Trying Something New: Sutton Slice

Ornament by Mirame Creations

Inspired by others
I am always impressed by work of fellow clay artists in the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Esty. Each month we have a challenge as a way to explore new facets of our craft. The theme for November's Challenge was "Seasonal" and we could do anything fall or winter-related.

Trying a new technique 
One entry, a Christmas ornament by Lupe of Mirame Creations, caught my eye. I love the elegant design which her description states was done using the Sutton Slice technique. I just had to give it a try. So I found some instructions online at Crafty Goat.

Here's the CliffNotes version.

1. Pick out a stamp with deep recesses, mist the stamp with water then fill the recessed area with clay. 
2. Scrape the excess clay off the raised area with a straight blade.
3. Stamp the image onto another color of clay and gently lift the clay away from the stamp. The first color should stick to the second color to give you the pattern. The key word here is "should." It is not as easy as it looks to keep the clay from sticking in the crevices and tearing.

In theory, the technique is pretty simple, but it takes some real talent to produce a work like Lupe's ornament. Here's my not-quite-right first attempt. But, as we know, half-formed monsters are an important part of the creative process.

Vote and win prizes
Voting in the PCAGOE Challenge is open this week. Choose your top 3 favorites and you can win a handcrafted polymer clay creation. My entry is number 4. Vote now!