Sweetbrier Studio! Decorator Lamp Project using flexible mold and polymer clay.

Materials needed:

• Sweetbrier Studio Mold #1001 Summer Blossoms.
• One small, plain lamp. We purchased ours for under $15.00 at a large discount store.
• One package (one yard) of beaded fringe in color and style of your choice. We used a beaded fringe with beads of soft pink, amber, crystal, lavender, & green purchased in the craft department of a large discount store.
• Polymer clay: White, Pink, Yellow, Green, Tan and Purple. Select colors of clay needed to mix colored clay to match your beads.
• Condition the clay and mix the desired colors.
• We mixed light pink, very light pink, lavender, light lavender, off white, soft yellow, soft green & medium muted green.
• Polyfil® •Small amount to be used to cushion curved molded parts while baking.
• Baking surface like a ceramic tile, cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil, etc.
• After mixing and conditioning, put in clay plastic wrap until needed.
• Varnish Brush.
• Water based Varathane® varnish or Future Floor wax to varnish the parts after baking.
• Glue: Strong glue like E-6000® to glue the parts to the lamp and lampshade.
• Hot Glue gun to glue the beaded fringe to the bottom edge of the lampshade.
• Optional: If a release agent is needed, you will need to dust the openings with baby powder (or corn starch) or lightly mist with water depending on which is best for your molding material.
• Optional: Pasta machine for conditioning clay.

1. • Mold the following flowers: •Two DF-1 - Make the two flowers using different colors of clay. •We made one flower pair using pink and lavender, the other flower pair using light pink and a marbled mix of white and light lavender. •Mold three DF-2 - We used soft white and light pink, one using soft white and lavender and one using pink and light lavender. •Mold one F-1 using light lavender. •Mold two F-2 one is very light pink, the other light lavender . • Mold one F-3 using pink. •Mold three F-4 buds using off white, lavender and light pink. Mold the leafy ends of the buds using soft green. •Mold one F-5 using pink clay. •We made all of the centers soft yellow.
Lamp Detail

2. •Mold the following leaves: • Mold one L-1 Leaf using medium muted green. •Mold two L-3 leaves, one using soft green, the other using medium muted green. •Mold two L-5 leaves. One using medium muted green, the other using soft green. •Mold one L-4 using soft green.

3. •COLOR RECIPES: •Light Pink: Mix twelve parts White with two parts Red and one part yellow. •Very Light Pink: Mix twelve parts White with one fourth part •Lavender: Mix eight parts White with one Part Purple. •Light Lavender: Mix six parts White with one half part Purple. •Off White: Mix 8 parts White with one and one half parts Tan and also with 1/8 Part of Yellow. • Soft Yellow: Mix three parts White with one part yellow and one half part tan. •Medium Muted Green: Mix two parts White with three parts Tan and with three parts Green. •Soft Green: Mix six parts White with one half part Green and one fourth part tan.

4. •Here is the layout for the pattern on the front of the lamp. You may choose your own layout if you have a different lamp that is a different size and shape.

5. •Make 5 small sets of tiny patterns that will be glued randomly around the back and sides of the lamp. •For five tiny sets of leaves and flowers mold five each of F-5 in the flower colors desired. Make the centers yellow. For five leaves mold a combination of F-4 & F-5 in the green colors desired.

7. •Here is the layout for the flower cluster on the lampshade. •After the fringe is glued to the shade and the parts are baked and varnished, you will glue one DF-2 on the shade, overlapping the edge of the fringe. Glue an L-1 on one side along the edge of the fringe. Glue an L-2 on the other side of the flower, along the edge of the fringe. Glue an L-4 above the flower, onto the shade.
8. •After molding the parts to be glued to the lamp, lay the lamp on its side and gently press the parts onto the lamp in the approximate position they will have after baking. This will create a curve to the backs of the pieces. The curved backs will make gluing the parts onto the lamp easier after baking.
9. •Place a thin layer of polyfil on your baking surface. Lay the curved, molded parts on the polyfil for baking. •Lay the parts that go on the shade flat for baking.
10. •Bake at 265 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
11. • Varnish the front and sides of each piece using matte or semi gloss varnish. •Do not varnish the backs of the pieces.
12. •Using the hot glue gun, or glue of your choice, glue the fringe to the lower edge of the lampshade.
13. •Glue one DF-2 and one each L-1, L-2 & L-5 to the shade as shown. Use a strong glue like E-6000® . Allow to dry.
14. •Glue the large pattern to the front of the lamp as shown using a strong glue like E-6000®. •If your glue does not stick immediately, you may have to lay the lamp on its side while gluing and drying.
15. •Glue the tiny patterns randomly around the back and side of the lamp using strong glue like E-6000®.
16. • When the glue is dry, put the shade on the lamp, turn it on and enjoy the beautiful flowers and sparkle.
This lamp matches the plaque project that came with your mold. You can also make matching picture frames, boxes, door hangers, light switch covers etc. using the same colored flowers and leaves. To do so, paint the frames etc. the same color as the background color of your lamp. Add flowers and leaves artfully to the frame, maybe clustering them in one corner, similar to the large pattern on the side of the lamp.