Yesterday I have got orders for 2 Mezuzahs- one for a friend's teenager daughter and the other for a new opened natural food store.
So I had my first Mica shift experience...
What is mica? wikipedia says it is a mineral.
The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word micare, meaning to shine, in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral . For more info- see wiki.
Mica is a naturally occurring stone that forms in thin crystalline wafers. It is very soft and can be pulled apart with your fingertips. Egyptian, Greek and Roman women used ground up mica in their make-up to impart a 'glow' to their skin because even when ground to a powder, mica's crystalline structure allows it to reflect light.
When you unwrap a bar of gold Premo ,you may notice streaks of dark gold running through the clay. When you process the clay in a pasta machine, the streaks disappear and the clay seems to brighten several shades and become much more reflective.
If you want to align the mica for maximum shine you must first process the clay,#1 on your pasta machine- for about 10 to 20 times...
6 comments:
Hi Ruth!
I finally got signed in so I can comment! What fun you had making mica shift! Your pieces are beautiful. I love that technique..it's almost like magic when you see the finished project!
Right now I'm sort of pondering where to go next. I'm liking big necklaces so maybe will do a mica shift piece!!!
Good to have you here susan!!
Today I bought a lot of clay in order to have fun with the mica shift...
Cann't wait to see your new work!...
(:
Lovely!
Fantastic! Those are really great.
Thank you DrMom and Dzeni!!
(:
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