Denice

I built a bumper jack extruder 20 years ago,  the plans were in a Ceramics Monthly magazine.   As I get old I find it hard to use,  I find my self avoiding using the extruder,  the arthritis in my hands say no.   I was suppose to work on some replacement tile molding  that was extruded last week,  I  just kept putting it off.   I'll have my husband look at and see if he thinks it would be easier for me to use.   Maybe he will help me build this one,  the last one I built  on my own and modified it a couple of times.  He can build anything but usually takes a year to get around working on my projects    Denice.

I usually spray larger pots,  dip dishes, poured glaze on 1200 tiles, and a lot of fine brushing  a little bit of  sponging.  I have a turkey baster at the ready for my next adventure in clay.   I am still trying to finish my mural,  I fired  sky back ground tiles a couple of weeks ago and hated them.   Fortunately I made two sets of tiles for the sky,  I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.  I have four vertical feet of a three dimensional landscape finished.  My husband and son (visiting us from Costa Rica)  said it doesn't look to bad,   I am my own worse critic but there appraisal confirmed mine.  Between major remodeling on our house and many house guests it is a wonder I get any work done.  I am about to fire some new test tiles for this project.  Fingers crossed.      Denice

I built a bumper jack extruder 20 years ago,  the plans were in a Ceramics Monthly magazine.   As I get old I find it hard to use,  I find my self avoiding using the extruder,  the arthritis in my hands say no.   I was suppose to work on some replacement tile molding  that was extruded last week,  I  just kept putting it off.   I'll have my husband look at and see if he thinks it would be easier for me to use.   Maybe he will help me build this one,  the last one I built  on my own and modified it a couple of times.  He can build anything but usually takes a year to get around working on my projects    Denice.

I usually spray larger pots,  dip dishes, poured glaze on 1200 tiles, and a lot of fine brushing  a little bit of  sponging.  I have a turkey baster at the ready for my next adventure in clay.   I am still trying to finish my mural,  I fired  sky back ground tiles a couple of weeks ago and hated them.   Fortunately I made two sets of tiles for the sky,  I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.  I have four vertical feet of a three dimensional landscape finished.  My husband and son (visiting us from Costa Rica)  said it doesn't look to bad,   I am my own worse critic but there appraisal confirmed mine.  Between major remodeling on our house and many house guests it is a wonder I get any work done.  I am about to fire some new test tiles for this project.  Fingers crossed.      Denice

Yay!
Filmed in Vancouver BC. Looks like it airs in Feb 2024
https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/jennifer-robertson-steps-up-to-the-pottery-wheel-as-host-of-cbcs-the-great
https://www.facebook.com/canadianpotteryshow

I usually spray larger pots,  dip dishes, poured glaze on 1200 tiles, and a lot of fine brushing  a little bit of  sponging.  I have a turkey baster at the ready for my next adventure in clay.   I am still trying to finish my mural,  I fired  sky back ground tiles a couple of weeks ago and hated them.   Fortunately I made two sets of tiles for the sky,  I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.  I have four vertical feet of a three dimensional landscape finished.  My husband and son (visiting us from Costa Rica)  said it doesn't look to bad,   I am my own worse critic but there appraisal confirmed mine.  Between major remodeling on our house and many house guests it is a wonder I get any work done.  I am about to fire some new test tiles for this project.  Fingers crossed.      Denice

Art  is a big influence on my interest in history,   I hated history in high school.   Working my way through my art degree I fell in love with history and how it was meshed together with art  especially pottery.   If I had taken one more history class I would have had a degree in history and art history.   I still have a bookcase full of history books I haven't been able to part with them.  Denice

Art  is a big influence on my interest in history,   I hated history in high school.   Working my way through my art degree I fell in love with history and how it was meshed together with art  especially pottery.   If I had taken one more history class I would have had a degree in history and art history.   I still have a bookcase full of history books I haven't been able to part with them.  Denice

Most of my life I had thrown on a kickwheel with a tractor seat,  when I bought my electric wheel I had to figure out seating.   I first tried an regular padded wooden stool with the front legs shortened.   I quickly figured out I need something that swiveled.   I was looking at the ajustable  potters stool when a near by Menards put some garage work stools on sale.  They  looked like the potters stools and about half the price and if I didn't like it my husband could use it in his garage.  I shortened the front legs and have been happy with it for many years.  I still miss my kick wheel  but I am  to old and cripple to kick anymore.    Denice

I had something like that happen on a old Paragon,  it was so old the sitter had metal parts.   My repairman said they didn't make parts for that old of sitter,  but I was lucky that it didn't have any plastic parts.  He took it apart and cleaned with fine steel wool two contact points and put it back together and the stainless steel button stayed push in.   It has been a least ten years since I had it repaired and it has been retired for 5  years.  There is probably a manual that can tell you which parts need cleaning.  My repairman did tell me if I had plastic parts in it they would need to replaced and can be hard to find.    Denice

Dig up some research on how art and working with three dimension art can expand a student math capabilities.  There are probably articles about the benefits of tactile arts for students.  One benefit is that it is very calming and improves their concentration.   I started my son with clay when he was 2 years old and he was playing the organ when he was 5.   He was at the top of his class in math in every grade.   High school isn't to late to improve a students mind,  it might improve their self confidence.   A student that doesn't think he or she has any special talents make a beautiful piece of art and it suddenly occurs to them that their may be something special about them.   That is what happened to me in Junior high school,  I don't know what would of happened to me if that art teacher hadn't put that ball of clay in my hand.   Denice

Dig up some research on how art and working with three dimension art can expand a student math capabilities.  There are probably articles about the benefits of tactile arts for students.  One benefit is that it is very calming and improves their concentration.   I started my son with clay when he was 2 years old and he was playing the organ when he was 5.   He was at the top of his class in math in every grade.   High school isn't to late to improve a students mind,  it might improve their self confidence.   A student that doesn't think he or she has any special talents make a beautiful piece of art and it suddenly occurs to them that their may be something special about them.   That is what happened to me in Junior high school,  I don't know what would of happened to me if that art teacher hadn't put that ball of clay in my hand.   Denice

Most of my life I had thrown on a kickwheel with a tractor seat,  when I bought my electric wheel I had to figure out seating.   I first tried an regular padded wooden stool with the front legs shortened.   I quickly figured out I need something that swiveled.   I was looking at the ajustable  potters stool when a near by Menards put some garage work stools on sale.  They  looked like the potters stools and about half the price and if I didn't like it my husband could use it in his garage.  I shortened the front legs and have been happy with it for many years.  I still miss my kick wheel  but I am  to old and cripple to kick anymore.    Denice

Dig up some research on how art and working with three dimension art can expand a student math capabilities.  There are probably articles about the benefits of tactile arts for students.  One benefit is that it is very calming and improves their concentration.   I started my son with clay when he was 2 years old and he was playing the organ when he was 5.   He was at the top of his class in math in every grade.   High school isn't to late to improve a students mind,  it might improve their self confidence.   A student that doesn't think he or she has any special talents make a beautiful piece of art and it suddenly occurs to them that their may be something special about them.   That is what happened to me in Junior high school,  I don't know what would of happened to me if that art teacher hadn't put that ball of clay in my hand.   Denice

Most of my life I had thrown on a kickwheel with a tractor seat,  when I bought my electric wheel I had to figure out seating.   I first tried an regular padded wooden stool with the front legs shortened.   I quickly figured out I need something that swiveled.   I was looking at the ajustable  potters stool when a near by Menards put some garage work stools on sale.  They  looked like the potters stools and about half the price and if I didn't like it my husband could use it in his garage.  I shortened the front legs and have been happy with it for many years.  I still miss my kick wheel  but I am  to old and cripple to kick anymore.    Denice

Dig up some research on how art and working with three dimension art can expand a student math capabilities.  There are probably articles about the benefits of tactile arts for students.  One benefit is that it is very calming and improves their concentration.   I started my son with clay when he was 2 years old and he was playing the organ when he was 5.   He was at the top of his class in math in every grade.   High school isn't to late to improve a students mind,  it might improve their self confidence.   A student that doesn't think he or she has any special talents make a beautiful piece of art and it suddenly occurs to them that their may be something special about them.   That is what happened to me in Junior high school,  I don't know what would of happened to me if that art teacher hadn't put that ball of clay in my hand.   Denice

I would fire it making sure the bottom is glaze free and a quarter of a inch is free of glaze on the outside edge next to the bottom.   This is one of those lessons you learn when you make pottery.    Try to make another mug like it,   the second one always comes out better.   There is a technique called raw glazing,  certain glazes are used and white or buff clay's.  Red clay has far to many impurities in it,  a slow bisque  firing is the best.    Denice

I have made paper clay  several times,  I have never found anything that was very good at inhibiting mold growth.   My home made paper clay was good for large sculptural pieces but not good for fine detail work.  My local ceramic store started carrying paper clay,  I bought 100 lbs of it and loved it.   It was more like regular clay and much easier to work with.  I had about 5lbs of clay left when I was finished with my project,  I rolled it into a slab an let it  dry.   When I need to repair a crack or reattached something I will break off a piece of paper clay.   I soak it and then add it to the clay I am working with.  I didn't have any problems with the clay growing mold.   Denice

I would fire it making sure the bottom is glaze free and a quarter of a inch is free of glaze on the outside edge next to the bottom.   This is one of those lessons you learn when you make pottery.    Try to make another mug like it,   the second one always comes out better.   There is a technique called raw glazing,  certain glazes are used and white or buff clay's.  Red clay has far to many impurities in it,  a slow bisque  firing is the best.    Denice

I have made paper clay  several times,  I have never found anything that was very good at inhibiting mold growth.   My home made paper clay was good for large sculptural pieces but not good for fine detail work.  My local ceramic store started carrying paper clay,  I bought 100 lbs of it and loved it.   It was more like regular clay and much easier to work with.  I had about 5lbs of clay left when I was finished with my project,  I rolled it into a slab an let it  dry.   When I need to repair a crack or reattached something I will break off a piece of paper clay.   I soak it and then add it to the clay I am working with.  I didn't have any problems with the clay growing mold.   Denice

I have made paper clay  several times,  I have never found anything that was very good at inhibiting mold growth.   My home made paper clay was good for large sculptural pieces but not good for fine detail work.  My local ceramic store started carrying paper clay,  I bought 100 lbs of it and loved it.   It was more like regular clay and much easier to work with.  I had about 5lbs of clay left when I was finished with my project,  I rolled it into a slab an let it  dry.   When I need to repair a crack or reattached something I will break off a piece of paper clay.   I soak it and then add it to the clay I am working with.  I didn't have any problems with the clay growing mold.   Denice

I bought a kiln that looks like this one,  it also had glaze running down the walls.  I paid $100 for it because it had 2 good shelves and 100 stilts that were still in the boxes.  I got it home and saved the lid and stand demolished  the kiln.    Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice

I also use the floor puzzle foam mat,  my pathway is a big rectangular in my studio.   If I have a area that gets extremely dusty and dirty I will pull  them up to clean.   If one particular area starts wearing thin I can easily replace them.  I  had a bedroom in the basement my son used as a hangout,  rowdy boys,  soda and carpet don't mix so I covered it with foam mat.   When we polished the concrete I moved them upstairs to my studio.  Now I have a lifetime supply.  I even stand on one in the kiln room when I am loading the kiln.   I don't leave it there when I am firing.  My husband is working on his wood shop and I found a  big heavy  duty  dense mat on clearance.  I think it will help his sore feet.   Denice