kswan

I recently changed to Hostinger too. I thought they really pushed the email function, I didn't sign up for it and probably never will, I saw it as a way to tether someone to stay with them. 

I didn't see the point of paying for an email through the web builder/host.  I know some people think they look more professional, but I've used leeuceramics@gmail.com  for 10 years, and it serves me quite well.   I don't do mass mailings and of course I get messages that come through my Contact form.  BTW-I like your website, nice and clean, simple & attractive. The Hostinger price is tempting-will check it out.

I've got plenty of time left on my subscription to learn what I need to know to use WIX's updated system, and I'm doing that now--it's not as frustrating as it was last week.  I'm liking my results so that will serve me well even if I move to another platform. This is running me $11 a month (probably about half what a new subscriber would pay. I got a deal for renewing a few years ago & I expect a good deal if I renew, or it will be bye-bye. My price includes online payment & retail support-the set up for the shop is easy and attractive-I just don't use it or need it. I like WIX, so I'm inclined to stay--but "it depends".  I'm beginning to research other options, just in case. Thanks for all the input so far--very helpful!! 
 

Hi @Callie Beller Diesel,
I didn't know about doing that, but I wasn't too attached to my website as it was. I was always thinking I wanted to change it and never got around to it. It's now about as basic as it can get, which is fine with me!
As far as email, it's just my personal one. I put ceramics related emails in a separate folder. I was thinking of making a separate email address for ceramics using the Hostinger one, but I'm scared to fix what ain't broke. My system has been working for me and I've had the same email address for 25 years!

Hi @Callie Beller Diesel,
I didn't know about doing that, but I wasn't too attached to my website as it was. I was always thinking I wanted to change it and never got around to it. It's now about as basic as it can get, which is fine with me!
As far as email, it's just my personal one. I put ceramics related emails in a separate folder. I was thinking of making a separate email address for ceramics using the Hostinger one, but I'm scared to fix what ain't broke. My system has been working for me and I've had the same email address for 25 years!

Hi Lee,
I just went through the process of switching web hosts. I had a Weebly website, but since I have a custom domain they went from no fee to $16 per month, which was more than I wanted to pay. I was looking at two hosts with website builders: HostGator and Hostinger. I went with Hostinger, which has a starting price of $3 per month, then after two years it's $7 a month. I'm not selling online, though. It's just to give people a view of work I do and other information. The templates are pretty basic, but it was easy to figure out. It includes an email too, but I haven't used that yet. I just ordered business cards and I don't want to change them yet.
Kathy

Hi @Callie Beller Diesel,
I didn't know about doing that, but I wasn't too attached to my website as it was. I was always thinking I wanted to change it and never got around to it. It's now about as basic as it can get, which is fine with me!
As far as email, it's just my personal one. I put ceramics related emails in a separate folder. I was thinking of making a separate email address for ceramics using the Hostinger one, but I'm scared to fix what ain't broke. My system has been working for me and I've had the same email address for 25 years!

Hi Lee,
I just went through the process of switching web hosts. I had a Weebly website, but since I have a custom domain they went from no fee to $16 per month, which was more than I wanted to pay. I was looking at two hosts with website builders: HostGator and Hostinger. I went with Hostinger, which has a starting price of $3 per month, then after two years it's $7 a month. I'm not selling online, though. It's just to give people a view of work I do and other information. The templates are pretty basic, but it was easy to figure out. It includes an email too, but I haven't used that yet. I just ordered business cards and I don't want to change them yet.
Kathy

Happy new year to all!
Are you all using the same glaze inside and out when doing the magnet method? My liner glaze is different, and I've always hated when I dip something upside down and then it burps on pulling out of the glaze bucket. The burp slops glaze onto my liner glaze and I have to carefully get it off without also removing the liner. I tried practicing methods to reduce that effect, but I gave up. I know you can wax the lip, but I don't want to deal with that. Now I put my hand (or both if needed) inside the piece and lower into the bucket. It took practice to not let glaze flow inside, but it's better results for me since I can see what's happening. If there's a bare spot where the two glazes didn't overlap, I just dot glaze on with a brush, but most of the time it's fully glazed.
I could see the magnet method being really helpful for a wide flared bowl where I can't get good friction on the insides to hold it while dipping. In those cases, I hold it by the top of the rim to dip and then brush glaze near the rim afterward. That's not such a great method, though, I'd say. It doesn't look smooth, and it's time consuming. 
My current goal is to find a permanent dipping container for my main glaze. I would love to have a rectangular container wide and deep enough for platters to go in dipped straight down. Not too big, maybe 6-8 gallons, sturdy and with a lid. I should probably do a separate post on that. I'm sure people know about resources I haven't heard of! I want to save strain on my body not to lift my whole bucket and pour it into a pan for glazing plates and platters.

When my day in the studio starts out bad,  I just quit and find something else to do.   I usually do some house cleaning, not a great housekeeper but I have a great husband who prefers me to work in the studio than clean the house.  Bad studio turns into a good house cleaning day.    Denice

Like has already been said the physicality of working with clay has its draw, for me it’s with both hand building and throwing, but another huge pull is in the number of “why’s” that are involved with working with clay.
Seems the more I learn the more paths or rabbit holes open up, there is just so much to explore, learn and puzzle through. 
As to the QOTW,  if I had to label myself with a personality type I would have to say inquisitive  is probably pretty accurate. As to actually working with the clay itself I know that if I've got something stressful going on it won't be a good day to throw.

Is a particular emotional type/profile and/or mental framework/outlook required to play with clay?
Good Question!
Short answer
Only somewhat, yes.
Medium answer
Only somewhat, on account of I believe the typical human is flexible enough to adapt to challenges well outside of their comfortable "wheelhouse."
Longer answer
Many potters are potting by choice (rather than necessity); for them/us, I'd say yes.
Clay involves putting the hands directly on and getting "dirty."
It's not for everyone.
I like feeling clean, however, I've been into tools, fabricating, taking things apart, repairing, and reassembling for as long as I can remember, and the chips, dust, flakes, dirt, grit, grease, oil, et cetera that's involved hasn't deterred. So, there's that.
Beyond the garage/basement/workshop, we spent a lot of time outside whilst growing up, doing stuff.
From there, so many directions to take with this question!
How I've wanted to learn to throw for a very long time, just something that caught my eye, never forgot it.
How much I've enjoyed physical engagement, to the point of extreme excess in endurance sport, and just normal excess in work for pay - running machines, in a few trades, et cetera.
How much I dig the details - practical details - of glazes and firing, technique, history ...everything (up to a point)!
How satisfying it is to make things that others use and appreciate.
...and more.
What looms, in my memory, an experience in the "Mainstreaming" class (required to keep my teaching credentials current) I took some thirty-two years ago.
The instructor had us complete several inventories (psychological, mental, emotional, thinking/learning stuff), then we shared our outcomes. The instructor had checked with me aforehand, would it be ok with me to discuss my results frankly with the class, last? Sure, of course. The instructor said this type of profile, where there's a significant "lobe" in each quadrant - rather than the usual one or two dominant quadrants - is somewhat uncommon; what is more uncommon is the depth and breadth in each quadrant.
You could hear a pin drop at that point.
The instructor explained that they fully believed the profiles to be accurate - they had been waaaatching me!
Still, you could hear a pin drop.
From there, the instructor explained what life is like for people "like you," which sounded rather familiar, yes, and summed up with somewhat about how it can be difficult to be like you, Tom, and it is difficult for the others in your life.
Oh.
The instructor thanked me, this is probably good for you, and certainly good the rest of the class, to know there are more of "you" out there.
Apparently, I don't have an emotional profile/type, nor a mental framework/outlook.
I remember this idea, occasionally, and I try to fully appreciate those that put up with me!

While the 'Preciosa' is a brown sooty buckskin, I also completed this other client custom order of a lighter dappled buckskin.  'Cindi' is a traditional scale mare sculpted by Brigitte Eberl of Germany & produced in English fine bone china by Horsing Around of England.  Again, most of the work is laid down in the underglaze layers and fired a few times to set the layers.  Then I use Duncan ceramics clear satin for the body fired to cone 06 with high gloss for the eyes, hooves, and inside of the nostrels.  Final color corrections and last details are added using china paints and if needed, enamels too, with white or yellow gold added for shoes and other details if applicable to the piece.  These later details are fired at Orton cones 016 through 020.
 

Yes, I know - more horses!  I do a lot of equine pieces but my commission work is always stacked up with as much as a two year waitlist.  And that's just for my sculpture finishing, not including my own sculpting, casting, etc but here are a few things I am working on or recently completed. 
'Preciosa' - traditional scale Andalusian sculpted by Brigitte Eberl of Germany & produced in fine English bone china bisque by Horsing Around. I claybody customized the bisque into a stallion, thickened his shaved tail to be full, wavy and lush, added shoes to his back feet, added a double braided mane, long forelock, and tassels. Then I glazed him to a dappled sooty buckskin as a client custom order with white gold shoes and gold tassel beads.  This sculpture stands 6 inches tall by 9 inches long, and just over 2 inches wide.  There are several more photos with more information about materials and firing cones in my gallery showing this piece both in progress and completed here:
https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/gallery/album/1543-hyn-patty-llc/
 

@Jeff Longtin Those are nice! Have you tried also just clear glazing over the stained clay body? I wonder if that would intensify the stain color in the porcelain.  I took a class where a student was trying to match the clay body and glaze color, and he discovered that just clear over it made a nice effect. 
I look at all the lovely possible mason stain colors and feel frustrated when they don't turn out right. Purple is still giving me headaches when trying to make my own underglazes. They keep disappearing when it's not applied thick enough, but I don't want it so thick. I can't remember which website it was, but I bought some of the remaining discontinued colors they had. They're sitting in a box waiting for me to try again to make them work. My plan this year is to mix up successful underglazes and glazes. Gotta keep working on that chemistry (not my strong suit).  I don't use it in my clay body though, just painted on the surface. 
Kathy

kswan:  Thank you!  That is good to know, because i already know that my kiln fires a bit hot.  I will see how this last bisque fire did with 05, as soon as I have time to do some glazing!!
grackle

My clay says to bisque to 04, but I usually do 05. Once when firing to 04, it overfired to almost 03, and it was nearly impossible to glaze it right. I don't see much difference between even 06 and 04 for glaze application and firing results with my clay, so I slow bisque to 05 and whatever variations happen are acceptable to me. I have also got my specific gravity and dipping times consistent, although I don't actually count, it's just how I got used to doing it.

@Jeff Longtin Those are nice! Have you tried also just clear glazing over the stained clay body? I wonder if that would intensify the stain color in the porcelain.  I took a class where a student was trying to match the clay body and glaze color, and he discovered that just clear over it made a nice effect. 
I look at all the lovely possible mason stain colors and feel frustrated when they don't turn out right. Purple is still giving me headaches when trying to make my own underglazes. They keep disappearing when it's not applied thick enough, but I don't want it so thick. I can't remember which website it was, but I bought some of the remaining discontinued colors they had. They're sitting in a box waiting for me to try again to make them work. My plan this year is to mix up successful underglazes and glazes. Gotta keep working on that chemistry (not my strong suit).  I don't use it in my clay body though, just painted on the surface. 
Kathy

I certainly didn't think glazing the pieces would be so complicated. I thought about spraying the glazes, for uniformity, but that too has complications.
Here's another photo showing more color tests.  Each of these test tiles represents a Mason Stain that no longer is being produced. The far left tile features Robins Egg 6 with Delphinium 2. The next tile is Delphinium 1.6 with Zircopax 8.4. The intense blue is Delphinium at 3.5% and Zirco 2. The purple tile is an attempt at the Violet and Amethyst. (6001 Pink with Vivid Blue)
The two yellowish tiles represent Peach. (6001 with Praesadium Yellow.)  
Note:  Many years ago Mason sold over 200 different stains. Today they sell 80-90. (guessing) They decided the world probably doesn't need to 10 different types of purple. What they did, instead, is to post the recipes for those discontinued colors on their website. ("Archived Formulas") Its tedious buying several stains, to produce one, but it does lead to some surprising color variations.

As this just came out of the kiln I thought I would share: these are cone 6 porcelain casting slip test tiles.  (Coasters cut in half.) To which I've added various amounts of Mason Stains: Vivid Blue, Delphinium Blue and Zircopax. 
So that I can apply the glaze thinly I add stain to the clay, as well, to add to the opacity of the glaze. (I find that glaze drips/overlaps, become less evident if the clay body matches the glaze.)
Rather than use a total amount of 6% Vivid Blue, in the glaze, on top of a very white porcelain body, I added 3% to the body and 3% to the glaze. 
Its been a tedious process but its really interesting to see how the stains interact with the clay and glaze.

That's called dunting. You'll be able to tell if it happened during the heating cycle or the cooling cycle by looking that edges of the cracks. If they are sharp, it happened in the cooling. If they are melted and rounded, it happened during the heating. Either way, the process needs to be slower. 
You kind of have a perfect storm for that to happen: glaze refiring, one side glaze application, maybe a too thick glaze layer. You may not have the best glaze fit for that clay too.
If you're set on using that glaze/clay combination, I'd add a foot ring to your plate to glaze both side and apply a thinner glaze layer. If you know there's a spot in your kiln that reaches the right temperature, make sure it goes there. 

Every Year I push hard at Xmas season all  of November and the 24 days of Dec keeping the galleries and stores stocked and selling at my own booth full of wares as well. I stop sending any mail order out before thanksgiving. Then I pack it up and take at least 6 weeks off from Xmas day to mid to early Feb. Tax prep and tree pruning, clean studio etc.
The start of the new new sales year for me is Dec 26th really that’s when it can either stay sleepy or pick up with mail orders via email
Every year its different. I like the sleepy years-a Hundred-dollar minimum slowed orders a lot 2021 which was the idea.
They seem to always show a theme-from sleepy to busy and now this year-space cadets
So, this year I have had 4 emails asking about pottery in past week and only one follow thru
It’s what I call the new space cadets. I broke a fish plate can I get another as asap. Yes, I have some but you will have to come out to studio, ok no problem, so I send him a photo of 7 choices of what he wants-and 3 days later no response. Packed them up and moved on today. The next two where a bit like the 1st one. It’s the new  world order of I want it but not really .
Wholesale is a bit more work but no space cadets. I'm starting to like the separation from the cadets
Today’s order is looking solid ,4 huge mugs to Ma. I do not want to count these chickens before they hatch
Wens update  Mugs got paid  for and shipped today of to MD
I hope this ends the space cadet run

With the rim turned down per kswan and Pres's suggestions, you could throw a support ring for the platform - just for firing, bare clay; the turned down platform rim would hide the unglazed portion underneath.
The support ring would have to be very near the same thickness as the pedestal, so they both shrink the same, else the platform wouldn't come out level ...or, let the pedestal hang, support the platform only?
Firing upside down should make the platform level, however, it would have to be left bare clay.
I like Pres's flared pedestal.
 
 

I would consider throwing the plate upside down with a rim perpendicular to the plate, could be decorative cut rim. Throw the pedestal with a bow shape pulled inward then flaring out to provide a larger support area for the plate. This will distribute the weight and allow for a gripping area to lift the pedestal.
 
best,
Pres

You can also use your own body as an analogy about feeling the weight of gravity. If you hold heavy weights, you can hold them longer straight up as opposed to straight out. The same happens with clay, it needs support to not sag. An upward curve at an edge instead of horizontal will help. If your edge is thick, it is heavier and will sag down too. As Kelly said, thick in the support area like the base is important, and then thinner edges where possible.