"IMAGINE IT", "CREATE IT" POLYMER CLAY HOME DECOR PROJECT

Hello everyone, it's Audrey again from http://cuteandsome.blogspot.com/, and thank you Pam for having me back!  Wow, just see what I've prepared for you today!  It's really a very long tutorial but that's because I'm taking you step-by-step what I did, but it's really easy.

This project is just as the name implies as I actually imagined and created it as I was doing it.  I've never really worked with clay before so I wanted to play around with it to see what I could come up with.  I didn't have time to put together a cut-file project and couldn't think of any paper craft, so I decided you'd have to bear with me on this trial project; however, I love the results and I think you will too.  Now don't worry, it really is very easy.  And trust me, if I can do this, you can too.  Here is my completed home decor project:

I have no clay tools at all, so I used common items to complete this project entirely from scratch -- NO CLAY TOOLS!!!  This really is a picture heavy tutorial so let's get started.

Materials I used:

• Sculpey Oven Bake Clay
• Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
• Large Background Stamp
• Cherub ornament shown below used for mold and molded item ( I found this on sale for $1 at Walmart)
• Item used for frame/cutting (I used one of Buster's empty dog food plastic containers shown below to outline my frame because I liked the octagon shape and the scallop cookie cutter for my molded cherub shape; however, cookie cutters, die cuts or actual shape cutters can be used)
• Plastic bottle or rolling pin ( I used my Crafters Pick Ultimate Glue bottle)
• Mister (containing water)
• Plastic knife
• Small paint brush
• Drinking Straw
• Spatula

NOTE:  Before I began I had ready a sheet of freezer paper covering a small baking sheet to hold my clay mold and clay items which were going into the oven to be baked.

I began by making the mold for the cherub by taking a thick chunk of clay as tall as the cherub and a bit wider around than the cherub:

Using the bottle of glue as a rolling pin I smoothed out the top of the clay and misted it with water before firmly pressing the cherub into the clay (some people use talc to keep the clay from sticking but I found water worked best for me):

After pressing the ornament into the clay, I carefully removed the cherub from the clay mold by gently lifting it along the edges of the clay lifting it out.  Here's what the mold looked like:

I placed the mold on the freezer wrap lined pan and baked it for 20 minutes at 275 degrees (always check time/temperature on clay package); I let clay cool about 30 minutes.

Once the mold was cool,  I took a chunk of clay and flattened it out large enough to fit over the depressed image in the mold  (this piece of clay should be just thick enough to not punch a hole into when pressing into it with your fingers):

Again I smoothed out the top of the clay chunk and mited the mold before placing the clay on top of the mold:

Very gently and carefully so as not to tear the clay -- but firmly -- I pressed the clay into the mold using my fingers and thumbs to get a good impression:

Lifting from around the edges (the same as with the cherub) I removed the clay and here's the impression I got from the mold:

NOTE:  Because I did this as I went along, as an afterthought I used the scallop shape cookie cutter (shown in the picture above of the materials I used) to cut away the excess clay around the edges of the cherub image so it didn't look so rough; because it was a last minute decision I didn't get a picture of it -- sorry.  However, all you need to do is press the cookie cutter into the clay just as you would cookie dough.  You'll see on a following picture what it will look like with the edges scalloped.  Hey, I did say this was a trial project!!!  LOL!

Moving on, I took another chunk of clay enough for my frame (the plaster container); again smoothing, flattening (to about the thickness of a nickel), and wetting the top of the clay; I laid the container on top of this piece of clay and pressed down firmly:

Using the plastic knife I carefully sliced away the extra/excess clay from around the image of the frame:

Here's the impression I had once I'd sliced away the unnecessary additional clay:

I then took my background stamp (I've colored the stamp so you'll be able to see the impression), misted it and placed it on top of the clay frame pressing down gently but firmly to get a good impression on the clay:

Now the fun really began for me!  Using the spatula I carefully lifted the cherub image and centered it on the frame.  Using the end of the paint brush I punched holes into each scallop for decoration and used the straw to punch a hole where I was going to string a tassel:

Using several colors of pigment powders as paint, I started painting the clay until I achieved a color I liked:

Using the spatula I carefully lifted my image/frame and placed it on the freezer paper on the pan, then baked it at 275 degrees for 20 minutes.

Once the clay image had cooled, I decided rub black ink around the edges and to use my index finger to spread some gold Stickles all over the image completely covering it and allowing it to dry.  This is what it looked like:

This is actually the finished piece!!!  Now of course you've noticed I didn't put a tassel through the hole at the bottom as I'd planned; again, as an afterthought, I changed my mind and decided to glue a wire holder for the computer generated words "Imagine" and "Create" before placing the image into the wooden frame.  If you'd like to know how I did the wire, it was easy.  I cut off a piece of 20 guage wire about 4 inches long; using round nose pliers I held the pliers with my palm and fingers facing up before grabbing the very tip end of the wire with the pliers:

Slowly turning my wrist I curled the wire until the tip end and the length of the wire were touching:

At this point, afrer curling the other end with the pliers,  I could take the loops between my thumb and  index finger to continue curling, bending and/or manipulating the wire until I got the shape I desired.  That's it!!!

Now I really have no experience at all working with clay and this really is my first completed clay project, so like I said if I can do this on a first try, you can too.  Clay doesn't have to be hard or intimidating -- jusr play with it!  Anyway, I hope you like this and are inspired to try doing one yourself!  And don't forget to let me see how your's came out!

Thanks for stopping by and...

I'll be seeing you!