Clay, texture and Mica

Time to get back to some clay.... it feels so good in my hands and is a good "stress" reliever for me.  I had a "brick" of black Sculpey III and some previous posts (here and here) reminded me of some things I wanted to try. 
Using some heart shaped cutters, texture stamps, mica and a bit of wire, some beads, I'd like to share two of the pieces I created during a recent play session.  

You'll need:
Sculpey III
Sculpey liquid clay (used as glue)
Sculpey Glaze
Heart Shaped clay cutters
Acrylic roller
Mica  Powder(Mixed Media Supplies)
Texture stamps
Wire
Round needle nose pliers
Wire cutters
beads and other pieces for embellishment
Paint brush
Baking tile or pan with aluminum foil

Condition clay according to manufacturer's directions. Using the acrylic roller, roll the clay to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Press the texture stamp into the clay and roll with the roller to get a good impression.  Cut with the cutters.  Smooth the sides of the clay.

Add beads, gems, embellishments. Use "glue" if needed. 

Brush on a little mica as desired. 
Optional:  Cut 2 pieces of wire about 3 inches long. Create a loop and twist the ends.  Repeat with the second piece of wire.  Flatten and insert into the clay. 
Bake as directed.  I generally add about 5 extra minutes to the baking process.  When the clay has thoroughly cooled, Apply glaze and let dry for 24 hours.  (If you chose not to add the loops, you can glue a flat backed bail to the back of the pendant or a pin back.) 

Add additional beads and chain as desired for a necklace. 

Thanks for dropping by and hope you'll be creating in your crafting space soon! Please drop by my blog for more creative fun! 

Clay Play #2

I'm excited to share this week's Mixed Media Supplies design team project featuring some Mica from Mixed Media Supplies.  And I've been enjoying getting a little more clay play time in these past couple of weeks.  This heart has a little extra play and was fun to create.

You'll need:
Sculpey Clay III
craft knife
background stamp
bead reamer
heart template
stencil
markers (Tombow)
eBrush
Ranger Distress Ink
mica (Mixed Media Supplies)
wire
ribbon, fiber
Wire cutters, needle nose pliers
Condition the clay.  I used a pasta machine once the clay had been warmed in my hands.  Using the template, cut the heart shape using the craft knife.  Stamp using the background stamp.  If you're going to hang the heart, be sure to add a couple of holes for hanging.

Bake as per manufacturer's instructions.  If the clay is thin, it will still be a little flexible.  Let cool completely before next steps.
Since I know that this heart will not be exposed to direct sun or outside elements, I chose some different ways to add color and a little more texture.

I chose to color using some Tombow markers and sprayed using the eBrush from Craftwell.  The two colors blended nicely.  As you can see, I also used a stencil for the "dots" and some Old Paper distress ink.

After the inks have dried, I took a small brush and applied a bit of Pearl mica from Mixed Media Supplies to add a bit of sparkle.

I also made a few smaller hearts to be used as embellishments.  They are also stamped and baked.  Colored with a Tombow marker and a little mica added to the surface. 
Add a wire hanger, hang the smaller heart with a large ring and add a bit of fiber to the wire for a little more finished look.  If desired you could make your wire a little longer and add some curls and more fibers as desired.

Hope you'll enjoy some crafting time today or in the very near future.  Keep nurturing your creative soul.