decals

So, I guess I’ll talk about beads instead. The bead show is a week from today and I’m starting to wind down. Have to have time to finish sanding and glazing, so a couple more sets of beads to roll and on to finishing.

Not that there’s been time to play, but I did just a little. Many years ago my mom had a ceramic shop in our basement. Needless to say, I worked with ceramics long before I got started working with polymer clay. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the decals used on ceramics and was trying to think what I could use that would work with polymer clay and be small enough for beads in particular. I bought some water decals that are used for fingernails. Oh what fun!

Here’s what I’ve learned about using the water decals with polymer clay beads.
1. do not put them on raw clay, they get sticky.
2. do not bake them on beads at regular curing temperatures, they get sticky.
3. do put the decals on already glazed beads (acrylic finish such as varathane or future). also put a coat of finish on top of decal to protect it.

Photos of bead with water decals for fingernails on it.
   

I’ll be back in a little while to let you know how they hold up when heat setting the finish (the bead is currently in the oven).

Update: fresh from the oven and the bead is perfectly fine, which means the decal between layers of finish will hold up to 200 degrees.