Leaf Fossil Pendants
Design by Patricia Kimle

Preserve a memory of a walk in the woods, a favorite garden plant, or sitting in the shade of a beloved tree by molding leaves with Sculpey Flex. Or, if it's the dead of winter and all the leaves are gone, use some fern from the florist, as I did here!

Materials:

Directions:

How To Make the Mold:

• Condition the SculpeyFlex into a consistent sheet. Roll to medium thickness on pasta machine (approx. 1mm). Cut a square slightly larger than the leaf or stem to be used. Powder the clay with cornstarch to eliminate all tackiness. Lay the leaf on the clay and cover with index card.

• Roll through the pasta machine together. Lift the paper, and carefully lift the leaf off the clay. Trim the sheet if desired.

• Bake the clay according to the package directions. Cool.

How To Make the Pendant:

• Using scrap clay and Shapelet template, create a core which will be covered with the stamped leaf design. Roll a thick sheet of clay, cut to shape and smooth the edges, beveling them thinner at the sides. Bake.

• Roll a 1mm sheet of Ecru for the positive leaf impression. Cut it to the same size as the mold. Powder the sheet liberally with cornstarch. Reset the pasta machine to it's thickest setting and roll the clay sheet and the leaf mold through together. Carefully separate.

• Paint a thin layer of Liquid Sculpey on the surface of the pre-baked bead core. Trim the leaf impression to about 1/8" larger than the core. Repeat for second side.

• Press the sheets onto the base pendant, leaving about 1/8" of space separating the halves of the design at the edges. Be careful not to smash the raised pattern. Bake.

• Roll a small string of brown polymer clay and press it into the gaps on the sides of the pendant, concealing the seams. Texture this clay with coarse sandpaper. Bake and cool.

• Rub the pendant thoroughly with brown paint, being sure to get it into the crevices. Let dry slightly, then rub with a damp paper towel to remove some of the paint. Repeat with verdigris paint.

• Using a hand drill and 1 mm. bit, drill holes to hang the pendant and earrings.
• Using 18 gauge gold wire, form a hangman's loop eye-pin. Add accent beads and glue the pin into the pendant using cyano-acrylate glue. Hang the pendant on a fine gold chain or black cord.

Author Bio:

Patricia Kimle has been creating jewelry and fine craft items with polymer clay for over 10 years. Her work has been shown in juried exhibitions of polymer and has been featured in several publications. More examples of Patti's work can be found at www.kimledesigns.com.

Resources:

Premo! Sculpey and Liquid Sculpey are available from Polyform Products. Visit www.sculpey.com for information and a retailer near you.