Transfer In The Round (Clay)

Steps:

1. Condition and create a 1" to 1-1/4" round ball from white or pearl white Premo.

2. Lay the ball on a piece of parchment paper. Cover with another piece of parchment paper, and slightly flatten with acrylic blocks.

3. Select your image to transfer. The image needs to be at least 1/4" larger than your beads. Trim your image. With your clay bead centered on your transfer, stop a minute to plan where the design is going.

4. The edges must be clipped diagonally towards the center of the bead in order to make the transfer fit the curve of the bead. Center your bead where you want it on your transfer. When ready, cut the diagonal cuts from the edge of the transfer to 1/8" from where the clay bead is sitting on the transfer.

5. On the back of the transfer, with a pencil, number the slices in your image in the order you need to lay them down and transfer them to the clay. Remember the first pieces laid down once transferred become the images in the forefront of the bead.

6. Turn over your bead and transfer so that the transfer is on the top and the bead is on a piece of parchment paper.

7. Using a plastic spoon, burnish down the center of the bead. Next burnish down the first slice, move to the second, and so on until they are all burnished down. Tip: As I am turning down my slices, I sometimes find my slice is longer than I anticipated, so I trim away any areas that cross over the half area of the bead.

8. Apply the gin to the center and then to all of the slices until the whole bead is covered. Pat excess transfer liquid with a paper towel.

9. Burnish the whole bead again, starting in the middle and going to the first area until the whole bead is burnished.

10. Rolling off the top of the paper, starting in the center then moving onto the first slice and through all the slices.

11. Rub off any remaining paper in circular motions. You can re-dampen your finger if the area is too dry, but be careful not to over-wet your bead.

12. Repeat steps 3-12 for the back half of your bead.

13. Any areas that do not meet on the sides will be filled in after curing with a Copic marker.

14. Place your bead on your tile and, with an awl, bore down the center of your bead.Twist the awl as you bore. Then turn over the bead and place the awl into the hole at the bottom and up through the top.

15. Bake on polyester quilt batting at 265 F degrees for 20 minutes per 1/4" of thickness. Let cool.

16. Remove the leftover lint on your bead with water or transfer liquid on a lint-free towel. You can rub hard now that the clay is cured and therefore will not distort.

17. When clean, dry the bead. Using Copic markers, fill in any areas where the colors need to be blended together. Use blender pen to shade colors together. Let dry.

18. Seal with an acrylic sealer. Let Dry.

19. Assemble completed bead on cord with small glass beads to create a necklace.