A quick morning glimpse at the first layer of this year’s Christmas Trees! More layers & more kilns in the works! This is just the start as… cue the song… “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Doing some glaze inlay into the stamped impressions. Keeping the slip colors intact, but surrounding them with a dark glaze that will hopefully make the holiday stamps really POP out?!

New oval vases with double handles drying in the studio. Each with a textured panel on both sides between the handles… thanks to some textured handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools. Loving the contrast of the smooth rounded ends & handles juxtaposed with the textured panels. Even better… the double handles will help hold your flowers up for a low-profile floral arrangement!

Time to get some color in the forest! Trees are waxed and it’s time to start glazing! Got a lot to do in the next few days… as everything is quickly “rushing” towards my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW on November 23rd & 24th!!!

Handles are finally attached… and my new holiday mugs are really coming together! The theme stamps worked well. Now I just need to add some colored slips… and then RUSH to get them all done in time for my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW on November 23rd & 24th! Giddy-up!

Pulled handles setting-up & stiffening-up just a bit. I want them to be firm enough to handle, not squishy, but still wet enough to alter the curves. By pulling them and looping them over in this way, I establish about 85% of the curve before even attaching! Makes it a lot easier later…

Another batch of mugs assembled… handles attached & drying in my studio!

Another favorite task… pulling mug handles! A lot of potters shy away from pulling handles. But the more you make… the better they get. The better they get… the more fun they are to make. The more fun they are… the more mugs you’ll make!!!

Holiday mugs need holiday handles! So here we go…
getting ready to pull a bunch of handles the traditional old-school way.

Bringing out my favorite carving tools from DiamondCore Tools for some fun Christmas tree texturing! Nice crisp cuts with sharp tools… perfect for the glaze to pool & puddle in all the right places!!!