Beaded Frog Vase

Transform clay into a beaded frog vase.

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-110 -- More Projects » (Continued from Page 1)

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

5. Roll the blended clay sheet from the yellow side to the red creating a jellyroll (figure F).

Cut off the ragged ends and trim one side of the roll flat.
Pull the jellyroll gently to make it five to 10 inches long depending on how small you want the petals to be. This determines the overall size of the completed flower.
If you want two sizes of flowers, pull to one size, cut in half and pull the other roll smaller.
Cut into five pieces.
Roll a snake of red for the center of the flower and stack the five petals around the center squeezing gently to make it stick together.
Repeat this process using other colors; white to purple, white to yellow, etc (figure G and H).

6. To make a leaf cane, follow the flower instructions using yellow to green or white to green for the blend. Cut the jellyroll in half down the middle. Place a thin green sheet (use the thin setting of the pasta machine) down the center of one side. Put the circle back together and reshape into a leaf shape (figure I).

7. Sand the vase using wet dry sandpaper. Place the vase in a dish of water and start sanding with 180-grit (largest). Caution: It is not safe to sand dry. Continue sanding in this sequence: 400-, 800-, and end with 1000-grit. Tip: To keep hands from chapping, use a sanding sponge and wrap the paper around the sponge.

Figure J

Figure K

8. Cut out, around the image, the frog transfer using a sharp scalpel or a small X-acto knife. Apply a small amount of TLC to the back and attach it to the vase. Bake again for 1/2 hour in a preheated oven (figure J).

9. After cooling, attach the leaves and flowers around the frog transfer and bake.

10. To make the beaded vines, thread beads onto very thin craft wire. To prevent beads from falling put a drop of glue on each end. Apply glue to the backside of the beads and position onto the vase (figure K).

11. To make a beaded flower on the back of the vase, run a thin sheet of translucent clay on the thinnest pasta setting, and apply heat-resistant glue to the clay. Tip: Lay the clay down on waxed paper powdered with cornstarch so it won't stick. Using a needle or toothpick, attach the beads to the clay. Cut around the beads and apply to the vase in a whole sheet. Top with a large slice of a flower cane using a blob of clay to raise the flower above the beads.

12. Preheat oven to exactly 250-degrees* and bake for 30 minutes. This is to make sure the rest of the clay bakes thoroughly. Be careful not to burn the translucent clay covering the vase. Check frequently. * Important: Use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is set at 250-degrees!

13. To finish and protect the vase, apply a water-based matte verathane sealer to the transferred image. Bake 15 minutes at 225-degrees. Lightly buff with a soft cloth to produce a luminous vase. If any beads become dislodged, glue them back in place with super glue.

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