Hi folks! I just wanted to re-post this tutorial directly into this thread. My MSN account has been deleted but I had saved all my tutorial pics on my own computer. I'm reposting them here for y'all. Each 'thumbnail' can be clicked on to see the large view. I decided to try this method of posting a tutorial instead of links. Hope you find it works suitably. Just a note to folks that have recently commented that they find POP too soft to work with... after the POP dries completely - as in no longer cool to the touch - it will be VERY hard. I just tried to break a mold I no longer wanted (it had the cheesecloth imbedded into it) ... and it was very hard to break! After a few attempts I gave up. I figure it wanted to live! lol Anyway, just thought you might like to know that it indeed becomes a very strong product once it fully dries. Marly Part One \- POP Click on 'thumbnails' to view larger picture Part Two \- Silicone Click on 'thumbnails' to view larger picture Part Three \- Troubleshooting Click on 'thumbnails' to view larger picture

Hello everybody, I'm new here :o) I was interested in reading how these moulds were made. I use a slightly different technique for both the silicone skin, and the mother mould. Here's what I do, just in case anyone wants to experiment. Names of products may be slightly different, as I'm not in the US. I use ordinary clear silicone - the type you buy for sealing anything outdoors. 1. Fill a basin with warm water, add a very good squirt of dishwashing liquid and mix well. 2. Put silicone dispenser in caulk gun, cut off top, and squeeze straight into the soapy water. 3. Using your hands (you can use rubber gloves, but I never bother) gather up the silicone mass, lift it onto your master (the object you want to make a mould from) and press down well all over. Make sure it gets pressed into all depressions. 4. Dip your hands back into the soapy water if the silicone starts to stick to them. Smooth over the outside of the mould with wet soapy hands. 5. Leave overnight to cure. Case-mould I use Fine Casting Plaster, which is much the same as Plaster of Paris. Large bags of it can be bought in large hardware and builders' suppliers. It will perish if the bag is left open, so buy only enough for your needs. I use hessian scrim or plasterer's scrim. Small rolls of plasterer's scrim will do the job OK, and are easy to source. Hope these tips are useful...

Linda, what a great question. Ordinarily I would be concerned if the silicon II was in an exposed area where there would be some stress or external pressure. The silicone if allowed to move would certainly crack and destroy the mortar. But in this case I used a very thin layer of silicone, mainly as a glue, to hole the glass in place gripping the bottom part of the glass and the tie wires so there is no movement. When the mortar mix is applied it connects to the sides of the glass, and the tie wires. When the mortar mix cures it is one piece sealing the silicone in sort of a cocoon which is not subjected to any outside force that would move the silicone. I cannot answer the second part. I pick up a "something" and see it as an all together different thing. But it is not always easy - I have searched for days looking for "something" to trigger my brain, without any result. Once I spent a couple of weeks (not 24-7) staring at a piece I never completed before I got an idea and the old incomplete sculpture was completely disassembled and reassembled as an entirely different item. I started working on a totem pole sculpture months ago, I reached a certain point and everything became a big blank. But IÂll get back to it one day  IÂll walk past it and the "magic" will happen. Here is the totem so far.

I have recently found a few other really cool apps that do the same type thing, some also do video capture and voice. check these out. [www.jingproject.com] and more info about Jing Screencasting Gets Easier With New Screen Capture And Dektop Recording Tool: Jing Project (for Jing if you are are wanting the system tray option for launching instead of the yellow button - you have it. Just turn off the show launcher option in preferences and click the jing icon in the system tray for the capture, history, more and exit options.) a bit more about Jing Jing - a new the main thing to consider about Jing is that it is a beta project, and that it is tied to a screencast.com account which they do provide to you for free for a time, you can purchase more space on screencast should you need it. And it does require .Net which most windows pcs have. Next is utipu utipu which is pretty cool. You install a little video capture camera that is very easy to use. Watch the tutorial videos on the site to learn more. You can record voice to this one also, plus it is very easy to share. For the Mac users this one is awesome and I really wish they had a windows and linux version. Skitch Jing also has a Mac version.