About a year ago, maybe longer, I purchased a rolling mill. I played around with it for a few days but other things needed to be done and this got put away. I try to pay for my equipment by making stuff on it and selling it until it is payed off but I have […]
Brownish Red Ceramic Beads with White Rivets I came across a few of these in bisque form the other day but alas, I had forgotten to put in stringing holes. That is the reason, I guessed, I must not have glazed them in the first place. This clay, Toas Red, is wonderful It’s stoneware, and […]
Peachy Teardrop Sprig Ceramic Pendant Blue Green Asian Style Ceramic Pendant I have been busy adding pendants to both stores. This one on the left is a happy sort of spring and summertime pendant. I used copper strips, such as is used in stained glass making, and soldered a open backed bezel on it. Of […]
Golden Squares Bead Trio I took these out of the kiln last week. They are square and I added sprigs of clay for interest. Right now they are on auction over at the newly formed “Ceramic Art Bead Market” on Facebook. Here is a direct link: CLICK HERE I also added a small stamped leaf […]
I recently set up a ‘Vine’ account … and while I have in mind to only use it for nkpdesigns sort of stuff, it has quickly evolved into a mishmash. Because I’m currently babysitting my grandkitty, I have a few grandkitty ‘vines’ up, no longer than 6 seconds. Soon I’ll be doing all sort of […]
Ceramic Art Bead Market Select ceramic bead artists have started a new Facebook group to auction off unusual and unique ceramic beads. It is a place for you to shop for hand crafted art beads of the highest quality. For extra fun, we plan to host regular giveaways. All sellers go through an approval process […]
Today we had the most snow we’ve had in the past four years, that according to the local news, of course. In celebration, I built my first snowman that I’ve built in many many years. Say hello to Snowy. He’ll only be around a short time.
With all the pottery making I’ve been doing lately, I had forgotten all about the heat gun I have stored in my studio closet. I pulled it out today because I’m practicing making lids. I can quickly dry the lip and lid to fit them together using that heat gun. The idea is to make […]
I ran across this video today in my internet adventures and wanted to share it. Many average size beads can be turned into a stunning focal bead by making loops and adding beads to dangle from it. Here are 4 different techniques to making loops in jewelry making. Have fun!
I am doing this today, burnishing my teapot that I worked so hard on last week. It’s kinda boring, so I thought I’d share this video instead.
This is one of the handbuilt projects I’ve been focused lately. I arranged the stoneware clay in coils into this wooden bowl. I actually laid plastic in it before coiling the clay inside, this is because I wanted to be able to dump it out after a few days and smooth down the rim […]
I started out placing the lid into a bowl …thought it might be nice to curve it, after looking at it on the pot I had other thoughts. I cut off about 1 1/2″ off the middle part (It just made the teapot top heavy). And I decided to go with the same type of […]
Yep, it’s definitely going to be a teapot. I thought it would be, but now I’m certain. I better be. I threw a spout for it. I began this morning by going into my studio and evaluating the handle I put on it late yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t happy with it. I agonized. I like […]
I added the feet today to the pot I made yesterday (see previous post). The shape I am basing it is on this teapot on the far left. That is a stoneware that was gas fired to cone 10 and covered with an all over iron oxide decal pattern that I designed. This new vase/teapot […]
I may or may not turn this into a teapot. I am not done throwing it yet. Do you see that small shape in the left top hand corner? That is the shape I am planning to make this vase/teapot. Not that this shape isn’t very nice, it is nice, just not the shape I […]
Thank you to PicMonkey once again for providing an easy way to collage these five photos. I started off with compressing coils into an oval plate (thank you to Chipotle for the bowl, and by the way, their Burrito Bowls are awesomely good!) Second Picture: I pushed the coils together with my fingertips. Third […]
My daughter is disgusted with plastic. Yay! She asked me to handbuild some plates for her children and asked for the areas to be divided. After some thought, this is what I came up with. I used a plain paper plate as a mold. I guess it is not really a mold, though. It is […]
I get in the mood to coil and handbuild every so often. One of the first projects in any pottery class is to roll coils and make something fun. This is my something fun. I’ve gathered a couple of odd shaped bowls from the Asian store. I think they are actually used to smash herbs […]
Floral Ladybugs Porcelain Oval Beads I found the cutest decals with teeny ladybugs on them and applied them to these light green oval shape beads. The pink tulips are a perfect reminder that spring is right around the corner, even though an ice storm is heading toward North Central Texas as I type this blog […]
Shamrock Clover Ceramic Beads I just added these to my webstore. I purchased these decals a few years ago and there they sat in their plastic sleeve until I found exactly the right beads on which to apply them. I love the light minty glaze combined with the yellow green of the three leaf clovers.
Dusky Seafoam Fossil Ceramic Bead I just renewed these lovelies on Etsy. The minty green ‘seafoam’ glaze has a certain dusky glow (I think), possibly because of the white stoneware clay, which tends a bit toward dark vanilla after firing. It’s hard thinking of a title sometimes, and so I have also added the word […]