Materials and Tools:
- Unpainted Wooden Box with Latch
- Sculpey III - 1 block Gold, 1 block Pearl
- Photocopy or Computer Print of Miniature Antique Photos on Cardstock
- Paper Doily or Lace
Cardstock for Templates
- Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS)
- Super Slicer Blade
- Craft Knife
- Slick Surface Glue (Aileen's)
- Water Based Indoor/Outdoor Acrylic Paint in Gold
- Scissors
- Toothpick
- Paint Brushes
- Soft Cloth
- Pencil
- Smooth Glazed Ceramic Tile
- Acrylic Roller
- Pasta Machine
- 6" silk ribbon
Directions:
Use a glass cutting board, or large ceramic tile as a work surface.
1. Reduce an antique photo in two sizes on your computer or at the copy shop, one 1 ½" x 2", one 1"x 1 ¼". Copy onto cardstock. It is always a good idea to make multiples in case of mistake.
2. Paint the wooden box with the gold paint, inside and outside. Be sure the inside is thoroughly dry before closing so the lid doesn't stick.
3. Place dried box upside down on a piece of cardstock. Trace the top with a pencil and cut along the pencil lines. This is the template for the top.
4. Mix ½ package each of the gold and pearl Sculpey III by twisting the colors together. Do not mix completely.
5. Roll the clay through the pasta machine on the largest setting or by hand about 2/16" thick. You will have a marbled sheet.
6. Lay the template on the sheet and roughly cut to size. Remove the template.
7. Lay the paper doily or lace face side down onto the clay sheet. Using the roller, impress the doily into the surface of the clay.
 
8. Remove the doily. Use the craft knife to pick up any pieces of the paper left behind.
9. Using the Super Slicer blade, trim off about ¼" from all sides.
 
Shimmy the Super Slicer flat under the sheet and lift it from the work surface. Place on the paper template, set aside. (see step 14)
10. Roll the remaining gold Sculpey III on the largest size of the pasta machine.
11. Cut out the larger photo image and coat the back with slick surface glue. Spread to the edges with a toothpick. Be sure to coat the back completely.
12. Lay the glue side down onto the gold SculpeyIII sheet. Rub into place with your fingers, gently.
13. Trim the gold clay around the photo to 3/16".
 
14. Lay the lace-impressed sheet directly on the tile, with template removed.
15. Lift the image sheet from the work surface with the Super Slicer flat under the piece and shimmy the blade to loosen from the surface.
Apply TLS to the center of the lace-impressed sheet and lay the image sheet on top. Press into place.
16. Apply TLS to the image and gold clay,
spread with a brush. Be sure to brush the entire surface of the image to avoid missed spots or bubbles.
Bake according to package directions. Let cool on the tile.
17. Brush the gold paint onto the surface of the impressed sheet and wipe off with a soft cloth.
18. Glue the baked piece to the top of the box.
Making the Charm:
1. Fold a piece of cardstock the size of the little image in half and draw a teardrop shape. Cut along the pencil lines and unfold to make a heart template.
2. Place the template over the image and trace. Cut along pencil lines.
3. Place the heart cutout over a folded sheet of cardstock a little larger, trace a larger heart and cut out.
4. Repeat with the second largest template to make the third and largest template.
5. Cut out a heart shape from a gold sheet of clay using the second template and a craft knife.
6. Repeat with the largest template and a gold/pearl-marbled lace impressed sheet. Place this heart onto the ceramic tile.
7. Using the end of a paintbrush, make a hole at the center of the largest heart.
8. Glue the heart image to the gold heart as above, lay the gold heart on the largest heart and press into place.
9. Coat the image and gold border with TLS, bake and cool on the tile as above.
10. Finish with gold paint and wipe with a soft cloth. Let dry.
11. Thread a ribbon through the hole and knot.
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