I finally had a chance to get back into the studio and try out a few press plates I purchased from Shayla Marsh. There are two different styles, and the first is a true press plate system made up of two pieces. The outer piece is used to cut the shape and acts as a guide for centering, while the inner piece is used to press the form. Working with these has me dreaming about buying a laser cutter so I could make custom shapes of my own. Every time I start looking into it, though, I remember both the cost and the reality that designing all those forms would probably turn into an entirely new hobby.
So here I am using the outer templates to lay out and cut the shapes from my slab. I used a needle tool to carefully trace around each form before removing the excess clay.
Here are all of the cut pieces laid out on the board, ready for the next step in the process.
This photo shows the two pieces together on top of the clay shape. The outer guide allows the inner press to be positioned perfectly in the center. Normally I estimate placement by eye and use my thumbs as a guide, but this method is much more precise and gives more consistent results.
Once everything is aligned, I carefully remove the outer guide, making sure not to shift the inner press off center.
Next comes the fun part. I press down onto a piece of foam, which allows the clay to sink and form the raised edges of the plate. This particular piece of foam is my dedicated dark-clay foam. I keep a separate one for white clay to avoid any unwanted staining or contamination.
And here is the finished piece, freshly formed and ready to begin the drying process.
Some fun new pieces came out of this firing, along with a few restocks.
The moon bowls/trays turned out especially well. I suspect it’s unlikely that someone will want all six, but they really do belong together as a set. I’ve been trying to figure out how to display all six at a show. I’m bringing them with me to the Frederick Festival of the Arts this weekend, so hopefully I’ll come up with a creative solution.
The first batch of bird ornaments also made it into this kiln load. I quickly discovered that, because of the size of the birds and the ornament/jewelry hanger I use in the kiln, I can only fire four at a time. I’m happy with how they turned out, but I think I’d like to make another batch using a smooth white clay body instead of the speckled clay. Most of the time I love the extra dimension and character the speckles add, but on these birds I feel like they compete a little with the design.
I’m also still experimenting with glazes to find the best way to highlight the crochet textures. I made a large batch of test tiles and have already found a few favorites—more on those below.
I finally got these birds into a glaze kiln. They're so cute! I know that the holidays are a ways away, but still glad to have them done.
My cone fell over. First time I've ever had that happen, luckily it didn't stick to the plate. No clue how that happened.
This kiln has a bunch of restock on birch and cardinals. I also have a bunch of glaze tests for my crochet texture.
I kept starting and stopping this cardigan for other projects. It is a new pattern, but I've lost the thread on what stitch it was. The yarn is Big Silk by Miss Babs in All that Glitters.
The cat bowls came out so cute. Not a lot of excitement in this kiln, just restocking a lot of staples which was needed.
Cat and bigfoot bowls! I'm hoping everyone loves those as much as they love the mugs. Aside from that this is arestock of crabs and aliens.
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