Vol-065 Faux Abalone Paua Cuff PcT Tutorial (Intro)
Video #439: An easier way to make Faux Abalone… Or Paua Shell from New Zealand.
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** This post is an introduction to one of our paid tutorials.
For a while now, many of you have been repeatedly asking me to do a Polymer Clay Faux Abalone Tutorial, but I hesitated until I could come up with my own unique version. Well, it’s ready! Not only does it look like the real thing, but it is also faster and easier to make, as compared to what I’ve seen others teach.
This month's Faux Abalone Paua Shell Tutorial, is based on a cane technique that anyone can do… plus you will learn how to use your beautiful faux shell technique to create a stunning brass cuff. You’ll end up wanting to make dozens of them to impress your family, friends and customers (if you sell your work).
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Hi Cindy, just bought your Faux Abalone tutorial, and it was totally amazing. I was deliberating about it for a few months... wish I had done it ages ago. Your tutorials are very easy to follow. Thank you, from a newbie.
Pamela S
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I have tried making faux abalone from someone else's tutorial, but never liked the results and gave up. Your tutorial is SO much easier to follow, and the results are so much richer. Thank you Cindy for giving me another chance to make some beautiful faux abalone. Your way is the best way for me, every time. Many Uuugggs.
Peggy B
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Thank you so much for this tutorial!!! I have scoured the web for tut's on making abalone, and found them all lacking. They weren't 'believable'... but yours is SO real. I made a jar using the blue cane as an inlay, and covered some seashells for a pendant and earring set, as well as some hearts. What an inspiring project!
Cheryl B
Transcript coming soon...
Transcript coming soon...
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Ms. Cindy: wanted to share a cute happening with you. I got the videos to work, WONDERFUL!
I had never done much sanding to clay, usually applied a Liquitex varnish and called it done. Well, hubby is a custom car builder, so I asked for some sandpapers. (been together for 48 years) He did give me a funny look and pulled some old 360, 400, 600, and 1200 he had used on latest car. (1947 Chrysler) I happily headed for my room and sanded my heart out. After a day or so he wandered in and said, “What are you doing with all that old sandpaper?” I showed him the finished products and he smiled saying he would get me some new paper to work with. When you take time to finish details you get so much more. Thanks for all the wonderful videos and all the trusted helps. May this spring bring some beautiful things to you and family. Always claying!
Ok, I couldn’t bear to use my gorgeous abalone cane quite yet, but just got the brass bracelet blanks and had to use one right away! So, I made another makume Gane sheet and I love the way this bracelet turned out! The colors with the brass are lovely! Ok so actually it isn’t baked yet, but you never know what’ll go on in that oven, so best to take a before picture I think!
Awesome job Katy! Love seeing your work. Thank you so much for posting it here. Your enthusiasm is infectious!
Seems you suffer from UFO, Katy… UnFinished Objects :-))
If you don’t ever finish a UFO it will turn into a WOMBAT – a Waste Of Money, Brains And Time!
I am happy to say I have only one UFO – an exceedingly large canvas on which I am doing a pointillism style Aboriginal dot painting. It’s taking forever!
As for sanding and buffing – I find that too time consuming and not the least interesting so I wait until I have a stack of clay pieces and put them through a rotary tumbler. Beats hand sanding any day!
A true hoarder has only narrow walkways around a room wall-high chock-a-block with stuff. If you can still see the floor and navigate around your bedroom, you’re not a true hoarder :-))
Haha! Yes! I do suffer from UFO! I have plenty of wombat around here for sure! That is hilarious! I’m definitely going to start using all this stuff I’ve (borderline) hoarded and finish things up (a bit more at least).
I’ve got a vibratory tumbler. I like it but I’m still playing with various media for it. Every time I go to look for the video where Cindy talks about the triangle media and where to find it I get distracted by other videos of hers and never make it. :D I had also heard of another media for these tumblers that’s supposed to Polish things up well called Vibra dry+ I think. But I don’t want to invest in that until I check out the price on those triangles first. Do you remember where you got them?
So last night I only got a little more done on my fairy door, plus another tray of torpedoes of course, before conking out. Today I have to make a trip to renew my RN license that’s about an hour and 15 minutes away, plus other appointments that are going to interfere with my clay play. As usual I waited till so close to my birthday that I can’t mail in the renewal… BUT the upside is that there’s A HUGE bead warehouse store down there…. Shipwreck Beads. So I get to go there! Although I’m actually thinking of skipping it so I’m not tempted to spend money I don’t have and /or could be investing in another tutorial. Such a dilemma! Maybe I’ll put off the whole trip. I’ve got a few days left before I expire. :)
Oh, and I forgot to say…. You only have ONE ufo? I’m completely befuddled, flabbergasted, baffled and jealous! I hope you’ll post a picture of that project when you’re done! Maybe even a sneak peek now if you’re feeling like sharing!?
One UFO is unusual, I’ll grant :-) I can’t find the progress shots of the dot painting so I’ll need to take more.
Yes, I do remember where I bought the substrates for the tumbler. It’s the same place Cindy mentioned in that elusive to watch tutorial :-) Otto Frei
I bought the coarse, medium and fine plastic pyramids and the 3mm porcelain balls. They work extremely well.
You’re a prolific clayer, Katy! I had a chuckle reading “plus another tray of torpedoes of course” :-)) A delicious dilemma you have there…. I suppose you can look and not buy and pick up lots of ideas if you go by Shipwreck Beads? Go for it!
Ok I know this is an older tutorial, but I just did some so wanted to share a photo of a pair of earrings I just did using the abalone cane. I absolutely love this tutorial! I did a bracelet on a clay bangle I made since I have no brass blanks, but I did order some from Rings & Things so maybe soon I’ll have a lovely brass abalone bangle too!!
Katy your earrings turned out great! It is fantastic to see you being so productive. Way to go!
Thank you so much!
Hooley Dooley! They look like pearls in the shell! Well done, Katy. I love your faux abalone. You’ve inspired me to try it – thank you :-)
You’re right Chrissie! They’re pearls from fire mountain gems. I got them about a year ago but I’m always afraid to use the pieces I buy because I want to save them for something good… Finally I had something good! Also the confidence to just go for it! I might have maybe gown a bit too excited and assembled these before polishing my abalone piece, but hey, I can make loads more now with that wonderfully easy cane!
Oh boy, I know that feeling of hanging onto bits and bobs to save for something good :-) Why do we do that! It must be a lack of confidence and dread that we’ll get it wrong. You’ve hit that one on the head and gone for it… good onya!
You are like a breath of fresh air, Katy and you’re an inspiration to me and anyone else reading this, I’d suspect :-)
Yes, I do that all the time! Beads, findings, clay beads I make… They just sit in plastic drawers that have taken over my bedroom/craft room (being single has some real benefits!) At what point does one become a hoarder I wonder…
Thanks for the compliment again! I just love creating and I feel like this membership and these tutorials have given me that boost I needed to soar instead of fumble… Ok so I still fumble all the time, but I’m mentally soaring! I’m terrible at finishing things… I have countless (literally) pieces and projects that I start but get uncertain about, or I dread the sanding & buffing process, or I just get bored or distracted and start something new… But seeing all these techniques as well as seeing them become finished projects is really inspiring to me. :) I hope I can inspire others, because everyone deserves to feel this joy!
I have found Premo Accent Blue Pearl only in the sample box on Amazon and Blue Sculpey
clay at the Polymer clay superstore only. Are they ot making the 2 oz blue pearl clay anymore?
Thanks
Cindy P. I have not been able to find it either so I don’t think they are making it available anymore in the 2oz. block. However, you can mix your own with the Premo receipe. 6 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part pearl, 1 part white, 1/8 part Florescent yellow.
I don’t think I ever thanked you for the abalone tutorial. It ended up beautiful and I have made buttons from it. It is kind of funny that I made the cane right after the tutorial was released and used it, but never connected it to what I had asked to be explored. It wasn’t until I had a customer that was again asking if I had any abalone buttons yet that I thought man I need to figure that out. I went home and messed around with some clay until I saw a small piece of the cane and I thought, Oh My Goodness I do have it and it was thanks to you. So I am so sorry for not thanking you earlier and letting you know how much I appreciate you doing that tutorial.
I’m at an impass. I love this tute and want to make more however I’m told that I no longer can get the blue pearl premo. Do you by chance have a recipe that makes me the blue pearl color so I can proceed with this tute? Thanks
Hi Nancy,
You can actually still buy Blue Pearl in the Premo Metallic/Pearl Multi-Pack… and Sculpey does have a PDF page of recipes for the discontinued colors, which includes Blue Pearl if you want to check that out. The link above will let you download the PDF to your computer.
That should get you back to working on this tutorial! (And by the way, you can really do this tutorial with any colors that you like, so you aren’t stuck, even if you don’t have one of the colors.)