Spirit of the Heart Necklace

This friendly plastic heart necklace from AMACO features lovely pearl accents. People will not believe you made this necklace yourself! The necklace makes a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

Materials:

• Friendly Plastic Pellets, approximately 1/4 cup, Amaco
• Outline Sticker of choice
• Pearl-Ex or Perfect Pearls Mica Powders, Color of choice
• Alcohol Inks (coordinating colors of Mica powders)
• Rubbing Alcohol (91% )
• Small Liner brush
• Needle tool
• 2 eye pins
• Jump rings
• Chain
• Clasp or Toggle
• Pliers
• Electric skillet
• Bowl of cold water
• Non-stick work surface
• Paper towels
• Cooking oil or Baby oil
• Clear two-part resin (optional)
• Squeeze bottle (only if using resin)

Hint: Coat hands with oil to prevent plastic from sticking. Add a drop or two of oil to your non-stick work surface. Cut pieces of craft sheet into small 4" x 4" sizes to work directly on.

Steps:

1. Heat water to approximately 160 degrees. The water should be just under a simmer. Hot, but not scalding or boiling to cause burns.
    
2. Drop 1/2 of the 1/4 measuring cup of pellets into the water until they are transparent. Remove pellets from water. (hint: pick up any pieces that have floated away by dragging the clump of pellets to attach).
3. Begin massaging a pinch of mica powder into the pellets a little at a time. The more opaque you desire, the more mica you will add.
    
4. You will notice that as the plastic is removed from water it begins to stiffen. If the plastic becomes too stiff to work with, simply place back into water for a few seconds to re-soften. Repeat this process until the plastic is colored as desired.
    
5. To shape the heart, roll plastic into a ball and flatten with hands. Create an indentation at the top and pull a point down at the bottom. (you may have to re-heat a couple of times to keep plastic soft).
    
6. Place onto craft sheet and refine the heart shape. Place the craft sheet and heart into bowl of cold water to harden. Dry with paper towel.
    
7. Spritz with alcohol to remove any oily residue so that sticker will adhere.
    
8. Place outline sticker onto the heart where desired.
    
9. Place drops of alcohol ink color onto your work surface and allow them to dry.
    
10. Dip brush into alcohol. Then apply alcohol ink from your work surface to your brush. Paint on color as desired to accent your design.
     
11. Heat the end of an eye pin and insert into heart. Repeat for other side.
     
12. Optional finishing. Mix two part casting resin according to instructions. Place into a squeeze bottle. Outline the edges of the heart and fill in the center with the resin. Allow to dry according to manufacturers instructions.
     
13. After resin has set. Attach to chain with jump rings and add toggle.