Wednesday 19 May 2010

Cold Porcelain

I've just discovered Cold Porcelain and a recipe for making it at home ... there are loads of recipes on the Internet, many which vary slightly in the ingredients, so I chose one and couldn't wait to get started.

After reading reports of some people's disappointment with their numerous attempts at perfecting the clay, I was a little apprehensive, thinking that I would either end up with a gooey mess, or something that was dry, difficult to work with and cracked whilst drying.

But I'm delighted to say that my fears were unfounded!

The clay appears to have turned out beautifully. I must say after previously working with Polymer Clay, the texture and light perfume from the Nivea cream in the Cold Porcelain is quite pleasant. Added to that, the low cost, natural appearance, low toxicity and no need to fire, and I can definitely say I am now a convert!

Yesterday I made my very first attempt at making a white rose and was amazed how easy it was. It isn't perfect and I will need more practice but I'm enjoying the learning process.

White Rose:


I had a little piece of clay left over from that rose, so I added a tiny dab of acrylic paint to make a pink rose. I'm not sure if the acrylic paint made the texture a little drier, or if it was drying out through use, or possibly a combination of the two, but it didn't seem quite as supple as when I made the white rose. As you can see from the photo, it has formed tiny cracks along the edge of the thinnest petals... which is no bad thing and I actually think it looks quite realistic.

Pink Rose:


Primarily I'd like to use my flowers in my jewellery designs, so I'm a little disappointed that I will probably have to varnish them to protect from moisture. I love the natural matte porcelain look as it is, so will have to try a varnish with a very matte look to try to retain the appearance of porcelain.

I'm going to experiment using various additions to colour the clay and want to try adding Mica Pigment powder for a subtle pearly, shimmery effect too.

So my conclusion is that it is a wonderful clay and one that I will enjoy experimenting with.

10 comments:

  1. The Roses you make are gorgeous!

    well done on mastering the cold porcelain.

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  2. They look really beautiful. I've always liked the translucent quality of porcelain.

    If you dont mind me asking I was wondering how come you dont have to fire it?

    Also I dont throw in porcelain, its a bit too expensive for me at the moment but you can get white stoneware which is cheaper.

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  3. Thanks Clare! I was surprised how easy it was. :)

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  4. Hi Little Wren,
    It isn't proper porcelain, it's an old formula popular in Victorian times. These days it's made with cornflour, PVA glue, baby oil, hand cream and vinegar, (although there are many variations). The basic dough/paste is cooked in the microwave or on the hob and kneaded until really smooth and pliable. Once cold it can be modelled just like clay and the pieces dry naturally in about 24 hours with about 20 to 30% shrinkage.

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  5. wow that' s really good

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  6. Awesome post! I love your roses, beautiful! I hope you dont mind, I featured you on my blog and included a link to your blog in my article. :-)
    http://hippiechicjewelz.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/i-never-met-a-medium-i-didnt-like/

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  7. Thank you for featuring me on your blog :)x

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