Gnomes!

 I have been busy, busy, busy making mini gnomes since November!

I made 40 for the Mistletoe Market and then they started flying out of the store. By the end of December I had made 94!

I then decided to make some limited edition ones for Valentine's Day, St. and Easter because a friend had asked me to. Silly me didn't think they would be in high demand, so I made a limited run of 12 each. I now have people waiting in line for me to finish any gnomes!

None of the ones in any of these photos are still available...

they have all been claimed or sent to their new homes.

The only ones I have that are not claimed yet are these 30 every day gnomes that are not finished yet.

I am not complaining at all! But, I do need to get some more angels made as well, there are only 4 of those left.

Thank you all for appreciating my creative venture. I appreciate you!

PS: The facebook group Cindy's Gnomes & Friends was started to help people see what I have available and to let people know a little more about my process.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1302988350199628

New glazes

 Some friends asked me what I wanted for my birthday and Christmas. I am not usually good about coming up with a list. But this year, I decided I would ask for some help in purchasing some new glazes and new jars of some of my favorites.

Here are just 4 of the new ones I received. My birthday isn't until the end of the month, but they decided to get them to me early so I could use them for my angels before then.

Thank you for my gift! I love it!

First goal reached!

 I had tried to make 6 angels a day, but that got derailed with other obligations and exhaustion. My ultimate first goal was to have 48 angels by the beginning of November. THAT goal was reached! (Now I just need to fire and glaze and fire and add gold/heads/halos...)

Moving right along

 I have tried to make at least 6 angels each day. I missed yesterday because I was at work until 9:00 PM waiting for FedEx. I won't get started on how fed up I am with their driver for LYING about attempting to deliver yesterday afternoon.

I am please with the angels made so far.

Some friends gifted me some new glazes for my birthday and Christmas (a little early) and I am eager to try them out!

Progress report

I have no photos to share.

I do however have 60 angels glazed and ready for the glaze firing tonight. I have 16 additional angels, 12 Santa Hats, assorted soap dishes, bowls, and a few pumpkins to glaze tonight and tomorrow night. They should fire Wednesday morning. I will be adding gold accents, heads, and halos to the first batch while the firing is being done.

Mistletoe Market begins Friday evening and I should have everything completed by Thursday evening.

Thank you for your support of my artistic release.

The glazed bowls from A MUSE

Really quickly, here are the results of the bowls that were glazed (as well as a soap dish prototype).

Wishing all that celebrate, a very joyous Easter tomorrow.

The latest to be completed...

I have been working on creating for stock and for Mistletoe Market again.  Most of what I have at the moment are my angels.

First, what they look like after the first firing but before glazing and assembly (no, the pumpkin and the bowl will not change into angels...):

Once they are glazed and fired again, I add gold highlights and the heads and halos.  There is a hook at the top to hang on a tree if desired, but I have a lot of people say they leave theirs out on a shelf all year round.

9/29/16 update - B3, R1 and P2 have sold.

I do have more I am creating, after-all, I did sell over 200 of them last year (YAY!).

The angels are one-of-a-kind, no two exactly alike.  I create whatever the clay tells me to when I pick it up.  If anyone requests anything the guidelines are: size (larger/smaller - none are over 3" to the top of the ceramic robes), arms or not, and color (from the four colors I routinely offer - Blue, Purple, Red or Green - as shown in photo).  I can also personalize with a name in gold at no extra cost.  Other than that, it is whatever my hands create, I cannot even have people choose wing style, because they are what they are at that moment.

The cost is $20/angel with shipping additional, if needed.

I wanted to update everyone and let you see some of the results.

Off to a new pet-sitting job this evening... an adorable Westie!

Keeping busy...

It has been a busy month.  

Mom has had some rough patches in her chemo treatments, including an adverse reaction to an antibiotic when she had a sinus infection.  This left her pretty sick for a while.  But, she rallied and was feeling better when my sister Regina and her family, plus my sister Sue came for a weeks visit.  She went into work for the first time all month just yesterday.  Today she is feeling a bit tired, as is natural for the 3rd day after chemo.  But she is definitely stronger than she was after that sinus infection/antibiotic reaction!

Classes at The Mercantile have been hopping!  That is a GOOD thing!  We have a total of 11 wonderful ladies taking classes through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson each week.  They just completed week 2 and have 3 more to go!  And our regular class schedule at the store is also quite full.

I am in the throes of getting ready for my last show of 2010... The Mistletoe Market at the Anderson County Museum... this coming Friday and Saturday!  Casting, trimming, bisque-ing, sanding, glazing, firing...   I have a bisque firing and a glaze firing yet to do before Friday.

I hope you all have had a good October, and that November will be even better!

Somebody I know turns 50 in November...

ME!

A technical question for my clay friends & followers

I was preparing to place an order for my favorite clear cone 6 glaze last night and discovered that after 21 years of using it, the company has discontinued it!

Ebonyware Roly & Straight Sake Cups

If you notice, the inside of my pieces have a clear glaze, and on the Ebonyware, it enhances the blackness of the clay...

Well, to my dismay, I have tried many other clear cone 6 glazes over the years, and they either make the black clay look very brownish or they are milky/cloudy no matter the thinness or thickness I apply them.

My question to all of you out there in the blogosphere is can you recommend a crystal clear cone 6 glaze that I can try???  I would rather not change that aspect of my work (the look, that is).  Last year it was the company I got my porcelain from going out of business!  Luckily for me, I found a better source closer for an equally wonderful clay!  Let's hope that with your help and my determination, I can find the right clear glaze as well!

Thanking ALL of you so very much in advance for whatever direction you can direct me in!

TA DA! The Larger Mug!

Bisqued mugs with glaze Plum and Surf

This morning I loaded up the kiln (well... really only one shelf of it).  I was so excited to finally have finished larger mugs!

First peek!

So... I loaded it up and fired it off before I went into work.  Past experience has proven that this clay body can handle quick firing VERY well.

After work, I went out to the shed and checked to see that the kiln sitter actually did turn it off properly, and it was no longer glowing.  So, I propped the lid open about an inch.  And I went back into the house for dinner.

It was soooooo hard to wait, but wait I did, I gave it til the end of dinner, and then took this first peek photo before closing the lid onto the prop at about 3 inches to cool some more.  Then I checked the quick photo and saw no obvious signs of cracks or excessive warpage.  That is a good thing!

I then waited about an hour for it to cool enough to unload with the kevlar gloves... 

the finished mugs!

It was worth the wait!  The mugs are GORGEOUS, if I say so myself!

In this photo (sorry about the color being so off), I put one of the smaller mugs (a second) to compare the sizes, yet again...

The new mug is a TINY bit (1/8") larger than I had planned, but that is fine with me!  It holds 1 7/8 cups per dinnerware industry standards (to the rim) compared to a cup for the original mug,

I must say, as long as people have been asking for this new mug, I am so glad it is finally here!

My thanks go to a number of people, mainly my brother Bill for getting the beautiful model made for me after my sitting on the drawings for so many years.  My friend Mike needs thanks for helping me get the coddles made quicker than I could have done them by myself (and for pushing me extra hard to get back to making my pottery 5 years ago...).  I also need to thank my ex-husband Verne and my father-in-law Wally for all they taught me about model & mold making and the ceramic industry, without your teaching me, I could not do what I do.  My parents need to be thanked as well for their moral support in my creative process, and giving me a place to live and to create.  All of my friends and family get thanks as well for their support, suggestions and encouragement.  And my customers need thanks too, for liking my work and buying it!

One of my new glazes...

Here are a couple of pics of one of the new glazes I introduced at this show... I tried it out on both the Stoneware and the Ebonyware Porcelain... it was a hit!
It is difficult to tell from these pics, but it is a mottled blue with greens and browns... I think it looks fabulous on BOTH clays, but that's me. I also sold some of it as well at Celebrate Clayton, which is a good sign.
PS - Can you see the leftover rain drops on the canopy side behind the stoneware mugs? I was one of the lucky ones who did not have any damages or losses due to the storms...

Please be patient with me...

For those of you who are getting some of the stoneware mugs, I should have them ready by the end of next week, or beginning of the following week. I had some problems with the clear glaze on the inside and am expecting the new glaze to arrive soon. I checked with the 'experts' and they are recommending this new-to-me glaze for this clay. I didn't think anyone wanted to have mugs that leak... or maybe you do... (PS - Phyllis, the problem occurred because I didn't want to have to fire twice like I did yours...)
But, as a result of this set-back, I need to make a BUNCH of new mugs to glaze with the new glaze. The decorative glazes on the rim are no problem, so those of you who have specific orders, I can still do those. I know Rick needs his 2 for guessing the Carolina Wolf Spider with her babies, and Matt wants 6 or so for a gift, Janie wants one for her mug collection, and I need to get some more over to the Arts Center in Clemson for their Holiday Show & Sale.
It was so hard for me to literally throw away a dozen mugs and a sugar/creamer set the other day. But I can't sell them or use them, so I just took a real deep breath and dumped the whole tray into the garbage can...
I am working on finishing up some custom bracelets for a customer to give for Christmas, but I am working on the mugs in-between.
Oh, by the way... where in the world did 2009 go?
(I repaired the link to the Arts Center... typo will mess it up any day...)

Is it June already???

I cannot believe how fast the time goes.

I have a batch of stoneware that will be firing the end of this week... I am being extra sure that they are dry from glazing before firing them. I don't have a deadline looming, I just want to get some stock made.

I am getting frustrated with the Ebony Porcelain company... I am looking for updates as to when it will be available again... nothing. I leave messages on the voice mail and send emails but no reply. I think I will mail a hand-written letter this week.

My current goal is to cast Stoneware product until the end of the month of June and then start making a small selection of Terra Cotta product.

I need to make things to fill the void of the Ebonyware...

If anyone out there knows of another source for a cone 6 black casting porcelain... please... let me know... I am having withdrawal symptoms, I have used it for nearly 20 years!!!

Birthday wishes to all of those with June Birthdays... you know who you are... I am trying to be better about sending cards... I make lots of them, but send very few.

The New "Stuff"

Introducing...
The Stoneware Collection from Higgins Design Studio!
Pictured here is the Sake Bottle & Roly Sake Cups with the Chocolate glaze. The stoneware is called 'Grits' by the manufacturer. I used to use it a long time ago for bells and mugs and vases. The Ebonyware overtook the scene. Lately, I have had requests for something more 'earthy'. I like the Grits and all, but am still searching for a slightly darker speckled stoneware slip to use... what do you think?

The second photo is the Chocolate glaze on the Ebonyware. I am not a big brown person, but I really like the way this looks. The photos of the Crimson and Ironstone didn't come out too well. I'll have to do a photo session with those to add to my photo library.


The show is going OK. It is not a really big show for me, but I do have repeat customers and I do enjoy the people there. I cover my costs and I make some extra, plus have a great time while I am there.

A New Year & New Glazes

Last week I went with a friend to Asheville.

First, we took in the Gem & Mineral Wholesale show at the Civic Center. I love going to those shows... the beads and jems and silver and all are so beautiful.

Then, we went to Highwater Clay, the 'local' clay supplier. I was on a mission to find some additional colors of glazes to use. And, as with anything photographed, it is difficult to tell what they really look like from a catalog or web site. And, some of the glazes I already have look so different than their photos. I also wanted to ask about a Cone 6 stoneware casting slip that looks like it has been reduction fired, although I fire in oxidation.

I was able to find 3 new glazes, Crimson, Texture Chocolate and Ironstone. The slip was a no-go. Although the gentleman behind the counter gave me some suggestions for making my own.I have not taken any good photos of the new glazes yet. The Ironstone & Texture Chocolate may be hard to distinguish in photos anyway. I also discovered, in the glaze firing of the new glazes that my blue fires to a different color in the new kiln. A color people like. Some like it better than the blue fired in the other kiln.

Well, off to cast some more mugs and all...

I've got a show in a few weeks.

Production proceeds smoothly

These photos show the Ebonyware Porcelain in the bisque and the glazed-but-not-fired stages. That is where a good number of pieces are right now. I have a kiln load firing a glaze firing right now. I'll put in another one in the morning.
My kiln is rather small, an Evenheat 810 (I think). I got it when I just needed something small for home as I had use of kilns at work as long as they were not needed for work firings. It is 110. I wish I had a larger kiln, but I don't have the space or budget for it at the moment.
Today was my last day to cast before the show. I still may not finish every piece, but I'll be able to move the molds out of the way to have more space for trimming & glazing. (And I need to take the table to the show...)
I did take a break this afternoon to go to our local bead club meeting The Hole In The Bead Gang. It was a small group today, but we all had something to show for the challenge which was something with flowers.
Jo brought in some fiber and leather scraps. We were to pick a minimum of 2 pieces and for next month, we need to make something using them in the piece. I chose about 6 - 7 pieces of different leathers. I am not sure what I will do, but they 'spoke' to me and the fibers, as beautiful as they were, didn't.
Show anxiety isn't real strong yet, but today is only Sunday, I leave at noon on Friday. I can even unload a kiln as late as 11:45 and bring it with me.

Some of my work

Here is an example of some of the work I do. This is a Sake set and it is sitting on a small wooden stand made by my older brother. The clay is actually the black that you see here. All I have done is add a clear glaze to the inside. I also make mugs and bowls. I am working on adding more to the line. But not having the model & mold making equipment at work like I used to, I have to find other ways to get my models made.