Faces of the Moon Necklace

This whimsical necklace illustrates eight faces (phases) of the moon.

1 (2 oz.) package of Sculpey Premo blue glitter polymer oven-bake clay

1 (2 oz.) package of Sculpey Premo silver polymer oven-bake clay

small scraps of black, white, blue, and red polymer clay

piece of acrylic or smooth working surface

clay tools: Sculpey clay machine, acrylic roller, needle end pointer, triangular blade, sphere point tool, curved-end tool

oven (for baking polymer clay)

glass baking dish (for clay only)

oven mitt (for clay only)

cookie rack (for clay only)

piece of wax paper

E6000 clear glue

Sculpey gloss glaze

small paint brush

37 blue glass beads ( 8 mm)

24 silver metal beads (8 mm)

8 round (25 mm) bezel pendant trays (bright silver)

silicone cabochon jewelry mold for polymer clay - 1 inch round mold

jewelry findings: 27 inches of Soft Touch fine silver flexible wire (10 lb. strength)

1 lobster claw fastener (silver)

1 jump ring (silver)

2 crimp tube beads (silver)

2 cover beads (silver)

crimping pliers

1 12" ruler

scissors

2 small pieces of painter's tape

Remove silver clay from the package.

Set the Sculpey clay machine at #1 (wide setting). Roll the clay through the machine numerous times until the clay softens.

Press a small amount of silver clay into a 1" silicone clay mold. (picture 1)

Pop out the silver moon. (picture 2)

Repeat 6 more times. (picture 3)

Condition blue glitter clay. (picture 1)

Press a small amount of blue glitter clay into the 1" mold. Pop out to make a new moon. (picture 2)

Using a sphere point tool, randomly press into the moon to create craters. (picture 3)

Tip: Temporary set each moon on a silver pendant to make sure it fits
properly. If necessary, cut away any small excess clay and smooth with fingers. (picture 4)

Set the Sculpey clay machine on #4 (thinner setting). Roll out a sheet of blue glitter clay.

Drape the blue clay over a silver moon, leaving about 1/4 of silver clay exposed. (picture 1)

Cut away excess blue glitter clay with the triangular blade.

Make a tiny thin roll of black clay, cut, and add eye and lashes (picture 2)

Make a tiny thin roll of red clay, cut, and add a mouth.

On the Sculpey clay machine, roll out a thin blue piece of clay using setting #4.

Cover one half of silver moon and cut away excess blue clay. (picture 1)

For eye: Using an acrylic roller, roll out a small piece of white clay and cut out an eye with the triangular blade. Add a small blue ball for the pupil. Add small black eyebrows. (picture 2)

For nose: Roll a short log of silver clay. Add to moon and turn up the tip of nose.

For mouth: Roll out a thin log of red clay. Cut and apply to moon.

For craters: Use sphere point tool randomly over moon.

Cover about one fourth of the moon with blue clay as shown.

Add clay eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and craters,

Add eyes, eyebrows, and nose to a silver moon.

For the mouth, create a smile using the curved point tool. (picture 1)

Pull the tool down through the clay to create a smile.

Line the open mouth with red clay. (picture 2)

Finish the full moon by adding craters with the sphere point tool.

Cover about one fourth of silver moon with blue clay as shown.

Add a winking eye, an open eye, eyebrows, nose, and smile.

Cover one half of silver moon with blue clay. (picture 1)

Add an open eye and put a thin black line over the pupil to give the eye a sleepy look. Add nose.

For the mouth, use the curved point tool to create the o-shaped, yawning mouth. (picture 2)

Line mouth with red clay and make craters. (picture 3)

Cover three-fourths of the silver moon with blue clay as shown.

Use black clay for closed eye and eye lashes.

Add a small red mouth.

Make craters using sphere point tool.

Put clay moons into a glass baking dish.

Bake according to the Sculpey Premo directions: 275 degrees F for 30 minutes per 1/4 an inch.

(These moons baked in a preheated at 275 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes).

After baking the moons, cool them on a cookie rack.

When completely cool, set the moons on a sheet of wax paper.

Paint them with Sculpey gloss glaze.

When glazed moons are dry, glue each moon onto a pendant as shown.

Allow to completely dry.

Line up the pendants left to right in order of the eight phases of the moon, starting with the New Moon on the left and ending with the Waning Crescent Moon on the right.

Tip: This step will help you with the correct order of the moon's phases when stringing the pendants onto the silver wire.

This necklace is approximately 20" in length. Add 4 extra inches on either side for adding the fasteners.

With scissors, cut a 28 inch piece of the fine silver flexible wire.

On each end of the wire, put a piece of painter's tape at the 4" mark. The tape will keep the beads from falling off as they are strung onto the wire.

Order of pattern: String 3 blue beads, add 1 silver bead, and repeat 4 more times. (picture 1)

Add the New Moon pendant, 1 silver bead, 1 blue bead, 1 silver bead.

Add the next pendant and repeat until all 8 pendants are in place.

To finish the beading, mirror the same pattern on the opposite side of the necklace. (picture 2)

After stringing the necklace, carefully remove the blue tape from one end.

Thread on a crimp tube bead, then tread on the jump ring.

Make a u-turn with the wire and thread it back through the crimp tube bead. (picture 1)

Making sure the wires in the crimp tube bead are side-by-side, use the crimping pliers to close the tube.

(picture 2)

Turn the tube slightly, and crimp again.

Add a crimp cover bead over the crimp tube bead and close gently with the crimping pliers. (picture 3)

Carefully cut off excess wire.

On the other end of the necklace, carefully remove blue tape.

Thread a tiny crimp tube bead, followed by the lobster claw fastener. (picture 1)

Make a u-turn with the wire and bring it back through the crimp tube bead. (picture 2)

With the two wires side-by-side in the crimping tube, crimp the tube bead closed using the crimping pliers.

Turn the tube slightly and crimp again, making sure the wires are secure. (picture 3)

Add a crimp cover bead over the crimp tube bead and close gently with the crimping pliers. (picture 4)

Carefully cut off excess wire. (picture 5)

The Faces of the Moon Necklace is sure to bring a smile to someone's face during the daytime or on a moonlit night!