Transfer Clay Pendant

Materials:

1/2 bricks clay in colors that coincide with your transfer (we used a blend of gold and turquoise)
1/2 brick white clay
metallic powders in contrasting color with clay
bamboo or sable brush
2 to 4 eye pins
O-ring
needle nose pliers
wire cutters
colored photocopy
craft knife
clay blade
parchment paper
rubber stamps
cornstarch
acrylic sealant
gin
permanent marker
various beads

1. Pick a stamp with deep etching and a pleasing design to emboss the background of your pendant.

2. Condition the clay. You may use solid colors, marble in two or three contrasting colors that will also allow the gold leaf powder to show up, or blend colors together to create a color you want.

3. Lay clay on a piece of parchment. Apply cornstarch to the background stamp and then stamp the clay (figure A).

4. Pressure needs to be applied in the middle first and then the edges. A lot of pressure is needed to make sure the clay gets into the relief areas of the stamp to create more texture on the clay surface. Put the parchment paper and clay with the stamp on top of it on the floor and stand on it.

5. Remove the parchment paper. Trim to size to form a pendant.

6. Use a dampened bamboo brush to pick up the metallic powder and bounce over the back. Brush off excess (figure B).

7. Turn the background stamp over, placing the piece on a clean piece of parchment paper (figure C).

8. Dampen a bamboo brush with water. Pick up some metallic powder and paint the same stamp.

9. Place clay on the stamp (figure D). It is easier to line up this way.

10. Place a piece of card stock on top of the clay and rub (figure E). Lift off cardstock, then the clay, and set aside (figure F).

11. Trim eye pins to 1/4-inch long. Set one into the top center and one to three in the bottom of the pendent (figure G).

12. Condition a piece of white clay. Lay the transfer face down on the clay and rub with fingers. After 30 seconds, cover the back of the transfer with gin and blot off any excess with a paper towel. Burnish back of transfer with a spoon.

13. Use your fingers to remove the paper by rolling it off from the center out (figure H). If more gin is needed to remove lint, rewet your fingers but pat off any excess so that they are damp but not wet.

14. Trim to shape and size with a clay blade (figure I).

15. Cure clay in the oven according to manufacturer's instructions. Let Cool. Remember that alcohol-based pens can fix any nicks after curing.

16. Use acrylic sealer to seal. Sealer can be tinted with concentrated watercolors to add patina.

17. Go around edge of transfer with a permanent marker and glue to pendant body with super-strong glue.

18. Attach beads on pins to hang from below. Place an O-ring on the top eye pin and hand on accordingly.

19. Hang on cording. Thread large bead on to the cording and knot ends together. Slide bead over knot and glue.