This clay ribbon rose hand mirror was designed and demonstrated by Ann and Karen Mitchell, owners of AnKara Designs.
Materials:
four 2-ounce blocks Premo purple polymer clay
2-ounce. block Premo gold polymer clay
2-ounce block Premo silver polymer clay
1/2 block Premo yellow polymer clay
2-ounce bottle translucent Liquid Sculpey polymer clay
pasta machine
tissue blade
3 sheets metallic variegated gold leaf
craft knife
jumbo 6" x 11/16" wooden craft stick (tongue depressor)
2" x 3" oval mirror
paper, pencil, scissors for pattern
wax paper
Steps:
1. To make pattern for the hand mirror, trace the shape of the mirror on a piece of paper, adding a 3/8-inch border around the oval. Place the craft stick at one end of the oval, overlapping at one end and leaving the other end sticking out the amount you desire for the length of the handle. Trace around the craft stick, adding a 1/8-inch border around the handle and 1/4-inch border around the bottom curve of the stick, drawing the end into a teardrop shape. Blend and reshape lines to make a pattern with smooth curves and lines (figure A). Cut out the pattern
2. Roll out three of the four blocks of purple Premo clay into 4" x 8" sheet at a #1 setting on the pasta machine (thickest setting, about 1/8 inch thick). Using the paper pattern, cut two hand mirror shapes out of the two sheets of clay.
3. Roll out a 4" x 4" sheet at a #5 setting. Lay the mirror over this thin piece of clay and cut out an oval shape about 1/8 inch larger than the mirror and set aside.
4. Set aside one of the two hand mirror shaped pieces from step 1; it will be the back of the mirror.
5. The other piece from step 1 will be the front of the mirror. Apply metallic leaf to one side of it, covering the entire surface (figure B). (If you have difficulty getting the leaf to stick, apply a thin layer of translucent liquid clay and then apply the metallic leaf.)
6. Then turn the piece leaf-side-down on a piece of wax paper. Center the mirror over the clay and, with a clay tool, pencil, or skewer, very gently trace around the mirror. Measure a bit more than 1/8 inch in from this marking and cut out that portion (figure C). This will form the opening for the mirror. Set aside.
7. To assemble the mirror base before decorating, take the front of the mirror (still foil side down on a piece of wax paper) and squeeze a small amount of liquid clay onto the surface facing up. Spread a thin even coat over the entire surface, including the handle. Center the mirror face down over the opening on the clay and press it in place gently. Spread a thin coat of liquid clay evenly over the back of the mirror (figure D).
8. Place the thin oval of clay from step 2 over the back of the mirror (figure E). Starting at the center of the back of the mirror, gently press air bubbles out to the edges of the clay oval. When the clay is flat on the back of the mirror, gently press around the edge of the oval to sandwich the mirror onto the front piece.
9. Squeeze a small amount of the Liquid Sculpey onto the back of the oval and spread evenly over the surface. Center the craft stick with the handle of the base piece, part of it overlapping the clay oval you just attached (figure F). When aligned, gently press the stick into the clay oval, and apply slight pressure to the handle portion so it adheres to the thin coat of liquid clay.
10. Spread another thin coat of liquid clay over any parts not already covered with it (including the craft stick). Lay the back piece on top of the assembled portion of the mirror, right side up. Align the back carefully with the front and press from center to the edges to adhere front and back together.
11. Carefully trim the blended front and back pieces. Cover entire back of the hand mirror with metallic leaf (figure G).
12. Bake the completed mirror according to package instructions.
13. When cooled, spread a thin even coat of liquid clay over the entire surface of the metallic leaf, both front and back. Bake again for about 10 to 15 minutes for the liquid clay layer. This will protect the foil from flaking.
14. Before creating the decorative roses and leaves, it's necessary to prepare the two colors you'll need. First mix the leaf green color by taking an eighth of the yellow block of clay and mixing it with half of the silver block of clay. Blend the two together completely, kneading by hand and running it through the pasta machine. When the color is leaf green, set it aside.
15. For the roses, you will create a Skinner blend. Condition one block of purple Premo clay and one block of gold clay separately. Roll each piece into the largest square possible on the #1 setting of the pasta machine. Trim the edges and cut each square in half diagonally.
16. Remove one triangle of the gold clay and replace it with one triangle of the purple clay, pressing diagonal edges together (figure H). Set the other two triangles aside.
17. Turn the square so that the diagonal stripe is running from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. Fold the bottom half of the square up to meet the top half of the square (figure I) and insert it, folded end first, into the pasta maker on a #1 setting. Fold again in the same direction and roll again at a #1 setting; then at a #3 setting. Continue to fold and roll through at a #3 setting until you create a smooth Skinner blend.
18. With the blend running right to left, cut the square horizontally into 1-1 /2-inch strips (figure J). Turn the first strip vertically, light to dark. Run through the pasta machine on a #5 setting, creating one long strip that fades from light to dark. Roll the strip from one end, forming a small scroll for the center of the rose (figure K).
19. When a center has formed, fold the raw edges of the clay ribbon in towards each other, making the ribbon half the width. Pull the folded strip flat for about 1/2 inch to make a petal and then twist, flipping over the folded ribbon. Press this onto the center scroll.
20. Continue to twist, forming more petals with the flat sections of the folded ribbon (figure L). When the rose is a size you like, pull the end of the folded ribbon towards the bottom of the rose and cut off the excess.
21. Repeat this process to form two more roses for the back of the hand mirror. The color can be varied by changing the direction of your Skinner blend, light to dark or dark to light. Use the tissue blade to carefully trim the roses to have flat backs for application. Set the roses aside.
22. Feed the green clay through the pasta machine set on #5. From the sheet that creates, cut three 3" x 5/8" strips. Fold both ends of one strip down into a triangle with the ends meeting at the bottom, as you would fold a ribbon leaf ( figure M). Scrunch together the ends and mold it with your fingers into a nice leaf shape (figure N). Trim off excess. Repeat with the other two leaves, varying the size slightly.
23. Squeeze a small amount of Liquid Sculpey onto the back of the mirror where you would like to place the leaves. Apply gentle pressure so the leaves will bond to the back of the mirror. The Liquid Sculpey will act as an adhesive and strengthen the clay bond after baking. Repeat the liquid clay application with the roses, placing in an elegant cluster. Bake the mirror with roses one more time.
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