Abstract: Activity or craft apparatus and method for simply, inexpensively, and generally instantaneously creating a thin lithophane-like pictorial work that provides a picture or image when light passes through the work from the rear. The work is formed by compressing a formable translucent material. The illustrated apparatus includes a contoured forming surface that is a reverse image of the contoured recessed picture-providing front surface of a desired lithophane-type pictorial work. The translucent material is compressed against the forming surface to form the material into a thin panel that has, at the interface with the forming surface, the contoured recessed picture-producing front surface. In one form the forming surface is mounted on a stamp. The stamp may be hand held or maybe mounted on a press or the like. Thickness limiting stops may be provided to control and limit the final thickness of the compressed finished work.