Designed and demonstrated by Lisa Pavelka.
Materials:
1 block each Premo Sculpey Polymer clay:
- cobalt blue #5063
- green #5323
- cadmium red #5382
- cadmium yellow #5572
1 block atomic orange #533 Sculpey III Polymer Clay
set of four inexpensive stemware glasses
bakeable glue
Kemper clay gun
Kemper double ball-tip stylus #DBSL
pasta machine
craft knife
clay blade
ruler
assorted Kemper Pattern Cutters (optional )
Ateco nested circle cutters #5307 (optional)
two 8" x 8" or larger smooth ceramic tiles for working/baking surfaces
Steps:
1. Select color of clay for goblet base. Condition half of a block of clay (knead by hand, or cut and run slices through pasta machine until soft and pliable) and roll out on third largest setting of pasta machine.
2. Place the clay sheet on a ceramic tile. Select a circle cutter to the fit base of goblet (if base of goblet falls in between sizes, select the larger cutter) and cut out a clay circle. Or, just trace the goblet on card stock or cardboard to make a pattern; then use a craft knife to cut the clay to fit.
3. Use a Kemper circle pattern cutter or a craft knife to cut out the center area for the goblet stem. It's not crucial that the stem circle be perfect, because it will be covered later. Use a clay blade to cut a straight line halfway through the circle (figure A). This turns the clay circle into a "collar."
4. Brush a few strokes of glue around the base of the goblet. Wrap clay collar over the base and press firmly to ensure contact with the glue and remove air pockets (figure B).
5. Pick two contrasting colors to decorate the glass. Ours was yellow and blue over green, orange and red over yellow, yellow and blue over red, and yellow and green over blue. Decorate each base with a different design.
Suggestions:
- roll pinches of clay into small, thin snakes and lay on the base as squiggles , winding back and forth;
- wrap snakes in a circle pattern to create swirls;
- cut triangles and squares of different sizes and place them randomly around the base overlapping in places;
- roll tiny balls of clay and press onto base as polka dots;
- or use Kemper pattern cutters to cut out various shapes and sizes of clay to place on base (figure C)
6. After applying decorations, stipple the base with the ball-tip stylus. Use the large end first and the small end when stippling tight areas (figure D). Trim excess clay from around the base with a craft knife (figure E).
7. For wrapping the stem, choose two of the three colors used on each goblet. Clay may be hand rolled or extruded through a clay gun. Use the largest circle die in the clay gun with 1/8 of a block of clay in the barrel. Insert the plunger and extrude approximately 24 inches of clay (you may need more or less depending upon the diameter and length of the stem). It's very important to condition clay very well! The softer and warmer the clay, the easier it will be to extrude. Tip: Place the clay gun into a bench vise (wedge one arm of gun against moving half of vise and the plunger head against the stationary half. Wind vise arm to bring both halves together and clay will extrude with very little effort. Clay must still be conditioned well before this or it will break easily).
8. Load clay gun with second color and extrude 24 inches again. Tip: Removing a previous color from a clay gun can be difficult. This guest notes that baking her clay gun for 10 or 15 minutes at 270 degrees Farenheit makes it easy to remove the clay after the gun cools. Use a needle tool or craft knife to loosen baked clay before inserting the new color.
9. Lay clay snakes side by side. Gently press bottom ends together without flattening . Apply brush-on glue on the bottom inch of the stem. Press clay snakes onto the bottom of the stem with your finger for a few seconds to fuse with glue. Wrap the snakes around the base, gluing 1-inch sections of the stem at a time. Trim remaining clay when snakes reach the goblet bowl (figure F).
10. Add a snake around the outside edge of the base, gluing it in place an inch at a time. Press the edge of a craft knife into the snake at 1/8-inch intervals for a decorative border (figure G).
11. Bake goblets for 30 minutes at 270 degrees Farenheit.
Note: Never place your goblets in the dishwasher or allow them to sit submerged in water for any length of time. Hand-wash goblets with a soft cloth and mild detergent . Dry thoroughly after washing.
Variation: Cut squares in a variety of sizes from different colored clay and apply them to the base (figure H).
Resources clay products--Premo Sculpey and Sculpey III
Polyform Products Inc.
Products available at craft and hobby stores.
Website:
www.sculpey.com
Guests Lisa Pavelka
Artist/Designer
Heart in Hand Studio
Website:
www.heartinhandstudio.com Also in this Episode
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