How to make Realistic Faux Moss DIY Recipe

Here is my DIY recipe for faux moss, that looks realistic, is weather-proof, and is cheap and easy. This fake moss recipe sticks to concrete, rocks and tree bark. I find that applying the mix thick, makes it look like moss. Smearing it thin, makes it look like lichen. I plan to use this faux moss recipe on many of my garden sculptures. I think it would help age my concrete Japanese garden pagodas, and help blend them in with the natural surroundings.

I love to create garden sculptures in the summer months. This summer, I have been working on a large faux bonsai tree for my Xeriscape Japanese garden project. The base of my faux bonsai dish is 3 feet in diameter, and is poured in concrete, to keep it from blowing over in our high mountain winds. I wanted something that would hide the concrete and look like soft green moss. I needed a moss that required zero watering, would stand up to our high mountain weather extremes, and most of all, would look realistic. After hours searching the Internet, I came up with nothing that fit my criteria. Real moss would die in the full sun. Preserved moss would never handle our Colorado winter weather extremes. One faux moss recipe, called for dryer lint. I do not use a clothes dryer, and I doubt that the stuff that collects in my shop-vac would make a good substitute. After a few days of scratching my head, I came up with a faux moss recipe that I think will fit all of my requirements.

Here is the concrete bonsai tree base almost completely covered.

Here is my faux moss stuck to rock

Here is my faux moss stuck to tree bark

Faux Moss Recipe:
1/4 cup white Elmer's Glue
1/4 cup green acrylic paint (water based)
1/4 cup water
sphagnum peat moss (the kind you use to amend your garden soil)
disposable latex gloves
a spray bottle of water (helps to dampen concrete, especially if you are working in the hot sun)

Start with a large plastic container, I used an old 16 ounce cottage cheese container. Pour in the paint, glue and water, and stir well. Then add the sphagnum peat moss, a handful at a time. Stir until mixed. Keep adding more sphagnum peat moss, until your mixture is the consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Assuming that you have already put on the disposable gloves, just take your faux moss mixture and start applying with your fingers. I tried a paint brush and a trowel and found that using my fingers gave me the best look and control. The mix will be sticky, so using your hands you can apply this faux moss to horizontal or vertical surfaces. The mix will be dry to the touch in a couple of hours, and fully dry in a couple of days. If it looks like you are in for a hard rain, I would throw a tarp over your project, just until the mix is fully dry. Play with different application methods. If you find an application method that works better, please, let me know.

I never measure my glue, paint and water. I just pour what looks like 1/4 cup of each liquid into the mixing container. If the paint proportion is a little more or less, than the last batch, the color will be a little different. Since natural moss is never one solid color, I find that this enhances the realistic look. If you are the kind of person that likes to be exact, all your batches might look exactly the same color. You could then dry brush your faux moss, with different colors of green acrylic paint. This could look even better. I might have to give this a try.

The green paint I used, was a porch and deck, latex acrylic exterior paint. I had half a quart left over from another project. The color was at neon bright, yellow-green. At first, I thought it might be too bright a color. But, the dark brown color of the sphagnum peat moss, toned the color down to a lovely green.

The true test, will be to see how my faux moss stands up to next winter's weather. My faux bonsai concrete base has some dips and hollows that I know will hold ice. I am hoping, the worst case scenario will be, some faux moss patching next spring.

If you try my faux moss technique, I would love to hear about your results.

Black Dragon Cuff - Big 3-D Dragon Jewelry

It's 2013, and here is my newly designed dragon cuff. He is a big, bold, and sexy, 3-D beast! The brass backing allows the dragon cuff to flex and be infinitely adjustable. I used a flexible urethane rubber for this black dragon cuff. The flexible urethane rubber allows his head, horns and wings to bend without breaking. The brass cuff base allows the dragon to be custom fitted by the wearer for a snugger or looser fit. This dragon cuff is tough! He can take lots of action, in any kind of weather, and still look great. Totally water proof, heat proof, and chemical resistant, he's made for the long haul. If he starts looking a little dull, just give him an Armour All wipe down, and he's ready to go again.

I had though about the possibility of casting my dragon cuff in a different material. But, I do not think the design would work in any kind of metal. Sterling silver would be beautiful, but so expensive. And the dragon would be too heavy and clunky to wear comfortably.  You can read more about my Black Dragon Cuff and see all of my dragon jewelry here: Black Dragon Cuff by In Art studio on Etsy


Here is my original big dragon design I did in 2012. This design needed to be custom fit. Not good. The fasteners look good, but what a pain to complete. Too many hours, made him expensive. And custom fitting, by email, is an impossible task. So, I reluctantly shelved this design, until I could come up with a better idea.

Crystal Dragon Jewelry 3D Cuff

Finally, I am making progress, with my big 3-D Crystal Dragon cuff! I decided to order a quart of a new, super expensive, super clear rubber urethane. I am still running tests, but, so far, so good. What a steep learning curve there is with this new resin. The temperature has to be just right, the pressure has to be 60psi minimum, the wind has to be out of the east, etc. The cure time is 16 hours under pressure, then another 6-8 hours at room temp, then into the heat box for another 16 hours at 160 degree F. That is a long time to wait, until you can de-mold, and see if your casting was successful.

I am loving how this new resin looks. Here is a test sample shown against the brass cuff. The brass backing will allow the dragon cuff to be infinitely adjustable.

The clarity of this new resin is amazing. Except for the brass end strips, my prototype is almost finished. For two years, I have been working out the details of this design. I am so excited to see my crystal dragon cuff design come together! NOTE: Compared to optical glass, which has an index of refraction of 1.50, this new resin has an refractive index of 1.488. That is pretty close to crystal clear.

Mermaid Jewelry - Mermaid in a Shell Pendant

Here is the latest mermaid jewelry design from my Iridescent Sea Series. I sculpted this mermaid in clay, and then used this clay master to create the mold, and finally I hand cast this mermaid pendant in tough and durable, urethane resin. Cast in white pearl resin, there is an iridescent shimmering Aurora Borealis layer, that gives the Mother of Pearl effect. Titled "Sleeping in a Shell", this mermaid pendant is 2 1/2" wide by 2 1/2" tall. You can read about sculpting this mermaid in my previous post.

You can see all my mermaid jewelry for sale here: Mermaid Jewelry by In Art studio on Etsy

Mermaid Sculpture - WIP - for Mermaid Pendant

My new mermaid sculpture is finally looking close to finished. All the finishing touches are done. I decided to add a big 12mm Swarvoski pearl and sculpted her right arm. I like how the big pearl makes her look even smaller. I have more smoothing to do, and fixing small details, then she should be ready for a final bake. I am anticipating the next mermaid sculpture. An even smaller mermaid for a ring.

This tiny mermaid sculpture has no arms yet, and still needs hair. The shell is 2-1/2 inches tall. That is my baby finger on the right. My sculpting tools were too big, so I ended up using sewing needles and pins.

 

 

Compare her head to the size of my thumb! I need stronger magnifying glasses...... It's like looking at a splinter in your finger all day.

I little more smoothing to do, and then she's going into the oven for her 1st bake. After that, I will not have to be so paranoid about accidentally bumping into her face. I have been thinking about adding a big Swarvoski pearl, nestled into the bend in her tail, and draping her right arm over the pearl. What do you think? Pearl? No pearl?

She finally has some hair and her left arm. She looks sooo much better not bald.

I keep taking macro photos, so I can look at her close up on the computer screen. I did get some higher power reading glasses last weekend. Helps a lot. Makes me dizzy when I try to walk around in them.

Searching for the Perfect Color of Turquoise

I have been conducting color tests all week, looking for just the right color of opaque turquoise for my mermaid jewelry. I want a turquoise that is not too blue, nor too green. I want a luminous turquoise that is saturated and bright, not too light, not too dark. The right color of turquoise, is the one that makes me smile, and reminds me of the sunny Caribbean. The perfect color of turquoise, makes your skin glow, even without a summer tan.

I mix up small 4 gram batches of resin and combine different pigments, and pour the resin into my small starfish molds. I take careful notes of what and how much of each colorant I mix. Once the resin has set up, I transfer my notes to a white index card and glue the starfish next to the notes. This makes it easier for me to compare the color of all of my test samples. These index cards are then filed away in a recipe box for future reference. I also transfer these notes to each of the mixing cups, with a permanent marker, and keep them in stacked by color family, in my casting room. As I type this, I am thinking how anal this all sounds.

The decision of color all comes down to placing each small starfish on my wrist, and judging how the color looks against my skin. I am still looking for that perfect color of turquoise. Maybe, if I add just a dab of ......

Mermaid Jewelry - The Importance of Color

One of the great advantages of creating resin mermaid jewelry, is the ability to color the resin. But, this ability can be a challenge or a headache. I am a perfectionist, and can not be satisfied until the color is perfect. I feel that color can make or break a design. No matter how wonderful the form and fit of a piece, if the color is not perfect, I am not happy with the piece. These imperfect castings are stored in a box labeled "Casting Misfits". I sometimes sift through this box, looking for ideas, remembering all my color blunders. Wondering to myself, "what was I thinking when I cast that awful color?"

Color is a big part of my design process. I can be out shopping or working in my garden, when I see a color that inspires me. I just have to try and reproduce that color in my studio. Or a particular color will inspire a new design. Color is one of the most important elements of my mermaid jewelry design. I believe that if the color does not catch your eye, the design will not sell.

Here is an example of one of my mermaid jewelry pieces in my top selling color. It's not so much a color, as a color effect. I know that the color is perfect, when I can not resist the urge to grab my camera, and start taking photos.


You can see all my mermaid jewelry for sale here: Mermaid Jewelry by In Art studio on Etsy