Sculpey® III Cabaret Earrings

Your workspace:
Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Work ‘n Bake Clay Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Getting Started:
Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a Pasta Machine. We recommend using a designated machine for clay purposes only. When working with multiple colors, clean hands with soap and water or baby wipes (we have found that baby wipes work best) before switching colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

Baking:
Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil, an index card or the Sculpey® Clay Mat at 275°F (130 °C) for 15 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) thickness according to package directions. Oven safe glass or ceramic surfaces are also acceptable for baking; however please note that the baking times may take longer as the glass or ceramic surfaces take longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME.

Condition some scrap clay and rollout a sheet on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Note: If you don’t have any scrap clay you can use some of one of the colors for this project or another color. Smooth the sheet of clay onto the ceramic baking tile and cut out one 1-1/2” tear drop. Lift the excess clay away but leave the tear drop on the tile. Pick up the ¾” tear drop cutter and line it up so it is about 1/8” from the top point of the larger tear drop and so it is centered on the width of the large tear drop. Cut out the ¾” tear drop and use the needle tool to lift out the ¾” tear drop. Set the tile with the clay on it to the side. Note: this piece will be used as a template for cutting out the earring pieces and also for tracing and cutting out the decal pieces.

Condition and roll out a sheet of Jewelry Gold on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Smooth the sheet of clay onto the ceramic baking tile and cut out two 7/16” tear drops. Lift the excess clay away but leave the tear drops on the tile. Use the bent nose tweezers to place a 4mm Fern crystal into the center bottom of each tear drop and lightly press them a little bit into the clay. Set the tile with the clay on it to the side.

Condition equal parts Jewelry Gold and String Bean; about ¼ block of each, and roll out a sheet on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Pinch a small amount off of the corner of the sheet, about ¼” in size, and set the rest of the sheet to the side to be used later on. Roll two small balls that are about 1/8” each and roll into thin logs about ¼” long. Run the thin strands of clay through the opening in the jump rings and fold them in half through the hole. Gently press the clay down onto a ceramic tile and check the opening of the jump ring to make sure the clay did not shift and fill the opening in the jump ring. If you need to clear out the opening in the jump ring you can use the needle tool or craft knife to nudge the clay towards the bottom of the ring. Don’t clean the opening in the hole completely out, you still need some clay wrapped around the jump ring. Bake the jump rings with the clay, along with the template you made in Step 2 and the tear drops with crystals from Step 3, according to the directions above in Step 1 for 20 minutes and let cool completely.

Pick up the sheet of clay you made in Step 4 and lay it out on your work surface. Cut out a 1-1/2” tear drop. Place the template piece you made in Step 1 on top of the piece you just cut out. To mark the spot where you will need to position the ¾” tear drop cutter use the needle tool to trace a line around the inside of the cut out while making sure you are making light contact with the clay underneath. Lift the template and place the ¾” cutter on top of the line you just traced into the surface of the clay. Cut out the ¾” piece and use the needle tool to pick the cut out piece from the opening. Repeat this process to make a second piece.

Gently lift one of the tear drop pieces you just made and turn it over. Squeeze a small dot of Bake N’ Bond onto the tip of the clay on the jump ring piece you made in Step 3 and gently press it onto the pointed end of the tear drop. Pinch a small amount of the Sting Bean/Jewelry Gold mix and roll a small snake. Flatten it a little bit and attach it to the back of the piece so that it is centered in the bottom the small tear drop cut out and so that half of the length is sticking up into the opening. Repeat this process on the other large tear drop and place both pieces onto a baking tile to they are face up again.

Position the template you made in Step 2 over an area on the decal that you want to show on your earrings. Hold it firmly in place and use the mechanical pencil to trace around the outside of the piece and also around the inside of the ¾” tear drop cut out. Use the curved scissors to cut out the outside of the shape, make sure you cut just inside the line otherwise the decal will hang over the edges of the clay. Use the craft knife to cut out the small tear drop.

Once you have your decal pieces cut, out soak them in a shallow dish filled with water for 30 seconds. Gently slide the decals off of the paper-backing, and place onto the clay. Use a paper towel to dab away the water and then use the squeegee to smooth the decal down and remove air bubbles. Use the paper towel once more to dab away any extra water that might have come out while using the squeegee. Pick up the small Jewelry Gold tear drop piece you made in Step 3 and put a dab of Bake N’ Bond onto the bottom center edge of the tear drop. Add another small dab to the bit of the clay that is sticking up into the open tear drop cut out on the earring piece, position the gold tear drop so it is resting in the bottom of the cut out and gently press into place.

Bake according to the directions above in Step 1 and let cool completely. Attached the ear wires to the jump rings.

Your workspace:
Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Work ‘n Bake Clay Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Getting Started:
Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a Pasta Machine. We recommend using a designated machine for clay purposes only. When working with multiple colors, clean hands with soap and water or baby wipes (we have found that baby wipes work best) before switching colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

Baking:
Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil, an index card or the Sculpey® Clay Mat at 275°F (130 °C) for 15 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) thickness according to package directions. Oven safe glass or ceramic surfaces are also acceptable for baking; however please note that the baking times may take longer as the glass or ceramic surfaces take longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME.

Condition some scrap clay and rollout a sheet on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Note: If you don’t have any scrap clay you can use some of one of the colors for this project or another color. Smooth the sheet of clay onto the ceramic baking tile and cut out one 1-1/2” tear drop. Lift the excess clay away but leave the tear drop on the tile. Pick up the ¾” tear drop cutter and line it up so it is about 1/8” from the top point of the larger tear drop and so it is centered on the width of the large tear drop. Cut out the ¾” tear drop and use the needle tool to lift out the ¾” tear drop. Set the tile with the clay on it to the side. Note: this piece will be used as a template for cutting out the earring pieces and also for tracing and cutting out the decal pieces.

Condition and roll out a sheet of Jewelry Gold on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Smooth the sheet of clay onto the ceramic baking tile and cut out two 7/16” tear drops. Lift the excess clay away but leave the tear drops on the tile. Use the bent nose tweezers to place a 4mm Fern crystal into the center bottom of each tear drop and lightly press them a little bit into the clay. Set the tile with the clay on it to the side.

Condition equal parts Jewelry Gold and String Bean; about ¼ block of each, and roll out a sheet on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Pinch a small amount off of the corner of the sheet, about ¼” in size, and set the rest of the sheet to the side to be used later on. Roll two small balls that are about 1/8” each and roll into thin logs about ¼” long. Run the thin strands of clay through the opening in the jump rings and fold them in half through the hole. Gently press the clay down onto a ceramic tile and check the opening of the jump ring to make sure the clay did not shift and fill the opening in the jump ring. If you need to clear out the opening in the jump ring you can use the needle tool or craft knife to nudge the clay towards the bottom of the ring. Don’t clean the opening in the hole completely out, you still need some clay wrapped around the jump ring. Bake the jump rings with the clay, along with the template you made in Step 2 and the tear drops with crystals from Step 3, according to the directions above in Step 1 for 20 minutes and let cool completely.

Pick up the sheet of clay you made in Step 4 and lay it out on your work surface. Cut out a 1-1/2” tear drop. Place the template piece you made in Step 1 on top of the piece you just cut out. To mark the spot where you will need to position the ¾” tear drop cutter use the needle tool to trace a line around the inside of the cut out while making sure you are making light contact with the clay underneath. Lift the template and place the ¾” cutter on top of the line you just traced into the surface of the clay. Cut out the ¾” piece and use the needle tool to pick the cut out piece from the opening. Repeat this process to make a second piece.

Gently lift one of the tear drop pieces you just made and turn it over. Squeeze a small dot of Bake N’ Bond onto the tip of the clay on the jump ring piece you made in Step 3 and gently press it onto the pointed end of the tear drop. Pinch a small amount of the Sting Bean/Jewelry Gold mix and roll a small snake. Flatten it a little bit and attach it to the back of the piece so that it is centered in the bottom the small tear drop cut out and so that half of the length is sticking up into the opening. Repeat this process on the other large tear drop and place both pieces onto a baking tile to they are face up again.

Position the template you made in Step 2 over an area on the decal that you want to show on your earrings. Hold it firmly in place and use the mechanical pencil to trace around the outside of the piece and also around the inside of the ¾” tear drop cut out. Use the curved scissors to cut out the outside of the shape, make sure you cut just inside the line otherwise the decal will hang over the edges of the clay. Use the craft knife to cut out the small tear drop.

Once you have your decal pieces cut, out soak them in a shallow dish filled with water for 30 seconds. Gently slide the decals off of the paper-backing, and place onto the clay. Use a paper towel to dab away the water and then use the squeegee to smooth the decal down and remove air bubbles. Use the paper towel once more to dab away any extra water that might have come out while using the squeegee. Pick up the small Jewelry Gold tear drop piece you made in Step 3 and put a dab of Bake N’ Bond onto the bottom center edge of the tear drop. Add another small dab to the bit of the clay that is sticking up into the open tear drop cut out on the earring piece, position the gold tear drop so it is resting in the bottom of the cut out and gently press into place.

Bake according to the directions above in Step 1 and let cool completely. Attached the ear wires to the jump rings.