Hosta Leaf Headdress

Handbuilding:

1. Roll out slab 1/4 inch thick, press slab into CD850 Large Hosta Leaf, make sure to press hard enough to transfer the detail, remove from the mold, slump into CD879 Mask Slump Mold. Use a sandbag to slump and a damp sponge to press the clay into the eyes, nose and mouth area. Bend the edges of the leaf, support with a paper towel till it is firm enough to stay on its own.
2. Let it firm up in the mold, flip it over to remove, use a wood stick to detail the missing lines in the leaf. Let it sit till it is still damp but not able to lose its form.
3. Press clay into the frog, turtle, and dragonfly in CD916 Project Press Mold, scrape off the excess clay, remove the form from the mold by pressing a small ball of clay over the form and pull up. Make 4 frogs and two turtles, one dragonfly.
4. Score the clay with the needle tool in the spot for attachment, brush with water to make a slurry, press the clay frogs etc to the face.
5. Roll a small ball of clay, press over the star form from CD1078 Press Tools 3, this will make the small red flowers. Score, wet and attach to the hosta lady in three groups as pictured.
6. Make the skinny leaf from press mold CD778 Flowers & Leaves Press Mold. Press the end of the leaf to the hosta face, then lift the rest of the leaf to stick it straight up, around the flowers. Score, wet and attach.
7. Let dry, fire to cone 04.

Glazing:

1. Brush the hosta leaf with two thinned coats of SC-78 Lime Light with CB-604 #4 Soft Fan. When dry, thin SC-26 Green Thumb and brush over the Hosta Leaf using CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, this will flow into the detail.
2. Remove excess glaze from the frogs, turtles, and dragonfly with a wet brush or sponge. Brush the leaves with 2-3 coats of SC-36 Irish Luck, brush the flowers with three coats of CG-984 Ladybug, two coats of CG-963 Lemon Lime to the frogs.
3. Brush a coat of SC-26 Green Thumb over the turtle, and the dragonfly, wipe back to antique, brush the body of the dragonfly with SC-15 Tuxedo, and The turtle shell with one coat of SC-81 Cinnamon Stix.
4. Shade around everything on the hosta leaf and around the face with SC-36 Irish Luck, use CB-106 #6 Script Liner, further shade deeper shadow areas, with SC-37 Army Surplus and SC-15 Tuxedo.
5. Brush a very thin coat of SC-26 Green Thumb over the eyes. Brush the iris with SC-26 Green Thumb 2 coats, brush the pupil with two coats of SC-15 Tuxedo, use CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner. Remove some of the Green Thumb around the pupil, brush SC-77 Glo-Worm into the iris. Outline the iris and the eyes with SC-15 Tuxedo, use CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner, shade SC-15 Tuxedo around the top of the eyes.
6. Brush a coat of S-2101 Crystal Clear Brushing over the hosta mask, omit the crystal glazes.
7. Fire to cone 05/06.

Variations and Adaptations

• If the mask mold is not available, a plastic mask from any craft store will also work to form the clay on top of. Remember to remove the clay before it starts to dry too much to avoid cracking.