Tropical Goldfish Switch Plate Cover Design by Heather Roselli

Materials: Sculpey E-Z Release Push Mold - My Pets Premo! Sculpey Polymer clay in the following colors: White 5001, Translucent 5310, Cadmium Yellow 5572, Orange 5033, Purple 5513 Embossing Powders in following colors: Cobalt Tapestry, Topiary Green, Chocolate Brown, and Sea Mist Pearls or Wintergreen Pastels Black, Clear and Blue tiny hole-less beads Sandpaper or nylon scrubbing pad for texture Wavy or Waffle Blade · Sculpey Super Slicer Exacto blade or craft knife Future Floor Polish or other gloss finish such as Sculpey Gloss Glaze Taper point clay shaper or knitting needle Needle tool Acrylic roller or brayer Pasta machine Baking Surface (index cards on a cookie sheet or glass baking dish)

USING FLEXIBLE PUSHMOLDS TO MOLD IN COLOR: Practice to determine how much clay will fill your selection. It takes less than you might think! When building in color layers, a little goes a long way. Use a clay shaper, paintbrush handle or a pencil eraser to pull any excess away from the lower boundaries. You want to just fill the lower boundaries, even leaving them a little shallow. The final layer of color will fill into the shallow areas, leaving a neat border. But, if the first colors are "domed" up, the final molding pressures will force the "dome" out of its boundaries, leading to a smeared look. LESS IS MORE in this case. When the lower boundaries are filled with their colors, press the main clay color into the center of the mold. Gently press and pat so it flows into the shape. When the clay is nearly level with the top of the mold, use your index finger to gently pull any excess away so that you can see all edge boundaries of the mold. This eliminates a "skin" that would need to be trimmed away. Let the clay "rest" for some time; or, put the mold into the freezer compartment for 3-4 minutes. Remove from freezer, and "pop" your molded piece out by pressing from the backside of the mold. It will come out like an ice cube. If any color residue remains, wipe the mold out with a baby wipe or a Windex dampened paper towel

Directions: For Blended Canes: Make Skinner Blends (for directions on making Skinner Blends, click on Gingerbread Candy House Project by Tamila Darling) between orange/cadmium yellow, purple/white, yellow/white. Follow all steps. Roll your stretched blends from light to dark. Reduce each Skinner blend cane to roughly 5/8" in diameter. Cut off 1" length and reduce that section to 3/8" in diameter. The larger cane will make the fish bodies, while the smaller cane will make the fish fins. Mixing Colors: Water Blues = Mi at least 3 or 4 different light and transparent blues by combining a small amount of Blue Pearl Embossing Powder into translucent clay; by mixing a small amount of cobalt tapestry embossing powder into translucent clay; and by mixing a small amount of blue with white. Leaf Greens = Mix 2 different leaf greens by combining a small amount of Topiary Green embossing powder into translucent clay; and by mixing a small amount of either Sea Mist Pearls or Wintergreen Pastels embossing powder into translucent clay. Sand = Mix a light brown color by combining a small amount of Chocolate Brown embossing powder into translucent clay. (Another option would be to use Granitex Brown 3001 mixed into translucent clay. Cover the Switch Plate: Water: Cut several 3" x 4" rectangles from #4 or #5 sheets of each blue color and twice as many from translucent clay. Stack sheets alternating the blues with the translucent. Use the roller to compress the sheets into a nice slab and to remove air bubbles. Cut the stack in the middle, creating two 3" x 2" pieces. Stack one on top of another and compress again. Allow the block to rest and cool before slicing. Cut the water stack at a 45 degree angle into thin sheets with the wavy/waffle blade. Run these slices through the pasta machine to a f#6 thickness. Prepare a #4 sheet of white at least 1/4" larger than the switch plate on each side. Cover the white sheet with water slices, trying to keep the wavy lines running horizontally. Occasionally place a piece of waxed paper over the sheet and smooth with brayer. Once the sheet is fully covered, run it through the pasta machine on #1; turn the sheet 90 degrees and run through on #2, turn again and run through on #3. Turn the water sheet upside down on waxed paper. Coat the front of the switch plate with white craft glue (Sobo or Tacky). Place the switch plate cover face down onto the center of the shite sheet. Cut sheet 1/2" around all sides of the plate. Lift the edge of the waxed paper from one side, and with the side of yur hand, smooth the clay to the edge of the plate. Do so on each side. Then, cut away excess clay from the back by running your clay blade along the edge at a 45 degree angle. Smooth trimmed edges. Use an Exacto knife to cut clay away from the switch opening. Use a skewer to open screw holes. Be sure to insert screws into holes to check for a good fit. Sand: Press an irregular rectangular blob of the sand mix out with your hands, keeping one irregular border. Run it through the pasta machine starting on thickest setting. Turn the clay 1/4 of a turn and put it through on the next thickest setting. Continue until you have an irregular rectangle long enough the span the bottom of the plate, and about #4 or #5 in thickness. Apply to bottom edge of the plate, covering sides and bottom edges completely. Smooth clay, turn plate over and cut excess from the edges as above. Do not smooth out the top edge of the sand, leave it raised above the water. Using sandpaper or a nylon scrubbing pad, pat the sand colored clay to create a sand-like texture. Leaves: Roll the leaf green clays into cylinder about 1/4" in diameter. Pinch along one side of the cylinder to form a teardrop shape. Allow to rest, then cut 1/8" slices from the teardrop cane with your Sculpey Super Slicer. Place a leaf onto the end of the needle tool, with the rounded section near the point. Fold leaf slightly around the needle to form a center vein. While still on the needle, place the leaf onto the plate, slightly overlapping them like kelp or seaweed.

For Each Fish: Slice a 3/8" length section from the large cane. Shape slice into roughly the fish shape from the mold, warming and softening the slice as you work. Press the clay into the fish mold, filling all the spaces. Cut away excess clay if necessary by carefully running your blade across the surface of the mold. With your thumb or forefinger, pull clay lightly away from the edges f the mold to create a neat edge around the fish so no trimming will be necessary later. Smooth the back of the fish so it looks neat. Place the mold in the refrigerator for a few minutes to make unmolding easier. Then, twist the mold like an ice cube tray to release your fish. Pick up one tiny hole-less bead with the pad of your index finger and place over eye socket. Carefully push bead into clay using cuticle stick or knitting needle.

For Each Fin: Slice 1/8" length section from a small cane. Cut slice into fourths. Shape quarter slice into roughly the fin shape, warming and softening the piece as you work. Press into the mold, placing the lighter point in the pointed part of the fin. As with the fish, use your thumb and forefinger to pull clay away from the edges of the mold so no trimming will be necessary. Unmold the fin after cooling. Using a clay shaper, cuticle stick, or knitting needle held at a 45 degree angle, make an indentation in the body of the fish behind the gills. Pinch the light, pointed end of the fin into a point, and then place the point into the indentation. Press firmly without destroying the shape or details on either fish or fin.

Press fish onto switch plate, one swimming, one poking around in the sand, and one checking out the leaves. Press tiny clear and blue hole-less beads into the water clay above the fish mouths for air bubbles. Baking Instructions: Ensure that all clay pieces are firmly attached to the surface of the switch plate. Bake on a piece of clean paper or index card on top of a ceramic tile or glass baking dish for 30 minutes at 275 degrees F (130 degrees C) in a calibrated oven. Allow to cool completely. Finishing: Using a soft-bristle brush, apply a coat of Future Floor Polish or Sculpey glaze or other suitable finish to THE WATER ONLY. Allow to dry thoroughly. Use caution when screwing plate to wall. Do not over tighten the screws or you may crack the clay.