Souffle Channel Bracelets

Step 1:

Getting Started Polymer clay may stain. CLAY MAY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED FURNITURE OR FINISHED SURFACES. DO NOT USE polymer clay on unprotected surfaces. We recommend working on the Sculpey clay mat, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or disposable foil. Start with clean hands and work surface area. Knead clay until soft and smooth. For best results, clean your hands in between colors. Shape clay, pressing pieces together firmly. Bake on oven-proof glass or metal surface at 275°F (130 °C) for 30 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) thickness. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. DO NOT USE MICROWAVE OVEN. DO NOT EXCEED THE ABOVE TEMPERATURE OR RECOMMENDED BAKING TIME. Wash hands after use. Baking should be completed by an adult. Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. For best results, condition all clay by running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Step 2:

Blend clay pieces and make sheets. Roll out a sheet on a #3 setting on the clay conditioning machine (i.e. medium setting). If the sheet is too thick, it will be quite hard to work with it – the clay does not fit in the blank properly, it sticks out and smoothing it towards edges is almost impossible.

Step 3:

Now, choose a basic color (I have an orange one) and make 3 cm thick (actually, thin!) sheet. This is the basis of the bracelet, so do not forget to measure its length. I usually do it by winding a piece of paper I am working on around the channel bracelets to mark the appropriate length.

Step 4:

Place the clay on the paper. Throughout the entire length of the sheet cut out the largest squares you want to use. You can either cut out all the squares of the sheet and then fill the gaps with squares of other colors or just cut out one square of the sheet and fill the gap with another color square, and so on… Choose various colors of the squares from the palette you have prepared. Thanks to the paper the clay remains in the cutter and is not stuck to the mat.

Step 5:

Fold the paper (or take another sheet and place it over) and smooth the clay throughout the entire length of the bracelet by using the spoon or you fingers (warm hands are perfect for Soufflé). As soon as the white links at joints disappear from the tracing (parchment) paper and the clay shows even through the paper, it is done.

Step 6:

After smoothing the clay, unstick the sheet from the paper using a blade. Next, cut out squares with a cutter one size smaller than the one you used before and repeat the process. At the end, smooth the surface out and cut it off.

Step 7:

Now, take the smallest size of the cutter to fill in the centres of the squares. Do not forget to use all available colours. The smallest squares can be hardly removed from the cutter with fingers without being distorted, so use any round tool or just a clean fine brush to get them out. Smooth the sheet for the last time and cut it off.

Step 8:

It is time to measure the size of the channels: cut an adequately wide strip of the sheet and put it into the channel. Measuring the length of the channel beforehand is useful as well as cutting the piece a bit larger than necessary. Wind the strip around the bracelet and cut it off at the spot where the ends overlap. Remove excessive clay, smooth the surface with your fingers over the paper to avoid blurring the motif, and it is done! You can see in the picture that I divided the squares into two parts and placed them into two bracelet blanks

Step 9:

Repeat the same procedure with triangles arranging them into a zigzag pattern, e.g. one next to each other fitting one shape into another.

Step 10:

That´s it! Enjoy the creation!