Everything old is new again. Do you remember Shrinky-Dinks from the 1970’s. Turns out that shrink plastic is the new “in” medium for creative projects! This comes at a good time for me because I recently injured my right shoulder. I don’t know how I hurt it...when you get old, things just start falling apart and I’m finding that beading really aggravates the healing processes so it’s time to take a brief respite. I’d had shrink plastic sheets in my stash for awhile but had never found time to experiment with them. Now that I need to take a temporary breather from beadwork, I’ve started experimenting with this new/old medium and find that wonderful jewelry components can be created with it! I’ve discovered that bigger is better when it comes to cutting out designs from the plastic sheet because it does shrink significantly. I haven’t compared the shrinkage rate between various brands (I use shrink plastic sheets that I purchased from Sizzix.com and JulieHaymaker.com) but I’ve found that the plastic shrinks 50% or more of the original size. If I start with a one-inch cutout it will ultimately shrink down to a size between one-half and one-third inch. Above is a selection of various shapes I’ve cutout using my Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine. I used permanent markers and inks with stamps to add color and pattern. Before I start color application, I sand off any shiny surface from the plastic sheets with 3M Scotch-Brite abrasive pads because I prefer the look of sandblasted glass. I intend to use these in mixed media projects that will combine beadwork, metalwork, and polymer clay. I should have something finished to show you in my next post!
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