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Making spoons from a mold (Pictorial)
How to make and use a spoon mold 1. Pick some spoon you like, roll out a slab, and press the spooninto the clay. If you are using a spoon with a slick surface, spray oncooking oil first. I didn’t coat my wood spoons, and they didn’t stick. 2. Trim the excess clay and clean up the edges. 3. The spoons should pop out fairly easily once the clay starts to firm. 4. Bisque the molds. See how my big…
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Hand Building Projects
After two cycles of predominantly wheel-thrown pieces, I’ve returned to hand building. Since I can do it at the kitchen table, it is perfect for these days when the garage is too cold. Later this month, I’m helping throw a birthday party for a friend, and we are making spoon rests. To prepare, I’ve been practicing and looking for good textures to use … and gluing the letters back on my rubber stamps. Yesterday, I went to the flea…
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Super Sow Sunday
Super Sow Sunday. Well…. I was all set to do my indoor seeding next weekend, and my Twitter feed blew up with #SuperSowSunday. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Scooby and I planted one type of tomato in our plastic egg crate and peat pods. Earlier this week, we had some spring-like weather and planted peas, carrots, turnips, onions, and more garlic. I plan on doing more tomatoes and peppers indoor next weekend, but we are out of…
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Throwing Cake Stands on the Wheel (Update)
Last week I posted “Throwing Ruffle-Edged Cake Stands“. I attempted to fire too quickly, and the one from the demo blew up in the kiln. Upon inspection, I could see where the ball used for the pedestal connected to the plate. If it had been bone dry, there wouldn’t have been an issue, but it still led me to throwing as one solid piece another to prevent any weak spots. Right as I was starting back at the process, my…
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Sunny Saturday in January – Break from the Winter Blues
Oh this weather! We spent nearly our entire Saturday outside and in the garage. I sat out on the bricks in the garden and rolled up my sweatpants hoping a little sunshine would chase those winter blues away. The boys went straight to digging and playing with water. Up until yesterday, I was wary about the upcoming garden season. Anticipating all the fuss and labor exhausted me. Bed sheets and pillows are so seductive. The thought crossed my mind that…
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Throwing Ruffle-edged Cake Stands
I’ve been on a quest to develop a simple, elegant process for throwing cake stands on the pottery wheel. They are not difficult to throw as one piece, but I was encountering several problems as they dried. First, the edge was curling up, meaning when the plate was turned right-side-up, the top slightly slumped boding immanent disaster for buckeye balls or round fruit. The other issue was that the compression under the cylinder was slightly different, leading to a ring…
