glaze tests - stoneware clear matt

Below are some images of the test glazes that I have been playing with. I just wanted a simple clear matt glaze that could go to about 1260 degrees, but the only commercial matt available is only earthenware temp. (1080 - 1100 degrees), so I decided to find some recipes and mix up my own!

I tried seven glazes in total, and I was very happy with five of them - one isn't really a matt glaze at all, and the other just went weird (the image right at the bottom). The next three images are of my three favorites.

This is the one that went quite strange (its almost nice though, as you can just see a pearly blue coming through on the darker clay body)

The clay bodies I used here were Walkers No. 10 Porcelainous Stoneware, and Feeney's Raku Gold.

new spools

Well I finally managed to get my new moulds finished at the end of last week, and I popped in to open them up yesterday and most of them are looking very good! There was one however, where the plaster didnt come away cleanly from the thread on the spool, so at some point Ill be trying to seal the thread a bit more and then re-pour the plaster.

I have also been after a high-firing clear matt glaze (for both the brooches and the spools) but the only commercially available is to Earthenware temperatures. I mixed up some test glazes from recipies I found on the net last week, but am yet to test them - no idea how they will turn out!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Cass.

weekend fun

I popped over to Brisbane last weekend, and was lucky enough to have a few spare minutes to attend both the Finders Keepers Autumn/Winter 2011 Markets at the Old Museum, and the Suticase Rummage at Redacliffe place, just outside the Library.

Finders Keepers was an amazing event, with food and live music accompanying the almost endless stalls of top notch hand-made goodness. There were so many beautiful things that I was tempted to bring home with me.

The Suitcase Rummage was awesome too - it was much bigger than I imagined! There were so many suitcases filled with vintage and second-hand clothing and goodies, hand-made treasures, as well as people just selling their 'stuff' (there were old i-phones and even a Wii!). I will definatley be going back for round two next month :)

Cass.

recent makings: spools

I have been working on slip casting a series of vintage wooden cotton spools, and considering the inherent length of the process and that I'm now working part time, it has taken a while! I have finally completed a trial batch, seen below:







I have just purchased a brand new bucket of porcelain slip for the next batch (these ones are stoneware), so will update when I have some results! I'm back in the studio tomorrow to get stuck into the new moulds...they are only five-piece moulds...so they shouldn't take long...

until next time,
Cass.