Polymer Clay and Bead Bracelet Watch

Materials:

Kato Polyclay:
3/4 block violet
3/4 block violet and 1/4 block white to make medium violet
1/2 block white and 1/8 block violet to make light violet
1/2 block white
Kato Nublade
acrylic rod
clay-dedicated pasta machine
clay-dedicated baking sheet
16" elastic stringing material
11 size #8 black seed beads
17 silver spacer beads
Geneva beading watch face

1. Condition all clay well by hand kneading or slicing thinly and running through a pasta machine until soft and pliable.

2. Mix the medium and light violet clay using the guide in the materials list, above.

3. Roll out each color of clay on #1 (the thickest) setting of pasta machine. Cut each sheet and stack each of the colors separately to form blocks of clay, rolling the stacks with an acrylic rod to adhere each layer. Each stack should be 10 layers high and approximately the size and shape of the coordinating pattern piece (figure A). The pattern is available in a PDF underneath figure A. The dimensions are as follows:

violet - 4" x 5" sheet rolled on the #1 setting. Cut into 10 equal pieces and stack into a block measuring 1" x 2."

medium violet - 5" x 6" sheet rolled on the #1 setting. Cut into 10 equal pieces and stack into a block measuring 3" x 1."

light violet - 3" x 7-1/2" sheet rolled on the #1 setting. Cut into 10 equal pieces and stack into a block measuring 1-1/2" x 1-1/2."

white – 2-1/2" x 6-1/4" sheet rolled on the #1 setting. Cut into 10 equal pieces and stack into a block measuring 1-1/4" x 1-1/4."

5. Cut the blocks of clay to match the corresponding shapes. Lay the pattern piece for the appropriate color on the block of clay (figure C) and cut straight down with a clay blade (figure D).

6. Roll out black clay on the #6 (very thin) setting on the pasta machine. Cut black clay in 2-1/2-wide strips.

7. Insert black strips of clay so each piece of the pattern is outlined in black (figure E).

8. Reduce the cane to 12" x 1/2" x 1/2." Tip: The easiest way to reduce a square cane is by rolling each side with an acrylic rod, applying pressure evenly across the sides (figure F).

9. Cut the cane into four 1-inch lengths and four 2-inch lengths (figure G).

10. Using the four 1-inch lengths, combine using the point where the medium violet and violet parts meet in the corner as the pivot point and turn each cane 45 degrees to form the quilt block. Reduce to 3/4" x 3/4"--the final size of the bead (figure H).

11. Using the four 2-inch lengths, combine using the point that is solid white as the pivot point and turn each cane 45 degrees to form the quilt block. Reduce to 3/4" x 3/4", the final size of the bead (figure I).

12. Cut the above length in half. Set aside half of the cane for the second bead and reduce the other half to 1/2" x 1/2" again. Cut the cane into four equal lengths and recombine to form the more complex cane and reduce to 3/4" x 3/4". This forms the third bead (figure J).

13. Cut eight 1/4-inch-thick beads total, two or three from each of the canes.

14. Using a meat skewer, pierce each bead to string on the elastic (figure K). The hole needs to be big enough to allow two widths of the elastic to go through.

15. Bake the beads according to the manufacturer’s directions.

16. String the quilt beads, silver spacer beads, and black glass beads onto the watch face (figure L).

17. Knot the elastic, dot with super-strong glue, and pull the knot back into the bead to hide.