And then after using MY stamps all night… I taught my SURFACE DECORATION class how to make their own! So now that’ll be able to go even further in their own personal stamping journeys!!! Handmade clay stamps for the win!!!

Last night in my SURFACE DECORATION class we all tackled stamping as their technique-du-jour! Not only did I bring down my pre-made bowls for them to play with… but I also brought some of my own handmade stamps! So we talked about some fun stamping techniques… and then I set them loose to do their own stamping!!!

Adding a little texture, pattern & design to a large platter… using one of my handmade clay stamps. Pressed into the rim of the platter one stamp at a time… one by one… by one… by one…

Finishing up a dinner plate class demo with a little stamping around the rim. Sure, I could have left it plain with a nice spiral… but you know how I subscribe to the “more is more” theory of pottery!

Another large platter wheelthrowing demo… got a little makeover once I got it up to my studio. Just a couple stamps here & there. All made with one handmade stamp pressed in one-by-one-by-one…

Never one to back down from a challenge… I kinda felt obligated to make a clock for my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN as well. Sure, I coulda’ done a cartoon… but I felt this was more my style! The twist was that I used my student’s stamps that they made during a previous THROWDOWN challenge!!! They had no idea that I snuck them out of the bisque kiln & used them on my clock before I distributed them during the next class!!! So much fun to show it off during our final class! Fun clay clocks for everyone!!!

Just a little bit of stamping going on today… one last project I think I can still get done in time for next weekend’s soda kiln firing?!

I’m assuming you’ve figured it out… my THROWDOWN class made large platters… and then made their own stamps… any guesses???

Well, I was “hoping” that they might not have put it together, but I think they all had a pretty good clue! Anyway, this week’s LILLSTREET THROWDOWN challenge was to take the stamps they made last week and decorate their platters using primarily their stamps as their surface decoration technique! And many of them have never stamped before!… wait, what?!!!

Just a handmade stamp & a pointy piece of wood. Soon enough I had this fully stamped platter ready to start drying more. Still needs to be trimmed… but one step closer to done!

I’ve made a LOT of clay stamps over the years… so why not challenge my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN students to do the same?! So last week in class, they were each tasked with making three handmade clay stamps during class. Easy enough, right?!

Except for the fact that they had to choose three random words sight-unseen… and then make a stamp that represented each word!!! Not too tough… except for the fact that they couldn’t even “test” their stamps to see how they did until they dry & are bisque fired. Some of them were pretty darn thick, so they’re going to take awhile to dry fully!