Project designed by Barbara McGuire.
Materials:
1/2 block Fimo soft polymer clay - any color
1/4 block Fimo soft translucent
gold leaf scrap pieces of 1 sheet gold leaf
Creative Claystamp - Nile Flower design or any deep impression rubber stamp
cornstarch and soft brush
sharp blade for slicing and cutting
needle tool or toothpick
5" x 5" piece of Mulberry paper
scissors
pencil
Crafter's Pick Ultimate Tacky or Sobo glue
raw umber acrylic paint
paintbrush
400- and 600-grit sandpaper
oven
cardstock paper for baking surface
buffing wheel, pad or denim jeans
leather cord and decorative beads
Steps:
- Condition the clay by kneading it in your hands until it's pliable. You may also run thin slices through a pasta machine until pliable about seven passes through the pasta machine on the thinner settings.
- Shape the clay into an oval form approximately 3" x 1-1/2" x 3/8".
- Cover the entire bead form with assorted gold leaf scraps or a complete sheet of leaf if desired. Put the bead form and the leaf scraps into a plastic bag and shake. Smooth the form, wiping away the excess particles of leaf. Flatten the form slightly by placing it on the cardstock and rolling it lightly with a brayer, reshaping and spreading the leaf to reveal small veins of color.
- Condition the translucent clay. Flatten into a slab the width of the pendant and about 1/4" thick. Use cardstock paper as a work surface. Using the brayer, roll out one end of the slab into a wedge. Keep thinning and stretching the clay into extremely thin strips. Place the thin strips on the top and sides of the leafed bead form. Trim any overlapping sheets with the sharp blade. Roll or press completely smooth.
- Flatten the bead form on the work surface using your palms or by rolling with an acrylic brayer. Use a piece of cardstock paper as both the work and baking surface. The finished flat bead should be approximately 1/4" thick. This process will again spread the gold leaf and the translucent layer.
- Place the bead form translucent side up on the paper. Dust the rubber side of the stamp with cornstarch and impress carefully into the bead surface, positioning the design in the center of the bead.
- Pierce the bead with the needle tool to make a hole for the cord. Start on one side, turning the tool as if you were drilling. Once the tool is almost through the bead, turn the bead over and pierce the hole again to prevent a protrusion at the bead hole.
- Bake the bead as the clay manufacturer recommends. Fimo cures at 265-degrees in 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the bead to cool.
- Paint the front surface of the bead, including the stamped impression, with raw umber acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry completely.
- Wet sand the bead surface with 400-grit sandpaper to remove the paint on the surface and expose the design. Wet sand the surface with 600-grit sandpaper to accomplish a velvety-finish. Buff the bead on a buffing wheel or by rubbing on denim jeans.
- To complete the back, trace an outline of the bead on mulberry paper and cut a paper backing. Glue the backing to the bead. Trace the bead onto mulberry paper again and fold the curves inward to make flaps for a "pocket." Glue the flaps of the pocket to the bead.
- String the pendant with cord and add decorative beads as desired. Tie the ends of the cord together in a double knot.
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