Supplies:
1 block of Fimo Effects stone marble #03
1 block of Fimo Soft peppermint #39
1 block of Fimo Soft sahara #70
1 block of Fimo Soft chocolate #75
Silver Fimo Powder
Bake able pearlescent sparkles
Silver coloured 20 gauge wire
Silver coloured 24 gauge wire
E6000 jewellery glue
Fine silver coloured chain
Silver coloured eye pins
Silver coloured jump rings 3mm
Silver coloured lobster claw clasp
Earring hardware in silver colour
Tools:
Three in one pliers, (or round nose, flat nose and wire cutters).
Rolling pin for clay
Blade for cutting clay
Rubber stamp
Clean protected work surface
Bake able ceramic mug
Oven
I have wanted to do a project that uses polymer canes in the whole for ages now. I like the way that the clay canes of wood get lighter and more translucent the thinner they get. The more you stretch and manhandle them the more they look like sticks. I almost called this piece sticks and stones because I paired the nest with a Fimo Stone Effects egg.
Making the Egg Beads
Step 1:
Soften one package of Fimo Effects stone marble and add a small fraction of Fimo Soft peppermint. Sprinkle in some pearlescent bake-able sparkles and mix until finely marbled.
Step 2:
Roll the mixed clay into a ½ inch wide worm and cut ½ inch and ¼ inch slices from it to make the egg beads. This will make enough beads to create several sets of jewellery. You will need three large beads and five small ones for one jewellery set.
Step 3:
Pour out some silver powder onto a flat surface and load your rubber stamp lightly with the powder. Tap extra powder off . Roll each egg bead over the loaded stamp to create a pattern on each egg bead. The stamped silver powder gives the beads some more shimmer and depth.
Step 4:
Reserve three small egg beads as they are without holes to glue into the nests. Cut a one foot piece of 20 gauge wire and curl the end with the double round nose pliers so the beads don’t fall off while baking. Complete the rest of the beads as follows. Pierce the top of each teardrop or egg shape with a straightened piece of 20 gauge wire and suspend over the top lip of a bake able ceramic mug. Bake beads as directed by product package. Allow beads to cool.
Step 5:
Cut a piece of silver coloured 24 gauge wire to 12 inches long. Wrap the centre of the wire twice around the double round nose pliers to create a double eye and twist a neck that is 1/8 inch long. This double eye will be in the centre of the wire.
Step 6:
Follow the pictures above to wrap the wire around the small part of each egg and create a dangle bead. Push the two wire ends through the egg bead in opposite directions and pull snug. Wrap the ends of the wire around the top of the egg bead until the clay at the top of the bead is completely wrapped. Snip off any extra wire if needed and hide the ends in the wrappings.
Making the Nest:
Step 1:
Soften the chocolate and sahara coloured Fimo Soft and make a long cylinder from half of the sahara coloured clay that is about one inch thick. Flatten two sides of this cylinder so it has the profile of a football. Make a 1/8th inch thick sheet of chocolate Fimo Soft and wrap the football cylinder.
Step 2:
Flatten the rest of the sahara coloured Fimo Soft to a sheet about ½ inch thick and cut a strip that will fit up each side of the wrapped football shaped cylinder. Pinch the edges of these strips closed.
Step 3:
Use a blade to slit three deep slits lengthwise in each side of the cylinder. Fill these slits wit thin sheets of chocolate clay and press to seal the cylinder back up. Wrap the whole thing in another 1/8th inch thick sheet of chocolate clay.
Step 4:
Slowly roll this log, shortening as you need to, into a worm that is 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch thick.
Step 5:
Start spiralling these 1/8th to 1/16th inch worms around each other to make a kind of pinch pot. The base of the nest will be about 1 inch before it starts to pile up and become a nest.
Step 6:
Roll another worm that is 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch thick and cut it at odd angles into pieces that are varying lengths from 1/8th inch to ½ inch. Gently push these sticks into the edge of the nest piece making sure to securely push each piece into place.
Step 7:
Cut two eye pins to ¼ of an inch long and add the eye pins to the nest as shown one at the top and one at the bottom of the piece. Bake the piece according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package label. Allow to cool, Glue the head pins into the piece for security.
Assembling the Pieces:
Step 1:
Use the E6000 to glue the eggs beads without holes into the nest. Set aside to dry.
Step 2:
Put one large dangle bead onto each ear wire.
Step 3:
On the top eye hook of the nest attach a 9 inch piece of silver coloured chain with a silver coloured lobster claw closer to the end . On the bottom eye hook of the nest, attach a 14 inch long piece of silver coloured chain with a large jump ring on the end. Add three egg dangles to the chain after the nest at about every 2/3 of an inch leaving the large dangle for the last one . This large dangle will be the centre of the necklace when it is worn. The nest lies to the side.
