pottery making illustrated « Colorado Art Studio

11 May, 2008

New Clay Bevel Tool & Happy Mother’s Day!

Several weeks ago, I visited the Clay Stamps website and tried to purchase a bevel-o-matic clay tool via their Paypal Buy Now Link. I didn’t receive a confirmation or shipping info after committing to purchase. A week later, an email appeared in my inbox from Paypal informing me that Clay Stamps has not claimed my payment and that I should contact them or cancel my purchase. After emailing and receiving no response, I reluctantly canceled my order. I always like to give someone the benefit of the doubt – they could have been on vacation or something. I was going to follow up with a phone call to the number listed on the website, but after telling my Father in Law the story and showing him a photo of a handmade bevel tool in a recent article in Pottery Making Illustated (go to the link on bottom right, titled “Beyond the Square”), he responded, “I can make you one!” Purchase the original bevel tool from potterytools.com.

He made me 2! What a great Mother’s Day present and perfect timing. The Summer Art Market is looming in about 5 weeks, and I want to do some more hand-building since my little porcelain boxes sold out at the Guild Show last weekend.

Meanwhile, I’ve been shopping! I need to stop, but I keep finding great independent artists whose work I adore. Friday, I visited the Castle Clay artist’s show and purchased an Asian inspired salt fired mug by Don Cox. Yesterday, I went to a mead & sushi tasting event that featured work by local artists and purchased some steam-punk pins by “The Pork Shop Show” and a reproduction print mounted on a 1″ gallery wood support by Two Little Fruits.

Both the mead and the sushi were delicious! The mead was home brew – and I’ve decided I need to make some for us after I research recipes – finally I’d be able to use the Grolsch bottles with the little ceramic swing top stoppers that my husband has been collecting over the years and won’t let go of. The lemon variety tasted a bit like Limoncello, and I love lemons. The sushi chef likes to do home parties, and I asked him if he would be adverse to doing a kid’s party. I don’t know if you remember, but, my 10 year old daughter loves herself some sushi. She always wants to go out to the most expensive sushi restaurant in town for her birthday every year. It would be cool to learn how to make it ourselves!

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

~Cynthia

In: clay bevel tools, don cox, limoncello, pottery making illustrated, summer art market, the pork chop show, two little fruits •
12 comments •
by Cynthia

18 Apr, 2008

Growing Plates

My kitchen and dining room table are being overrun by plates that my kid’s clay class made last Tuesday – they’ve sprouted everywhere! I needed an easy project to work on since I combined both classes for this week because their show happened during Monday’s scheduled class time. So, 19 leather hard plates are in various stages of drying in my house. I hope to bisque fire them tomorrow.

The plates are a project that I read about in the March/April 2008 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated, pg. 39. (scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the pdf link titled “Instructors Link: Full Plate”). Just need clay, basic tools and some paper Chinette plates. It’s quick and gives the kids a real sense of accomplishment at having made something recognizable and functional.

Meanwhile, I received an email from a local Denver fiber artist, Angelina Kastroll, who purchased ceramic buttons from me within the past year, with some photos of completed projects attached. Somehow, between going to law school and being a new mom, she finds time to knit and crochet. I think they turned out really great!