Preheat oven to 275 °F. Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. Condition all clay by kneading until it’s soft and smooth or running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Before starting this project, you may want to make some templates. From the scrap paper cut a 4" square, a 2-1/2" square, and a ¾" square. When working on a large piece like this one, it will be easier to handle if you build the tile on a piece of scrap paper. That way it will be easy to pick up or turn on the work surface.

Condition and roll out the Turquoise to 1/16" to 1/8" thickness Thickest setting on the Clay Conditioning Machine. Place the 4" paper square on top of the clay and cut around it. Mark an X lightly from corner to corner to mark the center of the square.

Condition and roll out the Blue to 1/16" to 1/8" thickness and cut out a 2-1/2" square and four ¾" squares. Press these into place with the large square in the middle of the Turquoise and one small square in each corner.

Roll Red Hot Red into a long 1/4" thick snake. Press and flatten the snake into place along the horizontal borders of the turquoise and navy blue areas. Zig-zag the Red Hot Red back and forth as you position it to make it look like rick-rack.

Repeat this step using the red going across the vertical borders.

Clean your hands well before going on to the white areas.

Make a large flat oval of White to fit in the middle area. Press the oval at an angle for the snowman head. Press two flat circles of White at the sides for cheeks.

Roll White into ½" strings. You¹ll need 30 of these. Criss cross three strings at a time to create each snowflake. Press these into place along the sides of the tile. One goes into each Blue corner and three in the vertical Turquoise borders. With the Red, make a small flat oval and press it into place at the bottom of the face. Also make a flat triangle and press it on for the hat. Decorate the scarf and hat with Red Hot Red stripes and a small ball at the point of the hat.

Also, make a Red Hot Red button nose. Add small Blue balls for eyes. Make these look like buttons by poking holes in them with a toothpick.

Using a straight pin, prick little stitch marks along all the borders, across all the rick-rack, and stitch details in the snowman¹s face. Prick the words "SNOW DAYS" at the top and bottom.

If you wish to use the tile as a hanging decoration, poke holes in the top two corners with a toothpick or you can cut large holes by pressing the end of a drinking straw into the clay. The holes need to be made before the piece is baked. If you wish to display your tile on an easel, then the holes are not necessary.

If you have been working on a piece of scrap paper, you may bake on the paper in a glass or metal pan. Bake the tile for 20 minutes at 275 °F in an oven that has been checked for accuracy with an external oven thermometer. Allow to cool completely before handling.