Easy Projects

Hi,
I teach mentally disfunctional adult students for 1 hr each week. We've done a
lot of slab and pinched pieces and I'm just wondering if anyone has any really
great, easy projects that they might be willing to share. I'm kind of getting
burned out and need some new fresh ideas.

As far as pinched forms I've done: bowls, bowls with handles, bowls with
impressed stamps, etc., etc. I do a lot of stamping with them.

Done many types of slab projects too: Traced slab hand with bent fingers to
hang on the wall as a key/jewelry holder, wall pockets, hot plates. I'm
looking for more things like this. Would be grateful for any ideas?

We also use colored slips (oxides addes to white slip) to paint and then just
use low fire clear to glaze. It's a one firing process. I would also be
grateful for any ideas as far as other low fire colorants that would be nicer
as well as inexpensive than what we presently use.

As you can see all the above projects can be easily done in my time frame of 60
minutes. Any more suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance.

Would be extremely grateful if you could e-mail me directly as well as posting
on the board if possible. This is my first time here and don't know if I will
get back here again. Thanks so much.

Marlynn - LI, NY

One of my favourite projects is making *animal* or *people* pots using
Aztec, Mayan, or Toltec pots as the inspiration. Modelled and decorated
with brushed-on coloured slips in the one lesson period. With the less
able that allows them continuity of thought. The pots then just need a
coat of clear glaze afterwards which the teacher can do without in
effect altering the student's creation.

Steve
Bath
UK

In article , Mpchet
writes
Hi,
I teach mentally disfunctional adult students for 1 hr each week. We've done a
lot of slab and pinched pieces and I'm just wondering if anyone has any really
great, easy projects that they might be willing to share. I'm kind of getting
burned out and need some new fresh ideas.

As far as pinched forms I've done: bowls, bowls with handles, bowls with
impressed stamps, etc., etc. I do a lot of stamping with them.

Done many types of slab projects too: Traced slab hand with bent fingers to
hang on the wall as a key/jewelry holder, wall pockets, hot plates. I'm
looking for more things like this. Would be grateful for any ideas?

We also use colored slips (oxides addes to white slip) to paint and then just
use low fire clear to glaze. It's a one firing process. I would also be
grateful for any ideas as far as other low fire colorants that would be nicer
as well as inexpensive than what we presently use.

As you can see all the above projects can be easily done in my time frame of 60
minutes. Any more suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance.

Would be extremely grateful if you could e-mail me directly as well as posting
on the board if possible. This is my first time here and don't know if I will
get back here again. Thanks so much.

Marlynn - LI, NY



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

How about a decorated slab (maybe with impressed coils of different coloured
clay - white earthenware and terracotta usually work well if you don't have
time to wedge some colorant into the clay), and then put over a hump mould
( bowl with newspaper on it).
Add legs while up side down, make sure the legs are level. check with light
board on top.

Rolling slab around cylinder (can) and making bottom from another slab can
make nice pencil holder, wine cooler etc.
I have done it with kids as totem poles.

How about a coil pot. Quite often it is pleasing to work in rhythmical way.
Does it have to be finished in one hour or can you wrap project up til next
week?

Pressing coils or balls of clay into a mould ( can be lined bowl, or bisque
fired bowl) can make nice patterned bowls.
Hope it helps,
Andrea
"Mpchet" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I teach mentally disfunctional adult students for 1 hr each week. We've
done a
lot of slab and pinched pieces and I'm just wondering if anyone has any
really
great, easy projects that they might be willing to share. I'm kind of
getting
burned out and need some new fresh ideas.

As far as pinched forms I've done: bowls, bowls with handles, bowls with
impressed stamps, etc., etc. I do a lot of stamping with them.

Done many types of slab projects too: Traced slab hand with bent fingers
to
hang on the wall as a key/jewelry holder, wall pockets, hot plates. I'm
looking for more things like this. Would be grateful for any ideas?

We also use colored slips (oxides addes to white slip) to paint and then
just
use low fire clear to glaze. It's a one firing process. I would also be
grateful for any ideas as far as other low fire colorants that would be
nicer
as well as inexpensive than what we presently use.

As you can see all the above projects can be easily done in my time frame
of 60
minutes. Any more suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance.

Would be extremely grateful if you could e-mail me directly as well as
posting
on the board if possible. This is my first time here and don't know if I
will
get back here again. Thanks so much.

Marlynn - LI, NY

An easy project is to roll out a slab and then lay it on an inflated
balloon; then fold the excess over itself. When leather hard, attach three
small feet to the bottom. I use balloons that have set around for a few days
so they have lost a little air. If your balloons are too full, you may have
problems with cracking, as the clay dries and shrinks, if the balloon is
unable to be compressed as the slab dries. You can also use the same idea
with paper lunch bags/sacks stuffed with newspapers.
Steve in Tampa, Fl.

I took a class a couple of times that was designed for parent and
child to take together. Some of the things we made were rattles,
windchimes and coil pots.

The rattles were made from 2 pinch pot bowls put together and
decorated on the outside. The rattle part was made by putting 3 little
clay balls wrapped in newspaper first (to keep them from sticking inside
the pinch pot bowls) before they were attached. The finished rattle then
had a very small hole poked into it before firing it to keep it from blowing
up in the kiln, I guess. Our rattles were raku fired, but they'd
probably be just as good fired in a different way.

The windchimes were made from low fired clay (gave it a nice "ring")
rolled into a slab. We then cut shapes and decorated with underglazes
or stamps. You have to be sure to put a hole in each piece to attach
the string. Use a stick or a piece made from another slab for the top
of the windchime.

The coil pots were a fun project that we worked on in groups of parent
and child, and I love having this piece since my son and I made it
together.

Deb R.

"Mpchet" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I teach mentally disfunctional adult students for 1 hr each week. We've
done a
lot of slab and pinched pieces and I'm just wondering if anyone has any
really
great, easy projects that they might be willing to share. I'm kind of
getting
burned out and need some new fresh ideas.

As far as pinched forms I've done: bowls, bowls with handles, bowls with
impressed stamps, etc., etc. I do a lot of stamping with them.

Done many types of slab projects too: Traced slab hand with bent fingers
to
hang on the wall as a key/jewelry holder, wall pockets, hot plates. I'm
looking for more things like this. Would be grateful for any ideas?

We also use colored slips (oxides addes to white slip) to paint and then
just
use low fire clear to glaze. It's a one firing process. I would also be
grateful for any ideas as far as other low fire colorants that would be
nicer
as well as inexpensive than what we presently use.

As you can see all the above projects can be easily done in my time frame
of 60
minutes. Any more suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance.

Would be extremely grateful if you could e-mail me directly as well as
posting
on the board if possible. This is my first time here and don't know if I
will
get back here again. Thanks so much.

Marlynn - LI, NY


in a recent class, we made balls out of slab, but made them fully enclosed.
we left a very small opening, and blew into them to form a bubble of clay
and sealed them as we were blowing into them. they were then formed into
objects (animal heads, vegetables, etc). when done forming, poke a hole into
it somewhere (eyeholes, etc). fire and glaze like normal.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

you can make your own fossils with a slab of clay and squash anything that'll
burn out into it. try leaves, twigs, grass, ferns, string, rice, etc.

i got bored with coil pots but instead flattened the coils and cut them into
little bricks. i'd then brick lay walls on a slab of clay and build my own
little house. for the roof i used a stick across the peak and used a slab
drapped over it. even is only half way finished they look neat & rustic.
don't even bother glazing.

see ya

steve




Subject: Easy Projects
From: (Mpchet)
Date: 12/11/2003 1:45 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

Hi,
I teach mentally disfunctional adult students for 1 hr each week. We've done
a
lot of slab and pinched pieces and I'm just wondering if anyone has any
really
great, easy projects that they might be willing to share. I'm kind of
getting
burned out and need some new fresh ideas.

As far as pinched forms I've done: bowls, bowls with handles, bowls with
impressed stamps, etc., etc. I do a lot of stamping with them.

Done many types of slab projects too: Traced slab hand with bent fingers to
hang on the wall as a key/jewelry holder, wall pockets, hot plates. I'm
looking for more things like this. Would be grateful for any ideas?

We also use colored slips (oxides addes to white slip) to paint and then just
use low fire clear to glaze. It's a one firing process. I would also be
grateful for any ideas as far as other low fire colorants that would be nicer
as well as inexpensive than what we presently use.

As you can see all the above projects can be easily done in my time frame of
60
minutes. Any more suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance.

Would be extremely grateful if you could e-mail me directly as well as
posting
on the board if possible. This is my first time here and don't know if I
will
get back here again. Thanks so much.

Marlynn - LI, NY










steve graber