premo! Silk Screened Tile Bracelet

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 15 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 Black clay and roll out a sheet on the #1 setting on the clay conditioning machine. Trim the sheet into a strip that is approximately 1-1/4” wide by 8” long and dust the surface with the cornstarch. Pick up one bamboo skewer and place it onto the strip of clay so it is running in the 8” direction and about 3/16” in from the edge of the strip of clay. Place a second skewer on the opposite side also about 3/16” in from the edge. Use your acrylic roller to roll down the length of the skewers so they press into the clay. Bake the strip of clay with the skewers still pressed in the clay for 15 minutes and let cool completely. After the clay has cooled remove the skewers and rinse the cornstarch off. The indents from the skewers are going to be the channels for the stretchy cord.

Roll out a sheet of Copper clay on a #2 setting on the clay conditioning machine. Using the super slicer, cut the sheet into six 1-1/2” squares. Use the Brick pattern silk screen and black paint to screen 6 squares. Make sure that after you screen each square that you immediately put the screen into the tray of water, rinse thoroughly, and let dry. Set the screened squares to the side and let the paint dry for a few minutes.

Place your baked strip of black clay on your work surface and rub a thin layer of Bake n’ Bond one the Black clay but make sure you avoid the indented channels from the skewers. Pick up one of your screened squares and place it on the strip of Black clay. Position it at one of the ends of the strip; don’t worry if you have a little over hang, this will be trimmed off later. Pick up another screened square and butt it up against the first square you laid down. To add some interest rotate the squares as you add them to the strip so the pattern is facing different directions. Continue adding squares until you have the entire strip filled in. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. While the clay is still warm turn it over and use the Super Slicer to trim away any copper clay that sticks out past the black base. Turn the strip back over so the screened clay is facing up. Use your Super Slicer start trimming out the tiles. Cut them into irregular shapes and cut the tiles so that the places where you have a seam between the screened squares will be the slivers that you remove. Note: The clay is much easier to cut while still warm. If the clay cools down too much while trimming off the overhang you can put the piece back in the over for a few minutes to warm it back up.

Roll a sheet of Black clay on the #8 setting on the clay conditioning machine. Cut the sheet into strips that are a little wider than the thickness of the cut tiles. Pick up a tile and rub a thin layer of Bake ‘n Bond onto the edge of the tile making sure you avoid the holes for the cord. Pick up a thin strip of the Black clay and wrap it around the edge of the tile, trim through the strip where the ends overlap, remove the excess clay, butt the ends of the strip together and blend the seam. Use your Super Slicer blade to trim the strip of clay so it is flush with the top and bottom of the tile. This will create a nice black border around the tile. Pick up your needle tool and use it to poke holes through the strip where the holes of the channels are. Repeat this for the remaining tiles. Bake for 15 minutes and let cool completely.

Once the tiles have cooled brush a thin layer of Sculpey Satin Glaze over the silk screened surface of the clay. This will help protect the paint.

Condition about ¼” of a block of Ecru and Burnt Umber and roll into sheets on a #2 setting on the clay conditioning machine. Use the small oval cutter to cut out 24 ovals from the burnt umber sheet and 12 ovals from the Ecru sheet. Use your needle tool to poke holes through the middle of each one. Once you poke the needle tool through in one direction turn the ovals over and poke the needle tool back through the hole in the other direction; this will create a nice clean hole so it will be easier to string the cord through the holes. Bake the ovals for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

Once the oval beads are cooled and the glaze you painted on the tiles is dry you can start stringing the bracelet together. Use the ovals as spacers between the tiles and once you have everything strung together tie a knot in the ends of the stretchy cord and add a drop of the clear fast drying glue to the knot. Let the glue dry and then trim away the extra cord.