Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Eggs-citing news from kiln-topia

The kiln has been opened.
It was first thing I did on my birthday morning so it was quite a fun present. I had been wondering all week end if it would just turn into a pile of calcified ash when I opened the door like a mummy in an Indiana Jones movie.
See this egg carton below...this is it! This is the clay version of the original. The slip has perfectly mimicked the texture of the card board. It is very fine and light and fragile so it may be more decorative than functional. I could give it a good thick glaze to strengthen it but then the powdery ripples would be lost. Perhaps I should just glaze the underside. I'm thinking of an opaque white glaze for that. Any thoughts are most welcome.


Of course there was another Hermansbergish pot in there. These are little demo pots that would otherwise be wasted. So I fire them for presents as needed.


My brother found this under his house when he was cleaning out. It was bought in the Valley of the Kings back when we were young and backpacky, from some very sweet scruffy local kids who I suspect just moulded them from river clay. The figures were unfired so most of them had crumbled after a while. This one just got a new lease of life by being thrown in the kiln too so it is now hard ceramic. It should survive a while longer now.


Then there is the favourite. This one I am loving. I'm kind of surprised it worked if I'm honest. It is tres delicato so it will have to go on the piano or somewhere safe. Up high away from chillun, dogs and husbands.
 The detail is amazing. Even the individual fibres are visible. I could have a bit of fun with this methinks. Strangely it is as light as a feather as all the structure of wool and raffia was completely
emoliated. That is my word for the day. Like it?



Last week it was 'ungulate' which is a hooved animal. "Would you please be so kind as to park your ungulate away from the saloon, Mr Sundance."
That is a great word too. It sounds more like a strangled  exclamation. "She released an ungulated scream when she opened the kiln!"

But I digress...


 So now I'm off to the gallery on an excursion.  It's a sunny day, I have on my new top from the Lairy godmother who attended the godmothers AGM on Saturday night to celebrate how young I am.


24 comments:

  1. Wow, I love how tho those items came out of your kiln: brilliant! (and what a fun experiment...)

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    1. It is the experimentation that is most fun. I don't know if I can be bothered making any more now!

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  2. I'm in love with the egg crate. I'll have one in duck egg blue thankyou! Surely it would survive Australia Post's delicate handling.

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    1. If I ever muster the oomph to make some more, you're on the list !

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  3. Happy Birthday Annie!!! The egg carton is brilliant! I love it :-) Yes, white opaque glaze would be awesome underneath. You do have a very fun job :-) Enjoy your sunny day. I'm about to be blown off the hill with this crazy wind! Mel x

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    1. How lovely to hear from you! How are those fab five treating you!

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  4. love the egg carton - I wonder if you did it again, but somehow building a little frame around it so that the bottom part was much more covered with the slip (like I even really know what I am talking about? but its similar to what we do in our concrete business!) or even a really solid solid base on the bottom....and then all party in the top? (I assume that it goes in the kiln up side down and then flipped over for the good side? or do I have that totally wrong?).

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    1. I did think of that but it would make the slip contract too much and crack like a dry river bed. I think I just need to be patient and make more layers. It did go in upside down...you're a natural!

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  6. Awesome spam above me! What a birthday treat! Happy birthday! It would be awesome to make the egg carton usuable, it would look gorgeous sitting on the bench with eggs in it (what else haha). Love that little pot too.

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    1. I only have the very best spam for youse guys! It would be in dire peril on a bench at our place.

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  7. Opening the kiln on your birthday is the perfect birthday present. Happy Birthday lovely lady.

    Hope the gallery was wonderful and you would have been looking and feeling amazing in your new top. x

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    1. I'll let you know about the exhibition. You will love it...recycling and cardboard with crochet and vintage knitting needles!!!

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  8. Happy birthday Annie. Yay for you and here's to many more!
    Your egg carton turned out eggcellently (sorry - had to!)
    Yes, just glaze the bottom - I love the cardboard texture of the top, it would be a shame to cover it.

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    1. So are we on the same day or not? The unglazed top makes it less easy to clean should it get yolked but for the aesthetic I like it all powdery.

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  9. Happy Birthday - I will egg you on to produce even more slip coated masterpieces.

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    1. I was lying in bed thinking about it last night. Slipped crumpled paper, slipped undies, slipped banana peel....

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  10. These are SO COOL! I didn't have very high hopes but I'm giggling with delight that these worked! What's next?

    Hope you had a happy birthday!

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    1. Ye of little faith, Steve! I was expecting catastrophe too. Ye- hah!

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  11. Happy very very belated Birthday wishes, Annie.
    Eggstatic re the gushing kiln.

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    1. Birthday Schmirthday. I'm just happy to have a normal one instead last year's pretending to be jolly for the family when frankly I'd rather have slept through it. Any healthy birthday is a happy one now in my book!

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    2. You have come a long way in a year , Annie.

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  12. A rather belated Happy Birthday Annie ... from the other Annie who celebrates hers at the same time (and is now green with envy as hers was kiln-less) .. one of life's weird and wonderful coincidences :)

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  13. This may be the only one I've ever had that was kiln-ful! Happy Birthday to you too!!

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