Teapots

Today I set out to make some teapots.  Two of them were new ideas and one a teapot I have made before.  I decided to take some photos of the process.  I am posting a few but I skipped some of the basic steps.

First I cut out a piece of newspaper with the shape of my form.  Then I roll out slabs, cut the shapes out using my pattern, then stamp the slabs.

After the slabs dry for a bit with the fans running I bevel the edges and score.  Next I shape the form using a piece of foam.  The two pieces are put together and place on the pedestal I made while the slabs were drying.  A lid is made, a handle is pulled and applied.

My whimsical spouts are made by pulling a "handle" and placing in on a board in the shape I would like the spout to be and let it dry a bit in the sun.  Next I cut the spout down the middle, scoop out the insides, score, slip and put back together.  This allows me to make any shape spout I like.

Both the teapots below are a new design.  I think I like the taller one best but I think that they actually look good next to each other.

It feels good to get some work done today.  It seemed like I didn't get much done last week.  Last Sunday our water was out all day.  Tuesday afternoon I had a PR meeting for the Clay Matters Festival.  Thursday I had to shampoo my carpets and a dentist appt.  Friday I had to shop and make a cheesecake for a card party on Saturday night.  This week looks clear but I can never tell.  I things go well perhaps I will glaze the following week.

New Pastry cutouts

Yesterday I worked on the long fruit bowls.  When I was in Asheville a few weeks ago, I stopped into a kitchen store and bought these pastry cutters that made birds, flowers, leaves and bee's.  So I decided to try these pastry cutters out and made this bowl.  There are bee's and flowers on the other side  It will be interesting to see how the glazing turns out.  This piece took 3 times as long as the usual and I would guess that the glazing will as well.  So far I like the effect with the raised design.

Today I started glazing but ran out of wax resist so was only able to do half the load.  Luckily by tomorrow I should have some more thanks to Mike from Carolina Clay who is nice enough to deliver it to me tonight on his way home.  Today I got all the special orders done and tomorrow I will just do enough other pieces to fill the kiln.  In a few weeks I will start glazing for the Carolina Claymatters Festival.  I need to kick it up a notch and finish more pieces.

For the last week I have been working on my newsletter.  I suppose that I have started it a little early since I won't send it until the end of the month but had some time a decided to get it done.  If you would like to receive my Fall and Spring Newsletters plus a few in between if there is special news, please sign up on the right hand side of the page.  I promise, only a few per year.  You will not receive them all the time like some.  Sometimes there may even be a surprise for you.