Recently I found these really pretty floral file folders (tongue twister alert) from the dollar bin in Michael's. I loved the pattern so I made a color copy and did an image transfer onto thin white drop-shaped cutouts of polymer clay. I poked holes in them, baked them, varnished the cured pieces, and finally, attached earring wires. The result is these floral drop earrings. They're super light-weight and have nice movement.
For those of you interested, here is my image transfer process:
- Start by printing your desired image onto plain white printer paper using a color laser printer. Lay a sheet of clay onto a tile before cutting it into the shape you want. You will bake the clay on this tile. Now cut your paper to size. (For these earrings I used my drop-shaped cutter to not only cut out the clay pieces, but also to trace the outline on the paper. The clay pieces and paper turned out the same size so I could line them up easier).
- Next, lay your paper carefully onto the clay (image side down) and burnish lightly with a bone folder or your finger. Don't burnish hard enought to indent the clay; you just want to bind the clay and paper.
- Put the tile in the toaster oven at the recommended temperature for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tile and peel off your paper. I use a craft knife to gently lift the edges of the paper in order to peel without touching the clay.
- Your image should now be adhered to the clay. Continue to bake your pieces for the remainder of the recommended time.
* If you're making earrings, don't forget to poke your holes before you apply the paper. * To make sure your edges are clean, sand them if needed. * You'll also want to protect your piece with some kind of sealer or varnish. I prefer Delta Ceramcoat varnish in gloss.
2 comments:
Beautiful earrings Jackie! Another great sealer for this type of project is called Preserve Your Memories II. (PYMII) It is a polymer clay safe spray originally designed for sealing metals, as well as papers for scrapbooking. I love how easy it is to apply and how lovely the finish turns out.
Hi Cindy - thanks for the tip! I'll have to try that stuff. A spray is always easier than using a brush.
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