This is a great beginner level polymer
clay project and when you are done you'll have a pile of kewl
buttons and pendants to adorn your artwork.
What you'll
need: Translucent Polymer Clay, I used Fimo for this project
but I have used Sculpty in the past you will get slightly
different colors with the different brands. Embossing Powders,
now this should work with most powders I have only done this
technique with Bmuse Detail
Embossing Powders.
You can use most any color, you will simply get different results
for this batch of buttons I used Aspen Autumn, Razzberry Dazzle,
Copper Canyon, Blue Hyacinths, and Garden Mosaic which are
all found on the Custom
Mixes Page. The reason I selected the custom mixes is
that they are made up of several colors and result in a richer
more stone line look. A pasta machine is very handy but not
required, if you don't have a dedicated pasta machine for
working with polymer clay you can work the clay with your
hands and roll out pieces with an acrylic roller. Acrylic
gloss sealer. And the tough one:) a round toothpick and the
back side of a small wood mounted stamp to flatten your buttons
and pendants.
Your basic button: Take a quarter
piece from the polymer clay brick and work the clay either
by hand or by running it thru your pasta machine. Pour enough
embossing powder into a plastic sandwich container to cover
the bottom. Once your clay is softened into a flat piece (either
rolled out or from the pasta machine simply press it into
the embossing powder fold the clay with the EP on the inside
and either run it thru the pasta machine one more time or
work briefly with you hands. If you want a darker color simply
roll out the clay again and press into the EP a second time.
Once you have the embossing powder added roll the clay into
a fat pencil and twist. You don't want to work the EP in too
well or you will lose the marbled effect. Break off pieces
about 2 times the size of a pea and roll into a ball, flatten
with the back of the wood mounted stamp so it is about 1/4
to 3/8 of an inch thick, then simply make one or two holes
for your buttons or pendants. Bake as instructed on the Polymer
Clay package.
After baking brush with an Acrylic
gloss sealer. The sealer can take quite a while to completely
dry I let these dry over night before putting them away in
a craft box where they would be touching.
You will notice that the embossing
powder darkens as it melts and spreads into the clay it is
probably best to start with a smaller amount of EP you can
always add more to your next batch if you want. The only part
that is a bit tricky is making sure you have worked the clay
enough after adding the powder than it will not have cracks
and working it so much that you lose the great marbled look.
It only takes a small about of working to blend the EP into
the clay.
OK, now that is your basic button:) But there are
other things you can do that is also fun...
With this Artist Trading Card I used a piece of
soft leather put it thru the button and glued on the side of this
card. The Geisha image on this card is from the Antique Asian collage
sheet.
And there are likely dozens of other variations,
but those are for your to find...have fun...go make buttons!!
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