Makin's Clay® Mixed-Media Topiary Class

Makin's Clay® attended the recent Craft and Hobby Association show in Anaheim, CA.  Along with sharing our products with attendees in our booth via product displays, project samples, and make & takes, we hosted a Mixed-Media Topiary Class.

Ann Butler & Cindi Bisson shared the broad range of applications of Makin's Clay® and Makin's Brand® products with attendees, while teaching them a new Graffiti Clay technique to decorate their topiary pots.

Our thanks to Smoothfoam, Darice, May Arts Ribbon, Beacon Adhesives, Earth Safe Finishes, Westcott, FM Brush, and KellyCraft Innovations for their support of our workshop by donating product.   Special thanks to Lisa Rojas for her assistance in setting up and cleaning up after the workshop.

Makin’s Clay® Mixed-Media “Graffiti” Topiary 

Sponsored by Makin’s Clay®

Designed by Ann Butler & Cindi Bisson 

Materials: 

Makin’s Clay® (www.makinsclay.com) 

Makin’s Brand® Clay Cutters, Clay Roller, Wavy Cutter 

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® (optional) 

Smoothfoam™ Cubes, Balls (www.smoothfoam.com)

Darice® paper mache pot, Spanish moss (www.darice.com) 

EarthSafe Finishes Iridescents™ by Ann Butler Designs™ (www.earthsafefinishes.com) 

Ann Butler Designs™ EZ-De’s™ stamps & alphabet by KellyCraft™ (www.kellycraftinnovations.com) 

Beacon Adhesives® Tacky Glue (www.beaconadhesives.com) 

Westcott® Scissors (www.westcottbrand.com) 

May Arts® Ribbon (www.mayarts.com) 

FM paintbrush (www.fmbrush.com)

Wooden skewer, craft knife 

Instructions: 

Paint cube with Iridescents™ and let dry. 

Remove Makin’s Clay®  from packaging.  Place excess clay in zip-lock baggy with damp paper towel.  Roll clay to approximately 1/8” thick.

Stamp monogram 4 times onto rolled clay, allowing space around each letter to cut a square approximately 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”. 

Use wavy cutter to cut square around monograms.  

Paint letter indentation with Iridescents™.  

Mount monogram letters to four sides of cube using Beacon Adhesives glue. 

To create graffiti clay, roll clay to approximately 1/8” thick.  

Extrude thin strands of clay in 2-3 colors of choice using Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder.  Create a freeform design on the rolled clay with extruded pieces (flowers, swirls, letters, zig-zag, stripes, etc...) allowing some strands to overlap.  Press strands just enough to adhere to base clay.  Roll clay again (if using Ultimate Clay Machine®, begin by rolling on a 1, then on a 3, then on a 5) to embed the extruded strands into the base clay, creating a effect similar to graffiti on a wall. 

Cut piece of clay to cover sides of Darice paper mache pot, with about 1/2” folded to cover inside top rim of pot, and overlap on base of pot.  Mount, pressing base to flatten clay.  

Cut Smoothfoam™ ball in half, mount inside bottom of pot. 

Using a dab of glue at beginning and end, wrap skewer with May Arts® ribbon.  

Place skewer into ball, place cube onto top of skewer.

Add Spanish moss to cover base. 

Trick-or-Treat Bucket

Create this creepily fun Halloween treat bucket with a recycled flower pot and Makin's Clay®! Your little beggars are sure to be surprised by it's glow in the dark elements and it's furry monster accent - Cindi

Materials: 

• Recycled plastic flower pot (10” used for this project)
• Makin’s Clay^®– The No-Bake Polymer Clay^{® -}  Black, Natural, Vintage Tones, Earth Tones, Multi- Neon
• Also from Makin’s Clay^{® :}
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Machine^®
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Texture Set 
• Makin’s^® Texture Sheets 
• Makin’s^® Halloween Clay Cutters, Alphabet Clay Cutters, Rectangular Clay Cutters 
• Makin’s Professional^® Ultimate Clay Extruder^®

• Beacon Adhesives^® Tacky Glue   
• Darice^®  Black & Orange felt, Black Luxury Fur, Chenille Stems 
• Powertex^TM Transparent Textile Hardener 

Instructions: 

1. Remove plant & soil from plastic flower pot.  Remove hanger from pot.  Wash & dry thoroughly. 
2. Roll approximately half a 120 gram package of black clay using Ultimate Clay Machine™ on setting #4.   Cut into long 2” strip.  Repeat this step.
3. Apply thin layer of  Tacky Glue around top outside edge of pot.  Mount 2” strip of black clay over adhesive on outside of pot.  
4. Roll ½” x 1” piece of plum clay from Vintage Tones set using Ultimate Clay Extruder on setting #6.   Continue to roll until you can cut a piece approximately 3 ½” x 3 ½”.  Select Makin’s® Texture Sheet and apply texture by placing onto clay and applying gentle pressure.
5. Apply thin layer of adhesive on side of pot.  Place textured plum clay square on side.  
6. Repeat steps 4 using dark green & plum clay from Vintage Tones set, pumpkin colored clay from Earth Tones set until you have 5 squares (2 green, 2 plum, 1 orange) with assorted textures applied.  Roll black clay using setting #6 until you can cut a piece approximately 6 ½” x 3 ½”.  Black clay was not textured.
7. Repeat step 5, measuring over approximately ½” from first square and apply remaining squares (allow approximately ½” between each, ending with the larger black rectangle). 
8. Roll black clay using setting #6.  Cut four ¾” x 3 ½” strips of black clay.  Use adhesive to mount between colored squares of
   
   clay. 
9. Roll natural clay using setting #2.  Apply texture sheet of choice.  Use ¾” x 1 ½” rectangle cutter to cut 21 rectangles.  Use adhesive to mount textured rectangles around top black border, spacing approximately 1/2” apart.  
10. Choose border from border mold, place black clay into mold and make 7 border strips.  Use adhesive to mount under bottom border edge of pot (beneath natural rectangle embellishments).
11. Roll black clay using setting #2.  Apply texture sheet.  Use Halloween shape cutters to cut 3 cats and 5 bats.  Mount bats onto plum square and cats onto pumpkin orange square using adhesive.  I allowed some bat wings and cat tails to extend off the pot for added dimension.  Use tiny amounts of neon yellow clay to create eyes for bats, and neon green for eyes for cats.
12. Roll natural clay using setting #2.  Apply texture to half of rolled clay.  Use Halloween shape cutter set to cut 3 ghosts from textured clay and one moon from non-textured clay.  Use clay cutters to cut 7 stars in varying sizes from non-textured clay.   Use adhesive to mount moon & stars to green panel, and ghosts to 2^nd green panel.  Use tiny amount of black clay to create eyes for ghosts.
13. Roll pumpkin orange clay using setting #2.  Use Halloween shape cutter set to cut 3 pumpkins.  Use Professional Clay tools to add texture lines to pumpkins.  Cut 3 thin pieces from 3rd pumpkin to mount over 2nd pumpkin to add depth.  Add small amount of brown clay to stem.  Roll small amount of neon yellow clay on setting #6.  Use Professional Clay Tools to cut eyes, nose and mouth for Jack-o-Lantern, mount with adhesive.  Mount pumpkins to 2nd plum panel, adding thin strips of green twisted clay as vines around stems. 
14. Roll out pumpkin orange clay using setting #6.  Use Alphabet clay cutters to spell out “trick or treat”.  Mount as shown to black panel using adhesive.  
15. Mix 3 parts natural clay and 1 part black clay until uniform gray color results.    Place clay into Makin’s Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder, add smallest multiple hole extruder disc, and extrude clay to create spider web pattern on black clay strips between colored panels, and on large black panel with text as shown. 
16. Create dimensional spider using black clay.  Add neon green eyes and wine red pinchers.  Mount to front panel as shown.
    
17. Choose border from border mold, place black clay into mold and make 7 border strips.  Use adhesive to mount under bottom edge of pot (beneath colored blocks). 
18. Cut 7” circle from black felt.  Use adhesive to mount on bottom of pot.  Roll 4 balls of black clay approximately 1 ½” in diameter.  Mount to bottom of pot.  
19. Apply coat of Powertex Transparent Textile Hardener to all clay surfaces on pot to seal.  Let dry.
20. Mount small strips of black faux fur along top outside edge of pot.  Measure, cut and mount orange and black felt for pot liner.  Twist 3 pipe cleaners, mount inside pot where black & orange felt meet.  Repeat.  
21. Fill with candy, use as a Halloween centerpiece, then watch the little ghosts and goblins smile when they see your decorative Trick or Treat bucket!