My blogging friend
Trish sent me this mug all the way from
Alberta, Canada. Thanks so much Trish. The mugs is smooth to the touch and soft to hold. It fits my hand perfectly and there's a spot for my thumb to rest on the top of the handle which I really like. The mug makes me imagine a winter landscape in Canada - a soft glow to the sky and a bit of mountains showing through. A place I'd like to visit are the
Alberta Badlands and Dinosaur Country. Click link to be taken to a you tube video. Embedding was disabled, but worth the click. I was especially inspired by the hoodoos. A
hoodoo is a geological formation also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, or earth pyramid. I feel more clay towers forming in my mind.
After replacing the relays I did a fast test fire of my kiln. The kiln fired just fine. The black coating on the kiln shelves fired off; it must have been the copper migrating around the kiln. I've decided not to use copper as a wash any longer. The fast fire to cone 07 took 4 hours, wow, that was fast. If only all firings were that fast. Still it took a long time for the kiln to cool down.
I've known since I got my kiln that it fires hotter when set by the kiln's program to cone fire. Today's test fire was no exception - 07 and 06 are down, 05 is standing upright. Now I'm re-firing the bisque which stopped in the middle. This time I set the kiln to fire to 05 instead of 04. It will be interesting to see what the cones do. There's an adjustment which can be made to the kiln to calibrate how it fires but I don't want to get into that right now. I have lots of work piled up so I'll be firing bisque and glaze loads for the next week.
Relatives from New Hampshire and Finland are coming for a visit in March and I want to serve them meals on my own pottery. So I'm making extra plates and bowls. Today I made four fern dinner plates and I used a red iron oxide wash on the ferns. They're firming up before I form the rims. I plan to glaze them with a green glaze. But wait maybe I should glaze each of them in a different color glaze, no need to decide now. We shall see how they turn out. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Hello Linda:
ReplyDeleteWhat a thoughtful and pretty present! It does indeed remind one of a snowy landscape and will surely bring happy thoughts to mind of your friend when you take that sip of coffee or tea from it!
Gosh all the firing techniques and timings sound so very complicated. We know that we should be bemused by it all, but your plates will be lovely we are certain!
Glad to hear that you are up and running again!
ReplyDeleteYour relatives will enjoy eating meals from plates you made and I am sure they will enjoy the Florida March weather as well.
That is beautiful. Have you been to Badlands South Dakota? You'd love them too.
ReplyDeleteGlad the kiln is up and running.
It's been a long time-out for you. I bet you're raring to get back to it!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda...so happy the mug arrived safe and sound. :)..and, just so you know, I am one hour north of the hoodoos and dinosaur museum at Drumheller, Alberta.:)..you are most welcome anytime!... Have fun with the new kiln works. I am glaze firing today. Cheers. T.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane and Lance, thanks, there is a lot to learn with pottery and firing but it keeps my mind occupied and learning so that is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, the pool water is 63 degrees and they will probably want to go swimming thinking that is really warm compared to the Sunapee River or Finland winter. Ha.
Hi Lori, thanks, no I haven't been to South Dakota, must get there one of these days.
Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, yes my shelves were so full of work I couldn't make any more because there was no drying room, now I'll be full speed ahead.
Hi Trish, thanks, oh you are in really cold country, but a beautiful place to live. Thanks so much for the mug, it's wonderful.
I love your new present....♥
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