Premo™ Heart of the Woods 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.

I use what I call an “overstamp” technique on this pendant. Sheet out a small piece of the conditioned Slate clay on the widest setting of the clay conditioning machine. Lightly spray the Safety Tred or course sand paper with water and press or roll into the clay. Remove the sheet. Lightly spray the wood texture and press over the textured clay. You can clearly see on the right hand side how the first texture still shows in the wood grain!

Use the largest of the teardrop cutters to cut out your selected area of the texture. (I always like to include the “knot”)

Sheet out a small piece of the Cayenne clay on the second to widest setting of the clay conditioning machine. Check to see if that is now the same thickness as the woodgrain. Lightly press this sheet of clay against the smooth tile. Use the smallest heart cutter to cut out a heart. The clay should stick to the tile and not the cutter. Peel up the excess Cayenne clay and slide the clay blade under the heart to lift it from the cutter. Position the cutter on the teardrop and cut out a part of the woodgrain. Put the Cayenne heart in its place.

Use the largest Style n’ Detail tool to lightly roll around the edges of the heart to help seal it to the woodgrain. NOTE: You may want to sheet out a small piece of the Slate clay on a thin setting, place this pendant on the sheet and use the same cutter to cut out. This will firmly affix the Cayenne heart in the woodgrain. This photo clearly shows you the effect of over stamping the texture on the clay!

If you use a needle tool to place your holes, do so now before baking. I put two holes at the top. Bake according to the directions in Step 1. After the clay has baked and cooled, wash the entire surface quickly with the black acrylic paint. Wipe off the excess paint with a damp paper towel. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Because I drill my clay after baking, I now drill my two holes at the top of the pendant and I assemble my hardware.

Glue the eye pins into place at the top of the pendant. Loop the thin cording through the eye pin and slide two of the Oh! Rings into place. I chose to pull the Oh! Rings over the eye pins. Repeat on the other side.

Trim the two sides of cording to the length you wish. The cording is glued into place in the coiled cord clasp. I use my bent nose pliers to bend the end of the coiled wire to tighten it over the cording. NOTE: because my cording was so thin, I added 2 extra short pieces into the cord clasp and then trimmed those pieces to the clasp after I had clamped the wire. Add your jumprings and clasp.