Clockworks

Here it is! I have finally finished my first ceramic clock. This is just a small 5 1/2 inch face but it is working smoothly for my first prototype. The sky is the limit now! I was a bit concerned about the shrinkage rate and warping issues of the clay but I shouldn't have worried.

I love clocks without numbers. Numbers are really quite redundant because everyone can tell time from the location of the hands. I think my next version will have numbers in the wrong location or maybe 13 hours marked off just to confuse everyone. I have a few just waiting to be glazed so I should have several in my Etsy shop soon.

OH, btw, I have been adding a lot of fabulous clay blogs to my link list at the sidebar. Check them out and I'm sure you will find some more favorites!

Chopsticks and Pottery

There is something about using chopsticks and a handmade pottery bowl that automatically makes a meal taste good. I'm sure that there are people that will tell you that it is the fact that the natural materials do not taint the flavor of the food. Maybe it is a tactile pleasure that adds to the taste. The way the bowl fits in your hand and the way the chopsticks feel make the event enjoyable. I personally know that using my noodle bowls means that I just made a one-pot meal and having a lot less to clean later always makes a meal even tastier! Any way that I look at it, a hand made bowl with those two little sticks always makes my tummy rumble!

Addicted to handmade Soap

Wow, I am finding out that I have so many addictions! The latest is hand made soap from Etsy. I love those new scents like White tea with Ginger. The only problem is that they are a little more soluble than store bought soap. So, I decided a while back to make my own soap dishes that have ridges to catch the water drips that can cause handmade soap to go gooey. Here is a lovely one in Blue Hydrangea. It is about time that I start making stuff for me!

Here's My Piggy

I finally listed my little piggy magnet. My brilliant husband told me to match him up with a few ceramic truffles and list them as a set. I think they are adorable but the photos do not capture how cute they look on my fridge. Of course I kept a set for myself but I listed the others in my Etsy shop. If you know anyone with a pig fetish, send them my way.

Time to create!

There are times in the year that I just wish that the days were longer. I need to find about 4 more hours in my day to be able to make as much stuff as I would like. It is final exam time at the school where I work so I am swamped with marking assignments and papers while I just crave some time to get into my studio. I need to make a batch of mugs and olive trays, I need to mix up some more glazes, I need to test a few new glaze recipes and I have a couple custom order that just need to be glazed and fired. I feel very fortunate to be doing so well but I just wish I could find a few more hours in my day. I know what I will be doing this weekend...

Recycling part 2

I just received a great little letter from Textured Turtle, a mosaic artist on Etsy. The Etsy Mud Team joined forces with other Etsy artists to become a little more environmental while we hone our crafts. It was always a challenge to find something to do with those pots and ceramics that just weren't up to par. Pieces that fired wrong, cracked, weren't food safe, or were just plain fugly often cluttered up a corner of my studio because I just couldn't let them end up at the dump. Many of us potters dread to think that future archaeologists would find our thousand year old pottery rejects in the midst of the petrified landfills our current society has created. So my little pile of rejected works sat in a corner collecting dust. I tried to use them at the bottom of newly potted plants but that only takes care of a small percentage. My little backyard garden is looking rather cluttered with those pieces that are still aesthetically pleasing but not functional enough for indoor use.

So, (pauses for dramatic effect) the EMT and Etsy Mosaic artists made a deal. I sent a box of my rejected work to Textured Turtle to use in her mosaic works. Win-win situation. My dusty corner is now clean, some new mosaics will have a little bit of my ceramics in them, and the landfill will not be getting filled with my pottery shards!

I challenge everyone to rethink their trash. It sure feels rewarding to help reduce waste and at the same time help add more beauty into the world!

A perfect bowl

I love bowls and I have cupboards overflowing with them. Yet I find another favorite in every kiln load. Here is my latest favorite. I love the ridges left loose during the throwing process. This time the glaze turned out perfect with a bit of the natural earthen color showing through from beneath the white glaze. Alas, (I love the word alas - it is not used nearly enough)...alas, My cupboards are full so this one will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop. I hope it find a loving home and gets used regularly. It always saddens me to think that a beautiful bowl could gather dust on a shelf somewhere. I rotate mine so that they get all get used every once in a while. I don't want to offend any little bowl who gets forgotten at the back of a shelf...