Wishing Plates

For my 70th birthday, I'm giving each of my three sons and their family members, a commemorative plate. 

I've called them Wishing Plates.  What I would want to wish for your birthday, or mine...and share with you!

These are the first ones that are acceptable...but they aren't perfect, unfortunately.  I'm still learning, and this project gave me lots of humility.

A few more may come out of the kiln before I give them to family members.  I'll try to take their pictures and post them here as well. 

I found that just putting wax on areas didn't mean the glaze would stay clear of them.  So I went through several extra steps before learning how to pour glaze quickly and shake the plates so the wax had a chance to retard some of the glaze. 

And writing in simple letters was harder than I thought, because I had different amounts of curve on those lips.  Oh my, I really wish I could make every plate closer to being the same as every other.  But I probably won't do this again.  So it's been definitely a labor of ...

what else, LOVE~!

Grey day, glazing, and garbage collection

A quick video on a glazing technique that was shared on
Musing About Mud here a few days ago.  (If you haven't started seeing this blog regularly, you're missing a lot!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eD1j1ozeTTk

Let me know if you try this out and how it looks, ok?  I talked about it at the Black Mountain community studio yesterday, and had a raised eyebrow interest.

It is a totally grey beginning to the day.  Not clouds and rain, but the thing that can only happen in the mountains...living inside the cloud.  (Well, I guess fog can happen anywhere)  The tops of mountains, even the total mountains, have disappeared.

The Montreat mountain view is totally shrouded today over the rooftops

 Yep it's garbage day.  Why would I post the can and the recycle bin picture here?  Well, how many people live on a dead end street that's so small the garbage trucks (2 different ones) have to back up the street?  You've got it.

My very own garbage can, mail box, and if you look close you might see the mimosa tree too.

 

 

So the grey day is upon me.  And I am full of cheerful spirits.  Enjoying breakfast over blogs.  Some days just start out so positive, even if the mountains are in clouds!