Goblets

Bronze Goblets by Linda Starr
4 x 2.5 inches

Sometimes I am hopeful and then happily surprised at my glazing results. These goblets turned out just like I wanted them. I made a set of four of these. The are pinched from Texas white clay, fired in oxidation cone 6. Now I want to make taller ones with even more wavy stems.

Bronze Goblets by Linda Starr
top view

These green and black metallic goblets also fired as I hoped.

Green and Black Goblets by Linda Starr
5 x 4.5 inches

Green and Black Goblets by Linda Starr
top view

I hope you can overlook the background. I had to use a summer blouse for a backdrop since we are in our RV.

Stay tuned for more results from this firing. I'm working on the wire handle for the basket, trying to figure out what to do with the ends of the wire I plan to slide through the holes in the basket. Please come back if you know anything about bending or using wire handles. I can use all the help I can get. I'm also expecting to pick up the cone 4 pieces being fired this week.

Goblets & Turkey Marsala

Aperitif Goblets by Linda Starr
pinched, 5 x 2.75 inches

Making smaller pieces in clay is just as challenging as making large pieces, and it's just as fun. I'm using up the last bit of Texas white clay I have and decided to make some smaller goblets with a wavy stems. I can see this size used as an aperitif or a dessert wine.

Roundel Goblets by Linda Starr
pinched, 5.5 x 4.25 inches

Are you ever confused on the meaning of a word? Originally I was calling these goblets rondel, but when I looked up the name I found that rondel can means many things. A rondel can be a type of medieval daggar, a short poem of 14 lines, a round piece of steel in armour to protect a vulnerable body part and several others. I just wanted to refer to the round doughnut shaped pieces of the stem. Then I saw the word roundel (with a u) means a round coat of arms which is what I thought the first spelling meant.

Speaking of meanings, do you use Wikipedia? I use it a lot for all kinds of research. I love learning and knowledge. Wikipedia operates free as a non commercial and non profit and are requesting donations to stay afloat. I really feel this is a worthy cause, the cause of knowledge for everyone. I wonder how much a set of encyclopedias would cost? The thing about the Internet is that a site like Wikipedia is always up to date unlike a book. I am not connected in any way to Wikipedia other than the fact that I use it all the time. Click on the link which will take you to the explanation by the founder and a way to donate if you wish.


Since we're in our RV we are occasionally using paper plates so the turkey Marsala isn't as pretty as it would be on a beautiful ceramic plate. Turkey Marsala is very easy to make, anyone can do it and it's the Marsala wine that gives the slightly sweet and distinctive flavor. Take thin turkey cutlets and dredge well in flour and set aside. Put some olive oil and a little butter in a large non stick frying pan and heat till warm. Add in about 1/2 pound of thickly sliced mushrooms and saute till lightly soft but not falling apart. Scoop out the mushroom and set aside in a bowl. Add the turkey cutlets and saute on each side till brown. Leave cutlets in frying pan and sprinkle the cooked mushrooms over the top. Turn up the heat for a minute when it's all sizzling, pour in half a cup of Marsala wine and let it sizzle to cook off the alcohol, then turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook till a fork inserted into the turkey goes in easily. Serve with some brown rice and vegetable of your choice.


Look at the upper right corner of this photo to see who is keeping me company while I make my ceramic pieces in my RV. That's Butter one of my cats. I'm sitting at the dinette booth and have a plastic bin for my cats to sit on the bench so they can lie there and see out the window easily. I usually have a bowl of water I rinse my sea sponge in and then throw the water outside so I don't clog the RV pipes with clay. The cats keep trying to drink the clay water. There must be a mineral in the clay they like.

Have a good weekend and I'll see you next week with a few more pieces I've made to use up the black cassius basaltic clay. Comments, suggestions, even critiques are welcome.

Goblets and Compotes

The other day as we unceremoniously drank wine out of plastic cups, Gary said, "Why don't you make some goblets for us to drink our wine from?" Since then I've been thinking of what wine would look like in a ceramic goblet. I wanted the drinking portion to be wide enough to enjoy the color of the wine, especially red wines.


Gary says you can tell a good red wine by it's color. This blended red wine from EOS Estate Winery in Paso Robles called Novella Synergy has the correct color and it's really good. Don't take Gary's or my word for it see what the Budget Vino has to say about it. The color is a clear ruby red, just beautiful. Doesn't the lady on the label look like she should be lounging in a bedouin tent near the Euphrates.


Last night I tried pinching some goblets. I made the two wide ones first and when I looked at them I decided they look more like compotes perfect for some plum pudding. So I tried one more to see how it fared. The taller one looks more like the shape I had in mind. I pinched the tops and then I pinched the bottoms. I let the two pieces harden up and then I attached them in the middle. I am letting them dry top side down since that is the heavier section and I don't want the bottom section to sag. I had fun making these and I plan to make some more, refining the shape and embellishing them.


After I made the goblet and compotes I wondered how I would sign my name. I decided to impress my signature stamp into the base of them. After I put the goblet and compotes together I realized I could have signed my name under the cup. Or if I made a plate base could sign my name there. My bases are open at the bottom. I'm wondering if I should make my goblets with another methods. I'm teaching myself as I go along. How do you make goblets?


Almost a year ago I talked about signing pots. At the time I asked for advice about my signature stamp examples.Lori of Fine Mess Pottery was asking about the "L" with the star in it at the top of my blog banner the other day. That's the signature stamp I decided on - an "L" with a star and I had a stamp made. Here are some quick holiday ornaments I made and I stamped my signature on the reverse side. Don't they look like holiday cookies? For most of my ceramics I sign the piece and also use the stamp. For smaller items or pendants I just use the stamp. You can see my signature stamp lying next to the slip container in the second photo. Do you sign your name or use a signature stamp or both?


I'm browsing a wonderful book from the library, Ceramics from Islamic Lands. There are so many color plates in this book I thought it must have cost a fortune and the price is $39.95. Of course the price to me was my tax dollars supporting the library. The history of ceramics, glazes, and techniques from this part of the globe is outlined in detail in the book.


We needed a water pump in our RV and had that installed yesterday by a shadetree mechanic. The water pump is the one that pumps fresh water to our toilet and kitchen sink in the RV. This week we have a couple of dental appointments and then we'll be off on our traveling spree hopefully to warmer climates. Come back again soon for more RV and clay adventures.