Paperclay Ornament by Morgan

Hello High Hopes Fans!!

Click here for our current challenge.

It's Tutorial Tuesday Time (although it's a little late).

This week we're doing something different!

I was so impressed with one of our challenge participant's projects that I asked permission to post it here on the blog.

Therefore, we have a special Guest, so to speak, this week!

For the "Home for the Holiday's" Challenge, Morgan created this fun ornament using Gingerbread House Heart Framed...

Isn't that amazing?! Looks just like a gingerbread cookie - but it's made out of paperclay.

Here is what Morgan has to say...

Materials:

air drying paperclay

Gingerbread House Heart by High Hopes rubber stamp

acrylic paints

drying retarder (or stain of your choice)

ribbon, felt & adhesive

This was a very simple ornament to make. I often prefer working with paperclay because you can use it instantly, it doesn't require conditioning like polymer clay, and there's no baking, no need for separate equipment, no toxicity etc.

To make this ornament, roll out a piece of paperclay on a baking sheet or non stick craft mat with a rolling pin. Use a firm pressure to stamp your image directly onto the clay. I used a mounted red rubber stamp from High Hopes and got a nice, deep, clean impression. I haven't tried acrylic stamps, so I can't vouch for the success of those, they don't tend to be as deep so it may now give as good as an impression.

With a sharp knife or scalpel cut around the outside of the stamped image, depending on the stamp you used you could use a cookie cutter for this step. Set aside to dry over night.

Once thoroughly dry the paperclay can be painted. I gave mine a base coat of a brown biscuit colour and then when that was dry, I mixed a little burnt umber paint with some drying retarder so that I could use it as a stain (which is primarily what ready bought stains are, a colour medium with a drying retarder so you have time to work with it). Using a soft cloth I rubbed it over the entire 'cookie' making sure it sat heavily in the stamped image to create a contrast.

Once dry I finished with a few coats of spray varnish, adding a ribbon at the back to hang it on the tree and covering the back with brown felt for neatness.

Morgan has some information about paperclay on her original post here. Make sure to check it out because she has some important tips.

Thank you so much, Morgan, for entering our challenges, knocking our socks off with your wonderful ornament, and for allowing us to post it here!!