Form

When I went to the Big Flea a few weeks ago, a certain stoneware form caught my eye a number of times. I am sure I had seen them before, but I noticed so many, and was so charmed by their shape that I started doing some research on them. These stoneware bottles are a historical form, often containing beer or ginger beer. They are often stamped with the location where they were made. I was struck by the straight sides, the clean edge of the shoulder, and the thick, chunky rim. It seems these stoneware bottles are collectible, and I'm enjoying the variations in them, ranging from pretty primitive to nicely glazed with clear lettering. I didn't manage to come home with one, but obviously I've caught the bug. The images above were collected with a quick internet search. I combed through Etsy, too, to see what might be out there. I was not disappointed. The pieces I collected below are not limited to the beer bottles, because I've found that these historic forms served a number of purposes, but had similar elements of design. Below, a ginger beer bottle from burrock. This stoneware bottle has a loop handle - found at artzybitz. TeaAtHomeWithOlivia has this great ink bottle from London. Below is a vintage wine decanter with cups from shopthrifted. KimmsAttic has this great shouldered syrup jug. The stoneware German wine bottle below is from fleabird. CoolVintage has this slick apothecary bottle. So of course I started thinking that I should try to throw this kind of bottle myself. I've thrown one so far, and I was pretty pleased with the result. I'll post pictures sometime soon. I did find another potter on Etsy who had the same idea, and his bottles are fantastic. While I'm waiting for mine to dry, fire, glaze and fire... I'll be admiring splitfirepottery's beer bottle collector series.

I had already been thinking of throwing historic-inspired forms, and I have a few in progress. And these beer bottles are keeping my brain fizzing with ideas.

Vintage Illustrations

I really enjoy old illustrations. There's something about diagrams, dictionary pictures, and old advertising images that get to me. I've been noticing a lot of items on Etsy that utilize these images. A while ago I started collecting these items in my favorites. Sushipot makes a number of items with vintage images adhered to them - above and below, light bulb pendant and pharmacy jars pendant. She also makes art blocks like this bird diagram below.

I've also taken note of SixthandElm, who woodburns images onto wooden boxes. Here is a vintage bike ad box.

A spencerian swallow box.

And a spencerian peacock with magificent plumage.

Then I started stumbling into vintage images printed onto vintage dictionary pages. I didn't even know this was a thing! Pocketwatch by BlackBaroque.

Badger by owlstudio.

Garlic by Winterberrycottage.

Octopus from VibrantWaters.

I cannot explain my adoration for frogs in suits. I found this dapper frog at numberninedream.

The rhinoceros is my most favorite animal (after canis familiaris, of course). Find this one at memorydust.

So with all that background, here's where my brain has been percolating... there is a technique to attach decals to ceramics, pottery, etc. It involves a third firing with the decal attached. For example, you can attach decals to existing ceramics, like this upcycled plate by metalandmud. The possibilities there blow my mind...

And by now we all know I can't do a post without including some Mudstuffing. The genius behind this work takes vintage graphics and alters them to his own (often delightfully bizzare) taste. Take this wood and soda fired yunomi, for instance.

Or this yunomi with the chickadee, which makes me weak in the knees.

Some of his designs are quite elaborate. This lovely teapot, for instance.

The applications of this additional level of surface decoration have been keeping me up at night. You could label your canisters, like this one from fetishghost.

Or help your utensils harken back to a simpler time with this utensil holder from dkpottery.

Okay, okay, most of you are probably thinking "but she hasn't even fired her kiln yet!" I know. Maybe this weekend, if the power looks like it won't blow out in a storm. And I would need to get the right kind of printer, and then order some decal paper. But I'm already collecting images. (I highly recommend the graphicsfairy; I have a hard time getting the pages to load, but I suspect that's due to high levels of traffic.) Today is my wedding anniversary, and despite promises that we would not buy each other gifts, my weasel left me a note in my carseat this morning, telling me to look in the trunk. He had stowed a scanner back there. (I told you I'd been percolating [and rambling] on and on about this.) I already have a few images in mind to play with - I like the idea of changing the vintage images to suit your own needs... maybe rhinos in suits...

Getting The Boot

You know when you have an idea for something you think you can make, several years go by, and you finally have the skills and materials to give it a try? That's this boot. It isn't quite done yet, but I got to start on the details yesterday.

Marrying Handmade and Vintage

I wanted to share a little preview of something I've been working on. I've wanted to put together vintage pieces with pottery. I only have one set so far, but I repotted a plant into it the other day. I have a few more vintage silver coffee servers, and I intend to make a few more pairs.

Here's to the union of vintage and handmade.

Good Fortune

This is what 2 or so decades of fortune cookie fortunes looks like. I've been saving fortunes forever. My family all knows to just give them to me at the end of a meal. Only in the last year or so have I successfully gathered them all into one location. Having fortunes fluttering all over my wallet, purse, desk, and house was getting to be too much. And I think this is a pretty excellent use for a jar. When I was a kid, I saved them so that I could "do something with them someday." (I also collected colored foil candy wrappers for the same purpose. I eventually threw those away...) I've thought about decoupaging them onto a lamp, making a poster, or stringing them together (to the moon). But for now, they're safely stowed and continuing to slowly multiply.

Dyeing To Try

I had some great luck yesterday at the Big Flea, a giant flea market that comes around every few months. Most of my finds are going into my shop, but I wanted to share these wood block stamps. These are vintage wallpaper and fabric stamps from Europe. The dealer had a whole table stacked full, but for some reason I was drawn to the paisleys. The raised designs are both wood and metal. I love that they're used, rustic, cracked, and lovely all at the same time. And they were once used for interior decor - how fitting. I will probably use them as decor, but I want to experiment with them and clay, and I have designs on using them for their original purpose... They have big openings in the back so you can firmly grip them as you stamp. This one had a number on the side - they must have had a lot of stamps to keep track of! You can also see how thick the stamps are from this side view. So mom, are you up for giving this a try?

Stone Fruit

What if I could figure out a way to make molds for concrete, and then made stone fruit? I would make peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and cherries - so-called stone fruits.

These are the things that my brain comes up with as I am trying to fall asleep.