Just pulled a bunch of handles… all lined up & almost ready to go. I’ve got to let them set-up a bit before I start attaching them to the mug cylinders. I want them to hold their shape, yet still be malleable… but not sticky or squishy!

You gotta love when that perfect “spiral collection” happens in the center while trimming a platter. So thin, so even, so smooth… so useless?! I’ve always thought there should be “something” you can do with these when they happen…. but they’re just so fragile that they always end up back in my reclaim bucket!

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE trimming?! Well I do… so this was a fun time trimming all of these mug bottoms!!! And yes… I do hand-sign the bottoms of every piece.

Step-by-step… processing my reclaimed clay this afternoon! It has set out in a plaster bat for awhile and is finally a good “clay” consistency. I like to layer it with some fresh new B-clay. Thin layers of each, sliced in half, stacked, squished, repeat. It incorporates both clays quickly with just a bit of wedging at the end. When it comes to using this reclaimed clay, it will all get a full wedging then!

One step closer with liner glazes… these Christmas Mugs will be making their “holiday debut” at my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW next weekend! Mark your calendar now… November 23rd & 24th at my condo in Chicago!

Doing some glaze inlay into the stamped impressions. Keeping the slip colors intact, but surrounding them with a dark glaze that will hopefully make the holiday stamps really POP out?!

It’s a BIG day for trimming in the studio today. Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE trimming?… especially with great trimming tools from DiamondCore Tools & my Giffin Grip! The perfect trimming combo!!!

Another favorite task… pulling mug handles! A lot of potters shy away from pulling handles. But the more you make… the better they get. The better they get… the more fun they are to make. The more fun they are… the more mugs you’ll make!!!

With all my focus on the Ghouls lately… I totally forgot to post about these! A batch of new birdhouses for ART IN THE BARN. Assembled & painted with colored flashing slips for the soda kiln.

Wanna see ‘em finished?… posting that next!!!

Finished loading last night… carefully stacking every shelf from back to front & bottom to top. You want to get in as many pieces as possible, while still leaving enough room for the soda atmosphere to move around inside & hit every pot. Lots of new stuff just in time for next weekend’s ART IN THE BARN in Barrington.