Table of contents for #80 in ClayCraft

I can’t remember the last time I watched the news live on television. Well, as I wrote that, I realised it was probably the Queen’s death, so I do remember, but you get the gist… Instead, I rely on social media, and if something piques my interest, I’ll go and find out more online. Lately, I’ve been finding my feeds filled with an overwhelming number of negative posts on so many subjects that it makes me feel very unsettled, with a constant background feeling of unease at what’s happening to us. The latest thing is that someone has cut down the iconic tree at Sycamore Gap. I can’t imagine a single reason or trigger that could justify someone doing that. 'Justify' is the wrong word. That implies there could be…

Linda Bloomfield is a scientist turned potter. More glaze recipes can be found in her books, Colour in Glazes (A&C Black 2012), The Handbook of Glaze Recipes (Bloomsbury 2014), Science for Potters (The American Ceramic Society 2017) and Special Effect Glazes (Herbert Press, 2020). Red has always been a difficult colour to obtain in ceramics. There are several ways to make red using colouring oxides such as iron, copper or chromium and tin, but they seldom make a true, bright red. The easiest way to get a really bright red is by using commercial stains. Red stains are made using cadmium sulphide and cadmium selenide. They are mixed with zirconium silicate and fired, then ground into a powder. Red stains used to burn out at stoneware firing temperatures, however, there…

DIFFICULTY RATING YOU WILL NEED: ■ A selection of cookie cutters in flower shapes of different sizes – OR card templates of your own designs■ A template for the flower pot, made from a large circle and cut to the shape shown – the size is your choice■ Red earthenware clay for the pot■ Rolling pin, 5mm and 2mm roller guides, plastic sheet■ White earthenware clay for the flowers■ Small texture tool like the MKM roller used here, plus a small stamp for the centre of the flowers■ General tools, including ribs■ Glaze colours of choice■ Brushes for glaze application 1 Prepare a block of red earthenware clay, large enough to accommodate the template for the pot, with extra for additions. Working on the plastic sheet, reduce the clay’s bulk…

September is flying by, and so far, Hannah and I seem to have spent quite a lot of it awake, working late into the night to get pots together for the various commitments looming up in the forthcoming weeks. The weather aided us at the beginning of the month, which was glorious, swelling and ripening fruits and berries, and providing perfect conditions for drying out pots in the warm breeze. The hawthorn bushes in the countryside are loaded with beautiful red haws, more than I have ever seen before. Some would say it’s a sign of a hard winter to come, but I really hope not; I dread the dark months. It was a brief but spirit-raising period of sunshine, and although in recent weeks, we have returned to heavy…

DIFFICULTY RATING MAKING THE MOULDS You will need: ■ A selection of vegetables to cast that have an interesting shape. Chillis are always a good choice, as are peppers. The baby corns are a little trickier because of their textured surface but look good nonetheless. Other good options include mushrooms, carrots and any other root vegetable, provided they are a manageable size.■ Card to make a template plus a craft knife and ruler – the dimensions of the template will be determined by the size of your chosen veg models, so make accordingly.■ Clay for the tile base and to make a cottle■ Plastic sheet – rolling pin – 5mm and 10mm thick roller guides■ Plaster, mixing bucket and measuring jug■ General tools 1 Prepare a block of clay large…

You will need: ■ Approximately 1.6kg (3½lb) of clay – earthenware or stoneware, preferably a smooth body – 1.4kg (3lb) for the body, 600g (½lb) for the lid)■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, cutting wire■ Callipers/ruler■ Ribs■ Batts to transfer the work onto■ A small amount of clay to make a decorative knob for the lid■ Glazes of choice to decorate Before you begin: All parts for this moon jar can be thrown directly on the wheel head, and it is a good exercise to practice lifting work off the wheel rather than throwing the parts on batts. However, if you aren’t confident to do this, you can throw the parts on batts. If you don’t have a quick-fit batt mechanism for your wheel, instructions for throwing a…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Clay, earthenware or stoneware – colour of choice■ Rolling pin, minimum 5mm roller guides but thicker if possible, plastic sheet■ General tools and ribs■ Letter printing stamps (if you want to give your book vases a title)■ Glaze of choice 1 Working to your chosen dimensions, cut out a paper template for the vases. Ours measures 42 x 20cm, but yours can be bigger (or smaller). 2 Prepare a block clay, big enough to accommodate your template, with extra for the additional parts if possible. Working on the sheet of plastic, reduce the bulk of the clay by beating it with the side of your rolling pin. Work in measured, even strokes from one side of the clay to the other, to avoid making…