enlightened polymer clay

Artisan Jewelry Designs Inspired by Nature

Rie Nagumo
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No.22 Pierced Earrings

No.25 Necklace

No.15 Necklace

No.17 Necklace

Forming Forming In this stage, you create a form or pattern suited to your design by rolling clay flat, into a ball, or layering.
In this stage, you create a form or pattern suited to your design by rolling clay flat, into a ball, or layering.

Flattening Flattening
Use a rolling pin, placing the slats at Use asides. both rolling You pin, can placing makethe theslats clay at as bothas thin sides. the thickness You can make of the the slats. clay as thin as the thickness of the slats. Use a polymer clay machine or Use a machine pasta polymer clay to produce machine anor even pasta machine thickness according to produce to the an setting. even thickness according to the setting. Pull the edge of an evenly flattened Pull the piece with edge fingers, of an to evenly partially flattened vary piece the thickness. with fingers, to partially vary the thickness.

Grate clay, lump together and roll flat Grate to produce clay, lump a unique together cracked andtexture. roll flat to produce a unique cracked texture.

Roll together more than two colored Roll together clays to produce more a marble than two pattern. colored clays to produce a marble pattern.

Place the clay on a parchment Place the paper, and clay pass ontogether a parchment through the paper, and machine atpass setting together No. 8 to through produce the machine an ultra thin at setting piece. No. 8 to produce ultrathin an ultra thin piece. piece.

w
Rolling Rolling Layering Layering
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Roll with a finger or the palm if Roll piece the with a isfinger big, to or produce the palm a nice if the piece is big, to produce a nice sphere. sphere.

Place your fingers as shown and roll Place yourforth fingers as shown and back and to produce cord orroll back and forthclay. to produce cord or needle shape needle-shape needle shape clay.

Place the clay ball in a clay-gun and Place theto extrude, clay produce ball inaathin clay-gun cord, the and extrude, size of the to gun produce orifice. a thin cord, the size of the gun orifice.

How to make a wood-grain pattern. How to make a wood-grain pattern.

1 . Cut out the specified color clay 1 . Cut into the out specified the specified number color of sheets clay into the with a square specified claynumber cutter. of sheets with a square clay cutter.

2. Layer the sheets while avoiding 2. Layer air bubbles, the and sheets press while down avoiding with air bubbles, fingers to make and it press thinner. down with fingers to make it thinner.

3. Cut in half and laminate two 3. Cut in sheets into half one and rectangular laminate two block. sheetsdown Press into one with rectangular both handsblock. and Press down make it thinner with as both in 2. hands Repeat and a make few times. it thinner as in 2. Repeat a few times.
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4. Place the clay on a tile with its 4. Place wood grain theside clayup. on a Fix tile well with and its 4. Place the clay on a tile with its slice wood thinly grain in side a scooping up. Fix well manner and wooda grain side up. Fix well and with slice thinly slicer. in a scooping manner slice thinly in a scooping manner with a slicer. with a slicer.

5. Place the sliced chip on the 5. Place base clay the with sliced its back chip side on the (which 5. Place the sliced chip on the contacted base clay with the slicer its back blade) side up, (which and base clay with its back side (which smooth contacted the the surface slicer with blade) fingers. up, and contacted the slicer with blade) up, and smooth the surface fingers. smooth the surface with fingers.

How to make a wood-grain pattern with gold leaf. How to make a wood-grain pattern with gold leaf. How to make a wood-grain pattern with gold leaf.

1. Cut out clay to the specified 1. Cut out number of clay sheets, to the alternate specified the 1. Cut of out clay to the specified layers number of white sheets, clay alternate and goldthe leaf, number sheets, alternate the finishing layers ofof with white black clay and clay.gold Apply leaf, gold layers of with white clay and gold leaf, leaf finishing gently using black a dry clay. brush. Apply gold finishing with black clay. Apply gold leaf gently using a dry brush. leaf gently using a dry brush.

2. Cut into four blocks. Use a thick ruler 2. the or Cut like into to four press blocks. each Use cutaedge thickdown ruler 2. the Cut into four blocks. Use aedge thick ruler so or thatlike theto top press black each layer cut sinks into down or like to press each cut edge down thethe so that layers theof top white black clay layer and sinks gold into leaf, so that the top black layer sinks creating the layers a of moir white pattern clay and consisting gold into leaf, of the layers white clay and gold the leaf, white, creating gold a of moir and black pattern lines. consisting Join of four creating a moir pattern consisting blocks white, gold back and together black into lines. one Join piece theof at four white, gold and black into lines. Join the at four their moir blocks backsides. together one piece blocks backsides. together into one piece at their moir their moir sides.

3. Slice off the top black clay surface to expose likesurface 3. Slice offthe thewood-grain top black clay 3. expose Slice i.e. offthe the top black clay surface to wood-grain-like pattern mixture wood-grain of white, like gold to expose the wood-grain pattern, i.e., mixture ofwhite, white, gold, and pattern black. i.e. Slice mixture thinly of in alike scooping gold pattern i.e. mixture of white, gold and black. thinly in aPlace scooping manner as Slice shown above. the and black. thinly in aPlace scooping manner as Slice shown above. the sliced chip on the base clay with manner as shown above. Place the sliced chip on the base clay with its its sliced back chip side on up, the and base smooth clay with the sliced chip on the base clay with back side up, and smooth the surface surface its back with side fingers. up, and smooth the its back side fingers. up, and smooth the with fingers. surface with surface with fingers.

Other method: Transferring patterns Other method: Transferring patterns This is a method to re-transfer a pattern to clay which has been copied onto paper by a black-and-white copy Other method: Transferring patterns This is a method to re-transfer a pattern to clay which has been copied onto paper by a black-and-white copy

machine, which uses black toner. Use Sculpey III (Translucent) for clay without conditioning. Cut the clay into 3mm This is a a method method tore-transfer re-transfer pattern clay which has been copied onto paper by a black-and-white copy is to aa pattern toto clay that has been copied onto without paper by a black-and-white copy machine, which toner. Sculpey III (Translucent) clay conditioning. Cut the clay 3mm thick pieces, anduses passblack through theUse machine. Repeat, each timefor raising the setting on the dial, starting at into No. 6, machine, which uses black toner. Use Sculpey III (Translucent) for for clay without conditioning. Cut the clay into 3mm machine, which uses black toner. Use Sculpey III (Translucent) clay without conditioning. Cut the clay into 3mm thick pieces, and pass through the machine. Repeat, each time raising the setting on the dial, starting at No. 6, then No. 7 and No. 8. At No. 8, pass the clay through together with parchment paper to produce an ultra thin piece. thick pieces, and pass through the machine. Repeat, each time raising the the setting on the dial, starting at No. 6, thick pieces, and pass through the machine. Repeat, each time raising setting on the dial, starting at No. 6, then No. 7 7 andNo. No. 8.At At No. 8, pass the clay through together with parchment paper to produce an ultra thin piece. then No. 8, pass the clay through together with parchment paper to produce an ultrathin piece. then No. 7 and and No.8. 8. AtNo. No. 8, pass the clay through together with parchment paper to produce an ultra thin piece.

1. Transfer a pattern onto a piece 1. white of Transfer paper, a pattern place onto on the a piece clay 1. white Transfer adown. pattern onto piece printed of side paper, place Apply on the aagood clay of whiteside paper, place onthe the clay amount printed of ethanol down. over Apply a good paper printed down. over Apply a good using a side amount soft of ethanol brush. the paper amount of ethanol using a soft brush. over the paper using a soft brush.

2. Make the surface warm by 2. Make with rubbing the surface a finger. warm Repeat bywhen 2. Makeis the surface warm by ethanol rubbing with dry. a Repeat finger. Repeat twice more when to rubbing with a finger. Repeat when transfer is ethanol the dry. pattern Repeat to twice clay. more to ethanol dry. Repeat transfer is the pattern to twice clay. more to transfer the pattern to clay.

3. Lift paper to check. If the pattern 3. transferred, is Lift paper toremove check. If the the paper. pattern If 3. transferred, Lift paper toremove check. If the pattern difficult, is apply more ethanol the paper. with If the is transferred, the part paper. brush. difficult, Cut apply out remove more the printed ethanol with of If the difficult, apply ethanol with the clay and brush. Cut place out more the on the printed basepart clay of with the brush. Cut out the printed part of the the printed clay and place side on down. the base clay with clay and place on the base clay with the printed side down. the printed side down.

get inspired by nature

With its delicate organic aura, polymer clay is the perfect expressive material for any jewelry design. Talented designer Rie Nagumo offers innovative and elegant ideas for making 27 unique and artistic jewelry pieces, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants, and earrings. In addition, clear instructions on creating metal-clay chain links and ring forms enable you to incorporate your own fine metal findings into the designs. Step-by-step instructions provide a clear roadmap to a variety of polymer clay techniques, such as mokume gane, caning, texturing, image transfers, and more. Satisfy your enthusiasm for making unique jewelry and explore the lyrical world of polymer clay. R i e N a g u m o is a jeweler and artist specializing in polymer and metal clay. She lives, works, and teaches in Japan.

contents 12 necklaces 1 brooch 2 bracelets 3 chokers 1 belt 3 rings 3 pendants 2 pierced earrings techniques how to make

Paperback 7.5" 9.6", 90 pages ISBN 978-1-59668-634-2 $19.95 Available April 2012