Polymer Clay Artichoke Bauble

Polymer clay is my favorite medium. I am reminded of that each time I work with it. I remember how much I love shaping it and creating with it, the options seem infinite. Inevitably, I have an internal conversation with myself questioning why I don’t work with it more often, follow by a vow to make time to work with it which doesn’t come to fruition. I really want to remedy that.

I was inspired to create some accessories for a contest but win or lose, I’m just so please to work with the clay. I didn’t set out to make an artichoke looking bauble but I love texture and recently purchased some new clay punches so it happened. As for the color scheme, black and gold is a favorite color pair at the moment. Not sure if it is my upcoming golden birthday or if the current gold trend has infiltrated my brain but I love it. With that in mind, I created a few polymer diddies to share.

For this bobble, you will need:

• Black polymer clay
• A sheet of aluminum foil
• Gold leaf sheets
• Tear-shaped clay punch
• Cutting blade
• Awl
• An eye pin for jewelry
• Pasta machine
• Jump ring
• Chain

Ball up the aluminum foil into a tight ball. Work to get it into a good sphere shape. Using foil on the interior keeps the bobble from being overly heavy. You can make it entirely out of polymer, it just might lead to a chain imprint in your neck at the end of the day. :)

Condition the clay with the pasta machine. When it is ready, roll out the polymer clay in a large sheet. My pasta machine was set on 4.

Cut a circle shape large enough to cover the foil ball. Fold and pinch the polymer circle into four seams around the foil ball like the picture below. Trim off the excess and use the your fingers to smooth out the seams.

Once the ball is covered and smooth, stick the eye pin through the sphere. The awl might come in handy at this point. Try to put it through as straight as possible. To keep the pin in place, curl the end up and tuck it up into the ball. Sorry I didn’t get a shot of that.

Now for the gold!! Roll out another sheet of black polymer with the pasta machine, this time at setting 6. On the rolled clay, gently lay down a sheet of gold leaf. Then use the punch to make lots of little tear drops.

Take the tear shapes and start sticking them to the bauble. Begin at the bottom. If the eye pin is in the true center, work around that.

Continue adding subsequent layers on the previous rows.

Cover the whole bauble, all the way up to the eye pin.

Bake the bauble at the temperature and for the duration recommended by the clay’s manufacturer.

Once it is cured and has cool, add a jump ring and a chain and blam, you’ve got a golden artichoke bauble.

Since I like wearing black, this is my new favorite accessory.

I’ve got more polymer clay goodness to share. Coming up soon!!

Take care.