Turn miniature clay food into charming Valentines

() — - Cupcakes, in any form, are undeniably cute. But sardines? Perhaps only Jessica and Susan Partain could create an adorable version of the fish everyone loves to hate.

In "The Polymer Clay Cookbook — Tiny Food to Whip Up and Wear," the sisters share their techniques for making 20 miniature charms that easily can become charming Valentines. With clear, detailed instructions, they boil down a variety of foods to their essential cuteness, from itty-bitty ice cream cones to wee waffles dotted with butter and dripping with maple syrup.

Alas, the sardines were a special order from a past customer and aren't included, but there's plenty of other savory items like bacon and eggs, sushi, pizza and tacos.

The Partains grew up in "a really food-obsessed family," so it was no surprise that they were drawn to miniature food when they first started playing around with clay as kids, Jessica said in an interview.

They began selling their creations at a farmer's market in Charlottesville, Va., in 2006 and later online before being approached by a publisher about writing the book, which also includes several edible recipes, including cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies.

Their advice to newcomers to polymer clay? Don't be intimidated. The projects in their book require only the tiniest bits of clay, so even unsalvageable mistakes can be discarded without much regret. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take much more time to shape half a dozen apples or cupcakes than it does to make one.

"Food is never perfect. In fact, it looks more realistic if it isn't perfect," Jessica said. "And it's clay — you can always smush it and start again."

I've tried nearly half the projects in the book, and only gave up on one. Ironically — since I was hoping to make Valentine's Day charms for this article — I had the most trouble with the candy conversation hearts, which involve fashioning letters out of impossibly minuscule ropes of clay.

Instead, I made a variety of other charms and turned them into zipper pulls for my son's kindergarten classmates to put on their coats or backpacks, then hung them on little cards printed with silly Valentine puns. ("You're the apple of my eye." "I like you a waffle lot." "I go bananas over you." For the ice cream cones, I went with "You melt my heart," and for the pizza, "There's no topping you.")

I got a bit carried away, but "You're charming, Valentine!" would work just as well.

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ORANGE SORBET CONE - Adapted from "The Polymer Clay Cookbook — Tiny Food to Whip Up and Wear" by Jessica and Susan Partain (Watson-Guptill 2009)

INGREDIENTS:

— 1/4-inch ball ecru polymer clay

— 1/8-inch ball orange polymer clay

— 1/4-inch ball translucent polymer clay

— Raw sienna soft pastel

— Liquid clay

— Blunt pencil

— Tool with a waffle-patterned handle

— Paintbrush

— Headpin

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Roll the ecru clay into a smooth ball, then form it into a cone shape.

2. Press the cone over the tip of the blunt pencil to form a hollow cone. Note: It is easier to create the cone when your clay is cool. If your clay tends to get warm as you work with it, allow time between each of the cone steps for it to cool.

3. Use the textured side of a tool to create an embossed diamond pattern on the outside of the cone. (If you don't have a tool with a waffle-pattern, try a nail file or other surface with a crosshatch pattern). If the cone becomes distorted, use the back of your fingernail to coax the top edges of the cone back into an even shape.

4. Rub the raw sienna pastel against a scrap piece of paper until a small pile of powder forms. With a paintbrush, dab on a thin layer of powder to give the cone a toasty look. Hold your cone very gently, and twist to remove from the end of your pencil.

5. Bake the cone for 10 minutes at 275 degrees F.

6. Thoroughly mix the orange and translucent clay together and roll into a ball.

7. Flatten the bottom edge of the ball, then gently indent tiny half-moon shapes around the bottom edge using the end of your fingernail.

8. Slide a headpin through the bottom of the scoop, leaving a small part of the head end exposed underneath the scoop.

9. Add a small amount of liquid clay to the inside of the baked cone, until the liquid is just shy of the top edge.

10. Attach the scoop to the top of the cone. Push the headpin down until you feel it touch the bottom of the inside of the cone.

11. To make the ice cream cone more secure (and realistic), pull down some of the edge of the scoop onto the side of the cone, and smooth away any tiny amounts of liquid clay that may have seeped out between the scoop and the cone.

12. Bake for 15 minutes at 275 degrees F.

13. Form end of headpin into a wrapped loop and trim away excess wire. Paint charm with clear glaze if desired.

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On the Net: http://www.inediblejewelry.com/