Liquid Sculpey® Folded Mandala Earrings

Getting Started:

Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Oven Safe Work Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured Liquid Polymer Clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately. - Stir Liquid Sculpey® completely. Thin with Sculpey® Liquid Clay Softener as needed - Wash hands after use (we have found that baby wipes work best)

Baking:

•It is important to use oven thermometer when you bake the liquids so that you can ensure your oven is at the correct temperature.•Do not microwave the liquids. They must be baked in a Preheated oven at 275 ºF (130 ºC) for liquid colors and 300 ºF (149 ºC) for Clear – Do not exceed baking temperatures.•If your piece is less than 1/4” bake for 15 minutes. For thicker pieces that are 1/4” or above bake for 30 minutes. •If your liquid project has become yellowed or discolored in the oven, when you remake it, tent it by placing either – folding an index card in half and placing your project under it or by using aluminum foil over your project.

Squirt a small amount of Navy Metallic Liquid Sculpey® (LS) into the center of the largest mandala shape.

Spread the LS all over the mandala filling all the details with either your fingertip or the squeegee included with the mold. Add more LS as needed to make sure all the tiny details are completely filled.

Squeegee off the excess LS from the back of the filled design with the included squeegee. To get the design of the mandala even more perfect you can try this tip. Fold a single paper towel into a thick pad. Moisten the pad with just enough alcohol to make it damp. Swipe the pad across the filled design once or twice gently. This will clean the little windows in the mandala.

Bake the mold following the baking instructions for LS. When the mold is completely cool, remove the mandala by gently flexing the mold. Repeat Steps 2-5 to create a second mandala.

Bend one of the mandalas in half and secure the top and bottom lobes together with a 6mm jump ring using flat nose pliers. Close the jump ring.

Position the jump ring that you just secured in Step 6 at the top of the mandala. Carefully pinch the extreme left and extreme right lobes toward each other and downward forming a “fortune cookie” style fold. Secure these two lobes to each other with another 6 mm jump ring.

Repeat the folding in Steps 6 and 7 for the second mandala. Connect an ear wire to the jump ring at the top for each earring.

Insert a head pin into each of the crystals. Trim the tails of the head pins to 3/4” above the crystals with wire cutters. Curl a little loop down in the tail to just above the crystals with the round nose pliers.

Connect the little loops to the mandalas at the bottom jump ring with the flat nose pliers.