Studio Organizer

STUDIO ORGANIZER by Bea Grob

 Welcome back to another fun project with this versatile Makin's Clay®.  I love studio organization and one thing I think is really helpful is a Lazy Susan. Luckily there is a wooden one at IKEA which it isn't to expensive. And because it is made from wood you can shape it into the size you want to accommodate to your space. Or leave as is and add more tins.

Supplies:

Lazy Susan

Gesso and brush

Old bookpages

Mod Podge and brush

Makin's Clay® in green and red, approx. 60 g of each color

Makin's Clay®, Floral Push Mold SKU: 39005

Gold embossing powder and a brush

Craft Heat Gun

Brown acrylic paint and brush, rather a stiff one to get into the notches and crannies.

Wet wipes 

Instructions:

I started layering the empty tins and then cut them back (with a saw) so accommodate the size.

Some of the tins where already white inside, the others I painted with some gesso.

For the outside I covered them up with pieces from bookpages with the help of some Mod Podge.

With the help of a glue gun I attached them to the cut back lazy Susan.

 

I started adding some green clay to the bottom of the tins all around. With the help of of the basic clay tool set I managed to get the clay in between the tins also.

I had to make sure that the clay stays wet until my next step, so I sprayed some water before adding more clay around the base.

Once I had all the green clay around the base I could start with making flowers with the red clay. I used the Floral push mold  and used mostly the roses.

I also used the flourishes with the red clay. What I like about those push molds is that you can check on the backside if you have clay in all the parts and also that you don't have clay, where you don't want it.

I removed all the roses and flourishes while they were still wet, means right after I have them formed properly. This helps that they stick without any glue to most surfaces and also to the clay itself. Of course you have to be a little careful when you pull them out. 

Again with of one the  basic clay tools, I placed it carefully in the corners.

Did you know that you can fill the molds just partially? Just check from the backside and fill in as much or as little as you want.

Voilà here you have a little rosebud from the push mold just partially filled.

Now that I have arranged quite a bunch of roses around the base, it is time to add some gold embossing powder. But first I sprayed again with some water and waited about 1 minute or so before I dipped a soft brush into the embossing powder and then dabbed it onto everywhere I liked it.

I had quite a bit in places where it didn't stick, which is ok. I knew when I start using the heatgun it s going to be blown away.

Next I went in with the heatgun. Make sure that you don't get to close, about 5 inches is the closest. And also move around frequently. While you are melting the embossing powder you also going to dry the clay out a bit (at least it forms a sort of a dry skin), which is helpful for our final step.

Now we need to dilute some brown paint as we want to use it as a patina all over. This means we paint onto the tin, the bottom and the flowers.

This step is a little bit a back and forth. We apply the thinned paint and wipe it of with a wet towel until we are happy with the result.

 

A Summer Rose

Design Team Member Patricia Roberts-Thompson recently shared this lovely rose she created with Makin's Clay®.  She colored her delicate flower with Pan Pastels.  We think the result is beautiful!

Clay Roses

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today with a bouquet of roses created with Makin's Clay®.

Supplies:

Makin's Clay® - White Yellow, Green
Makin's Professional®

• Cutting Mat
• Ultimate Clay Machine®

Makin's®

• Roller and Cutters set
• Clay Cutters - Round

Beacon Adhesives - 3-in-1 Adhesive
Spellbinders® leaf dies

Instructions:

Using the roller, I rolled out white clay on the cutting mat until I had the thickness I desired.

Then I used the medium sized round cutter to cut 6 white circles from the clay.

Next, I lined up each circle one at a time and pressed them firmly in place.  Fresh clay sticks to wet clay so no adhesive is necessary at this stage. 

I allowed the circles to set for a few minutes, then used a thin paint brush (you can use a straw or wood skewer)  to roll them up.  Gently push the piece off the paint brush and seal the edges together.

I thought this rose was a little too thick, so I took some more white clay and ran it through the clay machine.  I started at the highest setting and ran it through the Ultimate Clay Machine® until I had the thin layer I wanted.

To add some color to the clay, I spritzed on Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and allowed it to dry.

I also painted additional white clay with Prima Gold Metallic Paint.

Once the paint was dry, I cut out circles with the round cutter.

I also wanted some leaves, so I mixed green, yellow and white clays then ran them through the clay machine until I had the thickness I wanted.

Using Spellbinders dies, I then die cut an assortment of leaves.  Fresh clay die cuts easily, but remember to use wax paper between the layers so the clay does not stick to the dies.

I wanted some shape to the leaves, so I placed them on pens and let them set over night.

I placed the roses on skewers and formed the petals.  Using Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive, I adhered the leaves then let them sit overnight before proceeding further.

I arranged the roses in a watering can, pushing the skewers into styrofoam to hold them in place.  Next, I added shred around the roses.  These roses look extremely life-like and look amazing in the watering can.

It's almost Valentine's Day and this would be a wonderful gift for someone special.  But also think Mother's Day or a birthday as these roses will last forever.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

"Birch Bark & Roses" Bottles of Hope by Madeline Arendt

"Birch Bark & Roses" Bottles of Hope

Designed by Madeline Arendt 

In this post I will be sharing my version of what are called "Bottles of Hope" using Makin's Clay®, air dry polymer clay, instead of traditional oven bake polymer clay used to create these bottles.  These bottles were made while spending time with my children in the northwoods of Wisconsin. It has become a tradition to head up north after Christmas Day and celebrate the New Year together and enjoy all the beauty of the winter season along with a variety of  outdoor activities.

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. 

Materials:


Makin's Clay® - White, Greens/Black
Makin's Clay® - Cutting Mat
Makin's Clay® Professional Clay Tool Kit
Makin's Clay® Roller
Makin's Clay® Clay Cutters - Hearts
Bottles
Paint - Brown, Bronze
Brush
Paper Towel
Ribbon (optional)
Thin Jute Cord
Flower Embellishments
Beacon™ Premium Tacky Glue

Instructions:

•  Roll out about 1/2 of the white Makin's Clay® on the white (non-stick side) of the mat to about 1/8" thickness or less.  NOTE: If making more then one bottle remix cut clay with more of the white clay and repeat process.

• Lay the bottle onto the clay and wrap it around the bottle.  Place the clay so that the ends meet on the surface of the bottle.
  

• Trim the clay away from the top and bottom of the bottle with the cutting knife.  Cut and trim the overlapping clay evenly.

              

• Using the roller, smooth the cut edges.  Finish by smoothing with your fingers.

• Press texture into the clay before drying.  NOTE: I used found pieces of birch bark to press into the clay for texture. (Madeline - we think this is a really neat idea!!!) 
• 
• Mix green and black clay together in any proportion desired.  Roll the clay to form one or more bottle stoppers.  Allow them to dry 24 hours.  NOTE: Makin's Clay® will shrink slightly, so make the stoppers snug to fit the bottles.
• Roll out the mixed green clay to about 1/16" thickness and use the heart clay cutters to cut shapes. Use a toothpick to create a hole it the larger hearts. Use the cutting knife to cut out letters to spell HOPE from the green mixed clay.  Allow all pieces to dry 24 hours.
  
• Brush a thin coat of brown paint over the clay on the bottles and wipe off quickly.  Repeat the process if necessary.
• Paint the green pieces of clay with the bronze paint.  Dry brush the bronze paint onto the clay on the bottles.
• Glue the cut letters onto the front of the bottle.  Add a small heart if desired.
• Thread jute in the holes of the hearts and tie onto the bottles.
• Glue a flower embellishment or another desired embellishment to the top of the stopper.

NOTE: A soft decorative ribbon can be glued to the surface of the stopper before adding a top embellishment. 

For lots more ideas featuring Makin's Clay® visit the Pinterest Boards here for inspiration.