was initially excited because i got quite a few pieces in the kiln this week which for me is an achievement since i am such a slow maker of things. everything went as planned until i opened the kiln after the second firing only to see that the glaze i used didn't quite come out how i hoped. it was quite a bit darker than my usual glaze. since i'm not sure how i feel about it i need to put it on the shelf and just look at it for awhile.

while i ponder this situation i pulled out the china paints and distracted myself with some painting. my mother has a stack of unused china plates that have been in her possession since we lived in senegal, west africa during the 1980s-90s. my father was an american diplomat and they hosted quite a few dinner parties back in the day. now the plates just sit and collect dust. thought this might be a good way to repurpose them ?

it's a fun project though i must admit the smell of the clove oil medium gets to me after awhile. these are painted with lead free china paints and will be fired one more time to set the colors. after that they will be completely food-safe and usable - unlike like those dishes people paint with the pebeo brand porcelain paints which are not safe to use with food.

i plan on getting some items to the shop today - a couple of letterpress cups and saucers, and these new topographic and letterpress bud vases:

i'm trying to list more items. problem is these days i like making things more than i like the process of listing them for sale lol.