New Year...New Style

 I'm still trying to stay motivated to keep up the making process. It's a bit of a struggle but since I've focused on sprig molds for custom decorating, I'm looking at mug decorating a bit differently now. Instead of using glaze layering and the kiln to do the heavy lifting, so to speak, I'm searching for new shapes to make into small molds. The Roman lion mold came from a clay impression I made from a metal sun dial. I plan to use a dark glaze as a stain just on the lion decoration. The rest of the mug will get the usual 3 coats of brushed on glaze....colors are still to be determined. 

Jade out of the shade

 I have owned this jade plant, which has turned into a tree, for more than 30 years. In all its life, this is the first time it has had a decent sunny space to live in. I think it would have been even larger by now if it had not suffered in low light and a small pot. Anyway, I finally made a larger exotic looking pot for it. I hope it likes it. I'm pleased with the result.

Mugnificent

 This is a custom order I enjoyed making. I made a sprig for the eidelweiss flower and did additional carving to the handle and applied letters. This will hold an exceptional amount of coffee for mug 

Monday. Yes, let's just say its coffee...  😉 

Still here after a year!

 I am still alive and, if Google and Blogger don't change too much, I will try to keep this blog alive. It's been a year since I last posted....a long, terrible year. In general, I shouldn't complain. I still work on pottery, and that has been a precious thing. You would think I would be more productive and creative since I'm home ALOT these days, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm working on it and looking forward to a new year of creating. Fingers crossed. Here's a photo I want to share of the local park decorated for the holidays. The sky is dark but the lights are bright; a metaphor perhaps.

All I Need is Crackers

I made a cream cheese creation for a party. Tree is sitting on a square plate with my blue sugar jar next to soup bowls. Nothing like being creative with something you can eat or eat off of. Now to get the crackers. Merry Christmas!

Just Peachy

My large rustic bowl with a free-form rolled edge and decorative slashes. Next one needs to be bigger.

Throwing for an Oval

Lately, my new focus is to make custom items for me. Not a friend, not a neighbor, not to sell....Me. I needed a weather proof sign to redirect package deliveries from my front gate to my side door. My favorite way to "make" is to throw on the wheel and alter the shape. Since I preferred an oval shape for my sign, I threw a flat platter with a rounded edge. I sliced a diamond-like shape out of the center and pushed and smooshed until the two sides came together. I used a metal rib to compress and even out the center before I painted on three coats of a dark slip. Once that firmed up, I carved in the words, painted them in with yellow colored slip and carved the edge to create a rope-like edge. The edge got a blue glaze and the center got a clear. Now what else do I need?