Sizzling Summer Accessories

Make something jazzy

Preteen girls are guaranteed to love this kind of thing, especially if you incorporate their name or initials.

You'll need polymer clay, heat-resistant glitters, (Jones Tones) Translucent Liquid Sculpey, Sculpey diluent, a small spiral bound notebook, deli wrap or plain copy paper, a pasta machine, a roller, a blade, a scalpel, binder clips and glaze such as Flecto Diamond.

Clip together the pages of the book, unbend the wire at the top and bottom of the spiral and remove the spiral from the book, leaving the pages clipped together and the covers loose.

Roll out a sheet of clay and cut it to roughly the size of your front cover. Roll it between two sheets of deli wrap or plain paper to smooth and even the sheet. Peel off top sheet of paper.

Cut designs and strips from a piece of deli wrap or paper. Apply these to the top of the sheet of clay.

Put a clean sheet of paper over the top of your design, and with a sweeping motion, attach the design elements well to the clay. Remove the top sheet of paper.

Apply your choices of glitters within the design elements. It's messy and the glitters are light, so they fly all over. You can be as meticulous about this as you choose to.

Rub the glitters to force them into the clay, making the glitter flakes lay down smoothly on the surface. Tap off any excess glitter onto a piece of paper and save it for later.

Remove the masking pieces from your book cover. A tiny scalpel helps.

Lay the book's original cover over the clay cover and use it as a template to punch holes for the binding and to trim it to the same shape and size. Nick off the corners so they aren't so sharp. Cure the clay cover.

When cool, apply a diluted layer of TLS to the surface, brushing in both directions and letting the cover sit so that the TLS will level out. Cure at 300° for ten minutes.

Now cut a sheet of clay for the back cover - round the corners a tad and cure the back cover.

Make a stencil out of paper or card stock, and when the covers are cool, use a stippling motion to dab TLS onto the areas of the back covers and inside covers that you want to decorate. Apply glitter to the TLS. Tap off the excess. Cure again.

When cool, use the scalpel to open up the holes for the binding if necessary and then apply a dilute layer of TLS to all surfaces. Let the TLS level out and then cure the pieces, again.

This is a raw black clay covered pen - rolling it in lines of glitter to make a matching pen to go with this notebook.

And I'm going to tie in bead "placeholders," so here are some scraps of black clay covered with glitter and formed into beads.

Apply several coats of Flecto Diamond to all surfaces to bring out the color and sparkle and let dry completely. Reassemble the book, tie a cord to the top for the beads to be strung on and put the ink into the pens.

Order safely on line - your card will not be charged until your order is shipped.

Search our site by keyword(s):

Your one-stop source for polymer clay and related supplies. Shop online via secure server.

Polymer Clay Express at The ArtWay Store
9890 Main Street
Damascus MD 20872
Phone: 301 - 482 - 0399
FAX: 301 - 482 - 0396

Call in orders toll-free (800) 844-0138
11 AM - 8 PM (Eastern Time)

On The Web:
www.polymerclayexpress.com

Your comments are welcome.