Okay, so I’ve put off my handles for a little longer than I expected.
The snowstorm last weekend made it a little tough to get into the studio. And then things got busy… luckily I had time for a spray bottle and a good layer of plastic!!! My cylinders have been stamped & trimmed… and re-hydrated… waiting for handles to be attached. So today was the day… finally.

I started by pulling all of the handles, and then letting them set up a bit.
I want them to be dry enough that the stickiness is gone, but they’re still pliable enough to shape. With this many handles, it’s always a “race” to get them on before they dry too much!!!

And then when they’re ready… it’s a time to score, clip, attach & repeat.
Soon enough this most recent batch of mugs was done – handles in place!

I keep my mugs with fresh handles covered with plastic overnight. My theory is that the moisture in the clay can balance out a bit. I want the cylinder and the handle to even out a bit overnight. Then when I unwrap them the next day, they can dry more evenly.

Today was another productive day in the studio. Lots of new cylinders for another batch of mugs. This time slightly larger made from B-Clay. Throw a bunch of cylinders… then you need to stamp a LOT of cylinders too!!! Se here goes…

Mug One.

Mug Two.

Mug Three.

Mug Four.

Mug Five.

Mug Six.

Mug Seven.

Mug Eight.

Mug Nine.

Mug Ten.

Mug Eleven.

Mug Twelve.

Mug Thirteen.

Mug Fourteen.

Mug Fifteen.

Mug Sixteen.

Mug Seventeen.

Mug Eighteen.

Mug Nineteen.

Mug Twenty.

So now they’ve all been stamped… and trimmed today as well!
I’m hoping to get back into the studio tomorrow to add handles to them all.
That is if the impending snow storm doesn’t keep me away?!

Okay, so I found it too tough to limit myself to 3 photos a day like was supposed to for the Facebook Portfolio Challenge. So I bumped it up to five. Still struggling… so it’s two posts a day?! And this one stretches it even further with TEN images of freshly stamped, leatherhard clay. My favorite stage of the whole process!!!

In between posting photos every day for the “Challenge”…
I’ve also had some time to finish making my first batch of mugs for the New Year.
Twelve down… many more to come!!! You know how I LOVE making mugs!!!

Yep, not so dirty… this batch is made with porcelain reclaim clay! We’ll see…

Next up on the to-do list?…
Adding wire hanging hoops to my latest batch of wheelthrown ornaments.

Why does it seem that my ‘project list’ is getting longer instead of shorter?!

First thing on tonight’s project list… prepping & pricing all of the pieces that came out of the soda kiln Monday night. Including “just a few” new mugs! My goal every year is to start the Holiday Home Show with over a hundred mugs. Pretty sure this batch puts me well over that. C’mon by and snatch up a new mug this weekend!!!

Yep, you just counted them, right?! Couldn’t stop yourself.

I had a wonderful kiln unloading tonight.

Always a fun treasure hunt finding new beauties as you unload layer by layer, shelf by shelf.

It might have been my quickest unloading yet?!… including all of the glamorous tasks that no one really thinks about. Packing into crates. Scraping shelves. Organizing bricks. Kiln washing shelves. Cleaning the firebox. Sweeping the floor. Taking out the garbage. Packing my car. Shlepping everything up three flights of stairs to my condo. You know, all that fun stuff. At least I have some beautiful pots to show for it… all getting ready for THIS weekend’s big sale!!!

Well, I finally finished glazing & wadding and made the big trek downstairs with my studio glaze cart. It seems to work pretty well – an almost full cart makes a full soda kiln.

Safe downstairs with my “really-should-be-patented” brilliant use of masking tape as “seat belts” for the pots during their bumpy ride downstairs on the freight elevator. It has saved many a pot over the years as they tip over & try to roll away. Saved by the masking tape!!!

Now for the loading to commence…

Well, the “instant” tiles I made on Tuesday before class turned out just fine. Surprisingly flat after the bisque firing… none of warping or cracking that I was dreading. The textures pop even more when I add temoku into the stamps. Lets hope that they stay as flat and un-warped when they come out of the soda kiln too?!

Looks like it’s going to be a long day of glazing, wadding and loading for my soda kiln firing tomorrow!!! I unloaded my last bisque kiln this morning and now have another large batch of mugs to glaze!

I’ve also been working on my holiday ornaments adding some glaze details. Still a lot of other pots waiting for their chance to take a “dip” in the glaze too! It’s going to be a LONG night!!!