Rocking Horse Christmas Ornament
Design by Marie Segal

• Sculpey III in the following colors:
  • White 001
  • Navy Blue 363
  • Red 083
  • Beige 093
  • Green Pearl 1015
  • Yellow 072
  • Black 042
  • Granitex Blue 3004
• E-Z Release Push Mold Miniature Dolls APM 24
• E-Z Release Push Mold Leaf Motif APM18
• Needle Tool
• Sculpey Super Slicer Blade
• Plastic coated craft wire

Directions:

• To begin, knead the Granitex Blue until it is a nice smooth consistency. Use one half of the block, and roll into an elongated zeppelin 8-1/4" long.

• Curl under the end of the zeppelin until you form a snail shape. Do this with both ends.

• Flatten the rocker using the palm of your hand.

• Cut your block of white Sculpey III into quarters. Use one quarter and knead until smooth. Roll this into an elongated teardrop shape.

• Bend at a right angle 1/3 of the way from the small end to form the neck of the horse.

• Flatten the body of the horse out between your thumb and forefinger.

• Take another quarter block of white and knead until smooth. Split the piece in half and roll into balls. Roll these balls into coils about 2" long. Make one end slightly smaller than the other.

• Place these coils onto the body and press firmly on. Place the rocker over the bottom of the legs and press on well.

• Take another quarter block of white clay, and divide in half. Knead one portion until smooth, and then roll into a pear shape.

• Press the thicker end onto the neck of the rocking horse.

• Take a 3/4" ball of navy blue clay and roll into a coil about 2" long.

• Press down around the back of the head and neck.

• Make 7 cuts into the mane of the horse with your Sculpey Super Slicer blade. Do not cut all the way through to the neck.

• Take a 1" ball of navy blue clay and roll into a coil with tapered ends about 6" long.

• Fold this in 1/2 and twist together.

• Place the thick end on the rump of the horse and press on firmly.

• Bring the tail down along the legs and curl slightly on the end. Press gently to the back of the leg and the rocker.

• Take a 1/8" ball of navy blue clay and flatton on the face of the horse for his eye.

• Take a 1/16" ball of black and flatten that onto the center of the navy ball (for the pupil of the eye) that you have already placed.

• Take a 1/8" ball of white and roll it into a teardrop. Flatten this between your fingers and place the small end towards the back of the head or mane. This forms the eyelid.

• Take your needle tool and draw a "backwards 6" in the upper part of the nose to form the nostril. Cut the lower third of the muzzle to make the mouth.

• Take a 1/4" ball of white and roll it into a teardrop shape. Place this at the top of the head with the thickest end on the head and the smallest end on the mane. Press down gently to attach.

• Stick the point of the needle tool into the bottom of the ear and lay the tool down (up to the top of the ear) to form the indentation in the ear.

• Now, take the miniature doll flexible mold and mold the smallest face, using more clay than you need in order to form a skull and neck on the tiny face. You do this so that when you put the hair on, it has a "head" to stick to. Mold a left hand and a left foot as well.

• Take a 3/4" ball of red and flatten into a disk about 1-1/2" in diameter.

• Make gathers at one end of the disk.

• Wrap around the neck of the face you molded. Place the gathers right under the chin. Place the little girl and the dress onto the back of the horse.

• Take a 1/2" ball of red clay and roll into an elongated tear drop. Bend at a right angle in the middle.

• Place the smaller end at the neck and press on.

• Slip the foot under the dress so the toes stock out, and press the dress down gently.

• Cut the hand off at the wrist and place against the bottom of the sleeve.

• Take a 1/2" ball of gold clay and a 1/2" ball of yellow, and marble the two together by twisting. Use a 1/4" ball of the mix and flatten between your fingers. Cut lines vertically into the flattened piece for bangs and place on the head over the forehead. Press down gently to attach.

• Use the rest of the mix by rolling into a 1-1/2" coil and flattening it. "Draw" lines with your blade or needle tool the length of the flattened piece.

• Place that piece over the top of the bands and down the back of the dress.

• Take a 1/2" ball of gold and roll out into a 7-1/2" long coil. Fold this in half. Twist together to form the reins.

• Put the reins over the front of the horse's nose, and over to under the chin; drape back towards the little girl and place under her hand. Press the hand down and drape the reins back on the horse. Make an indentation with your needle tool where the reins cross over the chin and the neck of the horse.

• Take a 1/4" ball of red and place into just the flower part of the Leaf Motif mold. Release the flower from the mold.

• Place the flower over the reins where you made the indentation.

• Place another 1/4" ball of red into the flower of the two-leaf piece on the mold; then, press Green Pearl clay over that into the leaves. Trim off the back and release the piece. Place this on the rocker where the leg comes down.

• Mold another flower plus leaf and place on the other side of the rocker over the other leg.

• Now, roll out some Navy in a 1/8" coil and "write" with the clay. I put 2001, but you can "write" anything you might want such as names. Press gently on.

• Now, take your 4" piece of craft wire and fold over your needle tool or a stick pen. Then, twist the two ends together to form a hook. Place into the head and body of the little girl. Go slowly so that the wire doesn't bend.

• NOTE: If you wish to make the rider on the ornament a boy, look at this picture:

Baking Instructions:

• Place your ornament on an index card in a glass baking dish. Bake in a calibrated oven at 275 degrees for 25 minutes.
• NOTE: Calibrate the oven temperature by checking the dial or digital readout's accuracy with an external oven thermometer. Turn the dial up or down to reach an accurate 275 degrees. Check several areas of the oven.