Forever and a day ago, Lisa Pavelka was a (consistent) guest on the Carol Duvall Show. One of the projects was made with this foil and I had tucked the knowledge away in my ever-overflowing and chaotic brain. When I ran across these on Amazon, my memory was triggered and I decided to get some. Then I realized these are part of the "four-for-three promotion" and decided the Universe was egging me on to get these. So I did. (I don't argue with the Universe especially when it blatantly tells me to order something.) I'm thrilled I listened!
Upon the arrival, I was working on another project a metal stand. Although I have many other ways I could have decorated the stand, I wanted to work with these foils since they were new...and I'm so glad I did! Not only are they fantastic on polymer clay, I am thrilled to report these work extremely well on metal, also. They are easier to control than Jones Tones Foils if you are working on a small, nook-and-cranny-type project. Since these foils are activated with heat (the friction created by rubbing with your finger) and not with pressure (like many other foils) they adhere really well without much work. (I used the red-line tape to adhere the foil to the metal but many other adhesive options are available. If you are using the foil with clay you don't need an additional adhesive the foil "automatically" sticks.) The foil sticks so close to the surface it almost looks like it's embedded. This is especially true with clay.
I haven't used the foils on polymer clay...yet. Oh it's calling me, don't get me wrong. That said, it works well on metal and fills in the smallest cracks and crevices. Each sheet is a decent size providing plenty of foil for all but the largest projects. The directions are easy to follow...the foil colors are bright (the metallics are beautiful!)...the plastic case they come in helps to protect the delicate foil and is a perfect storage container for them...and the amount you use is a variable you control. Rub and create some good heat if you want a lot of color transferred gently and slowly rub if you only want partial color transfer. (Lisa advises using a piece of "deli wrap" or "waxed tissue patty paper" in order to rub faster and therefore build up heat more quickly.) The color lay down is beautiful and will add cool points to any project you're working on. The result looks much more complicated than it actually is only you will know how easy it actually was.
I can see these foils working on just about any substrate. (I'm not sure if they'll stand up to washing the directions don't say anything about heat setting. Although, you can get more information at you'll find "more of Lisa's foil tips, techniques, tricks, and projects".)
If you are a general crafter/artist, into polymer clay, or just like adding different techniques to your repertoire, these will be a welcome addition to your supply arsenal. You'll be glad you got them and surprised at their versatility. Wood, paper, metal, glass...go nuts these aren't just for clay, baby!
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I wouldn't buy this product again. It was a waste of money. I watched her videos a few times to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong. I followed her directions exactly and what I found with this product was that if a spot doesn't transfer I could never get it to transfer onto that spot no matter what I did or however many times I went over it with a new piece of the foil. So you end up wish spots all over the clay that the clay shows through. Also in her video she says that "if" you have a problem with the colors fading you can use permanent markers to brighten it back up. I found that all the colors faded when baked at the recommended temperatures. I'll be honest, after spending money on this product, I don't want it to fade and have to go through the hassle of then repainting it. It's still a bit pretty but not near as bright. I'd rather use pearlex which doesn't fade. My friend and I tested the foils and both had the same issues with the above as well as bubbling of the product. The last issue I had with it was that on a larger piece I did to test it out I had large circular scratches in the surface of the foil from the paper I was using that didn't roll out when I used an acrylic roller on it. Be aware that if you have to roll to get rid of any surface problems that you'll get fine cracking in the foil. That's fine if you're wanting a cracking technique but not if you want it smooth and sparkly.As I said it wasn't just me with the problems. My friend in Florida had all the same above issues as I did. I will save my money in the future. Otherwise I might have thought either I was doing something wrong or that the particular package I had was too old or something. It's just too difficult to use and doesn't give satisfactory results which is a shame. I was looking forward to it.
