How Clay Can Speak For You...

A few weeks ago, I demonstrated how to transfer print a word collage 

copied in black and white on a color copier to the clay slab surface

then pressed the slab with a PMS tray form into a 4" piece of foam.

With the scraps of clay from making the tray, I formed a pillow rattle

which  had a transfer print of the cat, Babe the Biter, on one side

and a blank back where I used white underglaze dots, green underglaze 

and a black Mayco Designer Liner to draw the leaves.

The pillow rattle is glaze fired but still not complete until I adorn it

with a handle, beads and maybe a bell or two...

Snow Day RATTLES...

Forming a pillow rattle is relatively easy. Once you puff out the clay 

by blowing your "Chi" into it and pursing it closed with your lips, 

you only need two firings to have your very own rattle to adorn.

OK, so it takes a walk or two in the woods 

to locate interesting sticks for handles and a few visits 

to a shop like Blue Santa Beads in Media, PA

to collect appropriate beads to augment the clay ones you've made...

But it's worth the effort when you end up with fabulous rattles like these

for sharing with friends and collectors!

P I T C H E R S . . .

A one piece design for a pitcher which showcases my Intaglio mat,

Dot Leaf quite well; Stoneware 710 clay.

A CUTEsie pitcher patterned with my 2 x 2 clay stamps, Gillette leaves,

corrugated cardboard patterned handle and body trim.

The Ginkgo Leaf Intaglio mat patterning on a personal pitcher

accented with Gillette leaves.

The same pitcher perched on a Dot Leaf patterned tea biscuit tray.