Chile Red Nested Trio

Red Chile Nested Trio - This was a special request. This is a new glaze I am trying out. Goes red when thick and darker brown when thinner. Shows beautiful speckles in the clay I use. Very nice coverage. Will definitely do some omore testing with this color.

Todays Take

Completed first of two sets. Lovely Nested Trio. Wedding gifts for two  lucky couples.

10", 8", 6 1/2 wide and 41/2 tall.  Order yours now:)

These will be hard to part with. It's not often that I have an issue with postpartum. As my husband reminds me - we have no more room at home for ANY new pieces. The kitchen is overflowing with a variety of rejects. Pots suffering from a chip, a cosmetic flaw, a not quite right something. I do not sell 'seconds' or rejects. I feel that they are either good to go..... or not. Thus my kitchen is a  bit of the cabinet of misfits. They grow on me and my family and I think tat we would have a hard time parting with any of them. My favorite kitchen piece is a big fruit bowl- very warped - but with a spectacular glaze!

Profile of Bridges Pottery

Just had a great article written about me. It's one of a four part series on local artists in the area. Check it out.

Yumi - Tool of the month

I tried out my new Yumi and it works well. I was worried that the light weight bamboo would not be able to really cut through clay as well as the metal one. I was wrong. It does a great job.  You do need to hold it a little differently that you do the metal one. This lighter version has a place to rest your pointer finger, which gives you the correct pressure and leverage. Works nicely for faceting as well as for other jobs such as cut outs, handles and cutting into places you couldn't clean cut otherwise.  Check out the video.

I also am testing a few new glazes this month.  Will report on them - next post.

Bisque it

Nested Trio
Wedding Gift Order

Coffee Cups
Hopeful Cafe
Wannabee

Underglaze Markers

On occasion, I will have the need to write something on a piece. A happy birthday, a date, or something. Normally I use the needle tip little bottles that I fill with underglaze. Frequently people use this technique on the low fire ready to glaze bisqueware  for thinks like class auctions and benefits. Someone might want a large serving dish with all of the first grade kids names written on it.

I decided to try out these underglaze markers that I have seen in various catalogs etc. So here is my review.

I ordered a black one and a red one. They cost $5.95 each and come in a variety of colors. They are meant to work from cone 06 to cone 10.  They look like regular ink markers with a felt tip.  You have to shake them well and then depress the tips multiple times to get the ink to saturate the tip. I followed the directions as indicated by the manufacturer.

I tried the black one first. After ample shaking and pressing down  to get the tip to fill with the glaze - there was  little result. I did this again several times and finally the tip filled up. I did a test on a blank white already bisqued 4x4 tile. The pen made nice dots when using it to simply press down, but as a pen to actually write - became almost immediately dry and I could not get a clean line. I could in no way use this as I would a marker. The tip was too fat and fluffed up to write anything clearly. Part of the tip was no longer stinking out very far, due to having to depress it so many times to get the glaze to fill the tip.

My results were basically the same with the red marker - only worse. It too was not liquid enough to get any sort of a clean line.  It looked like a kids writing with an old dried up marker.

Basically I would not recommend these markers. Back to the old pin tipped bottles, or a nice lean brush. Sorry Glaz-eze.... not so eze for me.

Looking for that special tool - My YUMI

There are hundreds upon hundreds of pottery tools out there. Some for trimming, some for decoration and some I'm not sure what  to do with. I have always been fascinated with tools, good ones that is. Last year I got 2 great Bison trimming tools for Christmas and LOVE them. They are very special and feel that way in the hand.

Some tools I have made and or modified myself. I notch out regular ribs with my dremel to achieve a small bead at the base o my bowls. I cobbled together a measuring stick for width and height for mugs - from bamboo skewers and some waxy thread.

I have this one tool, not really sure where it had come from but I have had it for many years. It's called a "Yumi". It's a little harp - like a cutter. I finally found the source of it and was so thrilled.  I ordered up a backup one for me and an extra for a fellow potter that loves it too.

It came from bambootools

They have a nice assortment of other tools - and I also discovered they have some good videos on YouTube. just search bambootools.com (warning: music is rather tacky). 

This little tool is great for a multitude of jobs, but my favorite is cutting up pulled handles and then cutting off the excess clay on the cup. Being on their site was a little like going to Target.  I just needed one item, but I walk away with a lot more. 

On this afternoon of web shopping for pottery stuff I also ordered up a few underglaze "markers" I want to see if they really can write better than the needle tipped bottles. Will report back on these markers.