How I make cedar spoon rests

In this video I show most of the steps involved in making a cedar spoon rest.

1. I start off with clay that's a little stiff which I flatten into a slab using my slabroller.

2. I remove all texture from my slab and then let it stiffen up still a little more. I usually press on the edge of the slab with my finger and if I can feel a slight resistance to the pressure then I know it's ready. It's a little tricky. Too soft and it won't take in the texture as well. Too hard and it'll crack.

3. I press in the cedar branch I picked out that morning using a large rolling pin. I roll it several times in two directions to make sure I applied pressure everywhere.

4. I remove the cedar, cut out the desired shape and transfer it to my custom-made hump mold

5. I use a metal rib to compress the slab onto my shape until it's firmly attached to it.

6. I let it stiffen up and then remove it from the hump mold.

7. I use a small wire tool to round the edge of the piece and then a sponge to smooth it out.

8. The piece is then left to dry, bisque fired, glazed and fired again to cone 6.