premo! Silk Screened Abstract Bracelet

Getting StartedPolymer 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 working small amounts in your hand until smooth and soft.

Condition about ¾ of a package of Ultra Light with an equal amount of scrap clay; this does not have to be an accurate measurement, just an approximation. This may sound like a lot of clay and although you will have leftovers of this mixture you will need the large amount to give you space to cut out your shape. Roll out 4 large sheets on the #1 setting on your pasta machine and stack them on top of each other. As you add one sheet to the stack use your acrylic roller to gently roll the layers together so any air trapped between the layers is pressed out. Once you have your stack of 4 sheets trim it so the stack is about 5” square. Position your large circle cutter in the center and push down through all of the layers. Remove the circle cutter and if the cut out did not lift out with the cutter use your needle tool to pick it out of the stack of clay. To cut out the shape of the bracelet use your Super Slicer blade; bend it into various curves and cut sections off of the stack. Be sure to leave a decent amount of space between the hole in the stack and where you are cutting away; you want to have a nice amount of space for the veneers we’ll be adding later. Because of the size of the bracelet core it will need to bake for at least an hour; while the core is in the oven you can continue onto the next steps and prepare your veneers.

Condition the Black clay and roll out a sheet on the #8 setting on the clay conditioning machine. Roll out a large sheet and cut several 1-3/4” squares. Screen each square with the Splatter pattern using the silver paint, set these to the side to let the paint dry a bit. Make sure to immediately place the screen into the tray of water, rinse, and dry after screening each square. Since the screen pattern is a circle you will need to trim the screened area into as large a square as you can. Set these screened squares to the side for later.

Condition the Silver clay and roll out a sheet on the #1 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Note: Make sure that the sheet you roll out is a consistent smooth metallic color, this will be important to creating this veneer. Cut the sheet in half and set one half to the side. Adjust the setting on the Clay Conditioning Machine to a #3 setting, roll the remaining half sheet through to thin it out. Lay the thinner sheet out on your work surface. Pick up the thicker half sheet you created earlier in this step. Use your Super Slicer Blade to cut long strips from this sheet that are about 1/8” wide. Once you have 7 strips cut pick one of the strips up so you are holding one end in each hand. Hold one end still while you use your other hand to start twisting the strip of clay; you should see a helical pattern that looks kind of like “barber pole” stripes. Once you have the strip nicely twisted gently press it onto the thinner sheet of clay. Continue this process with the remaining strips of clay and adding them to the sheet of clay to the twisted strips are parallel to each other and spaced a little bit apart. Once you have the sheet covered with twisted strands use the Acrylic Roller to flatten the twisted strips onto the sheet of clay; you do not need to flatten them out completely, just enough to make them stick. Lift the sheet of clay and position it against the rollers of the Clay Conditioning Machine so that the twisted strips are perpendicular to the rollers; make sure the setting is #3. Roll the sheet through once and then set to #4 setting. Roll the sheet through again in the same direction, set to a #5 setting and roll through one last time. Set the sheet to the side to be used later.

Once the bracelet core is fully cured and has cooled off it is time to start adding the veneer. You are going to add the veneers so that the mica shift Silver veneer takes up about 1/3 of the face of the bracelet with the screened Black taking up the remaining 2/3 of the face; this will be the ratio for each side, of course you can choose to use more or less Silver in comparison to the screened Black. Use a ruler to draw a line across the face of the bracelet to show the dividing line between where the Silver and Black veneers will go. Rub a thin layer of Bake n’ Bond on the section you have marked off for the Silver veneer. Trim one edge of the Silver veneer sheet straight and line up the straight edge of the sheet with the line marked on the face of the bracelet. Smooth the sheet onto the face of the bracelet and turn the bracelet over to it is face down on your work surface. Use your Super Slicer blade to trim away the excess veneer. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

On the same side of the bracelet that you just added the Silver veneer to rub a thin layer of Bake n’ Bond on the portion of the bracelet face that doesn’t yet have a veneer. Pick up a silk screened square and place it on the face of the bracelet so it is tightly butted up against the edge of the Silver veneer you added in the last step. Continue placing screened squares onto the face of the bracelet until you have the rest of the face covered. As you add the squares turn them in different directions to add interest to the pattern. Blend all of the seams as best as you can; bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

Repeat Steps 5 and 6 on the opposite side of the bracelet.

Roll a thin strip of Black clay on the clay conditioning machine on a #5 that is long enough to wrap around the inside of the bracelet. Rub a thin layer of Bake n’ Bond around the inside of the bracelet and wrap the strip of clay around the inside of the bracelet. As you add the strip of clay be sure that it is sticking to the inside of the bracelet, when you get all of the way around the inside overlay the ends of the strip and cut through both layers. Remove the excess clay and blend the seam. Next use your Super Slicer blade to trim the strip of clay you just wrapped around the inside of the bracelet so it is flush against the face of the bracelet on both sides. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

Repeat what you did in Step 8 but on the outside of the bracelet. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely. Once the bracelet is cool paint a thin layer of satin glaze over the surface of the screened veneer portion of the bracelet and let dry. Once the glaze is dry you’re ready to wear your funky new bracelet.