Liquid Sculpey Heartworks Pendant

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:

Begin by preheating oven to 275 °F (130 °C). After you are done creating; for best results bake 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; however please note that the baking 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.

Designer’s Note - For molds like the Silicone Jewelry Mold or Cabochon Mold, where pieces are made in open shapes, I find a Cold Cure method works really well. Preheat the oven to 275 °F. If using more than one color of liquid, make sure the liquids are comparable in thickness and thin with Sculpey® Liquid Clay Softener as needed. Always stir the liquids completely, especially when mixing softener or tints into them. Fill the mold as desired and gently tap the mold on a flat smooth surface to release air bubbles. Place the filled silicone mold on top of a wet cloth and bake for 20 minutes. Baking at this low temperature and on a wet cloth will bake the pieces slowly which keeps air bubbles from forming. Once the piece is set, it can be baked again at the higher temperature of 300 degrees if necessary without bubbles forming. Designer’s Note - Please note that for Clear Liquid Sculpey® (LS) to go completely clear it must be heated to a temperature of 325 degrees F. This can be achieved either in the oven that you usually bake your clay projects in or you can accomplish this very carefully with a heat gun. Extreme care should be exercised with either method so that you do not burn your project. Designer’s Note - I use miniature paper baking liners for mixing Liquid Sculpey® for projects that require only a small amount of each color. If I’m mixing up several different colors, I use a mini muffin baking pan to hold the paper cups steady while I’m mixing. When I’m all finished with a project, I fill my mold with any remaining tinted LS and bake the pieces to save for later projects. Then I bake the paper cups with the residue of the LS in them. When they are completely cool the cups can be discarded. The paper cups I use are from the baking department and designed for use as mini cupcake liners.

In a paper baking cup, pour a small amount of Clear Liquid Sculpey® (LS). Add the tiniest amount of gray alcohol ink to the liquid and stir it in completely. Using the tip of a toothpick was about the only way I cold get as little ink as I wanted to mix into the Clear LS. You might want to make a tiny test to see how deep the color comes out because the colors will deepen when baked

To keep the little inclusions exactly where you want them, it’s important to go through several bakings with this project, layering the inclusions in between layers of the tinted Clear LS. Fill the heart shape in the silicone mold with a very thin layer of the tinted Clear LS. Lay just a couple of gears on the Clear LS. Place the mold on a damp cloth and bake at 275 degrees F for 20 minutes. When the mold is completely cool, add another thin layer of Clear LS and place more little gears in this layer. Wet the cloth again and bake the silicone mold on the cloth at 275 degrees F for another 20 minutes. Repeat this process as many times as you like to get the desired amount of inclusions in place. When you have the piece the way you want it, back fill the mold with tinted Clear LS to top it off. Bake the mold one final time on the damp cloth at 275 for 20 minutes to set the shape.

When the mold is completely cool, remove the heart shape by flexing the mold carefully. Next, do a test to see how much fine ball chain you will need to go around the heart. Lay the heart down on the baking surface right side up. Lay the first ball of the ball chain in between the lobes of the heart and wrap the ball chain all the way around the heart as tightly as possible. Trim the ball chain with wire cutters to fit. Make sure the heart is now positioned on a baking surface. Squirt a line of untinted Clear LS all the way around the heart shape. Carefully and quickly lay the short piece of ball chain in the liquid. Bake immediately at 325 degrees F to set and clear the LS.

After the piece is completely cool, turn it over and position a little key inclusion on the back side setting it into place with Clear LS. Bake the piece upside down to seal the key in at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Trim excess Clear LS neatly away with sharp scissors along the outside of the ball chain. Add the large jump ring to the heart. Connect the heart to the ball chain with the remaining two jump rings. Add the charms to the top jump ring.