sculpey® mint terrazzo earrings

Protected your work surface with a disposable cover, such as wax paper (or disposable foil). Uncured clay may damage unprotected furniture or finished surfaces. Be sure to cover your crafting area appropriately.

Start with clean hands, unwrap and knead clay until soft and smooth, or condition by running clay though a conditioning machine.
TIP: You can also condition by running clay though a pasta machine. Use a designated machine for clay purposes only. Clean hands with soap and water (or baby wipes) before switching clays. Shape clay, pressing pieces firmly together. Wash hands after use.

Sheet a small piece of both the black and white clay on the #3 setting on your clay conditioning machine.

Use the 1" [2.5 cm] square cutter to cut out and stack squares. Stack two squares of each shade of clay.
TIP: When using the clay machine, always work light to dark to reduce transfers.

Press the stack to flatten it slightly and sheet the stack out on the #3 setting again.

Restack the layers by cutting approximately 1" [2.5 cm] pieces and stacking them.

Cut thin slices, about 1/8" [3.1 mm] wide. Run these slices through the clay conditioning machine on the #3 setting with the stripes vertical to the rollers to make a long thin striped slice. Make three striped strips.

Make small sheets of black and white clay on the #3 setting.

Using any of the small cutters, cut out pieces from the stripe sheets and the solid black and white sheets.
TIP: To make unique shapes, don’t fill the entire cutter. Just take a little “nip” at the edge of the clay sheet. Also, a rounded tool, like the one from the clay tool starter set, can help you to push the clay out of the cutters without damaging the surface too much.

Sheet out about a third of a block of mint clay on the #2 setting and start to add bits of cut out shapes from Step 9.

Gently press those little pieces into the mint background. Cover the sheet with a piece of deli (or plain) paper, then gently start to roll across it from all four sides of the sheet of clay. Once you are satisfied, remove the paper entirely.
TIP: It helps to put the sheet on a piece of paper as well, so that you can rotate the paper and not the roller. Gently peel the paper up and check the progress.

Using a 2" [5 cm] cutter cut out my first piece. Set the rest of the sheet aside for now.

Cut the clay circle in half.

Sheet out some of the mint clay on the #2 or #3 setting, whichever is closest in thickness to your terrazzo sheet. Use the middle dual ended tool to texture the surface.

Use the same cutter to start the circle, but this time, centre the smallest circle cutter to make a circle with a circle cut out of the middle.

Cut this circle in half using the blade.

Carefully line up the two pieces to make sure that you have your holes matching for the top and bottom pieces and then make holes them using the needle tool.

Using the scraps from the striped piece, cut out four squares using the smallest square cutter. To embed the post, add a drop of the oven bake clay adhesive to one of squares and the add the post on top of it. Then, take another square and poke the top of the post through it and combine the clay together to make one square. Then, poke a hole in the bottom middle of the square so that you can attach it to the other piece after baking.

Preheat your oven to 275 °F [130 °C] for 30 minutes per ¼" [0.6 cm] thickness according to package directions.
TIP: For best results bake clay on an oven-proof surface such metal, aluminum foil. Oven safe glass or ceramic surfaces are also acceptable for baking; however please note that the baking times may take longer as the glass or ceramic surfaces take longer to heat up. For best baking results, use an oven thermometer. Do not use a microwave oven. Do not exceed the above temperature or recommended baking time.

Assemble the earrings as shown.

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