Every shop owner needs to tap in to this resource for their customers. The potential is unlimited. A ceramics party is a novel way to bring in new customers as well as draw more business from your current customer base.

What IS a ceramic (themed) party?

Primarily it is when a group of individuals draw together to celebrate an event and paint pieces from a select number of items in bisque. These items are most usually pre-selected and readied with the party group in mind. The finished items are usually given to the person being honored as a gift. The guests can work in stains or underglazes or even glazes. In the case of underglazes, the shop owner can offer to dip in glaze and fire the pieces. All fired items to be picked up on or by a specific date.

Enough time should be given for most projects to be completed. Two hours is usually adequate, but you may wish to allow guest to stick around a while longer or come back at another time if needed. Staff should be on hand to advise and help where needed.

To read more about having Ceramic Parties and some theme ideas, click here.

So you think you want to make your own slip. Maybe it is because you want the control, perhaps because finding ready made slip has become a burden, or maybe it is a cost factor. Yes, it is less expensive to make your own, but you need to have a supplier close by who will sell you small amounts of chemicals and clays unless you plan on major production and can have your components shipped direct to you.

CLAY is heavy, it is not cheap to ship.

I have written about this subject in three separate articles breaking it down as a simple process. I do hope you read all three before you jump in and begin throwing ingredients together.

Part One - the Basics: This gives instruction on how to determine if you have good slip and how to test it.

Part Two - The mixer: This gives ideas on how to make your own mixer or where to buy one.

Part Three - The recipe: This gives you the ingredients and tells you how to put it together.

To read more, click on the linked titles above.

At some time during every ceramist’s career, they will want to make a mold of something. Sometimes it is just the challenge of learning how, other times it is to be able to reproduce something they created multiple times. Mold making is in itself an art form that takes some skill and practice to master.

The best place to begin is to learn the basics with a one piece, or open cast/press mold. This type of mold creates a product that is detailed on one side and flat or plain on the other side. Most often these molds are cast solid, but can be cast as a ceramic shell. Open, one piece molds can also be used as press molds for use with various clays.

Like the negative of a photo, a mold reflects the opposite of the product, so everything is in reverse until you press or cast it then the resulting item will be the positive match for the original piece.

Disclaimer - The approach I am about to lay out is but one way to make a mold for ceramic and clay use. The general principles may be the same, but some of the materials and steps may vary from mold maker to mold maker.

My approach is to teach the novice the principles of ceramic mold making in its simplest form

To read more of this article, click here.

It doesn’t matter how much experience you have with ceramics, you are bound to have mistakes. Whether it be casting your rmolds, bisque or finished pieces, you can often turn those disasters into something useful.

This is first of a series of articles that will give you options for your ooopsies other than the trash barrel

Sometimes pieces collapse, or split with stress cracks during the casting process. No problem if you have a reclaimer, just toss the ware back into the recycling vat. But if you want to get really creative, try this:

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Firing your kiln is really simple, but there are so many variables and factors that come into play that one should not take anything for granted.

There are many types of kilns and several types of firing processes. Here we will primarily address the basics of firing and address specific types and situations in separate articles.

Newer kilns have computerized controls which is pretty much just a matter of setting and forgetting.

Older kiln styles are either manual or come equipped with kiln sitters and/or timers. Some people with manual kilns will use Guide Cones and/or pyrometers to help control temperatures. A timer is used as a back up to help prevent over firing and meltdowns.

Pyrometers are also used in the place of kiln sitters and timers.

To read more about how to fire a kiln, click here.

The look of airbrushing on ceramics is age old. You can see its early effects on pieces like the ones done by Hull Pottery. The subtle gradation of shading cannot be matched by any other technique. There is simply no way to effect the gradual shading of hues from one color to the next with a brush.

The most important step to airbrushing on ceramic bodies is in the preparation of the surface. It is important that there be a smooth dust-free surface before applying glaze or any other airbrushed paint. Whether the piece be slip cast or hand built, attention should be given to remove all blemishes, seam lines, joinings/attachments, and all imperfections prior to firing the greenware piece to bisque stage. After the firing, the piece should be dusted off with a stiff brush, removing any remaining particles in the crevices or on the surface and then finally wiped down with a damp lint free cloth. Allow the piece to dry thoroughly before beginning to paint it. Airbrushing with underglazes is best done on greenware unless you are airbrushing over a matte glaze.

It is a good idea to apply a base coat of paint or glaze over the entire surface. This creates a sound foundation for the other glazes to rest upon. This base coat will blend with additional colors during the firing process. It is suggested that there be a strong base of white or cream for light clay bodies (normal ceramic). For dark clay bodies, a brown or gray base works best (colored stoneware, terra cotta, etc). Do not apply heavy layers because they may shift during the firing process and your colors will run.

Paints need to be thinned slightly when using an airbrush and you may need additional coats to get the effect you are seeking. You may want to practice on a few small items to get a feel for the amount needed for a smooth surface on the finished item when using glazes. You want a smooth glass-like finish. Too thin and the surface with be rough, too thick and the colors will run.

You can airbrush underglazes, glazes and non-fired stains and create beautiful works of art. As with all techniques, practice makes perfect. Make notes and keep trying, you will find it well worth the effort.

To read more about air brushing click here

About 15 years ago, I was interviewed by the editors of Arts & Crafts Magazine, a leading ceramic publication at that time. During the interview, I was asked what I saw for the future of ceramics. I prophesied that in order to survive, Ceramic Shops/studios would need to turn to the internet in order to compete and succeed.

Today, I repeat the mantra. It is imperative that you utilize the internet in promoting your business and your product. Everyone, whether you are a fully functioning store, a home studio, a hobbyist wanting to sell some wares, or someone making and selling finished items on any scale, the web can make the difference of coasting along or really succeeding. Buyers are loving the ability to search the net and find new products and ideas, they are loving the convenience. Don’t you want to receive part of the millions of dollars being spent daily on the internet?

It does not have to be fancy, but an internet presence with your own website is crucial. It is no longer the matter of saying, ‘maybe one of these days’ - it is NOW. The future is here. Face it, you are using the internet-you’re here, so why limit yourself to only doing the surfing and buying?

To read the rest of this article, click here

Yes, it’s time to plan for Christmas and one of the best sellers every year are Christmas ornaments. Whether you sell bisque or finished pieces, ornaments are a nice steady source of income.

When making your ornaments, it is important to provide means by which the ornaments can be hung.

There are several methods available.

1) Utilize the area provided in the casting by making sure the indentation or hole is clear

2) Use a skewer of some kind to poke a hold in the top of the ornament where by a ribbon or string can be threaded through as a hanger, or

3) insert wire loops into the wet casting so that string, ribbon, wire hooks or chains can be threaded through it to hang the ornament after painting.

In my many years of casting ornaments, I have found that a continuous, circular wire loop provides the most secure and versatile means to display and hang ceramic or porcelain ornaments. Because they are inserted in the wetware, they will need to be made from a wire that can withstand high firing temperatures. Nichrome wire can fired up to about 2400 degrees Fahrenheit without melting, so it is good for use with ceramic, porcelain or stoneware.

For simple and cost effective instructions on how to make the best kind of wire loop, click here

I would love to invite you to add your own insight to the world of ceramics and clay arts in the form of your own written articles and projects.

Please feel free to submit any information on fired arts either here as a blog discussion or to be added to my website.

Your creative ideas and knowledge are welcome if you would like to share them.

Also remember, if you have craft ware, supplies or related items for sale, I will allow you to list them in classifieds for free.

Underglazes are paints that simply go UNDER a glaze. There are primarily two kinds of under glazes . One, designed primarily to go on greenware and another designed to go on bisque. Underglazes can be translucent or opaque. Even though opaque underglazes need multiple coats in order to obtain complete opaqueness, they are not as controllable for translucent effects. Some have more color pigment and less clay. Others have more clay and less color pigment.

An underglaze designed to go on greenware, is a clay base suspended in a liquid with color pigment and chemicals that produce a color when subjected to heat. Because it has a clay base, it bonds well with the greenware. Most usually, you do not see the final color until after it is fired. There are some companies who add a dye or coloring agent to the ‘paint’ so you can visually discern it from other paints and some companies try to color the paint similar to what it will look like when fired. These dyes however, fire out and are replaced by the true chemical/color pigment. These added dyes are helpful to discern where you have applied which paint to your item. Being clay base, these paints readily soak into your greenware and become one with the piece.

The second type of underglaze, designed to apply to bisque, is a synthetic base with chemicals and color pigment and it lays on top of the bisque, requiring the glaze to permanently affix it into place. As with the clay base paints, the true coloring is not visible until after it is fired. Often, these underglazes when applied to greenware, will not bond as well and have been known to chip or flake off after firing especially if applied too thick.

It is important to know your paints and how they interact with your greenware, bisque and firing. Just because something is called underglaze, does not mean it will suit your purpose.

To read more about underglazes, click here.