Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

My brother called last night.  This is the first 5 seconds of our conversation.

Me - "Hello"
Rob - "Hey, what are you doing?"
Me - "Making a cherry out of paper-clay."
Rob - silence
Me - (hearing it outloud for the first time) "Uh..."
Rob - "Wow."

But the joke is on him because I think they look pretty great.

Here's how I did it. 
Supplies:
paper clay
clear glue
tacky glue
red paint (I used Santa Red by Americana/DecoArt)
Candy Apple glitter by Martha Stewart
paintbrush
toothpicks
embossing stylus (or anything to dent the clay)
block of foam
small curved wood sticks/branches for stems

First I pinched some small bits of paper clay off the block.  I eyeballed it - about the size of a cherry. 

Next I rolled the globs into little balls.



Then I used the embossing stylus (or toothpick) to make a dent in the top of the ball.

Then I shaped them into cherries.  This takes a little work to smooth the dent so it looks more natural than just having pressed something into the clay.

Then I let them dry for awhile.  Paper clay is nice in that it doesn't need baked in the oven (though it can be if you're in a hurry).  I'm lazy enought not to run downstairs to the oven yet impatient enough to paint it before it's completely dry. 

I paint the top of the cherry, then poke a toothpick in the top where I'll ultimately put the stem and flip it over & paint the sides & bottom.  The toothpick trick pulls double duty.  It pierces the clay while still soft for the stem and it serves as a holder for the cherry while the paint is wet.  Once painted, stick the toothpick in the block of foam. (I used a pot I had already filled with foam for another project.)

At this point I let everything dry & cure overnight.  The next day it was time for my favorite part...the glitter!!  With the paintbrush, I covered the cherry completely with clear glue then I dipped & rolled it in the Candy Apple glitter.  (While this pic shows the glitter spilled out on paper, I ultimately poured it into a shallow round container so I had more control.)

Then I stick them in the foam again to dry. 

Once dry, twist the toothpick out.  Dip the tip of a wooden stem in tacky glue & insert in the toothpick hole.  Voila!

Now...figuring out how these will be useful...that's your job. Bon Appetit!