Powertex is an environmentally friendly water based fabric hardener that gives form to crafts and decorations. Powertex dries fast and transparent. It is a hardener for different kinds of materials such as textiles, paper, plush, cardboard, fibre matting and - for instance - can be combined with wood, gauzes, concrete, glass and sand. Suitable for all crafts and decorations.

Powertex can be mixed with Powercolor Powder Pigments to dye your creation immediately. The minimal application temperature is 10°C and should be kept frost free (like all other Fabric hardeners). Clean tools and hands with warm water. Hardened Powertex can only be removed mechanically.

Powertex is becoming more and more popular with artists who have discovered the flexibility and application possibilities of Powertex,
why not give it a try?

Main product
Powertex is a liquid medium, that when applied to textiles or paper, becomes hard after drying. Powertex can be brushed on or items can be dipped directly in the Powertex. Once applied, Powertex begins to dry. After about 10 minutes the textile or paper takes on a leather like feel. Depending on temperature, it will stay flexible for quite a while. Then apply the fabric over an armature and create movement by draping fabric, or by adding folds or pleats. The unique properties of Powertex allows the item to hold its shape; however, it remains flexible enough to manipulate for hours after applying the product. You can speedup the drying process by using a simple hairdryer.


Powertex is available in 1/2 liter, 1 liter & 5 liter containers.
Available colors: Transparent, Bronze, Terra Cotta and Lead.

Dressing your materpiece up:
Stone Art: a white powder that has been specifically developed for Powertex. When you mix Stone Art with Powertex, you get an air dry clay that offers endless possibilities and is even weather resistant.
Available in 1 liter containers or bags.

Stockinette: a very stretchable cotton used to 'dress' your sculptures. Available in natural and white.

Inside or outside?
Easy Varnish: a transparent water based Mat Varnish, use for extra protection indoors or out, protects against all weather. Mix with ColortricX to create a paint for highlighting your work.
Sold in 100 ml

Brushing and coloring techniques:
ColortricX:
Wonderful metallic colors, comes in a whole range of colors like Silver, Clear Gold, Rich Gold, Bronze Gold, Powerpearl, Copper, Pearl Red, Terra Violet & Terra, etc...

Powercolor:
Used to color Powertex or can be sprinkled on for different effects. Comes in; Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Black, Green, Yellow, Red, Dark Blue, Dark Brown, Lead Grey, Titanium White, Bordeaux, Light Blue, Turkish Blue, Lilac, Orange, Moss Green, Red Ochre, Mocha & Coral Pink.

The pictures and images used in this lens were taken from http://www.zandstorm.com, http://www.powertex.be.

Text snippets were taken from http://www.crafterscafe.com

The images below are a typical example of a good introductory creation with Powertex.

The materials that were used in this composition are:
- a simple brick with a hole for holding a metal wire,
- a female shaped piece of Styropor,
- some old clothings,
- stockinette,
- Powertex.

The big statues below were in fact my first introduction to Powertex.
The way of working is similar as the one discussed above: the big stone (in fact a big piece of Ytong) is holding an iron wire onto which a Styropor head is attached. The whole construction is then covered with Powertex, clothing, stockinette and Stoneart.
The first action consists of cutting pieces out of the Ytong block to give it a natural and irregular look. After the cutting, the block is covered with a mixture of Powertex and Stoneart giving it the final looks of a natural rock.

Other examples showing how versatile Powertex is:
a hat (textile in Powertex over metal wire construction - In belgium we call it chicken wire), a painting, etc ...























The following pictures are (c) www.powertex.be:

The following images are a variation of the small statues: instead of one Styropor object I've used two objects attached to a longer iron wire in the Ytong block. To give it a more original touch, I made it look as if one of the two women is pregnant, simply by putting a tennisball (cut in half) under her clothes.

Vendors/workshops outside Europe
http://www.crafterscafe.com
http://mixedmediaartmall.com
http://astonishing.com.au
http://artvisionaire.com

Community groups
Yahoo PowertexUSA group

Manufacturer
http://www.powertex.be

My personal site
http://www.zandstorm.com

The small ducks below are made of cloths in Powertex draped around an iron frame.

The latest trend this year was the introduction of sliced heads. I know it sounds like it is some attribute used in a horror movie; but I don't find immediately the correct words to describe it otherwise. Until now, you could only buy complete heads, mostly used for creating real-like statues.
The introduction of vertical sliced heads offer a whole new range of possibilities in decorating objects covered with Powertex. A typical example is the Styropor ball onto which whole and sliced heads are attached....

After these sets of examples it is up to you now.

The objects I've shown here are influenced by the region and country I live in. The examples I've seen made by residents of the US, are completely different than the ones I've made so far: they are smaller, more figurine like, while I make more statue like objects. Once more a strong point that shows how versatile this product can be used.

Good luck to all....
For other inspirational ideas (jewelry, Art Clay Silver, felt, organic material, Swarovski) please visit my dutch site (more than 100 different creations) at http://www.zandstorm.com