I wanted to post a picture of what I have been working on.  2 clay stoneware bodies that I have (one lighter and one darker) with a clear glaze.

I photographed these is different places outside trying to pick up the colors.  I don;t think the photos do it justice and I’m not sure how to show it any more vibrant?  The Blak is an undergalze I use and put the clear over it.

I hope everyone had a chance to see family and be thankful this season! I’m so happy that I had a chance recently to visit my dear friends in Jersey City and spend some time with the new addition to their family, Carolina. I’m just in love with her! (I’m going to make a nice print of this photo as an early Christmas present for them…)

I was also lucky because the rain clouds parted and I got to spend most the holiday weekend outside, enjoying the sunshine and chilly air. On Saturday, D. and I hiked along the cliffs of Ralph Stover State Park. We climbed rocks, watched the  stream below and enjoyed an actual day off together. I couldn’t ask for more!

I was able to get pictures of the process so I will have to explain and use pic’s I already had. 

First I take 2 clay stone ware bodies (cone 6) light and dark works best.  I wedge them together ( the more wedging the finer the lines are).

Than I put the clay on my slab roller and create a slab of the clay big enough to fit on my mold.

I made this plate mold from a thrown  plate.  I used pottery plaster to make the mold and put to little holes on the bottom of the mold for my pins on the wheel.  I suppose you could just use clay to secure the mold to the wheel as well.

I place the slab on this mold and I am basically throwing the plate upside down and forming the foot of the plate.  When it dries enough to remove, you will see the two-tone clay on the face of the plate.

Happy PLATE making!

Think I’ve haven’t got some new wares to introduce this holiday season? Think again!

Yes, I’ve got my plate over-full many areas this time ’round, but I have been finding a little time to sneak into the studio. Luckily, some things are just coming out in time to feed the shopping rush! Look out this week for some brand-spankin’-new beer steins over in my Etsy shop, like the sexy red mug, above.

I think around the holidays, many women face the question: What the heck kind of handmade gift can you really buy a man? Problem solved!

I’m a bit fascinated with plates at the moment, since I found a NEW PLATE stand to display them on.  I have 2 clay bodies that are both stoneware so I thought hummmm……

Now normally when you make plates, even if you have combined the clay, you would have a dominate color after throwing.  Pretty much all one color clay plate.

So How did I get this effect? hummmmmm

One is a dark brown stoneware and the other is a lighter tan stoneware.  I guess you could form a plate and then scrape the surface with a tool to reveal the colors?  Well that’s not how I did this. . . . .

Each plate will be slightly different in the design of the 2 clays, so they will be a set, in the sense that they are from the same Family, but will be different.  The sizes will be close to the same, and the thickness, similar,etc.

So how did I do that?  I will reveal this technique later on in by blog…come on back and visit for a while in a few days. . . . Hehehehehe

     Now that I have NEW PLATE stands, well making plates seem fun since I think they will look nicely displayed.  Plus  I was tired of just putting them on an up right stand.

So making plates and mugs. . . . .