Did a little quick stamping on this platter tonight. Kinda minimal… not the full blown stamped flange. This platter has a gentle, smooth curve all the way through. So I decided to do a single “simple” border pattern around the rim. Kinda hoping that when it gets glazed, maybe some of the glaze will run and create some cool rivulets coming down from each stamped points?!

I’m always intrigued by how one little stamp
can change the whole look of a simple dinner plate!

Snowing outside… but stamping inside! Spent some time in the studio stamping these two vases that I made during my Monday night class demo for “throwing taller.” Sure, I coulda’ left them smooth… but what fun would THAT be?!!!

I started the New Year by making a batch of new stamps…
much like every New Year! Kind of a New Year ritual for me!!!
It’s always fun to have a few new patterns to use as I start ramping up production in the studio. Gotta start getting ready for the Summer Art Fair Season!!! Gotta make more mugs, more bowls, more vases, more… more… more…

Oh wait…

I guess we still don’t even know if there will even BE art fairs this summer or not??? Fingers crossed…

Anyway… moving forward regardless… here are some new mugs-to-be after stamping the cylinders with some of my new stamps!!

Mug #1 –

Mug #2 –

Mug #3 –

Mug #4 –

Mug #5 –

Mug #6 –

Mug #7 –

Mug #8

Mug #9 –

Mug #10 –

Mug #11 –

Mug #12 –

Mug #13 –

Mug #14 –

And for now they’re back under plastic waiting for me to come back to trim the bottoms and add some handles! Overall, I’m pretty pleased with most of the new stamps… there are still more that I didn’t get to test in this round. Maybe next time?!…

The second large bowl from yesterday’s demo had a flared-out rim just screaming for some decoration. “HEY, DECORATE ME!!!”

So here’s the bowl after some stamping…
and a glimpse at the stamp that did all of the work!

Starting the New Year with an annual new year tradition for me…
MAKING SOME NEW STAMPS!!!

I mean, it’s not like I don’t already have THOUSANDS of handmade stamps in my studio ready to be used. And yet I feel somehow compelled to make a new batch of stamps every year. Kicking off a new season of pottery production with some new stamps… hoping to find a few “favorites” in the bunch. They need to dry and get bisqued… but then I can’t wait to give them a try!!!

I also make sure to put a different texture design on each end of the stamp. Two stamps in the space of one! Takes up a lot less space in my studio… when you literally have a thousand of these!!! And yes, I do put my name on each one! It’s not a vanity thing… but I do allow my students to use some of them in class and we know how some things “travel” a bit in a classroom situation!

After my sgraffito demo Thursday morning, I also did a quick stamping demo for them as well. One stamped impression at a time… one after another… all the way around!

Doing some more repetitive stamping on a couple larger pieces tonight… row by row, layer by layer… one stamp at a time!

Making some mini vases in the studio today…
and of course, mini vases need mini stamps, right?!

As part of me “demo-on-demand” teaching philosophy… we also tackled a quick demo in stamp making tonight in class. I’ll try to get them bisqued quickly so my students can start using them next week in class!