More shrinking

Here are all three sizes of the Celtic Pony - 3.25", 1.5" and 7/8". I used the same glaze on all three, and fired them together, but for some reason the smallest one came out a very different shade of green. That's part of the fun of ceramics. You never know exactly what you are going to get until you open the kiln!

I have another neat trick with moldmaking that I want to share, but I need to color-correct the photos first. Hopefully I'll get those up this weekend.

Edit: I forgot to mention. I made another of the smallest size, and placed a tab on the back to make it a button. My only problem was that I didn't mark the mold before I pressed the clay, so I had to guess how to orient the tab. I guessed wrong, so it's oddly oriented relative the the direction of the pony. But it's a really cute button otherwise! And now I have the mold marked for the future.

Shipping and Receiving

I've noticed on sites like Etsy and eBay, sellers sometimes specify that their item comes from a "smoke-free, pet-free" home. I am used to seeing the first, but that last one is new to me. So I thought perhaps I should introduce Emmaline, manager of Shipping and Receiving. That's her there, receiving a package. She was given her position due to her enthusiasm for brown trucks and the men who drive them.

I figured a warning might be in order, with all the Pirate Ponies about to arrive at their new homes. We really try to keep Emma from putting too much of herself into her work, but still packages often go out with... well, evidence that this is most certainly not a "pet-free home"! (Don't look closely under the tape and all will be fine...)

Honey, I shrunk the pony!

I mentioned earlier that I'd been doing some experiments on the Celtic Pony medallion over the summer. Not only did the poor guy turn pirate, but he got shrunk! Now he's tiny. Really, really tiny! The original medallion (the cream-colored one in the first photo) is around 3 1/4" across. The little guy there is 7/8" across.

There's also an intermediate one between these two which measures 1 5/8", but he needed another coat of glaze so he's not pictured here.

I still need to experiment a bit more. The intermediate piece was slip-cast, and it took the detail beautifully. But then the slip we use is designed to capture really fine detail well. The smallest one, however, was press-molded with moist clay. I need a finer clay than the one I used, because the coarser clay just doesn't pick up the detail as well. There is actually a lot more detail in the mold of the tiny piece than the finished one shows!

My goal with these was to be able to use these guys as jewelry components. Wouldn't a group of the little ones there make a cute bracelet?

That was fun!

I had a great time celebrating International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Thank you to everyone who participated. I think this will have to be an annual event!

Oh, and we're not done playing with the little Celtic Pony medallion, either. He has another trick I'll show here shortly. (I'm afraid the poor fellow spent much of the summer as a guinea pig for a lot of silly ideas!)

But for now I must go and return the website to its usual purple self, and set up a page for "Dawson" since he'll go to eBay here shortly.

YARR!!!

If'n ye be wantin' some fine pirate booty, be addin' yer name to the roster!

(Landlubber translation: The first five people to post their names in the comments section get a Pirate Pony medallion.)

Boxes and more boxes!

I have all my goodies boxed up and ready for tomorrow's festivities! So join us on the website in the morning. ARGH!!!

Another sneak peek

This is "Dawson", from the group of SMB claybody customs I have been working on. He'll be headed to ebay later this week.