Innehållsförteckning för #90 från ClayCraft

At last, we’ve had a week of unbroken sunshine and proper summer heat. I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but I love it. My children have left home now, but I remember the school holidays with great affection. I was never one of those parents who bemoan having their children at home for weeks, grumbling about the ‘pressure’ of ‘having to entertain’ them. The lack of routine, the lazy days of just doing what you want, eating when you’re hungry and not at set times, and the ability to be spontaneous were all a welcome relief from the constant pressure of fitting into other people’s schedules, if I’m honest. Although working on several magazines at once means that actually going away on holiday hasn’t been possible for years, with…

Linda Bloomfield is a scientist turned potter. More glaze recipes can be found in her books Colour in Glazes (A&C Black 2012), The Handbook of Glaze Recipes (Bloomsbury 2014) and Special Effect Glazes (Herbert Press 2020). For biscuit (bisque) firing, you can stack plates and bowls in stacks of three or ‘box’ them, placing them rim-to-rim. Pots can touch each other and can be stacked together in the kiln. It’s best to put pots of the same height on the same shelf, with taller, heavier pieces at the bottom and flatter pieces in the middle of the kiln. The kiln shelves should have enough space between them; if they are stacked together too tightly, the heat may not flow evenly; for example, if you have a lot of flat plates,…

DIFFICULTY RATING YOU WILL NEED: ■ Clay – earthenware or stoneware, colour of choice■ A selection of your bisque stamps ■ Rolling pin, 5mm-thick roller guides, plastic sheet ■ General tools and ribs ■ Glaze for decoration■ Paper, pencil, 20cm diameter protractor or something else that’s round MAKING A STRAIGHT-SIDED DISH BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Make a paper template to the size you want your dish to be. We have made ours with a 20cm diameter – the same size as the protractor. Draw a grid within the circle to fit the size of your stamps in repeat. You can see that we have chosen a round stamp for the centre and two more to surround it. Begin with the basics of the design, but be aware that more stamp detail…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Paper/card, pencil, protractors or pair of compasses, craft knife ■ White firing clay – e/w or s/w ■ Rolling pin, 5mm thick max roller guides, plastic sheet ■ Plant samples from the garden■ General tools and ribs ■ Underglaze colours of choice ■ A coloured and transparent glaze Before you begin: Don’t worry if you haven’t got suitable plant material in your garden for this project, weeds actually work just as well – ours is cow parsley, although I would argue it is as beautiful as any cultivated flower. You can take artistic licence to create entirely new plants when it comes to colouring the samples later! 1 Beginning with an A4 sheet of paper or card and a suitably sized protractor or pair…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: To begin: ■ Sketchbook or paper to plan ideas on■ Card or stiff paper■ Protractors – (sizes of choice), compasses, ruler, pin, pencil To make the stamps: ■ Clay of choice – must be a smooth variety■ Rolling pin, roller guides (1.5-2cm thick – or stack two or more together), plastic sheet■ A selection of mark-making tools – your toolbox will probably suffice for this■ Pin■ Pointed wooden tool■ Sgraffito tools Before you begin: There is a wide range of stamps available to buy now from ceramic and craft suppliers. They can be made from various materials, including plaster, wood, and silicone. However, they can be quite expensive to buy in multiples, which can limit creativity. The solution is to make your own stamps –…

We’ve often wondered if there is a secret to having a successful creative enterprise. After six years of running a small pottery business, I think there should be one overarching factor. If you, as the business owner, are not in love with your services and your customer base, then it’s either time to pack up and call it a day, or you should re-consider what is really important to you. We do this all the time. Having a lovely studio, with the income to make sure it stays lovely and can support staff and materials is one of our priorities. We love walking into the studio; it’s a vibrant place with lots of inspired individuals who have come together to share their passion for clay. It’s been designed to reflect…

It’s a rare scorcher here today in Dumfries and Galloway. As I write this, I’m lying on the bed in our ‘camping shed’, looking out across the garden to the workshop. We decamp to the camping shed during the summer holidays as an adventure for the kiddies. It’s insulated and so toasty, and within is a sofa bed for us and bunks for the children. We spend dry evenings beside a firepit, toasting marshmallows, and when we wake in the mornings, we fling the door open to see the flowers in the garden from the comfort of our beds. It was a treat to wake up in our own beds this morning after a long weekend away at Potfest near Penrith. We love doing this show; it’s so well-organised and…

DIFFICULTY RATING A note to prevent wordy repetition Always compress the clay at the rim after each lift – pinch the rim gently between your fingers and thumb, at the same time resting the forefinger of your other hand on the rim and applying gentle pressure You will need: ■ Clay – stoneware or earthenware, 200g for each vase■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, ribs, cutting wire■ Glaze or other decorating material of choice■ On glaze decals (optional) Before you begin: You might think throwing the very small amount of clay needed for these pots is easy. Many people will find it challenging because you can’t use the usual hand positions for many of the manoeuvres, and a very delicate touch is required on such a small scale.…

Creating a digital presence can be incredibly rewarding. Not only does it allow you to showcase your unique creations to a broader audience, but it also opens up opportunities for sales, networking, and growing your brand. Let’s explore how you can build a robust digital presence step-by-step, covering everything from setting up your social media profiles to creating an engaging website. SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES Choosing the right platforms Start by identifying which social media platforms are best suited for your pottery business. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are particularly effective for potters. Instagram’s visual nature is perfect for showcasing your pieces, while Facebook can help build a community. Pinterest is excellent for driving traffic to your website or online store. Creating engaging profiles ● Profile picture and bio For your profile…

SCOTLAND STEF BAXTER POTTERY Courses: Handbuilding & throwing day class drop-in. Night and weekend classes. 1-1 tuition & Raku classes. Suitable for all levels. Open access coming. Dates: see website Location; Govan, Glasgow stefbaxterpottery.com CLAY HALF POTTERY STUDIO Courses: Beginner-intermediate throwing, handbuilding, glazing, adult & child and prosecco & pottery classes. Private classes for 1-8 people & pottery birthday parties Dates : weekly/monthly/by arrangement Location: Montrose, Angus clayhalf.com CLAY WORKS STUDIO Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, general pottery and throwing courses. Open access facility for more advanced makers coming soon Dates: See website Location: Dumfries & Galloway clayworksstudios.co.uk DUNDEE CERAMICS WORKSHOP Courses: Classes for all levels from beginner to intermediate, for individuals and groups. 1-1 tuition available. Open studio access and kiln hire for members Dates:…