Polymer Clay Cabochon Necklace

Figure B

Steps:

1. Condition all clay thoroughly before using, starting with the lightest colors first. Knead for a minute or two until soft and pliable, or cut a block into quarters and run through a pasta machine on the largest setting several times until pliable.

2. Create a bullseye by rolling a quarter block blue clay into a 1-1/2" snake.

3. Create sky blue polymer clay by mixing one part blue clay with one part white. Wrap the blue snake in two layers of the light blue clay that have been rolled out on the largest setting of the pasta machine.

Figure D

4. Make a pale blue clay by mixing five parts white clay with one part blue. Roll this very light blue clay through the largest setting of the pasta machine. Wrap the pale blue clay around the blue/light blue bullseye cane. Wrap this cane with a layer of black clay rolled through the fourth largest setting of the pasta machine.

Figure E

5. Press a needle tool down through the middle of the cane (lengthwise) and remove.

Figure G

6. Reduce this cane by rolling and stretching until it is 7" long. Trim the ends and cut the cane into six equal 1" sections. Place five of these sections around a 1" long snake of sky blue clay the same diameter as the bullseye cane.

Figure I

7. Roll white clay into a snake that is slightly smaller in diameter than the bullseye cane. Pinch the white clay along its length between your thumb and forefinger. Cut the pinched snake into five sections. Pack these triangular slices, pointed end down, into the "V" shaped areas of the cane.

Figure J

8. Wrap the packed cane with a layer of white clay rolled through the fourth largest setting of the pasta machine. Cut the cane in half and reduce one section to 3/8" in diameter by rolling and stretching.

Figure K

9. Cut a slice from the reduced flower cane and placing it onto the center of a 1" x 1" square of clay made from two layers of blue clay rolled through the largest setting of the pasta machine.

Figure L

10. Cut five slices from the leftover (sixth) section of the bullseye cane above. Lay these slices between the tops of the flower petals of the center cane slice. Smooth the clay with the acrylic roller until the slices are flush and fused to the surface of the blue clay.

Figure M

11. Carefully press the cabochon frame down over the top (center) of the flattened cane design until the frame sits flush with ceramic work tile. Remove the excess clay from around the frame. Trim the clay from the back of the cabochon with a clay blade so that it is flush with the edges of the cabochon frame.

12. Make the smaller side cabochons by repeating the process above using only the single flower slice.

Figure N

13. Drill holes through the cabochon frames with a needle tool. Enlarge the holes by inserting wooden skewers or small-diameter knitting needles into them. Leave the skewers/knitting needles in place while baking to maintain the hole shape and size.

Figure O

14. Bake the cabochons at 275 F degrees for 40 minutes. When the cabochons have cooled, remove the skewers/knitting needles by twisting and then pulling. String the cabochons onto a beading chain or cord, adding smaller glass beads as spacers on the outside of each cabochon.