Seashell Coasters - Sculpey Clay Projects

Seashell Coasters with TLS "glazes"
Design by Lynn B. Krucke

Materials and Tools:

Premo Sculpey (pearl 5101)
Translucent Liquid Sculpey
Super Elasticlay (E08)
Ranger Heat Set Inks (I used purple, green, blue)
Seashells
Corn Starch or Baby Powder
Shade-Tex texture sheet (I used ripple pattern)
Ceramic tiles (optional, but very handy)
Cookie or biscuit cutter (3 inches across) dedicated to clay
Spritzer bottle filled with water
Pasta machine, Sculpey Acrylic Clay Roller, or another way of making sheets of clay
Sculpey Super Slicer or craft knife
Inexpensive paintbrush
Palette
Toothpicks
Paper towels
Scrap paper
Pencil
Thin cork (available on rolls at craft stores and home stores)
E6000 glue or similar adhesive
Polymer-friendly glaze

Directions:

To create the shell molds: Form pieces of Super Elasticlay into rectangles slightly larger than each shell to be molded. Dust the surface of the Elasticlay with corn starch. Press a shell into each rectangle, then carefully remove it. Bake Elasticlay according to package directions and allow molds to cool.

Molding shells: Use small pieces of conditioned pearl clay. Spritz the mold to be used lightly with water, then press the clay into the mold. Use the Super Slicer to slice away excess clay, leaving the clay flush with the top of the mold. Flex the mold and remove the "shell". Create several different shell shapes for each coaster you are making.

Condition the pearl clay and roll out a sheet on the widest setting of the pasta machine (slightly less than 1/8 inch thick). Spritz the texture sheet lightly with water and place it face down on the clay. Run the clay and texture sheet through the pasta machine again (at the same setting). Lift the texture sheet off the clay.

Move the textured clay to a ceramic tile. Trim each coaster top to 3.5 inches square and remove excess clay.
Use the cookie/biscuit cutter to cut a circle from the center of these clay squares.

The edges of the squares will be thin and it would be difficult to move them now without distorting the shape but they can be baked right on the tiles. If you are not using tiles, move the coaster tops carefully to your baking tray.
Use your finger to put a small amount of Translucent Liquid Sculpey on one corner of the coaster top for "glue". Arrange several shells in a cluster on this corner. Press them gently together and onto the base. Add small balls or snakes of clay for additional embellishment if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees. Allow to cool.
Prepare the glazes: Squeeze a small amount of Translucent Liquid Sculpey into a well on the palette. Add a tiny amount of the desired color of Heat Set Ink. Mix with toothpick. Keep in mind that these colors become brighter and more intense when baked. Look at the package labels for each color to get an idea of how it will look when heated.
Use your finger or the paintbrush to apply a small amount of untinted TLS over the entire surface of the coaster top. This allows the tinted TLS to "float" easily over the surface.
Add tinted TLS to cover the coaster top. Allow the colors to blend with one another in places, creating new colors. The final layer of TLS should be fairly even with the raised parts of the textured clay. Remember to cover the shells too. There's no need to clean the brush between colors- just wipe excess TLS off on the paper towel before changing colors.
Prepare bases for the coaster tops by rolling out sheets of pearl clay at the thickest setting of the pasta machine.
Carefully lift each baked "top". Wipe excess TLS glazes from the edges of the piece, then smear a little TLS onto the back for "glue".
Press the glazed "top" onto the unbaked clay. Trim the unbaked clay so that the edges match.

Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Glaze coasters with polymer friendly glaze. While this dries, cut the cork sheets into circles slightly smaller than 3 inches across. Hint: You can create a paper template to trace around but if you have a circle cutter (like papercrafters use) it will work beautifully!
Glue the cork circles into place to complete the coasters.