Mary Dixon on fri 14 oct 05
Hi all
My sister is having a devil of a time getting honest kid's
handprints in clay for tile keepsake making, something she
wants to start doing.
Any recommendations? She has tried the freshest, cut off
the block out of the bag, most grog-free eartthenware
Campbell's Pottery Supply offers and just can't seem to get
the palm to indent properly. Details are lost or just don't
imprint.
She does not want to use porcelain (my preference).
Tips? Suggestions? Wise sage advice?
Thanks
Mary Dixon
MD DogArt
http://mddogart.tripod.com
jlutz on fri 14 oct 05
Mary,
I do this quite often or at least as often as someone I know has a baby.
I use Laguna's ^5 B Mix. The trick is to make sure that the clay is
VERY soft. Roll out a slab and keep it covered with plastic until
you're ready to use it. The clay will be cold to the touch and
you'll find with very little kids that they will curl up their finger
or toes when they touch it. You have to be very quick and press hard
enough before they start to curl up. It will take a while for them
to get used to it before you get good prints. So make several
slabs. You can also make a fairly large coil - about 3/4 inch in
diameter and have them grab hold of it to leave their hand print.
Then clean up the coil and put hole in the end and it can become a
key chain bob or ?
Jean Lutz
Prescott, AZ
At 12:24 PM 10/14/2005, you wrote:
>Hi all
>My sister is having a devil of a time getting honest kid's
>handprints in clay for tile keepsake making, something she
>wants to start doing.
>Any recommendations? She has tried the freshest, cut off
>the block out of the bag, most grog-free eartthenware
>Campbell's Pottery Supply offers and just can't seem to get
>the palm to indent properly. Details are lost or just don't
>imprint.
>She does not want to use porcelain (my preference).
>
>Tips? Suggestions? Wise sage advice?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mary Dixon
>MD DogArt
>http://mddogart.tripod.com
>
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katetiler on sat 15 oct 05
Hi Mary - I do this quite a lot:
http://www.katetiler.co.uk/Baby%20Tiles.html
I use 20% grogged/sanded red earthenware clay as I do for all my
tiles, a couple of tips -
Roll out several slabs, don't shape them until after you have
impressed the hand prints- the little darlings can move very quickly
and place a hand right near the edge if you have already cut out a
square tile... Use a tile template made from rigid clear plastic, it
helps to place the hand prints centrally on the tile when you do cut
the tile out. I cut up some old business document folders.
Be prepared to place your hand over theirs & press it gently but
firmly into the clay - make sure you press all the fingers down and
back towards the wrist, this will give the whole palm print. Don't let
them move until you have finished the whole impresion, then move the
tile away quickly before they grab it!
You will always get some clenched fists - I have a number of
distracting rattles, dolls etc for them to grab in one hand & focus on
while I am printing up the other hand!
Feet are easier and often just as satisfying to have a print of - I
make tiles with one hand and one foot print in. I also used to paint
slip into the impression, at the parent's request as they liked my
slipware tiles, but I don't do that anymore.
The webpage shows some examples, as well as it taking both me and the
child's mother to imobilise - sorry distract a very strong 6 month old!
Finally - take the clay to the child, not the child to the clay. Don't
know why, but it works better, they don't get as frightened. May be it
is more interesting and they are being given something to look at,
rather than it seeming like a vaguely medical procedure!
Hope that helps, Karen.
http://www.katetiler.co.uk
Marek & Pauline Drzazga-Donaldson on sat 15 oct 05
Dear Mary,
b est way forward is to have soft clay slab and then oil up (not =
dripping wet) the offending article to be pressed, then firmly press the =
hand into the clay, easy release.
I use modelling oil, but I know that any vegetable oil will work as =
well, have fun.
Happy potting Marek www.no9uk.com www.moley.uk.com
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