Metallic-Embellished Leaf Notepad

Heather Roselli takes a plain notebook and transforms its cover into a polymer clay leaf impression.

Materials:

notebook
gold polymer clay
polymer clay blade
pasta machine
waxed paper for masking
scissors
mica powders
green leaf with nice veining
texturing tool or white Scotch Brite scouring pad
rubber or hard plastic stamp
smooth tile or piece of tempered glass
polymer clay safe varnish
soft bristled brush for varnish
glue

Steps:

1. Decide on the finished notebook embellishment size and cut waxed paper to the finished size of piece. Create a "frame" type mask by cutting away a small square in the middle of the waxed paper piece. Save the cut-away square to use later. Cut another piece of waxed paper to the size of the finished piece and cut out another shape from the center larger than the square but smaller than the final piece. Save both frame and inner cut-away piece.

2. Condition gold clay in the pasta machine until it is smooth, shiny and uniform in appearance. Roll out to desired thickness, approximate setting of #3 or #4, and place onto smooth tile or tempered glass.

4. Center the waxed paper mask over the center square cut out over the leaf. Press down gently around inner square.

5. Apply silver mica powder with fingertip or a paintbrush to the exposed clay within the square around the leaf (figure B). Blow or brush away excess powder. Remove the waxed paper mask.

6. Place a square of waxed paper reserved from step 1 over the area you just powdered to protect it. Center second mask frame over the leaf and press the inner edges down gently (figure C).

7. Texture exposed clay areas with a texture tool or a white Scotch Brite scouring pad, being careful not to texture inner or outer masked areas (figure D). Apply gold mica powder to the textured areas (figure E). Remove the waxed paper masks (figure F).

8. Place the waxed paper mask over the inner areas that have already been worked. Impress a design around the perimeter of the piece (figure G) with a stamping tool. Be careful not to disturb the masked inner areas. Remove the mask and leaf.

9. Place the original frame mask over the piece and cut around the outer perimeter to form the metallic embellishment (figure H).

10. Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely.

11. Varnish with a polymer clay safe varnish and a soft bristled brush. Allow to dry completely.

12. Glue the metallic embellishment to the front of the notepad or journal.

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