Polymer Clay Beaded Dragonfly Pin

Although Kim has worked in a variety of mediums over the years, it is clear polymer clay is her favorite. Her vibrantly colored polymer clay jewelry is inspired by the things she loves, like her friend from nature, the dragonfly.

Materials:

2 oz. each of 6 colors of polymer clay
ultra-fine glitter
Pearl-Ex mica powder
5" of 20-gauge wire
10-12 assorted glass or metal 4, 6 and 8mm beads
1-1/4" pin back
instant-drying heavy-duty glue
pasta machine
tissue blade
acrylic brayer
wire cutters
needle-nose pliers

1. Roll thin sheets of all six colors of polymer clay using the pasta machine.

2. Cut these different colored sheets of clay into long, triangular wedge shapes and re-assemble to form a large, multicolored sheet.

3. Sprinkle ultra-fine glitter on the sheet of clay. Fold the sheet of clay in half and run it through the pasta machine. Repeat this fold and roll about five times until the colors have blended together.

4. Cut this long rainbow-like sheet of clay lengthwise into four long, narrow strips. Stack the four strips atop one another. The cross-section design at the end of the stack is the design that will become the dragonfly wings.

5. Model, pinch, pull and shape this long, narrow strip of clay into a shape that resembles a dragonfly wing in cross-section. When satisfied with the shape of the wing, cut the long wing cane precisely in half to yield two wings. (Dragonflies have a double set of wings.) These wings are stacked atop each other, still maintaining the shapes of the individual upper and lower wings.

6. Dust the edges of the long double wing cane with an iridescent mica powder. It's now ready to slice and assemble into dragonflies.

7. Cut two slices of equal thickness (about 3/16-inch thick). Flip one wing slice over and arrange the wings center to center. Push them together securely.

8. At this point, press a glass bead into the place where the two wings intersect. Make a depression in the clay with the bead. This is where the beaded dragonfly body will sit. Remove the glass bead.

9. Bake the dragonfly wings on a piece of cardboard at 275 F degrees for 30 minutes.

10. While the wings are baking, make the beaded wire body. Cut about 5 inches of 20-gauge wire. Using needle-nose pliers, bend a small decorative spiral at the end of the wire. Place about 2 inches of assorted glass or metal beads along the length of the wire.

11. Place the bead you used to make the depression in the clay on the wire at the point where you want the wings to be. Place one final, larger bead on the wire for the dragonfly's head. Cut the wire off flush with the head and put a drop of glue on the wire where the head sits.

12. After the dragonfly wings have baked and cooled, position the wire body on the clay wings, seating the body bead in the depression in the center of the wings.

13. Place a drop of glue in the wing depression where the wire body attaches.

14. Glue a pin finding to the back of the dragonfly wings with heavy-duty glue or two-part epoxy.

Website: www.kimcreates.com