Fasterplaster- Tips And Techniques

Plaster Faster +

®

Fabulously Fun, Fantastic and Fresh Ideas

Designs by: Tiffany Windsor, Heidi Borchers & Maria Nerius

Faster Plaster

®

We LOVE Faster Plaster! This revolutionary microwaveable plaster formula eliminates the wait to begin creating. Faster Plaster is easy to use—just add water and shake. Then pour into the mold, let set, remove from mold and microwave. Finished projects are ready in no time because there’s no days spent waiting for the plaster to air dry. The self-sealing formula is harder and more chip-resistant than regular plaster. Plaster washes off with soap and water. Faster Plaster is safe for children with adult supervision. You’ve come a long way baby! We remember when this product was first introduced to the creative consumer more than 15 years ago and thanks to some innovative new techniques and applications we’ve discovered, Faster Plaster has taken on a whole new look! Faster Plaster is one of the easiest-to-use basic crafting products that produces WOW results! With the use of traditional soap, clay, jewelry and plaster molds and some newly discovered techniques (thank you Heidi!), combined with today’s exciting color ink, markers and specialty paint products, Faster Plaster is perfect for embellishing your paper art and crafting including scrapbooking, cardmaking, altered art, collage, ATCs, and mixed media. Plus you can create fantastic home décor, outdoors art, jewelry, fashion accessories, art dolls, and so much more.

Techniques. Faster Plaster can be used in a variety of applications. Traditionally, it was poured into coaster, trivet and stepping stone molds and used as a base for mosaics. It was also poured into design molds for a variety of shapes and styles. With the introduction of new candy molds, silicone baking molds, clay molds, clear stamps, texture plates, pre-cut foam shapes and other recycled plastic molds, it’s easy to achieve a broad range of contemporary, traditional and vintage designs. We’ve hope you have as much fun creating and playing with Faster Plaster as we do. We’d love to see your creations and share them! Just email your project photos to [email protected] and we’ll share them on-line! Get Creative! Get Inspired! Tiffany Windsor, Heidi Borchers & Maria Nerius www.InspiredatHome.com

Check out more great Faster Plaster project ideas at www.FaveCrafts.com Faster Plaster supplies are available at your local craft supply retailer or shop on-line at

www.shop.inspiredathome.com

Faster Plaster 50+ Fabulously Fun, Fantastic and Fresh Ideas eBook—©Copyright 2009 by Inspired at Home—All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Trademarks are property of their respective holders. When used, trademarks are for the benefit of the trademark owner only. Faster Plaster® is a registered trademark of Plaid Enterprises, Inc. Published by Inspired at Home, 4300 Main Street, Grasonville, MD 21658—www.inspiredathome.com

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Inspired at Home is THE source for bringing together all the ways today’s woman can express her individuality through creativity and live in the joy of the moment. Our goal is to bring balance and harmony into your world. We encourage health, security, strength, and well-being. We strive to fill our community with laughter, fulfillment, and prosperity. Inspired at Home provides a network and foundation for kindred souls to gather.

Meet the designers . . . Tiffany Windsor, born into an artistic, entrepreneurial family, has found success expressing her talents in many different arenas. As the daughter of Aleene Jackson, America’s beloved “Mother of Crafting” and inventor of Aleene’s Tacky Glue, Tiffany’s first love is expressing herself creatively. As a child, Tiffany expressed her crafty talents utilizing all of the supplies available at her mother’s store. Whether it was simply gluing popsicle sticks together, bejeweling cigar boxes or designing elaborate chenille stem treasures, crafting has been an everyday part of her life. She communicates that creativity through many consumer channels. As the producer and host of Aleene’s Creative Living television and editor of Aleene’s Creative Living magazine Tiffany has a rich knowledge of the creative craft industry. She has also made regular appearances on HSN, QVC, Lifetime and HGTV. Tiffany is the host of Inspired at Home Radio, a weekly live internet radio program which features guest interviews with top creative designers, authors and entrepreneurs. Heidi Borchers has been an accomplished artist and illustrator as well as an inventive designer since her teens. In the mid-1990’s, Heidi launched the largest selling craft book ever published—the first in a succession of “continuity” craft books called Aleene’s Big Book of Crafts. Many of her more than two dozen hard-bound books have been featured in Book of the Month Clubs across the country. She launched her national cable television career with featured segments on Aleene’s Creative Living and remains a staple crafting personality. Heidi’s designs have been featured in McCalls, Better Homes & Gardens, Creative Living, Craft, Home & Style, Decorating Craft Ideas, and Crafts N’ Things. As an eco artist, her passion is to recycle items you would normally toss away. Heidi illustrates the fan-favorite Almost Dailies e-mail series and co-hosts Inspired at Home Radio where she shares her popular Challenge Heidi ideas.

Maria Nerius has worked in the creative and craft industries for over 25 years starting as a professional artisan and is a well-known designer, writer, author, editor, and consultant. She has worked as an editor for publishers including the DRG Network, Prime Media, and CK Media. She was the founding editor of Stamp It! Magazine and the editor of Jewelry Creations. She currently serves as the Editorial Consultant to FaveCrafts.com. Maria is a savvy social media networking enthusiast who enjoys staying on top of current trends as well as knowing the traditions and history of crafting and crafting techniques. Maria is featured weekly on Inspired at Home Radio with her Craft Concierge reports. Her creative writings can also be found on the Inspired at Home Blog and website.

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LIVE Sunday Nights 7—8:30 pm ET—Listen from your computer Each episode of Inspired at Home Radio features lively chat, project ideas, guest interviews, the wildly popular creative roundtable, free giveaways and more!

www.inspiredathomeradio.com Listen to archived episodes on-line or download from iTunes www.inspiredathome.com

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Mix & Pour

We have each found our own preferred mix and pour methods for Faster Plaster. You can use either of these methods for any of the projects in this book or develop your own method!

So how much Faster Plaster should I mix at one time?

Heidi’s Zip Bag

Measure Faster Plaster into bag and add water according to package directions. Seal bag and shake for 1—2 minutes according to package instructions.

Snip corner of bag.

Pour into mold or onto surface.

You can mix small batches of Faster Plaster easily but we have found that the 1/2 pound bag is a great size to mix if you are making several coasters or a trivet or making a whole batch of mini-tiles. We always keep some favorite small molds close-by— like the Tribal Faces molds or jewelry cabochons—or texture plates—so that when we have just a small amount of Faster Plaster left over we pour the extra into those molds. Even a few drops goes a long way! Remember that you cannot save or store your leftover mixed Faster Plaster so you should go ahead and use every last drop!

Tiffany’s Yogurt Container

Measure Faster Plaster into container.

Add water.

Place lid on container and shake for 1—2 minutes according to package instructions.

Pour into mold or onto surface.

Remember to always prepare your work surface before you start to pour your Faster Plaster projects. You want a level surface where your pieces can set undisturbed until they are ready to remove from the mold. If you have a mold that is not sitting level, Heidi recommends that you just prop up one corner with craft sticks.

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The Cool Stuff

Now, this is where it gets really fun! We put our creative thinking caps on and found some real cool ways to play with Faster Plaster. These are the techniques that you will find featured in this book. Plain Embossing in Mold

Place craft foam in mold.

Pour Faster Plaster into mold, covering craft foam and filling to top.

Lightly tap edges of mold to release bubbles. Let set in mold until plaster feels solid to the touch.

Remove plaster from mold.

Lift foam to reveal indentation in plaster. Clean edges with craft knife.

Remove from mold.

Lift to remove texture plate from plaster.

Voila! Beautifully embossed coaster or tile.

Detail Embossing in Mold

Place clear stamp, pre-cut craft foam shape, or flexible texture plate FACE UP in mold.

Pour Faster Plaster into mold. Lightly tap edges to release bubbles. Let set until solid to touch.

Embedding in Mold

Place item to embed into mold FACE DOWN. (This example uses buttons. Be sure to protect face of button with blue tape before placing in mold.)

Pour Faster Plaster into mold. Lightly tap edges of mold to release bubbles. Let set until solid to the touch. Remove from mold.

Remove blue tape to reveal embedded button. Clean edges with blunt toothpick.

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More Cool Stuff

Direct Pour on Texture Plate

Pour Faster Plaster onto plate(s) in random patterns. Lightly tap side of plate to release bubbles and to help plaster settle, if needed. Let set until solid to the touch.

Place texture plate on smooth, level work surface.

Turn plate over and pieces will fall away from the plate. If any stick, gently twist plate to pop pieces off.

Cleaning Up Your Pieces When you pull your plaster design from the mold, it should still be cool and slightly moist to the touch. This is the best time to use a craft knife or a blunted toothpick to clean up any edges. The plaster is solid but the edges can easily be smoothed while the plaster is still moist. This clean-up can be done after the piece has dried completely, but it is much easier during this phase of the drying process. After the plaster is dry, you can use fine grit sandpaper, emery board or bead reamer to smooth any rough edges on your Faster Plaster pieces or to smooth and flatten the backs of any pieces, if needed.

Embedding Hangers

To embed your hanger, wait about 10 minutes until Faster Plaster starts to solidify and then press your hanger into plaster. If the hanger starts to sink too much, pull it back out, wait a few more minutes and try again. Remember that when you embed items you cannot use the microwave to speed drying.

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Heidi found a clever way to suspend jump rings which she embeds into the back of her jewelry pendants. By simply piercing the side of the mold (this is a recycled plastic mold) and inserting toothpicks at just the right height, she devised a way to hang her jump rings while the plaster sets.

Color & Finish

Have fun and experiment with your own coloring techniques on Faster Plaster. Here’s what we have played with!

Acrylic Paint—you can brush full strength acrylic paint directly on to Faster Plaster or thin paint with water for a beautiful color wash effect.

Adirondack Ink — brush full strength alcohol ink directly on plaster surface or apply directly from bottle. For a softer effect, mix ink with water and brush onto plaster surface.

Other Ink—Faster Plaster provides a great surface for stamping. We have stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance, StazOn, and Ancient Page.

Going Green

Lumiere Paint— The shimmers create a beautiful effect on the Faster Plaster surface. You can brush full strength or thin paint with water.

Sealers & Finishes—We have tried the following finishes: Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer (clear and color), Glossy Accents by Ranger, DecoArt Triple Thick Glaze, Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer—Glossy

So what exactly are the recycled molds that we use in many of our Faster Plaster projects? It’s the blister plastic packaging that you are most likely wondering if you can put into the recycle bin (because it usually doesn’t have the recycling triangle on it.) It’s the plastic packaging that a lot of your cosmetics come in, your alcohol ink sets are packaged in . . . it’s everywhere. Sometimes it’s also known as clamshell packaging. Heidi discovered that these plastic discards can make for some really cool molds for your Faster Plaster projects!

Warning….crafting with Faster Plaster is addictive! Little did we know when we first started playing with Faster Plaster that it would become so addictive. One creative idea led to another and we’re still dreaming up fun new techniques! As crafters, we are always seeking new surfaces to craft on and craft with and what we love about Faster Plaster is that you can use so many supplies, like molds, texture plates and clear stamps to create intriguing designs. Another thing we love about this product is that it has a high success rate. Sometimes, as designers, we have to spend hours and hours trying to determine the best way to use a product. With Faster Plaster, it was success at first try every time. Even our “mistakes” became beautiful jewelry. So, we invite you to jump in, mix it up — get creative, get inspired and have fun! www.inspiredathome.com

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Contents 9 You’re A Star—Frame by Heidi Borchers 10 I Heart You—Frame by Heidi Borchers 11 Rosey Outlook—Frame by Heidi Borchers 12 Flower Power—Mini Tile in Frame & Cork Cappers by Tiffany Windsor 14 Geo Mod—Frame by Heidi Borchers 16 Feelin’ the Love—I Adore You Mosaic Brick by Heidi Borchers 17 Coasting Along—Coasters by Tiffany Windsor 18 In Your Dreams—Journal by Heidi Borchers 20 Let the Sunshine In—Journal by Maria Nerius 21 Faerie Fun—Journal by Tiffany Windsor 22 Texture and Tribal—The Tribe Has Spoken Card by Maria Nerius 23 Pond Views—Cards by Maria Nerius 24 Watermelon Whimsy—Necklace by Maria Nerius 25 Seahorse Dreams—Necklace by Maria Nerius 26 For Teacher—Necklace by Maria Nerius 27 Go Native—African Mask Necklace by Maria Nerius 28 Sparkle & Shine—Touch of Crystal Pendants by Heidi Borchers 29 Glitter & Glam—Embedded Glitter Pendant by Tiffany Windsor 30 Vein of Gold—Gold Foil Pendant by Heidi Borchers 31 Glass & Glam—Embedded Glass Pendant by Tiffany Windsor 32 In the Garden—Embossed Dragonfly Garden Plaque by Tiffany Windsor 34 Garden Green—Green Garden Man Plant Stake and Vase by Heidi Borchers 36 Flutterbyes—Stamped Mini Tiles by Tiffany Windsor 38 Girl Talk—Girls Will Be Girls Purse & Rings and Things by Heidi Borchers 40 Be My Friend—Hello Friend Plaque by Tiffany Windsor 42 In the Spirit—Spirit Balls by Heidi Borchers 44 Soothe the Spirit—Spirit Plaques by Tiffany Windsor 46 Notes, Thoughts and other Musings

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You’re a Star

Star Frame by Heidi Borchers

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister packaging (I used from Wilton cookie cutter packaging) Plastic star mold by Plaid (from Make-It Mosaics Heart Trivet Kit) Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer (Glossy or Matte) Craft foam Acrylic paint— dark blue, white, yellow Paint brush Scissors Toothpick Craft knife Double stick tape Picture hanger or magnet

“I love to recycle! This cool frame is created from blister packaging —you know, the kind that you toss away

into the recycle bin all the time! This kind of recycle packaging comes in all shapes and sizes! With the embedding technique, a piece of craft foam creates the indentation for the photo.” Heidi

Instructions Prepare mold by first cutting craft foam to desired size for photo opening. Place into plastic mold exactly where you want it and place mold onto smooth level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold (covering craft foam) and fill to desired thickness. Let plaster set approximately 10 minutes and embed hanger into back of frame mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Lift foam from mold with finger or use craft knife (or pin) to catch hold of edge and pull up to remove. Clean up edges where needed with craft knife. Let air dry—do not microwave to dry (because of embedded hanger). Pour plaster into star molds. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn molds over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying of stars if desired. Paint frame blue and stars yellow. Let dry. Use tip of toothpick to add white dots. Let dry. If desired, spray with sealer. Trim photo to fit inset. Add piece of double stick tape to back of photo and press into frame. Glue stars in place on frame. www.inspiredathome.com

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I Heart You

Heart Frame by Heidi Borchers

Cut a piece of craft foam to any shape or size to make

indentations in your Faster Plaster picture frame.

You can embed a hanger or magnet on the back of this frame or in a pinch, you could also embed a large paper clip for a hanger.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Craft foam Recycled plastic blister packaging (I used from Wilton cookie cutter packaging) Castin’ Craft Jewelry Mold by Envirotex Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer (Glossy or Matte) Craft foam Acrylic paint—red, raspberry, medium pink, white, silver metallic Paint brushes— 1/2” shader, fine liner Scissors Toothpick Craft knife Picture hanger or magnet

Instructions Prepare mold by first cutting craft foam to desired size for photo opening. Place foam into plastic mold exactly where you want it. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold (covering craft foam) and fill to desired thickness. Let plaster set approximately 10 minutes and embed hanger into back of plaster. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Lift foam from mold with finger or use craft knife (or pin) to catch hold of edge and pull up to remove. Clean up edges where needed with craft knife. Let air dry—do not microwave to dry (because of embedded hanger). Pour plaster into heart molds. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint frame red, raspberry and pink. Using photo as guide paint hearts with grid pattern. Use liner brush to paint swirls. Use wood tip of brush (or toothpick or small pencil eraser) to paint dots. Let paint dry. Glue hearts in place on frame. If desired, spray with sealer.

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RoseY Outlook

Rose Frame by Heidi Borchers

A vintage floral plaster mold

provides the flower focus for this picture frame!

“The rose design is a vintage Faster Plaster mold that I found at a garage sale. You can also find many of these vintage molds available for sale on-

line. I wanted a larger photo opening for this frame so I cut a larger piece

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister packaging (I used from Wilton cookie cutter packaging) Plastic rose design mold (vintage garage sale find) Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer (Glossy or Matte) Craft foam Acrylic paint— white, red, raspberry, medium pink, leaf green, foliage green Paint brushes—1/2” shader, fine liner Scissors Pencil with eraser Craft knife (or toothpick) Picture hanger or magnet

of craft foam for the indentation.” Heidi

Instructions Prepare mold by cutting craft foam to desired size for opening. Place foam into mold exactly where you want it. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold (covering craft foam) and fill to top. Pour plaster into rose mold. Let plaster set approximately 10 minutes and embed hanger into back of frame mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Lift foam from mold with finger or use pin to catch hold of edge and pull up to remove. Clean up edges where needed with craft knife. Let air dry—do not microwave to dry (because of embedded hanger). Paint frame white. Let dry. Dip end of paintbrush or pencil eraser into leaf green and dot onto frame. Set aside to dry. Paint leaves foliage green. Paint rose raspberry and while paint is still wet, dip brush into pink and paint edges of petals blending with raspberry. While paint is still wet, brush and blend red into recesses to add shadows. Mix small amount of red with foliage green. Use liner brush to paint leaf veins. Clean brush and paint veins with leaf green. Let dry. Glue rose onto frame. If desired, spray with sealer.

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Flower Power Mini Tile in Frame by Tiffany Windsor

“I love the shape and size of the Wilton Bite-size Brownie silicone baking mold and pour

these mini-tiles by the dozen and use them for all sorts of projects !” Tiffany

This embedding technique is really fun because you use pre-cut adhesive backed craft foam shapes for the design.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup & water Plastic container with lid Bite-size Brownie Squares Silicone Baking Mold by Wilton Pre-cut adhesive backed craft foam shapes Adirondack Alcohol Ink by Ranger—Pink Sherbet StazOn Jet Black Ink by Tsukineko Just Between Friends Polka Dot Clear Stamp by Fiskars Rubber stamp—daisy design 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Scrapbook paper—handwriting Wood frame Palette or waxed paper Paint brush Acrylic paint—light pink, black Cosmetic sponge Beaded trims

Instructions Remove paper backing from foam shape and press into bottom of mold. Repeat for additional molds. Place mold on smooth level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold covering foam shape. For bottle tops, fill mold to the top. For other uses, you can fill 1/2 to 3/4. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over and release plaster. Use tip of pin to help pull foam shape from plaster. (See next page.) Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Apply alcohol ink directly from bottle to flower imprint area. Squeeze a few drops of alcohol ink on palette and mix with water to create a color wash. Brush wash onto remaining surface of plaster. Let dry. Stamp top and sides of tile with StazOn. If desired, apply coat of 3D Lacquer to raised stamped area of mini-tile. Set aside to dry. Paint wood frame with light pink. Let dry. Using cosmetic sponge, dab black paint on daisy stamp and stamp on frame. Repeat until entire front of frame is stamped. Glue scrapbook paper to frame insert. Glue mini tile to center. To create the bottle stoppers, just glue the mini-tile to the top of the cork stopper. Add fancy beaded trims and you have pretty collectible bottles.

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Pre-cut adhesive backed foam shapes from the kids department at your local craft store make great design elements for the mini tiles because of their simplicity! Just peel the paper backing and press them into the bottom of the mold. The adhesive holds them in place while you pour. After the Faster Plaster is solid to the touch, carefully pop out the tiles from the mold. Use your pin to lift the edge of the foam shape and then pull up and out. A clean, crisp image remains in the plaster!

You can use alcohol inks or a wash of acrylic paint to color your plaster shapes. I like the mottled look of alcohol inks. The colors are very strong directly from the bottle or thin them down with water for a great color wash effect.

“I use Aleene’s® Liquid Fusion™ Clear Urethane Glue for gluing my mini-tiles to corks. Even though these bottles are decorative, I want to be sure I have a nice strong bond.” Tiffany

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Geo Mod Mini Mod Mirror by Heidi Borchers

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister packaging (I used from Wilton cookie cutter packaging) Mirror Texture Plates - Double Sided Assortment III by Fiskars Weldbond Glue (for mosaic’ing) Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer — Glossy Ancient Page Ink—Coal Black White spray paint (matte) by Krylon Heat gun Stained glass pieces—iridescent Sandpaper—fine grit Blue low mask painters tape Sanded grout—black “I discovered this really cool pour technique using texture plates and Faster Plaster. These are the hard

plastic “plates” that are used for polymer clay crafting and paper embossing but for this technique, you can

simply pour your plaster onto the plate, let it dry — which happens really quickly — and then create this really mod mirror .” Heidi

Instructions Place mold and texture plates on smooth level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into frame mold. Pour randomly onto texture plate(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold and texture plates over and release plaster. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. If needed, lightly sand edges. Spray paint the frame and design pieces. Let dry. To color design pieces, carefully apply ink directly from pad onto raised surfaces. Set ink with heat gun. When completely cooled, spray with sealer. Let dry. Determine design placement, glue in place along with stained glass tiles. Protect plaster pieces with blue tape and then apply grout. Heidi’s complete mosaic grouting tutorial can be found on-line at: www.favecrafts.com/Techniques/How-to-Grout-Mosaics-Tutorial

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When you pour Faster Plaster, create interesting shapes. Let plaster set until solid to the touch and then pop off the texture plate.

How cool is this!

After spray painting the plaster pieces, just use your ink pad to color the raised surfaces.

When deciding your design layout, trace frame onto blank paper. Then, lay your mirror and tiles over pattern to determine placement. I had thought I was going to use flat back marbles but in the final design I decided I liked the flat iridescent stained glass pieces better! That’s what we designers like to do—change it up! Once I had my designs placed just right, I glued them to the plaster frame.

When it comes time to grout, protect the white painted surface of the frame with blue tape. The black grout can get really messy so take your time and try not to get too much grout on your design pieces. I use sanded grout so I always protect my plaster pieces with gloss finish but you still need to be extra careful and use a light hand when grouting and cleaning so that you don’t scratch the surface.

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Feelin’ the Love

I Adore You Mosaic Brick by Heidi Borchers

“My design studio is filled will all sorts of mosaic designs. This brick is one

of the favorites of my students and makes a cute door stop or tabletop

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Heart Candy Mold by Wilton Floral & Heart Soap Mold by Life of the Party Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer —Glossy Weldbond Glue (for mosaic’ing) Acrylic paint—white, red, raspberry, medium pink, leaf green, foliage green Paint brushes—1/2” flat shader, fine liner Toothpick Craft knife Brick Mosaic tiles (or stained glass pieces) and grout Alphabet letter beads Blue low mask painters tape

décor.” Heidi

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over and release plaster. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint floral mold design white. Let dry. Paint roses raspberry and while paint is still wet, dip brush into pink and paint edges of petals blending with raspberry. While paint is still wet, brush and blend red into recesses to add dimension. Mix small amount of red with foliage green to create brown. Use liner brush to paint veins. Let dry. Paint heart mold design red. While paint is still wet, paint edges of heart with raspberry, blending with red. Let dry. Dip end of toothpick in white and apply dots to design. Let dry. Spray both painted pieces with sealer. Let dry completely. Glue tiles, alphabet letters and plaster pieces onto top and all sides of brick. Let dry. Cover plaster designs with blue tape to protect while grouting. Heidi’s complete mosaic grouting tutorial can be found on-line at: www.favecrafts.com/Techniques/How-to-Grout-Mosaics-Tutorial

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Coasting Along Embossed Coasters by Tiffany Windsor

“This is the first Faster

Plaster project I made ! I

grabbed a texture plate, cut it to fit inside the coaster mold and poured. And then I was hooked !” Tiffany

Instructions Cut texture plate to fit mold exactly and place in mold FACE UP. Place mold onto smooth level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into mold covering texture plate. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Coaster Mold by Plaid (or recycled plastic packaging) Texture Makers Swirls & Scrolls by Studio by Sculpey Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger– Wild Plum, Lettuce 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura (clear or colored)

To color coaster apply alcohol ink either directly from the bottle tip (for strong bold color) or mix ink with water to create a color wash and brush on the color. (You can also create color wash from acrylic paints for a pretty effect.) Let color dry completely. Apply lacquer directly to raised surface of coaster. Let dry. If using colored lacquer, please note that it will change the color of the alcohol ink— but it’s a beautiful effect!

The detail created by the texture maker is wonderful and

alcohol inks create a beautiful color effect on Faster Plaster,

however, coloring can vary from piece to piece so keep that in mind if you think you want to create a matched set!

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In Your Dreams

Dreams Journal by Heidi Borchers

Faster Plaster is light-weight so it makes perfect embellishments for your

mixed media projects. Using textured papers for the background and Faster Plaster designs for the dimension, this mixed media journal has a dreamy

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled blister package for mold Journal by 7Gypsies Dream Clear Stamp by Inkadinkadoo Mod Podge® by Plaid Dragonfly Soap Stamp by Life of the Party Non-stick Craft Sheet by Ranger Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Acrylic paint—black, white, lavender, purple, lt. pink, medium pink, lt. blue, aqua, green, yellow Craft chalks Textured paper Honeycomb packaging paper Paint brushes—1/2” shader, fine liner, hard bristle (for chalks) Craft knife Waxed paper

look!

Instructions For dragonfly, place soap stamp FACE UP in mold. Position so that the edges of the stamp do not touch any edges of the mold. For Dreams, place clear stamp FACE UP on non-stick surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into mold (covering soap stamp). Pour over clear stamp. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Lift foam from mold with finger or use pin to catch hold of edge and pull up to remove. Clean up edges where needed with craft knife. Pop plaster design from non-stick surface and gently remove clear stamp. You should have a perfect impression! Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired.

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Paint DREAMS plaster design piece with black paint. Paint the outside edge of dragonfly tile with black. Paint inside area of dragonfly with white. Let dry. With fine liner brush, detail the lettering and vine. Set aside to dry. On dragonfly tile, drybrush over black with aqua, lt. blue and lavender being careful not to get any paint on the dragonfly area. Let dry. Using hard bristle brush, color dragonfly with chalks. Set plaster pieces aside. Place waxed paper between journal cover and first page. This will help to protect inside pages. Tear textured papers into desired sizes. Working one area at a time, brush on coat of Mod Podge to journal cover. Lay paper into Mod Podge and apply coat over paper. Repeat to cover entire journal cover. Let dry. Paint entire journal cover black. Let dry. Dry brush sections of paper with acrylic paint, varying section colors. Let dry. Glue plaster pieces on journal. Let dry.

“The dragonfly design is colored with acrylic paints on the outside edge and chalks on the inside. I use white acrylic paint for the base for the chalks. Just brush on and let dry and then use a stiff bristle brush to apply your chalk colors.” Heidi

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Let the Sunshine in! Here Comes the Sun Journal by Maria Nerius

Faster Plaster works great in clay

face molds. They’re quick, easy and a great way to add whimsical dimension to your creative projects.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Sun Designer Push Mold by Amaco Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue® Quote Sticker by K&Company Paper by Bazzill Basics Art Glitter Institute Designer Glue Glossy Accents Finish by Ranger Medium and large silk zinnia flower Acrylic paint—yellow Paint brush Small journal Scissors

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into face mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint face yellow. Let dry. Brush on Glossy Accents. Let dry. Remove plastic center from floral. This will also remove the plastic back of the flower. Glue the flower petal rings together at center so the flower will hold together. Glue face to center of flower. Cut paper to size to fit front of journal and glue in place. Adhere quote sticker. Glue flower where desired on journal. (This journal has a magnetic flap so the flower was adhered to the flap.) If your journal doesn’t have a flap, then center to top of journal and glue in place.

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Faerie Fun Faerie Journal by Tiffany Windsor

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Castin’ Craft Jewelry Mold by Envirotex StazOn Ink by Tsukineko—Jet Black Fairy Princess Scrapbook Paper by Karen Foster Texture Plate by Fiskars—Double Sided Assortment II Aleene’s® Memory Glue Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue™ Lumiere Paint by Jacquard—Pink Gold Rubber stamp image—fairy stamp Acrylic paint—medium pink, light foliage green Paint brush—1/2” shader 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into jewelry Mold(s) and onto texture plate. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Mix several drops of Lumiere paint with water and brush randomly onto jewelry plaster shape. Set aside to dry. Brush pink paint on textured design. Let dry. Paint raised surface with green. Let dry. Stamp fairy image on plaster. Apply coat of 3D Lacquer to front of fairy stamped embellishment. Layer and glue plaster pieces together. Glue fairy paper on front of journal. Lay ribbon on front of journal and wrap around to back of journal, center and glue to hold on front and back. Glue plaster embellishment on front of journal. Loop ends of ribbon. “I love to rubber stamp and when I found how beautifully Faster Plaster takes a rubber stamped image, there was no stopping me ! On a curved surface such

as this jewelry shape, just “roll” your rubber stamp over the surface.” Tiffany

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Texture and Tribal The Tribe Has Spoken Card by Maria Nerius

Add dimension to any project with Faster Plaster! This card uses naturals with just a touch of

gold to capture the earthiness of Africa.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Tribal Designer Push Mold by Amaco Scrap of burlap Paper by Bazzill Basics 3” x 4-1/2” scrap of heavy fabric 1-1/2” x 2” scrap of heavy fabric 4-1/2” x 5-1/2” card blank Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Acrylic paint—beige Gold pigment ink Synthetic Artist Sponge by Royal Brush Paintbrush Length of raffia

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into face mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint face beige. Let dry. Sponge on gold pigment ink. This project didn’t use any sealer, but you can apply a light coat of sealer for more shine or to matte the gold ink. Add highlights to front of card by pouncing sponge into gold ink pad and then pouncing on card. Adhere 3” x 4-1/4” heavy fabric to center of card front. Then layer a scrap of burlap on top of it. Center smaller fabric piece onto card front, adhere face to center of smaller fabric piece. Finish with a raffia bow.

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Pond Views Pond Views Cards by Maria Nerius

You can almost hear the fish splashing in

the pond ! The finishing touch of splattering

paint onto the card front gives the feel of cool water.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup & water Plastic container with lid Asian Accents Mold by Sculpey Paper by Bazzill Basics— 4-1/2” x 5-1/2” card green blank 4-1/2” x 5-1/2” card blue blank 4 shades of green paper, 4 shades of blue paper Marvy Uchida Clever Lever Punches—square (1-1/4”, 1-3/8”, 2”) Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Acrylic paint—lt. orange, med. orange, dark green, dark blue, white, black Stylus Toothbrush Paint brush—1/2” shader Paper trimmer Palette (or waxed paper) Ruler Newspaper Assorted variegated blue and green flosses Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into fish mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint fish light orange. Let dry. Make a color wash with drop of medium orange on palette and add water. Stir until milky. Drybrush this wash along shadow lines to give depth to the fish. Dot eye with stylus using black paint. Allow to dry. Punch 1 square each with 3 different size square punches. Cut, stack and glue 3 blue and 3 green. With the fourth color of blue and green, cut 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" strips. Glue blue strip to the green card blank and green strip to the blue card blank. Place blue stacked squares onto green strip on blue card, placing so squares become a diamond. Repeat this process for green card. Glue one fish to each diamond. Place cards onto newspaper or other protective cover of work space. Dip toothbrush into dark green paint and using your thumb (raking it over the toothbrush head) splatter paint onto card. Clean and dry toothbrush, repeat this process with dark blue and white paint. Finish with a floss bow along card fold.

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Watermelon WhimsY

Watermelon Necklace by Maria Nerius

Mouth-watering fun around your neck for any season. You can add the glossy finish or leave it matte depending on your wardrobe.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Country Mold by Sculpey Acrylic paint—dark green, light green, black, raspberry red Glossy Accents by Ranger Small jewelry bail by Aanraku Tiny Green Mix by Blue Moon (seed beads and bugle beads) Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Scissors Paint brush Scissors Toggle set Bead wire 4 Crimping beads Crimping tool

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into watermelon mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, remove from mold. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Be sure to make a second watermelon if you want to make a ring! Paint outside watermelon rind dark green, a line of light green for inner rind, watermelon fruit raspberry red, seeds black. Allow to dry. Glue bail to back of watermelon and allow glue to dry. This necklace is 16”. Cut bead wire to 20”. If you want a longer necklace, cut bead wire to your desired length plus 4-6”. Thread a crimp bead, 5 assorted beads, a crimp bead, and one part of the toggle finding onto one end of the bead wire. Thread bead wire back through the crimp bead, assorted beads, and second crimp bead. Crimp with crimping tool. I like to double crimp for extra strength, but feel free to use a single crimp to hold your closure. String on assorted seed and bugle beads until you reach a length of 16”, slide on pendant. Repeat Step 3 to secure second part of toggle closure. Adhere second watermelon to ring finding. You now have a cute necklace and ring set!

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Seahorse Dreams Seahorse Necklace by Maria Nerius

From the depths of the deep blue sea and shimmering

with silver, this cute little critter is a favorite of children. Seahorses are pretty in any color !

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Sealife Push Mold by Sculpey Distressed Black ink by Ranger Brilliance White ink by Tsukineko Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Blue Mix by Blue Moon (Assorted beads: 150 E beads) 4 small fish beads; 2 silver clam shell beads Small Jewelry bail by Aanraku Acrylic paint—white, light blue Stylus Artist sponge Paint brush—1/2” shader Scissors Toggle finding Bead wire 4 Crimping beads Crimping tool Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into sealife mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, remove from mold. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint seahorse white and allow to dry. Dot along backside, fin, and mouth of seahorse with stylus and allow dots to dry. Lightly sponge black ink onto seahorse, then white ink, and finally a light dab of black ink. Set aside to dry. Once dry, adhere bail to back of seahorse. This necklace is 14”. Cut bead wire to 20”. If you want a longer necklace, cut bead wire to your desired length plus 4-6”. Thread a crimp bead, 5 E beads, a crimp bead, and one part of the toggle finding onto one end of the bead wire. Thread bead wire back through the crimp bead, E beads, and second crimp bead. Crimp with crimping tool. I like to double crimp for extra strength, but feel free to use a single crimp to hold your closure. String 55 E beads onto bead wire, then a fish bead, 5 E beads, fish bead, 5 E beads, clam shell bead, then 10 E beads. Add seahorse to the necklace. Just slide bail down, this size bail will slide easily over the E beads. Reverse and string beads listed in Step 4. Repeat crimp step and secure remaining part of your toggle closure.

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For Teacher

For Teacher Necklace by Maria Nerius

Make for your favorite teacher or

for yourself, this apple pendant looks

great in any shade of red. Or you might want to go green with a Granny Smith !

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Apple mold by Sculpey Small Jewelry Bail by Aanraku Acrylic paint: red, green Paint brush Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Toggle set Bead wire 4 Crimping beads Crimping tool Assorted beads: 57 dark green E beads, 36 medium green E beads, 5 brown seed beads, 12 small medium green leaf beads Scissors Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into apple mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, remove from mold. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint apple red and leaf green. Let dry. Glue bail to back of apple and let glue dry. This necklace is 18”. Cut bead wire to 25”. If you want a longer necklace, cut bead wire to your desired length plus 4-6”. Thread a crimp bead, 5 dark green E beads, a crimp bead, and one part of the toggle finding onto one end of the bead wire. Thread bead wire back through the crimp bead, E beads, and second crimp bead. Crimp with crimping tool. I like to double crimp for extra strength, but feel free to use a single crimp to hold your closure. Note that leaf beads are strung with first leaf up and second leaf down, just be aware as you are stringing. String onto bead wire 15 dark green E beads, 3 medium green seed beads, 1 dark green E bead, leaf bead, 1 dark green E bead, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, leaf bead, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, 3 medium, 1 dark, leaf bead, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, leaf bead, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, 3 medium, 1 dark, leaf bead, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, leaf bead, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 1 dark green, 3 medium green, 5 brown seed beads. Add pendant, reverse and repeat pattern. Repeat to secure second part of toggle closure.

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Go Native African Mask Necklace by Maria Nerius

So easy with just a coat of brown and a light touch of gold or silver, this pendant is perfect casual or for a special night on the town.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Asian Accents Mold by Sculpey Synthetic Artist Sponge by Royal Brush Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Small Jewelry Bail by Aanraku Brilliance White pigment ink by Tsukineko Brown Mix by Blue Moon (Assorted bead: 40 brown medium sized brown beads) Acrylic paint— brown Paint brush Toggle set Bead wire 2 Crimping beads Crimping tool Scissors

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into face mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint face brown. Allow to dry. Lightly sponge on white pigment ink. Allow to dry. Adhere bail to back of face and allow glue to dry. This necklace is 18”. Cut bead wire to 25”. If you want a longer necklace, cut bead wire to your desired length plus 4-6”. Thread a crimp bead and one part of the toggle finding onto one end of the bead wire. Thread bead wire back through the crimp bead and crimp with crimping tool. String on 40 brown beads. Add pendant and string on 20 more beads. Repeat crimping to secure second part of toggle closure.

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Sparkle & Shine Touch of Crystal Pendants by Heidi Borchers

“Recycled blister packaging comes in the most intriguing and useful shapes for creating

jewelry with Faster Plaster. This mold had six

perfectly rectangle shapes. Whenever I have

plaster left over from pouring other projects, I just pour into this mold so that I always have extra jewelry tiles ready to decorate !” Heidi Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister package for mold (or Castin’ Craft Jewelry Mold by Envirotex) Ancient Page Inks—various colors 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Rubber stamps—various designs Small Swarovski crystals Jump ring (13mm) or small jewelry bail and jewelry glue Tweezers Heat gun Silk ribbon or cording Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into molds. Wait 5—10 minutes and as plaster starts to solidify, carefully insert jump ring at an angle. If ring starts to sink, just lift end with toothpick. (If you prefer to use a jewelry bail glued on to the back of your pendant, just skip this jump ring step.) When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Let air dry—do not microwave to dry. Apply ink color directly by stamping with pad in various colors. Remember to color the back of your pendant too! Stamp designs where desired. Heat set ink. When cooled, apply coat of lacquer directly from bottle tip to front of pendant. I like to first draw a line of lacquer around the top edge and then fill in with lacquer. Using tweezers, carefully drop crystals into lacquer. Set aside to dry for several hours or overnight. When the pendant is dry, I also like to apply a thin coat of lacquer around all sides. I just use my finger to rub it on but you can use a soft brush. All you need is a thin coat. Let dry. To hang pendant, tie ribbon or cording onto jump ring (or slide through jewelry bail).

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Glitter and Glam Embedded Glitter Pendant by Tiffany Windsor

“I love the technique of embedding into

Faster Plaster. When I found this large flake glitter in the design studio, I knew it would make an interesting effect.” Tiffany

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup & water Plastic container with lid Bite-size Brownie Squares Silicone Baking Mold by Wilton Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger StazOn Ink by Tsukineko—Jet Black 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Small Jewelry Bail by Aanraku Large flake glitter Sandpaper—fine grit Rubber stamp Paint brush Instructions Sprinkle glitter sparsely into mold(s). Place mold on smooth level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into molds.

(Depending on the depth you desire on your pendant, you can pour 1/4—1/2 full.) When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. Let plaster air dry. Do not microwave. When dry, if needed, lightly sand to reveal more glitter. The uniqueness of this technique is that each piece will look completely different—so have fun adding more or less glitter to your mold. To color, mix several drops of alcohol ink with water to create a color wash and brush on front, sides and back of pendant. For stronger color, apply alcohol ink directly from bottle tip. If desired, overstamp with black ink. If desired, apply Lacquer to portion or entire front surface of pendant. Set aside undisturbed to dry. Glue bail onto back of pendant. Let dry. String on beading wire with beads to create necklace.

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Vein of Gold Gold Foil Pendant by Heidi Borchers

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled blister package for pendant and half ball mold (or Castin’ Craft Jewelry Mold by Envirotex) Ancient Page inks—Coal Black and various colors Rubber stamps—various including lettering and animal print Aleene’s® Tack It Over & Over Glue™ 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Craft foil—gold Jump ring 13 mm (or small jewelry bail and jewelry glue) Silk ribbon or cording Heat gun

“This pendant was a happy mistake! When I was first stamping and layering

my colors, some of the colors mixed together in a way I hadn’t planned! So, I

grabbed my Aleene’s Tack It Over and Over and my craft foil and voila - a

vein of gold to camouflage my creative mistake !” Heidi

Instructions Place mold on level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into pendant mold. Wait 5—10 minutes and as plaster starts to solidify, carefully insert jump ring at an angle. If ring starts to sink, just lift end with toothpick. (See techniques on page 6 or if you prefer to use a jewelry bail glued on to the back of your pendant, just skip this jump ring step.) Pour plaster into mini-egg mold for 1/2 balls. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn molds over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired except if you embedded the jump ring, do not microwave, just let pieces air dry. When dry, apply ink color directly by stamping with pad in various colors. Leave some areas unstamped at this step. Remember to color the back of your pendant too! Overstamp on pendant with word stamp using Coal Black. Stamp design on 1/2 ball. Heat set ink. For gold vein, apply jagged line of Tack-It glue. Let dry until clear but still sticky to the touch. Press matte side of foil into glue and lift. The foil will stick to the glue. Repeat to cover all glue areas. Glue half ball to pendant with bead glue. Let dry. Apply coat of lacquer directly from bottle tip to front of pendant and ball. The lacquer should cover the foiled area also. Don’t panic if the foil turns color at this step. Mine did but when the lacquer dried, the foil had returned to its original color. Let lacquer dry. Apply another coat if desired. Set aside to dry for several hours or overnight. To hang pendant, tie ribbon or cording onto jump ring (or slide through jewelry bail). 30

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Glass and Glam Embedded Glass Pendant by Tiffany Windsor

Uniquely shaped embedded glass creates

a beautiful effect in Faster Plaster mini-tiles. Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup & water Plastic container with lid Bite-size Brownie Squares Silicone Baking Mold by Wilton Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger StazOn Ink by Tsukineko—Jet Black 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Aleene’s® Platinum Bond Glass & Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive Small Jewelry Bail by Aanraku Rubber stamps—polka dot and swirl Glass jewelry rectangle donut Paint brush Toothpick Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Place glass piece into mold adjusting so that it does not touch any sides of mold. (Depending on the depth you desire on your pendant, you can pour 1/4—1/2 full.) When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. Using blunt end of toothpick, clear plaster to reveal embedded glass. Let plaster air dry. Do not microwave. To color, mix several drops of alcohol ink with water to create a color wash and brush on front, sides and back of pendant. If stronger color is desired, apply alcohol ink directly from bottle tip. Stamp top of pendant. If desired, apply Lacquer to plaster surface of pendant. Set aside undisturbed to dry. Glue bail onto back of pendant. Let dry. String on beading wire with beads to create necklace.

“When I found this glass jewelry pendant in my craft cupboard stash, I

knew it would look fabulous embedded in Faster Plaster. I love the rectangle donut shape because the plaster surrounds it inside and out. Keep in

mind that you may not always be able to stamp a complete image on the top of this embedded mini-tile, but no problem! When this polka dot stamp didn’t stamp the whole surface, I just added a swirl to fill in.” Tiffany

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In the Garden Embossed Dragonfly Garden Plaque by Tiffany Windsor

You won’t believe just how easy this plaque is to make! Soap

stamps and texture plates pro-

vide the design detail and when

it comes time to color— it’s just like color by number!

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Trivet Mold by Plaid Fern Texture Maker by Studio by Sculpey Soap Stamps by Life of the Party Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger—Citrus, Cloud Blue, Shell Pink, Pink Sherbet, Denim, Rust 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Paint brush Picture hanger Instructions Place soap stamps and texture plate FACE UP in mold. Adjust to center all pieces keeping at least 3/8” from edge. You do not want any of the edges of the stamps to touch the edge of the trivet mold. Place dragonfly stamp FACE UP on texture plate. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour to fill mold. Be sure to fill mold to very top edge (almost overfilling) in order to cover the dragonfly stamp completely. Let plaster sit for 5—10 minutes until you start to see it solidify. Press hanger into top center of plaster. If hanger starts to sink, wait a few more minutes and try again. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. You may need to gently coax the plaster out of the trivet mold. Let air dry. Do NOT microwave (because you have inserted metal hanger). To color plaque, mix ink with water to create wash. Color the recessed areas first, then the raised surfaces. Start with your lightest colors and add additional wash of color until desired color intensity is achieved. For more intense color, apply directly from bottle tip onto plaster. Remember to color the sides and back too! Create antiqued color wash with several drops of rust ink mixed with water. Brush over entire surface. Repeat if desired for more antiqued effect.

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Place texture maker and soap stamps into mold.

Pour Faster Plaster into mold. Fill to top. Tap edges to remove bubbles.

After plaster is dry to the touch, remove from mold. Lift soap stamp(s) to release from plaster.

Repeat to remove each soap stamp.

View of trivet mold through bottom after Faster Plaster has been poured and is now dry to the touch.

You should have a clean crisp image! You can use a blunted toothpick or craft knife to clean up any rough edges.

Remove texture maker (which reveals remaining soap stamp.)

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Garden Green Green Man Garden Stake by Heidi Borchers

Here’s a unique garden marker or vase

decoration with a lot of charm!

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister packaging (I used from Wilton cookie cutter packaging) Face mold by Sculpey Sharpie Permanent Marking Pens— medium green, dark green, turquoise Weldbond Glue (for mosaic’ing) Adirondack Alcohol Ink by Ranger—Willow Metal charms Stained glass tiles Paint brushes—1/2” shader and fine detail Acrylic paint—leaf green, pink, flesh, black Glass vase Wooden spoon Other embellishments: raffia, yarn, beads Instructions Place face mold on level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into face mold. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying. Place tile mold on level surface. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into tile mold. Wait 2—3 minutes and then place plaster face into center of tile mold. The face should sink down slightly into the wet plaster. When plaster in the tile mold is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying. Mix several drops of alcohol ink with water to create a color wash and brush onto entire surface of tile (front and back) and face. Let dry. Paint face flesh. Paint iris green and pupils black. Paint lips pink. Let dry. Glue tile pieces around face in desired pattern. Use markers to color charms and glue around face. Let dry. Glue tile to wooden spoon (or vase). Tie beads on raffia and yarn and then tie to spoon handle. Use plant stake in an indoor or protected garden area.

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Pour Faster Plaster into mold.

Wait a few minutes and then gently drop face into wet plaster.

Let sit until Faster Plaster is solid to the touch.

I used a wooden spoon to create an unusual plant stake with my finished plaster tile.

I also discovered that you can also comb through Faster Plaster for an interesting effect! Just mix in zip bag and snip off bottom corner.

Pour plaster onto glass vase.

Using texture comb, pull through the plaster. Let dry.

Spray paint entire surface with white matte spray paint & then paint with Roman Stucco acrylic.

Mix medium brown acrylic with water to create antiquing. Paint over vase.

Wipe away excess. Let dry. Mix dark brown acrylic with water to create antiquing and repeat.

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FlutterbYes Stamped Mini-Tiles By Tiffany Windsor

Grab your alcohol inks and rubber stamps and make these mini-tiles by the dozen! They’re great to use with your papercrafting and mixed media projects.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Bite-size Brownie Squares Silicone Baking Mold by Wilton Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger StazOn Ink by Tsukineko—Jet Black Just Between Friends Clear Stamp(s) by Fiskars Borders Clear Stamp(s) by Fiskars Rubber stamps—butterfly, dragonfly 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into molds. Depending on the depth you desire on your pieces, you can pour 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or fill to the top. When plaster Is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. Following package instructions use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Mix several drops of alcohol ink with water and brush onto plaster. For bolder color, apply ink directly from bottle tip. Be sure to color top, sides and bottom of mini-tile. Overstamp with designs on top and sides. If desired, apply coat of 3D Lacquer to front. Set aside to dry completely. Add additional coats if desired. These mini-tiles can be used with your papercrafting, scrapbooking, multi-media art, transformed into magnets and a host of other creative projects!

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The most intriguing embellishments can be embedded into the mini-tiles. A glass jewelry donut creates a unique translucent effect and embedded buttons peek through the tops of the mini-tiles to reveal hidden treasures. Have fun, be creative thinking up your own unique items to embed!

Create decorative knobs by embedding screws into your Faster Plaster mini-tiles. The embossed effect is created by placing craft foam shapes in the bottom of the mold before you pour plaster.

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Girl Talk Girls will be Girls Purse by Heidi Borchers

It’s all about the girls with this

purse that will hold your makeup or jewelry. It’s a really fun

way to use recycled plastic packaging.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Recycled plastic blister packaging (Wite-out for nail polish and other various cosmetic packages) Krylon Spray Paint— Watermelon Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer—Glossy Wooden purse by Judy’s Stone House Designs Acrylic paint—white, red, pink, black, brown, silver Paint brushes—1/2” shader, fine liner Black mosaic tiles and mirrors Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into molds. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn molds over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying. Using photo as guide, paint each plaster piece with acrylic paint. Hand-letter with detail brush. Set aside to dry. Spray paint purse. Hand letter with detail brush. Glue on embellishments.

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Rings & Things Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Plastic Coffee Mate Creamer container seal (cut the “ring” off the disc) Castin’ Craft Jewelry Mold by Envirotex (rose is vintage mold) Aleene’s® Spray Acrylic Sealer— Glossy Acrylic paint—white and various colors Paint brushes—1/2” shader and fine detail Toothpick

Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into jewelry molds. Wait 5 minutes and as plaster starts to solidify, carefully insert rings (split ends) into plaster. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. Allow to air dry. Do NOT microwave. Paint plaster with base coat of white paint. Let dry. Paint solid colors or various designs. For more detailed design use fine liner brush. Apply dots with end or brush or toothpick. Clip Art, pattern books and children’s coloring books are a great resource for design patterns. Have fun! “I love to create with unique recycle materials. Coffee

Mate Creamer container seals are perfect to create some fun Faster Plaster rings.” Heidi

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Be mY friend Hello Friend Plaque by Tiffany Windsor

What a great way to tell a friend hello ! Set

them on a stand or hang them on the wall. Best

of all, these friendship plaques are super-easy to make.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Coaster Mold by Plaid Just Between Friends Clear Stamps by Fiskars Adirondack Alcohol Ink by Ranger—Cloud Blue Lumiere Paint by Jacquard—Violet Gold 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura Picture hanger Instructions Place clear stamps in mold FACE UP. Be certain that edges of clear stamps do not touch edge of mold. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour to fill mold. If you want to insert a picture hanger, let plaster sit for 5—10 minutes until you start to see it solidify. Press hanger into top center of plaster. If it starts to sink wait a few more minutes and try again. When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release. You may need to gently coax the plaster out of the trivet mold. If you have embedded hanger, do not microwave. Let air dry. To color, mix several drops of alcohol ink with water to create a color wash. Brush on entire surface (front, sides and back). For stronger color, apply ink directly from bottle tip to plaster. Paint flowers and raised lettering surfaces with Lumiere. Let dry. Apply 3D Lacquer to raised surface and center of flowers. Let dry completely. “Alcohol inks and Lumiere paint are a pretty combination on Faster Plaster. I painted all the imprint areas which give them a soft shimmery

two-tone effect and my favorite look is to add a coat of 3D lacquer.

As you can see on this tile in progress, the lacquer really enhances the inked surface color.” Tiffany

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Rivet, rivet . . . To create Friendship Plaques that you can hang by ribbon, wire or yarn, place rivets into the mold before pouring plaster. As you pour the plaster be sure to recheck the placement of the rivets as they can shift during pouring. Just use a toothpick or your finger to reposition. When you remove plaster tile from mold, use a toothpick to clear away any excess plaster. Be sure to select rivets that are

slightly taller than your tile mold so

that the tip is showing when you fill your mold with plaster.

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In the SPirit

Spirit Balls by Heidi Borchers

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Face molds Micron Pen by Pigma— black ArtEmboss Metal Sheet (lightweight) by Amaco— gold & silver Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue™ Acrylic paint—flesh, green, raspberry, white, blue, red, yellow, black, brown Paint brushes—1/2” shader, fine liner Grapevine balls Stylus Embellishments—yarn, beads, wire, rhinestones, Spirit faces take on a colorful vibe when added to grapevine balls wrapped with fabric scrap, embroidery yarns and beads. floss Soft cloth Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster and pour into face mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying if desired. Paint faces with acrylic paint. Let dry. Mark details with pen. Mix one part black paint with one part brown paint with 2 parts water to create antiquing wash. Brush over face and wipe immediate with cloth to remove excess paint, leaving only a light antiqued effect. If desired, repeat for darker antiquing. To embellish balls, wrap with yarn securing ends with glue. Coil wire and embellish with rhinestones. The sun rays are created with metal sheet. Cut to desired shape and use stylus to draw lines. This same technique is used for the crown. Glue all embellishments and face to ball.

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“This spirit face just makes me smile so I call him Laughter.

I painted his face using the molded features as my painting guide and I added rouged cheeks. His hair is made from

embroidery floss and his crown from embossed lightweight metal. A scrap of fabric turned into a bow tie and he’s a

happy guy !” Heidi

The features on this sunshine face

are so pretty and take on a bright look with eyelashes drawn with a crafting favorite Micron pen. Ruby red lips

were a must. Her sunrays are created from embossed lightweight metal.

This Spirit Ball holds the energy of goddess with her

pink hues and bling ! Her hair is created from coiled art wire topped with multi colored rhinestones and nubby yarn.

Each spirit face has been antiqued which is a great way to give an aged

effect or to tone down

colors that are too bright.

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Soothe the SPirit Spirit Plaques by Tiffany Windsor

Spirit faces take on an intriguing effect when

embedded into Faster Plaster. The Lumiere paint adds a mystical effect with its two-tone color and shimmer.

Materials Faster Plaster Measuring cup Water Plastic container with lid Coaster Mold by Plaid Tribal Designer Push Mold by Amaco Lumiere Paint by Jacquard—Violet Gold StazOn Ink by Tsukineko Rubber Stamps—various mini designs Paint brush—1/2” shader Toothpick Instructions Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into face mold(s). When plaster is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Following package instructions, use microwave to speed up drying. (At this step, I painted the face before embedding because I wanted a color wash effect that would have been more difficult to control after it was embedded. However, you can color the plain face after you embed if you prefer.) To pre-color the face, mix several drops of Lumiere paint with water to create a wash. Brush over entire face. Pick up more paint and brush on one side of face. If color is too strong, immediately brush with water to soften color. Let dry. Stamp designs on cheeks. To apply color to eyes, press end of toothpick into stamp pad to pick up color and press onto eye. Repeat until entire eye area is colored (or use black acrylic paint for this step.) Let dry. Following package instructions, mix Faster Plaster. Pour into tile mold. Wait 2—3 minutes and then place plaster face into center of tile mold. The face should sink down slightly into the wet plaster. When plaster in the tile mold is solid to the touch, carefully turn mold over to release plaster. Let air dry. Lightly sand top edges of tile to smooth edge. To color, mix a few drops of Lumiere paint with water to create a very light wash. Brush color wash onto front, sides and back of tile. Brush detail color lines with full strength paint. Let dry. Stamp designs over painted areas.

“On this project, I embedded the pre-painted face into the wet plaster which worked great.

In experimenting with this technique, I have found that some colors run when placed into

the plaster. This can be an intriguing technique or a design challenge!” Tiffany

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You can embed rivets into your Faster Plaster mold to create “channels” to string yarn, wire or ribbons for your hanging designs.

Lumiere paints work beautifully on Faster

Plaster. You can paint them full strength or thin with water to create a subtle wash like this

sun face which was embedded into a tile mold.

This is an example of a design which bled slightly

around the top of the head when placed into wet plaster so it was used to design advantage by

adding lots of alcohol ink color to the background and overstamping with black ink.

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Notes, thoughts and other musings We invite you to check out our other cool Faster Plaster designs at www.FaveCrafts.com Purchase Faster Plaster and other craft supplies featured in this eBook: www.shop.inspiredathome.com

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