Here we are, in the final steps of creating Viola’s fridge magnets. The pieces have been molded and dried. Next, the colors are painted onto the fragile greenware with underglaze colors.

I don’t have a set order for applying the colors. I pick a color and put it onto everything that needs it, then I move on to a new color. The first picture below shows the logo magnets before the green vines were applied, the second shows the finished magnets before they were put into the kiln.

The pieces were fired to bisque cone 04. Not all of them were painted with underglaze colors. Some of them were stained with a dark clay which was then wiped off. This technique leaves the dark color in the recessed areas. The final step was to spray all of the pieces with clear acrylic spray. This really made the colors pop.

The pieces were left to dry for 24 hours, then magnets were glued to the back. Another 24 hours and they were wrapped up and delivered to the customer.

Whew! This was a fun and educational experience. If you like these, stop by Viola’s Flower Garden at 2654 E. Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona and pick one up!

Now it’s time to make the magnets. Finally! It has taken a lot of preparation to get here, but now that the molds are made, I can get into production mode.

	The first thing I have to do is roll out a slab of clay. I do that with my handy-dandy Brent SRC Mini slab roller that I recently acquired.
	See how nice the slab turned out? It sure beats using a rolling pin! Let me tell ya. I did that for too many years.
	Since the clay gets rolled out between two pieces of canvas, it’s heavily textured. I use a specialized tool, in this case an old hotel key card that I found in my purse, to smooth out the surface. I don’t always smooth the surface when making things out of clay slabs, but it’s necessary for this application.
	I cut the slab to the approximate size that I want to press into the mold.
	As the name “press mold” implies, the clay has to be pressed into it. That’s what I’m doing here. I press firmly yet gently, and straight down. If I put sideways pressure on the clay, it shifts in the mold and I end up with a double impression. That’s not good.
	I want a smooth back on the magnet, so I use another specialized tool to cut the excess clay off the mold. Note that I start the cut from the center - this prevents the clay from shifting in the mold. I do two cuts - from the center to each end.
Funny how I’ve learned over the years that everyday gadgets make some of the best clay tools. If I ever come to visit at your house, don’t let me into your kitchen gadget drawer. You’ve had fair warning!
	Final smoothing is done with a wet sponge.
	The plaster pulls moisture out of the clay, causing it to shrink. When I see a gap between the edge of the clay and the mold, I know it’s ready to release. You can see the gap in this photo. Here, I’m stamping my signature into the piece before removing it from the mold.
	Turning it upside down drops the piece out of the mold. I trim the edges and smooth them with a sponge, then put it under loose plastic to dry.

The next post will show the final steps taken in making these fridge magnets.