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Step 1
To begin, wash your hands and clear your work surface to minimise the amount of dust that could get stuck on your clay. If you find that you keep getting dust on your clay, take a spare bit of clay and roll it over your hands to pick up all the particles.
Lay out some greaseproof paper. It is easier to work straight onto the paper that you will cook the clay on later, so you don’t misshape your clay when you’re moving it between surfaces.
Pinch off some of your different coloured clays and mix together any colours that you want. To mix the colours, combine the two colours and roll them in your palms. Roll the clay into a sausage shape and then squash it into a ball again. Continue to mix the tones until you have an even tone.
Step 2
To make small disks to use as earrings, charms or to cut into different shapes, you first need to roll out a ball of clay as shown in the first image. Start by rolling a ball of clay approx. 0.5cm wide, and then firmly press it flat using the flat clay tool shown here. This presses the ball flat and keeps the circular shape. If you find that you can’t easily make perfect circles of clay using this method, you may need to file/sand down the finished circle after cooking (using a little sand paper), to even out the edge.
Press your clay until it is 2.5mm thick, or more. Any thinner than 2mm and your clay may snap easily when you’re working with it later on.
Use your clay tools to carve different geometric style shapes out of these disks and try experimenting with different sized disks to make unique components for earrings, bracelet charms and more.
Step 3
To make the most of each bake, make a few different designs in one go.
Take large pinch of white clay and a small pinch of light pink clay (mixed from white and dark pink) and roll the two separately into sausages. Roll the two tones together and then coil into a ball shape. Roll the clay in your palms to make a ball. When you are happy with the marble effect you’ve created, gently roll out the ball of clay using a rolling pin. Remember not to make it thinner than 2.5mm.
Step 4
Cut out a circle from the rolled clay. If you don’t have a small cookie cutter, you could use a large bottle cap, the lid from a small spray can or you can carefully carve out the circle and sand the edges down later using sand paper. Our circle of marbled clay measures approx. 45mm.
Step 5
Make another disk the same size from a block colour clay. Carefully cut across the 2 disks at the 15mm mark. Swap the sections on the two disks so you have a cream semi circle with a marbled semi circle paired together.
Once you are happy with all of your clay shapes and have planned out how your finished designs should look, you can add the holes where you will attach your jumprings.
Take a cocktail stick and press the end into the clay. Wiggle the stick around to widen the hole and continue to do this until the hole measures approx. 1.5-2mm wide. This will then be suitable for using with your large jump rings.
Step 6
Make sure you have added holes to all of the components you want to attach together. To make a simple disk earring, you don’t need to add a hole unless you want to attach a charm to hang as a droplet below the circle.
To get rid of any dust on the surface of your clay designs, dip your finger in a little cold water and gently wipe over the top of the clay. You could also try doing this with a cotton bud or a small paintbrush. Be careful not to make marks on your clay.
Once you are happy with your designs, pop them on a baking tray and place them in the oven for as long as is stated on your packets of clay. We baked ours for 30 minutes at 110 degrees celcius.
Leave the clay to cool and then it will be ready to combine with your findings. If you find that some of the edges of your designs aren’t even, now is the time to sand them smooth with your sand paper.
Step 7
To make the simple disk earrings, simply add a drop of glue onto the back of the disk and gently press your earring pad onto the glue. Wait for this to dry before making sure it is secure and ready to wear.
To make the cute droplet earring, repeat the first step here and then take your pliers and open a jumpring. Link the teardrop shape and the disk together and close the jumpring securely.
Repeat this method to make your circle pendants, and attach a single jumpring to the top to thread onto your chain.
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