Make Your Own Word Stamp From Poly Clay

Polymer Clay Tutorial

I picked up a new polymer clay book, Polymer Clay 101, and am excited to share with you my first project from it.  This is super handy if you want a specific word or shape in a specific size for your clay pieces.  In my case, there are about five spiritual/inspirational words that I use over and over in my pendants and charms.  With rubber stamp words available for purchase, I am limited in what I can create.  Here you will see how to use polymer clay to make a word stamp for clay that you can use again and again!

Polymer Clay Tutorial Book

Polymer Clay Tutorials

I am assuming some polymer clay experience in this brief overview of the process.  For way better pics, and more details, get the book.  It comes with a DVD, which I have not had a chance to view, but if this project is any indication, it is a good addition to your clay arsenal.

ADDENDUM:  I just found a really detailed photo tutorial using a very similar polymer clay technique at Polymer Clay Central.  The big difference is they didn’t use a printed word for their snake to trace, and I think their way may be simpler.  I will let you know when I try!

Polymer Clay Stamp

TIP:  I thought my stamp looked horrible, and was about to scrap it, when something told me to give it a shot.  I am so happy I didn’t toss it.  I love how the pendants turned out.  You can use a needle tool to carve out any areas that you need to to make the word impression more even.  I didn’t even do that here.  I like the handwritten quality to the word in my final pieces.

Polymer Clay Stamp

*For the flower and butterfly stamps, I cut a the shapes out of clay using tiny cookie cutters specifically for clay, and baked them onto a clay base like I did the words above.

Making Jewelry With Rub-on Transfers

How to make Glass Tile Pendants

It was a jewelry making weekend for this crafter, glass tile pendants and altered dominoes stealing the show.  Normally, I design images for my pendants and just adhere them as they are.  That all changed when I thought to incorporate the rub on transfers I picked up at Hobby Lobby recently.  I have used these things before, but in papercrafting, never jewelry.  The inspiration hit me because these particular images packs (by Prima) are irresistibly gorgeous , and just the right size for pendants.

Rub-on transfers in jewelry

Adding them to my pendant images was super easy.  Since the sheet they come on is transparent, I was able to move scroll over my printed pendant images to see what the transfer would look like before committing.  Once I decided what transfer I wanted where, I just cut it out and burnished it on as instructed.  I love the effect it gave my pieces.  Super easy, and 1.99 (originally 3.99) a pack at Hobby Lobby right now.

altered domino jewelry

This piece is a domino pendant that I did in layers, with the rub-on green butterfly as the top layer just under the resin.  I started by painting the domino with a coat of gesso.  Once dried, I mixed acrylic paints to get the soft blue/green background color and painted it on using a soft brush.  When that layer dried, I stamped with clear embossing ink using an handwriting script stamp.  I embossed the script using white embossing powder, rubbed on the butterfly transfer and coated with resin to finish.

Altered domino tutorial

I think the layer effect pops more with these rub-on transfers then when I layer in photoshop, and I get images I wouldn’t have come up with on my own digitally.

altered domino jewelryHere is another domino I did with vibrant pink leaves and a bird in a cage rub-on transfers.

resin jewelryThis bezel pendant uses the same background image (fearless) with a flower and butterfly transfer.

images for glass tile pendantsHere is a side by side comparison:  a pendant with the image I designed, printed and adhered, and another pendant with the same printed image, embellished with a red butterfly transfer.  I love how it refreshes my designs and how fun it is to layer with these.  I will be keeping my eyes peeled for jewelry sized rub-ons!

 

New Technique: Resin Mold Pendants

Recently, I began making glass tile pendants, and have grown to love it.  I ordered more slides and am still waiting for them to arrive.  Over the weekend, I was playing with some clay, when I ran across this in my craft supplies:
Silicone ice cube molds.  The thought occurred to me that I could use them to make my own “glass” tiles for pendants with my graphic images.  I busted out the resin I use in my scrabble tile and bottle capjewelry.  Mixed it up and poured it into the ice cube tray.   
They turned out great.  A little cloudier than glass, but it gives the images a nice soft feel.  Some of them I poured to much resin, so they were very thick.  It was hard to tell how much I was pouring, and I wasn’t sure how thick to make them anyway.  Next time I will go for thin.  
I think the pendants turned out really cute! 

Roundup of Beautiful Inspiring Artfire Jewelry

I thought it would be a nice Easter weekend treat to scour Artfire for inspirational jewelry!

Fun With Stringing Beads

I finally quit talking about it, and busted out supplies to string beads.  Not too shocking that I am addicted.  Sooooo fun and far less intimidating than I had imagined.  I love how the timeless pearls showcase the repurposed bottle cap pendant.

Here are a few other pieces that emerged from today’s play…

Studio Updates and Pendant Giveaway

It is a good thing when I neglect posting because of the fact that my hands are busy creating.  Here are some new pendants now available at Saved By Love Creations on Artfire.  I am hosting a giveaway cause my readers rock.  Here are the details:
  • Winner must be a follower of Saved By Love Creations through GFC
  • Leave a comment after this post with your favorite bottle cap or scrabble tile pendant design to enter
  • Extra entries:  1 each for the following – Link to this giveaway on your facebook page; tweet this giveaway.  Leave me a comment letting me know you did these things for extra entries.  You can gain an entry per day for facebooking and tweeting this link each day.  2 extra entries for writing a blog post about this giveaway and linking to it.  Again, comment with a link to your blog post so I know.
  • Winner will get to choose scrabble tile pendant or bottle cap pendant of their choice and will receive a 24 inch snake chain as well.
  • Randomly chosen winner will be drawn in 2 weeks (May 1st)

Thanks for entering, and good luck!

Inspired Pendants






God is indescribably wonderful. How blessed are we?! Some new designs to express love for our creator.

Valentine’s Day New Pendant Desings




To see these and more, visit my artfire store, here.

Wanna Take Better Photos? DIY Photo Cube; The best $10 I Have Spent In Ages.

I have been revamping my online shops to introduce my new pendant designs. Throughout this process, it became apparent that my macro photos of my jewelry… well, sucked. I browsed other artists stores and wondered how on earth many of them were getting such nice shots of their work. I stumbled upon a solution that seems to be working for me. All it takes (aside from your camera) is a cardboard box, some white tissue paper, some tape, a couple of cheap desk lamps, and some 100W daylight energy smart light bulbs. Here is an in depth tutorial at Strobist. This is seriously worth doing. My pictures are improved significantly, and I am not restricted by the location of the sun (or lack thereof). Here are some of the pics I have taken with my rockin’ DIY photo light cube…



The Return of Polymer Clay; "Hope" Dangly/Keychain


I haven’t busted out the pasta machine and clay since “100 Days of Polymer Clay”. Clay is so FUN. This is a gift I made for my stepson’s girlfriend. I stamped “HOPE” onto the faux stone clay, inked, baked…accessorized with steampunk findings, and there you go. A cute little keychain or backpack dangly. Easier than a paper airplane. I missed you clay.

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