Project: Making Jewelry with Clay

See the necklace in this photo? Want to learn how to make it? You do?! Wonderful! Let me tell you how...

You will need:


Premo clay (it is a high quality oven bake clay), bits and bobs (I used old watch parts).


Jewelry blanks. I used bobby pins, pendants and bracelets.


Poly bonder (Helps everything to stay in place), tiny shape cutters--like mini-cookie cutters.
*I found all of this stuff at Hobby Lobby

Step 1

Pull off an appropriately sized piece of clay. Knead it until it is soft and pliable.

Step 2

Press it into the shape you want. I used a heart blank (meaning an empty jewelry piece).

Step 3

Pull off the excess and smooth out with your fingers.

Step 4

Embellish. I used this tiny heart cutter and watch bits. Use poly bonder, but be careful not to over paint it as it can stain the clay.

Step 5
Bake according to package directions...mine said 275 F for 6mm thickness, 30 minutes cook time.

Step 6

Admire your work



If you don't feel like making your own you can check out some of mine on our etsy site. Click here.

Jewelry, Walking, Ballparks, Peruvians, Gentle Donkeys, Teething Dogs

Well, is that a random blog title or what? Sorry, but that's just how it is today. OK, let's start at the beginning...

My parents are currently being visited by their friends the Christophersons. [I should mention that my mother is still recovering so we aren't letting her do anything but sit around.]The Christopherson family are missionaries, serving in Peru. They've been doing it since the 80s I believe.

Part of their work is to sell the gorgeous handmade jewelry called Achkiy. The jewelry is made by Peruvian women for a fair wage. All of the money raised is returned to their charity. You can read more and see more here.

Later in the afternoon Eric, Cordelia, Bumblebee, and I all went for a walk along the river.

While we were on our walk we received a phone call from my dad, inviting us to go to a ball game. So we went. When we got there it was hot in the stands, like really hot. I had the brilliant idea of moving from the scorching metal seats into the empty seats up near the announcer, in the shade. Eric, ever a rule follower, was nervous about the whole thing, but he went along. A pleasant afternoon once we got into the sweet seats!

Cordelia with her grandpa


Cordelia learned how to put on a necklace yesterday

Later we went over to my to help my mom and prepare dinner. The Christophersons had heard about my love of gentle donkeys, or gentle burros if you live in Peru, and gave me this handmade notebook.

Gentle Burro

Finally, last night Eric had a dream that Bumblebee was teething. I had to share it with someone.

Treasure

When I was a little girl I became infected with an obsession for horses. I don't know why this phenomenon is fairly unique to girls, but many a little girl has been fascinated by horses. I don't know if it is their long hair or what, but one thing is certain I loooved them. I was so crazy for horses that I tried to braid horse hair into my own hair in something like a glorified rat tail (remember I was a child in the 1980s).

I used to daydream about unicorns and Pegasuses taking me to some magical land. For some reason I always felt that horses could talk, a feeling that has really persisted into my adult life.

My parents were working hard to get through school and make a life for us. Naturally this meant that they were in no situation to buy a horse for me. They did try to cater to my dream in various ways. For instance they hired someone to teach me about horses once a week for a few months in Jr. high. They bought me horse toys for birthdays and Christmas. They also purchased this necklace for me. I can't say that I remember the exact moment I got this necklace, but it has always been a treasured item. I have carried this necklace with me through a dozen moves and several states. Something about this necklace has resonated with me throughout my whole life. I think that it reminds me of the dreams that I had and parents who did their best to nurture them.