Marbled Button

Ingredients:

Small shapes in assorted colours of Friendly Plastic
I strip of Metallic Red Friendly Plastic
Marbling Comb
Sugarcraft or cookie cutter 6cm (2 ½”) diameter
Bamboo Kebab stick
CD or photo album
Decorative paper and glue for covering
Ribbon and cord
Cotton perlé embroidery thread

Method:

1) Arrange small shapes of Friendly Plastic on some Teflon sheet or Aluminium Foil and heat using dry heat until soft.

2) Let the plastic rest for the count of 5 then holding the marbling comb at about 20° from upright drag it through the plastic pulling one colour into the next. Turn the sheet around and repeat in another direction. (Clean surplus bits of plastic from the comb tines between each drag)

3) Whilst the plastic is still warm, Dip the cookie cutter in some cold water and cut out a circle from the swirled plastic. Let it cool completely and gently ease out the cut circle (use scissors if you have not cut quite through)

4) Cut two pieces of red Friendly Plastic so that they are just bigger than the circle and lay them side by side on Teflon sheeting so that they touch each other. Heat using dry heat until soft.

5) Press the swirled circle into the hot plastic using the flat end of a kebab stick until it is evenly embedded, then cut out the circle again through both layers of plastic. While the plastic is still warm, work four holes into the centre of the circle using the needle tool, kebab stick or a ball ended embossing tool.

6) Cover a CD album folder with decorative paper and glue on ribbon and cord. Stitch the centre of the button with thick cotton perlé embroidery thread and glue in place with silicon glue or strong glue dots.

Variations:

·	Use strips of Friendly Plastic close together for a feathered icing look

·	Use the needle tool in place of the marbling comb

·	Roll the still warm marbling to flatten it and close any gaps