Plate Progress using templates

Anxious to use my templates yesterday, I proceeded.  I used my green foam template to cut out the plate outline.  I could have gone directly to the pattern and cut out the plate and impress design at the same time, but I had the outline template so used it.  The above video shows my application of the "negative" foam design creating raised image.

Then I decided the exercise ball would be perfect to shape plate before I put the foot on:

Taking things one step further

Now that I have the templates for plate shape "and" foot placement, thought I would create a template that would create raised design on the plate where I want it, here are these templates, can use either one, they each will raise different parts of the design.  The pictures look hazy because I forgot to take pictures before I sprinkled with baby powder (cornstarch would work as well) so the packing tape won't be sticky in the parts that touch clay.  Foam doesn't stick, but the packing tape creates a slight pull on the clay if I don't sprinkle with powder.

How do I love thee, let me count the ways-----my Cameo of course!

More ways my Cameo Digital Cutter is aiding my pottery work
The software Designer Edition enabled me to quickly make a template following the excellent advice from today's edition of Ceramic Daily    Liz Zlot Summerfield shared her great technique for getting a slab foot just right and I love the shape of her plate.  Using my Silhouette Cameo Software and my favorite Dollar Tree Foam (which now comes in larger size), I was able to quickly create the templates needed to make perfect feet for plates every time.  The software has such nifty tools, ---first I used a tool I hadn't had occasion to use before,  I created an oval then copied it and rotated it to be vertical clicked both of them-- used the alignment tools to center them

Then used the select all, went to the Modify window and for the first time I was able to use the Divide tool which cut all the bits into separate elements.  You can see the parts I wanted for my plate shape in green here:

Then I spliced 1 and 1/2 sheets of my foam together so I could get the 12x12" size I wanted, and then let my silhouette Cameo cut out the green shape as a template for the plate.  

Then having the overall template (green), I went back to the software, made a smaller version in yellow again, using the cernter/middle alignment tools and offset another one in the middle to get the pattern for the foot and a perfect placement template.  All this took less time than to write up this entry in my blog.  

Now making larger foam cuts to use with pottery