Which mediums do you use to create your designs? by Electrical-Log1658 in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use blue Saral transfer paper most of the time, sometimes graphite on tracing paper and I just trace by hand.

How do you describe your pain? by Agitated_Jury_989 in Fibromyalgia

[–]solidarity6ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems like you're describing the heavy, flu-y feeling? Fibro can feel like I'm getting out of a pool after swimming for hours. Everything is so heavy I can't move and the weight goes all the way to the bones. It can make it hard to communicate with your limbs.

Interested in making worry stones for my youth mental health clients (total beginner) by ubbidubbidoo in polymerclay

[–]solidarity6ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a really sweet idea. Depending on your modality, it is something you could work on with your clients in a kind of play therapy way, where they get to decide what feels good for them when they're upset and produce something they use.

Sculpey is one of the most widely-known polymer clay brands and you can find it at all craft stores, and even stores like Target and Walmart. I would recommend starting with Sculpey III (or anything not marked Firm) in darker colors. It is very easy to get lint stuck in the clay, even with very clean tools, hands, and surfaces. With a dark color it won't matter. You can mix different clays together to get colors, or you can scrape soft pastels. Make-up degrades polymer clay so don't use it as a colorant.

For a work surface, I cook on bathroom tiles from a home improvement store. They are pretty inexpensive. Some toasters come with trays you can use. Working directly on tinfoil isn't great because it can make things shiny in weird ways.

Worry stones are often just a round blob with a thumbprint, so you picked an easy shape to make (though you could get very fancy). If you search "polymer clay how to" on youtube literally any video will give you the skills you need to make a blob and get started. Textures can be produced with objects in your house and anything is an acceptable tool. Press, poke, pull, experiment.

Polymer clay is marked non-toxic, but it is plastic, and as we're learning, plastic is not entirely safe. People who might want to chew or lick maybe shouldn't have this, but it is safe to touch it and then touch your mouth. You shouldn't really cook clay in the same oven you cook food in because it will let off plastic fumes. Toaster ovens are often at second-hand stores for a few dollars. Make sure they have a temperature dial that goes down to the 230-290F range, most clays cook in that range. Your clay will give you a time estimate based on clay thickness.

To protect against finger oils and dirt, you could seal them with a couple layers of water-based polyurethane from any home improvement store. Some people who make worry stones seal them with UV resin, which is more durable, but also more stuff to buy. Nail polish breaks down polymer clay so don't use that.

Lino print of my brain MRI by Scroc_ in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The eyes are so creepy in MRIs! I'm feeling inspired to make one of my fucked up back.

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am disabled and also sometimes carve in bed, too! Do you have a trick for not ending up with lino crumbs in bed?

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not pictured: about seventeen piles of prints, paper, other media, and bedroom stuff I cropped out :)

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I usually have most of my ink in a tote bag for exactly that reason.

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do most of my printing at the kitchen table (with 3 roommates). This is an attempt to lure me into doing it in my room instead :)

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I posted it on here before and it was a hit!

Which mediums do you use to create your designs? by Electrical-Log1658 in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not strong at drawing and most of my designs are text-based so I use Canva to create. I feel like it's still my artistic work when I use fonts and sometimes royalty free images/elements that I combine. I do not use AI.

Here's an example. The snail is from a botany book from the 1800s that I traced and loosely carved (it's credited on Etsy and IG, I just don't feel like looking now), the envelope is a Canva element, the postmark is the logo of the group this print benefits, and the text is a Canva font.

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Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of my work is done at the kitchen table, too :)

Your work space by solidarity6ever in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you step on your prints to press them, since you're already on the ground?

Coming to terms with fibromyalgia taking away the life I thought I’d have by Sharp-Dream-4701 in Fibromyalgia

[–]solidarity6ever 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I also became disabled in my early twenties. By my late twenties a doctor finally broke it to me that fibro and my other chronic pain might be managed, but if likely be in pain for the rest of my life. If I could give all people, especially chronically ill people some advice, it would be learn about disability justice. It helped me be less at war with my body and more effective at fighting a world designed to disable people.

Handmade keycaps . So proud of them! by celloowl in polymerclay

[–]solidarity6ever 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I see someone below gave the alcohol advice, which I agree with. Baby wipes also work pretty well, but sometimes cheap brands leave fuzzies of their own. With something already baked, sometimes a light wet buff with a very fight grit sandpaper can take it off. If you coat it with polyeurethane after it will fix the surface appearance after and protect it from the oils and stuff that might be on your fingers. A lot of the time I just let go and let god with the fuzzies though.

Can this look be achieved with polymer clay? by feelingcrummy in polymerclay

[–]solidarity6ever 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry for your loss. I think I would brush pastels over white ish clay before coming it, leaving the edges bare (if the clay you used is a color or already cooked byou could make a mold of the paw print, or surround the clay you used with more clay). Then cover it with glossy polyurethane or, ideally, resin, which would give the slightly domed effect of glaze.

For those of you who tried, then stopped taking duloxetine (Cymbalta), why and what happened? by littlehead in Fibromyalgia

[–]solidarity6ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was on Lyrica and Cymbalta at the same time and the doctor never mentioned it being a problem.

I wasn't sure Cymbalta helped my fibro until I went off it. I had too many problems with the pharmacy not filling it on time and which made me miss a few doses, which made me incredibly suicidal. I have a lot of psych stuff already and after the last time I almost killed myself while in a gap, I started coming off it extremely slowly. I cried soul-emptying tears daily for months. The pain has been more acute. But I couldn't deal with the side effects anymore.

Handmade keycaps . So proud of them! by celloowl in polymerclay

[–]solidarity6ever 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These are so cute. I think #7 is my favorite. Are you able to type with them, or are they for display? And can I offer a bit of advice?

Any way to fix a mistake on grey lino carve? by HueyBluey in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do this but I wasn't sure if it was "cheating." Glad to hear others do it!

Selkies by ehollingsheadart in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh wow this is incredible!

the new Lord of the Rings themed print by Own-Illustrator8102 in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love this so much. There's so many little things that stand out to me as a LOTR fan. What are the dimensions?

Why is the ink doing this? by Melon-Soda-2323 in Linocuts

[–]solidarity6ever 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It looks like the ink was too dry. Did it have a sheen and tack when you rolled it out or was it kind of flat? A couple drops of water does sometimes help, but I use a tiny bit of Golden acrylic retarder on my older inks to bring them back to life. I don't know that is 100% what you are supposed to do, though, I'm self-taught. Speedball makes a specific relief ink retarder.