DIY Network

Hieroglyphic Faux Ivory Pendant From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-211

The final pendant.

Guest artist Johnny Kuborssy creates a pendant influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphics and the look of ivory.

Materials:

Polymer clay in white/ecru/translucent
Baby powder or any release agent like Armor-All
Burnt umber high viscosity acrylic paint
Brass beads of your choice
Leather or faux leather cord
Toggle set or a clasp
Cord end springs
Pasta machine
Flat acrylic or glass surface to work on
Craft blade( 6" long)
Craft Knife
Needle, tool or tooth picks
Drill bit and a manual handle attachment (2 mm)
Sculpting Tools
Round Nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutter
Paintbrush
Wax paper
Oven
Precision slotted screwdrivers in a variety of sizes
Precision Philips screwdrivers in a variety of sizes
Any objects you can find which would make an impression of small circles
Baking surface (tray or ceramic tile)
Wet/dry sand paper in 400, 600 & 1500 grits
Pillow stuffing
Electric polisher or old piece of cotton fabric

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1. Condition all of the clay using the pasta machine. Create a sheet of each color of ecru, white and translucent clays on setting #1 on the pasta machine. You can lay the sheets on wax paper until you ready to work with them.

   
   

2. Stack the three colored sheets on top of each other, and make sure that the translucent color is sandwiched in the middle, as it is very sticky. That way, it won’t get gooey and sticky when running the sheet through the pasta machine. (It doesn’t matter if the sheets are uneven when stacked on top of each other.)

   
   

3. With your acrylic brayer, taper one side of the three-colored stack so it will be easier to run it through the pasta machine. Run through the pasta machine on setting #1.

   
   

4. Cut the long sheet in half and stack one half on top of the other, making sure that you keep the same order of colors.

   
   

5. For example, if top of the half sheet facing you is white, then when stacking the second half sheet, the top has to be white when facing you as well.

   
   

6. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 until you are satisfied with the way the lines of the stack are looking when you are cutting it in half! (Once you are satisfied with the lines, you are going to cut the sheet in half again.)

   
   

7. This time you are going to cut the two layered sheets in half again, and cut in equal halves, stack and repeat until you have a small loaf of very thin and very delicate lines of faux ivory clay. The purpose of cutting in half over and over again is to try and make a loaf that is wide and high , at least 2" x2" that would fit the dimension of the object you are working with.

   
   

8. Let the loaf of clay rest for at least an hour. You can trim/slice the excess, using 6" blade. Use baby powder if necessary.

   
   

9. Making the pendant: Bring a scrap ball of clay, and cover it with a thin sheet of white clay. Mold it into a shape that you like. In this project, we’ll do an upside down tear-drop shape.

   
   

10. Slice off a few thin slices. This pendant may use 2 or 3 slices, depending on the size of the pendant. Slices should be 1/4" thick and should cover pendant just shaped. Don’t worry if clay cracks.

    
    

11. When you cut the faux ivory clay on the sides of the pendant, make sure that the lines meet up with the lines on the other side.

    
    

12. With the screwdriver sets, dip the tip in baby powder in a drop of armor all and make designs in the surface of the clay only.

    
    

13. Once finished with the surface, place the pendant on the pillow stuffing and place them on the cookie sheet or tile. Bake in the oven for at least 45 minutes at the temperature listed on package. Before you take out of oven, prepare a bowl of ice water. Immediately after taking out of oven, drop in ice water, leave for 20 minutes. This makes it shiny.

    
    

14. After baking and ice water, sand with 400 grit, then 600 and then 1500. Rinse thoroughly and brush dust off with old toothbrush.

    
    

15. Dry completely, then apply burnt umber paint with paintbrush . Wipe all excess paint from the surface.

    
    

16. Bake the pendant again for 5 minutes in the oven to permanently seal the paint. You can then polish the pendant with old jeans or an electric polisher, if desired.

    
    

17. Use the drill bit to start drilling slowly from one side of the pendant, through to the opposite side (can also be done before baking).

    
    

18. Cut the leather cord to the desired length of the necklace and embellish the necklace with the beads you have selected.

GUESTS :

Johnny Kuborssy
PolyPals
23 Mercy St., Unit #6
Mountain View, CA 94041
Phone: 650-964-4487
E-mail: jkuborssy@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.polypals.com