Graffiti Bracelet From the Art of Resin Clay

Sherri, Rachel, and Michelle Haab

Discover the Creative Possibilities of Resin Clay Imagine being able to imitate the look of rare coral, create oversized but featherweight statement jewelry, or mix clay with other mediums—all without firing. The Art of Resin Clay explores the creative potential of this material, in both air-dry and two-part formulas, and guides you through everything you’ll need to get started: • Information on choosing the right kind of resin clay, essential tools and techniques, and safety guidelines • Tips for mixing colors, finishing, and adding jewelry findings • 20 projects covering a variety of creative techniques • Galleries of work by influential artists and crafts designers who use this versatile material

Also by Sherri Haab

R E S I N C L AY Techniques and Projects for Creating Jewelry and Decorative Objects

T H E A R T O F R E S I N C L AY

Sherri Haab is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty books, including The Art of Metal Clay, The Art of Resin Jewelry, Sherri Haab Jewelry Inspirations, and Jewelry Upcycled! Sherri teaches jewelry making seminars throughout the United States and around the world. Her daughters Rachel and Michelle Haab are experienced crafters, and Michelle is the co-author of Dangles and Bangles. To find out more about Sherri’s classes or to see what’s new on her blog, visit SherriHaab.com.

THE ART OF

$21.99 / $24.99 (CAN) Crafts & Hobbies—Jewelry

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New York

Cover design by Jenny Kraemer Cover photography by Zachary Williams

www.crownpublishing.com www.pottercraft.com

SHERRI HAAB, Rachel Haab, and Michelle Haab From the author of the bestselling The Art of Metal Clay

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Embellishing with Colored Pencils

I

n this technique, we used colored pencils on concrete-look resin clay to simulate spray-painted graffiti art. We used blunt pencils in a circular motion to create the look of lighter sprays, and sharpened

ones to make strong black outlines and white shadows. Get inspired by looking up work by graffiti artists on the Internet, or take inspiration from your own city. The Concrete Gray KlayResin we used here is the only clay that comes in a concrete color with actual aggregate in the clay. We used this clay to simulate concrete beneath the graffiti. You can also use colored pencils on other colors of resin clay to create geometric, floral, and other designs. Though the bangle in this project looks heavy, it’s surprisingly light—we used a cardboard tube from a roll of tape as

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the base!

Graffiti Bracelet Designed by Rachel Haab

W H AT Y O U ’ L L N E E D

 Empty cardboard tube from a roll of packing tape

 Craft knife or scissors  Packing tape  Gloves

 KlayResin in Concrete Gray (Sherri Haab Designs)

 600-grit wet/dry

 Colored pencils (Crayola or Prismacolor)

 Paintbrush for varnish  Water-based varnish

sandpaper

 Pencil

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1.

An empty cardboard packing-tape roll is used as the base

2.

with no marbling. The tube can be covered in sections, so

roll. If the roll is too large for your wrist, make it smaller by

mix up just as much clay as you feel comfortable working

cutting away a section of the cardboard and using packing

with. Working quickly, press out a flat pad of clay approxi-

tape to tape the two cut ends together. Set aside.

mately the width of the cardboard tube.

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2

3

4

5

6

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Knead together the two parts of the clay to a uniform color

for this bangle. Start by pulling any leftover tape off the

MIXING RESIN CLAY WITH OTHER MEDIUMS

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Line the inside of the cardboard tube with the rolled-out

7.

clay. Use your fingers to press the sheet of clay against the

clay. Smooth out any large bumps or rough areas with your

cardboard and to smooth the surface. Keep the edge of the clay flush with the edge of the tube. 4.

5.

fingers as you work. 8.

Set the bangle aside until the clay is fully cured. To smooth

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to line the remainder of the inside of

out any rough areas and to hide any unblended seams, use

the cardboard tube. Use your fingertip to blend the new

600-grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand the piece with water.

section of clay into the already hardened portions of clay

When you’re finished sanding, rinse the bangle in water

for a smooth finish.

and let it dry.

When the inside of the tube has been covered, begin work-

9.

Using a pencil, lightly sketch out your graffiti design on the

ing on the outside, pressing out a thin pad of clay, this time

bangle. Use colored pencils to draw your design directly

slightly wider than the bangle so that the excess clay can

on the bangle. Use small circular motions to create a soft,

be wrapped around the edge of the inside of the bracelet.

spray-painted look, and layer different colors to yield a rich,

Press the clay along the outside of the bangle to cover the cardboard. 6.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the tube is entirely covered in

deep color or blend. 10. When you’ve finished drawing your design, lightly brush

Press the excess clay around the edge of the cardboard and

away any excess crumbs of colored pencil wax from the

blend the fresh clay with dried clay on the inside of the

bangle. Carefully brush on a water-based varnish to protect

tube.

the bracelet. Let dry.

7

8

9

10

GRAFFITI BRACELET

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