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Before I begin making pendants or beads, I first dig through this basket of molds. It has taken me a few years to gather this many molds and I am coming up with new molds all the time. Some I am able to make with funky buttons I find on vintage shirts or skirts, others I find in the grab pile for .25 cents at the fabric store. When I spy a texture on an unusual object, I run for the clay to lift a pattern. I am always on the look out for things in which to make molds. |
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I decided upon the sunflower, which I made by pressing a button into two pieces of porcelain clay.
I took a small ball of Taos red clay and ...
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...and gently pressed together the two molds. This is quick and easy, but it took a bit of practice to get just the right amount of clay each time. There are some variations in each pendant, but if it is twisted while pressing, or smashed too quickly, the details get distorted. I am careful to apply just the correct amount of pressure. |
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Voila. A lovely sunflower is uncapped. Next, I lift it out and smooth any rough edges. |
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Next it is time to attach a wire to the pendant. This is a high fire wire (also known as High Temperature Wire) which is fired along with the pendant. |
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But first I have to make a loop and snip it off. |
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Next I insert the wire into the pendant. |
| Here are the finished Sunflowers. After they dry I put them into the kiln and for a 04 cone bisque firing. |
| To begin glazing, I paint the outer portion of the sunflower on both sides with a very light yellow. |
| Next I use a darker, more vibrant, yellow for each of the petals. |
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Last I paint the center Jack-O-Lantern orange. I use a fine brush, a size 0 Kolinsky Sable
by Winsor & Newton for all the detail work. The brush is expensive, but good brushes make
for fine detail work and last a long time, too. The one step Stroke & Coat glazes always
provide excellent coverage.
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| When the Sunflower Pendant has been through its glaze firing comes out of the kiln, this is what it looks like. |
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Here are a few more which are all glazed differently. |