A Simple Fish - Polymer Clay Pendant

A Simple Fish Pendant by Cindi McGee

Materials:

Makin’s Clay® - White 

Makin’s® Clay Cutters - Fish, 4 Piece Circle 

Makin’s® Clay Tools
Makin’s® Texture Sheet Set D - Scales

Alcohol Inks - Lettuce, Sailboat Blue 

Silver mica powder 

Opalized hot fix pearls - CreateAlong.com  

Rubbing Alcohol
Cotton balls

Silver chain, jump ring, closure 

Beacon 527 Adhesive™

Jewelry pliers

Helmar Crystal Kote - Gloss Varnish

Instructions:

Roll white Makin’s Clay® to about 1/4” thick.  

Apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton ball.  Add 2-3 drops of blue alcohol ink, dab onto clay sheet.  Cover the sheet with the ink.  

Add 2-3 drops of lettuce green ink, lightly dab touches onto the blue - do not completely cover the blue, the goal is to just add a bit of “sea green” effect.  Let ink dry.

Use smallest circle cutter from 4 cutter set and cut circle for base of pendant. 

Use the cotton ball with the alcohol ink to over the sides, and the back of the pendant. 

Make a small hole at the top center for the jump ring. 

Roll a sheet of white clay a little less than 1/4” thick. Place the scales texture sheet over the rolled clay and press to transfer the texture.  Texture sheets can be used on both sides, one side will create an indented texture, the other a raised texture. 

Use largest fish cutter to cut fish.  

Apply silver mica powder to the top and sides of the fish. 

Use a touch of Beacon 527 Adhesive to mount the fish to the “water” disc base. 

Let dry 24 hours. 

Spray with two coats of Hellmar Gloss finish, or use the glossy finish of your choice.  Let dry. 

Add three opalized hot fix pearls to mimic bubbles.  Since the pendant is not being baked, I used the 527 Adhesive to mount them. 

I decided to add a touch of the silver mica powder around the edge of the “water” disc after sealing. 

Add jump ring, chain and closure. 

One Fish, Two Fish, Many Fish

Design Team Member Natalja Ivankova recently shared these adorable polymer clay fish made with the Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder.  What fun they would be as earrings, pins, connected for a bracelet, and more.  

Fancy Fish Pendant

Fancy Fish Pendant by Patricia Roberts-Thompson

Materials:  

Makin’s Clay®  - 30g Black 

Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®  

Clay roller 

Clay blade, scissors

Brushes

Small ball tool, needle tool, plastic straw

Foam mat

Baby wipes

PVA white glue

DuraClear Matte or Gloss varnish

Pendant cord

Pearl-Ex Powders, Born Pretty Chameleon Powders or metallic paints to color the fish

Directions:  

Using approximately 30 grams of black Makin’s Clay®, make a one inch ball for the body, and set aside the remainder to make the fins later on. 

Fig 1: Form the ball of clay into a fish, a pointed tapered shape for the head, and pinch the clay at the tail to make the tail fins.  I kept the fish flat on the backside, and more rounded on the front. The tail can be as fancy as you like.       

                                                                                                                                                                Fig 2: I used scissors to trim the tail into two sections. Place the fish on a piece of foam matting, and press in the lines on the tailfin. I only did the front, but you can do both sides if you like! Then I added details to the head, I made a curved line for the gill and a mouth. I added an eye with a small ball tool. Next, I cut a piece of a small plastic straw to make the scales of the fish.

Fig 3: I rolled the remaining black Makin’s Clay® on the third setting of the Ultimate Clay Machine®  and then cut a fin shape from the sheet of clay. The width of the fin is as long as the body of the fish, from the gills to the tail. Height of the fin should be high enough to fold over, making a bail to hang the fish from.  Place the fin on a foam mat, and press in lines, front and back. 

Fig 4: I made a groove in the back of the fish, added some white glue and inserted the fin, taking care to smooth and attach it securely. When it is well attached, fold the fin over, and attach the fin to the back of the fish. You can add glue, or just wet the clay to get it to stick. The photo shows a paintbrush inserted in the folded section to keep the fin bail from collapsing as it dries. Fig 5 shows the back view.

Fig 6: Finally, make two small fins, one is attached behind the gill, and the second one, on the belly, just below the first fin. I made a small groove to add the lower fin, adding a bit of glue before inserting. I used Blue Russet Pearl-Ex powder on the body of my fish, and Born Pretty Chameleon Powder, GRB20 for the tail and fins. Metallic paints work very well also; make him whatever colors you like!

Varnish the fish when he’s dried, add a necklace cord, and enjoy your awesome new pendant!

Connected Fish Steampunk Pendant

SOMETHING FISHY by Patricia Krauchune

This month I decided to make a pendant using an old watch case. This is a fun, simple project. 

Supply List:

Makin's Clay® Black           Tiny Fish Skeleton          4 Jump Rings           Beacon™ Fast Finish Decoupage

Watch Case                         Copper Wire                   2 Small Gears           Art-C Wax in Silver/Gold/Copper

Small Circle Cutter              Krazy® Glue                                                    Baroque Art® Gilders Paste -Violet

DecoArt® Extreme Sheen™ Metallic Paint in Aquamarine

Recommended Makin's Tools:

Makin's Professional®: 

Cutting Mat      Professional Clay Tools®      Ultimate Clay Machine®

Instructions:

Roll out some Black clay on the #1 setting of the Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®.  Next, fold the piece in half for more thickness. 

Make a fish head and tail pattern like the one shown.  Place the patterns on the folded piece of clay.  Use your craft knife to cut out.  You can also cut out with scissors.

Make 4 "hook" shapes from the copper wire.  You also want to make an "eye pin" shaped piece from the copper wire.

Insert the eye pin into the fish's mouth.  It is secured with Krazy® Glue.  Glue a hook shape into the bottom of the fish head and one into the top of the tail piece.

I used one of my Makin's Professional® tools to texture the head and tail to my liking.  

]Next, I stacked a small gear on top of a larger gear to form the fish's eye.  Use Krazy® Glue to secure. 

Roll out another small piece of Black clay on the #1 setting of the clay machine.  Again, fold in half.  

Push the watch case into the clay.  With the watch case in place, cut out a circle with a small circle cutter leaving a small edge around the case: (The size of the circle depends on the size of the watch case you have).  Texture with the edge of your clay tool. 

Set aside to dry for a day or two. 

When the piece is dried, carefully remove the watch case.  I then painted the middle section with Aquamarine paint.  When the paint was dried, I glued a tiny fish skeleton into the middle using Krazy® Glue. 

The watch case is then glued back on using the same glue.  

I rubbed some Art-C Wax and Baroque Art® Gilders Paste on the pieces using colors of my choice:  silver/gold/copper and violet. 

Assemble the parts by using 4 jump rings, two at each section, to join the fish together.  I used ball chain to suspend the pendant.  I sealed the deal using Beacon™ Fast Finish Decoupage. 

Here's my completed little fish pendant. 

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.