syndee holt
Designer syndee holt loves leaves and vines, so she’s always looking for ways to create them with Sculpey. These leaves are created by laying pieces of extruded clay together and using a cutter to create a leaf shape.
Getting Started
Preheat oven to 275 °F. Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay.
Step 1
Paint the frame, using the foam brush, with the lighter color of paint. Set aside and allow to dry. Once the paint is dry, pick a small amount of the darker color up on your foam brush and brush is across the small piece of sea sponge and lightly dab the darker color onto the frame. Add more paint to the sponge using the brush until the entire frame is covered. Set aside to dry.
Step 2
Condition ½ the package of Leaf Green clay in your hands until it is soft and pliable. Roll it into a cylinder and put it into the extruder. Put the small circle (NOT the pinhole!) dye into the tip of the extruder. I prefer to invert the extruder, placing the plunger against a hard surface. (Use a soft pad underneath the plunger to keep it from marring a tabletop). Then push the extruder down towards the hard surface to extrude the clay.
Step 3
Roll the remaining Leaf Green clay through the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine on the widest setting. When the edges of the clay are smooth and the sheet it pliable, roll it back through the machine on the #3 setting to create a thin sheet of clay.
Step 4
Cut a 2 inch piece of extruded clay and position it on the sheet of clay so that it is nice and straight.
Step 5
Begin cutting ½ inch pieces of the extruded clay and lay them at 90 degree angle to the 2 inch piece, aligning them so that they are even on either side and stacked right next to each other. When you have filled the length of the original 2 inch piece of extruded clay, align the leaf cutter to the center piece of extruded clay and cut out your leaf. Repeat these steps to create about a dozen leaves. NOTE: Use a rounded blunt tool to help push the clay out of the mold if necessary.
Step 6
Extrude a small amount of brown clay and coil to create the rest of your design, adding the half round glass to represent a bloom.
Step 7
Create the design with the clay on the frame before it is baked, then carefully remove the clay pieces and bake them, according to the clay package directions. Put the pieces back into place on the frame with white craft glue once they are baked and cooled.
Small leaf cutter – this is from the Wilton leaf set
Small half glass “pebbles” in any color
Simple wooden frame
Two colors of acrylic paint- I've used a turquoise and a royal blue color
Small foam brush and small piece of sea sponge
White craft glue
