Clay Pigeons offers many Mosaic Templates.

Projects Include: Easy Pre-Cut Wood shapes, Bird Houses, Flower Pots, Stepping Stones, Table Tops, Picture/Mirror Frames and many more…

Mosaic Art is Simple – 7 easy steps:

1. Design or choose your template or base.
2. Select or create a pattern
3. Choose from or colorful assortment of tiles, glass, and clay pieces to build from.
4. Glue tile to template or base.
5. Allow to dry 24 Hours
6. Grout, Dry and wipe clean! (We can do this step for you!)Pick up
7. Pick up your art the next day

Clay pigeons uses the Direct method of mosaic construction

The direct method of mosaic construction involves directly placing (gluing) the individual tesserae onto the supporting surface. This method is well suited to surfaces that have a three-dimensional quality, such as vases. This was used for the historic European wall and ceiling mosaics, following underdrawings of the main outlines on the wall below, which are often revealed again when the mosaic falls away.

The direct method suits small projects that are transportable. Another advantage of the direct method is that the resulting mosaic is progressively visible, allowing for any adjustments to tile color or placement.

Clay Pigeons offers a variety of COE 96 Glass Fusion Projects include: Jewelry, Night Lights, Sun Catchers, Bowls, Plates, and Decorative Art.

We also slump bottles, jars and fused glass projects into bowls, plates and other beautiful shapes.

Pricing starts as low as $14

Glass Fusion is Simple – 6 EASY STEPS:

1. Design your piece and color scheme
2. Choose your Glass
3. Cut your Glass to fit the design you created
4. Clean and Glue your glass design
5. Kiln fire the glass. This is easy – we do it for you!
6. In about a week pick up your Glass Art!

What is warm glass?

The term warm glass refers to fusing, slumping, and other glass processes which take place at temperatures between 1100 and 1700 degrees Fahrenheit (600 to 925 Celcius). That doesn’t sound warm, but it is when you compare it a glassblower’s working temperatures, which often exceed 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is kiln-forming?

Another term for these processes is kiln-forming. It’s not unusual for the two terms — “warm glass” and “kiln-forming” — to be used interchangeably, although in recent years “kiln-forming” has become the preferred term, while “warm glass” has increasingly been used to refer to this website.

What are fusing and slumping?

Glass fusing is the process of using a kiln to join together pieces of glass. If you apply heat to glass, it will soften. If you continue to apply heat, the glass will become more fluid and flow together. Two or more pieces of glass will stick (or “fuse”) to each other. When the right kind of glass is heated and then cooled properly, the resulting fused glass piece will be solid and unbroken. Many people also use the word “fusing” to include bending and shaping glass using the heat of a kiln. This manipulation can take many forms, but the most common is slumping, where a mold is used to cause already fused glass to take on the shape of a bowl, a plate, or similar object.

Explore some hand building techniques, projects and resources for the clay artist and potter. Some of these techniques have been in use since man first touched clay, creating both pottery and art. So come and touch your hand to clay and add your chapter to the ceramic story of man.

Pinch Pots

The techniques used to make pinch pots is one of the oldest methods for making clay vessels. The results can be primative or very symmetrical and fine. Some fall in love with this method as it requires no other tool than your own two hands. Pinch pots can be small, made with the pinching of fingers and thumb or can be large, made by pinching the clay between fists. Whatever the size, this method has stood the test of time and is still used today by functional and decorative potters and clay artists the world over.

Coiling

The coil pot, another ancient clay construction method. But coils aren’t just for pots. Coils can be used to make all kinds of forms. They are great for free forms and organic forms, anything with curves. You can smooth your coils or keep them as they are. The method is fairly straight forward and easy to do. Come lets discover what you can do with a humble coil of clay.

Extruding Coils

Hand rolling coils although very mesmerizing can be very time consuming. If you find you enjoy working in coils you might want to invest in a clay extruder. Extruders not only extrude coils but many other shapes as well used for handles, knobs and other clay attachments. You can extrude hollow forms as well with special dies that come with some extruders. Clay Pigeons has two professional grade extruders available for customer use.

Solid Build Up Project

Take a solid lump of moist clay the size you need for your project. Start to move the clay around with your fingers and thumbs to get the roughed out shape you want. If I was doing a face I would pinch up a nose and chin. Push in the eye sockets, start to define the brow and cheek bones. Continue until you have the form you want. Then come back and carve and refine your form with tools. Carve out the eyes and lids, define a mouth, carve the nostrils, carve out the ears and texturize the hair. Smooth rough places with your fingers until you are happy with your creation.

If we fired the resulting solid form now it would likely crack or blow up in the kiln.

So we let it dry a bit and let it get to leatherhard. Leatherhard is when the clay firms up a bit. Your light touch on the clay doesn’t imprint marks on the clay anymore. The clay is still moist enough tho to cut with a fettling knife. And that is what we do. We cut the form so to hollow out the form. Cut it somewhere where the details of the form will not be marred. Then take a ribbon tool and carve out the clay, be careful not to carve thru the wall. You want to carve so that your walls are an approx. 1/4 to 1/2 in. thick.

Now we need to put it back togther. We slip and score the two cut surfaces where we sliced the form. Take a needle tool or other tool to score hatch marks on both cut surface. Now take a bit of the clay you removed from the inside of the form and put it in a bit water and smoosh it around til you have slip(consistancy of thick cream) and smear this slip on your cross hatched cut surfaces. Now place the two halves back togther. Careful not to mar your form or push it out of shape. Take care to line up the halves so they match. Now clean up the seam removing any excess slip. Smooth the seam line til you can’t see it.

Set it aside so the seam has time to weld togther. One last step. If we were to leave the hollowed form as it is right now it would blow up in the kiln. We need to give a place for the air to escape while the form fires so we need to make a vent. This can be as simple as to cut a hole in the bottom or as complex as to incorporate the hole in the design of the form such as a open mouth or other opening.

Dry your form slowly under plastic. Once dry it is ready for the kiln.

Slab Construction

Working with slabs is fun. There is so much you can make with a slab of clay. Everything from tiles to furniture to fountains, not to mention pots and other containers. All it takes is imagination and a slab roller or rolling pin and you have all you need to make some great projects in clay. Slabs take texture so well. Rolling and pressing things into the surface of your slabs opens the door wide for all kinds of surface decorations. Exploring your creativity with slabs is endless and unlimited. So what can you make?

Clay Pigeons has a professional/industrial slab roller available for customer use.

Rolling slabs is so much easier and quicker using a slab roller. Clay is sandwiched between canvas strips, then cranked into the machine. Knurled rolls grip canvas and pull slabs through easily. Wet slabs can be moved on the bottom canvas.

Choose the ceramic bisque piece you would like to paint! We have cool stuff for kids, for Mom, Dad and all the family. Including great kitchen, garden, holiday, pet décor and more. With over 700 items to choose from, there is something for everyone. From Vases to Fairies, Platters to Chihuahuas, from Dishes to Disney Characters…. It’s easy for everyone, all ages, to find something they are thrilled to paint.

Step 2: Plan your “One of a Kind Design”.

Create your one of a kind design. Feel free to use our vast array of stencils, stamps, and tools to help in the creating process. We also have a powerful Apple Mac and CRICUT personal cutting machine to help draw inspiration! We have several easy to follow paint techniques and samples that anyone can do!

Step 3: Choose your Colors!

Choose from over 80 colors. Paint with confidence knowing Clay Pigeons only uses “GARE” brand, quality under glazes.

Step 4: Paint, Create and Have Fun!

Paint and have fun in our 2,000 square ft. studio. If you come alone, enjoy the tranquility of the art. If you came with friends, have fun being creative and chatting together! If you came with family create wonderful memories while bonding with loved ones. When your finished painting leave the clean up to us, one of our friendly staff will carefully move your art to our drying area and clean your entire work space!

Enhance the experience: “Your are welcome to bring food and beverages at any time!”.

Step 5: We Over-Glaze and Kiln Fire it for you!

We will expertly dip your “Work of Art” in GARE quality clear over-glaze and fire it in one of our four industry leading kilns to bring your colors to life! Don’t worry, all GARE products and materials are non-toxic, lead free, and food safe.

Step 6: Pick up your completed Art!

In less than a week your masterpiece will be ready for you to pick up and enjoy! Your beautiful piece of ceramic artwork will be cherished forever

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