A little obsessed with this "new" medium, I've been exploring some of our earlier stamp sets to see how they stamp on polymer clay. Fun! Today's card includes a piece of jewelry that hangs beautifully on a card for a double-duty gift for that special person.
Please refer to our Nature's Path Pendant blog entry for complete instructions on making the pendant.
Stamps -
Petite Poppies stamp set
"Just for YOU" sentiment peg stamp
Papers and Other Materials-
Goldenrod card stock half-sheet, folded
Dark Blue card stock - 4-1/8 x 5-3/8 inches
White card stock
PopIt! Shapes double-sided foam tape
White Sculpey III polymer clay
Inks - Versacolor Sage, Lavender, Cyan, Neptune, Green Tea, Bamboo, Split Pea, and Pinecone
Tools and Embellishments -
Rubber Stamp Tapestry Positioning Templates - Rectangle and Arches
Blending foam
Ribbon
Pendant (I used Large Pendant Rectangle - Antique Silver)
Instructions -
Take the positioning template and Sage ink and, using a piece of foam to blend the ink, make a guide for stamping: Make a rectangle in the center of the White paper, then use the outer edges of the template to make a second border around the rectangle.
You will stamp in the lighter area between the center rectangle (where the pendant will eventually rest) and the outer portion you just blended.
Stamp the Flower in Lavender ink, stamping a second time before re-inking for added dimension.
Stamp the Flower again, this time with Cyan ink.
Stamp the Flower a third time, using Neptune ink.
Stamp the Berries in Bamboo ink.
Stamp the Leaves in Sage ink.
Stamp the Leaves in Green Tea ink.
Stamp the Leaves again, this time with Split Pea ink.
Stamp the Tiny Leaves in Pinecone ink.
When you have finished stamping, trim around the rectangle and any stamped images coming out of the rectangle, leaving a thin border of white. Then glue this stamped piece to the Dark Blue paper, leaving an unglued portion between the stamped panel and the dark blue paper, which will later hold the chain of the pendant. Next tie the ribbon around the card front. Now glue this piece to the Goldenrod card base.
SENTIMENT MEDALLION
Template, Split Pea ink, and blending foam make the sentiment medallion easy!
Take the sentiment peg stamp and Neptune ink and make an impression on a scrap of White paper. Then stamp some flowers and Leaves in Green Tea ink under the sentiment. Line up the circle from the Arches positioning template around the sentiment you just stamped and make a circle silhouette using a piece of blending foam and Split Pea ink. Then cut out around the shaded circle and the protruding leaves you just stamped. Attach the resulting medallion to the ribbon and you're almost done!
NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE PENDANT (See blog entry for Nature's Path Pendant - complete with photos)
We'll make a mold for the pendant so we can make the images raised instead of recessed.
MAKE THE MOLD
Take the pendant and fill the space with clay. Make sure the clay is not above the rim of the metal. (I like it only slightly recessed) Spray the clay with water, which will serve as a release agent so the rubber will not stick to the clay. Then stamp with the Petite Poppies set onto the clay.
Bake the mold. Leave the clay inside the pendant to bake it, making sure not to heat the polymer clay over 275 degrees (for 25 minutes) to avoid the release of fumes. Bake it on a piece of cardstock or cardboard.
After completely cool, remove the baked clay from the metal heart with an Exacto knife, being very careful not to cut yourself. Goggles or protective eyewear should be worn when using the knife. Insert the knife blade between the metal and clay on the outer edge until you can lift the clay out of the metal. Remember, this clay will bend and it has a lot of flexibility.
MAKE THE POLYMER CLAY PENDANT
Next, refill the metal pendant with polymer clay and spray lightly with water. Then place the baked mold over the clay-filled pendant and press until the excess clay squishes out of the sides.
Gently remove the mold. Bake the clay (it can stay inside the pendant) at 275 degrees for 25 minutes. If you are unsure about the temperature, use an oven thermometer. Do not over bake or heat over 275 degrees. Cool completely and remove from pendant. Lightly sand edges with fine grade sand paper. At this point, before putting the clay back inside the pendant, is the best time to add color to the clay.
Next, take a piece of foam and some thinned acrylic paint and colorize the clay, working the color into the recessed areas of the clay. Do this quickly because acrylic dries pretty fast. You can use either a brush or a sponge. Spray lightly with water to disperse the color before the acrylic starts to dry. For quick drying, you can put it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes. Cool completely.
Lightly sand the outside rough edges and surface with a fine grade sandpaper and then glue the polymer clay rectangle into the pendant. Mount the pendant on a chain and you are ready to add it to the lovely card that someone special is sure to appreciate!
Until next time...
Happy Stamping from Susan and rest of the gang at Rubber Stamp Tapestry!
ok. Now I know I'm getting my polymer clay out of storage! Great tutorial Susan!
Posted by: Julia | April 22, 2011 at 07:30 AM
Susan -
Beautiful post today. Love the projects and as always your tutorials are wonderful. Have a wonderful Easter.
Elaine Allen
Posted by: Elaine Allen | April 22, 2011 at 08:23 AM
Very, very nice!!
Posted by: Susan M. | April 22, 2011 at 10:00 AM
What a fantastic gift idea. Love the way the card matches the necklace.
Posted by: BarbaraB | April 23, 2011 at 09:00 AM
Where are the earrings? I love all the "matchy, matchy!"
Posted by: Debbie From Missouri | April 25, 2011 at 12:21 PM
Love the look of the pendant with the raised flowers. You never seem to run out of great creative ideas.
Posted by: Jan Koennecke | April 27, 2011 at 04:03 PM