Pouring more mud

I had hoped to have these fired for a market stall this coming Sunday but it hasn't happened yet.

slip cast and decorated with underglazes and tissue prints

tricky to slip cast these beads

not a very good photo but you can get an idea of how it looks

I'm also putting together some of my jewellery and I've made two key ring or bag danglers which I hope to sell at the Stanwell Park Markets this Sunday 6th May 2012 - they have a Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Stanwell-Park-Village-MarketMake-ItBake-ItCreate-It/151790061509854?sk=wall

I'll be sharing this post to my own Facebook page: Anna's Ceramics and my Fb Group: Annas Aussie Ceramics not to mention Mud Colony...  see you around :^)

Pouring mud

this week I have been doing a little slipcasting and decorating.  Would have done more but first day I was frightened by a snake near the door to my studio and since then the  skys have been leaking like a flooding drainpipe!

At least I enjoyed decorating these two...

slipcast stoneware (buff) with underglaze decoration

slipcast stoneware (buff) with underglaze and tissue print decoration

Posting this over to Mud Colony and to my Facebook pages :^)

Nice to use ones own pots

No college classes this week and a holiday weekend so I felt more inclined to take a bit more time over meal preparation.  I made this mortar and pestle set a couple of years ago and find it very useful to make pesto.  I have some basil and rocket growing in the back yard and along with some parsley, pine nuts and parmesan, hey Pesto!

I've also started to put together my jewellery pieces:
My first Steampunk inspired necklace plus a heart shaped one:

I'm off over to Mud Colony now to see what everyone else has been up to, Oh and you can find me on Facebook too - Anna's Ceramics or my Group page, Anna's Aussie Ceramics.  See you later :^)

There goes Term One!

Well my class is now on the Easter term break so I'll have time to catch my breath and write up my assignment (just a little one fortunately).
We had some tests of Eygptian Paste. Not my favourite material - others seem to get some lovely results with it but somehow I'm always disappointed in my results.  These yellow ones look OK at first glance but I might have handled them too much as the backs are very rough.

The bead hanger has been coated with kiln wash and also the wire and then fired in an electric kiln to about 900 deg C. The three in the middle were fired flat. They are usable but not as nice as some I have seen others make.  They are quite thin.  They were easy to smooth off with a wet stone.

These bits and pieces have been underglazed (well, not the ones with blue prints on) and glazed and back to be fired ready for the start of Term Two.

Have a Happy Easter everyone and don't forget to check over at Mud Colony to see what others are doing this week.

Not my own work but interesting

This morning I was installing a mini exhibition on behalf of the Port Hacking Potters Group (follow link to learn more about the group) to celebrate their 50th Anniversary as a community group.  The photos that came out of the woodwork are just great.  Then as now, potters love a bit of fire and smoke - raku and pit firing were very popular.

The exhibition is at a local sub-branch library and the pots on display along with the groups history come from a collection normally held at the main Sutherland library.

Here are a couple that probably date back to the 1980's though one seems to be dated '73.

 

Signed: R Keane

Signature is hard to read; could be LS with two vertical lines through the lower curve of the S.

Off they go....

this week I am sending off 3 pieces that I am quite pleased to have made (not always the case).

First was a teapot which I have sent to the Teapot Show at the Studio @ Flinders Gallery being held over Easter in my neighbouring state, Victoria.

Next are two pedestal bowls which will be awarded as prizes at the 50th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon of the Port Hacking Potters group in Sutherland this Saturday.  It should be a fun day with potters coming from all over the State to catch up with friends.  You can see more about the group on their blog: http://www.porthackingpotters.blogspot.com.au/

Number one is this black and red thrown porcelain:

 

and then there is this little blue and white number

 

Now that you have seen what I've been doing this week how about checking some others over on Adriana Christianson's blogger group, Mud Colony.

 

a few results

this week has been mostly about preparation with a few early results coming back from firing...
Thanks to the Lovely Adriana Christianson for Mud Colony which is helping me to stay motivated with my blogging. Pop over and see what others are doing this week: Mud Colony blog posts for this week

some early pieces for my Steampunk series

mainly checking out some underglazes, I like the Deco Butter creamy colour..

my stamp moulds are a bit messy. I have used a surform to get rid of the sharp edges and will use wet & dry sandpaper in water to smooth off more.  The cylinder on the left will be carved into and used as a rolling stamp.

 

 

Live and learn

Well, my teacher tried to warn me but I didn't get what she was telling me.  Nothing like experience to teach a lesson!  The pendants I glazed were too heavy to have more than one on the wire as the wire softens and then bends in the firing - as a result the pendants and bead moved together and the glaze stuck where they touched. Sorry no photo of the mess as I didn't have my camera with me.  Any way better luck next time - I have another lot going through a firing this week so fingers crossed it goes better this time.
Here are the ones I kept.  The three orange ones in front will need a little more sanding off with a sharpening stone.  I think I threw about 6 away.

  

 

I'll be adding this post to Mud Colony so hop over and see what others are doing this week.

Bead Hangers

I am currently taking a ceramic jewellery making class at my local TAFE college. This week some of us were able to glaze our first batch and set them on Kanthal wire on our bisque fired hangers.  They will go into an electric kiln for a firing at 1200 deg C.  This is my post this week for Mud Colony and my Facebook page, Anna's Ceramics and Facebook Group, Anna's Aussie Ceramics.  Drop by and check them out :^)

slabs of raku clay cut and joined and holes drilled to hold wire

closer detail of the bead hangers

Detail of glazed beads and pendants showing them balanced on the Kanthal wire

Detail showing beads hanging and 2 brooches on base

A bit of baking

I'll be visiting my elderly father tomorrow and he loves Anzac biscuits.  They are usually made using rolled oats - I can't eat them as I am gluten intolerant so today I experimented and made some very tasty gluten free ones by substituting the rolled oats for rolled quinoa. Yum! It worked!

(Anzac biscuits were made to send to the Australian & New Zealand troops fighting in the first World War as they kept well).
My family recipe as modified today:
1 cup rolled quinoa, 3/4 cup dessicated coconut, 1 cup plain gluten free flour, 1 cup sugar, 125g butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons Bi Carb Soda, 1 tablespoon Golden Syrup.
Mix quinoa, gf flour, sugar and coconut in large bowl. Meanwhile melt butter with golden syrup together. Mix bi carb soda with 2 tablespoons of boiled water, quickly add to melted butter & syrup (it will foam up) and add to the dry ingredients.  Roll spoonfuls into balls, place on trays, press down gently with fork. Place on greased or lined trays in a slow oven (140 deg C fan forced) for approx 20 minutes.  Try to let them cool before you eat them :^)

Here is an image for Linda Starr of Blue Starr Gallery who asked about the Aussie favourite, Golden Syrup. Linda it is made from Sugar Cane with some water added.  I guess similar to Molasses but lighter in colour and flavour.