Thursday, September 19, 2013

Your friendship is like a gentle warm breeze.

Here are two more ceramic pieces Jillian and I made at Ceramic Lodge.

1) First step was to roll out Armadillo White Clay 1/4" thick
2) Then firmly stamp image into the clay - this takes lots of practice to get it just right, not too light, not to deep, etc.  I need more practice, but this was my first attempt to step outside of my comfort zone and try something different.
3) Trim around the image - for this sample the cut was freehand outlining the stamp of the stamp.  Other samples I used a tool like a cookie cutter to cut shapes.
4) The clay must dry for about a week before the first firing in the kiln.

Ceramic Lodge fired the clay and I returned to paint the bisque.

1) This time I used the writer pens filled with the Mayco glaze, I carefully painted the longhorn, windmill, cactus and ground.  I am not satisfied with the polka dotted longhorn, but I didn't know how to fix that without creating a bigger mess.  I talked Jillian into painting the inside of the words (she's had more practice and a much steadier hand).  Thanks Jill!

2) When finally satisfied, the pieces were left to be dipped in a clear coat and fired a second time.

3)  These were a bit too heavy for a magnet but work well on a small easel.

If you are a stamper and want to try something different just swing by the store.  The store is located at Chisholm Trail directly across from the post office just south of Sam Bass or visit them on facebook .  If you are a ceramic enthusiast and want to try Texas styled stamps in your works of art visit check out Texana Designs or check out their facebook pages.

I'll be posting other samples of my ceramic creations shortly (yes I have more) - Janet

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