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Rickrack, or how to do crazy stripes |
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Supplies:
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Step One: Start out with three colors. I used copper, pearl and gold. |
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Step Two: There's a quicker way to make a blend. When you put it through the press, roll it up first and mash it down, then press it. Six passes instead of 25 will yield you a blend like this. |
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Step Three : Put your blends together and roll out a ribbon. |
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Step Four: Roll the ribbon into a jellyroll. |
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Step Five: Take a slice of that jellyroll and run it through a press. |
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Step Six: Take that pressed slice and back it with something, I did the backing in black. |
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Step Seven: Slice into even sections. Then stack them. |
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Step Eight: After stacking, reduce and then run through the press again. |
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Step Nine: You'll have a striped ribbon. Lay the ribbon down in a zig zag pattern on a sheet of clay. If the clay isn't going to show after you're done, you can use any color. |
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Step Ten: This is the rickrack after it was laid on the backing sheet. I'm going to run it through the press again. |
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Step Eleven: The top image is the rickrack pressed. In the left image, I've turned the rickrack over and trimmed then ends to a point because I'm going to wrap the rickrack around the red snake. In the right image, I've twisted the rickrack into this horseshoe-ish shape. |
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This rickrack is the same cane backed with pearl. It looks really different. |
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If you pinch and gather the rickrack gently on one side, and pull and stretch the rickrack on the other edge, you get this shape, which is nice for a hanging pendant. |
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Close up of the pearl stripes. I love that mica. Enjoy making your own rickrack and using it to create all kinds of wonderful items! |