Materials and Tools:
- 2 ounces Premo translucent clay.
- Alcohol based transparent ink, I used Chile Pepper by Pinata but all colors work well.
- Loose metal leaf. I used silver colored aluminum leaf from Mona List Products. (Real silver leaf will tarnish)
- Roller or Brayer (a pasta machine can be used for rolling out the sheet as well.
- Sculpey Super Slicer, flexible clay blade.
- Paint Brush
- Wet/Dry Sandpaper 400,600,800,1000,1500,2000 grit.
- Buffing wheel or denim to finish the piece.
- Optional: Pearl Ex, Glitter, other inclusions to add another layer of depth to the pieces.
Directions:
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Step
1.
On a clean work surface roll translucent clay to a sheet about 5x 8 inches, this isn't exact, just eyeball it! Drop a few drops of ink and spread it out with your paintbrush adding more ink until your sheet is covered. Let dry for a few moments, you may want to add more or less ink later.
2.
Sprinkle on a bit of pearl ex or glitter. I'm using sparkling copper, about 1/4 tsp worth to mix into the clay.
3.
Begin mixing color and powder into clay. Careful of the powder! If you find your color is too light you can repeat step 1 again. Remember it will darken a bit when cured. When your color is fully mixed in roll out your sheet again, same size.
Begin laying your sheets of metal leaf over the surface of the clay smoothing down with a soft paintbrush. I used less than 2 sheets to cover my whole surface.
4.
Starting at the more narrow end begin rolling your sheet up. Make sure to compress tightly as you go along. Take it slow and press firmly.
5. Compress your log into a rectangular cane, again, making sure to compress tightly so the clay and leafing don't separate. Roll it smooth with a brayer and set aside for an hour or toss it in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
6.
Use your blade to cut your cane into one inch lengths.
Working on one piece at a time lay your piece onto a flat surface, curve your blade and make a cut close to the edge (see photo) You just want to take off some of the first layer of clay to reveal the pattern inside. Cut the other side the same way.
tip: some of the clay may peel away from the leaf (more so if you clay is warm or soft) this will be fixed later!
7. Flip it over and continue your curved cut on the other two sides. Keep the scraps, these make lovely beads as well!
8. Now find the side you want that has the nicest detail and lay that face up. Begin smoothing and rounding the sides with your fingers. Flip it over and smooth the other side. If you have large chunks of leaf exposed you can use a very thin sheet of scrap to cover that part and rub smooth again. Any bumps or lumps will be sanded out!
 
9. At this point you decide whether you want to pierce your beads using a needle tool or toothpick or drill them when cured, I chose to drill mine after curing and finishing. Bake according to manufacturer's recommendation. Remove from oven and dump into an ice water bath. Wet sand with 400 to smooth out any lumps, continue with 600 to 2000 grit and buff for the most incredible shine.
And we're done!! Use these gorgeous beads in your favorite jewelry designs. The nice part about making your own beads is you can make them to match existing outfits/jewelry, you can make them any shape you want and best of all, drill the holes to fit everything from silk to hemp to rubber cord!
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