Big Red Chewing Gum Anyone?

Look at this new glaze color for 2010..It looks exactly like a stick of Big Red chewing gum..What do you think?
The pendants are available in my etsy store.

I have finally taken the plunge into facebook by creating a fan page for TGL Designs. Please check it out and become a fan. My goal right now is to get 25 fans so that I can have a shorter url which will make posting it alot simplier.

I hope to bisque fire the kiln today. I was so excited to see the test tiles revealed that I couldn't wait to get started glazing new pieces. I found that all I had already bisque fired were pieces that didn't have any texture to them. After glazing those, I had to make more pieces of porcelain with texture..check back with me to see those revealed. I have several rectanglar donuts with holes at both ends. These are going to look great. I can envision one as a link between a strand of pearls off set from the middle.

Let me know what you think of this new color..any suggestions as to a name.

Test Tiles Revealed

Yea!! God is good! I am very pleased with the overall results of the test tiles. Given the countless variables that contribute to the science of pottery, many of the colors turned out beautiful.
Some of those variables that I may have experienced yesterday may include the fact that I am having trouble adjusting my kiln sitter after I installed a new one. The cone is suppose to be at a 90 degree angle but mine are coming out extremely "U" shaped which could cause overfiring. This is definitely different than before. Another variable could be that some of the glazes arrived extremely cold almost frozen. I have never experienced that before so I have to reason that it could change the chemical formula. Most definitely the clay bodies are a variable. If you don't fire the same clay body as the sample given by the manufacturer then expect variations in color.

Needless to say, whatever the variables may or may not have been, there are always surprises when you open a kiln of test glazes. For example, one of the pink glazes is beautiful on white porcelain, as shown in the below picture as the pink rectangle) but not very attractive on stoneware clay. Some glazes that are suppose to be transparent are too opaque for textures but would still work for a smooth surface. An example would be the pink diamond in the outside lower left hand corner of picture below.

The above picture depicts some of the new glaze colors for 2010. The are on a white porcelain clay color.

Test Tiles in Kiln Today

The new glazes arrived earlier this week so I have been glazing some test tiles I made last week from porcelain and stoneware clay. Today, I am firing the kiln. It always amazes me to see the color of the glazes before they are fired. Some that look very burnt orange will actually turn out denim blue or burgundy, some that are dark gray will turn out blue, some that are light brown muck colors will be beautiful greens or pinks. I am always excited to fire the kiln knowing that tomorrow when I open the kiln, I will have an array of colors inside. I am expecting about 29 new colors to reveal themselves tomorrow morning. I am hopeful that all 29 colors will be spectacular. I am very excited to see the pinks. I really need a good pink glaze. I have been looking for one that is semi-opaque to transparent. These have a tendency to flow nicely over textures. Check back tomorrow and we will open the kiln together.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone

I hope that 2010 will be a very successful year for everyone. I have started the year off with a sale through my etsy shop. This is fantastic. I still have a few porcelain snowflake ornaments left at 50% off in my etsy shop. Once they are gone, they are gone until next Christmas. So get them now at a great price.

I got just what I wanted for Christmas. A gift certificate to purchase new glazes. I can't wait for the new colors. I am excited. I don't have a really good pink in my line now so I am looking forward to testing the new glazes and am hopeful that I will find great colors to pass onto you my valued customers.