Polymer Clay Business Card Holder

Materials

Kato Liquid Polymer Medium
Kato acrylic clay roller
ruler
baby wipes
clay blade
craft knife
needle tool
small spray bottle of water
clay-dedicated pasta machine
small flat natural-hair paint brush
800-grit wet/dry sandpaper
1/2 blocks Kato Polyclay: white, black, fuchsia
Pavelka Texture Stamps: Directions (set 1), Ridges (set 2)
Hammerhead 2-part (5-minute) epoxy
Heart in Hand Studio metal business card holder
work/baking surface (12" or 8" smooth, ceramic tile)

Condition all clay thoroughly before using, starting with the lightest colors first. Knead for 1 or 2 minutes or cut a block into 4 or 5 slices and run through a pasta machine on the largest setting several times until very soft and pliable.

1. Roll half of the conditioned white clay through the third-largest setting of the pasta machine. Spray the "Directions" stamp with water. Tear off small pieces of the white clay and press deeply into the crevices of the stamp with fingertips (figure A). Tip: Keep a baby wipe or wet sponge nearby to wipe fingers so they don’t stick to the clay.

2. Slice off the raised areas with a clean, sharp clay blade (figure B). Continue adding slices until an area approx 2" x 3-1/4" is entirely embedded with clay. Shave the surface of the stamp one last time to be sure that there is no clay sitting on the raised portions of the stamp (figure C).

3. Roll a 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" sheet of fuchsia clay through the third-largest setting of the pasta machine. Place the sheet over the area of the stamp embedded with clay. Spray the exposed back of the clay sheet with water.

4. Starting from the center of the clay, press the clay down firmly with your fingertips, making sure clay sheet is pressed onto embedded clay (figure D). Re-spray the clay sheet and firmly roll the acrylic brayer across it in one single pass, going in one direction only. Note: Rolling back and forth will lift the clay from the crevices and fold it over the clay sheet.

5. Lift the stamp from the work surface with the clay still on it and bend it back away from the clay sheet, while slowly lifting the clay away (figure E). Trim the clay so that it’s 1/4 inch smaller (on all four sides) than the surface of the business card holder.

6. Scratch the front surface of the business card holder with a needle tool. Lay the trimmed/embossed clay sheet in the center of the business card holder. Gently press clay down to work out any trapped air. Be careful not to stretch the clay or flatten it (figure F).

7. Repeat steps 1 and 2, embedding fuchsia clay into the "Ridges" pattern stamp. Cover a 2" x 4" area.

8. Repeat steps 2 through 4 using a black clay sheet (figure G).

9. Cut the embossed clay sheeting into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Brush a thin layer of liquid polymer medium along the exposed edges of the business card holder and sides of the center clay section.

10. Place the fuchsia and black embossed clay strips over the exposed borders of the business card holder. Make sure the two different colored clay sheets butt up against each other (figure H). Do not trim the excess clay yet!

11. Bake the clay-covered case in a 275 F degree oven for 30 minutes. When the case/clay is warm to the touch, trim away the overhanging clay with the clay blade. Carefully sand the edges with a wet piece of 800-grit sandpaper until smooth. Hand-buff the edges on a cotton cloth or piece of denim.

12. Attach the clay to the business card holder cover using a thin layer of two-part epoxy. Let the epoxy cure 24 hours before use.