Innholdsfortegnelse for #81 i ClayCraft

Some people consider it flakey, a sign of being a flibbertigibbet (great word!) or of having no purpose, but I call it curiosity, drive, an interesting challenge. But what am I talking about? Well, it’s called continuous learning. If I listed the things I’ve been passionate about over my life so far, it would show a very eclectic mix of subjects. And when I say ‘passionate’, I mean all-in, go the whole hog, learn avidly, get all the kit and do it obsessively – until the next thing comes along, from bee-keeping to hypnotherapy! It appears I’m not alone in this, with recent research showing that nearly nine out of 10 people are learning a new skill (see page 6). Some are certainly work-related, but at the top of the…

Potters in Persia (now Iran and Iraq) in the 9th century first used a white tin glaze to cover their coarse clay body, in imitation of Chinese porcelain. The opaque tin glaze provided a smooth, white surface on which to decorate by brushing on colouring oxides: cobalt, copper, iron and manganese. The use of tin oxide migrated with the potters to Spain (where the term Majolica originated), then to Italy (Faenza) and the Netherlands, where it was known as Delftware. There are several reasons for making an opaque glaze. You may have a dark clay body that you want to cover with an opaque glaze. A coat of opaque, white glaze provides a background for applying decoration. The colours will be brighter if applied on top of a white glaze…

Just when things seemed to be going swimmingly at the studio, we have hit a bump in the road that has turned into an apparently insurmountable obstacle. What is this? I hear you cry. What disaster has befallen you all at Cheshire Clay Studio? Well, the disaster is called HM Government’s Customs and Excise. It appears that our vision for continued growth and expansion is going to be suddenly curtailed by the prospect of VAT. As our customers are all consumers and not VAT-rated businesses, it means that we would have to pay the VAT ourselves. This means that we would either have to absorb the VAT and reduce our profits by 20%, or pass along the VAT to our clients, thus increasing our prices by 20%. Let’s not forget…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Some form of texture: embossed wallpaper like blown vinyl, lace, crochet, silicone texture mats, etc ■ One or preferably two small plastic balls (of the size found in children’s ballparks) or a semi-sphere (the type children’s toys often come in) or a small bisque/plaster dome-shaped hump mould ■ Very thin roller guides (2-3mm), rolling pin, plastic sheet■ Cookie cutters of various sizes■ Porcelain clay■ Glaze of choice – celadon types that will pool in texture work well■ Kanthal wire Before you begin: The porcelain used for this project must be rolled very thinly to avoid making decorations that are too heavy to hang on the tree. You could use porcelain paper clay as an alternative, but it can be a little fibrous to handle…

NINE IN 10 ADULTS ARE LEARNING A NEW SKILL The latest YouGov research conducted on over 2,000 adults for the Readly digital magazine and newspaper app into learning, skills and interests reveals that almost nine in 10 (85%) Brits consider themselves to be ‘lifelong learners’. The main reasons for wanting to learn something new are related to improving brain health, mental well-being and enjoyment, but increasing income is also a factor in why people are upskilling. When learning a new skill, almost a third (27%) put aside more than 50 hours a month of their time to perfect it. The most popular are handicrafts such as woodwork, sewing, knitting and ceramics (32%), cooking (29%), a new language (27%) and a new fitness skill such as yoga or biking (22%). Keeping…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Clay of choice – stoneware or earthenware, colour of choice■ Rolling pin, 5mm-thick roller guides max (or thinner if preferred), plastic sheet■ Small stamp to make the number marks – we are using an old pen top■ Card to make templates for the box■ Underglaze colours for numbering■ Transparent glaze for dominoes■ Coloured glaze for box 1 Prepare a block of clay large enough to cut out all the dominoes in one go. Working on the plastic sheet, reduce the clay’s bulk by beating it with the side of your rolling pin. Work in measured, even strokes from one side of the clay to the other, to avoid making deep grooves in the surface. Roll out the clay between the roller guides. You will…

Autumn has properly arrived in Dumfries and Galloway, bringing with it wind and rain, and the first frosts of the season. Tender plants have withered, and the trees surrounding the workshop are dressed in a range of earthenware hues, from yellow through to red. We’ve been timing the kiln firings to start our days in a warm workshop. The firings have been plentiful as we approach our deadlines. As I sit here writing, Hannah is at the desk, compiling the catalogue for our Annual Online Exhibition. It seems incredible that this is our eighth one. It has become a hugely important date on our calendar and has, up until now at least, been very successful, with pots being sent all over the world. This year, it’s been quite a challenge…

DIFFICULTY RATING Before you begin: This form is essentially a wide, open-based cylinder and must be thrown on a batt, or lifting it off the wheel head would be impossible. If you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism for your wheel, you will need to throw a pad to secure the batt onto – the first few photos in this project show what that looks like, as a reminder. You will need: ■ 1.8kg (4lb) clay – earthenware or stoneware, colour of choice – plus extra for the base and to throw a pad for a batt if you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism on your wheel■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, cutting wire, ribs (batt)■ Rolling pin To decorate: ■ Base glaze of choice, plus additional colours for…

I woke up early today, at 5.30am, as it’s my husband’s usual wake-up time. It’s early, I know, but I’ve gotten used to it over the years, and frankly, I get so much done in the morning without any distractions. I was pretty tired today (lots of trimming the night before) but was excited to get on with some new challenges. I headed downstairs to my studio/living room, and I started my day by trimming some plates I’ve been working on for my son’s new home; he is really fussy, so I’ve got to do my best – I think I’ll glaze them in an oat colour, he will love that. Then I moved onto today’s main challenge – moon jars! I built up my energy with a Colombian coffee…