Chris Gluck designed and demonstrated this project.
Materials:
Wire Art 24-gauge poly-coated wire
Wire Art glass bead mix
Sculpey III polymer clay
rolling pin
flexible clay cutter
craft sticks, dowel, pencil, nails for making coils
You can use the wire to make arms or legs or to connect body parts because polymer clay will bond with poly-coated wire when baked! Always do a test in your oven before baking the finished piece.
Steps:
1. Soften the polymer clay by kneading and working in your hands. Mix the colors to achieve more variations.
2. Form balls, ovals, squares, etc., which will be attached to make the bodies .
3. Choose a 2-foot piece of 24-gauge wire that is not your favorite color to practice with. Coil the wire closely around a dowel, pencil, or whatever you decide to use as a base, but not so tightly that it becomes difficult to slide off (figure A). You can wrap the wire around or turn the dowel. Wrap ends in or clip them off, then scrunch the coils together closely if they're spread out. You can spread the coil out again later depending upon how it is being used. Slide the coil off the stick. Note: Coils can be used on your aliens in many ways, as decoration, antennae or to connect body parts. Make some coils to get a feel for how you want to use them . You can make coils and shapes from many common household items such as pens, knitting needles, opened paperclips or kitchen tools. Craft stick coils are very cool: Wrap tightly and closely in the same manner as the others and press firmly all around . When you remove it, the tension in the wire creates a fun spiral. Twist a bit if you want more spirals.
4. Use the wire and wire coils to make arms, legs, antennae and body connections (figure B).
5. Add eyes, ears and mouths where needed with small pieces of clay (figure C).
6. Bake at the temperature directed on the clay package but do not bake much longer than 10 minutes or the wire will melt. Always do a test with the wire and clay to see how long your oven will take to bond the wire and clay together.
7. For variation, roll a ball of clay into glass beads, pushing the beads firmly into the clay. Add wire legs and antennae (figure D).
Resources art wire, beads, kits - Wire Art / Duncan
Wire Art products are available from arts and crafts and Ben Franklin stores nationwide.
Duncan Enterprises
Website:
www.duncancrafts.com
Sculpey III polymer clay
Polyform Products Inc.
Products available at craft and hobby stores.
Website:
www.sculpey.com
Guests Chris Gluck
Designer, Wire Art Inc. / Duncan Enterprises
5673 E. Shields Ave.
Fresno, CA 93727
Toll Free Phone: 800-438-6226
Website:
www.duncancrafts.com
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