Country Salt & Pepper Shakers

This is a simple slab project that is very flexible in design and makes a great gift. This photo is the finished product before firing and glazing. You can change the size by making smaller or larger slabs, or you can change how you attach your lid. If you decide to try this project, you can follow the steps below.You will need to purchase two 1/2 inch plastic plugs for the bases of the shakers for filling with salt or pepper. Angled corks could also be used but use a size that will fit the base of each shaker.

• Slice off a 1 1/2 inch slice of clay from your block, and reseal the bag.
• Wedge your clay well and flatten it out on your board with a few hits of your rolling pin or palm of your hand.
• Place your rolling sticks on each side of the clay as you roll it out to ensure a uniform depth (1/4 inch) 
• Using one of your sticks as a guide, cut two slabs measuring 3 3/4 inches X 7 1/2 inches which will serve as the shaker walls. 
• Cut out 2 circular cookies of 2 1/4 inches in diameter.These will be the shaker bases.

                 

• Use a pin tool to mark the center of each cookie base, mark with a cross, and cut out a 1/2 inch hole into each one. Smooth inside each hole with the shaft of a round pencil or pen.
•  With leftover clay, form two 8 inch coils to make a raised rim around each cookie base. Score and slurry the outer edge of each base and then each coil and firmly attach the coils around the cookie bases as shown above left.
• Paddle each coil with one of the flat sides of your stick or use a real paddle to flatten and level each base.
• Turn each base over, so the coil side is down. Score and slurry around the bottom outside edge of each base and score and slurry the bottom inside long edge of each slab. Attach each slab around the cookie bases to form the shakers. Press firmly or paddle to ensure a tight fit.
• Cut off any excess of the slab to make a tight seam and then smooth out the seams with your fingers, (above right).
• If you have left over clay or slab, cut out two 3 inch circles for the lids.
• Score and slurry the top rim of each shaker. Slurry each one well.
• Just rough up the undersides of each lid about 1/2 inch in from the edge.
• Press on each lid firmly so it extends out over the rim. Press down all around the top with your index finger to attach the lid to the shaker wall. You can also paddle the lid for a secure fit.
• Use a pin tool or a shish kabob stick to poke in the lid holes.
• Once it is complete, and leather hard, you can add texture by incising the walls with a tool, or just leave it plain.  Okay, here again is the finished project. 

Hand Sculpture (Ring Holder)

After a few days of contemplation, I decided to give this hand sculpture a go. When I sliced off the block of clay, my cellphone battery was dead, so the camera photos start part way through the lesson.

I sliced off a clay block that measured approximately 3 inches X 3 inches X 8 inches high and placed it on my board. I started squeezing the block to make it thinner and taller, constantly looking back at my left hand. I was trying to make the palm part 3 1/2 inches high and 3 inches wide to resemble my own hand. The depth needed to be about 1 1/2 inches, to allow me to trim it later. My tallest finger is only 2 3/4 inches long from its base where my palm starts, but taller than my index and ring finger, so I proceeded to trim the top section like an arc to allow for the middle finger. I then sliced straight down with a sharp knife, leaving the palm of the hand at 3 1/2 inches high and trying to make the fingers all the same width. When I separated them, they were quite square, so I sliced down each corner of the fingers, front and back to round them out. Here, they still look a bit flat and need more forming. I tried to shape the hand like my own, so I scraped in a few lines and formed the wrist, pushing the excess clay down to the base. Abase is necessary to balance the weight of the bent hand.                                                                                                    

I continuously checked my left hand to form the correct angles on the sides and back of the hand. My thumb pad was not right and the thumb itself was awkward and thick, so more trimming and pressing to try and get it right. I added more clay to thicken up the thumb pad on the palm to look more realistic, and I cut down an extra 1/4 inch into the palm for the baby finger to look right. Then I smoothed each finger around and pressed in the finger creases with a small trimming tool. If you look at them, the finger creases actually curve up and down and there are little puffy pads where the fingers meet the palm. You can push the clay up from the palm to form these pads or add a bit of sticky clay and press it in place, smoothing it in to the palm to blend in. I moved the fingers around to get the best bend in each one before the clay started to dry. To make the finger nails, I pressed in the round end of a nail file and dragged it out. Then I smoothed around each finger again. For the thumb nail, I pressed in a tongue depressor and dragged it straight out to simulate the nail, then smoothed around the end of the thumb.


For the knuckles on the back of the hand, I pulled out some sticky clay and made 4 small balls (pea size) and pressed them on, and then smoothed them in to look like knuckle bumps. If you look from the side, the fingers actually run quite straight from the knuckle to the first bend, so try and smooth them out on the back. A damp sponge will do wonders to smooth out the imperfections. I covered mine with a plastic bag so it can set up a bit, but it is necessary to scoop out the inside tomorrow so that it won't blow up in the kiln. Here are a few pictures from different angles. The last thing I did was to trim the base with a sharp knife to square it up. Tomorrow, I will scoop out the center of the base.

Today, I scooped out the bottom of the hand, so that the interior wall is between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I was afraid to go thinner for fear it would collapse or poke through, so this will have to be rock dry before firing.
I have a few more photos of the finished product.

Pressed Bowl

I began this lesson planning to make a basket bowl using 1 inch slabs and weaving them over a bowl mold, but it just was not working for me, so I had a change of heart, squished all my slabs back together, and re-wedged the clay. When it was back into a ball shape, I pressed my thumb firmly into the center and began pinching to form it into a bowl shape. I was winging it, so I thought I'd just see where it would take me. Once I had a very thick bowl shape, I placed it into the center on an unglazed but fired bowl, a large bisque bowl. I knew this bowl was quite porous, so the clay would not stick when drying. If you try this with a glass, plastic,or metal bowl, you will have to line it with strips of newspaper in order for your pressed bowl to release from the mold. I worked up from the center of the clay pinched bowl I placed in the mold. I pushed and pressed the clay out and up with 2 thumbs together, pressing the clay forcefully against the inside of the mold until it reached the rim. Turn your work as you go, pressing firmly until the clay feels to be a uniform thickness. Then I switched to one thumb, forcing more clay from the center of the base, all the way around. It created a petal shape texture, so I continued until I was pretty happy with it. Then I took a sharp knife and trimmed the top edge, placing the knife flat on the top of the mold and

dragging it around the rim to make the clay bowl inside flush with the rim of the mold. I also formed a clay disk for the center of the petals, roughed up the bottom of the disk, added slurry, and pressed it into the bottom of the bowl to appear like a flower center.

At that point, I let it dry for about an hour. The porous bisque bowl absorbed water from the clay, and I was then able to release it from the mold. I turned it over carefully, and the clay bowl slipped right out. If you used newspaper strips, you may have to tug a little on your paper to get it started. Here is a photo of the pressed dish.(above right and left) I will do more trimming after it is leather hard.

 So, the moral of this story...if you are not happy with what you are making, squish it up again and try something new! See you next week.

Dish with Shell Decoration

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It is soooo good that we 

turn back the clocks tonight...

an extra hour of sleep!

• The small dish we are going to create this week is formed with a slab. You could use it for a candy dish, a butter dish, or even a trinket box.I have white sand in mine and put my favourite tiny shells and fossils inside. This close up (top left) shows the texture by rolling the clay on burlap and the shades of brown and violet show up in the pattern. I thought I would try pressing  a tiny shell pattern onto the sides of the dish after I put it together. These are the shells (below right) I will try to use To start the project, you should take out 1 sheet of printer paper to make your template. Make pencil marks at 2 inches in from the edge of the paper all the way around, and then draw in the lines with a ruler. You should then cut out the corner pieces as shown (below right).  

                                                      You could use a cardboard template for more stability when you cut out the slab or you could just draw around the paper template.

Well, it is almost 2:00 am,so I'll wait until tomorrow to get out the clay.

I'm back...
Slice off about a 1 1/2 inch slab of clay from your block. Wedge it well and roll it out into a 1/4 inch thick slab. Use your depth sticks for a cleaner edge to your slab, and roll it out enough to cover the template as shown.
Smooth out your template on top of the slab. It should stay put from the moisture in the clay. Cut out the corner pieces of the clay and straighten your clay edges to match the template. Use a ruler as you cut to ensure straight edges.
Fold up each side to make a box shape, patting the outsides with the ruler or a paddle to straighten any waviness in the clay.
At this point, I took a tiny shell and pressed it firmly into the outside edges of the dish to create a pattern, and I pressed my favourite shell into a pattern on the base, making 3 shell impressions..

I then took extra clay (marble size) and pressed it into a fossil of a shell that created a sprig, a tiny clam shell mold. After I took it out, I cut off the excess clay, scored and slurried the bottom and attached it to the inside base of the dish. I added 3 sprigs in all to create a pattern.













The next step was to score and slurry all four corners to complete the sides of the dish.
Press firmly to attach each side.
I covered the dish with a grocery bag overnight for the clay to become leather hard. The last step is to attach feet on the bottom of the dish.
Roll 4 pieces of clay into 4 marble sized balls, score and slurry each foot and each corner of the base where you plan to attach it. Press each foot firmly on the base and turn the dish upright. Apply pressure to the dish to slightly flatten each foot so that it sits evenly.

And there you have it, ready to dry, fire, and glaze. I think I'll use this one for fancy soaps.
See you next week.
                                                                                                                     

Slab and Coil Maple Syrup Pitcher

Still on the kitchen theme, I thought we'd create a maple syrup pitcher with the slab and coil method combined. You will need to slice off about a 1 1/2 inch slab of clay from your block.Wedge your clay and flatten it out on your board. Roll it out lengthwise to make a long slab. Use your sticks on the long sides to force the clay to spread out lengthwise to about 1/4 inch thickness. Turn the slab over in the process.On one end of your slab, cut out a cookie base about 2 1/2 inch-3 inches in diameter.Make sure your remaining slab is long enough to stand up and sit around the top rim of your base. Make sure you score the top edge of the base and the edge of your slab, brush slurry on both parts and firmly press the slab onto the base to create a cylinder (third picture on the right). Cut off any excess  from the slab so it leaves a neat seam, not overlapping.Add some slurry, press the seam together, and smooth it out with your finger. Smooth the seam at the base as well. If you are out of clay, slice off another 1 inch slab for the coils. If you have leftover clay, wedge it and squeeze some into a 1/2 inch coil. Place both your hands over the coil and roll the clay as you move your hands away from each other, trying to keep the same pressure and movement on each hand. Keep rolling the coil as it gets thinner, and move your hands to the thicker areas trying to make the whole coil uniform.
Make sure you score and slurry each coil as you attach it. Place the coils on the inside top edge of the cylinder, so the neck curves in like a bottle. Press firmly on each added coil and then smooth out the coil bumps on the outside with your finger or a sculpting tool. A rib tool works well to smooth away any finger marks.You can see in the photo on the right that the coils are curving in to make a bottle neck. Keep a few fingers inside for support as you blend in the coil bumps on the outside. After you have smoothed out the outside.coil bumps, use a sponge that is just barely damp to smooth any uneven areas. Attach a top rim coil to the outside edge of the coil below, press it firmly in place and blend in both the outside and inside coil bumps. This top coil should flare out (photo below right). If you have enough clay left, form it into a 2-3 inch ball for pulling out a handle.

                                   

Pour about 3 inches of water into a bowl, yogurt, or ice-cream container to work over. Shape your ball into an oblong shape and wet the long end. Hold on to the dry end with your other hand. Wet the long end well, and pull the clay out toward you, adding water so it slides easily as you pull. It will form into a handle shape that you can then cut off and attach to your little jug. (photos left and below).

I had an indent on one side of my pitcher, so I took some leftover clay and rolled it out quite thin, cut out a maple leaf shape, scored and slurried the back, and the pitcher, and attached it to cover the flaw. Clay is very forgiving, and many blips can be altered or hidden. My final piece is on the right, however, I probably will do more sponging before it completely dries.