Sculpey Premo™ and Soufflé™ Sparkling Water-Look Pens

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.

Create small snakes of each of your selected colors that are about 4 inches in length and about 1/4 inch diameter.

Twist the 3 colors together and cut in half

Twist together again to make a long coil and then twist together again. Roll

Press the coils together and use your fingers to create a rectangle of clay

Use your clay blade to slice the rectangle open lengthwise.

Use the acrylic roller to slightly flatten the two pieces and help them blend together.

Cut the sheet of clay lengthwise in slices about 3/8 inch wide. Stack the slices so that you are looking at the cut edge of the slices. Don’t worry if they aren’t even cuts!

Rotate the stack a quarter turn and lightly roll over the stack to ensure that the slices are fixed to each other. Rotate the stack a quarter turn again to what was the bottom edge when you first cut/stacked these pieces and you should have a nice even edge to start your cuts with.

Cut the stack into thin pieces by holding your blade very taut as you slice.

Use the acrylic roller to flatten the slices and lengthen them slightly. We want to try to get them to a more uniform thickness if possible.

Remove the cap from your pen and use your pliers to twist and pull the tip and ink out of the barrel. Set aside for now as we are going to work on the empty barrel.

Lay your slices around the barrel of the pen, butting the slices up tightly against each other.

I elected to twist the ends of the clay in opposite directions to add some motion to the pattern.

Roll the barrel gently on your worksurface to smooth the clay out. Don’t worry if it goes beyond the ends of the pen

Slice the excess clay off at the top of the pen, leaving just a small amount to tuck in and cover the top of the pen.

I elected to cover to the tip of the black end of the pen where the ink goes in. You can also trim to just the white portion of the barrel.

Make sure that the space is fully open to re-insert the ink after baking! Set aside for now.

I had a bit of leftover patterned clay, so I chopped it all up into smallish pieces and then pressed them together as shown.

Once again, push the clay into a rectangular shape, pressing as much air as possible

Once again, make thin slices through the block of clay and say, “YES! I meant to do that!”

Use the acrylic roller to gently roll the slices to thin them slightly and make the thickness more uniform.

Lay the slices around the barrel of another pen (take the ink out!), butting the edges up tightly with each other.

Lay the pen barrel down on your work surface and roll gently back and forth to smooth the clay along the barrel.

Finish the ends of the pen as described in Steps 15 and 16 above and bake your pens.

Once the pens have baked and COOLED, insert the ink cartridges again. Make sure that the barrels or cooled or it *may* cause the ink to heat and come out the tip.

I elected to give the pen barrels a quick thin coat of Sculpey Gloss Glaze to better highlight the sparkles in the patterns. It is NOT necessary to do so however!