Polymer Clay Embellished Valentines' Day Cards

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today with a pair of Valentine's Day cards.  Valentine's Day is right around the corner so it's time to start creating your cards.  ​Makin's Clay can be used for the main element on your cards, or even as smaller elements that help set a theme and add a great dimensional touch to your cards.  Makin's Clay® remains flexible, and is acid free when dry, making it a perfect choice for paper crafting!

​

​ 

Supplies:

​

​Makin's Clay® -   White, Red

​Makin's ProfessionalⓇ Cutting Mat

​Makin's ProfessionalⓇ Ultimate Clay MachineⓇ
​Makin's® Roller and Cutter Set

​Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

​Crafter's Companion, Spellbinders dies
Paint
​

​Instructions:

​As I wanted a darker red for my first card, I added some brown paint to the red clay then conditioned the clay to mix in the paint to achieve an even color.  Next, I ran the clay through the clay machine starting on the highest setting (#1).
​
I continued putting the sheet of clay through the clay machine, reducing the setting each time, until I had the panel at the desired thickness.

​Once the panel was ready, I cut it to fit an embossing folder, then used the clay roller to imprint the words onto the clay.  With fresh clay and medium pressure, the words become imprinted quickly.  You can also use a die cut machine if desired, just be careful of the pressure used.

I trimmed the panel with the Cutter to approximately 4" square.
​

Using the left over clay, I  die cut some arrows.
​
​Allow all the elements to dry at least 24 hours before continuing.
​
​For the first card, I matted the clay panel with layers of cardstock and adhered it to a striped card.  For a little shimmer, I rubbed  silver paint lightly over the panel.   Love was adhered across the bottom edge.

​For my second card, I used the roller to roll out red clay, then placed a die onto the clay.  Using the roller again, I  forced the die into the clay, cutting the design.  Since the clay was fresh, I only needed light pressure to cut the clay.
​
​I created my card and added a large die cut heart.  In the center of the heart I added a die cut arrow, then placed Love across the center.

​Happy Valentine's Day.

​

​Thanks for stopping by.
​

​Steph

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

LOVE Handmade Card

Design Team Member Steph Ackerman recently shared this sweet handmade card with Makin's Clay® lettering.  Makin's® Alphabet Clay Cutters are perfect for adding accents to virtually any project!

Love Potion No. 9 Bottle

Love Potion No. 9 Bottle by Carole Monahan

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I thought this is a fun and easy project!  (Plus I got to drink all the booze in the bottle 1st (bonus)!)  My Valentine’s Day January the 21st.  For the last 13 years that is when my Hubby and I celebrate it.  It is because our love is so special it needs its own day! (well kind of...). 13 Years ago my hubby was away for 6 weeks training during February/ March.
Also, it is great since we do not exchange gifts, we just go out for a REALLY nice dinner. It is way easier and less expensive to get a table on January 21st!


Materials:

Makin’s Clay® - White 4.2 oz

Makin’s ® Border push mold #39006
Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder® - #35182
Swellegant copper paint and Tiffany Green rust Patina
Purple alcohol ink
Pretty glass bottle
Large crystal bead
Long decorative head pin
Beacon Quick Grip Adhesive™
Discs # 3 and 18 from disc set 35055
Small paint brushes
Needle nose plier
Small nail

Instructions:

Press a small amount of the white Makin's Clay® into the borders push mold.  Repeat this step 4 times.  The label and 9 were made using molds as well.


Before you cover the lid with clay, add a small hole to thread your head pin through.

To decorate the lid I covered it in clay and then extruded 2 different shapes to add volume.

I used disc 3 and 18 from Disc set 35055

After your molded items are thoroughly dry (about 24 hours),  you can now paint them with the Swellegant paint and patina.

This will give your bottle that old vintage look and it is addictive and fun to use!

Adhere all your molded pieces to the bottle,  I used the Beacons Quick grip glue.  It is clear and waterproof.

Add your decorative large bead with the headpin to the lid.

Use your needle nose pliers to bend the bottom side in a spiral to secure and then
Some Beacons glue to hold it in place.


Add water and a few drops of alcohol ink to finish this look.


Get ready for some LOVE MAGIC !


To see my other whimsical and wicked works visit and follow me here!

 FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

FLICKR  

Bottle of Love - Bottle of Hope

Bottle of Love - Bottle of Hope by Martha Lucia Gomez

Hi everyone, Martha Lucia here today with another idea of Bottles of Hope that I call Bottle of Love.  I love perfumes, and I find their fragrance and bottles a focus of inspiration to create the Bottles of Hope. I wrapped a bottle of Shalimar of Guerlain with black clay and decorated it with two neutral tones.

Note - Here is a bit more information about what Bottles of Hope are - Makin's Clay® is proud to have our designers supporting this worthy effort through the creation of Bottles of Hope featuring Makin's Clay®.  

Bottles of Hope are small glass bottles covered with polymer clay and given to cancer patients. They symbolize a wish and a hope for health.  This project was started in 1999 by a Rhode Island cancer survivor and has spread internationally. Bottles are made by artists, students, survivors, seniors and many more who volunteer their time and love.   Learn more about this worthwhile project, see a gallery of many creative bottles and more here on their website. 

Supplies:

Makin's Clay® - Black, Earth Tones, White and Red

Makin's®

• Roller and Cutters set
• Clay Tool set

Makin's Professional® 

• Cutting Mat
• Ultimate Clay Machine®

Beacon Adhesives - 3-in-1 Adhesive
Glass bottle
Red yarn
Heart craft punches - 2 sizes

Instructions:

Use the Ultimate Clay Machine® and began rolling the black clay on setting #1. Then roll on setting #2, and again on setting #3, and rolling more times until ending with setting #7.

Now spray the bottle with water and wrap it with the thin layer of black clay.

With your hands, blend all the lines and borders of the bottle and smooth the union lines. Don't worry about the imperfections because those imperfections give the bottles character.

To finalize the decoration, I used some little hearts in white clay and light adobe from the Earth Tones set. I created these from thin layers that I made with the Ultimate Clay Machine®.  Dry sheets of Makin's Clay® can be cut with craft punches - I used two different heart punches.  Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive was used to adhere the hearts to the bottle.

The hard contrast of color in my project is the red yarn that I used to decorate the bottom part and tie a small heart on the top of the bottle.

I hope this bottle continues inspiring you and thank you for stopping by today.

Martha Lucia

Fairy Heart Figurine by Irit Shalom

Fairy Heart Figurine

Designed by Irit Shalom 

Hello my dear crafty friends! Irit is here with my very first project  in 2016. January is a perfect moth to make projects for Valentine's Day. Yes, Valentine's Day is in February, but then you need time, so here is a small clay projects that is easy to make and fancy to give. As young kids we all believed in these fairy tales love stories. So I connected hearts with a fairy image and made my own Love figurine.  Say " Hello" to my Fairy Heart figurine.

Materials:

Makin's Clay® - Red 120g, White 60g 

Makin's® Roller & Cutter Set 

Makin's® Professional™ Clay Tools Set 

Makin's® Hearts, Hands, Water Drop Clay Cutters 

Makin's® Texture Sheets - Set C, Set E 

Large heart cutters 

Clear glaze 

Fairy Dust glitter 

Step by step tutorial:

1. Use a full 120g package of Red Makin's Clay®. Roll it with clay roller from Roller and Cutter set to about 1/4'' sheet of clay. Cut the flat clay sheet to a few pieces to fit your cutters using the cutter from Makin's® Professional Clay Tools set.  Pick your Makin's® Heart shaped cutters and find some bigger heart shaped cutters in your stash. The simple ones from the baking shop will do the job (also I never used them for baking ). Cut the largest heart, the second size heart and the 2 smaller using Makin's® cutters.

2. Pick three Makin's®  Texture  sheets and roll over the cut hearts with the roller. I used the following textures, but you can pick your favorites.  Let the embossed hearts dry for a couple of hours before adding the glaze over them.  I used Lace from Set C; Diamond from set E and Curly Beard from set E.

3. Cover each one of 4 large hearts with any kind of a glaze you have. I used the one on the photo, but it's just because it is what I had.   Adhere the hearts as shown - you can use glaze to do it, but a glue like Beacon™Tacky Glue is much better. Let it dry for 24 hours to be sure the clay is totally set and dry.

4. In the meantime cut 6 small hearts with the smallest Makin's® Clay Heart shaped cutter. Arrange all 6 hearts and shown and cover them with glaze.

5. Cut the smallest hand with Makin's® Hand cutters and Water Drop shaped cutter.  I made each  hand with 2 clay cuts adhered one over another. The drops made my feet shapes, again I glued two cuts one over another. Cover them with glaze.

6. And now to the finished project. I made the base of my figurine  from the flower shaped hearts. 

Glue " feet"  over the base. Glued hands over the hearts shape. Then I made a fairy using white Makin's Clay® and a craft store mold; covered it with glaze and a layer of Fairy dust glitter (not seen much on the photo, sorry about it).

 And a bigger photo of the finished project:

I hope you liked my Valentine's project and see you next month with another one. Hint- it's all about being Lucky.

Key to My Heart Card

Makin's Clay® is perfect for making embellishments for cards and scrapbooks.  Whether you use a push mold, clay cutters, rubber stamps, or die cut the embellishments like the key & lock on this Valentine from our Pinterest Board - there are many options for crafting with Makin's®!