Polymer Clay Pendant

Materials:
polymer clay - yellow, orange and red
pasta machine
acrylic rod
Nublade Kato
bamboo skewer
buna cord

Steps:

1. Condition polymer clay prior to use. Either knead and warm it in your hands or roll and fold it through the pasta machine until it is soft and pliable.

Bull's-eye cane

1. Roll a small cylinder of black clay. Wrap with a thin sheet of white, then a thick sheet of a chosen color (figure A).

2. Reduce this cane to a diameter of approx 1/8 inch by first pinching the ends to the desired diameter, then placing the cane on your work surface and rolling the center until it is the same diameter as the ends (figure B).

3. Cut thin slices from the cane (figure C).

4. Construct a multiple-part Skinner Blend sheet using your chosen colors (figure D).

2. Place the side with many colors on the roller and, using the thickest setting of the machine, roll through. Reset the machine to a thinner setting and roll through the same way again.

3. From a side with many colors, roll tightly to the opposite side, not one color edge to the other.

4. Compress the rod by rolling and moving hands toward center. Occasionally, push the ends in. Continue until the rod is approximately two inches wide. It will be very squat (figure E).

5. Flatten the squat rod with palms and work it out with fingers until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick. It will be long and thin, the long edges should be solid colors ( figure F).

6. Place a thin edge on the rollers of the pasta machine and roll through, making it very long and thin.

7. Cut in half and place one half atop the other. Inspect the cut edge to see pattern. If desired, roll this through again. Each successive rolling, halving and stacking will make the pattern finer and finer.

8. Once you have the desired pattern, cut in half and stack until you have a nice thick block. Trim edges with Nublade Kato (figure G).

Pendant
1. Using scrap clay, roll a thick cylinder.

2. Cut slices off the block and place them on the cylinder so that the slices lay perpendicular to the cylinder sides. Cover the entire cylinder and, if necessary, trim the excess away so there is no overlap (figure H).

3. Trim the ends and close them, gently pulling the pattern over theexposed scrap clay (figure I).

4. Gently roll in hands to form the bottom point of the triangle. Place between hands and press hands together to slightly flatten.

5. Roll the round side, opposite the point on your work surface to flatten.

6. Refine corners by gently squeezing with fingertips (figure J).

7. Cut thin slices from bullseye cane and arrange on the heart. Roll smooth with acrylic rod (figure K).

8. Roll two thin snakes of black clay. Using the skewer, lightly lay across where the bands will be laid. Wrap pendant with black snakes, trimming the ends. Gently press to adhere snakes to pendant (figure L).

9. "Drill" two holes with bamboo skewer on the top edge. The depth should be approximately 1/4 inch.

10. Bake following manufacturer instructions. To avoid flat shiny spots, place the piece on a sheet of polyester batting. Allow to cool, then, using cyanoacrylate glue, glue the ends of Buna cord in holes (figure M).