Distractible. Yes.

How sad is it that I can't find any of my dust masks when I want to measure out a little Mason stain for my clear glaze base? Ya know, I went to the studio last night for my micro scale, as I only need to stir up a little at a time. When I got there, a glaze kiln had been opened! Woo hoo!! Glaze Guy, aka Kiln Guy, had used some of my stuff as filler. So I was totally distracted and petted my new doo-dads then ran out to the car for some bubble wrap.

Yeah, I get free bubble wrap at work and, hey! I'm a potter. I should have bubble wrap! My trunk is full of it. If I could fit groceries in there, they'd be safe.

So I wrap up my bowls and cups and turn around to leave and there's a note on my shelf! A friend has left a book for me to drool over. OMG it's a Kimchee cookbook. She said it's full of great recipes and AWESOME pottery crocks! I told her I wanted to borrow the book for both reasons!!

Grab the book, grab the microscale, bag of bubble-wrapped goodies, and home I go, ready to stir up glaze.

But first, I have to show the guys my bowls and stuff, and then whaddaya know, I have a new camera from Christmas, and then I end up on facebook posting pictures. Oooh I miss my Photoshop.

OK that was yesterday.... today I'm ready once again to measure out a little Mason stain for my glaze base, and I've turned the house upside-down AGAIN, and can't find a dust mask.

The hardware store is a couple minutes away, but do you really think when I get there I'll remember what I went for? They'll have shiny things there, and bird seed, and cool tools and let's not forget jelly beans at the checkout. And not those frou-frou gourmet ones. The real deal, like when we were little.

My semi-annual check-in?

April already huh?


I worked really hard last summer/fall on pottery and moved too fast to enjoy it, busting my back to schlep it all to the catacombs and other local (medium to smallllll) shows.... 


Then I took a nice long break after the Xmas catacombs. Like, for 3 months I didn't touch a wad of clay. Not a smear. I stoked the fire, filled the well, watched videos, read books, made sketches. Ahhhhhhhh finally ready to play again. 


So I'm revisiting my old glaze posts, checking out those pastel colors.... I think I'll whip a couple up real quick! What the hey!!! I have decided to do a permanent* booth in the Catacombs, and no more schlepping! I can just walk a few pots down as necessary! 


Maybe get hubby to shoot some Etsy pics for me and see what that's all about. He's my photographer! Have a look!


I thought I had left my mail order businesses behind when I closed our ebay stores a few years back. LOL It's OK; the US Postal Service is still a super bargain and I appreciate them.


*sigh* OK enough blather. I'm actually ready to go mix up some Opulence and Mason Stains. I have a few white tumblers that don't want to be white any more. ;-)

*permanent as in, until the owner of the building actually thinks of something to do with the space, which I don't know if that's even a goal, but I mean, nothing is forever, right? Except pottery I guess, sometimes.

See ya!!!

Long time no see

Good gravy, it's been 6 months since I blogged. I have about 2 weeks to get my arse in gear for the Catacombs Art Market July 23/24, and was accepted into the Fall Into Art show at the old mall for September. That show may be painfully slow. I hope they promote the hell out of it, because otherwise, who the hell goes to the old mall? It's half vacant. Harbor Freight is at one end, if you need some Chinese tools. A temp employment agency downstairs, wow I don't even know what else is in that building.  Oh well, there are some GREAT artisans involved, so I will be in good company while there. It was "juried" so I don't think I will be among flea marketers. The Catacombs lets everyone in and it's a BLAST, but this will be different. I don't know what to expect.

As for now, I have a bisque kiln firing now and have scheduled a glaze kiln for Wednesday. I know I'll need another glaze kiln but it just might not be done for the Catacombs.

I have a table full of bisque now and might be sitting pretty for my glaze choices, except my Faux Celadon from the studio. They will mix me up a batch and their prices are GREAT.

Meanwhile I'm finally almost out of clay again and it made me nervous. I am in "save up for new house" mode and don't want another clay run. So I got cracking on some reclaim and have some almost dry enough to wedge now, and will slake some more bad pots later. I have buckets in the garage sorted somewhat by color, B-Mix in one and red in the other, and buff goes in either one.

Well ok then. No pretty pictures for this entry. Guess I'll set about glazing, and report back closer to Market time.

Quest for glazes

Well after a couple years of deteriorating glaze results at the studio, Norleen has taken back 100% of the mixing duties, and already there are improvements! I can get back to some happy dipping and food-safe results with no more worries!

My Opulence testing continues for color mixing. I can use them for magnets and candle holders, beads and charms... they would be food safe at Cone 6 but since the studio only goes to 5, I will have to do additional testing before I can make dishes glazed with it.

No matter, glad to have our old standards back in action at Access Arts! Maybe, just maybe, we could have our old Goldenrod and Butter come back! Those were some amazing yellows, sorely missed.

Later, taters!

Getting ready for a happy new year!

Wow I've been too busy to blog. I don't know how people do it.

So my Twisted Sister and I shared a couple booths at the cooler-than-cool "Catacombs Art Market & Bazaar" here in Columbia, MO, down in the groovy North Village area. I am sure hoping all the artistic vibes of North Village are contagious. Made a couple hundred bucks, then sold most of what was left to a dear friend over last weekend. Other online friends are placing orders off the photos I posted. I have had nothing special, but some pretty things, that some people have wanted. My friends love me, that's all.

I was so busy glazing and firing for a couple weeks or more, I have forgotten how to throw! But we have already paid our booth rentals for the next Catacombs event, January 22 and 23 "Love Fest" to shop for Valentine's Day.... I keep wondering if I even stand a chance of making anything Valentiney, but I'm thinking not.... no experience with adorable wall pockets or petite jewelry boxes.... Will have a ball anyway.

My Twisted Sister makes pretty jewelry with Swarovski, silver, and her "therapeutic" paper beads. They were very popular along with her vintage '70s turquoise rings. Later I will make porcelain charms and other beads for her to make jewelry with.

In the meantime, I'm thoroughly disgusted with the glazes at the amazing studio I use. So I had to break down and try to mix my own. I believe I threatened to share this experience with you. Fair warning!

I found Opulence Matte Color Base and bought a bag of that dry mix, and 4 generic colors of Mason stains: Buttercup, Grass Green, Pastel Blue, and Crimson. Here are my first results, just starting at the bottom and working my way up in percentage of stain.

These are Laguna B Mix test tiles fired to cone 5. Rear tiles are 1% of a stain and front tiles are 2% of same.
First up, Grass Green and Buttercup (still invisible at 2%). I like the green!!

THESE. FEEL. SO. GOOD!!!! The backs of these tiles are like the most special river rock or beach glass. Soooo smooth. I'm SO much about the FEEL of my pots. I had to put signs up at the Bazaar: YES! PLEASE TOUCH!!  It's really important to me. I'm very pleased with this Opulence glaze.

Next up, 1% and 2% Crimson and (ahem) Pastel Blue, more later on that.

They still feel beautiful, and I can see I will be in love with the way it treats my textures, but they want more stain before they are "my" glazes.  Closeup below of the 2% Crimson, a sweet pink; much too sweet for this girl!

As for the blue, well, I had my tiny little bowls with screw-on lids to shake my test batches up... was about to walk to the sink for a dribble of water, and DROPPED the bowl of blue stain and glaze powder. It took a small bounce on the table and blue & white dust popped up into the air like it was fired from a gun. Shot across the table top and streaked across the floor. OK so my percentages are a little off on the blue. But it's pastel anyway... I'll want more stain, and actually will probably want a darker stain instead.

Just sweet as anything, and maybe I see a little pearlescence?

Different Drummer

I don't know why, or where the idea came from, but my next project is going to be to make an Udu. The sound of this GORGEOUS CLAY DRUM just completely enchants me. I think I will use decorated slips to make it, because I notice in several videos that the glazed ones sound too tinkly, like someone just slapping a vase. That kind of racket would make me crazy, the way my older brother made us all crazy with his finger tapping all the time. So I will not glaze mine. Then again, maybe my first one can be completely undecorated, so I can just get the sound right. I can see right now this could be a long process.

I got my matte glaze base the other day, and some Mason stains. Will start a few tests soon since the studio glazes are so ugly at ^5. I realize when I get my own kiln, I will have to test all over again at ^6 but I just can't handle those studio glazes any more.

I owe a lot to the studio, and love everyone there, but they get no credit for their cone 5 glazes. LOL

Counting down

Opened a hot glaze kiln tonight. Oochie. One more before the sale I reckon.

Tonight, some good, some bad. The clear glaze at the studio is milky and hazy and I swear I see a hint of lavender in it over my 5/6 red clay. It's tolerable on some things and crazy ugly on others.The white gloss at the studio is still reliable and I'll use it a lot to finish out the pieces for my first sale, with some brights sprayed over top etc... it's pretty and smooth to touch.

Found several coffee mugs to have rough lips. Not sure if I overlooked something before glaze or if glaze has bits in it (some do). Will pay close attention in future!!

The Amaco GDC (Gloss Decorating Colors) over HF-11 (cone 6 white) still come out SMOOOOOOTH and likewise the Potter's Choice Temmoku -- delicious to touch!!!!

I have 6 small, handled soup mugs I'm happy with and 6 soup bowls in same colors that are mostly fine but one of them realized an air bubble in the clay. I usually feel those bad boys while throwing and they haven't got away from me before. It's probably ok but I'll just give that one away to whoever buys the others. LOL

I'm so green at this it's ridiculous..............................