Assemblage Under the Sea

Assemblage Under the Sea by Bea Grob

Today I come to you with an assemblage project. I had these artifical fish laying around since a while and I knew that I want to make an assemblage, but just those fish is a little boring, and finding the right things to go with it, seemed impossible. That's exactly when the Makin's Clay®  comes in handy. You can make anything you need with it. So I grabbed some black clay and started to make some underwater flowers to go with my theme.

Materials: 

Makin's Clay® - Black 

Makin's® 

• Sea Shells Push Mold
• Clay Tools 

Cigar box 

Adhesive 

Patterned papers 

Wire

Mica powder 

Faux fish, fabric, beads 

Scissors

Instructions:

I used about a walnut size of black or white clay for my flowers. I formed first a ball and then flattened it to a more or less circular shape.

Next, I placed it on my knuckle to form it into a cup shape and set them aside to dry. I let them dry overnight.

  

I have poked a piece of wire in the middle, just in case I would need it.

The next day I started covering the cups.  I rolled balls and flattened them to make covers for the cups.  Before I added them I added some holes with a ballpoint tool. I simply poked and swirled around a bit.

I made the shape slightly oval and then simply pressed the uncured clay the already cured clay and smoothed it out a bit. No need for extra glue it sticks together just like that.   If you do have issues with fresh clay adhering to cured clay, a bit of clear drying adhesive can be used. 

When everything was dry, I  added acrylic paints, embossing powders and Mica Powders. There are so many ways to give the clay the colors and shine I want.

Next, I prepared the cigar box with some old bookpages, maps and patterend paper and started assembling everything. I usually have more things on my table then what I use in the end.

The starfish you can see I made in May in the claycamp in Goldbar, also with Makin's Clay® of course.

 

I have used modelling paste and/or glue to attach all the flowers and embellishments.  For the hanging fishes and the anchor I did drill holes and then used wire to attach it.

To cover up the wire ends I used the Sea Shells Push Mold to make shells with the clay, and accented with mica powder, and then simply put them still uncured onto the top. 

And, I did apply little balls of black clay to the "anchor“ as those gaffs are quite sharp.

I have also added some fabric and beads to complete the look I was after.