Experimenting with mishima technique

Mishima is a technique of inlaying slip, 

under glaze, or even clay into a contrasting clay body, 

the main clay body of the pottery piece.   

Creating a mishima piece is pretty simple. 

I started by creating the vase shape then carving out the design. 

I chose to fill in the carved lines with a sepia tone,

then sanded off the excess material then sponged it clean.

Just for fun I punched the holes with a straw 

so that I could add a ribbon to the top of the vase.

After drying the piece I added glaze. 

and put it in to be fired.

I was surprised when it came out of firing and the colors 

seemed to have been lost, it was so muted.

Ha! That is why I call it an experiment!

I'm liking this quote,

“Life is an adventure of passion, risk, danger, laughter, beauty, love; a burning curiosity to go with the action to see what it is all about, to go search for a pattern of meaning, to burn one's bridges because you're never going to go back anyway, and to live to the end.” 

― Saul D. Alinsky, Reveille for Radicals

Glitter and garden clippings

Snippets of branches, leaves and berries are clipped from the garden

then twisted and intertwined...

and a few more added in, to create a holiday wreath.

These are the products that happened to be handy 

and what I chose to experiment with.

I'm certain the intended use is not for plants, ha ha!

First I did a light spray of the white primer,  

followed by the metallic aluminum paint

 and quickly, before it could dry 

I sprinkled silver glitter on top of everything!

Then for the pièce de résistance....

I happened to have a few sparkley items 

that called out to be part of the merry mayhem.

"Creativity is contagious. Pass it on."

Albert Einstein

Seashore Assemblage

Created using a small 5" square canvas as the backdrop

and adding a bit of turquoise paint 

haphazardly for the background,

a ripped piece of paper decoupaged at the base for texture

then rummage through the studio for small treasures 

to continue the creative venture.

Beginning with gluing on the sand dollar and seahorse

the rest just called out to be added in 

and just seemed to fall into place.

Ceramic seashells, pearls, bits of sea glass 

and the charming heart with the crown

became my favorite.

a little creative fun while at the seashore

New York shopping continues at Tinsel Trading Company

for my crafty friends in blogland 

here is a resource for the imagination

You are entering a world of vintage and new, 

of original stock and reproductions, 

with an extraordinary extensive inventory 

unavailable anywhere else.

If you see something you just have to have...

1 West 37th Street New York, NY  

click to view Anthropologie New York displays

It's beginning to feel like fall

.

Happy nesting...

Visual snippets of artful curiosities

and sweet mementos

that create ambiance in the sitting room

of Summerland Cottage