Copper Autumn Mums Earrings

Copper Autumn Mums Earrings by Cindi McGee

Materials:

Makin’s Clay® - White (or any scrap colors) 

Makin’s Professional® Professional Clay Tools - Sphere tool 

Makin’s® Clay Tool Set 

Makin’s® Clay Roller 

Makin’® Circle Clay Cutter Set 

Beacon Mixed-Media Glue®

DecoArt® Dazzling Metallics® - Copper 

Fine paintbrush 

Bronze/Copper French earring wires, jump rings, eye pins

Copper toned crystal beads 

Jewelry pliers 

Instructions:

I save “extra” Makin’s Clay® from my projects for use in future projects. As long as you store it in an airtight container, such as a zipper bag, with a damp paper towel or moist towelette, the clay will remain fresh for later use. For this project, I actually used some of that scrap clay - I have one bag that is small bits of assorted colors - so please disregard the fact that the clay I used appears “dirty.” The finished earrings are painted so it does not really matter what color your base clay is.  The flexible and lightweight nature of Makin’s Clay® when it is dry makes it ideal for delicate projects like this, as the petals will bend a bit rather than be fragile and break off easily. 

Roll clay into two balls about 3/4”, flatten the balls. It is okay if they are irregular. 

Roll a strand of clay about 1/8” in diameter (Optional: Use the Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder®  and single hole disc #2 or #3 to extrude a strand for this step.) 

Use tool to cut pieces about 1/4” from the strand. Take your fingertip and gently roll the pieces to a point on one end to create petals.

Place the flat edge of the tool onto the petals to create an indentation from the point to the end. 

Place the first row of petals onto the disc, using the sphere tool to gently push the ends against the disc.  

Repeat with a second layer, alterating placement of the petals. Then, repeat with additional layers as desired, using less petals each time, bringing them in closer and closer toward the center as you go until your mum is fully formed. 

Let dry 24 hours. 

Roll clay to about 1/8”.  Use circle cutter large enough to cover the base area of each mum. 

Assemble French earring wires, adding a crystal on an eye pin, and then a small jump ring to each. Trim 2 more eye pins to about 1/2”.  Attach the earring wires. Place the pins against the back of each earring. Add a touch of Mixed-Media Glue and place the cut circles over the pins, pressing into place to adhere and secure the pins. 

Let dry 24 hours. 

Paint each mum with Dazzling Metallics copper paint. 

Cinnamon & Gold Earrings

Design Team Member Cynthia Gougian recently shared these fabulous "Cinnamon & Gold" Paisley earrings made with Makin's® Water Drop clay cutters. 

Peek a Boo Polymer Clay Earrings

Peek a Boo Earrings by Bea Grob

Recently, I was playing again with Makin's Clay®. These layered earrings, with a sort of a peek a boo effect with the shiny foil underneath.

Tools and Materials:

Makin's Clay® - White

Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®

Makin's Professional® Cutting mat (small)

Kemper tool smallest round cutter

Sculpey® hollow bead maker and graduated cutters

Transfer foil in the pattern and color you like

20 Gauge wire dead soft and wire tools for the earring hooks.

Instructions:

I started with some white clay, which I have run through the Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® setting Nr. 2. My next step was to add the foil and burnish it down with the help of an old gift card.

Next, I picked it up at a corner (the foil is bigger then the clay) and ripped it off like a band aid.

Not all foils work equal, but this one I was lucky and it did work right from the beginning. If not, just reapply the foil after lightly moistening the clay and burnishing again.

Depending on the size of the earrings you want pick the right size of cutter to go with the hollow bead maker and cut out two circles.

Place them accordingly onto the bead maker and form them a little around the bend.

 

Now, press the next size cutter into the clay, but leave it there until you have cut out tiny holes. I used the Kemper tools, straws may work too.

Remove the cutter and lift the clay carefully with the help of a thin blade, try not to distort the round shape.

Place it over the foiled piece and again shape it accordingly.

I grabbed the cutter again to help shaping.

 

Make two discs the same size and let them dry completely. I let mine dry for about 36 hours.

 

I cut two pieces of 20 gauge wire about 5 inch long. I filed the end that goes through the ear.

Then I shaped it the way I wanted it to be and made some spirals at the end, which I then bended perpendicular.

To make them more stable and also give some structure, I hammered them flat.

Next, I filled the dry domes with some clay in the backside, filling the indentation completely. I pushed the earring wire into the clay. 

Of course, I want to have a nice back side to the earrings, so I cut circles of clay and placed on them on top.

So we have the back, but I wanted to add a little texture too. I also smoothed out the edges afterwards a seen on the right earring.

Faux Gilded Polymer Clay Seashells

Faux Gilded Seashells by Cynthia Gougian

Materials List:

·     Makin’s Clay® 60G White, Brown

·     Makin’s® Push Mold Seashells

·     Wire Ferrule, Cocktail Straw, or Toothpick

·     400 grit sandpaper 

·     Gold Craft Paint

·     Water Based Glossy Sealer/Varnish

·     8 mm Jump Rings

·     4 mm Jump Rings

·     Chain Nose Pliers, and Flat Nose Pliers

·     Necklace Cord, or Chain

·     Earwires

Instructions:

Step 1:  Begin with a 1 ½” ball of white clay, and a ¾ “ball of brown clay. 

Step 2:  Roll the ball into logs of approximately the same length.

Step 3:  Twist the logs together. 

Step 4:  Fold the twisted log and half and twist it again.

Step 5:  Roll the log out again.  

Step 6:  Repeat Steps 4-5, until the clay becomes marbled. 

Step 7:  Dust the seashell mold with cornstarch or powder.  

Step 8:  Place a ball of the marbled clay into the mold.  Press it into the mold firmly. 

Step 9:  Turn the mold over to make sure there are no air bubbles, or gaps between the clay and the mold. 

Step 10:  Repeat this process to make smaller shells for earrings. Or, you can make several different types of shells. 

Step 11:  Use a wire ferrule, a cocktail straw, or a toothpick to create a hole at the top of the shell. 

Step 12:  Allow the shells to dry thoroughly. The shells are thick. So, drying will take at least 24 hours, more if you are in a humid environment. 

Step 13:  When the shells are thoroughly dry, sand the bottoms smooth with 400 grit sandpaper.  

Step 14:  Paint the bottoms of the shells with gold craft paint. 

Step 15:  When the backs of the shells have dried. Paint the sides of the shells with the gold paint.     

Step 16:  Add more gold stripes.  Be careful not to cover up too much of the shells.  Don’t try to create perfect stripes.  Irregular stripes look more authentic.    

Step 17:  When the gold paint has thoroughly dried, seal the shells with a water-based gloss varnish of your choice.  Apply at least two coats, allowing the sealer to dry thoroughly between coats. 

Step 18:  To create a necklace, place an 8 mm jump ring through the hole at the top of the shell. 

Step 19:  Close the jump ring with chain nose and flat nose pliers. 

Step 20:  String a necklace cord or chain through the jump ring. 

Step 21:  To create an earring, once again, place an 8 mm jump ring through the hole in the top of a smaller shell, and close it with pliers. 

Step 22:  Then, place a 4 mm jump ring through the 8 mm jump ring and close it. 

Step 23:  Place an ear wire through the 4 mm jump ring.