Friday, May 21, 2010

There's a lot going on around here!

Yesterday I made a bunch of test tiles. I have been putting this off for the longest time, but I made a TO DO list and put that at the top. I usually make little bowls for tests because I am a visual learner and it's much easier to understand what a glaze is going to look like on an actual piece. But if they turn out nice they end up getting sold or going in my cupboards. Also, I scribble notes about the tests in random places and can never find them. Plus, these are for oxides and terra sig mostly so who needs a piece to see that. I stamped them to see how the glazes break and I very neatly wrote on the back of each one what they were. This is a first for me, test tile organization, I think I like it! I'm doing line blends so I wrote the amount of colorant I used per cup of base on each one.
While the tiles were drying, I made a board of flower pots, tis the season after all. I have had some requests for them at Saxapahaw, so here they are. And check this out, I made six of them and they are all exactly the same size, and I didn't get distracted one time while making them.

Well, maybe I got a little distracted. I also put terra sig on all of these barns. This photo is for Matt Grimmett who shares the same fascination as me for seeing how much we can pile on a dining room table:)
and as I was drinking a Latte out of a Starbucks coffee cup that my husband so kindly brought to me, I thought it would make a nice template for a cup so I hand built this one just to see. I think I'm going to make more of these today, I like it. I just cut the cup up for a template, stamped the clay then rolled it up. Handle is a la Brandon Phillips tutorial. Big and fat, I don't like whimpy handles on chunky mugs. The photo doesn't really show the handle that great, sorry.

and then I got just a bit distracted this morning when I saw a mom and dad blue bird coming out of the bird house. I heard babies in there! Don't you just love baby bird chirps! Wesley made this bird house in art class last year, there are lyrics to a song on the top, but I can't remember which song. She never finished the art work but the birds don't care.
and some other day I must have also got distracted, because I went to pop my tea in the microwave to heat it up a bit this morning and this one was in there. I have no idea how long it has been in there. Sometimes when I leave my tea sitting around I like to give it a little zap to warm it, this is a perfect example of my multi tasking, starting one thing and then moving on to another before the first thing is finished. I ordered a North Star portable slab roller yesterday, I am so over the rolling pin and paint stick routine for slabs. I borrowed one from a friend a while back and really liked it, so thanks to my pottery class, I am using the money from that to pay for it! Lots to do today, so I better get busy.

8 comments:

FuturePrimitive Soap Co. said...

i love the cup you've stamped and rolled. really lovely.

Judy Shreve said...

WOW -- you are definitely on a roll this morning. Test tiles & production throwing - whew - lol.

Love the mug & I'm looking for a slab roller too. Does the portable one work well?

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Tig, just left you a note, I finally got around to ordering some of your soaps to try! Judy, the portable north star is pretty cool. It's perfect for what I need, but you aren't going to get gigantic slabs with it. The width is 18" and you can probably roll up to about 36" in length, plenty good for my trays and houses and things like that. Not for very large platters though. It's very portable and easy to set up. I'll let you know more when I get it.

ang design said...

wow whats going on!...and great news about the slabby!

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

You are soooo good! Look at all those test tiles. I'm mega-impressed with your discipline. Putting it at the top of the to-do list is something I will do... The flower pots with the split rims are cool.

Linda Starr said...

good for you making test tiles; I just got some more mason stains and you have inspired me to follow in your footsteps for those and my glazes, I might discover which are best at which firing range too. Great cup. Oh your barn do they have removable tops? is that what I see lying on it's side on the table, who clever.

Kari Weaver said...

My test tiles are generally a jumble. However, after taking a class with Glaze Master Britt, I started using a system. I number the tiles using RIO wash and keep a paper list. After firing, the ones I like, I'll write on the unglazed part with a super-fine sharpie, highlight the list and chuck the others in a box.

You've been busy. I love to see all the stuff you're doing.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Kari: I used to write on my tiles in Rio or with an underglaze pencil, but when you raku fire the clay goes black and you can't see what you wrote so now I just write in the clay, keeps me from forgetting. If I don't know what the tile will be, I just number them and keep a log in my journal. It only took one time of writing on the bisque tile then firing it to figure this out :)