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How to make a faux ivory/bone pendant |
Supplies:
- 1 part white polymer clay (or 1 block) Optional: |
Process: | ||
1. Mix together two parts white to 1 part champagne, beige, tan, buff color clay, adding a pinch or two of warm yellow to make the ivory color. You should now have equal amounts of ivory and translucent. (Do not mix these together.) Wonder what "part" means? It means whatever measurement you care to use; size, weight, blocks, etc. For example, with the above recipe, have 3 blocks of translucent, two blocks of white, one block beige, buff, champagne or tan colored clay. Or the part could be 1/2 blocks, or 40 grams... For this project, use 1.5 blocks of translucent, 1 block of white, 1/2 block of beige, buff, or champagne, and a grape size pinch of yellow. |
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2. Roll out the ivory color into a nice rectangular sheet. Roll out the translucent clay into a nice rectangular sheet. You could use your pasta machine, but it isn't necessary. Stack one sheet on top of the other. | ||
3. Roll until stack is about half its height and double in length. Cut the length in half and restack. Note: the pattern must be alternating one ivory then one translucent. Repeat the rolling to compress, then cutting and stacking until you can barely see the striping. |
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4. Create a stack that is about 0.75" - 1 inch tall, 2" - 2.5" wide and whatever length you get. From the stack's end, slice 3-4 thick slices |
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5. Butt the slices together as shown in the diagram, to form one striped panel. |
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6. Place the panel in a sheet of waxed paper. Using the roller, apply gentle and steady pressure across the panel. Trim away the rough edges and shape your panel with the tissue blade. Curve the blade slightly to give the panel a more natural shaped outline. |
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7. You could cut out a small opening in your panel. You could place pre-baked and/or raw clay pieces on the on the panel as well. You can also emboss, imprint with stamps, etc. |
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8. Smooth away fingerprints, unwanted marks, etc. You could place the panel on a curved surface if you wish to mimic the curvature of a piece made from a very large tusk or bone. Place in oven, bake and allow to slowly cool. Baking will exaggerate the difference between the opaque and translucent clays. The striations will really stand out! |
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9. Etching: After cooling, you could etch patterns such as lines or coils into select areas of the panel using carving/gouging tools such as lino cutters or X-acto tools Staining: Rub and smear burnt umber or burnt sienna acrylic paint into the panel, making sure to get paint into all crevices. This is highlight the etched lines and outline the areas surrounding any inlaid pieces as well as any tiny gaps or cracks in the panel itself. Before the paint dries, wipe off the excess paint with a dry paper towel. The paint will lend a sense of aging to the panel. Rebake the panel for 10 - 15 minutes at 200 degrees to help fuse the paint to the panel's surface. |
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10. Sanding: Start with wet/dry sandpaper (approx. 220 grit), sand your piece under a stream of water or by frequent dipping into a bucket of water. Next, use grits 400, 600, 1000 and, optionally, higher grits. Let piece completely dry. 3M sells sanding sponges. These would be great for tackling complicated surfaces like these pendants. Click 3M sanding sponges for details. |
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Hand Sanding Notes: Proper sanding can be a bit taxing and demanding on your patience, but vital if you want a great high shine finish after buffing.
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11. After the final sanding, rinse the panel to remove and residue, wipe the piece with a clean paper or cotton towel, then polish it.
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Buffing
polymer clay
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Buffing Notes Regardless of whether you use a bench lathe buffer or a Dremel-like tool, the buffing wheel rotates at a very high speed. There are several things you should do to produce a wonderful shine, help improve safety and prevent problems.
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Have a great polymer clay day. ;-) Desiree |
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Last update to this page: 26 Aug 02. Send comments, questions or suggestions to Desiree McCrorey. |