Sure, just after I struggle to figure out my eight favorite pottery tools… I receive a new “contender” in the mail today from my friend & wonderful metalsmith Sarah Chapman. She knows I love textures… and we both have far too many tools in our studios!!! So what’s one more tool from my “enabling” friend?! Thank you Sarah!!!

So now I need to get into the studio to give it a try…
and see what wonderful things this tool can make for me?!

It’s latest Facebook “trend” going around amongst the potters of the world!!!
Artists showing off their eight favorite tools in their studio. I thought about it for awhile and it was tough to narrow it down. I couldn’t make it JUST eight… so I hope that “collections” of the same tools count as one?!!!

1. My Shimpo VL-Whisper Wheel
2. My Shimpo banding wheel… my first pottery tool “gift” from Mom & Dad
3. My Giffin Grip… one of my best gifts to myself!!!
4. My square plastic bats.
5. My wire tool…. love the rubber loop ends and extra thin wire.
6. My wooden knife… with worn down end from burnishing after trimming.
7. My Sherill Mudtools plastic ribs.
8. Last but surely not least… tool boxes full of my own handmade stamps.

Look who will be starting the New Year with some New Pottery Tools!!!
I couldn’t resist buying myself a couple of these beautiful wooden ribs by Troy Bungart. I first met Troy at NCECA 2014, and now they’re selling his tools in the Lillstreet Gallery.

Merry Christmas to Me!

If you need to get a few of these beauties for yourself… click here for Troy’s ETSY Page.

One of the biggest “draws” to NCECA is the Resource Hall section where there are so many companies selling their latest & greatest pottery gadgets. And what a opportunity with such a captive audience of potters! So many tools, books, glazes, stamps, decals, clays, wheels, kilns and so much more!!!… did I mention tools?!

My main goal was was to purchase some new “bumpers” for my beloved Giffin Grip. They’re kind of worn out from over-use. But who knew that there would be options? Hard to decide… so I got them all. Including the new Flex Slider III which is adjustable to hold non-round pots!!!

And the shopping continued… some free samples, most not-so-free!!!

And could this be the most beautiful wooden rib ever??? Such great woodgrain… who knows, it might not ever touch clay because it’s so beautiful!!!

I’ve often thought that there had to be a better way to put holes in my berry bowls.
It finally dawned on me to bring in my power drill to do the holes. Yeah, it took me
long enough to figure that one out, right?!

With a little planning and some simple marks for spacing, the power drill was so much
quicker & a whole lot cleaner!!! When I used to push the hole punch tube through the
leatherhard clay I would always get these crazy burs and rough clay edges.
With the drill… not so much. I can’t believe it took me so long…