Inset People Pins
Design by Susan Berkowitz

Materials:

Directions:

• Condition all clay. For a single pin, roll about 1/4 the translucent clay through the pasta machine on the #1 or thickest setting. Run through the machine again on the #5 or thin setting.
• Use the Shapelet template to cut out the body inset shape. I use any of the roughly rectangular shapes with rounded edges.

• Dab on a rough coating of TLS with a small paintbrush. Then dip the brush into one color of Pearl-ex and dab it onto the surface unevenly. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Add some more TLS onto the surface of the piece and dab on the second color of Pearl-ex powder. Bake again for 5 minutes.

• You can repeat this process several times, using the same or different powder colors. Don't get too busy or muddy. Remember, if you push the powders into the surface of the TLS they get a softer color. If you leave some on the surface, untouched, they look shimmery.
• Make a sheet of the background color by running it through the pasta machine on the #1 - thickest - setting. Then double it, carefully avoiding air bubbles in between the layers.
• Place the inset piece into the middle of the background sheet and roll gently with the acrylic roller. If the background clay separates from the pre-baked piece too much, simply push it into place with your fingers. Cut around the shape with the blade leaving a small border.

• Roll a small ball of background color clay and choose your favorite face mold. Mold the face, place mold in freezer for a few minutes and remove. Bake the face and body for 20 minutes.
• When the clay has cooled, drill a hole at shoulder height from one side to the other, thru which the arm wire will pass. Drill another hole about 3/8" down into the top of the body, centered for the neck. Drill a similar hole up behind the "chin" in the head.
• Coil 3 ¾" of 24g wire for the 'puffy' part of the sleeves. Cut ¼" off for the neck and cut the remaining piece in half for the sleeves.

• Slide the 2 sleeve coils onto the second color of 24g wire. Placing the wire on the mandrel, wrap it 5 times alone, then wrap the 1st coil around, then wrap another 10 turns of plain wire, then wrap the second coil, then wrap another 5 turns of plain wire. Cut and remove from the mandrel.

• Cut the two sleeves in half mid-way between the two double coils; or half-way through the middle 10 turns.

• Cut 1" from the 6" piece of 20g wire. Run the 5" length through the body at the shoulder hole you drilled. Place one sleeve on one end and make a small curl in the end of the wire to keep it in place.
• Pull the wire from the other side, so that the sleeve fits up against the body. Add the second sleeve, cut close to the end with the wire cutters, and make another curl in that end to hold the sleeve in place.

• Put a small drop of glue on one end of the 1" piece of wire, and place it in the neck hole. Add the ¼" wire coil. Place another drop on the other end, and put the head in place.
• Paint a thin layer of Future floor wax only on the inset piece to make it shine.
• Glue on the pin back.