Create this one of a kind clay pendant that makes a statement! Express your creative side by using stamps, beads and any type of textured object to press into clay!
Materials needed:
½ lb of Blackjack Clay (stoneware)
ACTÍVA Product’s Clay Roller kit
Cotton sheeting cut into a 8” x 8” square
Small cup of water
Wooden skewer
Dragonfly stamp
Textured bead
Access to a kiln
Stoneware glaze
Begin by cutting a thin slab of clay off of the block of Blackjack clay. You can use a cutting wire made of fishing line and two thin dowels that have a small hole drilled in each. Try to make the thickness uniform so that you won’t have to roll the clay out too much.
Using the 1/4” slats on the rolling kit; roll the clay out until the rolling pin rest on the side slats.
Make a pattern for a pendant out of card stock or fun foam. Place the pattern on the clay and use a wooden skewer to cut out the pattern. Make sure to hold the skewer at a 90 degree angle.
Roll a textured bead along the edge of your pendant pattern. Press your dragonfly stamp firmly in the middle of the pendant.
Pinch off a ball of clay the size of a marble and begin making a coil 1 ½” long to make a loop on the pendant. Flatten the coil to 1/16” and score both the pendant and the end of the loop. Take a paintbrush and moisten both sections to be joined. Curl the loop to the back of the pendant and score both sides. Moisten and press the two pieces together to firmly adhere the loop.
Let your clay project dry completely. Then this piece should be bisque fired to at least 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. When cooled, apply a stoneware glaze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure no glaze is touching the kiln shelf. Fire to recommended temperature by glaze manufacturer.
Artwork and photography by Karen Lowrey
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