So last night after stamping, my SURFACE DECORATIONS class switched to using sprig molds for their textured decorations. We just pressed clay into the molds, popped them out and then “scored & slipped” them into place! I don’t do a lot of sprig work, so it was kind of fun to watch my demo bowl evolve one layer at a time… a row of sprigs…some stamps… maybe a scalloped edge… some more stamps… and maybe some holes… wait, what?!

I always have trouble knowing when to stop… as MORE IS MORE.
But I do think it’s done – after a bit more cleaning up!

In preparation for last night’s class, I also made a new batch of sprig molds last week for us to use. They’re just patterns carved into porcelain and then bisqued. I figured if we were going to stamp “into” the clay… we could also use sprigs to have the patterns bulge “out of” the clay! I kinda look at sprigs as the opposite of stamps! Textures coming out as opposed to textures pressing in.

Here we go again…
making more handles… making more MUGS!!!
My favorite thing to make!

This afternoon’s project… some quick trimming & detailing with colored flashing slips before class starts! I’ve got “a few” spoon rests to finish up… and limited time. Giddy-up!!!

A little closer detail of tonight’s quickie bowl stamping session.
The four bowls stamped… and the stamps that did the work!

BOWL ONE –

BOWL TWO –

BOWL THREE –

BOWL FOUR –

Score, slip, attach… repeat, repeat, repeat! You know by now that making mugs is my favorite thing to do in the studio! So today was another good day with another batch assembled.

Handles pulled, looped over & standing tall so they can stiffen up with the curve already established. I’ll let them set for a few minutes before I start attaching them to the cylinder mugs-to-be!

Got my clay wedges ready… kinda like ClayHenge…
ready to start pulling some handles for the latest batch of mugs!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love trimming?! It’s a great time to “refine” the bottom of every piece… to clean-up the googly random messiness that is typically on the bottom after removing pieces from the wheel.

Now with handles attached, these “wheelthrown-handbuilt-combo” mugs needed a bit of color. So I dipped the top portion of them into a thin colored flashing slip. I held them upside-down by the footring & dipped them in the bucket… and then “floated” them on kiln bricks so they could drip-dry!

The slip does a really good job of “filling” any of the little cracks & imperfections… as well as adding color. These flashing slips will change colors & add some flashing drama when fired in the soda kiln!