Colorado Art Studio

Fresh out of the kiln this AM - porcelain ginkgo tumblers
I was so excited to open my kiln this am and while I had a couple of disappointments, I also had some sweet surprises. Mainly, I am so in love with these tumblers! I originally envisioned porcelain wine tumblers, but these might be a little too large at 4.5″ x 2″. On second thought, I just visited a really cool site that calculated the volume of liquid that these tumblers can hold which happens to be right around 6.2 oz. So - these could be used for a wee nip after all. These are not for the oenophile who expects a full bowl and elegant stem, but are rather for the person who savors the unique and handcrafted.

As usual, I learned something about making these tumblers. The more successful ones are 6/32″ thick. The thinner ones experienced more warpage during the glaze fire. Although the warped ones are charming in their own way, I’d prefer to have a more evenly round interior. These were made from slabs of clay and might make a good mold making experiment.

My inspiration and the newest addition to my garden
Baby Ginkgo Tree

Speaking of molds, I purchased some pottery plaster the other day when I was out shopping for supplies for my kid’s clay class. The studio is where you’ll find me this weekend where I’m going to try making some molds for my ceramic house tiles and boxes.

Meanwhile, I applied for a juried holiday craft fair that local indie shop Fancy Tiger is organizing at Capsule Gallery the first weekend in December. Not sure whether I’ll get in or not because I applied at the very last minute that applications were due. Better late than never, don’t you think?

Have a good weekend,
~Cynthia

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Double walled salt shaker with no holes
Bottom of double walled salt shaker
A couple of weeks ago, the Etsy Mud Team, (an Etsy group that I belong to) was discussing double walled holeless salt shakers. I really couldn’t fathom how they were made or worked, but gave it a good shot after seeing Keith’s tutorial. I didn’t do any before, during and after photos and instead, opted to wait and see if my creation even survived the bisque fire.

It did. I ended up adding the decorative knob, because without it, frankly the salt shaker looked like a female body part. Please use your imagination here…. As to the mechanics of the piece, one basically fills the salt or pepper into the hole in the bottom. To use, the salt sits within the “walls” until shaken, then sprinkles from the hollow center. Makes sense, right? I’m a visual person, and didn’t get it until I made one myself. I think it needs a pepper partner now.

Bisqued porcelain bottle with handmade ginkgo lino-cut stamps - not yet glazed
Then, I water etched another vase, but decided to use my ginkgo stamp on the bottle. The fat juicy body of the piece, just begged for some kind of adornment. I still need to glaze these pieces, and was going to do so tonight, but one of my favorite shows is on in 5 minutes. I have another true confession - I love the medical drama, House.

Oh yah, I almost forgot about the good news. Before the new school year began, I proposed an after school clay class at my daughter’s school. It’s finally wound it’s way through the ranks and has formally been approved. I begin teaching the last week in October. I can’t wait!

Happy Wednesday everyone,

~Cynthia

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