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This technique can be used to for any type of cutout making the Candle Ball easily decorative for every season. The Ball can also be used as a candy jar. For ease when using as a candleholder, put two tablespoons of water in the bottom and add your candle. This allows the candle to burn completely and makes it very easy to “pop” out the wax.

MATERIALS

Mayco One Strokes:

OS18 Princess Blue

OS 29 Delft Blue

OS 48 Leaf Green

OS 62 Lime Green

OS 1 Mirror Black

Duncan Concepts:

CN 012 Bright Straw

CN 072 Bright Scarlet

Mayco Glaze S2401-Cottonseed (or any other brand of matte or satin glaze that takes overglaze)

Clear Glaze

Toothpick or Dotter

Exacto Knife

Stencil of Holly and Berries

Permanent Marker

PREPARATION

Cast Candle Ball approximately 1/8” thick. Open mold, but do NOT remove the piece from the mold.

CARVING

1. While the piece is still in the mold, use a needle tool to lightly trace the edges of the stencil design over the area to be cut out. This is making a “hole” in the piece, so do not to trace around the veins in the leaves. Be sure to leave some blank space between each piece to be cut out.

2. Using the knife carefully cut out the holly leaves and ribbon. The stencil tracing will not show one point of each leaf. Be sure to make the edges join.

3. Once the leaves and ribbon are cut out, put your hand inside the piece to support it and use the dotter or toothpick to punch holes for the berries.

CLEANING AND FIRING

While piece is in leather hard greenware, take a paintbrush dipped in water and smooth the edges of the cutouts. When greenware is dry, clean seams, touch up any cutouts that need further cleaning and fire to Cone 04 bisque.

INSIDE

1. Heavily load a fan brush with Bright Straw and tap it against the sides and bottom of the interior of the piece (but not inside the holes). Lightly tapping the brush against the inside will generally keep the holes clear and also add a little texture. If some color gets in holes, use a cotton swab to remove out. Repeat until completely covered.

2. When dry, use a fan brush to add clear glaze, keeping it out of the holes (tapping method works well here, too).

OUTSIDE GLAZING

1. Paint three coats of Cottonseed on outside of the piece, including bottom. Make the coats as smooth as possible.

2. Paint one coat of Cottonseed on the inside rim of all of the cutouts except the berries.

3. When Cottonseed is completely dry, use a permanent marker (gentle pressure) to outline the holly and ribbon stencil pattern along the base of the piece. Make it approximately the same width as the cutouts. This line will disappear in firing.

OPTION: Instead of cutout on the lid, use the stencil to add a cluster of holly to it.

DETAIL (Majolica Technique)

1. Using a small brush, paint the inside cut edges of the holly and ribbon cutouts with one coat of One-Strokes. Use Leaf Green for holly, Princess Blue for Ribbon.

2. Put two coats of Bright Scarlet inside the berries and slightly on outside rim.

3. Heavily side load a brush with Princess Blue and Delft Blue. Placing Delft Blue to the outside, paint the ribbon at the bottom of the piece. Repeat only if you feel the color is not dark enough. Normally, one coat will be sufficient.

4. Heavily side load a brush with Leaf Green and Lime Green. Keeping the Lime Green to the outside, paint the holly. Without rinsing brush, add another coat of Lime Green.

6. Paint a broken line (a solid line will make it look like cartoon drawings), use a liner and thinned Mirror Black to add veins to holly, and to outline holly, ribbon and berries.