Faux Porcelain Vase

Figure A

Steps:

1. Condition the clay by flattening it into a pancake and running it through your pasta machine. Fold it in half and place the fold side down and run it through again. Do this 20 to 25 times. To condition polymer clay without a pasta machine, knead it with your hands in any way that is comfortable for you. You can create snakes, twist it, form it into a pancake or ball, etc.

2. Create a sheet of clay by running the desired mix through your pasta machine until the #6 setting (on an Atlas Pasta Machine) or rolling with a brayer to flatten.

3. Stretch the sheet of clay around the glass vase. Fit the clay on the glass by starting at the thickest portion of the glass and press the clay to the top and bottom, slowly working out the excess clay. Press the clay firmly to the glass, removing the air bubbles by pressing them toward the edges. Smooth the seam at the back with your fingers and then the rubber brayer until you can no longer see the seam. Trim away the excess clay from the top and bottom of the glass vase. If you have any difficult air bubbles you cannot get out this way, you can pick the air bubbles with a fine needle, then press the air out. Trim again if necessary.

4. Press the Scotch-Brite pads on the base clay to add texture.

Figure B

5. Roll a log of clay that will fit into the clay gun. Using the smaller 8-hole disc, extrude the clay in "noodles." If the clay is too hard, place it in something warm like a clay warmer that has been heated, a heating pad set on warm, or in a plastic bag in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Be sure to not overheat the gun or you will start to bake the clay inside the gun. If the clay is still hard to extrude, place the end of the plunger on a rubber pad or piece of rubber shelf liner on a table. Put a towel on the handles and press down with your body weight to extrude the noodles.

6. Cut a noodle into 2-1/2" to 3" lengths. Place the noodles on the vase, crossing the lengths approximately 1" from the bottom of the noodles.

Figure C

7. Recondition any leftover clay and run it through the pasta machine until the #7 setting to create a sheet of clay. Lay the sheet on a piece of plastic wrap and fold one end of the plastic wrap over the clay. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the clay. Place the folded end into the paper crimper. Press the crimper together and turn the handle until all the clay has been crimped.

8. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap to expose the sheet of clay. Using the Victorian blade, cut through the clay down the length. Cut this into a 1/2" width of clay with the straight blade. Pinch along the straight edge to ruffle the clay.

Figure D

9. Create flowers by taking one end of the ruffled strip and rolling it together. Continue around until you have a nice flower. Trim off the remainder. Repeat until you have three to five flowers.

Figure E

10. Create smaller flowers and pinch them in the center. Lay them on their side when placing them on the vase.

Figure F

11. Cut large leaf shapes using the straight blade, varying the length of the leaves from 1-1/2" to 2-1/2". Pinch the clay together in the middle; then fold up on end to create two leaves.

12. Using the teardrop and flower hand punches, punch out flowers and leaves. Place them on the vase where desired.

13. Create a bow by cutting strips using the Victorian blade on both sides. Cut this into 2-1/2" to 3-1/2" pieces. Put both ends of a piece in the center and pinch. Place them on your vase.

14. If you want your flowers and leaves colored: Pick up a small amount of the Pearl-Ex color on a round paint brush and brush the color on the flower.

15. Place the item to be baked on an oven-safe dish. Michelle uses a ceramic tile for working on as well as baking clay. That way the object does not need to be moved for baking. Bake at 250 degrees for 60 minutes. Allow polymer clay to cool in the oven if possible.

Hints:

Keep your hands and all surfaces clean. Polymer clay seems to attract dirt, and the light colors will show dirt.

Never work on a wooden surface. Polymer clay will damage a wooden table.

If the clay is too soft, run a thin sheet through the pasta machine, place it on a clean sheet of white paper, place another sheet on top, and allow it to sit for several hours. This will remove some of the moisture from the clay and it will be easier to work with. Recondition the clay again.