Coral Vases

I've been experimenting and creating coral vases 

 in multiple sizes and colors!

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

From rags to roses

I love experimenting, repurposing and sharing the creative fun with the blog world! 

And seeing all the new viewers visiting from across the world,

brings a smile to my heart, hello Russia !

 ...curious about the technique I use to create these sweet little

 embellishments on my ceramic vase designs.

You may view the process by clicking here.

I am using soft cotton fabric, 

mostly old T-shirts, that I dip in liquid clay and artfully twist 

and attach to the form that is also still wet clay,

before putting in for firing.

It is a very messy process 

but so much fun, and well worth the effort!

Спасибо, что посетили мой мир!

Не стесняйтесь, пишите мне с вопросами, я всегда рад поделиться.

Yarn Vase

...another ceramic creation,

actually mixed media.

It is a new design, and it is like nothing I have seen before,

I am making up the name "yarn vase" it seems to work.

Using a scrap of fabric dipped in clay to embellish the vase

and twisting it about to create the leaf and stem,

next a small cotton doily also dipped into clay for the flower,

then a vintage button mold pressed with clay for the center.

( Here is the photo before firing. )

The inside and bottom are glazed so that

it can be used for a fresh flower arrangement also.

For the exterior, I chose to use acrylic paint for the pale turquoise blue

background and added pink paint on the ceramic flower.

The design was done with a creative cut out

of the clay around the flower petals, before firing,

for the yarn to be pulled through,

and keep it from running amok,

as I am pulling at the yarn while teaching myself to crochet.

Happy Saturday!

Roses continued

in yet another ceramic vase design...

using ripped cotton sheets with clay

and a little watercolor effect with glazes

adding to the collection

of fun experiments in ceramics

beginning to take over my studio

Grateful to share the fun in Somerset Home Magazine!

The JOY is in sharing

How blessed am I !

One of my all time favorite ceramic experiments

( partially because it didn't go amok )

and because it was exactly what I had hoped for and

envisioned when it came out of firing

and is like nothing I have ever seen

has been published in the latest issue of...

I LoVe creating and designing.

I LoVe that "I" become lost while in the process.

I enjoy and appreciate the outcome.

But for me the real JOY comes in sharing it with others.

Thank you Beth, and Stampington

for giving all of us the opportunity

to inspire, delight, teach, encourage and be a blessing !!!

Latest little lovely

ceramic vase with flowers added on by dipping the fabric in slip.

I am so loving this all matte white finish

in its bisque state

that I am having a difficult time deciding on what color glazes to use on it

so I am putting it out there

for my readers and followers to make suggestions !