|
Welcome to page 4 of the Polymer Clay Bead Tutorial.
Page 4 of 5
|
|
|
Supplies List for Roll-Up Beads...
White polymer clay ( I used Sculpey brand. Use whatever you have.).
Cardboard from cereal box to use as a template.
Ceramic tile (to use as a work surface and to use as a baking surface.).
One large rubber stamp or one clean tennishoe (yup! I said a tennishoe. The soles make great rubber stamps.).
Rubber brayer, acrylic roller, or a glass (something to use to roll your clay out. If using a drinking glass do not use it to drink out of again.).
Oven or toaster oven.
Oven Thermometer (Optional)
Polyester Batting.
Toothpick
Q-tip (type with the pointed end).
Acrylic Paint (I used the color Burnt Umber but use whatever color you like to contrast with the white polymer clay you are using.).
Paint brush or sponge brush.
Acrylic Spray Sealer.
Pasta Machine dedicated to be used only for polymer clay (Optional).
Tissue Blade (available at the craft supply store in the polymer clay isle.) or craft knife with sharp blade.
Paper Towels.
|
|
|
 I call these beads "Roll-ups". They are very easy to make. (Click on the photos for larger views of them.)
|
|
|
 Condition your clay in your pasta machine. Run it through about 25-30 times on the number 4 setting. (If you don't have a pasta machine your hands will do just fine. Just keep smushing it and squeezing it over and over until it is soft, warm, and pliable. When you are done conditioning it flatten it out onto your work surface to a thickness of about 1/8th of an inch.)
|
|
 Here is my sheet of polymer clay and I have cut out a cardboard triangle to use as a template so that all my beads will all be the same size. The template measures 1 inch wide at the bottom and 4 inches tall.
|
|
|
|
 Lay your template on top of your clay. Using your tissue blade or exacto knife, cut out your clay triangles.
|
|
|
 Lay your clay on a rubber stamp that's large enough to accommodate the whole piece of clay. (you may want to brush your rubber stamp with corn starch or talcum powder to prevent the clay from sticking to the stamp.)
|
|
|
 Now use your brayer, wood dowel, or acrylic tube and roll over your clay with sufficient pressure to make a deeply etched image in your clay from your rubber stamp.
|
|
|
 Place a toothpick over the bottom edge of your clay triangle and roll the bottom on the clay over it just slightly.
|
|
|
 Roll your bead up in a smooth long motion but make sure you don't put too much pressure on it or your image will get distorted. The clay will stick to itself without your help so no pressure is necessary.
|
|
|
 Here is our bead all rolled up.
|
|
|
 Remove the toothpick by firmly holding the toothpick with one hand while gently twisting the bead with the other. The reason you should remove the bead before baking is not that the toothpick will burn but the clay will bake onto the bead and it will be harder to remove later.
|
(Go on to Page 5 of the Polymer Clay Bead Tutorial.)
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
