Blogger's note (January 2013): Goodness y'all, had I realized this post was going to get "pinned" and become so darned popular I'd have made sure to take better pics! Thank you for coming to visit, I hope you look around and find lots of things here that you like!Another note (April 2013)... This has become one of the most popular posts I've shared, and lots of it comes from Pinterest pins that mention Zentangles. Please understand and note that my doodling is not connected to Zentangles in any way. I am not affiliated, do not endorse (nor not endorse for those who love them), nor practice the Zentangle system. The doodling I do is inspired more by the ancient custom of Mehndi... which is fun to do too!
Shrinky Dinks? I get the strangest looks when I mention them. Way back in the dark ages, back when I was a girl...you could buy something called Shrinky Dinks, usually they were pre-printed with something, you colored them in and then baked them (had to be really careful baking over those open flames in the cave)...they shrank and voila...you have this hard plastic thing you could hang from a necklace or something...at least if you remembered to poke a hole in them BEFORE you baked them.
A few years ago I found plain sheets of Shrinky Dinks...and, of course, had to buy them. After all, now that I have an electric oven instead of the cave fires, it should be even easier...
So...the other day while rummaging on the crafty shelf, I ran across the package of them and thought...."you know...those doodles I am so addicted to doing would make a great piece of jewelry..." and thus...
My practice run was on just a little scrap of the plastic, and was less than spectacular...mostly because I used a gel pen instead of a permanent marker..it rubbed off after baking. Simple enough to remedy, I dug out a couple of Sharpies to do the next doodles with. I used the great big circle punch I have to punch a couple of circles out and drew on them.
This time, I decided to add a bit of color (with colored pencils)...because in the back of my mind I see this finished piece, and it just would not be as spectacular in black and white. I love the color...and now it's time to bake according to the package directions...
At this point, when nothing can be done about it, as so often is the case, I notice that there are bits of color left off that I really didn't mean to leave off... ah well...
To show you how much this shrinks, here's a comparison...the unbaked, the baked, and a quarter...you can see that it did shrink a great deal, and the colors become more intense because of that.
In the next few days I'll be finishing the piece and will share with everyone how it turns out...
10 comments:
I love how the color intensifies after baking. I can't wait to try this. Thank you for sharing.
xoxo
Yes, I do remember Shrinky Dinks, but I've never seen anything so beautiful made with the amazing shrinking plastic.
I think there was a TV show and a song as well. "Shrinky Dink and you ... Shrinky Dink and you ..."
That of course was after we moved out of the cave and into a house with a television.
The pattern and colors are amazing! I haven't tried to shrink plastic, but it looks fun.
I have a feeling my comment will go no where. Still, I have been using the shrink plastic for more years than I can remember. I use mostly Aleene's Shrink It. I color with everything and even print on it with my computer printer using the lightest application, baking and spraying with a sealer. I then coat with an applied sealer until I am sure the washer won't remove the print. I make buttons for doll clothes, clocks, boxes, jewelty and what ever I might want to make. I love the stuff!!!
My dad worked for a toy distributing company when I was about 7 or 8 years old (late 70s early 80s?). On Saturdays I could go along to work and play in the showroom. Shrinky Dinks were one of their biggest toy lines. I remember the ones with puffy areas that were fuzzy. Glow-in-the-Dark. Barbie, Hot Wheels, glossy clear ones and the rough kind that were good for colored pencils. I had them all! This makes me want to dig out some more I have lying around and get to playing!
Hello! :) I have yet to try out my own shrink plastic art, but I've been seeing so many fun things to do with it that I'm saving projects that inspire me--or just make me smile. I love that you made your doodling into pendants! I've recently been playing at doodling and Zentangles, and I thought shrink plastic would make an awesome accompaniment, once I get beyond doodling on paper. Thanks for your blog post (found you via a pin on Pinterest), and I will be checking through some of your other creative endeavors. Thank you! Have fun, I know I will! —karyn, Birmingham, AL
And you thought your comment would go nowhere ...
It took me a while to see it, but thank you for the tips about how to print on shrink plastic from your computer. Great idea!
Thanks so much for reminding me I have that up in my craft room! I am going to try some tangles on a piece and bake it! Maybe even add some color. Oh, I am so excited about this. I just completed tangling a pair of tennis shoes and they turned out really well, so cute! I used fabric markers and I feel as if I am an artist!
Thanks for your blog and wonderful ideas!
PS I used a beautiful butterfly stamp on the Shrinky Dink plastic, colored them with colored pencils and baked them. I glued a pin to the back of them and handed them out to my colleagues at school years ago. They turned out wonderfully! I even put them on a small piece of paper to present them.
Aww, Maryellen... thanks for the kind words. They can turn out pretty cool can't they? This post has become so very popular it's popularity has inspired me to do something else... should be on the blog in the next week or so!
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