Liquid Sculpey® Marbled Snowflake Ornament

Getting Started with Liquid Sculpey:

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 Liquid Polymer Clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately. - Stir Liquid Sculpey® completely. Thin with Sculpey® Liquid Clay Softener as needed - Wash hands after use (we have found that baby wipes work best)

Baking:

• It is important to use oven thermometer when you bake the liquids so that you can ensure your oven is at the correct temperature. • Do not microwave the liquids. They must be baked in a Preheated oven at 275 ºF (130 ºC) for liquid colors and 300 ºF (149 ºC) for Clear – Do not exceed baking temperatures. • If your piece is less than 1/4” bake for 15 minutes. For thicker pieces that are 1/4” or above bake for 30 minutes. • If your liquid project has become yellowed or discolored in the oven, when you remake it, tent it by placing either – folding an index card in half and placing your project under it or by using aluminum foil over your project.

After stirring each of the Liquid Sculpey® (LS) colors fill the two stick shaped cavities in the 3D Silicone Jewelry Mold. Add Pearl LS to the bottom 1/3 of each stick shape. Then add Translucent Turquoise LS to 2/3 full. Then top with Navy Metallic LS but do not fill completely to the top. Leave at least 1/8” space at the top of each stick.

If you want your snowflake to be really swirly looking, you can insert the Needle Tool into the liquids and give them a swirl.

Tap the mold gently on your work surface to help release bubbles. Another method for releasing bubbles is to gently squeeze the filled shape until the LS slowly protrudes from the top of the opening. Then release the squeeze and allow the LS to settle back into place. Repeat until you no longer see any bubbles surface and pop.

Place two 1” eye pins onto one of the metal rods which are included in the 3D Jewelry Mold Kit. Dip the eye pins, one each, into the center of the filled sticks. Lay the metal rod with the two eye pins on it across the little notches that are built into the mold. These little notches will hold the metal rod in place during baking. Make sure the eye pins are positioned directly in the center of each LS shape.

Back fill the stick shapes to level with more Navy Metallic.

Bake the mold following the baking instructions for LS.

Allow the mold to cool completely before removing the baked pieces.

To release the pieces most easily, squeeze the mold around the baked shapes to create a small gap between the baked LS and the side of the mold. Drip a drop of Sculpey® Liquid Clay Softener & Thinner into the gap. Run the needle tool through the drop of thinner and between the sides of the baked piece and the mold. Now the pieces should just squeeze right out when you pinch the bottom of the mold and push upward on the baked piece.

Remove excess Thinner from the baked pieces with paper towel.

Repeat Steps 2 through 5 to create a total of six baked pieces.

Connect the pieces together with the large jump ring using flat nose pliers to open and close the ring. The jump ring will not be visible in the finished piece but it will help keep the legs of the snowflake organized while you finish it.

Marble 1/32 of the bar of Sculpey III® Navy Pearl with 1/32 of the bar of Sculpey III® Pearl to create a swirled ball.

Cut the ball in half. Press half to the front of the snowflake, and half to the back of the snowflake, covering up the jump ring on both sides.

Use the long end of the Ball Tool to poke a hole in the center of the swirled ball of clay. Poke from front to back and then back to front to make a really neat hole.

Use the sides of the same tool to make nice grooves between each leg of the snowflake where it meets the clay center.

Place six tiny balls of Pearl Sculpey III® around the center of the snowflake. Carefully imbed a little heat set crystal into each of the balls. Tweezers are really helpful for handling the heat set crystals.

Make six balls from Navy Pearl Sculpey III® that will fit nicely onto the ends of each of the legs.

Imbed a larger heat set crystal into each of the Navy Pearl balls.

Bake the snowflake again, following the baking instructions for Sculpey III®.

When the snowflake is completely cool, thread the ribbon through the center hole and tie an overhand knot at the ends of the ribbon. Trim the tails with scissors.