DMCosta

Thank you, I’ve thought of that concept for a while now because I do feel in today’s saturated ‘handmade’ market it’s needed.

Thank you for the replies, in a perfect world I’d love there to be a curated Etsy type of sales option. Only quality, only truly handmade.

I’m sure this has been asked on this forum before, but has anyone found an alternative to selling on Etsy? I sold on Etsy for years and closed my shop a six months ago. I wasn’t pleased with the quality of handmade goods on there and it just seemed to be getting more and more flooded with sellers. I’ve been a potter for years but It’s mostly my hobby at this point as I have an additional full time day job. I’d like to just build a site with e-commerce but honestly I need the exposure. I don’t have much of a following on my own. I intend on getting back into craft fairs to make in person sales, but I barely have the time so I can only do one here or there. So here’s my question, has anyone used an Etsy alternative for quality handmade goods that also gives you some exposure to obtain customers if you don’t already have a strong customer base?

I mixed this matte white from a pre-measured dry-glaze that Standard makes. I can definitely try a different white I just have a whole bucket of it now and was hoping not to waste it.

Hi All, as you are a wealth of knowledge I’m looking for your thoughts again. I have this one matte white cone 6 dipping glaze that keeps Pinholing pretty bad in the glaze fire. I bisque fire my stoneware to cone 04, and Glazefire to cone 6. It seems that only this glaze is behaving this way and I’m definitely not applied it super thick. Also, only this glaze is Pinholing, everything else is glaze firing great. Any suggestions?

Thanks everyone you really were a lifesaver! I used the Epsom salts today and they revived two of my glazes that kept having this issue. Thanks so much

Awesome thanks

Ok great thanks so much, does the salt have to be completely melted to add? Would it need to be mixed again with the electric mixer?

Hi All, about a week ago I mixed together a white dry glaze that keeps having thick sludge sink to the bottom. It’s a premade glaze I bought dry then mixed and sieved myself. It seems no matter what I do only this particular white glaze has about 1-1.5 inches of glaze sludge on the bottom of the bucket that is almost unmovable. You can stir the glaze surface wise but the sludge won’t move. It sticks to the base of the bucket like a magnet. In order to move it you have to REALLY get in there with something to break it up. Today I tried re mixing and re sieving the glaze and nothing changed. I know bucket glazes naturally have this on the bottom but this is excessive. Anyone have any tricks to help? ~Dianna

Thanks so much Bill, I don’t use wax on my pieces but I usually do also put my box fan on high and prop my back door open somewhat to help eliminate any residual fumes. I also have a big ceiling fan I run.

To be honest I’ve passed through my studio once or twice when the kiln is peaking in temperature and it smells a bit fumey I don’t think I could work in there once it pushes over 500 degrees.

Hi All, I moved 18 months ago and now my at home studio is in my attached garage. I have my small skutt kiln in there. Question: Is a kiln room 100% necessary? I have proper electric and an envirovent installed and vented to the outside. I don’t work in the studio when I’m firing and I don’t allow anyone to walk through the garage while firing. My old studio I had a kiln room but it was much larger space. I have a much smaller space now and building a specific room for it would be tough. Was curious of everyone’s thoughts, thank you! ~Dianna

Interesting, the box of cones was open in my old studio then I moved and they were in storage/unused for about three years. Not sure they were drenched with water but definitely could have been damp/moist for a long period. Thanks for the info

Hi All, Lately I’ve had a handful of my pyrometric cones not show any movement or melt at all after firing. This has happened at my job in their kiln a few times and it just occurred at home in my smaller kiln. Both are skutt select fire kilns. I checked to ensure I put in the right cone for the temperature and I did. I also just completed a review on my skutt kiln at home and looks like it fired properly. I was also home watching the firing yesterday so I know it at least ‘said’ it reached the proper cone. The pieces appear to be fully bisqued as well. Anyone know what could be going on? Can pyrometric cones expired ever? Thanks, ~Dianna

Hi Everyone, My high school students made life-size clay busts using low-fire cone 06 earthenware clay. I'm not new to ceramics but I have never fired a bust. We hollowed them inside out well and created some surface marks with forks inside the sculpture to help. They are currently bone dry and have been in the bone dry stage for at least two weeks and I intend on bisque-firing them this week. Any suggestions or tips for bisque-firing them in the kiln? Thanks, ~Dianna