premo! Molten Metal Pendant

Getting Started:Polymer clay may stain. CLAY MAY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED FURNITURE OR FINISHED SURFACES. DO NOT USE polymer clay on unprotected surfaces. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Clay Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Start with clean hands and work surface area. Knead clay until soft and smooth. For best results, clean your hands in between colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces together firmly. Bake on oven-proof glass or metal surface at 275°F (130 °C) for 30 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) thickness. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME. Wash hands after use. Baking should be completed by an adult. Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. For best results, condition all clay by running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Condition the Premo! Accents Bronze clay as described above. Roll the clay out on the #1 (widest) setting. Cut the clay in half and create two stacked layers of clay. Cut out a random rectangle shape for your pendant. The pendant above is about 3 inches wide at the base and 2-1/2 inches high. Curve the Super Slicer (thin blade) to cut the gently curve at the bottom and the wandering edge along the top of the pendant. Set aside

Condition the Premo! Accents Peacock as described above. Roll through the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine on the #1 setting to create a long strip of clay. Fold this strip into thirds to create 3 layers of clay. Place this layered sheet of clay on the smooth ceramic tile and press gently to the tile. Use the 3 ball stylus tools from the Sculpey Style and Details set to firmly press into the sheet of clay to create a random pattern.

Grasp the thinner Super Slicer blade at either end and bend the blade to a very slight curve. Use this curve to make a thin slice across the surface of the textured clay. Gently remove the slice and lay on a sheet of clean paper. Create another slice if you can.

Select the favorite slice and lay it down the center of the Bronze pendant.Carefully texture some of the Peacock surface with the course sand paper.Use one of the smallest size ball stylus tools to texture the Bronze clay around edges of the Peacock clay as shown. Set aside

Roll about 1/3 of the conditioned Premo! Accents Gold clay out into a log that is about 1-1/2 inches by ½ inch diameter. Trim off the ends and set aside for a moment. Roll about 1/3 of the condition Premo! Black clay out on the #3 setting on the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine. Trim one narrow edge and set the Gold cylinder at this edge. Use the length of the Sculpey Super Slicer (thicker blade) to trim the sheet of black clay to the length of the Gold cylinder.

Slowly roll the Gold cylinder across the Black sheet of clay to wrap the cylinder in the clay. Roll the leading edge over to touch the sheet of clay and pull the cylinder back slightly. You should see a slight dented line in the clay from the leading edge. Use the Super Slicer blade to cut just on the inside of that dented line. This will give a perfect wrap of Black around the Gold cylinder with no overlapping edges.

Roll the wrapped cylinder back and forth on the work surface, applying gentle pressure, and pulling your fingers slowly apart to help the cylinder start to become longer and smaller. Cut the cylinder in half if it gets too unwieldy and work on one half at a time. The goal is to reduce this cylinder into a very small diameter of about ¼ inch. Cut the cylinder into workable lengths as you go.

Cut ¼ inch pieces from one of these small cylinders and stack them along the top of the pendant. They do NOT have to be the same length! Use a small ball tool to texture in the center of each piece. Press the pieces gently into place.

Roll 1/3 of the Gold clay into a cylinder that will fit in the Sculpey Extruder and load the clay into the extruder. Stack the half round and the medium round dies together to make a medium half round. Place the dies into the extruder and extrude about 14 inches of Gold clay.

Check to make sure that you have enough extruded clay to wrap around your pendant and leave some extra at the top to thread the metal choker through. Remove the clay, add a thin bead of Sculpey Bake and Bond around the edge of the pendant and gently press the extruded clay into place. Trim the two top pieces to the desired length (leave room for the curve of that wire!). Drill holes in the top two pieces of the extruded clay for the choker. Bake according to clay package directions.

Once the pendant has baked and cooled, thread the wire choker through the holes. If desired, brush a thin layer of Sculpey Gloss Glaze over the Bronze areas where it is textured with the ball tool to add yet another layer of texture to the finished piece.