Off the cuff: Paperclay cuff bracelets

Expression, May-June, 2005 by Vickie Kammerer

This is one of few projects that didn't begin from a mistake. That's not to say there weren't a few (details to follow). This idea was born from a shopping spree. Yet another reason to go shopping--as if I needed one.

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I "happen" to be at a discount store during a blowout sale shopping for jewelry and bargains. Discount jewelry and accessory stores are great places to find bobbles, embellishments and shiny little treasures. As I was browsing, I spotted plastic and mesh cuff bracelets. Instantly a light bulb went off. I wanted to see if I could mold air-dry clay right onto the bracelets, creating my own clay bracelets. I was so excited I didn't know if I should race home and try out my new idea or finish shopping. My thriftiness won out of course and I finished shopping.

I couldn't wait to begin. This was an almost problem-free endeavor ... key word--almost. The molds were successful. The cuff bracelets worked beautifully. But of course I encountered a few snags on the way. The first problem came from the bangle bracelet. You will note there are none included in this project! When I went to "pop" the clay off the bangle after it had dried, I broke it. So I thought I should've popped it off before it dried completely, so I made another and waited approximately an hour and then popped it off. Well it didn't break but it did crack in several places. Not giving up (yet) I made a few more. No matter when I popped them off, they cracked. I can only assume that the curvature of the bangle was preventing them from coming off without cracking. Not being an engineer, I gave up.

The next problem arose when I made the turquoise bracelets. Using the different shades of the turquoise cabochons as my color guide, the gauntlet was thrown. I was determined to come up with the right shades. As challenging as it was, it was also a blast to see if I could stain the clay to match. But in my ultimate success I was not paying attention to the color of my hands. You might be asking yourself why wasn't I wearing gloves? The moistness of the clay mixed with ink sticks to latex. Needless to say my hands were the most beautiful shade of turquoise--even after an eternity of scrubbing with a pumice stone and various caustic chemicals. I think I could safely rob a bank as I definitely removed my fingerprints!

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Small price to pay for art. I had so much fun mixing the colors to match the stones and was so pleased with how easily they molded to the cuffs (not the bangle) I really didn't mind that I looked like I had hypothermia with my blue fingers and nails. So if you're not afraid of getting your hands dirty or of a "little color," you are going to love this.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take approximately one third pack of Paperclay (seal rest in an airtight bag) and rub directly onto ink. Work color through with your hands. 2. Roll onto wax paper approximately 1/4-inch thick. 3. Ink stamp and press into clay. 4. Cut clay into a strip, leaving excess margin on all sides to wrap over edges of mold. Roll strip over cuff mold lightly pressing edges to seal the back. 5. Using clay blade, trim both cuff ends and closely trim excess off both sides. Smooth edges with your finger and let dry. After trimming and smoothing edges press embellishments into place and let dry. 6. When dry gently push clay off plastic cuff and sand edges. 7. Seal with acrylic spray sealer.

RELATED ARTICLE: MATERIALS

CREATIVE PAPERCLAY

TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS

ADIRONDACK DYE INK PADS

SEA BRIGHTS PADS

THE NICK BANTOCK COLLECTION

WAX PAPER

ROLLING PIN

CLAY BLADE

SANDPAPER

CUFF BRACELET (MOLD)

EMBELLISHMENTS

GLOSSY & SATIN ACRYLIC SEALER

STAMPS -- #104 (IMPRESS ME); #2428J (JUDIKINS); BACKGROUND STAMP (MAGENTA)

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Round The House

Searched and searched for cuff bracelets at all your favorite jewelry stores and still coming up empty-handed? We thought it would be neat to improvise with this technique so we tested a few household items to see if it could work. The plastic core from a roll of ribbon turned out stunning results, as did a Diet Coke can and a small water bottle. We rolled our clay out 1/4-inch thick, sliced it with a clay blade to the desired width and wrapped it around our chosen mold. Be sure to cut the ends before wrapping around the mold to leave the desired opening space. Try out some of your household items and see what sort of mold works best for you.

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