DIY Network

Vintage Splendor Cameo Necklace From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-413

A modern way to wear the past.

Maria Del Pinto shares her technique for creating a cameo mold from a vintage necklace.

Materials:

Black and translucent polymer clays
Gold toggle and gold chain
Two-part molding compound
Gold jump rings
1/2" gold eye pins
Old cameo (removed from frame and not made from precious stones)
Jacquard Pearl-Ex powdered pigments, #663 Silver and #650 Micro Pearl powder
Hair mop brush
Fiskars Texture Plates - Fabric
Clay blade
Kato Marxit
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters
Metal oval cookie cutters (Small & Medium)
Pasta Machine
Clay dedicated toaster oven
Ceramic tile or oven safe dish
Automotive protectant fluid
Cyanoacrylate super-strength adhesive

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Figure A

Creating the mold

1. Mix one part blue molding medium with one part white molding medium. Hand mix according to the manufacturer’s directions.

2. Place the molding mixture onto the ceramic tile. Take the cameo and gently press it down onto the mixture. Allow at least five minutes for mold to cure.

3. Remove the cameo from the mixture and the mold is ready for use (figure A).

Clay preparation

1. Pre-condition all clays by hand-kneading for two to three minutes -- or by cutting clay into thin slices and running it through the pasta machine several times.

2. Using the thickest setting on the pasta machine, roll out a sheet of black clay. Lay on the ceramic tile. Using the medium cookie cutter, cut out three ovals and stack the ovals three high. Place two aside of the stacks aside.

3. Take one of the medium ovals and lightly spray the clay with automotive protectant fluid and spread it out with your fingers. Press the clay onto the textured plate. Make sure to press hard enough to leave a deep impression. Take two more medium ovals and place the stamped piece beneath them, creating a stack. Be sure that the stamped side is down. Trim away any excess clay. Using the marxit tool, measure the width of your stack and then cut a strip of black clay. Carefully attach it to the stack.

4. Take two 4mm balls of black clay and place at the top of the oval. Put an eye pin through each ball, going into the pendant. Place oval pendant aside.

5. Using the thickest setting on the pasta machine, roll out another sheet of black clay or use the one from earlier (if there is still clay available). Lay on the ceramic tile.

	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

6. Using the small cookie cutter, cut twelve ovals (figure B). Repeat process to create four small pendants. Then take two 2mm balls of black clay and place one at the top of the oval and one at the bottom. Put an eye pin through each ball, going into the pendant. Place the small oval pendant aside. Repeat this step for the other three small pendants.

7. Using the fourth thickest setting on the pasta machine, roll out a sheet of translucent clay. Lay on the ceramic tile. Make a 10mm ball of translucent clay (figure C) and gently place in mold. Remove from mold and using the brush, lightly dust with powdered pigment #650 (figure D) to bring out the detail in the molded piece. Cut away any excess clay. Take the larger pendant and gently place the molded piece in the center of the pendant. Brush the back and outside frame of pendant with the powdered pigment. Place aside.

8. Take an 8mm ball of translucent and gently place in mold. Remove from mold and lightly brush with the interference red powdered pigment to bring out the detail. Then cut away any excess clay. Gently press onto one of the smaller pendants. Brush the black parts of the small oval with the #663 Silver powdered pigment. Repeat this step for the other three small pendants.

9. Gently place pendants in the oven and bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (132 degrees Celsius) for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool. Pull out one eye pin and lightly coat with cyanoacrylate adhesive, then put it back into the frame. Repeat this process for all of the eye pins.

Necklace Assembly

1. Cut four 2-1/4" chain segments, each with the same number of links. Set aside.

2. Cut four 2-1/2" chain segments, each with the same number of links. Set aside.

3. To begin to assemble the necklace, slide the end link of the 2-1/2"segment of chain onto a jump ring. Then attach to the top of the medium oval pendant. Repeat with another 2-1/2" segment of chain. Attach the open ends of the 2-1/2"chains with jump rings to a small oval pendant. Use jump rings to link the remaining pieces in this order: 2-1/4" chain segment, small oval, and 2-1/4"chain segment. Use a jump ring to attach one side of the toggle clasp. Repeat this step to finish the other side of the necklace.

RESOURCES :

Pearl-Ex Powdered Pigments
Rupert, Gibbon & Spider Inc. / Jacquard Products
Website: www.jacquardproducts.com

Texture Plates - fabric
Fiskars Brand Inc.
Wausau, WI
Phone: 715-842-2091
Website: www.fiskars.com

Molding Material - Suze Weinburg Melt Art Mold n'Pour
Custom Mold Compound
Ranger Industries Inc.
Tinton Falls, NJ
Phone: 732-389-3535
Website: www.rangerink.com

Kato Polyclay
Van Aken International
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Phone: 909-980-2001
Website: www.vanaken.com
Website: www.katopolyclay.com

Mop Brush
Soft Natural Hair Mop Brush
Available at local hobby and craft stores nationwide.
Loew-Cornell Inc.
Phone: 201-836-7070
Website: www.loew-cornell.com

Bead Heaven chains and toggles
Available at major craft chain stores nationwide.
Halcraft USA Inc.
Products available at craft stores including: Michaels, Hobby Lobby Stores, Garden Ridge Pottery, A.C. Moore Stores and Jo-Ann Etc.
New York, NY
E-mail: information@halcraft.com
Website: www.halcraft.com

Kato Nublade, Kato Clay Roller, Pasta machines
Prairie Craft Company / Kato Polyclay
Florissant, CO
Toll-free Phone: 800-779-0615
Website: www.prairiecraft.com
Website: www.KatoPolyclay.com

GUESTS :

Maria Del Pinto, CPD, SCD, CHA
Designer and Consultant
Del Pinto Design Studio
AMD Design Studio
E-mail: maria@delpinto.com
Website: www.delpinto.com