Flower Mask - Sculpey Clay Projects

Miniature May Flowers Mask
by Sarajane Helm

This miniature mask is blooming like the flowers in May--and its only 2 1/2 inches across! (Perfect for a Mouse Maiden on her way to the Ball!) You can fashion a finished mask into a pin, a pendant, part of a necklace--or dress up a favorite doll for that special Masquerade! Make several, and create a Mardi Gras theme shadow box by framing your set.

You will need:

Asian Shapelets template

Rubber stamp (this one is Uptown Design G31084 Flowering Crest)

Aztec Gold Pearl-Ex Powder

less than 2 oz. metallic Gold Premo

less than 2 oz. White Premo

small amounts premo in green, blue, pink, yellow and orange

Flecto Varathane or Sculpey Glaze

Art Institute Glitter ultra fine (colors--hot kiss, old gold)

TLS (Liquid Sculpey)

feather

pearls, beads

needle and thread, few inches ribbon

pasta machine or roller

cardboard tube

sharpened pencil

xacto knife

knife

toothpick or skewer

small Kemper cutters --
(teardrop, star, lilac, floral--each app. 1/2inch or less)

needle

paintbrush

baking pan and oven

Directions:

Roll the conditioned white clay out to a #4 pasta machine thickness (a bit less than 1/16"). Press it firmly into the rubber stamp, peel away and lay the sheet on your work surface.

You can use many different sorts of stamps, and sometimes just part of larger stamps. If your clay is sticking, you can use talcum powder or cornstarch--just a little--as a mold release. Clean your stamps after use with clay.

Use a Shapelet template by placing on the clay, finding a suitable portion of the design to frame. Then cut the shape with the x-acto knife by following the contours--be careful not to cut the Shapelet too.

You can use leftover parts of an impression to cut out another mask. You can use the Shapelets to aid in cutting without using the whole shape as well--they are excellent for making uniform angles and curves.

Smooth the cut edges with a fingertip. Lay the cut piece on top of the sheet of gold, which is rolled to a #4 thickness.

Lightly press on the white clay to affix it to the other layer without damaging the impression. Cut at an even distance from the shape, leaving an edge of gold to show framing the white all around.

Make "eye holes" with the teardrop shaped Kemper cutter. Position so that the holes are about halfway down on the mask, with enough room for the nose in between.

Carefully shape the nose over the pencil's pointed end, press without doing it too hard.

Smooth the cut edges with a fingertip if needed. Poke holes for the ribbons at the corners of the mask, slightly in from the edges.

Use a fingertip to carefully apply a bit of Aztec gold PearlEx powder to the raised surface of the impression only. Curve the mask around, place on a cardboard tube for baking--this helps keep its form. Place a small dot of TLS on the back of the mask at the top center to hold the feather, cover with a thin small patch of clay. Bake at 270 degrees F. for 10 minutes to set the powder and TLS. Remove, allow to cool.

Run a bead of TLS around the edges of the eye holes, and apply (old gold) ultra fine glitter. Shake off excess onto a piece of paper and return to container. Apply TLS around the outside edges of the gold layer, apply pink ultra fine (hot kiss) glitter. Place on cardboard roll again, bake 10 minutes and cool.

Make flowers using small bits of rolled out colored clay and Kemper cutters. With the xacto knife, cut some of the petals.

Add centers from contrasting colors. Bend petals slightly to look more natural.

Make rosebuds by rolling up a small strip of clay as shown. Use green to form a few leaves. Use TLS as glue, place a small dot on the mask and place each flower and leaf.

Bake at 270 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Seal the powders onto the clay with a coat of Flecto Varathane or Sculpey Glaze applied with a clean soft brush. When dry, add ribbons and beads as desired at the side holes.

Make this into a pendant using a leather loop glued to the inside, or attach a pin back. Jump rings added at the sides can be used to string the mask into a necklace as well.

An alternative mask is shown here, made with the same stamp and powder, but with green clay. It was cut using the rectangular Asian Shapelet, and a wedge shape was cut from the top as well. No gold clay layer was added, and aqua glitter was used around the outside edge only. No flowers were added, instead a small green rhinestone was pressed into the clay. There are MANY options for your mask making--vary the color, the shape, the stamp, the glitter and powders--beads or none--feathers? So many possible ways to decorate and have fun---do try some!