Wearable Vessel

By Spotlight

An unusual pendant that can be used to store little stones, charms or notes. By Nanetta Bananto.

Final Result

Materials

Premo! Sculpey: Cadmium Red Hue - 2 oz - 1 block
Premo! Sculpey: Black - 2 oz - 1 block
Premo! Sculpey: Gold - 2 oz - 1 block
Premo! Sculpey: Raw Sienna - 2 oz - 1 block
8” Acrylic Roller
Clay Conditioning Machine
Clay Knife
Clay Tool Variety Set
Super Slicer with Comfort Handles
A small glass bottle or dowel, about 7/10ths or 3/4 of an inch, (measured across the diameter)
tin foil
small glass cutting board with plastic feet removed
baby powder
masking Tape
smooth wooden block, such as the back side of a rubber stamp, palm sized
synthetic black cording, approximately 44"
bowl of water
foam sanding block
scrap clay, marble size
wooden ball or large marble
index card
plastic craft brush
rubber stamp
fingernail polish

Step 1

Getting Started

Preheat oven to 275 °F.
Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay.
Condition all clay by kneading until it’s soft and smooth or running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting.
Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Step 2

Step 1 Vessel Base

From scrap clay, form a block.
Roll dowel or bottle back and forth into the center to create a baking trough that will maintain the rounded shape of the vessel.
Otherwise, you can end up with flat spots from the baking surface.

(Another technique is to nest polyester fiberfill that will support the vessel. Note: It will not burn.)

Step 3

Step 2 Vessel Base

Bake and Cool.
Powder with baby powder, removing all but the residue, this residue will work as a resist.

Step 4

Step 3 Vessel Base

Smooth foil over the dowel or glass bottle.
Cover the foil seam with masking tape to secure.

Step 5

Step 4 Vessel Base

Roll Black clay through Clay Conditioning Machine on #1 setting.
With glass cutting board as your work surface and bake space, lay clay sheet flat, using the dowel or bottle to size.
Cut clay sheet with Super Slicer top and bottom, then gently wrap around form.
Where the end meets the sheet, mark lightly with fingernail, unwrap.

Step 6

Step 5 Vessel Base

Slice the end where indicated with the fingernail mark and re-roll.
If the ends do not completely meet, work the joint together by gently rolling.
Lightly score the surface joint with fingernails and smooth together. Roll to finish smoothing.
Trim top and bottom with Super Slicer.

Step 7

Step 6 Vessel Base

Bake on glass bottle or dowel according to clay package instructions.
Let cool.

Step 8

Step 7 Vessel Base

Remove form from the tube by pushing object with finger.
Foil will easily release.
If tape sticks to the vessel, twist at each end and it will release.
Remove all the foil.

Step 9

Step 1 Cane Clay "Fabric"

Roll a snake of Cadmium Red Hue clay, add a hand-formed sheet of Raw Sienna, wrapped in a thin sheet of Black, (#5 on Clay Conditioning Machine).

Step 10

Step 2 Cane Clay "Fabric"

Reduce by rolling and pulling.
Flatten with the Acrylic Clay Roller, slice into small pieces, (about 2" long).
Stack and press together.

Step 11

Step 1 The Flower

Roll a snake of Cadmium Red Hue, tip with Raw Sienna, forming a teardrop.
Slice in half.

Step 12

Step 2 The Flower

Cut #5 Black sheet to strip placed 1/2 length of the teardrop.

Step 13

Step 3 The Flower

Wrap in Black sheet.

Step 14

Step 4 The Flower

Reduce by pulling gently. It helps to let the cane rest 12 minutes or so under a lamp a few minutes to warm before reducing.
This is your petal cane.

Step 15

Step 5 The Flower

Make the center by rolling a snake of Raw Sienna, wrapping it in #5 Black, reduce by rolling and pulling.

Step 16

Step 6 The Flower

Cut into 4 lengths.
Roll 5 small snakes of Raw Sienna.
Place one in center of the 2 wrapped lengths.

Step 17

Step 7 The Flower

Cover with remaining two wrapped lengths.
In between each Black-covered roll, place a Raw Sienna snake.

Step 18

Step 8 The Flower

Roll the entire assembly in a #5 Black sheet and reduce slightly by rolling.

Step 19

Step 9 The Flower

Further reduce petal cane and cut into 8 or 9 pieces, lay these around the center.

Step 20

Step 10 The Flower

Make a snake of Gold, covered in black and reduce very small.
Place the gold rolls in between each petal, then finish with small solid snakes of black on either side of the gold.
Wrap all in black and reduce to two sizes.

Step 21

Step 11 The Flower

Slice all canes approx. 1/8" thick.
Use the rolling motion to cut the slices to help maintain the round shape.
To do this, you place the Super Slicer on the top of the cane, and roll back and forth as you slice through the cane.

Step 22

Step 1 Creating the Fabric

Roll 1/4 package of Black through the Clay Conditioning Machine on #3 setting, making sure you have the length and width to cover your vessel.
Lay on glass.
Pick up cane slices and apply to the Black sheet in a pattern, like laying little tiles.
Fill in gaps with the tiny Gold/Black canes slices.

Step 23

Step 2 Creating the Fabric

The slices should be able to be picked up flat with a fingertip.
Lightly roll over surface with Acrylic Roller.
You may need to shimmy the Super Slicer under the sheet to lift from glass.
Then, slowly and carefully run through Clay Conditioning Machine on #1 setting.
Repeat on #2, then finish at #3.
You will have a lovely fused clay "fabric".

Step 24

Step 1 Vessel Construction - Body

Cut and roll clay "fabric" onto the base, as you did the base over the form.
Again, roll to even clay and trim ends.

Step 25

Step 2 Vessel Construction - Body

Set aside, upright.
Smooth out any fingerprints.

Step 26

Step 3 Vessel Construction - Bead Tray

Make a bead tray with a round of scrap clay.
Flatten slightly.
Take the wooden ball or large marble and, using a turning motion, indent a large divot in the clay.

Step 27

Step 4 Vessel Construction - Bead Tray

Bake both pieces and cool.
Fill a bowl with water.
Wet sanding block.
Sand ends of vessel over the bowl, in a circular motion until smooth and even.

Step 28

Step 5 Vessel Body - Bottom

Roll a bead of clay a little smaller than the bottom of the vessel.
Flatten slightly with fingers.
Apply baby powder to one side only.
Flip over, so the powder is against the glass.
Flatten, using the wooden block, a little at a time, until the disc is a little bigger than the vessel.
With the Super Slicer, slightly score the disc in half, then quarters, then sixths.
You can make these score lines using the dull end of the Super Slicer (very carefully) or the edge of your Needle Tool.
Where the points meet you will cut a hole using the Needle Tool.

Step 29

Step 6 Vessel Body - Bottom

Apply a thin coating of Translucent Liquid Sculpey with plastic craft brush to the end of vessel body.
Carefully position into place, taking care to note the size of the lip as it goes around the body.
Look at the piece from above to check for symmetry.
When you are happy with the placement, use gentle pressure and a slight turning motion to secure body to the bottom disc.
There will likely be beads of Translucent Liquid Sculpey that push out from this joint.
Roll a tiny snake of Gold clay and lay over the joint.
If any Translucent Liquid Sculpey is still showing, remove with finger.
Where the snake meets, add a tiny, flattened ball of Gold clay.
Place another on the opposite side and then between these points for a
total of four.
Finish with a tiny dot of Black clay on top of each ball.

Step 30

Step 7 Vessel Body - Bottom

Bake and cool upright.

Step 31

Step 8 Vessel body - Top

Roll a snake of Black clay on #1 setting of Clay Conditioning Machine.
Stamp with a rubber stamp.
Trim to a bit under 1/2".
Apply around vessel base to determine length.
Mark with a fingernail, unwind and trim at that point.
Turn piece over and apply baby powder to back side, avoiding ends where the joint will be.
Reapply top lip to vessel and secure the joint as previously described.

Step 32

Step 9 Vessel Body - Top

Use the Needle Tool or the back of your fingernail to even the bottom of the lip.

Step 33

Step 10 Vessel Body - Top

Bake and cool, with vessel upright, bottom against glass.
When cool, turn lip to make sure it is loose from the base.
Make another disc as for the bottom, but a little bigger.
Apply Translucent Liquid Sculpey to lip only.
Position, place and trim with gold as for bottom.
Leave on glass and place vessel into the lid so the lid bakes on glass.

Step 34

Step 11 Vessel Body - Bead and Cord

Powder the bead tray and brush away so there is only residue left.
Roll scraps of clay "fabric" into a ball.
Pierce with Needle Tool to make a large hole that only goes 1/2 way through.

Step 35

Step 12 Vessel Body - Bead and Cord

Take cording and knot in the center, twice.
Place the knots into the ball of clay.

Step 36

Step 13 Vessel Body - Bead and Cord

Take another pinch of clay and place over knots to seal them into ball.
You can use the side of the Needle Tool or fingernail to make a good seal.
This will carry the weight of your vessel, so be sure the cords are secure.
Place bead in bead tray.

Step 37

Step 14 Vessel Body - Beads

Make flat, Gold discs slightly smaller than top and bottom.
Make a complimentary bead to top the vessel from the "fabric" scrap.
Use Needle Tool to pierce from both ends.
Slightly flatten ends with fingers.
Make cylinder beads for cord ends if desired.
Make a black disc a little bigger than the patterned beads.

Step 38

Step 15 Vessel Body - Beads

Place beads on a blank index card.
Bake the components.
Cool.
Apply fingernail polish to cord ends and let dry.

Step 39

Assembly

Beginning with beaded cord, thread one cord through gold disc, hold taut and thread second cord through.
Continue with remaining pieces.
Bead, Gold disc, vessel, top, Gold disc, Black disc and patterned bead.
If any holes are too small, carefully ream by turning a Clay Knife in the hole to enlarge.
Once assembled, knot cord and wear!

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