Create a Die-Cut type embellishment with Creative Paperclay

	I love die cuts, those 3D embellishments that you can stick on cards or boxes or various craft projects for elegance and depth, but no matter how many I buy, I never seem to have the right one for the occasion.  Besides, I like the idea of personalizing so I decided to create something similar to a die cut with my Creative Paperclay.
	I recommend drawing a sketch of what you want before you start.
	My Tools: ·         Creative Paperclay (a ball about the size shown here) ·         A piece of plastic, credit card sized (I used an old bus pass) ·         Robin’s Nest Dew Drops ·         Viva Las Vegas Stamps ·         Waxed Dental Floss ·         Acrylic Paints
	Smoosh the paperclay until it covers most of the card and is about twice the thickness of the card.  Leave a slight rim of the card showing because the paperclay will spread a bit later.  If you think you don’t have enough or have too much, then wipe off the paperclay and cut away or add more.  Roll into a ball to smooth it together and smoosh it down again.
	When the paperclay is spread to your satisfaction, wet your finger and run it across to smooth out rough edges and even the thickness across the card.
	Take your stamps and press them into the paperclay.  Press just enough to get the impressions.  You don’t want to go all the way through the paperclay.  When you are done, just wipe the stamp with a wet cloth to remove any bits.
	Press the dewdrops in place.  Again, press just hard enough to leave impressions.  You don’t want go all the through, and you’ll want to remove them so you can glue them when the paperclay has cured.  I left mine in, because it made the photographs better, but you won’t want to!
	Now, let the paperclay set for a day or two to cure.  Pull off about 12 inches of dental floss, and carefully work it between the paperclay and the card.  Keep working it down until the paperclay comes free. A tip and a warning about dental floss. The tip--this technique works for removing fresh baked cookies that are sticking to the cookie sheet.  The warning—animals are tempted by that sweet smelling floss and they will eat it.  And it will wrap around their intestines—truly.  You may end up with expensive vet bills or worse, lose your pet.  Discard your floss safely if you have pets!
	The paperclay will have a little give at this point, and may even curl if it hasn’t completely dried.  But don’t worry, it will still glue down flat.   A little acrylic paint and you’ll have a nice embellishment for your crafts.  I used pearlized acrylic paint, but couldn’t get the sheen to show very well.  I used this embellishment to make a Halloween card.
	And then I made one for this Moleskine cover.
And one for a card to send to the winner of my recent 300,000 pageview contest.  I used a plastic stencil as the base for this one. For other great paperclay ideas, be sure to check out the Creative Paperclay blog!