Ceramic Family Time

My family has been visiting. My son, his wife and two children. We have been having fun with clay.

Their oldest child age 7 made the happy figure below. We are trying a smooth white stoneware clay (Laguna). My first time with this clay as I mentioned in a previous post. Here is a picture of a grape leaf from out garden pressed into the clay and pushed into a paper bowl for a mold.

I have an ancient kick wheel which they also have been trying out. The youngest asks: "Can we do pottery now." He made a small bowl.

I love this press bowl my son and daughter-in-law made from a giant brussel sprout leaf.

We always have a great time when they are here.

Lots of small toggles

Recently I rounded up a bunch of my small toggles and took a picture of them. They are clasped with a hammered copper bar I have purchased from ArtBeads or Fusion Beads. This weekend I have been trying out a smooth white stoneware clay with my family that is visiting. We have been making slump plates and bowls and I am trying it out with my small pendants. It is lovely and smooth and very nice to work with. Hope that it holds detail after the firings.

Looking for the Sun

When I first took this photo a few days ago, I called it Looking for the Sun. It was an overcast day and this was my lone sunflower that was in bloom. Miraculously, since that day, the sun has begun to shine. Yesterday we had a full day without rain, and more are predicted. I think five in a row. That will be a record. We have had rain almost every day, since June 25. I am very excited about the chance to go swimming and feel warm day and night.

Student Work

These are photos of student work from my recent Fused Glass Jewelry class at the Thousand Islands Craft School at the Handweaving Museum in Clayton, NY. Students were taught how to make a pendant with a hidden slide, earrings, pendants with bails and bracelets. I did all of the firing, and assembling of the jewelry after the class in my studio. It only takes about an hour to fire the pieces but way too many hours to cool to finish during the class time. Class was 4 hours. I have attended a class where the firing was done during the class but it was a 6 hour class and very little time was available for making the pieces. Teaching the hidden slide takes up quite a bit of time and I like to give students time to try out different designs and look at all the glass.

Here are two examples of the hidden slide and one of the bracelets. All the students did beautiful work.

Earrings and a pendant with a cold fused (glued on) bail. I love the thick rubber cord with some of these larger pendants.

Begin at the Ending

My daisy toggle clasp was chosen as a finalist for the BeadStyle Magazine clasp challenge. I was totally surprised by this honor. Now the 6 finalists are up for a vote. You can see all of them on page 52 of the current issue of Beadstyle Magazine. (September)

You can vote for your favorite (through September 1) at BeadStyleMag.com/challenge!

You can see my Daisy toggle clasp on my website.

Lots of Littles

These are some small toggles and charms that I glazed up a few days ago. I am still struggling with the toggle bar and have been using ones I have purchased from Fusion Beads. But in the back of my mind I am hatching a plan to try making some with the new Copprclay. Just have to get up my courage to commit to the expense of the extra equipment needed for firing them. I have the kiln but you need a stainless steel pan and some charcoal.

Work in Progress

A friend wanted these lovage beads for a bracelet class she is going to take. I made a section for her to see how they will look. I wasn't sure how square beads would be but I am pleasantly surprised.