Stamped Clay Jewelry

OK, I have to admit polymer clay is not the first art material I choose to use on a regular basis, but my kids love it so of course I get it out from time to time and while they are making dinosaurs, monsters and germs (yes, I said germs, I have a 6 year old boy you know) I take time to make some jewelry.

Stamps: About Art Accents, Clay: Premo (Sculpey), Paint: M. Graham

Brooches are my fave to make because the sky is the limit, it’s like a mini collage with a pin on the back! Here I rolled out Premo Ecru clay and trimmed it with a needle tool (you may want to use an X-Acto knife but I don’t like to have them at the table if my kids are crafting there too), then I placed the cut shape on a 1/8″ slab of Premo Black and trimmed the black leaving an 1/8″ border and finally I stamped my Geisha from About Art Accents on it with black pigment based ink (versacolor). I baked the clay per package instructions. After it was baked I painted it with M. Graham & Co. acrylics. The colors are intense but still transparent so my stamped art shows through. And I added silk flowers sequins, beads, cons and metallic thread because I wanted to, that’s why 😉

Stamp: About Art Accents, Paint: M. Graham, Clay: Premo (Sculpey)

I also made a couple of pendants in the same manner although I used a ball end stylus to make dots around the center stamped image then I filled them with paper-glaze and clear microbeads. I had intended this to be a mother’s day gift but I think I will give them to my daughters instead…maybe I can make a germ lariat for my son 🙂

Design By Lindsay Weirich, Stamps: About Art Accents, Clay: Premo, Paint M. Grahm Acrylic mixed with a bit of paper glaze and pearl ex

Sorry about the glare in this pic, the pearl-ex adds a lovely shimmer but makes it hard to photograph:)

Polymer clay tips: Always condition you clay before using even if it feels soft. You can do this by kneading it in you hands for a few minutes (if your hand are warm this works great) but I use a clay dedicated pasta machine to do it. They go on sale for $10 a a lot at Jo Anns.

Sculpey 3 is easier to knead and comes in fun bright colors. It is fine for beads and for the kids to use but Premo is much stronger and if you are making things that are going to be rolled thin and require durability go with Premo.

Check out yard sales and thrift shops for a toaster oven to bake your clay in to keep the toxic fumes out of your home oven (unless you really want to clean your oven every time you do a clay project…yup, I have a toaster oven:) And bake your projects on index cards or a clay dedicated pan.

My kids made these creatures using Sculpey 3 clay, I'm a proud momma!

Thanks for stopping by and until tomorrow happy crafting!