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kiln stuffers and plague charms (long!)

updated sat 30 jul 05

 

katetiler on mon 25 jul 05


Thanks for all those great tile ideas Lili!

I've really enjoyed hearing about everyone's small things for the kiln
& regular sellers - My cheapest item that I sell are mini-tile
necklaces - a minature honey glazed encaustic tile with a hole, strung
on a cord. I sell these for =A33 each.

I also make medieval plague charms to give away and I show children
how to make these when I'm working as a medieval tile maker. These
protect you from the plague from all the four directions of the earth
and have four faces, but only two pairs of eyes and ears! Very easy,
you need two cocktail sticks, small kebab skewers or thin offcuts of
willow basket.

Make a small ball of clay, about 1.5 inches round. Push one stick
through the middle just like a kebab, then hold the ball between the
fingers of each hand with the stick down, Squeeze the top of the ball
between two fingers & thumbs, gently in a pincher motion, making the
eye sockets with each finger. Rotate the ball to even these up, the
bottom of the charm will bulge and fatten nicely.

Take the other stick and use the end to make an eye 'dot' in the
middle of each socket, then make a dent for the nose across the edge
of the clay that sticks out between the eye sockets, a little lower
than the eye dot. As you rotate the charm on the stick, each figure's
nose becomes the next one's ears.

Finish with either a smiley or a fierce looking mouth nearer the
bottom of the charm, and marks for eyebrows just inside the eye socket.

Slide off the stick, leaving the hole clear. When dry, use a thread
and a two hole button to string this - pass the thread down through
the charm and one button-hole, back up the other button hole and back
up the charm. The charm then sits on the button and can be hung in a
window or worn on your belt to protect you from the plague.

I was given one of these the first year I did living history and I
love to pass on how to make them at shows, especially with a story
about the protection from the North and South, East and West. As I
always say, I've worn one for the last 18 years and I haven't caught
the plague yet!

love Kate
http://www.katetiler.co.uk



--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Lili Krakowski fun.
>
> Anyway. Lili and I both thought the lists published for great kiln
stuffers
> were great.
>

Ama Menec on fri 29 jul 05


These plague charms sound great; thanks for describing them. Do you have a
picture of one you could show us all?

Ama in Totnes.
Website: www.amamenec.co.uk

----- Original Message -----
From: "katetiler"
To:
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: kiln stuffers and plague charms (long!)


Thanks for all those great tile ideas Lili!

I've really enjoyed hearing about everyone's small things for the kiln
& regular sellers - My cheapest item that I sell are mini-tile
necklaces - a minature honey glazed encaustic tile with a hole, strung
on a cord. I sell these for £3 each.

I also make medieval plague charms to give away and I show children
how to make these when I'm working as a medieval tile maker. These
protect you from the plague from all the four directions of the earth
and have four faces, but only two pairs of eyes and ears! Very easy,
you need two cocktail sticks, small kebab skewers or thin offcuts of
willow basket.

Make a small ball of clay, about 1.5 inches round. Push one stick
through the middle just like a kebab, then hold the ball between the
fingers of each hand with the stick down, Squeeze the top of the ball
between two fingers & thumbs, gently in a pincher motion, making the
eye sockets with each finger. Rotate the ball to even these up, the
bottom of the charm will bulge and fatten nicely.

Take the other stick and use the end to make an eye 'dot' in the
middle of each socket, then make a dent for the nose across the edge
of the clay that sticks out between the eye sockets, a little lower
than the eye dot. As you rotate the charm on the stick, each figure's
nose becomes the next one's ears.

Finish with either a smiley or a fierce looking mouth nearer the
bottom of the charm, and marks for eyebrows just inside the eye socket.

Slide off the stick, leaving the hole clear. When dry, use a thread
and a two hole button to string this - pass the thread down through
the charm and one button-hole, back up the other button hole and back
up the charm. The charm then sits on the button and can be hung in a
window or worn on your belt to protect you from the plague.

I was given one of these the first year I did living history and I
love to pass on how to make them at shows, especially with a story
about the protection from the North and South, East and West. As I
always say, I've worn one for the last 18 years and I haven't caught
the plague yet!

love Kate
http://www.katetiler.co.uk




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