Creating your own gem clusters?

Aquarium-safe silicone works for this and is skin safe.

Wonderful idea Martha, as it does not leach out chemicals..

Does it say on the label that it's skin safe? I googled it and just kinda got lost but didn't find anything that necessarily said it was safe... nor did I find anything that said it wasn't.
Then we get into the whole fda compliance thing.....
Thoughts?

jenlarouge, I might try that, it sounds like it would work well. What do you use for the plastic backing?

Doubt that you will find anything saying that it is FDA compliant since homemade gem clusters haven't been vetted by the FDA. Aquarium safe means that it will not leach out chemicals. Silicone is found in everything from hand cream to hair gel to bunion pads and push-up bras. I feel much better using this than other adhesive products.

We use Silicone nipple shields for body painting...

Silicone prosthetics as well. Actually, we have LOTS of people say they are allergic to latex but, in thirty years of nursing, I can't remember a single person saying they were allergic to silicone although I'm sure it's possible. I have had people say they were allergic to steroids (made naturally in your body), Benadryl (antihistamine given to treat allergies), and one lady said she was allergic to water ( Wicked witch of the West syndrome? )

What about a 3D gel, once it dries it is squishy and clear at the same time!

Platinum Silicone is food and skin safe. Tin silicone is not. Prosthetic silicone, including On Skin curing products like the Wolfe Skin FX is Platinum SIlicone. Aquarium silicone is, I believe Tin, But I am not certain of that.

Dragon Skin and Skin Tite from Smoothe on are both platinum based.

Breast implants are made from silicone... Although, when they break and leach into the body it isn't fun. My aunt had a leaker and had to have both implants removed and has been suffering ever since.

Breast implants WERE made of silicone. Tin silicone. Now they are mostly saline or other inert stuff. I have heard they were using plat sil for implants ( breasts and testicular) but I think most patients request otherwise due to the aforementioned leaking implants of years gone by.

Yeah, the huge problem with the implants was the viscous nature. Even with the aquarium safe silicone, I wouldn't want to use it uncured on skin. Tip from tropical fish folks is that if you can smell it, it isn't cured enough to not leech out chemicals from the curing process. Three days was the recommendation. As far as skin contact precautions, the product simply says to remove with soap and water. I'm still much better with the silicone base for gem clusters as opposed to rubber cement. I did try plain gelatin first but that was a flop as it set up too quickly and had a yellowish tint when it cured.

Okay I messed around with gem clusters on Friday. I used aquarium silicone on top of a pyrex dish lid that I sprayed with cooking spray.. Please forgive all the finger prints on the glass. The oil was a magnet for prints. The silicone came out super clear , ( looks a bit cloudy in the picture.) Worked well. This is it applied to my wrist with latex free eyelash glue.. I'm happy with it.. Martha I think you are on to something with the aquarium silicone..

Those look great! I'm newly inspired to start incorporating gem clusters. Did you trim around the silicon after you peeled it off?

Yes to trimmed but easier with a craft knife before you peel it. Did mine on wax paper. Put it on a cutting board and run an Exacto around the edges. Store with paper backing on. That's my process anyway.

I like the look of the Aquarium Silicone. My dad is an aquarium maintenance worker and I bet he could get me some at wholesale price!

Wippee!

So were can most other people find aquarium silicone?

I'd assume at your local pet store? Big Als perhaps...

Petsmart, home depot, biglots,


I got mine at Target

Hmmmm I must not be looking in the right spots. Although with a full cart of children screaming at the top of the their lungs mom isn't too keen to look too far.

In home Improvements stores look in the plumbing section, near the caulking safe for drinking water.

In pet stores, Target, Walmart, check in the pet section near the aquariums..
Generally overpriced everywhere on the internet..
Good Luck..

How about zombie skin?

That's a good notion Gina. Saw a little of it on FABAtv last night in between things freezing up. I just used the silicone to avoid the latex. Seems like someone last night asked about development of latex free zombie skin. The reply was along the lines of "working on it but it took seven or eight years to develop the zombie skin"

Breast implants are still being made of silicone (saline is still an option as are alternative fillers), but they have a higher cohesive property to the silicone so there's less leakage than there was in the 80's. There were restrictions placed on who could receive Si implants in 1998 (post-mastectomy, etc). The restrictions were lifted in 2006.

i have been reading everyones posts and thought I would chime in. I was in my local department store one day and saw a product for "no sewing" adhesive... I bought it for around $6 for 5 sheets..... I pulled off the top wax sheet and starting putting the gems on the edge and pulling them off and placing them on a sheet protector (bought at Dollar General 20 for $1) in the design I wanted.... These are the results.....

@Happy Faces - is this the product you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/Aleenes-Fabric-Fusion-Glue-Sheets/dp/B005572IQW/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1344047375&sr=1-2&keywords=aleene%27s+fabric+fusion+sheet