Beads of Clay Blog: SAVING A LITTLE TIME Part 1

In this series I will talk about making multiples of your creative efforts, thus saving time. Today I will show how I make texture stamps, and next month, I will show bisque mold making.

TEXTURE STAMPS

Whether you create a stamp or a whole texture plate, the process is the same. First draw your design, keeping in mind the shrinkage of your clay. Roll out your clay at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and lay the pattern on the clay. It will stick nicely because the clay is wet. I use my needle tool to transfer the pattern by poking holes thru the pattern and onto the clay. I also cut out the shape with my needle tool

Let your clay harden up a bit to leather hard. I usually let it dry under 2 bisque d tiles and some weight, so it doesn't warp. Then I do most of the carving with my small loop tool. First I just carve some basic straight lines, then I let it harden some more and use the loop tool again to bevel the lines. Have a soft tooth brush near by to remove the crumbs of clay. I'm sure your husband won't mind you using his :). Anyway he won't know will he ??

FINISHED STAMPS I want to make Christmas ornaments with these.

I continue to dry the stamps under weights. Some people put handles on the back, which is nice, but then you can't dry them under weights very well.

Here is a hanging planter ( in progress and upside down) where I used the heart stamp to make a sprig.

SOME OTHER TEXTURE OPTIONS:

Here is a texture roller.
I made a clay tube, then while leather hard I applied slip to the roller

You can do the same thing with hot glue and an old wooden rolling pin. I haven't actually tried it, but "they" say it works :).

One last photo, just to remind you that you can also carve stamps in those nice eraser type carving blocks, or even wood ( Oh but I was trying to save you time wasn't I). I am actually thinking of getting one of the African wood carvers here to carve a block for me.

The stamp on the right was carved on a Stadler carving block. They are somewhat fragile , but then I didn't take time to mount it either. Hum, sometimes time saved is time lost.

Happy carving.

Next month I hope to have some finished products to show.