custom embossing plates using polymer clay

More on this etching press. I'm creating custom embossing plates using polymer clay as my medium. I cut the first silhouette out of clay rolled through the pasta machine at the number 5 setting. I found I can add texture and the press actually can relay that onto the paper. It's subtle but there. Layers add dimension to the image. Here you can see the technique used on my rendition of a crab.