Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Colorful Leaves in Clay

The fall colors in the trees in my neighborhood give me lots of ideas for projects. I loved seeing all the different sizes of the gingko leaves in bright yellow and the spectacular feathery leaves from the many varieties of Japanese Maples.  I collected the most interesting ones on one of my recent walks. I thought I’d use them to decorate little plates to hold special tea bags or a couple of fancy chocolates.  
Materials:
Clay (stoneware, terracotta or a non-hardening modeling clay will work)
Rolling pin
Knife – doesn’t need to be sharp
Leaves in all shapes and colors - you don't want them to be too brittle

1. Roll out a slab of clay about a quarter inch thick.  

2. Arrange the leaves in whatever pattern you like.
3. Roll over the leaves with the rolling pin to imprint the leaves into the clay.
4. Using your knife, cut around the leaves to create a small plate.
5. If you use clay, fire your piece and then make a thin wash out of acrylic paint and water. Brush it over the clay and watch the leaf image pop!

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