Thursday, April 29, 2010

Friendly Plastic Experiments with Jones Tones aka mylar backed foils

I bought these foils a few months ago to try them on my Friendly Plastic sticks. I am about 99% sure this is THE foil that is used on the surface of the friendly plastic I buy. Ages and ages ago I came across this foil in a card shop. They were selling it as a way to embellish cards - just write on the foil and it would transfer to the paper. I think I bought it but never tried it.



I went on the hunt for this stuff just after Christmas and came
across it as Jones Tones Foil. When I saw it in the card shop
this wasn't what it was called.

My supplier had several colours so I ordered one of everything they had. Ah the joys of Christmas money. Today I did a few experiments with it. The only info I could find online was how to use it with polymer clay: roll out the clay, lay the foil on top, dull side down, then burnish it onto the surface. Rub fast and hard to create heat and then rip it off the surface like a band aid. Well I figured if I heated the friendly plastic that would activate/adhere the foil to it so that's what I tried. I got my heat gun and warmed the plastic up until it got really sticky then laid the foil onto it.

I then rubbed it to make contact on the whole stick. I then took the heat gun and aimed it over it for a count of ten along the length of the stick and then I let the whole thing cool down before I removed the mylar backing. I did rip fast most times but not always. I don't think it matters as much with the friendly plastic as it really seems to bond.



What dawned on me was when I was adding the foil over top of the existing foil, I would get a broken pattern. I actually found this very intriguing. It makes the surface more sophisticated adding depth and interest.

When I placed the foil on the back of the plastic, the side without the foil, pretty much the whole sheet stuck and I then had a new sheet of plastic with both sides having colour.

This too is interesting to me.












My next experiment will be trying to add patterning with the foil to another existing colour. For example, adding silver stripes to royal blue friendly plastic. Or gold hologram dots to green friendly plastic. I'm also wondering if I can add the foil to my work after I've already cooked up my design. Could I add the hologram pattern to a finished design and then take it off so it leaves a dusting of colour behind? I used to inset hologram sheets into friendly plastic ages ago and I remember them losing their patterning under the heat. They were really sensitive so I am curious to see how they hold up in the oven. Anyway I'll know soon enough, as will you dear reader. As will you.

1 comment:

Plastic cards said...

THE foil spot to surface of the friendly plastic