Mystic Stone
Mystic Stone beads
super easy polymer clay beads using stamped impressions by Christi Friesen
For This Project You Will Need: þþ polymer clay – any “rocky” color
you like, I used Premo™ polymer clay in Grey Granite, Glitter White and Gold þþ Christi Friesen’s “Swirleys” stamp/ texture sheet (or similar spiral stamp pattern). See Resources þþ (optional): mister = fine spray water spritzer þþ tools: needle tool, paint brush, clayconditioning machine (or roller) þþ (optional): “CF’s ‘Rock Mix’ powder, or any dark embossing powder þþ chalk powder: brown. See Resources þþ oven, oven thermometer
Carvings into rock are some of the oldest examples of human artistry. I’m especially fascinated by the spiral carvings in Ireland created in the Neolithic era. I love this one – a 5 ton giant that protected the opening to Newgrange (in Irish: “Si an Bhru”) a prehistoric monument older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Nobody really knows what these spiral carvings meant – were they just decorative? Were they mystical? Were they giant doodles or prehistoric Zentangles? Well, whatever they were, they were certainly interesting and would make great inspirations for polymer creations, don’t you think? So, let’s let ROCK! CONDITIONING THE CLAY AND BLENDING THE COLOR You have to ‘condition’ polymer before you use it to get it soft, flexible and ready to use. To condition clay all you have to do is roll, fold and smush until the clay is soft and bendable. To mix clay colors together. to achieve new blends, you do the same - so let’s condition and blend simultaneously, to save time. I used Premo™ brand polymer clay in stoney colors to mix a pale-grayish granite color. Your mystic stones can be any color you want - stones luckily come in rather a lot of colors and I think any of them could be ‘mystic’ if they wanted to. ©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
1
Warm up the clays with your hands, then mix/condition them to get a rocky blend - it’s ok if some of the colors are still streaky, that looks very natural. ADDING A BIT MORE GRIT If you want your rocks to look more gritty (and who doesn’t!), you can blend in a little dark embossing powder. Just pour a small amount onto the clay blend and fold the clay around it to encase it. Carefully roll it (feed it through the clay-conditioning machine) until the gritty specks are deposited throughout the clay mix. Add as much as you want until the clay blend looks good to you. MAKING THE ROCK BEADS Well, this is an easy step. Just pinch off bits of clay from the rocky blend and roll them into balls and ovals. They can be any size - think about the size you would wear on a necklace and create accordingly! I made mine about the size of a chocolate truffle...mmmmm…. Make several rocks! At least three to seven would make a reasonable necklace, don’t you think? Use a needle tool to pierce a hole through the rock bead for stringing later. I suggest that you make the hole in the upper third of the shape, not in the middle (so it will hang properly and not just spin around and around!) Keep the needle tool inserted for the next step. MAKING SPIRAL IMPRESSIONS Ok, so I cheated on this next part. To make the spiral impressions, I reached for a handy-dandy stamp sheet that happens to be all spirals! (The “Swirleys” stamp/ texture sheet, although you may substitute any spiral-patterned rubber stamp pattern). To use a stamp on polymer clay, you’ll need to use a release agent. All that means is something that helps the stamp release from the clay (since they kinda’ like to stick together). You can use several things, but I find that for this project, a light spritz with a finespray water mister is the best. If you don’t have that, you can use a moistened paper towel to wipe a thin sheen of water over the stamp texture. ©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
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Now, using the needle tool as a handle, press the surface of the rock into the misted stamp pattern. You can roll the clay a bit so the pattern goes around the rock, not just all on the front. Experiment with each rock to place the patterns differently, or use different swirls. Keep it interesting! ACCENTUATING THE DESIGNS WITH POWDER There are several ways you can make those spiral impressions be noticeable, but also look natural. The best way is to use chalk powders to color the impressions, or color around the impressions. You can use blending chalks, or use chalk pastels (just scratch some of the pastel into a powder with a craft knife blade!) With a small paintbrush, add light brown powder to the impressions or around them. The idea is to mimic the look of old stones that have been colored by age, so use a light touch. Another way to apply the chalk is to dust it over the whole pattern, then use clear tape to lift the powder from the surface of the design, leaving it only in the crevices. BAKING THE PIECES Once you have all the rocks patterned and colored, it’s time to bake the clay. Polymer clay hardens only when it’s properly heated. Preheat your oven to 275ºF (130ºC) if you are using Premo clay (or according to manufacturer’s directions if you are using another brand). Use an oven thermometer inside the oven to monitor the temperature accurately. Lay the rocks on a piece of clean, stiff paper and bake them for 30-45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool completely. FINAL THOUGHTS Since these are supposed to be rough rocks, I don’t coat with any sealer or glaze. That means the chalk powders may rub off slightly with wear, but usually they stay just fine. Polymer doesn’t need to be sealed to be strong and wearable. So, now go string these up as a necklace, and rock on! RESOURCES
. Christi Friesen “Swirleys” stamp/texture sheet, CF’s ‘Rock Mix’ powder, mister/sprayer, tools: www.ChristiFriesen.com . chalk powder/chalk pastels: art supply or craft store
©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
3
super easy polymer clay beads using stamped impressions by Christi Friesen
For This Project You Will Need: þþ polymer clay – any “rocky” color
you like, I used Premo™ polymer clay in Grey Granite, Glitter White and Gold þþ Christi Friesen’s “Swirleys” stamp/ texture sheet (or similar spiral stamp pattern). See Resources þþ (optional): mister = fine spray water spritzer þþ tools: needle tool, paint brush, clayconditioning machine (or roller) þþ (optional): “CF’s ‘Rock Mix’ powder, or any dark embossing powder þþ chalk powder: brown. See Resources þþ oven, oven thermometer
Carvings into rock are some of the oldest examples of human artistry. I’m especially fascinated by the spiral carvings in Ireland created in the Neolithic era. I love this one – a 5 ton giant that protected the opening to Newgrange (in Irish: “Si an Bhru”) a prehistoric monument older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Nobody really knows what these spiral carvings meant – were they just decorative? Were they mystical? Were they giant doodles or prehistoric Zentangles? Well, whatever they were, they were certainly interesting and would make great inspirations for polymer creations, don’t you think? So, let’s let ROCK! CONDITIONING THE CLAY AND BLENDING THE COLOR You have to ‘condition’ polymer before you use it to get it soft, flexible and ready to use. To condition clay all you have to do is roll, fold and smush until the clay is soft and bendable. To mix clay colors together. to achieve new blends, you do the same - so let’s condition and blend simultaneously, to save time. I used Premo™ brand polymer clay in stoney colors to mix a pale-grayish granite color. Your mystic stones can be any color you want - stones luckily come in rather a lot of colors and I think any of them could be ‘mystic’ if they wanted to. ©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
1
Warm up the clays with your hands, then mix/condition them to get a rocky blend - it’s ok if some of the colors are still streaky, that looks very natural. ADDING A BIT MORE GRIT If you want your rocks to look more gritty (and who doesn’t!), you can blend in a little dark embossing powder. Just pour a small amount onto the clay blend and fold the clay around it to encase it. Carefully roll it (feed it through the clay-conditioning machine) until the gritty specks are deposited throughout the clay mix. Add as much as you want until the clay blend looks good to you. MAKING THE ROCK BEADS Well, this is an easy step. Just pinch off bits of clay from the rocky blend and roll them into balls and ovals. They can be any size - think about the size you would wear on a necklace and create accordingly! I made mine about the size of a chocolate truffle...mmmmm…. Make several rocks! At least three to seven would make a reasonable necklace, don’t you think? Use a needle tool to pierce a hole through the rock bead for stringing later. I suggest that you make the hole in the upper third of the shape, not in the middle (so it will hang properly and not just spin around and around!) Keep the needle tool inserted for the next step. MAKING SPIRAL IMPRESSIONS Ok, so I cheated on this next part. To make the spiral impressions, I reached for a handy-dandy stamp sheet that happens to be all spirals! (The “Swirleys” stamp/ texture sheet, although you may substitute any spiral-patterned rubber stamp pattern). To use a stamp on polymer clay, you’ll need to use a release agent. All that means is something that helps the stamp release from the clay (since they kinda’ like to stick together). You can use several things, but I find that for this project, a light spritz with a finespray water mister is the best. If you don’t have that, you can use a moistened paper towel to wipe a thin sheen of water over the stamp texture. ©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
2
Now, using the needle tool as a handle, press the surface of the rock into the misted stamp pattern. You can roll the clay a bit so the pattern goes around the rock, not just all on the front. Experiment with each rock to place the patterns differently, or use different swirls. Keep it interesting! ACCENTUATING THE DESIGNS WITH POWDER There are several ways you can make those spiral impressions be noticeable, but also look natural. The best way is to use chalk powders to color the impressions, or color around the impressions. You can use blending chalks, or use chalk pastels (just scratch some of the pastel into a powder with a craft knife blade!) With a small paintbrush, add light brown powder to the impressions or around them. The idea is to mimic the look of old stones that have been colored by age, so use a light touch. Another way to apply the chalk is to dust it over the whole pattern, then use clear tape to lift the powder from the surface of the design, leaving it only in the crevices. BAKING THE PIECES Once you have all the rocks patterned and colored, it’s time to bake the clay. Polymer clay hardens only when it’s properly heated. Preheat your oven to 275ºF (130ºC) if you are using Premo clay (or according to manufacturer’s directions if you are using another brand). Use an oven thermometer inside the oven to monitor the temperature accurately. Lay the rocks on a piece of clean, stiff paper and bake them for 30-45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool completely. FINAL THOUGHTS Since these are supposed to be rough rocks, I don’t coat with any sealer or glaze. That means the chalk powders may rub off slightly with wear, but usually they stay just fine. Polymer doesn’t need to be sealed to be strong and wearable. So, now go string these up as a necklace, and rock on! RESOURCES
. Christi Friesen “Swirleys” stamp/texture sheet, CF’s ‘Rock Mix’ powder, mister/sprayer, tools: www.ChristiFriesen.com . chalk powder/chalk pastels: art supply or craft store
©2013 Christi Friesen, www.ChristiFriesen.com All rights reserved. Please do not reprint this project without written permission from the author. Absolutely feel free to create and sell your own work as influenced by this project! (but please use a “inspired by Christi Friesen” in the display, because it’s just polite ;-D) It’s considered rather uncool to reproduce someone else’s work for a contest or in publication (that’s when your own creative innovations should shine!) but if you’re not sure what’s cool or not, just email me, we’ll chat!
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