Toad Inn

 


Products Used

Bisque
  • CD-851 - Hosta Leaf - Small
Color
  • S-2101 - Crystal Clear Brushing
  • SC-14 - Java Bean
  • SC-15 - Tuxedo
  • SC-26 - Green Thumb
  • SC-30 - Blue Dawn
  • SC-34 - Down to Earth
  • SC-52 - Toad-ily Green
  • SC-82 - Tuscan Red
  • SC-85 - Orkid
Decorating Accessories
  • BT-910 - Synthetic Sponges
  • CB-110 - #10/0 Liner
  • CB-406 - #6 Pointed Round
  • CB-604 - #4 Soft Fan
  • CD-1073 - Leaf Designs Press Tools
CD851_toadInn_handbuilt
Additional Materials
  • Needle Tool
  • Rolling Pin
  • Canvas
  • Newspaper
  • Pencil
  • Clay Wire Cutter
  • Moist Clay cone 04
  • ¼" Dowels
  • Cup
Project Info

Instructions


  1. For the right depth of clay, lay out canvas fabric on table and place ¼" dowels on the left and right side of the fabric. Place a piece of moist clay about 2 lbs. in size in the middle of the fabric. Using a rolling pin or a 1" dowel, roll out the clay to the size of a legal piece of paper. The dowels are used as a guide to keep your clay level and at the same evenness. Make sure the edges of the rolling pin hit the ¼" dowels.
  2. Take a small marble size piece of clay and place it in the individual portion cup and add about 3 tablespoons of water. Mix this up with your fingers to make the slurry. This will be your "glue" to attach all the pieces together.
  3. Walls - Cut a rectangular piece of clay as the walls of the house. Mark where the door and windows will be placed, but don't cut yet. This will leave the clay stronger as you build. Using the CD-1073 Design Press Tools, stamp the flower pattern on the clay around the door and windows in a pattern of choice. Using CD-780 Design Press Tools, stamp in the butterflies.
  4. Wrap the clay into an oval. Score and add slurry to the vertical edges where the walls meet. Use the CD-780 Design Press Tools star tool to press them together. It will appear as if the walls were nailed together. Let it set and then cut out the door and windows.
  5. Roof - Press clay into CD-851 Small Hosta Leaf. Pull from mold and cut into shape. Let the leaf set until it will hold its shape when working with it. Once it does, form over the walls of the house in your own design. Measure the inside dimensions of the walls and add a coil of clay to the leaf as a flange. This will ensure the leaf will not slide off the wall.
  6. Chimney - Take a small amount of clay and roll into a ball. By gently pouncing the clay on the table, form the clay into a solid rectangle. Press your finger into the top to indent the top. Once the roof will hold the weight of the chimney, score and add slurry to attach. With a pencil make the impression of brick.
  7. Cut out doors and windows.
  8. Add your own personal touch to the outside decor.
    • With a pencil lightly impress the image of bricks into the wall.
    • Vines are small coils of clay, which twine around chimney and up sides of house.
    • CD-1073 Press Tools are used to form the leaves on the shutters and add vines around the chimney.
    • Score, slurry and attach a coil of clay around the door then impress with a pencil to simulate brick.
    • Roll out a small piece of clay for the sign.
    • With a needle tool place 2 holes in roof where the sign will be hung.
  9. Be sure to allow the piece to dry completely before firing. A good way to tell if it is completely dry is that the clay should be at room temperature.
  10. Fit the roof on the walls of the house and bisque fire together to shelf cone 04.
  11. Painting - All Stoke & Coats are used as washes of color. The more layers of wash, the deeper the color. Too much color will hide the antiquing.
    • Dilute SC-34 Down to Earth with water and place a wash of color over the entire piece. Wipe back excess color with a damp sponge leaving color in the detail design.
    • Roof - Using the CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply washes of SC-26 Green Thumb and SC-52 Toad-ily Green.
    • Walls - Washes of SC-14 Java Bean with touches of SC-82 Tuscan Red.
    • Flowers- SC-30 Blue Dawn
    • Butterflies - SC-85 Orkid
    • Leaves - Mix of SC-26 Green Thumb and SC-14 Java Bean
    • Chimney - SC-82 Tuscan Red
    • Sign - A wash of SC-14 Java Bean
  12. Using a CB-110 #10/0 Liner and SC-26 Green Thumb, paint in the flower stems and leaves.
  13. Use SC-15 Tuxedo for the body of the butterflies.
  14. Using a CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 2 coats of S-2101 Crystal Clear Brushing. Make sure to clean out the whole where the wire will go to hang the sign. Allow to dry.
  15. Wipe off any glaze on the bottom of the piece so it does not need to be stilted during the firing
  16. Fire to shelf cone 06.
  17. Hang the sign with wire.

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