BEGINNER
Intermediate
Appliqué
Bronze Clay Earrings
FCT-CRON0316_ART106
Layers, texture details, and colors
mean these earrings have a rich,
complex look while being easy to
make. 11 ⁄2 in. (38 mm) wide.
Layered bronze metal clay creates the delicate appliquéd design.
by Yvonne M. Padilla
©2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be
reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.
facetjewelry.com
A
ppliqué work has always fascinated me, whether it’s ceramics, fabric,
or needlework. It amazes me how adding small details can change a
design from “Ho-hum” to “Wow!” Using an appliqué technique with metal clay
allows you to make a detailed piece without a lot of weight. This process works
well with bronze, copper, and silver metal clay.
1
Earring base
Roll out the clay. Apply natural hand
balm or olive oil to your work surface, a
roller, and your hands. Form 15 g of clay
into a smooth ball. Roll out the ball of clay
to 4 playing cards (1 mm) thick. Place
a 51 mm (2-in.) circle template on top of
the clay, and use a needle tool to cut out
a circle.
NOTE: The amount of clay needed for the
earring base depends on the size of the
earring you want to make. It is best to work
on one earring at a time to keep your clay
components from drying out.
Cut the circle. Cut away the top third of
the circle to make a semicircle [1]. Cover
the semicircle with plastic wrap to keep
the clay moist, and set it aside.
Roll out a small snake. Pinch off 3 g of
clay. Using a piece of rigid clear plastic, roll
the clay into a snake that is approximately
1 mm (1 ⁄32 in.) thick and long enough to
span the straight edge of the earring
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base [2]. Cover the snake with plastic wrap
to keep it moist.
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materials
Bronze metal clay: 92 g
Bronze ear wires: 2
■■ Bronze head pins: 2
■■ Brass or bronze chain: 4 in. (10.2 cm)
■■ Accent beads: 3 per earring
■■ Jump rings, 20-gauge (0.8 mm),
4 mm Inside Diameter (ID): 6
■■
Attach the snake to the earring base. Remove the plastic wrap from the earring
base. Use a fine-tip paintbrush to apply a
small amount of water to the straight edge
of the earring base, then apply a bead of
paste to the join (see “How to Make Bronze
Clay Paste,” below).
Remove the plastic wrap from the
snake, and gently place the snake on top
of the earring base along the straight
edge. Using a light touch, tap the snake
into place with your fingertip. Take care
not to use too much pressure, as you
want the snake to retain its shape [3].
Use a clean paintbrush to brush the
seam with water, sealing the seam and
removing any excess paste. Use a craft
knife to cut away any part of the snake
that extends past the corners of the
earring base.
■■
tools & supplies
Circle template
Needle tool
■■ V-grooved carving tool
■■ Pin vise
■■ Ball bur: 1 mm (1 ⁄ 32 in.)
■■ #53 drill bit (1.5 mm/.059 in.)
■■ Gilders paste: black, green, patina,
and red coral
■■ Wire cutters
■■ Sealant: Permalac (spray) or Midas Finish
Seal lacquer
■■ Pliers: chainnose, roundnose
■■
■■
Roll out a long snake. Pinch off 6 g
of clay. Roll a second snake the same
how to make bronze clay paste
[A] Using about 5 g of bronze metal clay, pinch off
rice-size pieces, and place them into a container with a
tight-fitting lid.
[B] Spray water onto the clay so the surface is glistening.
Put the lid on the container, and set it aside to rest for
15–30 minutes.
[C] Remove the lid, and stir the clay with a
pallete knife or other stiff tool. The paste
should be smooth and have the consistency
of yogurt or pudding. If necessary, add a little
more water to reach the correct consistency.
[D] Add a couple of drops of lavender oil to the mixture.
Use the palette knife to mix the oil into the paste.
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thickness as the first but long enough
to go around the rounded edge of the
earring base. Cover the snake with plastic
while you wet and add slip to the round
edge of the earring base, then attach the
snake. Use a smoothing tool to blend the
seams in the corners where the two snakes
meet [4].
NOTE: Use gentle heat when drying. If
the clay dries too quickly, the earrings
may warp, making it difficult to apply
the appliqué.
Crimp the snake. Using a round-edge
tool, press into the wet snakes to create a
subtle crimped edge [5]. The crimping will
add detail as well as help connect the
snake to the earring base. Place the earring
in a dehydrator or allow it to air dry until it
is completely dry.
Cut out the circle appliqués. Roll
approximately 10 g of clay to 3 cards
(0.75 mm) thick. Use a drinking straw to
cut out six circles. Use a 1.5 mm (1 ⁄16 in.)
circle cutter to cut out the center of two
of the circles to make donuts [6].
Use a cocktail straw to cut out 12 circles
from the rolled-out clay. Use a smaller
cocktail straw or circle cutter to cut out
16 more circles. Cover the circles with
plastic wrap to keep them moist.
Repeat the previous steps to make a
second earring base.
Appliqués
Attach the center donut to an earring
base. Using a fine-tip paintbrush and a
small amount of water, wet the center of
one earring base. Add a dollop of paste to
the wet area, and place a donut-shaped
cutout on top of the paste. Pat the donut
with a damp paintbrush to ensure that it
has adhered to the earring base. Repeat to
add a donut to the second earring base.
Cut out the flower petals. Roll out about
12 g of clay to 3 cards (0.75 mm) thick. Use
a 12.5 mm (1 ⁄2 -in.) teardrop-shaped cutter,
cut out 12 teardrops [7]. Cover the cutouts
with plastic wrap.
Attach the teardrops to the earring
base. Wet an earring base above the
donut where a teardrop will be placed.
Add a dollop of paste to the wet clay.
Gently lift a teardrop and place it on the
paste, with its rounded side closest to the
donut. Use a damp paintbrush to tap the
teardrop into place so it makes full contact
with the earring base. Add five more teardrops around the circumference of the
donut to create a flower motif.
Smooth the appliqué. Use a wet paintbrush to apply water around the edges
and tops of the teardrops and the donut.
This will smooth out any rough edges and
will ensure the appliqué pieces are making
full contact with the earring base [8].
Add circle appliqués. Add more circles
to the earring base in the same way. Place
a large circle on each side of the flower
pattern near the upper corners of the
earring base. Place a medium circle
between each petal. Place a small circle
above each of the large corner circles.
Place the remaining small circles along
the lower edge of the earring base. Place
the earring base into the dehydrator or set
Process photos by Yvonne M. Padilla.
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it aside until the clay is completely dry.
Repeat to add appliqués to the second
earring base. Dry the second earring base
completely. Each earring should have one
donut, two large circles, six medium circles,
eight small circles, and six teardrops.
Refine the earrings. Use a fiber sanding sponge to sand both earring bases
smooth, including the appliqués [9].
Add details to the appliqués. Use a
V-grooved carving tool to carve details
into the teardrops and the earring bases
[10]. Fit a pin vise with a 1 mm (1 ⁄32 -in.) ball
bur, and use it to create a dimple in the
surface of each circle appliqué [11].
Finishing and assembly
Drill the holes for the earring chain. Fit
the pin vise with a #53 (1.5 mm/1 ⁄16-in.) drill
bit, and use it to drill a hole in each upper
corner of both earring bases [12].
Add a patina. Gilders paste is a great way
to add various colors to fired bronze. For
these earrings, I used a base of black paste
to darken any recessed areas. Load a clean
cloth or sponge with paste, then rub it
over the surface of each earring [15]. Use a
clean cloth to remove the paste from the
high points. Apply other colors of paste to
selected areas of the earrings [16]. Wipe
away any excess with a clean cloth. Repeat
to add Gilders paste to a 4-in. (10.2 cm)
piece of chain. Once the Gilders paste is
dry, apply a sealant according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Fire the earrings. Fill a firing container
about one-third full with activated carbon,
and place the earrings on the carbon [13].
Cover with more carbon, and fire according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Let
the kiln come to room temperature before
removing the earrings from the carbon.
SAFETY NOTE:
Wear a mask when working with carbon.
Polish the earrings. Rinse the fired pieces
with water to remove any carbon dust or
granules from the surface. Use a flex shaft
with stacked bristle disks to give the surface of the earrings a matte finish [14].
Attach the chain to the earrings. Cut
four 1-in. (25.5 mm) pieces of chain. Use
chainnose pliers to open three jump
rings. Pass one jump ring through a hole in
one earring base and the last link
in one chain, and close it. Repeat to attach
a second chain to the second hole in the
earring base. Use the third jump ring to
join the two chains [17]. Make sure the
jump rings are closed flush and tight.
Repeat to add chain to the second
earring base.
Add a beaded drop. Slide the accent
beads onto a bronze head pin, then make
the first half of a wrapped loop in the end
of the head pin. Connect the loop to the
center jump ring, and complete the
wrapped loop.
Add ear wires. Attach an ear wire to the
center jump ring of each earring base.