Magenta Foil Heart Frame - Sculpey Clay Projects

Magenta Foil Heart Frame
Design by Kris Richards

Materials:

Premo! Sculpey Fuchsia #5504 - 2 ¾ pkgs.
Pasta Machine or length of PVC piping for rolling clay into flat sheets
Oven set to bake reliably at 265 degrees F
Sculpey Super Slicer tissue slicing blade, or Kemper polymer clay blade
Kemper Pro needle tool
Assorted small motif rubber stamps (Available from All Night Media, Hero Arts, Hampton Art Stamps) if desired
Xacto, Excel, or utility knife
Silver colored Treasure Gold rub-on wax based paint pot
Clean soft rags
Jones Tones foil transfer sheets in blue, silver
Jones Tones Lazer Gems glitter in Warm Crystal Ice
Scissors to cut Jones Tones foils
Two 8 x 10 standard sheets of clean white paper or large, heavy card stock, or a manila file folder cut in two
5 x 7" (outside diameter) Darice "puffy" paper mache frame with heart-shaped opening #1166-55 (available in major craft stores and Wal-Mart) NOTE: REMOVE PLASTIC PHOTO PROTECTOR BEFORE WORKING ON PROJECT OR BAKING IN OVEN!
Jones Tones Plexi Glue or Sobo premium craft & fabric glue

Instructions:

STEP 1: Condition and then roll two packages of the fuchsia clay through setting number three on the pasta machine, (or flatten with brayer or PVC pipe to an even 1/16" thickness). Be sure that the resulting sheet of clay you just rolled through the pasta machine measures at least 7 ¼" by 5 ¼", or slightly larger than your 5" x 7" frame. Place the flat sheet of clay on one of the sheets of clean paper or cardstock.
STEP 2: Divide the last ¾ of the remaining magenta clay at each seam; you will have three equal pieces of clay.

STEP 3: Condition each piece of clay, and roll each one separately through the pasta machine at setting 3, (or roll into a flat sheet measuring about 1/16" thick). Cut one of the small sheets in half. Set the four small sheets of clay on the next sheet of plain paper or cardstock.

STEP 4: Cut one sheet of each color of the Jones Tones foil just slightly larger than the first piece of clay. Lay the foil COLOR SIDE UP (if the foil is blue, blue side up; if the foil is silver, shiny silver side up, etc.) onto the top of each clay piece. Press each sheet of foil firmly onto the surface of the clay, making sure there are no air bubbles between the surfaces of the foil and the clay.

STEP 5: Use your tissue blade SHARP EDGE DOWN on top of the foil to burnish each of the different colors of foil onto the surfaces of the clay, by running the blade firmly and smoothly across the surfaces of the foil and the clay. Repeat this process by turning the clay piece ¼ turn and firmly burnishing in a back and forth motion.

STEP 6: Once the burnishing has been done in all four directions, grasp a corner of one of the sheets of foil, and in one very quick, smooth, "ripping" motion, strip the foil from the surface of the clay. The result is that the foil coloring is transferred to the clay's surface.

STEP 7: Cut the sheets of foiled clay, and one of the small sheets of plain, unfoiled magenta clay into thin, triangle-shaped strips and lay them side by side, (edges butted together); arrange the three triangles so that the plain sheet of magenta clay is in the center.

Begin at the thinnest end of the triangle shape, and roll all three pieces into a FLAT spiral.

STEP 8: Lay the spirals randomly on the surface of the magental clay sheet you made in step one. Press slightly to adhere them to the chosen spot, then once all spirals are placed on the frame where desired, use the brayer to flatten, and mesh them with the magenta background so the spirals become PART of the entire sheet.

STEP 9: Sprinkle Jones Tones Lazer Gems Crystal Ice Glitter on top, and carefully roll over the top to press the glitter in with the brayer.

STEP 10: Prepare the paper mache frame to accept the clay by thinly spreading Sobo or Jones Tones Plexi Glue over the entire frame. Allow it to dry until clear.

STEP 11: Carefully center the prepared sheet of clay over the frame. Begin at the bottom edge. Drape the bulk of the sheet of clay over your hand, and slowly press the sheet of clay onto the frame in an upwardmotion, to help eliminate air bubbles between the surface of the frame and the clay.

STEP 12: Once the sheet of clay is adhered to the frame, carefully press all the edges securely down. Be sure to press around the edges of the center opening where the picture will go. This will give you an outline to follow. Use your Xacto knife to cut the center out.

STEP 13: Use your Xacto knife or tissue blade to trim all edges even with the edges of the paper mache frame. Note: Be sure to keep the edge that has the picture opening free of clay, so that after the frame is finished, you can insert a photo at that edge!

STEP 14: Use the needle tool to draw straight lines and hash marks into the clay's surface. You may also use some simple, small design motif stamps to emboss the silver curlicues if desired.

STEP 15: Cut the remaining sheet of fuchsia clay into long, thin triangles. Curl and shape each so that the resemble cresting waves or sun beams. Place each randomly on the surface of the frame, and lightly press each so they adhere completely to the underlying clay. Trim any excess even with the edges of the frame.

STEP 16: Bake in a 265 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove while frame is warm, being careful not to burn yourself. NOTE: If the glue on the frame separates the backing from the front of the frame, use some Plexi or Sobo to re-glue the edges. Be sure not to glue the opening for the photo shut!

NOTE: Allow the frame to completely cool. To apply the silver Treasure Gold to highlight the raised triangles, dip your finger into the pot, get a very tiny bit on the end of your finger, rub it on in a circular motion. Allow it to dry 5 minutes, and then buff with a soft, clean cloth.