Monday, May 17, 2010

Result Birch tumbler

Remember I made birch tumblers the other day?
They were bisque fired and looked really good but suddenly I was doubting they would look good when glazed. I looked at my stain samples to see if I could apply a bit more color to them as they looked too white. Of course I had a sample which seemed to have the perfect color but I never wrote down how I mixed it. Bummer and lesson learned!
So I didn't dare to apply it to all my cups and made new samples for future reference.
I mixed some black stain with water and applied it to the cup. I rubbed it off nearly right away and let the cup dry again. Then I applied some transparant glaze and fired it.
I think that it comes pretty close. Perhaps I should leave the stain a tad bit longer to darken it up a bit more. It came out better then I expected but...

You see that some of the glaze chipped off?
That's because the clay slib I made myself didn't really attach to the clay.
So, good that I made a sample and now I know I'll have to add some glaze to the clay slib to make it stick better. I have a lot of cups which have been bisquefired already and I can not change the clay slib anymore.
I'll cross my fingers it was just accidental with this one cup! :)

But I really do like the end result! Do you?
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39 comments:

  1. Spotted SparrowMay 17, 2010 at 7:36 AM

    Mitsy, I LOVE this!!! It came out so well.

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  2. LiesanMay 17, 2010 at 7:41 AM

    I do! it's lovely!

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  3. KreativlinkMay 17, 2010 at 7:42 AM

    Oh yes I do too! Beautiful!

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  4. FlorcitaMay 17, 2010 at 7:42 AM

    I really like it. The wood worker here said: DId Mitsy make a wooden cup?? So there... it passes as birch no problem!

    My... I haven't had time to make any more cups..... I need a few more hours in the day!!!!!!

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  5. OotyMay 17, 2010 at 7:43 AM

    love it! Instead of adding more glaze you can apply it before bisque fire =) also easier to cean and to achive exactly the result you want and will stick better =)
    I also really like the shape of it.

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  6. Mitsy / ArtMindMay 17, 2010 at 7:47 AM

    Hey Ooty, I did apply it before bisquefiring but it's a recipe of my own which I have not tested before. Just slapped it on the tumblers. LOL
    That will teach me a lesson to make more samples in future! ;)
    Thanks for loving it everyone:)

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  7. AnonymousMay 17, 2010 at 7:48 AM

    YES!

    Jij knappert dat je d'r bent! :-)

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  8. Jan HalvarsonMay 17, 2010 at 7:49 AM

    loving how these are turning out Mitsy!

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  9. tokketokMay 17, 2010 at 7:51 AM

    I do, I do! Lovely!

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  10. ginareginaMay 17, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    Thank you for shareing your ideas and
    tutorials.
    With love from Croatia,Rijeka

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  11. baaharMay 17, 2010 at 8:23 AM

    I do !! ;)

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  12. GreetMay 17, 2010 at 8:30 AM

    heel mooi!
    I love birches,
    te garden of my parents was full of it,
    so it reminds me always of my childood!

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  13. vadjutkaMay 17, 2010 at 8:42 AM

    I like those funny babushkas on the first photo - what are they? Are they your victims of testing? Or they are for sale?

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  14. ElisefiltMay 17, 2010 at 8:53 AM

    I like your new tumblers, but I would like some more contrast - like the birch.

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  15. artisticoMay 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM

    wow artmind .. so beautiful creation:)

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  16. DeerLolaMay 17, 2010 at 9:03 AM

    I love them !! They look great and look a bit like marble as well :)

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  17. Dawn of LaTouchablesMay 17, 2010 at 9:04 AM

    Mitsy, I love them...and you know what, just one more step and they'd be beautiful espresso cups! Ignore me...I'm drinking a lot of coffee these days :-) I LOVE them!!!

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  18. RitaJCMay 17, 2010 at 9:05 AM

    Beautiful!
    And loads of work!

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  19. steinschmuckdesignMay 17, 2010 at 9:39 AM

    They are fantastic Mitsy!!!

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  20. BlueTerracottaMay 17, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    Very successful, I would say!

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  21. EmmaMay 17, 2010 at 10:25 AM

    This is amazing... so realistic.. although I'd be in agreement with you that perhaps a tad more darkness needed in areas, maybe on some of the little leaf shapes (sorry stuck for description here!) like the bark example which has dark and light markings.... a fantastic trial.

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  22. Charlotte Hupfield CeramicsMay 17, 2010 at 10:28 AM

    I just love this, the results have turned out really well. You must be pleased! I have used one of your images from Flickr of your birch cup in my Monday mood board, I hope you don't mind,

    http://charlottehupfieldceramics.blogspot.com/2010/03/monday-mood-board.html

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  23. kraplapMay 17, 2010 at 10:37 AM

    yes, I do like the cups Mitsy !

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  24. ChrissieMay 17, 2010 at 10:44 AM

    They are wonderful! I do hope you get a successful batch at the next firing.

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  25. Anca PandreaMay 17, 2010 at 11:32 AM

    I love the effect! And the small babushkas, even if they are only for testing.

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  26. ŠkorčicaMay 17, 2010 at 11:38 AM

    I really like it. A lot!

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  27. Jennifer RoseMay 17, 2010 at 12:08 PM

    love how it turned out :D *crossing fingers its just the one cup*

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  28. ViktoriaMay 17, 2010 at 12:50 PM

    Your "birch glaze" looks awesome!

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  29. Maria ApostolouMay 17, 2010 at 2:38 PM

    Mitsy, these cups turned out beautiful! I may not understand all the technical language but I love reading about your explorations with your medium.

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  30. Kim van WaardenburgMay 17, 2010 at 4:01 PM

    wow ze zijn prachtig!!

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  31. craftydillMay 17, 2010 at 5:59 PM

    These are beautiful! And the one with the chipping glaze makes it look like a real peeling birch tree! :D
    Are you going to be selling your birch tumblers?

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  32. Mitsy / ArtMindMay 17, 2010 at 6:34 PM

    Wow, I just got home and I'm overwhelmed with all the lovely comments on my trial tumbler!
    Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to let me know you love 'em.
    I'm thrilled about that! :)

    Craftydill, if they pass my perfectionist-test, I'll put 'em up for sale! ;)

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  33. Babongo HandmadeMay 17, 2010 at 7:15 PM

    Yes, great result, Mitsy! Well done :)

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  34. StephanieMay 18, 2010 at 12:14 AM

    Oh man Mitsy the cup turned out fantastic! I love it! :D

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  35. FrancesMay 18, 2010 at 3:51 AM

    I am so glad to have found your site.

    Thought I have never ever pursued pottery, I love your wide span stretch of helpful hints to all creative folks.

    I'm now reading A.S. Byatt's book, The Children's Book, and in its first 200 pages, there is a plot line that revolves around an experimental potter, and a young lad raised in the part of England where traditional potteries existed.

    If you've read this book you will know what I have yet to read. If you've not yet read it, I recommend it to you.

    Your postings are a treat. xo

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  36. lisa :: the red threadMay 18, 2010 at 2:16 PM

    wow! yes! LOVE it!
    I'm always partial to subtle colour. You've done a lovely job with these Mitsy - I'll be first in line when they hit your etsy shop ;)

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  37. Pesky Cat DesignsMay 20, 2010 at 1:35 AM

    Mitsy, these new tumblers are fantastic!!

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  38. PascaleMay 20, 2010 at 10:34 PM

    These are simply gorgeous! I love the shape, the soft tones and you really got the birch right! I hope you get the glazing problem solved because they're simply too beautiful...

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  39. benconservatoJune 4, 2010 at 9:19 AM

    They really do look like Birch, you should be very happy!

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