Materials List:
1. Earth-Toned Sunflower Project:
- Vanilla Crème-1/4 package, divided into three equal pieces.
- Pottery-1/4 package divided into three equal pieces.
- Sunset-dab
- Granny Smith- 1/8 package
- Pre-baked Small eye canes: (see instructions on how to make in “Eye Canes for Flowers” section.)
- Sculpey Super Slicer
- Green Floral Stem Wire-16 gauge cut to 5-inch length
- Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay
- Oven set to bake reliably at 265 degrees
- Baking pan dedicated to polymer clay
- ½ inch Kemper Teardrop Pattern cutter
- Needle tool
- 1 retracted ball point pen to set eyes
- 1 set mini flowers and butterflies cookie cutters available from The Cookie Cutter Shop Phone: 360-652-3295 Email: gingerbread@direcway.com
- or purchase Online at Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Cookie-CutterShop_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm
2. Blue Cornflower Project:
- 1 thick slice of Premade gradated log of clay (see Earth-toned Sunflower Project for directions)
- Sunset-dab
- Stonewash- ¼ package
- Granny Smith- 1/8 package
- Pre-baked Small eye canes: (see instructions on how to make)
- Sculpey Super Slicer
- Green Floral Stem Wire-16 gauge cut to 6-inch length
- Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay
- Oven set to bake reliably at 265 degrees
- Baking pan dedicated to polymer clay
- ½ inch Kemper Teardrop Pattern cutter
- 1 set mini flowers and butterflies cookie cutters available from The Cookie Cutter Shop Phone: 360-652-3295 Email: gingerbread@direcway.com
- or purchase Online at Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Cookie-CutterShop_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm
Step 1: Condition a third piece of the Pottery Sculpey III and the Vanilla Crème Sculpey III and form them into two equal-sized fat logs, Press them side-by-side as shown.
Step 2. To create a gradated blend, roll the two colors through the pasta machine at the widest setting until you have a striped flat ribbon of clay as shown.
Step 3. Fold the clay in half so that the two colors meet. You will see the clay begin to become wider and a lighter stripe will appear in the center.
Step 4. Continue to fold the same way and roll the clay through the pasta machine several times until you see the clay widen out and the colors begin to blend in the center.
Step 5. Once the clay has a nice blend to it,, Change the setting to a thinner setting and roll it through lengthwise till you get a long gradated strip. Trim using your Sculpey Super Slicer.
Step 6. Begin rolling up the clay from the Vanilla Crème end first. Roll tightly so there are no gaps in the clay.
Step 7. You now have a gradated log of clay. Reduce the diameter of the log to about ¾ of an inch by rolling it on its side
Step 8. Cut two thick slices from the log, and roll two small balls from the leftover clay.
Step 9. Press the balls into the center of each piece.
Step 10. Turn each piece over and press the slices over the balls until they resemble a small mushroom cap. These are the centers of the flowers. Set them aside for now.
Step 11. Mix a third the Stonewash with the second third of the Vanilla Crème until you get a pastel shade of blue. Repeat this process with one third piece of the vanilla crème and a third piece of the Pottery until you get a peach color. Cut the flower shapes as shown using the mini cookie cutters.
Step 12. Gently press the Light blue flower shape on top of the Stonewash shape, being sure to stagger the pieces so that the two colors show. Repeat for the Peach and Pottery pieces.
Step 13. Gently press the flower centers on top of the cut out shapes. TIP: Be sure the pieces are stuck together well by carefully lifting them up by grasping the centers by their sides. If they come apart from the petals, they are not well sealed.
Step 14. Cut four eye cane slices from a tiny baked log. (See cane-making instructions on how to make eye cane).
Step 15. Gently press the slices of eye cane into each face as shown using the retracted tip of a ball point pen to set them into the clay. Roll a tiny Sunset Sculpey III ball for each nose, press gently on each face between eyes.
Step 16. Carefully slide two 5-inch pieces of green 16 gauge floral wire into the bottoms of the flowers. Use the Needle tool to press small lines in each light blue petal if desired.
Step 17. Roll the Granny Smith Sculpey III on the thickest setting of the Pasta Machine. Use the Kemper Teardrop Pattern Cutter to cut six leaves. Press a vertical line down the center of each leaf using the needle tool, and press the fat end around the stem of each plant. TIP: Be sure the clay adheres itself firmly to the stem (wire) as it may slip and become loose if you don’t press and shape the clay properly.
Step 18. Once you’re satisfied with the leaf placement and that they are adhered tightly to the stem, bake the assembled and completed flowers at 265 degrees flat on a baking sheet dedicated to polymer clay. TIP: if you line the pan with a sheet of clean white computer paper, you won’t get shiny spots on the back of the flower or the leaves.
IDEAS:
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Don’t stop with just TWO flowers! Make several different ones using other colors! Try gradient-blended petals, smaller centers, blended leaves, etc. Make an entire POT of these cute minis!!! (Just place some foil in the bottom of a terra cotta pot, cover with a thick layer of black clay, press the stems in and bake!) Heck, you won’t need to place them in the sun OR water them—EVER!
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Even CUTER—Combine these flowers with several of the mini butterfly plant pokes in the same pot!
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Make Flower or butterfly brooches! Just find some mini pin backs and super glue the baked flowers or butterflies to them!
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Make pendants by looping a piece of wire in the top of each before baking!
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