Silver Clay Photo Charm

Supplies:

PMC Silver Metal Clay
plastic roller
two strips of mat board
non-stick sheet
olive oil
water
lace for texture
two sizes small clay cutters
Rio Grande silver eyelets
images or photos reduced on a copier
small scissors
Mod Podge decoupage glue
paintbrush for glue
Envirotex Lite two-part epoxy resin
yoothpicks or craft sticks

Note: Coat your hands with a small amount of olive oil before beginning to prevent the clay from drying out and sticking to your hands.

1. Roll out a sheet of silver metal clay on a non-stick sheet. Strips of mat board placed on each side will help to roll a consistently even thickness of clay (figure A).

2. Cut the sheet in half to make one sheet for the base and one for the textured frame. Set the base piece aside and coat the surface with a bit of water to keep the clay hydrated.

3. Texture the remaining sheet by rolling lace onto the surface of the clay (figure B). Roll the clay thinner than the base piece without using mat strips. Make sure the lace is rolled firmly into the clay. Peel the lace away to reveal the textured surface (figure C).

4. Cut out the inside shape of the frame from the textured clay with a small clay cutter.

5. Brush water between the two sheets of clay and place the cut textured sheet on top of the base sheet of clay. Press the layers to adhere (figure D).

6. Use the larger clay cutter to cut out the outer dimension of the frame, cutting through both layers of clay (figure E). Use olive oil to prevent the cutter from sticking to the clay. Remove the excess clay.

7. Press a silver eyelet deeply into the clay at the top of the frame (figure F). Let the frame dry on a flat surface until bone dry.

8. Sand the edges of the frame with a nail file until smooth.

9. Fire the frame on a kiln shelf in kiln following manufacturer's instruction for the type of clay used. You have the option of using a butane torch to fire the piece instead of a kiln. Follow manufacturer's instructions and safety precautions when using a torch.

10. Finish the frames with a brash brush and sanding papers. Use a burnishing tool to bring out the shine on the raised area of the texture (figure G). Optional: Patina the frames if desired before gluing images in place.

11. Reduce pictures or images on a copier or printer. Seal both sides of the pictures with a coating of decoupage glue using a paintbrush (figure H). Let the glue dry.

12. Cut the pictures to fit inside the frames. A few hints: If you press the uncut paper image into the frame, pressing around the edges with your fingers, you can emboss the edges of the frame. Cut around the embossed edge, check the fit of the image and trim if necessary.

13. Glue the image into the frame with decoupage glue (figure I). Let the glue dry.

14. Mix the two-part resin according to manufacturers instructions Use a toothpick or craft stick to add a layer of resin to coat the surface (figure J). Let the piece dry (preferably in a warm room to speed drying). Refer to manufacturer instructions for details on curing epoxy resin.

15. Add a jump ring after the frame has dried. Hang the frames from a chain to make a necklace or attach multiple frames to charm bracelets.