Graduation Gift Plate

This Graduation Gift Plate from I Love to Create is a heart-felt way to say congratulations on all your hard work!  Out of all the graduation gift ideas out there, this is one that is sure to get used, because everyone needs to eat!

Materials:

• Cover-Coat® Opaque Underglazes (CC 101 Artic White, CC 118 Cobalt Crystal Black, CC 206 Neon Red)
• Dinnerware Bisque Designs (Geometrix Large Square Plate 11.25" x 11.25" x 1")
• Signature Brushes (SB 802 No. 1 Liner, SB 806 No. 6 Round, SB 807 No. 6 Fan Glaze, SB 812 No. 10 Round)
• Duncan® Pure Brilliance® Clear Glaze
• Potter’s sponge
• Tracing paper
• Paper towels
• Pencil
• Container for water
• Foil or foam plate for palette

Patterns:

Pattern 1

Instructions:

1.     Wipe ware with a damp sponge to remove bisque dust.
    
2.     Trace pattern onto tracing paper.
    
3.     Flip tracing over and pencil over traced lines. Place tracing right side up on plate and trace over pattern lines again to transfer image. (The pressure from the pencil will press the traced lines on the reverse side onto the plate.)
    
4.     Using the No. 1 Liner, paint Cobalt Crystal Black over “Class of (desired year).” Let dry.
    
5.     Use the No. 6 Round to brush a coat of Cobalt Crystal Black on the top and base of cap, maneuvering brush around the tassel.
    
6.     Using the No. 1 Liner and No. 6 Round as needed, brush a coat of Neon Red on the top book and Cobalt Crystal Black on the bottom book (avoiding the “pages” on both books).
    
7.     Brush a coat of Neon Red on the tassel and ribbon around the diploma. Let dry.
    
8.     Use the No. 1 Liner loaded in Cobalt Crystal Black to paint over “Congrats” (plus desired name) on bottom of plate. Add “U.S. HISTORY” or other desired subject along binding of Neon Red book. Let dry.
    
9.     Repeat steps 4 through 8 twice more, letting dry between coats. Let dry.
    
10.     Pour a small puddle of Arctic White on palette then add a tiny spot of Cobalt Crystal Black to create a light gray. Referring to photo, brush light gray mix along top and bottom edges of diploma to create shading. Add a little more Cobalt Crystal Black to the gray mixture and paint on top section of swirl at the end of diploma as shown.
     
11.     Using the No. 1 Liner, add detail lines to diploma ribbon and tassel with a mix of a small amount of Cobalt Crystal Black added to the Neon Red.
     
12.     Returning to the gray mixture, use the No. 10 Round to brush several wide streaks on the top of cap for highlights. Refer to photo. Let dry.
     
13.     Dryfoot (stilting is not necessary) on kiln shelf and fire to witness cone 04.
     
14.     After firing and plate is cool, use the Fan Glaze to brush two coats of Pure Brilliance® Clear Glaze over the entire plate, letting dry between coats. Let dry.
     
15.     Stilt in kiln and fire to witness cone 06.