So there are quite a few things you can do with your slow selling jewellery.

If you have any other ideas let me know. Next time I will be testing different types of moulding compounds.

Rose quartz heart pendant with polymer clay bird - copyright Helen White

I bought the cathedral cookie cutters a while ago at the Cologne Christmas Market – they are quite big which determines the size of the pendant. I first started to cut out the cathedral in marble Fimo and also cut out the windows. Then I used a texture plate with the metallic blue Fimo and cut a circle. I then attached the cathedral onto the circle and with an extruder I extruded thick spaghetti in black. Unfortunately Fimo takes ages to soften and it wasn’t easy to extrude. I cured my first attempt and the result is below.

Blue Cologne Cathedral test piece - copyright Helen White

As the frame only touches the sides of the circle it doesn’t feel strong enough and I worry that it could eventually break, I also didn’t like the cut out windows and noticed that the circle was just too thin.

Cologne Cathedral pendant - making of..-copyright Helen White

So it was back to the drawing board. This time I decided to go for metallic red, because red, white and black are the colours of Cologne.  I followed the same steps as with the first version, but I also created a bail, by rolling a thin strip and attaching it to the textured piece. The bail is sandwiched between this and another sheet of clay. As this is a rectangle I had to cut the twirled spaghetti into for pieces to fit. Again extruding it was very difficult and I think next time I would try a different clay.

Cologne Cathedral almost finished - copyright Helen White

Instead of attaching the frame to the sides I attached it on the rectangle.

After curing I sanded it briefly and varnished it with a matte varnish.

Cologne Cathedral before it's been varnished - copyright Helen White

This is my first pendant, but in the future I plan to make some more in colours, using a different texture and maybe changing the frame. Hope you like the result.

Cologne Cathedral pendant - copyright Helen White

Black and White Horse Bookmark - copyyright Helen White

I recently made some animal bookmarks and it was quite a learning curve.

I only read about “spiking” in polymer clay books which advise  you to regularly check the temperature during the curing process. As our normal oven in the kitchen takes ages to warm up and I don’t want to bake polymer clay in it,we bought a table top oven from Morphy Richards, which was on sale. I also have a professsional thermometer for the oven. However the oven is not super accurate and after warming up the temperature rises quickly and way over the required 110 C for Fimo (or 130 C for Premo) so normally when I bake I tend to check  the oven and keep changing the temperature. It also goes down quickly so I have to increase it again.

Black Cat Bookmark- copyright Helen White

When I created my first batch of bookmarks I didn’t watch the oven in the beginning as I was busy with cleaning and tidying. It also didn’t help that I put my metal butterflies filled with Fimo in the oven together with the figurines.

It started to smell really bad and when I checked the oven I discovered the mess. I put the tray out on the garden table and left the door open as the fumes can be toxic.

Burnt bookmarks - copyright Helen White

Now I am super careful as I don’t want this to happen again. I even put a sheet of kitchen foil over my trays for extra protection.

Black and White Rabbit Bookmark - copyright Helen White

Thankfully my next batch came out beautifully and so did my new dolphins and flowers.

White and black dog bookmark - copyright Helen White

Wire wrapped heart pendant - copyright Helen White

Since my last post I have been busy creating new items. And this month I wanted to crack on with the technique of wire wrapping. As silver wire is quite expensive I use plated wire, this is also cost effective when you just start out with this kind of technique as you tend to produce a bit of wastage when you make mistakes.

As it’s Valentine’s Day this month, hearts are obviously playing a part in my new designs and I decided to make two wire wrapped heart pendants – but not just with round wire. Instead I used square wire. I have a  nifty little device from Beadalon with which I can twist the wire into a nice shape. So for the two hearts I made, I used two square wires of different colours (copper, silver plated for the first one and brass and silver plated) and twisted these together. Only downside is that the wire hardens using this method, which means it’s harder to manipulate into a nice shape.

Wire wrapped heart - with copper and silver plated copper wire - copyright Helen White

Once twisted I bent it into the desired heart shape. The trickiest bit  here was actually to make sure that the ends were not sharp – so I used a wire rounder and ultimately a needle file to smooth the edges. Using 0.4mm copper wire I started wrapping Swarovski beads and Czech fire polished beads onto the frame. And voila – the finished piece. It is not as easy it as it sounds though and takes a long time to wrap around. Plus you have to be very carefully not to kink the wire, which happens easily – especially if you work with a very long piece of wire. When that happens I tend to straighten it with my nylon coated pliers or if I can’t rescue it I snip it off and use a new piece of wire

Hope you like the results. Until next time.

Wire wrapped heart pendant - Copper and silver wire - copyright Helen White

Happy New Year - copyright Helen White

I hope you all had a good start to the New Year.

It has been a bit quiet since my last post, mainly because I have been busy in the run-up to Christmas, working on a proofreading assignment, making further improvements on the website (the shop layout is now horizontal instead of one long row) and my PTLLS course, which I have finished before Christmas. I am now waiting for my City & Guilds certificate to arrive. My tutor reckons it will take until about March. However I am happy to say that I passed my nerve wrecking micro teach – a teaching session of only 30 minutes, which is rather challenging for someone who is not keen on public speaking! And planning for only 30 minutes isn’t easy.

One of the reasons why I have done this course was simply to be able to teach jewellery courses on a 1-2-1 basis to people who are interested to learn but not keen on going to big classes. But I also hope to teach journalism courses for the NUJ. So these are already two things on my ever increasing list of things I’d like to do and achieve.

Last year I have featured a lot of crafters and jewellery designers and in December Kirsty Sullivan from Ladybird Beads has returned the favour and featured me in a long interview on her blog. You can read it here:

http://www.ladybirdbeads.blogspot.com/ I hope you like it. I also hope to improve my own PR and get featured in other blogs or magazines to get my brand more known.

Another thing on my list is to simply get my health back and being able to create jewellery without inevitable shoulder and neck pain. So I am hitting the gym and start exercising again. I haven’t been able to create new stock in the last 2 or 3 months and it’s not a nice situation to be in, especially as I have so many ideas in my head for designs. So this month I will ease myself back into creating things – and decided to work with one or two different techniques and materials each month.

As it’s very cold in the conservatory I am dreading the work bench a bit and so will spend January working in our living room. This means mainly bead work, as polymer clay is messy and the pasta machine is tricky to clamp onto our round table.

Once it gets warmer – hopefully in February I want to work with my new texture plates and get back to my polymer clay. My dad gave me a tumbling kit for Christmas which I want to use a lot too – which means working with PMC again. It’s unfortunately not a cheap material, so will start with a few designs and see how well they sell.

By the end of this year I want to change my logo to something that I think represents my jewellery better. The “logo” I have right now can be confusing as it just shows beads (photographed with my old camera before it started to tint everything pink!).

What I also like to do this year is to work with silver and copper and am currently waiting for a book to arrive by Jinks McGrath to help me get back to metal work.

Animals, especially cats, will still be one of my main themes for jewellery designs as I have noticed that my animal jewellery is quite popular with customers.

And finally  – if finances allow it – I would like to go on another jewellery course, as I think it’s important to learn new or improve existing skills.

So these are my plans for this year. I would love to hear from you. What would you like to achieve this year?

How many animals have been re-homed since the start of the charity?

Our current number stands at 1950. The majority have been re-homed and others have been transferred to other rescue charities when we have run out of space. The number signifies all those who have come into Four Paws’ care. We are due to reach our 2000^th dog and we are hoping to have a surprise celebration for the family who will be adopting the 2000^th dog.

How many active members have you got?

At present we have 30 active foster carers, 4 trustees and approximately 30 fundraising volunteers. No one at Four Paws receives a wage; we are all volunteering our time and skills.

Like any good animal charity Four Paws has a strict vetting policy and the requirements can be found on their website here Can you explain why you have such strict criteria?

Some people may see our procedures as being quite strict, however our main concern is always the welfare of the animal and the prospective owners. Many of the animals that come to us have been unwanted, neglected and sometimes abused. It is our duty to make sure they are treated with love and kindness in their next home.

One of the many dogs up for adoption - copyright Four Paws Animal Rescue (SW)

When do you turn people down?

The main reason we may turn an application down is when we have lots of applications for the same dog. It is inevitable some people will be disappointed, but we try to match the most suitable home to the dog so it is never a personal reflection of the applicant.

We also may turn people down if their current animals are not vaccinated or neutered. We also have a policy where we do not home with children under the age of five.

The hardest reason we may have to turn people down is, if they are planning on leaving a dog for longer than four hours. We know that this is a difficulty for many people but it is important to note that many rescue dogs have abandonment issues and for some dogs over four hours is too long to be away from their human companions. We never home a puppy where they will be left for more than 3 hours as we feel they need input into behaviour and training whilst they are small.

You mainly re-home dogs and have currently one cat in care. Why is that?

The reason Four Paws Animal Rescue focuses mainly on dogs is that they are more at risk of needlessly being killed at the pound. We have taken in many animals over the years including cats, birds and even a ferret! As a charity we find homing cats very difficult and as a consequence we have a limited number of spaces to be able to help them. We have recognised that there are many cats out there that need help and as a result we have recently been helping spay female cats to help the unwanted kitten problem.

Five year old Mandu is currently the only cat in care and in desperate need of a loving home as he's been with the charity for quite some time - copyright Four Paws Animal Rescue (SW)

What other animal charities do you work with to re-home and help for example cats in need?

We work with many other charities to help our animals, and for cats we often refer people who need help to Cats Protection, the RSPCA and Catwell.

What kind of dogs are the most difficult to re-home?

Brindled male Staffys! Any bull breed is hard to home but if it is a brindle colour they have been known to stay with us for up to a year. We also have difficulty finding foster homes for bull breeds due to their stereotypes, despite the fact that they are possibly the most loving breed.

One of the many dogs up for adoption - copyright Four Paws Animal Rescue (SW)

And what kind of dogs are the easiest to find homes for?

Any pedigree dogs that come to us such as Cavaliers, Spaniels, Yorkies etc. The smaller the dog the easier it is to re-home. We also have a great deal of interest when we have puppies, unless they are bull breed pups of course!

You have private fosterers as well as kennels – is that correct?

We do not have a rescue centre but a network of foster carers who dedicate their time and love to their foster dogs whilst helping them find a forever home. When we can not find a foster home for a dog we rent a kennel from a local boarding kennel. This is very expensive for us but necessary when a dog needs quarantining or has behavioural issues they need help with.

The recession has a negative effect on pet ownership. How much has the amount of animals in care increased since 2008?

The rates of dogs being handed into the pound has risen exponentially since 2008! We tripled our re-homing rates in the first year of the recession. We also have a hand-in list where people apply to hand their dogs in to us. Traditionally there have always been around 30 dogs waiting to come to us, however since the recession we have had a static number of 120 on our waiting list. It is devastating to see how many people have lost their jobs, homes and the financial means to continue looking after their furry companions.

What is the most common reason people have brought in a dog to re-home?

The main reason people hand their dogs in to us is that they can not cope with behavioural issues such as separation anxiety, toilet training or aggression. Some of these are quite simple to deal with and others not so. Therefore it always reminds us that training and socialising a dog at a young age is vital in making it a happy and healthy animal. Another common reason is the arrival of a new family member and we often see people handing dogs in as they are unable to cope with a new baby and a dog or they are worried how the dog would react to a new baby.

Readers will be interested to know how they can help animals in need. What does Four Paws mostly need, not only in terms of donations, but practical help?

Four Paws Animal Rescue is always looking for people who would like to foster. We look for people who spend quite a lot of time at home, enjoy walking and can help a rescue dog adjust to family life.

We know that not many people can foster so there is plenty of other things to do. We are always looking for people to help us run stalls at events, hold a tin outside pets at home or run your own fundraising event!

Whatever you decide to do, please feel free to come and be part of our online community where you will find lots of dog lovers, friends and practical animal owning advice.

What has been the biggest challenge for the charity?

The biggest challenge for our charity was rescuing the two Springer spaniels Bertie and Wooster. They were dumped in the pound to be put to sleep, but rescued by Four Paws. After a short period in a foster home they were re-homed. After two weeks in their new home we received a phone call to say that Bertie was going to be put down by the vet due to a spinal injury. On further inspection it turned out that Wooster had run head first into his brother crushing his spine. The family had not taken out pet insurance and as a result could not afford treatment and so agreed to have him euthanized. FPAR retrieved both, Bertie and Wooster, and spent several thousand pounds on life saving surgery for Bertie. Bertie is now living permanently with his foster carer who adopted him. Wooster has his very own home where he swims in a lake every day. It was a challenge emotionally and financially for a very small charity, but we knew that it was our duty to do the very best for our animals.

And what has been the biggest success?

Our foster carers are our biggest success! Without them FPAR couldn’t save the dogs that we have. We have a lot to thank them for. One other success is that Kirsty Thomas, the founder of the charity, won the Dogs Trust Award for “A Dog’s Best Friend”. It was wonderful to see her rewarded for all her hard work.

What are your future plans for the charity?

One day we hope to have our own rescue centre. It is a long way off but we hope to realise it one day.

When’s the next big charity event?

10^th December 2011 – Christmas Event at Buttrills Community Centre, North Walk, Barry, CF62 8BX

Thank you very much for the interview Seran.

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