Morning sun streaming in & splashing upon these colorful cactus flowers. So excited that these little cuties are blooming these days… making me smile as we slowly head into Spring!

More cactus flowers blooming these days…
must be the handmade flower pots that are making them so happy?!

More cactus blooming in today’s bright sun! Excited that these Spring Cactus… aka Easter Cactus… are making a colorful splash in my dining room these days! One more reminder that I am more than ready for Spring!!!

Gusty winds & crashing waves. A bit chillier than I expected… especially with the waves crashing & creating a mist blowing everywhere. Including onto my camera lens!!! Not what I intended… but kind of a cool filter effect nonetheless!

Conveniently, two of my “original” class demo pieces came out of the cone 10 reduction kiln too! Each of these used the crackled slip technique – this time with black slip on porcelain. One of them I left white, the other one I colored the porcelain with ivy green mason stain. A thin spray of clear glaze gives them a finished shine!

Fresh from the soda kiln… my first batch of crackled slip pots!!! I wasn’t totally sure how these were going to turn out as they’re a brand new technique for me! If you recall, it’s colored slip mixed with sodium silicate which crackles when you throw & bulge it out from the inside. They’re a little rustic & crunchy… but I guess that’s the point, right?

I will say they’re growing on me…

As with any soda-firing, there is always a good chance for some of the soda to get where you don’t want it. Like the “boogers” that dripped from the kiln ceiling and landed on these pots. Luckily, the two biggest glops of soda landed on my pots and not the student’s pots as much. It’s a risk you take during a volatile soda-firing… there’s going to be a few sacrificial pots!

Cassie brought these tiny little flower dishes to fire in the soda kiln! They were made with different kinds of clay, and glazed with different colors. Individually they were great kiln filler… but when put together I like them even more!!! Like a floral tapestry!

Last night we unloaded the soda kiln, cleaned, scraped, etc… and then took some time to admire our newest treasures! My students were excited to see their new soda-fired pieces – and the randomness that happens during the firing! There were some pleasant surprises… and some not-so-pleasant surprises! But here are just a few of the pieces that came out of the kiln last night. Kudos to my students on their beautiful pots!!!

After a wonderful night finishing up my SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP… I decided to treat myself to a little snack on the way home! I mean it is still St. Patrick’s Day after all, right?! And how could I pass up the Shamrock OREO McFlurry?! Festive green mint & crumbled OREO’s to celebrate the holiday! I’m in!!!