"Challenge" Bowl from Creative PaperClay

Hello all!  Today I am taking up a challenge to create a decorative bowl using Creative PaperClay.  I saw a post on Facebook showing a bowl made from concrete using a balloon as a "mold".  My first thought was "I could do that easily with Creative PaperClay!"  I ran to the studio and got started....

This post will be in 2 parts.  Today I will share the basic steps for creating the decorative bowl.  Next time I will share how to amp up the bowl once it has dried.  Easy Peasy, right?  Now, on to the crafting.

Step one:  gather the materials...I used a 12" balloon, 1 package of Creative PaperClay, a rolling pin, a texture sheet, and a base to hold the balloon. ( NOTE: Make sure your base to hold the balloon is large enough for the balloon to settle down into it.  I originally used a coffee cup and the balloon fell out as soon as I applied the clay!  I changed to an empty UTZ pretzel container and it held steady.)

 
Step 2:  Remove the clay from its package and place on work surface.  Use the rolling pin to flatten the clay to about 1/4" thick.  Be sure to change the direction you are rolling if you wish to have a round or square bowl.

Step 3: Begin to texture.  This is one of my favorite rubber stamps.  It has a nice deep texture which will allow paints and powders to sit at different levels (I will go over those in the decorative post...next time).  Any texture can be used...a nubby sponge, a mesh bag, a tomato basket...texture is all around!  Be careful though, your grocery store trips will never be the same once you start looking!

I applied the texture over the entire clay piece.  Once the texture completely covered the clay, I experimented with placing the entire piece on top of the balloon.  After a few attempts at smoothing the shape I decided to curve the edges rather than keeping them square-ish.  BONUS:  The cutaway pieces can be used to embellish the base!

Step 4: Smooth the clay over the balloon.  This may take a little bit of time and patience.  Trust me it will be worth it in the end. 

I made sure that the edges all had contact with the balloon.  Now to use the scraps I cut away...

Step 5: I squished (yes, that is the technical term) the pieces together in my hand and then rolled them on my work surface to form a log.  Continue rolling the log until it becomes a snake.  I will spare you a picture of this process...I think you get the idea 😉  Once you are happy with the thickness (my snake was about 1/4" thick), begin to roll the snake into a coil.

When I got to the end of the coil I beveled the end by cutting off a small amount.  I rolled that into a ball (as shown).  This will become the base of your bowl.

Step 6: To attach the coil to the bottom of the bowl, dip your finger into a little water.  Rub the water over the bottom of the bowl or wherever you would like the base of the bowl to be.  Immediately place the coil onto the wet area and press into place.  

To attach the ball, repeat the process and press the ball into place.  I used the eraser end of a pencil to dimple the center and really press it into place.  The tip of the pencil added a final dot in to center.  

So that's it!  6 easy peasy steps and the bowl is complete.  Now the hard part, letting it dry before decorating!  I recommend allowing your bowl to dry in place for 24 hrs before removing it from the balloon.  The inside of the bowl may still be damp where it was in contact with the balloon, so turn it over and allow it to dry for another 24 hrs.  Then let the decorating commence!!

I hope you have enjoyed this post.  Be sure to check in next time when I paint and powder and bling out my bowl for the holidays.  See you then!