Fun with Plaster
Our ceramic group Bridge Pottery Collective has been organising occasional ‘masterclasses’ so we can all learn from each other and swap skills, as well as just get together in the studio and have a natter!
The reason I put ‘masterclass’ in quotation marks, is that our technician and guru Alison gets so embarrassed when I try to extol her virtues to the rest of the group, so it’s just a joke to embarrass her further!
The last get together we focussed on two-part plaster moulds, which I have found very VERY tricky, and haven’t really managed to make one yet. Well, I still haven’t, because on the way to the studio that evening I went to the corner shop and picked up some sweets. Alison had asked us to bring in something to mould and I totally forgot, so used the sweets instead!
I’ve seen some great results when vegetables have been used for moulds - like this example on dezeen – but never seen sweets moulded before. Well, there’s a good reason! The sugar dissolves in the plaster, so you don’t get a brilliantly sharp cast, but they sure do smell good.
The first cast looks a bit purple, that’s because the purple food colouring dyed the cast! Yep, that’s a porcelain Jelly Baby.
A porcelain Polo; for the man who has everything!
Lots of excellent links to ceramic/pottery makers’ blog posts on Mud Colony 
I love the idea of porcelain jelly babies! If you give your candy several coats of acrylic it might prevent the melt.
Found you via Mud Colony.
Good idea, even some PVA glue might be worth a try? I’ll try not to eat all the rest of them, and try that out next time I’m making some plaster.
I read in a book that it’s a good idea to always make some quick sprigs ‘on the side’ when you’re making a larger mould, to use up the excess plaster that you always have.
Hi, think I’ve come across your blog before but jumped over from Mud Colony this time, love the Polo :^)
Thanks! I did bother to trim out the hole and sponge off the back, so it will go in the next cone 6 firing!
Hi Sarah,
great to have you back at Mud Colony..hilarious use of lollies, very innovative of you..if it were me ..there would have been none left…