I Finally Finished My Mica Shift Tutorial

Many of my customers have given me fantastic feedback on the four tutorials I have written so far on image transfers and finishing; and they have encouraged me to offer more, so I decided to start with one on my method of achieving mica shift.

The traditional way to achieve mica shift is to stamp or emboss a piece of metallic clay, slice off the raised areas and then compress the clay in a pasta machine to level the surface. Through trial and error, I found a better way to achieve flawless, crisp, foolproof mica shift with great depth. The only slicing involved is cutting a shape for a pendant or brooch. The pasta machine has a part, largely in conditioning the clay before it is stamped. And, you can use even the the most shallow etched stamps and get a fantastic shift.

My frustration with the traditional method was first, you need a very, very steady hand and a razor sharp, flexible tissue blade to get a good design; and second, compressing the clay in the pasta machine tended to leave me with blurry, faded-looking designs that I could barely distinguish. I wanted something bolder, more vivid, with deep, crisp edges in the designs; and third, I just don't have the patience, or the nerves, for the slicing part. I can't tell you how many times I sliced too deeply and ruined a design, ending up with an uneven mess. It seemed the more flexible the blade, the less control I had over the slicing. And more than once, I sliced my finger in the process, too.

So, to all of you who asked for a new tut, here it is! How to Achieve Flawless Mica Shift Without Slicing or Compressing in a Pasta Machine is now available. I listed it in my SCDiva shop at Etsy yesterday, and you may also purchase it here on the blog. If you have any questions after purchasing it, please let me know. I know you're going to have fun with this one. And it's on to the next one for me. I just hope it doesn't take me another six months to get it done!