Moving right along. Still glazing & wadding for tonight’s soda kiln loading.
It’s gonna be a LONG night!

Lots of mugs still waiting for their liner glaze!!!

Big night in the studio. Let the glazing begin! Let the game begin!!
GO CUBBIES!!!

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So there was a gaping hole in the top layer of my bisque kiln…
I knew that I had to make something quick!

I “threw together” a couple tall slab vases… measured just to fit when the kiln lid closes. I finished assembling them JUST in time to teach my Tuesday night class. I put them on plastic grid and a banding wheel so I could rotate them in front of a fan to dry them quickly. During class, I skipped out (unnoticed) and ran upstairs to add some colored slip details and keep them spinning.

When class was finally over… they had to go into the kiln regardless of where they were at. I had to fill the space, but couldn’t wait any longer to get the kiln started. So they went in a little damp… with a bit of a pre-heat on the kiln… and fingers crossed.

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With my soda kiln scheduled for this coming Saturday, I knew that I needed to crank out some last minute work… and squeeze it all into one last bisque kiln. Sure, it might not be my finest job of packing a tight kiln, but all of the little “filler” pieces went into the bisque kiln a couple days ago! So for now, I just knew that I had to get things bisqued quickly so I had some time to glaze & wad before Friday night’s soda kiln loading.

Kiln Layer #1 – lidded jars, small pitchers, mugs and some ornaments.

Kiln Layer #2 – two stamped platters, two bowls… and some more ornaments!

Kiln Layer #3 – half of the third layer was filled with stacked stamped bowls.

Kiln Layer #4 – porcelain mugs, bowls and some stacked pieces to fill the height.

But, oh wait… there’s a gaping space on the top of the kiln!!! We can’t have that.
You know how much I LOVE a well-packed kiln. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I left that empty space like that!

Gotta make something quick to fill that space!!!

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I’m kinda excited about this latest batch of lidded jars. I went a little larger this time… racing to get things made for next Saturday’s soda kiln. Even more importantly, in time for the Holiday Home Show which is coming up all too quickly. Always the weekend before Thanksgiving… just three weeks away?!

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As if repetitive stamping weren’t obsessive-compulsive enough…
let’s just make it a bit more labor-intensive by painting the inside of every stamp
with some colored flashing slip!!!

This morning started early with some stamping of the porcelain cylinders. Then some trimming… and then handles needed to be attached. So the afternoon was a porcelain process. A little more fidgety than stoneware… but still went pretty smoothly.

I started with nugget cubes of wedged porcelain. I don’t measure things…
I just “guess”, and hope, that each cube will be enough clay for the handle.

Then I take each piece and “slam it” against the table repeatedly. Rotating the piece each time until it becomes a carrot shaped wedge of clay.

Then I pull my handles the old-fashioned way. A bit of water. A lot of friction. And a slight childhood memory of milking cows by my Grandfather’s place in Missouri. As I finish pulling each handle, I like to flip it into a curve shape and set it up on itself. I let them sit like this until the clay sets up a bit. When they are no longer sticky, I can start attaching them.

To attach the handles, it’s a lot of “scratching & attaching.” Always careful not to squish or mis-shape the cup as I’m attaching them. Making sure the handle looks proportionate to the cylinder. And that the attachment is secure and clean. Soon enough… another dozen porcelain mugs!!!

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Full production mode today… stamping… handles… wedging… throwing…
Trying to get as much done as possible. But being held-up with a bit of trimming that’s not quite ready yet. I hate when I “rush” the process and try to trim pieces when they’re still too wet. No good ever comes of it. It seems like it’s always a mess. So here’s a bunch of piece bottoms-up in the studio waiting for their turn to be trimmed. C’mon… dry already!!!

This morning started early with a bunch of stamping. My goal is to get them all stamped, trimmed and handled today. I’m “rushing” to get everything in one last bisque so that they can make it into my soda kiln next Saturday!!! These porcelain cylinders were thrown yesterday… and stamped this morning!!! Yes, of course I am running a bit last minute… again.

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