Fall Jewelry Collection

Fall Jewelry Collection by Cynthia Gougian

This fall jewelry collection was fast and super easy to make!  I used simple techniques to create dramatic, contemporary looks.  I was pleasantly surprised at how many pieces I was able to create with just a small amount of clay and a few findings! 

Materials List:

·     Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®

·     Makin’s Clay®  30g  in yellow (1/2 of a 60 gram package)

·     Makin’s Clay®  30g in red (1/2 of a 60 gram package)

·     Makin’s Clay® 30g  in black (1/2 of a 60 gram package)

·     Makin’s® 3 piece oval cutter set

·     Wilton® 6-piece Nesting Fondant Double Sided Cutters,Leaf Cutters

·     Makin’s® 3 piece flower cutter set

·     An acrylic clay roller

·     A tissue blade

·     Cornstarch, or powder

·     400 grit wet dry sand paper 

·     Dust mask

·     Makin’s® Texture Sheets – Set H ( I used the sheet labeled “Abstract B”) 

·     Deco Color® Premium 3-way chisel point pen, gold (optional)

·     1.5 mm Wire ferrule (Sometimes labeled for 16 AWG wire)

·     1/16  drill bit

·     Earring Wires of your choice

·     4 mm and 6 mm jump rings, or jump rings in sizes of your choice

·     Necklace cord of your choice

Instructions:

I used a blended clay sheet to create a veneer.  I began by rolling out Makin’s Clay® 30g in yellow on the thickest setting of the Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®.

I then trimmed it into a rectangle shape.

I cut the rectangle into 2 triangles. Then, I stacked the triangles.

I repeated steps 1-3 with 30 grams of red clay.

I placed the stacked triangles next to each other. I offset the points of the triangles slightly.  Then I used my clay blade to trim the triangles into a square. 

I rolled over the seam with a clay roller to adhere the red and yellow clay.

I continued rolling until the clay was just a little thicker than the widest setting on Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®.

Then I rolled the clay through machine at thickest setting (setting #1).

I folded the clay in half. 

I then rolled the clay through the clay machine at the thickest setting, folded side first. 

I continued folding the clay in the same direction and rolling it through the machine. Each time the clay was folded and rolled; it caused the clay to blend.  In this photo, the clay had been folded and rolled about 6 times.

When I was satisfied with my blend. I trimmed the clay into a neat rectangle shape. 

I then rolled the blend, short side first through the clay machine on setting #4.

I used a knee-high stocking filled with cornstarch to dust the Makin’s® texture sheet-Abstract B.  Cornstarch prevents the clay from sticking to the texture sheet.

I placed the blended sheet of clay on the texture sheet.  Then I rolled over the clay firmly with my clay roller.

I rolled out 30g of black clay on setting 4 of the clay machine.

I then misted the black clay with water. 

I place the blended, textured veneer on the black clay.  Then, I gently patted the veneer to adhere it to the black clay without damaging the texture. 

I used one of the leaf cutters to cut a pendant from the veneer. 

Then, I used one of the smaller leaf cutters to cut my first earring. 

I flipped the veneer over, then used the same smaller leaf cutter to cut a second earring from the veneer.  Flipping the veneer over results in earrings that are mirror images of one another. 

I used a 1.5 mm wire ferrule to cut holes for jump rings in the pendant and earrings. 

I had plenty of veneer left over.  So, I used the largest oval cutter from the Makin’s® 3 piece oval cutter set to cut 2 oval shapes from the veneer. 

Then, I used the smallest oval cutter from the Makin’s® 3 piece oval cutter set to cut out the center of the large ovals. 

I also used the medium sized oval cutter from the Makin’s® 3 piece oval cutter set to cut two ovals from the veneer.  

I pinched the top of the oval to form petal shapes.

I still had a small amount of veneer left.  So, I used the smallest flower cutter from the Makin’s® 3 piece flower cutter set to cut  2 flowers from the veneer.

I allowed all the shapes to thoroughly dry for 24 hours. Then I sanded the edges with 400 grit sandpaper.  Please note, Makin’s Clay® should NOT be wet sanded.  It needs to be dry sanded.  And, a dust mask should be worn when sanding any material. 

After sanding, I assembled all the shapes into finished earrings and a pendant. First, I used a 1/16 drill bit to drill holes in the tops of the petal shapes

Then, I used the paint pen to apply gold to the edges of the petals.  

Finally, I used 6 mm jump rings to attach the petals to ear wires.

I also created earrings from the oval shapes.  I began by drilling holes in the large ovals. Then, I drilled the smaller ovals.  

I used 4 mm and 6 mm jump rings to attach the shapes to each other and to ear wires. 

 

The flower shapes became another set of earrings.  First, I drilled holes in them.  Then, I added gold paint pen to the edges.

I used four 4 mm jump rings to create dangles that I attached to ear wires.  

 

The leaf pendant and matching earrings were super easy to construct!  I simply used 6 mm jump rings to attach the shapes to ear wires and a pendant cord.

I am totally in love with Makin’s® Texture Sheets – Set H!  The “Abstract B” sheet is my absolute favorite.  I think the texture allowed me to turn simple shapes into hip, cutting edge designs. 

Blended Fish Earrings

Blended Fish Earrings by Cindi McGee

Skinner Blends are a popular way to create beautiful shading with polymer clay. The teardrop blend is a somewhat simpler option with similar results.  By using acrylic paint to custom color the clay before beginning the blend, I was able to create a perfectly matched blend to wear with the outfitI I had mind.

Materials:

Makin’s Clay® - White 

Makin’s Professional® Cutting Mat

Makin’s® 

• Clay Tools 
• Texture Sheet Set D - Scale
• Fish Clay Cutters 

DecoArt® Americana® Multi-Surface Satin™ - Soft Jade, Inch Worm, Coastal Waters

DecoArt® Metallic Lustre - White Frost

Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive™

Pearl beads

Silvertone eye pins, jump rings, earring wires

Jewelry pliers

Instructions:

To custom color the clay, thoroughly mix a portion of white clay with each color of paint.  How much paint you add will depend upon how much clay you begin with.  Add more paint to darken tone as desired.  When clay and paint are thoroughly mixed, paint will be completely incorporated into clay and clay will return to original consistency (will not be sticky).

To blend the three shades of clay using the “teardrop blend” technique:

• Create a teardrop shape with a same size portion of each color of clay.  (Store remaining colored clay in a ziplock bag with a damp paper towel for later use).  By using smaller portions of clay, you will achieve more actual "blended" shades rather than large sections of each of the outer shades of clay.
• Align one teardrop of each color one with point up, one down, then the third up as shown.

• Roll clay to about 1/8” thick.
• Fold in half with “stripes” of colors vertical.
• Roll again.   Continue folding and rolling until the clay achieves a subtle blend of shades. 

Place scale texture sheet onto blended clay sheet with pattern so scales will be extending from clay.  Gently rub texture sheet with clay roller to transfer texture.

Cut 4 medium and 4 small fish from the clay has blended as desired.

Apply 3-in-1 Adhesive to back of 1 large fish, place eye pin centered horizontally, place second large fish over first. Repeat with medium and small fish.  Let dry 24 hours. 

Trim eye pin ends and create small loop.  Place an eye pin through a small pearl bead and create a loop at the opposite end.  Connect the fish with the pearl bead in the center and connect to the earring wire. 

Use fingertip to apply a light touch of White Frost Metallic Lustre to both sides of each fish.