Shopping bag art

a zigzag pattern) and use this piece as your stamp. Ink it just as you would normally. It's also an inexpensive way of making instant stamps for kids to play with, and preserves your collection!

Milk & Vinegar

Did you know that, before plastic was discovered, buttons were made out of casein? Yep, casein from milk! Casein jewellery was often used to create fake ivory, due to its colour. Make your own casein plastic this way. Take a cup of low fat milk, bring it to the boil, and add 5 tablespoons of vinegar. The milk will curdle, creating curds (the lumps) and whey (liquid). Remove the curd and mix it thoroughly. It will seem very crumbly but keep going. Push it into a mould, or place it onto some freezer paper and stamp into it. Then set it aside to dry for a few days. As it dries it will shrink considerably and become smooth.
The web-page http://www.wackyuses.corn/ madscientist.html will give you more information. Adding baking soda and warm water to the curds makes very good, old- fashioned gl4e. Powdered milk is often recommended but I've found low fat milk just as good.

Wooden skewers and satay skewers are really useful. They can be used to make beads (as described above), as decoration or to bind a book. (Have a look at http://mystamps.bizland.com/ gallmemory.htm) You can stamp on thick skewers or chopsticks too. Ink your stamp. Place it on your work surface face up and roll the skewer over it. Allow to dry and then use as an embellishment. This also works for stamping a 'natural' timber pencil.

Cooking Implements
Splatterers
I'm not sure of the proper name for those big mesh tennis racquet-looking implements used to stop fat from jumping out of a frying pan, but I call them splatterers. I use mine when heating shrink plastic. First I spray the splatterer with 'Spray and Cook' - this is essential. I then place it over the shrink plastic (when heating it with a heat gun, as opposed to shrinking it in an oven). The splatterer stops the shrink plastic from rolling up and joining.

Microwave oven
Microwave ovens are great for creating dried pressed flowers. Take two pieces of straw board (available from art shops), each measuring 13cms by 13cms. Poke lots of holes in them with an awl, and set one piece aside. On the other piece, place a collple of sheets of the Great Oz Blotto - otherwise known as 'loo' or toilet paper! Paper towel can also be used. On top of this, layer flowers, petals or leaves. Place another couple of sheets of toilet paper or paper towel on top, and flatten with the other piece of straw board. Hold it all together by wrapping rubber bands around both. Place in a microwave on high for NO LONGER than 10 seconds at a time. Zap twice (each zap 10 seconds) and allow to cool. The full effect may not be visible immediately so set the pressed flowers aside for an hour or so. Zap again if needed. You may need to adjust the above timings to suit your own microwave oven. To prevent overheating and burning the flowers, it's best to use frequent, small bursts rather than a long single zap.

Toaster oven

Toaster ovens were very popular a few years ago, and their recent decline as a household appliance has meant they can often be picked up inexpensively second hand at garage sales - or even new. A toaster oven is ideal to bake polymer clay in. First, however, ensure that you always use an oven thermometer to
ensure that your toaster oven thermostat is correct.

In the last issue of The Rubber Gazette, I began ransacking the kitchen for common household products that you can use to enhance and extend your stamping kit. In this second article, I co9tinue foraging around the kitchen for more nifty alternative stamping supplies, and I share some of the fabulous creations that can be produced with them.

In the Cupboard

Make yourself a cuppa

And while you're about it, you can create aged paper by randomly painting cardstock or paper with a strong black tea or coffee solution. .Alternatively, make the solution in a shallow tray, dunk the card stock or paper quickly in the solution, and lay on paper towel to dry. Experiment with different brands and strengths of tea and coffee. An effective look is to sprinkle coffee grains here and there whilst the paper is still wet. Allow to dry flat, then brush off remaInIng graIns.

Fridge Finds

Meat Trays
Foam meat trays totally misbehave when heated, but they look glorious if first painted with Lumiere paint. The meat tray distorts, and as Lumiere is a flexible paint, it distorts with it! It's super for brooches and pins - wire the pieces together and decorate with beads.

Meat trays are often covered in a fine plastic film. To avoid fumes, remove this first. Another idea is to create a pattern or design in the meat tray with a ballpoint pen (this looks particularly effective in