Polymer Clay Garden Wall Face Plaque

Materials:

FIMO Soft polymer clay: 12 oz. mixed/muddy clay, 6 oz. marble #003, 2 oz. gold #11, 4 oz. white #0, 1/2 oz. chocolate #75, 1/2 oz. emerald #56
WireForm Modeler's Mesh
aluminum foil
wire
double-ended clay shapers: TPCR #6, AFC #6
needle tool
fresh leaves or leaf molds
knitting needles
knife
wire cutters
old scissors for wire
flat-nose pliers
rounded brush handle or dowel shape
garden gloves
pasta machine or roller
baking pan
oven
aluminum foil
Genesis Artist Colors, heat-set artist oils or acrylic paint (optional)
make-up blush or chalk (optional)

1. Wad a 2-foot-long sheet of aluminum foil into a loose ball. Press to work surface to make back side flat (figure A). Keep adding foil until face is about 5 inches across. Note: The exact size is your choice. Just be sure that it will fit in the oven with extra space all around edges.

2. Use rounded tool to press in eye sockets (figure B).

3. Tear off foil to make nose. Wad into a ball and then into a long nose (3-D triangle) shape. Keep nose very thin and much smaller than finished nose will be (figure C). Add to face. Cover nose and face with large doubled layer of foil to hold in place.

4. Put on garden gloves to protect hands. Lay face on top of WireForm Modeler's Mesh. Using old scissors, cut mesh slightly larger than face. Remove face. Use flat-nose pliers to bend over edge of WireForm (figure D).

5. Press over foil face, molding the shape as you do so to create a wire mask (figure E). Remove mask from foil face. Set aside.

6. To make hanger, cut an 8-inch piece of wire. Wrap center of wire with foil to keep it from being covered with clay (figure F). Lay wire on top of foil base, near top of head.

7. Mix junk or leftover polymer clay until soft. Flatten to 1/8 inch thick, or use two layers rolled at the thickest setting on the pasta machine. Cover foil face, being careful not to press clay underneath foil (figure G).

8. Add more as needed to completely cover top side of foil. Trim clay edges. Poke ends of wire through sides of clay (figure H).

9. Press WireForm mask over clay face. Put end of hanger wire through mesh; then bend each end into a loop to anchor it into the clay (figure I).

10. Mix together FIMO Soft colors for face, using three small packages marble, two white and one gold. Roll to 1/8 inch thick or two layers of the thickest setting on the pasta machine. Cover junk layer of clay. Trim edges. Use needle tool to draw in facial features (figure J).

11. With leftover polymer clay, make clay shapes for nose, lips, cheeks, eyelids, eyes, chin and forehead (figure K).

12. Add shapes to face, except for eyes and eyelids (figure L). Blend in clay shapes with fingers and/or a rolling motion of the knitting needle. Define expression with clay shaper tools (figure M).

13. To make eyes, roll two clay balls and then drop into eye sockets. Cut off back of eyes if they stick out too far. Press round tool into center of each eye. Drop small ball into center of each eye. Indent with knitting needle to make pupil. Add eyelids (figure N).

14. To create a variety of leaf colors, mix together pieces of leftover clay with small amounts emerald and chocolate FIMO Soft. Roll balls of clay from 1/2 inch diameter to 1 inch diameter. Roll each into a teardrop shape, then flatten to about 1/8 inch thick (figure O). Press onto back of real leaf or into leaf mold (figure P).

15. Use knitting needle to position onto face (figures Q and R).

16. Bake face in 265 F degree oven for 45 minutes. Cool in oven. When clay is cool, carefully remove foil.

17. Optional: Antique or paint face with either Genesis or acrylic paint.