Clay Veggie Wine Glass Charms

Figure A

Steps:

1. Condition all clay well by hand-kneading or slicing thinly and running it through a pasta machine until soft and pliable.

2. Roll out each color of clay on #1 (the thickest) setting of pasta machine. Prepare a Skinner blend of each color:

3. Cut a right triangle of each of the colors and six right triangles of white. Place triangle bases together and trim edges (figure A).

Figure C

4. Fold and pass through the pasta machine several times to create a skinner blend sheet for each of the six colors (figure C).

5. Thin each sheet to a #6 on the pasta machine.

Figure D

6. Beginning at the light end, roll each sheet up separately to form a blended bull's eye cane (figure D). You will have six blended jellyroll canes of each of the six colors.

Figure F

7. To make the ear of corn cane: Reduce the yellow blended jellyroll cane to 1/8 inch in diameter. Cut into 19 equal lengths. Stack the small canes to form an ear of corn (figure F). Compress gently to adhere the segments.

Figure I

8. Reduce 1 inch of the green jellyroll cane to 1/4 inch in diameter. Roll through the pasta machine on the #1 setting. Cut into two equal lengths and stack. Roll through the pasta machine. Continue cutting, stacking and rolling until you have six layers(figure I). Roll lengthwise through to pasta machine a final time on the #4 setting on the pasta machine.

Figure K

9. Gently roll up one end of the green, as if beginning a jellyroll. Cut the green cane in half and apply to each side of the corn to form the peeled green husk (figure K).

Figure L

10. To make the carrot cane: Reduce the orange blended jellyroll cane to 1/4 inch in diameter. Cut into five equal lengths. Pinch the top of each segment into a triangle shape. Form the carrot by alternating the triangles and pointing the final cane down to form the point (figure L). Compress gently to adhere the segments.

Figure N

11. Reduce 1 inch of the green jellyroll cane to 1/8 inch in diameter. Pinch the top of the cane into a triangle shape. Lay the canes side by side with the points up and press them together to form the stem of the carrot (figure N). Adhere the stem by gently pressing to the top of the carrot.

12. To make the tomato cane: Reduce the red blended jellyroll cane to 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into three equal lengths. Flatten two of the segments into half rounds by gently pressing them against the tabletop.

13. Make three slices in the remaining round cane that only go half way down the length and radiate out.

Figure Q

14. Reduce 2 inches of the green jellyroll cane to 1/4 inch in diameter. Pinch to top of the cane into a triangle shape. Cut three lengths of the green triangle cane to insert into the red slices to form the leaves on the tomato. Assemble the tomato by adding the half round canes on either side of the round cane. Compress gently to adhere the segments (figure Q).

15. With the remaining green triangle cane, repeat steps above to form the stem. Adhere the stem by gently pressing to the top of the tomato.

Figure T

16. To make the bell pepper cane: Reduce 3 inches of the green jellyroll cane to 1/4 inch in diameter. Cut into three equal lengths. Flatten each segment slightly. Combine the canes and press until it is the shape of a bell pepper (figure T).

Figure U

17. To make the eggplant cane: Reduce the violet blended jellyroll cane to 1/2 inch in diameter. Repeat steps 13 through 15 above to form the leaves and the stem for the eggplant (figure U).

Figure V

18. To make the mushroom cane: Reduce the brown blended jellyroll cane to 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into two equal lengths. Flatten one of the segments into a half round by gently pressing it against the tabletop. Pinch the other segment into a triangle. Adhere the stem to the cap using gentle pressure (figure V).

19. Cut one 1/4-inch slice from each cane to form the charm. Tip: If you let the canes rest for one hour or more, the shape of each vegetable will remain intact while slicing.

Figure W

20. Pierce each cane slice with a head pin, starting at the bottom and leaving the remaining wire out through the top (figure W).

21. Bake the charms according the manufacturer’s directions. Allow to cool.

Figure X

22. Trim the wire at the top of each charm to 1/4 inch and bend into a loop with round-nosed pliers (figure X).

23. Bead the wire hoop earrings with a silver bead, accent bead to match the color of the vegetable, silver bead, the polymer clay vegetable charm, silver bead, accent bead, and silver bead.

24. Slightly bend the wire of the hoop earring to keep the beads on the hoop.