Pinky's Pottery

Agateware

2010-11-20T15:58:00.001-08:00

I've been dabbling in a new technique. All are food safe, dishwasher safe and microwave safe. What do you think?

2010-10-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

New items in the For Sale tab! Click HERE to check them out!

Now I'm back to the lab for some more creating :)

Thanks for looking!

Pinky

A Story About Neglect...

2010-08-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

It's true. I have been a bit neglectful lately in the blogging department... I find it easier to post things on my Facebook page than on the blog, and in return, the pictures are low quality phone camera shots, and the true colors are poorly represented.... But none the less, I'll post aforementioned pictures for the sake of posting pictures. Enjoy :)

On a positive note, I've purchased a small photo booth to get some better quality, more professional looking photos to post on my sale page. Here's Dad experimenting with the new booth...

I've also had the bad habit of selling things before I take pictures of them... so this is a big contributor of me not having any new material to blog about :)
I'll be better, I promise...

Until next time-

Pinky

Electric Kiln Raku...

2010-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, when I was taking pottery classes at the college, I was lucky enough to have access to an outdoor raku kiln. Loving the results, I've been wanting to fire a few raku pots of my own here in my own "lab". Horsehair and Ghost Willow pots are my personal favorite, so for the past little while I've been contemplating how to get raku results in my electric kiln without completely destroying the elements. After not actually thinking it through, I just went for it. :0)

First, I applied terra-sigillata to green-ware, buffed, and bisqued. Then I prepared my ghost willow pots with my super secret technique, which I'm not sharing :) Then I put everything in the kiln on a shelf so I could easily get to them with tongs without having to singe my eyebrows off to get to, and fired to 1300*

At temperature, I opened up the lid and snagged a pot with some heavy duty tongs (which I may, or may not have found by the fireplace). I'm not sure this is 100% fantastic on an electric kiln... but the results were worth it.

First the horsehair pots. The goal of a horsehair pot is to drag the hair in a natural flowing and artistic manner, across the extremely hot vase so the hair burns and leaves lines on the surface of the pot. These look best when the pattern is random not planned, and since I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, this is easy.

The hotter the pot is when you apply the hair, the more smokey effect you'll get.

Cooler pot, more detail.

Of course, the pot can't be too hot, or the hair will burn before it touches the pot. And it can't be too cool, or the hair won't burn at all. So work quickly.

Final result:

This one is my favorite horsehair pots I've ever made.

And as for the Ghost Willow, I'll share the fact that it was fired to the same temp, but involved this:

Fire,
Not burning your eyebrows off while trying to smother it,

And smoke.

Final result:
Beautiful result, and always a mystery until the final revealing. I love it. Thanks to my favorite potter Blaine, for discovering this technique and sharing with me!

Until Next Time,
Pinky

Experimentin'

2010-05-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

So I've been on the prowl for some new glazes lately, and I think I've found a company I love. Coyote Clay has some really amazing and unique colors for really reasonable prices. They ship me the dry chemicals, and mix them up myself. I really loved the first few glazes I got; consistent results are always a plus. However there is one glaze where get the most beautiful result:

unfortunately, it is also the SAME glaze I get the most awful result!

It's so unpredictable and I can't seem to get the right result when I want it! I need to do some experimenting with this Red Gold glaze and see how to get the EXACT same result every time. I have a crap load of the stuff so I'd better figure it out quick!!
I emailed the owner of Coyote, and he had some good tips- so I'll give them a whirl. For any other potters reading who may have the same problem with Coyote's Red Gold glaze: Hotter kiln, thicker glaze application. Also, it seems like the lighter the clay I use, the more gold the glaze goes. But according to a review I found online, don't use it on Porcelain. Only stoneware. So, hopefully this should work.

Courtesy of said glaze, I had a massive disaster with a set of nesting bowls I was making for a local lady's mom for Mother's Day (Sorry Carrie!!!!). Although the bowls themselves were beautiful and nested perfectly, the glaze was rough- blotchy- a horrid color brown and disgustingly drab. Mom described it as: "Blech."
I feel horrible that they turned out so badly, and that she didn't get her gift on time. I'm working on a new set now- and learning from my mistake, I'm making multiple sets in case one comes out "blech".

But, an entire kiln load was not lost due to the blech-ness of one faulty glaze... I re-fired them last night, and I'm pleased with the result.
I haven't ever had much luck - or desire to re-fire pottery, and I'm always hesitant to waste the energy and my time on another possible fail. But this time I believe it paid off.

A deep cinnamon-terracotta color with hints of blue and purple make them interesting and eye catching.
Because I re-glazed them in a different color, they're the wrong color to match Carrie's mom's new kitchen, so I'm still working on a new set for her. They're drying in the basement now.

Speaking of the basement! Because it's warming up outside, and getting closer and closer to Goldwingin' Season, I needed to get my stuff out of Mom and Dad's motorcycle trailer, and into their basement :o)

I threw down a tarp and some plastic sheeting to catch the splatters downstairs and got to work.
It's a lot easier to just go in the basement and throw some clay around, than back and forth and back and forth between the house and the garage and the trailer and back again. I believe I'll enjoy this... Mom and Dad on the other hand, are still deciding....

Mugged.

2010-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

After some gentle persuasion from a sweet friend, and some poking from relatives, and prodding from co-workers, I've finally made myself hold still for two seconds and write a new post (sorry Kevy, you're being neglected right now).

A hectic transition between jobs, and the 14 hour work days that came attached with said transition, made blogging lower down on my list of things to do than it should have been. However, despite the miserable lack of posts in the last couple months, I actually have been busy with my pottery.

A friend of my sister's discovered one of my pie plates while visiting her, and eating pie, a couple months ago, and had my sister tell me to contact her about participating in a giveaway on her website. Red Head Recipes featured one of my Wiggle Bowls, and had an amazing turn out!

Click HERE to see the post!

119 posts on people wanting to win MY bowl! I couldn't even believe it! I was honestly stunned! A lucky girl named Andrea in Orem, Utah was the lucky winner- I hope she loves it!

Also, I've been keeping myself busy with mugs. I've been trying to force myself to work on mugs with handles, since those who know me, know have a deep seeded hatred for them. The way I was taught to do mug handles just never worked for me, and I acquired a love for handle-less tea mugs in return. However, the demand for tall, fat tea mugs isn't nearly as high as the demand for squatty, 10 oz mugs with handles. So I gave in, and decided to get past my anger towards handles, and just re-learn.
I've probably watched fifty how to videos across the web, and looked over a million websites just looking for new ideas or different ways to make handles. So far, I've discovered that attaching a lug to the side of the mug and pulling a handle directly from that, is the easiest way for me.
And here's the result.

Of course, I couldn't resist putting my signature thumb-print button on the bottom of each handle, like I've done on every other mug I've made with a handle... so not very many.
In addition, I love my new glaze combo here. It's most definitely my favorite so far. It reminds me of the beach. I'll be experimenting some new color combos on my next batch of mugs. I plan on making more this weekend.

I've also had a couple local orders, like a set of nesting bowls for Carrie, (which just came out of the kiln!) some strawberry pots, a few stray bowls, some Piggies, and a giant coffee mug.

So I suppose I should get some rest for a long day of work, and some more potting tomorrow. I will update soon with pictures of my newer items soon.

Until next time,
Pinky

Bowls Bowls Bowls!

2010-02-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

Needing a break from my pitifully-paying day job, I decided to take a couple days off to spend in my "Studio". I also needed a break from making piggy banks and mugs, since the last batch didn't turn out exactly like I had planned. I decided to go back to my most favorite thing to make - Serving Bowls.

Approximately 60 pounds of clay and an entire day in the trailer later, I made 9 large Serving Bowls- 10-15 inches in diameter each, and a Vegetable Steamer and lid. St. Tutilo was definitely with me, because I only had 2 casualties. One because I pushed the limit of the lip edge further than the clay wanted to go, and one because I was paying far too much attention to Harry Potter (I know, the Potter was Potting while watching Potter.... sad day in word play) and not nearly enough attention to how thin I was trimming. Unfortunately, the one I lost to trimming (which I haven't done since my 1st year learning!) was the lid to my Vegetable Steamer. So I'll have to make another one later and hope it fits.

On an even better note, I finally used up the last of the horrible pugged clay! And not too terribly many hunks of mystery objects were to be found! It truly was a good two days.

As of right now, the bowls are sitting in my parent's guest room drying. Hopefully they'll be dried out completely so I am able to bisque fire tomorrow.

Until Next Time,
Pinky

The Underachiever

2010-02-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been the Ceramic Underachiever of the Century the past month or two.

Perhaps I've been a little discouraged due to the lousy weather (my temporary studio is my dad's motorcycle trailer with a space heater...), lack of time away from my other job, my bad attitude having negative effects on the cooperation of my clay, the fact that everything I've managed to actually make lately I look at and it's ugly to me... and of course, my horribly awful pugged clay.

Let me expand. This clay I've been trying to use the last of is H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. I'm even inclined to say it's rounding up on evil. It has so much ---- crud in it, for lack of a better word, that it's barely even usable. Sponges, wood chunks, plaster chunks, tool tips, rocks, a piece of a pencil, and what resembled a part of a shoe lace.... is driving me mad!!

Perhaps it's my fault for being lazy and cheap and deciding to use a local art classes pug mill to mix my used clay, since I don't have my own mill. On top of that, because I'm a nice person, I decided to pug all of their clay along with mine (they offered me 2 free bags of pugged clay in addition to mine, and really, who can say no to free clay?). So I can't complain too much I suppose. I just need to get through the last of this clay... only 70 pounds to go.......... Good thing I requested two days off this week to get some thrown. Maybe I'll be able to convince myself of what everyone else is telling me, that they are beautiful.

But enough about negativity.

The tiny bit of work I've actually managed to do the last few weeks has actually been going relatively well. It's a little harder when your clay and wedging table are in the garage- your wheel is in the trailer, my drying shelves are in my mom's guest bedroom (it's too cold in the trailer and everything freezes, thank you Utah winters...) Glaze is back in the garage and everything has to be transported between these areas multiple times before I can fire.

Luckily though, my parents are a huge support. Dad put together all of my spreadsheets and graphs I need to ensure my firings are on schedule, and my finances are in line. He also strung me a new outlet so my kiln no longer sits in the back yard (however, the dog's did enjoy basking in it's warm glow) and is now located in the garage as well, and he supervises my kiln firings when I'm stuck at work. Mom bundles up in her winter coat and sits in the trailer with me while I throw, and gives me that little extra nudge I need to get going. She's also my official Pot-Pusher, and is doing a fantastic job of getting my pottery recognized locally. Mom has also taken a shine to making ceramic beads, and hangs out with me doing those while I do handmade elements, like pigs and handles (p.s., I despise handles - but that's a whole separate post).

So perhaps I'll go pick as much of the crud out of my clay as I can, and wedge some up to get it ready for throwing later this week.

Until Next Time,
Pinky

The Waiting Game

2010-01-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

The worst part of the pottery game...... is..... waiting.... Now, contrary to the popular belief of those who know me, I am known to have the patience of a Saint! .... OK... so, not exactly.... Turns out I'm probably the most impatient person on this lovely planet.... But we'll get back to that.

Chemicals for glazes came yesterday and I spent part of the afternoon mixing those together in giant pickle buckets I got from work (as every *starving potter* knows, it's called "taking advantage of the resources available to me"-haha!-). I woke up bright and early this morning and headed to my parent's house, which, as some of you may know, has been overtaken by my ever-growing amount of pottery supplies.
*Starving Potter: (Objective Noun) Much resembling a Starving Artist, only less likely to be drawn to eat their medium.

I was almost sure of it, and when I opened my bucked this morning I realized I had, in fact, added too much water in my green "Chive" glaze, and instead of doing the smart thing, and skimming the water off the top of the glaze, I decided to mix it all up, 'just to make sure'.

After waiting (eye twitch) a few hours for the glaze to resettle, I skimmed off the excess water and dipped a load of pottery, experimenting with the two new glazes to see how they'll turn out.

Mom and I proceeded to get the kiln ready for firing... This daunting process includes hauling the snow-blower out of the pottery-supply-induced-over-stuffed-garage (Dad, apparently, is temporarily being allowed to park his car, motorcycle, and snow-blower in "my" storage garage) heaving the kiln into a wheelbarrow, which we had to dig out from underneath the deck, slogging through snow, ice, mud and more mud to get to the back deck where Dad has wired a 220 volt outlet to, all while trying not to either lose a shoe, or fall over face first, in said mud, and finally dragging the kiln out of the wheelbarrow, and placing it on it's base, which is precariously placed in snow, ice, mud, and mud. (Phew!) I then proceeded to load the freshly glazed pottery into the kiln, reviewed my incredibly frustrating and ridiculously vague circa 1971 owners manual, opting to fire instead, following the advice of Blaine, sent up a prayer to St. Tutilo, the Patron Saint of Artists, carefully closed the lid, and pushed start.... It didn't work. So I hit start again, and off it went.

Ok... where was I going with this?...... ah yes. That was at 3 O'clock this afternoon. It's now 7:53 pm, and I'm 'patiently' waiting for cone 6, which in non-potters terms, is approximately 2200 degrees F. Perhaps I'll go check...

1778 degrees. ho hum... So here I sit. ...........Tick...........tock............... I'm hoping that within the hour, we should be reaching temperature, so I can shut off the kiln and... wait... until morning... to even take a peek inside. I'm so nervous!

I'm sure I've driven Blaine to madness the past month or so with all my questions. I'm also sure I wouldn't be nearly as a ridiculous pest if my manual didn't have directions like this, small excerpt from the "Firing Steps for Manual Kilns" section (now, keep in mind that this is word for word from my manual, and, sadly, I'm not even exaggerating here).

"Turn all dials to OFF position.
Open Lid, latch securely.
Check all necessary parts (see page 5).
Lower Lid.
Open Lid, load kiln, including pyrometric cones, in kiln sitter, and behind all peepholes.
Lower Lid.
Raise Lid to highest lid prop position.
Insert all peephole plugs except the top one.
Lower Lid.
Latch kiln sitter (if using) plunger by pushing it in to lock.
Turn all dials to low. "

After opening and lowering the 25 pound lid 50 times, I tossed the manual aside, and opted to truly appreciate Blaine's experience for every word, even if I do pester him.

8:23pm. Time to check the pyrometer again.

*insert "Jeopardy!" theme music*

UHG! ONLY 1890 degrees!! I may be here a while longer. So I'll post a few pictures of mixing glazes, and look again.

Glazes came in the mail!! Look how excited this girl gets to receive chemicals via Postal Service!

Carefully pouring chemicals into pickle buckets, trying to stir up as little dust as possible in Mom's kitchen...
Just Add Water! The best kind of directions!

Mix well. Make sure there aren't any lumps of dry chemicals and everything is blended nicely.
You'll want to make sure that you let your freshly mixed glazes sit at least overnight so they have a chance to blend together. That way you probably won't get any strange results when firing (probably is always the keyword... it ensures no one holds you responsible for crappy advise-haha!-).

8:49pm.... and 1957 degrees... We're getting there! but here I wait.

Perhaps a movie to keep my mind off things while my kiln gets up to temperature. Good night, and I'll post pictures very soon of the results from tonight's firing. .........tick............ tock............

Until Next Time,
Pinky

Not Forgotten

2010-01-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

I promise, I have not forgotten about my poor Pottery Blog- or you faithful readers (if there are any of you out there)...

Just a quick update to let you know what's going on. I've gotten almost everything I need to start producing more pottery and putting it up for sale!

I'm currently waiting on our Postal system to deliver my new thermocouple, and some chemicals for glazes :) as soon as those come, I'll be experimenting with my kiln and new glazes and some new piggy banks should be up for sale shortly after that.

Also, I've gone through my piles of finished and unfinished pottery, and finally have a stack of things to sell. I have posted those here for viewing and purchase.

Hang in there! I'll keep you posted on upcoming projects!!

Pinky

Pugging Clay

2009-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

So this weekend has been a pottery weekend. I got a call earlier this week asking me if I wanted to donate a Piggy Bank to the St. Anthony's Catholic Church silent auction next month. With a vacation planned next week, I figured I'd better get to things before time ran out on me.

Before I could start making Piggy Banks, I had a ton of used clay that needed to be recycled into clay I can use again. Not very many potters I've met do this, but it's the most cost effective thing for the starving potter to do on a low budget, so I've made it a point to recycle my clay.

It really just involves putting all of the nasty slip and goo and chunks of unused clay into a bucket, draining off the water, letting it dry out a bit and either spending all year wedging it all up by hand so it's the same consistency, or spending a few hours sending it though a Pugger. Because Blaine is awesome, I chose the latter, and he let me use the Clay Pugger he has in his Lab.

A pugger is basically a giant enclosed auger type mixer.

You throw all your clay into the mixing drum and let it mix for a while,

Push the door closed (this takes a certain finesse when you're a product of the weaker breed),

push the extrude button,

and then it squeezes the fresh clay out into logs of clay, ready for use.

Not the most visually alluring process by any means, but it gets the job done at any rate.

The only bad thing about using recycled clay, is that you never really know what surprises will find their way into your clay. Especially when pugging Blaine's student's clay. This is a mild version of what is most often found. It's someone's old nasty sponge they lost to the bucket. Usually these sponges are black and crawling with bacteria, but this one wasn't so bad.

I have all sorts of stories about things found in pugged clay... Sponges, Band-Aids, glass, chunks of wood, pottery tools, the occasional piece of jewelry. Blaine said a lady lost her wedding ring in the used clay buckets one year and never found it. I'm sure somewhere there's a $2000 wedding ring permanently stuck inside a 1" thick pot some beginner student is using to hold their loose change.

So, that's how to pug clay. I'll keep updated on any work I'll be doing here in the next few days :)

Until next time,

Pinky

Busy Bee Me

2009-10-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so first off, I've been a Blogging Underachiever I know... With moving and everything else going on this year, I've been neglecting my pottery life.

Secondly, I just wanted to mention how AWESOME my sister is for designing my adorable Bumble Bee layout. Jeri, you rock, and I love you :)

Nextly, you'll be excited to know I've been happily distracted lately in the potter's department.........

Such as, New Purchases!!

I found this wheel on KSL practically brand new for only $250.00! What a steal!! The guy must have been desperate to sell it, because this wheel is fantastic!!
Another steal of a deal I found on KSL was this little beauty-- My new kiln :)

It's an older model, and it's only about 2 cubic feet on the inside, but it's enough to get me started with my very own lab...

Since moving in to a tiny apartment, it seems like I have no room at all for any of my pottery stuff. My storage unit is currently housing my wedging table, kiln, shelves, and clay, while the rest of my supplies seem to be slowly taking over Mom and Dad's house... I've also found myself making new additions to Dad's garage.....

A new shelf was just the thing to get my chemicals and tools up off the floor and out of the way.

Hopefully very soon, I'll be getting a shed of my very own to put all of my stuff in, and be able to start throwing some new pottery to get listed.

Until next time,
Pinky

Raku Time!!!

2009-02-13T21:56:00.000-08:00

Ok kids, it's Tutorial time!
In this lesson we're going to be making a Horse Hair Raku pot.
First you start off by centering your clay.

Open up the middle,
and pull up the walls.
Start shaping the size of pot in which you want.
I believe more decorative pots look better with a lot of surface space, so don't be afraid to really push yourself to push out those walls! No slightly shaped cylinders here!
When the shape is just how you like it, do your finishing touches, cut-wire,
and pop off the wheel head.
When it's leather hard, trim up the bottom so the walls are the same thickness all the way through.
When it's completely bone dry, apply a generous layer of Terra-Sigillata, which is a very very finely ground type of clay mixed with water, and then buffing the pot with a soft piece of cloth so it's shiney.

After the pot is bisqued, IT'S TIME TO RAKU!!!
Blaine's Raku kiln he built himself, and it's a gas heated plate surrounded by bricks, with a fiberglass lined bonnet that goes over the top.
Let the pot heat up under the bonnet until it reads about 1300-1500 degrees F. Any cooler and the hair won't burn into the surface of the pot. Any hotter, and the hair will burn into oblivion before it even touches the pot.
Remove the glowing red pot with fire-place tongs onto a surface where you can access all sides.

From there, burn the hairs of your choice onto the pot. I used my friend Ashley's hair, since I hadn't given any horses a hair-cut recently.
Blaine and I also added feathers to this pot with the hair.
Be sure not to burn your fingers- since you do have to get really close to get the hair where you want it.
Work quickly, because the pot will start cooling off fast, and you want to get as much detail as you can before the hair won't burn anymore.
And the final product! The hairs make lightning-like zig-zags and fancy curly-Q's all over the pot, and the smoke that the hair puts off makes a great smoke effect. The feathers, when applied correctly, leave an exact imprint, like the one above.
When it's completely cooled, you can spray with a clear, high-gloss laquer spraypaint for a shiney finish.

Until Next Time,
Pinky

New Stuff Continuted

2009-02-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here's some more stuff I finally got pictures of.
First off, my most favorite: This is my platter-

This thing is a monster. Approximately 20+ inches across of pure, unadulterated platter.

and the colors are fantastic. The way they all ran together makes me proud.
Next up, are the tea pots. They are cute, but that's about where it ends. They were both experiments, and, even though I do love them, they will live at my mom's house forever.

Now I'll admit, I just had fun with this one, however, this particular teapot is my favorite. His name is Heff. He has floppy ears, a cute little trunk, a mouth, tusks, a tail, and little tufts of hair on his head-lid and on the tip of his tail. he makes me smile. I'll definitely be making more teapots in the future.
Until Next Time,
Pinky

New Stuff

2009-02-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any of my newer creations lately, so here are some of my favorites.

This large mixing or serving bowl is She's a Bleeder Red with a layer of my Fabulous Yellow on top. This glaze mixture is definately my favorite. I did most of my work last year in these colors.
This is a smaller mixing or serving bowl with Stary Night on top of the red instead of yellow, it's a more subtle effect and it brings out certain shades of purple and green in the red that I really like. The only bad thing about She's a Bleeder Red, is that sometimes, if the oxygen levels in the kiln aren't perfect, it can turn things blue, gray, or green.
This is a set of dishes that I made on a Jigger (that's a tool that attaches to the wheel head and when you pull down the arm it squishes out the clay onto a plaster mold so everything is exactly the same). I think it's cheating, so I only made these dishes for me to use at home. Not to sell. The dishes turned out great and they're thin enough to where we could even glaze the bottoms. The one on the bottom right is one that, even though they were all run through the kiln at the same time, on the same shelf as one of the other ones, turned green and blue. It's the outcast plate, but I love it just the same.
This is a Whistle that I made while helping Blaine teach a pottery class last summer to a group of high school kids deciding on what they wanted to do in college. Just a plain whistle would be boring, so we made them into elephants. We also made Hairy Mammoth banks for the Museum's Mammoth Days Fair last summer, however mine sold before I got a picture of him. :(

These are a couple of Toothbrush/Toothpaste Holders. Kids love them, and it keeps the toothbrushes off the yucky cupboard and floors. The one on the left is Violent Blue with Stary Night and the red is, of course, She's a Bleeder with Fabulous Yellow.
This basic water pitcher is just a thin layer of She's a Bleeder. The glaze was thin enough that the natural color of the clay shines through from underneath the glaze.
These are the cups I made to go with my set of plates. I decided not to make them identical, since the plates aren't all the same either. Each cup has a raised Bumble Bee on it, and are glazed in She's a Bleeder and Fabulous Yellow.
This is one of my large turkey platters. It's approximately 16 inches across and glazed in different thicknesses of Fabulous Yellow. When this glaze is thinner, it goes a natural brown which I love.

I have a few more pieces at my parent's house I haven't gotten pictures of yet, so I'll take pictures while I'm down this weekend and post them soon.

Until then,

Pinky

Making Clay

2009-02-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

So, because I'm an "Instant Gratification" type of girl, I buy my clay from a local store pre-mixed, pre-wedged, pre-bagged, and packed nicely in a convenient 25 pound block.

But, believe it or not kids, not all clay comes in a conveniently packed 25 pound block-in-a-bag (darn it...).

So last summer, a few of us pottery geeks decided we didn't want to spend 10 dollars to buy clay, hopped in the car, spent $60 dollars in gas and headed out to the desert to dig up our own clay. Economical, aren't we? Besides, who can turn down a road trip??

For those of you who aren't familiar, this is the San Rafael. Those lovely red caps are, you got it! Clay! in it's rawest form. Dirt!

Awesome, red, lovely dirt. rocks, sticks and all. All you do, is dig some up, and throw it in a bucket.

OK, so I didn't take pictures of this process, so you'll have to use your imagination here. To turn this dirt into clay, you just add water and sift it through a piece of screen to remove the rocks sticks, and everything that isn't slip. You don't want any chunks at all in this.

From there you pour your bucket of slip into a new-fangled, high-tech, filtration device. Or, more easily put, a leg of an old pair of jeans, with the bottom tied off.

The reason jeans work so well, is because the weave of the levi is so tight that the water can slip through, but the dirt particals cant.

It's a slow process, but in about 2-5 days, you'll some perfectly drained clay. from there, just squeeze the clay out of the jeans like a giant Otter-Pop, wedge up the clay, and store it in plastic.

You can even make it into convenient 25 pound blocks if you want!

I love this clay. It's got a lot of plasticity and it's soft but still able to hold it's shape. I haven't fired anything with it yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Pinky

Christmas Pottery Sale

2009-02-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late posting... and lack of postings... it's been a bit hectic with the move and all! So here goes! (I'm posting for you, Christy!!)

Every Spring and Winter a group of potters in my hometown have a pottery sale at the local college.

Nothing fancy, just a couple of days, a few potters, and a lot of pottery. Here are some pictures of the sale, and some items that were sold.

Here's everything set out on display, waiting to be sold.

Oooh! the first customers! it's so exciting!

These are some of Blaine's creations. From the far right: Transparent clay candle holders, Christmas tree ornaments, a large platter and some flower vases.

These are some of Blaine's pie plates. I love his work! he taught me everything I know. Visit his store HERE.

For some reason, I didn't take any pictures of my own stuff at the sale... oh well, live and learn I suppose :)

I hope to be posting some new stuff soon!
Until then,
Pinky

The Bee Bowl

2008-10-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

In earlier posts, I walked you through the making of, and the trimming of, a large bowl.
Now I'll show you how to add details to it, and the finished product.
First, You take your leather-hard, trimmed bowl, and decide what types of details you want on it, where, and mark them lightly with an "x".
From there, score the bowl with a needle tool, or other pointy object.
Now you put a blob of slip where you scored the bowl, so the detail you add will adhere snugly to the bowl.
From here you can either make handles, decorative pieces, or in this case, bumble bees, to stick to the side of the bowl.

Now take this little guy, and press him firmly, but gently (so as not to squish him) into the slip.
And Voila'! You have a bumble bee on the side of your bowl!
now do that same step over and over and over again until you reach your desired look.
Cover for one or two days with a plastic bag, and let dry completely.
Phew that was quick!
If you rush the drying process, and don't allow newly added details to sit under plastic for at least a day, you run the risk of them falling off. Letting them sit ensures the two different types of clay (wet, and leather hard) to become the same consistency.
Once the bowl is bisqued, glazed, and fired at cone 10, you come out with this fabulous result:
I'm sad I haven't used this glaze more often. I love the gold flashes in it.
Until next time,
Pinky

The 7 Stages of Clay

2008-10-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Clay can be classified into seven different stages. So here's your Pottery Vocabulary lesson for the Day.

Stage 1) Raw Clay (Earthenware) -
This clay I dug out the side of a hill in the San Rafael during the summer. Clay is easy to spot once you know what to look for. Basically, it's dirt that doesn't have anything growing on it. Utah clay is everywhere; and is lots of different colors (red, purple, black, gray, etc.). This particular clay is a red, low-fire clay.
There's also clay that comes pre-mixed, free of air bubbles, and ready to go. this looks something like this, and is what I prefer to use; because it's easy, reasonably priced, and doesn't involve hiking in the desert with a shovel and 50 pounds of dirt to acquire.

Stage 2) Slip - This is Clay that has enough water in it to make it smooth and runny. I use slip to attach handles and decorations to pots, mugs, lids, casseroles and other projects. Slip can also be dried out on canvas and reused. We call this, "ABC Clay", because it's 'Already Been Chewed' once. Here's a picture of a blob of slip sitting out to dry, along with Blob-Man, the temporary class mascot.

Stage 3) Plastic - This is the stage of clay that most of the work is done, like throwing it on the wheel. Plastic clay is soft and easily workable.

Stage 4) Leather Hard - This is the stage of clay that a pot is in when it's half-way dry.
Although it's still wet, it is strong enough to support itself, and strong enough to keep it's shape when pressure is put on it. This is the stage where trimming a foot on the pot takes place, handles and decorations are put on, and carving out holes or detail work can take place.

Stage 5) Bone Dry (or Green) -
This stage is when the clay is in it's most fragile state; a tiny nudge could potentially knock the lip off of a bowl, or the handle of a mug. The most common destruction I see is when people pick up their pottery by a lip edge or handle and it breaks. Bone Dry clay is when the pot has been exposed to air and all of the water has evaporated out of the clay, and it is left completely dried out. This is the stage in which it is put, very carefully, into the bisque kiln.
Stage 6) Bisque - Bisqued clay is clay that has been fired in a kiln, but it is still porous enough to absorb water. In this stage, no additions can be added to the pot, and it is almost complete. This is also the stage that you add glaze to the pot to prepare it for it's final firing.
Stage 7) Fired - After your pottery has been Bisqued, it needs to be fired again. There are lots of different types of final firing. Here are the three kinds I use:

High Fire - This is mainly for functional pottery, like dishes and bowls, and is fired at approximately 2300 degrees to make the glaze harden to a hard glass coating. The entire heating and cooling process of High Fire takes about 3 days. The results of this type of fire are usually pretty predictable, unless you're experimenting with glazes like I often do.

Raku - This process is done in a small outdoor kiln, and the pot is heated until it glows red hot (approximately 1800 degrees) and then immediately taken out of the kiln with tongs and either burning horsehair onto it, or placing it into an enclosed area like a garbage can filled with newspaper, pine needles, sawdust, or any other type of combustible material. This process only takes an hour or so, and always comes out different.

Pit Fire - This process involves digging a hole in the ground, placing your pots in it with wood and sawdust, and lighting it on fire. It takes about 5 or so hours to let the pots get hot enough to turn rock hard. Chemicals can be added to the sawdust to make them turn colors, like Iron Oxide, or Cobalt. These pots always come out different, and sometimes need to be fired a couple of times to achieve the type of coloration you desire.

Each firing process results in a completely different product, but either way, from there, your pottery is complete!
Until next time,
Pinky

Oh the Humanity!!!

2008-09-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's tragic! Those of you with weak constitutions turn away now!

It's time for...

POTTERY DISASTERS
#'s 1, 2, & 3

It's a horrible feeling really... You work so hard on a piece of pottery and in a blink of an eye, it's destroyed... luckily, I've only had a few losses, just three have been caught on camera.

Unfortunately for me, all three of these disasters were all part of one ill-fated project.

The picture below is of a 3 tiered cake stand set I was making. As you can tell, the smallest stand started warping from the beginning and turned mostly into a candy dish.
The middle stand sort of did the same thing, but not as badly, so it was still tolerable. The base stand, and largest of the 3 stands was perfect in every way, and I loved it.
Then the Pottery God struck me with His wrath... and this happened...
Nooooooooooo!!
Cracks!The base shrunk and pulled my favorite platter apart-
ripping and tearing the clay like wet tissue paper... a tiny piece of me died that day...

The next day, while mourning the loss of the fabulous cake stand that could never be, again the Pottery God smote me.

Another students creation had an air pocket deep inside one of it's extremely thick walls, and exploded (violently, I might add), while being bisqued; obliterating my small cake stand, and everything else on that particular shelf.

With two down and only one to go, I figured nothing else could possibly go wrong. Right?
Wrong.
About a week later, after reassuring myself that I'd never had a problem with glazing before, and that the last remaining cake stand was going to be perfectly fine and beautiful, I took down the kiln wall and discovered (now, I'm actually a little embarrassed to post) this:

The single most hideous glaze job I've ever seen in my life. It looks like something that may have been half-digested by "the Blob".

This is awful. The 3 tiered cake stand idea was doomed from the beginning.

But that, my friends, concludes the first (and hopefully last) edition of:

POTTERY DISASTERS

I'm going to go to pray to the Pottery God now.

Until next time-
Pinky

How I Love My Little Piggies...

2008-09-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

After running out of creative ideas, I decided to create a few piggy banks.

This picture is of them drying out waiting for their trip through the bisque.

These started out as small, wheel thrown pots. The eyes, ears, feet, tails, and even their little bums are all hand made elements, making each of them unique and one of a kind.
And where do the finished piggies go you ask?

These little piggies go to market!

Until next time,

Pinky

Trimming

2008-07-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

After you've finished making the pot, it's time to trim. Trimming has a couple of different functions. Not only does it allow you to put an attractive foot on the bottom, but it also allows you to take off a lot of excess clay to make your pottery lighter. Also, if trimmed correctly, the groove you put above the foot catches glaze that may run down during the final firing process, and keep it from sticking to the kiln shelf.

Here's a sample pic of the tools you need to do pottery.
Trimming mainly involves the 2 loop tools in the center.

Trimming is pretty simple, but takes a little bit of practice to get it right. First, you need to make sure your pot is leather hard, or half way dry.

Then you place it upside down on the wheel head and using 4 balls of clay, secure your centered pot to the wheel head. Then you're ready to start trimming. I use the square end of the small loop tool most.
Using the loop tool to slice away strips of clay, you can trim away any excess clay you don't want weighing down your pot. Bowls usually take a lot more trimming than a regular pot, because a good bowl is trimmed to the same shape on the inside, as it is on the outside.

Make sure the bottom is smooth so your bowl sits flat on a table.
When you're done, the bowl should have a nice rounded shape on the inside and the outside, with a sturdy foot to rest on.
The next step is to let the bowl dry out slowly, so it can be bisqued.

Until Next Time-
Pinky

The Process.....

2008-06-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

I decided I would take my camera to the lab, and show you the process of making a bowl!

First, you start out with a ball of clay. Throw it down on your wheel, and squish it down on the sides so it has a good seal to the wheel head.

Then you center it. You do this by using your body weigh to push the clay up into a cone and smash it back down again. Lot's of water is used in this so your hands can slide easily over the clay. You can tell it's centered when your hand doesn't move back and forth on the clay. If you've ever seen a wood lathe work, it's sort of the same concept.

This is obviously a bigger piece of clay, but it's all centered the same. To start making a bowl, I slowly work the centered clay down into a flattened dome, approximately the size I want the base of the bowl.

From there, I open up a hole in the center of the dome and move the clay from the center out; leaving a 1/4'' to a 1/2'' thickness on bottom.

Then, using either a wet sponge, or my right knuckle I pull the walls of clay up into a cylinder, making the walls about a 1/2'' thick.

Then I start to shape the cylinder into a bowl. I continue to pull the walls up and out until the shape and thickness is how I like it. I like to leave the lip edge a little thicker, because there's more stress put on that edge throughout the life of the bowl. And...

Tada!! After a few last touches, the bowl is the right shape and size! From here I cover the bowl in a plastic bag for a day or two, and slowly let it dry half way out.

In the next post, I'll show how I trim an attractive and functional foot on the bottom of the bowl.

Until next time,
Pinky

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

2008-06-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

As promised, I've gathered up some pictures of pottery that I've made in the past year or so. The earlier stuff, such as 20 pound bowls, 15 pound mugs that only hold 2 ounces of water, and other unusable things I didn't ever take pictures of because I either gave them away as gifts, threw them at walls, or attempted to blow them to smithereens at the gun range (fortunately for them, I'm a lousy aim).

This particular item was nicknamed "The Monstrosity", for obvious reasons. It was an experiment really, but ended up being a really neat and original planter. The Dean of Arts at the college bought it and put it in his office, which makes me feel really good about it.

This is by far my favorite piece. It's a vegetable steamer! You put your veggies in the pot and then rest the entire pot over a pan of water and put the lid on so the steam from the water goes up through that hole in the middle and steams your veggies perfectly. It sold almost immediately, which makes me sad that the other one I made that was tan and sage green, had a slight incident, and ended up breaking. It was a tragedy.

This next picture is a bad one, so ignore my fingers holding it up, and the dog toy in the back.
This plate was supposed to have others to match it, but I never got around to it. Maybe I'll make a complete set one day - until then, this is my only plate that hasn't sold.

I don't make non-functional things often, but this is one of my favorites. The glaze really puts this one over the top. I love the copper and the fact that it never comes out the same way twice.
This is called a Raku Fired Pot. I'll walk you through the whole process in another post.

This is another Raku Pot. It has a crackle glaze on it, which cracks when you take it out of the kiln hot and blow on it.

Raku Pots are considered non-functional because you can't eat out of them, and they are still able to absorb water. They're just used for decorative purposes. Most of mine hold dried flowers, or catch spare laundry room change until I'm able to sell them.

This is a strawberry pot, which also started out as an experiment. I'm pretty proud of it, mostly because the glaze that's on it is my own creation. It's even named "Karin's Fabulous Yellow". I'm still making slight tweeks to the recipe, but I love how it looks rusty in places, and isn't perfect.

This is a set of handled soup bowls I made. They're descending in size and all say "Soup" on the side. These two glazes together make one of my favorite combinations.

Bowls are my favorite to make. I call these "Wiggle Bowls". The wiggly edge adds just that extra pop of character that regular bowls don't have. This glaze is also one of my favorite combinations. It's tricky to get it to turn out right every time, and sometimes the glaze crawls away from parts of the bowl, but once I figured out how to get it just right, it's the most gorgeous color sage.
I put the wiggly edge on all sorts of bowls, casserole dishes, pie plates, and even platters.

I love experimenting with glazes. They never come out the same twice, which makes it more fun pulling them out of the kiln. It's like Christmas morning every time!

Until next time,
Pinky

Bloggie's First Day

2008-06-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. My sister Jeri has convinced me to start a blog of my very own. I'm going to try and focus on my pottery, which is wheel thrown by me, but as you'll find out, I get side tracked easily.

When I was in the 7th grade I had my first experience in pottery. I made a 2 inch coil pot, a pinch pot that never got bisqued, and an awful little "jewelry box" that my teacher glazed blue. My parents kept these around their house for years, until I convinced them to throw them away (mom didn't throw them away, and they're still at the house).

As fate would have it, my last semester of college before receiving my Associates Degree I was informed that I needed 12 more credit hours of electives, so I enrolled in Dutch Oven Cooking, Photography, Horsemanship, and Ceramics, because they were each 3 credit hours, and presumably an easy A.

I fell in love with all four, but somehow pottery stuck. I've had my associates for over a year, and I'm still enrolled in the Ceramics class at the college. I'm getting better everyday, regardless of my lack of patience. Hopefully one day soon I'll be able to afford a wheel of my own, a bisque kiln, and a high fire gas kiln... a small wish list really, I swear.

I'll be posting pictures of pottery I've made, and keep you posted on works in progress. Hope you like my work!

Until next time,
Pinky

Sold Items

2007-10-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Rusty Beaches Belgian Beer Stein - $20 SOLD!!!
This gorgeously colored beer stein was inspired by my brother-in-law Joeseph Henrie. His love for Belgian beer led us to make the perfect shape for holding in the flavor while persuading the foam to the top. Cheers! Food and dishwasher safe.

Amber Coffee - Medium Serving Bowl - $30 SOLD!!!
Absolutely beautiful finish with light amber, dark brown, and stunning flashes of blues and lavender. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection - Cinnamon Sea Wave Medium Serving Bowl - $45 SOLD!!!
Amazing color combo of metallic green splashing into a deep cinnamon bowl. Interesting and eye catching. 8.5" wide by 4" tall. Food and dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection - Cinnamon Spice Large Mixing Bowl - $28 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Oil Spot Oasis 10" Pie Plate - $45 SOLD!!!
This incredibly unique blue pie plate will be the conversation piece of your kitchen! Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Sandy Oasis Handled Mugs- Set of 4 - 8oz each - $60 SOLD!!!
Feel like you're at a beach house every morning while you sip coffee from one of these fabulous tri-colored mugs. Set of 4. Each mug is unique and includes hand pulled handles with my thumb print button at the bottom. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection - Medium Sized Golden Serving Bowl - $25 SOLD
This beautiful wiggle bowl has Gorgeous golden colors accented with flecks of red and flashes of blue and white inside. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Oasis Blue Tea Mug - 18oz - $15 SOLD!!!

Wonderfully elegant blue tea mug has an almost transparent look to it, with faint crackled look underneath. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Golden Red Tea Mug - 16oz - $14 SOLD!!!
Gorgeous golden colors accented with flecks of red and flashes of blue and white inside. Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Pie Weight Beads- $7
These unique ceramic pie weights are used to keep pie crusts flat while baking. An age old technique for perfect pie crusts every time. Artist's stamp on each bead. 75 beads per package.

Piggy Bank - "Whiskey" - $45 SOLD!!!

Medium sized piggy bank. Foot to ear height: 6 inches, Tail to snout length: 6.5 inches. Cork included in sale.

Toothbrush Holders - $12 each SOLD!!!
Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
Available in either "Starry Night" or "alluRed"

Sand Oasis Serving Platter and Dipping Bowls - $75 SOLD!!!

Just over 12'' platter beautifully colored with sandy and blue decorative stripe with green accents comes complete with two small 4.5'' bowls great for parties and family get-togethers.

Black'n'Tan Tea Mug - 15oz - $18 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Ghost Willow Cut Lip Vase - $45 SOLD!!!
This 6" vase is gorgeous and completely unique. All raku pots are extremely labor intensive and difficult to achieve predictable results. The beauty of these pots is the random flowing visual effects of nature. Not food or dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection - Shallow Serving Dish - $35 SOLD!!!

This beautiful serving dish has unique colors that complement any kitchen. At 9.5" wide by 2.5" tall, this functional conversation piece will satisfy every guest, and every entree!
Food Safe. Oven, Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Wiggle Collection - Small Cinnamon & Spice Serving Bowl - $20 SOLD!!!
Dark Cinnamon tones are elegantly complemented by flashes of purple, white, and blue, inside this small serving bowl. 6.5" Wide by 2.5" tall. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Sandy Oasis Handled Mug - 12oz - $18 SOLD!!!
Fabulous tri-colored mug with thumb print handle. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

10" Blue drip Casserole with Button Handles - $45 - SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

8.5" Outer Space Shallow Serving Dish - $25 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Set of 2 Foam Overflow medium sized Mugs - $30 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Medium Agateware Bowl - 7.5" wide 4" deep - $35 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Medium Agateware Bowl - 8" wide and 4" tall - $35 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Wiggle Collection Medium sized Agateware Bowl - 7.5" wide and 4" tall - $40 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Lg Piggy Bank - Sgt. Pepper 2 - $45 SOLD!!

Lg Piggy Bank - Molly - $45 SOLD!!

Medium Piggy Bank - Hughey - $35 SOLD!!!

Small Serving Bowl - Yellow with flashes of Pink and White rim and drips - $25 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

10" Cinnamon Pie Plate with cream rim and violet highlights - $45 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Large Serving bowl - blue and turquoise - $40 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Black and tan 10" pie plate $45 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Lg Piggy Bank - Desmond- $45 SOLD!!

Key/Jewelry Bowls - 5" x 1.5" in pink and blues - $40 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, and Microwave safe.

Medium Lidded Bean Pot - $50 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Crying Piggie banks - 2 small and 2 extra small - Lot of 4 - $55
Misty, Brooke, Aquanetta, and Babble (Babs) SOLD!!!

Medium Agateware Bowl - $50 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Lg Piggy Bank - Rocky - $45 SOLD!!

10" Stardust Pie Plate - $45 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher, Oven, and Microwave safe.

Cinnamon & Mint Spoon Jar with matching Spoon Rest - $30 SOLD!!!
Display your kitchen utensils in this lovely spoon jar for your counter. Set comes complete with matching spoon rest for your stove top. Food safe. Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning!

Sandy Oasis Tea Mug - 16oz - $25 SOLD!!!
Amazing blue color with sandy brown drips. Makes you feel like you're sipping tea at the beach! Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Horsehair Vase SOLD!!!
This 6.5" horsehair vase is gorgeous and completely unique. All raku pots are extremely labor intensive and difficult to achieve predictable results. The beauty of these pots is the random flowing visual effects of nature. Not food or dishwasher safe.

Cinnamon Sea Wave Spoon Jar Set - $60 - SOLD!!!
Matching set of Spoon Jars. Food Safe. Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning!

Wiggle Collection - Cinnamon Sea Wave - Nesting Snack Bowls - $45 SOLD!!!
Small set of nesting bowls perfect for snacks or side dishes. Dishwasher and Microwave Safe. Food Safe.

Oasis Pie Plate - 10" SOLD!!!This stunning pie plate takes on the look of being underwater. Food Safe. Oven microwave and Dishwasher safe.

SET OF 3 - Wiggle Collection - Nesting Bowls - Cinnamon & Spice - $65 SOLD!!!

This gorgeous set of nesting bowls includes 3 serving bowls in the following sizes: Large - 9.5" wide by 3" tall. Medium - 7.5" wide by 3" tall. Small - 6" wide by 3" tall.
Dark Cinnamon tones are elegantly complemented by flashes of purple, white, and blue, inside bowls. Bowls stack perfectly together for display on counter, or easy storage. Food Safe. Dishwasher and microwave safe.

Sea Foam Tea Mug - 20oz - $15 SOLD!!!
Warm your hands and your belly while sipping tea out of this lovely handle-less Tea Mug. Transparent Sea Foam Green with swirl up side of mug. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Wiggle Collection - Small Light Teal and Black Freckled Serving Bowl - $20 SOLD!!
7.5" Wide by 3" tall. Bowl has speckles and slight texture inside. Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Wiggle Collection - Cinnamon Sea Wave Nesting Bowl Set of 3 - $65 SOLD!!!
Brilliantly colored, this set of 3 nesting bowls add interest and beauty to any kitchen decor. Food Safe - Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Wiggle Collection - Golden Sunrise Large Serving Bowl - SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and microwave safe too.

Small Dessert Bowl - $6 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Medium sized Batter Bowl - $20SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Black'n'Tan Tea Mug - 20 oz - $20SOLD!!!
Elegant colors. Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Oasis Gravy Pitcher - 16oz - $18SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Wiggle Collection - Amber Coffee- Medium Serving Bowl - *$15 SOLD!!! Beautiful amber and dark chocolate serving bowl with flashes of blues and lavender. Stunning colors. Price lowered due to minor glaze defect on bottom outside of bowl (slightly rough, but does not interfere with the integrity of the bowl). Food Safe- Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection - Amber Coffee- Medium Serving Bowl - *$15SOLD!!!
Beautiful amber and dark chocolate serving bowl with flashes of blues and lavender. Stunning colors. Price lowered due to minor glaze defect on bottom outside of bowl (slightly rough, but does not interfere with the integrity of the bowl). Food Safe- Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Small Blue and Sage Bowl - $15 SOLD!!!
Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Piggy Bank - "Puddin" - $20 SOLD!!

Small sized Piggy Bank. Tail to snout length: 4.5 inches, foot to ear height: 5 inches. Cork included in sale.

Small Juice Cup - 6oz - $8 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Small Mug - 11 oz - $5 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Blushing Bowl - 18 oz - $10 SOLD!!
Cereal bowl. Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Small Goblet - 12 oz - $10 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Pretty in Pink Blushing Mug - 12 oz - $ 8 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Medium Serving Bowl - Sage - $22 SOLD!!
Microwave, Oven and Dishwasher safe!

Juice Cup - 8 oz - $8 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Square Bottomed Mug with Handle - 11 oz - $10 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Blushing Mug - 14 oz - $10 SOLD!!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Piggy Bank - "Shy-Boy" - $35 SOLD!!!
Medium sized Piggy Bank. Foot to ear height: 5.75 inches, Tail to snout length: 5 inches. Cork included in sale.

Piggy Bank - "Honey" - $30 SOLD!!

Small sized Piggy Bank. Tail to snout length: 5 inches, Foot to ear height: 5.25 inches. Cork included in sale.

Wiggle Collection - Reddish Gold Medium Sized Serving Bowl - $25 SOLD
Beautiful golden hues accented by flashes of grey-blues. Sandy look gives this Beautiful bowl a very earthen visual effect.

Small Desert Bowl - Speckled Turquoise - $10 SOLD!!
This cute little desert bowl is just the perfect size for a single serving of your most favorite ice cream! An interesting shade of teal with eye catching white speckles. 4.5" wide by 2.25" tall.
Food Safe. Microwave and Dishwasher Safe.

Deep Dish 9" Pie Plate - $40 SOLD!!!
Dishwasher, oven and microwave safe.

Midnight Oasis Medium Serving Bowls - Set of 2 - $45 SOLD!!
Deep midnight blue serving bowl set with black undertones.

Medium Sized Serving Bowl - $20 SOLD!!
Dark Midnight Blue Serving Bowl has lighter blue rim with hints of tan. Lovely and interesting color blends- Microwave and Dishwasher safe.

Wiggle Collection: Spring Green & Opalescent Medium Serving Bowl - $16 SOLD!
Microwave Oven and Dishwasher safe!

Piggy Bank - "Cocoa" - $25 SOLD!
Small sized piggy bank. Cork included in sale. Tail to snout length: 4.5, foot to ear height: 5.75 inches tall. Cork included in sale.

Large Handled Mug - 16 oz - $12 SOLD!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Elegant Mug - 11 oz - $10 SOLD!
Food Safe. Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Earthen Tones Nesting Bowl Set - $60 SOLD!

Food Safe. Dishwasher Oven and Microwave safe.

Copper Green Decorative Vase $20 SOLD!
Decorative vase, approximately 7 inches tall. Lovely copper tones with flashes of green. Bottom and inside are black. Non-Food Safe.

Currently for sale...

2007-10-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Please email

pinkyspots@gmail.com
for ordering and shipping information.

To see items that have already sold, click here!

Current items... all my pieces are entirely wheel thrown, handmade, and individually signed by me. As with all handmade pottery, size and color vary from piece to piece making each item a labor intensive, one of a kind, piece of art. - Pinky

Small Agateware Vase- 3" wide and 6" tall with button decoration. - $25

Small Horsehair Vase - $40
Beautifully colored Horsehair vase. 4.5" tall. All raku pots are extremely labor intensive and difficult to achieve predictable results. The beauty of these pots is the random flowing visual effects of nature. Not food or dishwasher safe.

Extra Large Serving Platter - $185
Large serving platter measures 16.5 inches across and is great for holidays and family dinners! Casual yet elegant. 1.5 inches deep. Sale includes hanging wire for display. Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Please email
pinkyspots@gmail.com
for ordering and shipping information.