Sculpey Soufflé™ Stepped Color Channel Bracelet

Getting Started:

Please make sure your work area is covered and you are not working on an unprotected surface. We recommend working on the Sculpey® Oven-Safe Work Mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a Pasta Machine. We recommend using a designated machine for clay purposes only. When working with multiple colors, clean hands with soap and water or baby wipes (we have found that baby wipes work best) before switching colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

Baking (also called Curing):

Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake/cure clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil, an index card or the Sculpey® Clay Mat at 275°F (130 °C) for 30 minutes per 1/4" (6
mm) thickness according to package directions. Oven safe glass or ceramic
surfaces are also acceptable for baking/curing; however please note that the
baking/curing times may take longer as the glass or ceramic surfaces take
longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE
MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME.

Start by mixing the custom colors so that you have all the colors you need for this Stepped Bracelet.

Mix 1/8 bar Yellow Ochre with 1/8 bar Igloo for Light Yellow Ochre;

Mix 1/8 bar Pumpkin with 1/8 bar Igloo for Light Pumpkin;

Mix 1/8 bar Sea Glass with 1/8 bar Igloo for Light Sea Glass.

Now you should have seven colors including Igloo.

Roll each of the seven colors into long ropes approximately 1/8” thick. Ideally the ropes would be approximately 8” long.

Lay the ropes together sides touching in the order shown.

Pinch them gently together so they stick to each other.

Carefully roll the ropes together with the Acrylic Clay Roller.

Divide the striped sheet into three equal portions with a Clay Blade and lay the sections side by side to create a triple wide striped sheet.

Roll the sheet with the Clay Roller to make all the sections stick to each other creating one sheet.

I have also turned my sheet so that the stripes are perpendicular to myself and easier to cut across with a Clay Blade.

Roll the striped sheet to the work surface to mount it down.

Sheet 1/4 bar Yellow Ochre to a bit less than 1/8” thick (#2 or #3 thickest setting on a pasta machine if you are using one). This is the background for assembling the striped pattern, so it need to be wider and longer than the metal channel bracelet.

Carefully roll the metal channel bracelet from end to end in the Yellow Ochre strip to impress the sides of the channel into the clay. This will give you some guidelines for how many strips of color you need to lay down.

Use a Clay Blade to carefully cut a very slim row of row of striped color. Push all the way down through the striped sheet, rock the blade and then push the blade hard and at a slight angle toward the cut row. This method should allow you to pick up the entire row up on the blade. Picking the striped piece up with the blade is incredibly useful for transferring it from the work surface to the Yellow Ochre sheet.

Position the first strip right along the inside of the embossed mark closest to you. Place the strip down with the blade and tilt the blade toward the strip to help depress it and release it from the blade to the Yellow Ochre base. This may take some practice and patience but it is a process that is applicable to many projects and worth it to learn.

As you add more strips variegate the stripes so that a pattern is created.

If you have pieces that are too short on one end, you can transfer portions of strips to the short end with the blade.

Here’s a look at my pattern that is jogging back and forth and this is also a good photo of a strip in progress that is stuck to my blade.

When you think your pattern is about wide enough, compare it to the width of the channel bracelet.

Carefully roll the surface of the pattern to make sure it’s level, to help it seat into the background clay, and to help all the stripes attach to each other side to side.

You can also burnish the top of the pattern with patty or deli paper with your fingertips.

When you are happy with the pattern and design, carefully roll the channel bracelet across the pattern to re-establish the guidelines.

Trim along the guidelines with the Clay Blade so the pattern will fit exactly into the channel.

Remove the trimmed clay.

Wrap the metal bracelet with the clay strip in between the channels. Use fingertip pressure to make sure the clay is laying flat between the channel edges.

Bake the metal bracelet with the clay on it following the baking instructions for Sculpey Soufflé™.

Allow to cool completely before handling.

When the bracelet and the metal have cooled completely, carefully pop the clay off of the metal with your fingernail.

Permanently glue the clay to the metal bracelet using instant drying glue.