-- Designer --
Kathy Weaver
Use Kato Polyclay to make ''do it yourself'' lapis for this cheerful necklace. Sterling silver and a sweet mix of shell and natural gemstone rounds out the look.
If you love the look of Lapis Lazuli but want to do it your way, use Kato Polyclay to ''roll your own.'' The results are fabulous, and you'll appreciate the flexibility of being able to add just the amount of lapis' signature patterning as you like.
Take Color 1 and run it through the rolling machine on number 1 or the thickest setting, creating a fairly even rectangle; this does not have to be perfect. Cut the rectangle of clay in half. Place a sheet of gold leaf over one-half of the rectangle. Trim off the excess leaf with a craft knife. Put the second half of the rectangle on top of the leaf covered half. |
Cut the stack in half. Cover the top layer of clay, on one half of the stack, with gold leaf (be sure to use all your leftover pieces of leaf), then stack the other half on top; trim the ends. Repeat two more times, adding leaf between each layer. |
Repeat Step 3 with Color 3 (note this stack will be much smaller than Color 1 and Color 2). Be sure to condition the translucent clay but don't put the leaf into the translucent clay. |
Shredding the Clay
Using a flat cheese grater (dedicated for clay use only), take the Color 1 stack and grate it using the portion of the grater with smaller holes. Grating the leaf with the clay will give you the gold color specks you often see in lapis. |
Grate the rest of the colors, including the translucent clay into a pile.
When you have finished grating all the clays, gently toss the shredded clay together being careful so that the grated pieces do not stick together. |
Gather the pile of mixed, grated clay, and start to form a square log of clay by pressing the clay together with your hands; don't do any twisting or mixing. Use a brayer to smooth the sides some, and continue to gently pull and compress the square log so it becomes smaller in diameter. | ||
When the log gets to a manageable size, you can start cutting slices off to create your beads, cabochons or other jewelry elements. To create the round beads used in the necklace shown, reduce the log down to about 1/2 inch square, then use a ruler to mark 1/4 inch sections along the top of the log. Use a Kato Polyclay blade to cut the 1/4 inch pieces. Roll the slices in the palms of your hands until you form round balls of lapis clay. |
Place a layer of polyfil on a polymer clay dedicated backing sheet (the polyfil will prevent the beads from resting on the baking sheet and getting flat shiny spots when baking). Bake the beads at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes; let cool. Remove from the oven and then have fun incorporating them into your next design! |
The pieces featured in the Gallery of Designs are copyrighted designs and are provided for inspiration only. We encourage you to substitute different colors, products and techniques to make the design your own.