A last minute change of plans

During that gloriously warm weather last weekend, I cleaned my wheel off and hosed down my splash pan. Since everything was so spic and span I decided to spend some time with porcelain. I made a few platters and a couple of tumblers. I was intending to carve them all with ginkgo leaves. After the first platter was done I was feeling bored with the leaves.

I decided that the rest would get stamped and dotted!

After the bisque firing I'll give these babies an inlay of black underglaze. I will probably glaze them in my translucent Temple white glaze...
or maybe gloss green...
or blue??

The gas kiln is cooling today. I am curious to see how my stamped mugs will come out. I went out on a limb with more underglaze experiments. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Wanted: More hours in the day and some extra hands

 It looks like we are not going to have any down time this winter. I am not complaining, I am actually very thankful. Our kiln has been fired twice this month and many of the pots were already spoken for.
I had an order for ginkgo leaf dinner plates and while I was making them I also made this platter/dip combination. I was really happy with it and glad that I took a photo because the couple that ordered the plates bought this as well. I really need to make them on a regular basis. They sell well but I just don't seem to get many made. I don't even know what my excuse is.

In other news, we have a new studio mate this winter...

He really likes basking in the warmth of our under cabinet lighting. He's a cutie, I just wish we could teach him to pug clay or clean up around here. We could use an extra hand.

Here comes the bride...

My good friend Bonnie's daughter was married in June of 2012. They had a small ceremony in New York and didn't have a wedding reception until this year. This wedding plate commemorating their special day, came out of our last firing of 2013... in the nick of time for Bonnie to give it to them for Christmas!

I knew I was making it way back in the summer. I am such a procrastinator. Something I should work harder on overcoming this year.

In the past I would stamp the letters and let the glaze pool into to the recesses. The problem with that technique is that if the glaze was too thick the lettering was obliterated. I have now switched to applying black velvet underglaze to the lettering. I am much happier with how it stands out. Next on the list is personalized piggy banks!