Step 1
Preheat the oven to 135°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1, or to the temperature advised by the manufacturer on the clay packaging. Take each of the clay colours out of the packaging and work each individual colour until it’s soft and malleable by kneading and twisting it. The clay is well conditioned and ready to use when it can be folded in half without getting any tears along the fold line. This processes softens up the clay for ease of use, and doing this also prevents the finished pieces from cracking after baking.
Step 2
Next, create the colours for each of the stitch marker elements using the following quantities: three parts Igloo clay and one part Sea Glass clay for the base colour, two parts Igloo clay and one part Sea Glass clay for the base accent colour, one part Guava clay and one part Igloo clay for the first bauble colour, and one part Raspberry clay and one part Igloo clay for the second bauble colour. Knead each of the colour combinations together until the clay becomes a solid shade with no marbling through it.
Step 3
Using the acrylic rolling pin, roll out the base colour on a flat non-stick surface, such as a ceramic tile or piece of parchment paper, to roughly 2-3mm (⅛") thick.
Step 4
Next, roll out the base accent colour very thinly – roughly 1mm (⅟16) thick. Start tearing small pieces off and place them randomly on the base slab, then use the rolling pin to gently press these pieces into the base
Step 5
Roll the first and second bauble colours to a 1-2mm (⅟16") thickness. Use the craft knife to cut bauble shapes from each of the colours, as shown, then gently place them in vertical lines on the base, spacing each bauble shape roughly 1-2cm (⅜-¾") apart and alternating the colours in each vertical line.
Step 6
Take small amounts of each of the bauble colours and roll them into a thin snake-like shape. Cut 2mm (⅟16") chunks from each one of these shapes, then roll these into small balls. Place three balls in between each of the baubles as shown, using dark pink balls between the light pink baubles, and light pink balls between the dark pink baubles.
Step 7
Roll the white clay out to a 1-2mm (⅟16") thickness. Use the craft knife to cut out star shapes, then gently place the stars between the lines of baubles. Make sure to space them out evenly.
Step 8
Using a cocktail stick or texture tool, start to add patterns to the baubles, stars and beads using the image as a guide. Press gently so as not to put a hole through to the other side of the slab.
Step 9
Next, cut out shapes from the clay slab using the cutters. Check the position of the cutter before pressing down so you know what the stitch marker will look like – we tried to get lots of colour and shape on each one.
Step 10
Place a piece of baking paper onto a baking tray, then gently move each stitch marker shape from the slab onto the paper, using the craft knife to lift them – try to handle the clay as little as possible to avoid fingerprints. Bake at 135°C/ 275°F/Gas Mark 1 for 50 minutes.
Step 11
Once the stitch markers have cooled, gently sand down any rough edges with the 600 grit sandpaper first, then the 1200 grit sandpaper. Make sure to do this in a well-ventilated area, and always wear a face mask to prevent breathing in any dust.
Step 12
Place a stitch marker on a scrap piece of wood or similar, then use the hand drill to drill a hole 2mm (⅟16") down from the top – the wood will prevent the surface underneath from getting damaged. Repeat to drill holes at the top of each of the markers.
Step 13
Use a pair of pliers to open a jump ring, then thread it through the hole at the top of one stitch marker. To make a knit stitch marker, close the jump ring. To make a crochet stitch marker, add a lobster clasp before closing the jump ring. Repeat to finish off the rest of the markers.
