Recycling Ceramic Clay

Delightfully I have a few custom orders I am working on with this Chocolate Stoneware Clay.

Unfortunately, the clay I have has been lurking in the studio for quite some time (at least 9 years) and is a bit hard. 

So I have to reclaim or recycle it.

When you are sitting there with a 25 block of hard, stiff full of attitude clay, you have two choices:

1. If it is still a bit wet, you can break it into small bits and spritz it with water, wrapped tightly with plastic until it reaches a workable stage. This may take a few days of diligent spritzing.

2. Let the ceramic clay dry to a bone dry stage, then immerse it in water.

After the clay particles have become wet, the excess water is drained off, then the remaining clay is laid out - usually on plaster slabs (pottery plaster #1, not the stuff you get at a craft store), and the excess water is removed through the plaster and the air (sunshine also helps this process if you are outdoors). 

Once the clay has dried enough, it is peeled off the slab, then is ready for working or storage again.

My son (4.5 years old) was in the studio with me as I was wetting the dry scraps, and he loved putting his hands into the bowl and breaking he pieces under water. 

Then he got to smack the plaster slab with his wet hand before washing it...

I loved watching him experience this for the first time. Pure delight!

It's always good to get this recycling done so that one can jump into creativity as the time and muse permit and have the necessary clay ready to go.

I decided to make beads!

Glazing will happen sometime this next week...

A few safety notes when working with Earth Clay:

1. Do not breathe dry dust particles - dry earth clay contains silica (which can be inhaled into your lungs, but will not come out). Work "wet" as much as possible. Do not make dust.

2. Many people have a skin allergic reaction to raw Red Iron Oxide. Earth clays that are red or brown in color usually have a high percentage of R.I.O. in it. Gloves may be necessary.

3. Wear dust, gloves and safety eye gear when using Pottery Plaster #1.

4. Do not put clay particles or plaster down a sink drain! Work in buckets or bowls and dispose of excess in a smart way.

and here we are -

mary jane dodd

i can only speak for myself here, but i am guessing that many of you make gifts for your loved ones, for teachers, for friends or loved ones to give as gifts themselves, etc... 

and your gifts for giving? well, they get left until late in the game -

so here we are... 

i just wanted to talk a bit about how i package - it has taken me awhile to find what sings for me, but i did... 

i used to package in old jeans - the ones i couldn't donate... i still use the denim, but not for this... 

i love yogi tea - and once i noticed the inside of the box (immediately) i knew it was what i wanted to use...

open the flaps on each side and cut along the top of the back

now open it up and turn it over

gorgeous, right? how can this not be reused?

trim the box - make little tabs at the top of the long side 

(there is actually already one there, you just have 

to peel off the extra) and trim the flaps

save your cuttings! i use them for earring cards

you know the filler that comes in gift baskets? save it!

a little goes a long way and it makes a great cushion

fold in your tabs, then the sides one over the other and

viola!

get yourself some beautiful silk straw or sari ribbon

(this is the only new thing i use for these and mine comes

from lisa jurist

my thanks to the shop assistant who tirelessly watches 

day after day and keeps me on task

these are beautiful highlighted with some colored pencil - but there usually isn't time - i like to think that maybe the person receiving it will feel like they got a grown up coloring page!

and there are wonderful tags on the bags with beautiful sayings - i often tape one to the outside of a shipping envelope... 

enjoy this weekend - 

in the midst of rushing about (which i hope you don't have to do a lot of) take some breaths, treat yourself to a nice coffee or tea... 
(my favorite blend is one bag of yogi rejuvenation, one bag anti-oxidant, a bit of sugar in the raw and silk french vanilla creamer in one of these tea bowls - it is a nightly ritual i treasure.)

and if you can, shop local or fair trade - 

be well - 

guest post - tony westlund

We’ve all heard the saying “One man’s trash, another man’s treasure.” Especially in the artistic world, it is not uncommon to put things to good use that were otherwise destined for a garbage can. Although recycling, or more adventurous upcycling has found a strong foothold in design over the past few years, as an artist, it has been my goal to not only bring new life to old objects in ways astray from their original purpose, but to prevent wastefulness in the process. With this, I have gained an understanding that people are beginning to take more pride in the objects they bring into their home, where purchases are investments, not just the cheapest option. I have often seen folks begin to pack their belongings for a move, and realize that crumbling particle-board bookshelf probably won’t last another year, let alone go back together once disassembled. Off to buy another.

It is with these combined intentions that I approached my latest design idea.

An acquaintance had seen a few of my furniture pieces at a group art show, and noticed my strong use of repurposed, salvaged material. We talked for a while about “dumpster diving” and “big trash days” before he invited me to come take a look at some scrap pallets that were commonly thrown away at his job. When the day came to meet up, I had to laugh a bit because without knowing this was where he worked, I had been pulling a few of these pallet pieces out of the dumpster for weeks prior! Now you may be wondering what is so special about these pallets, so let me explain. They come from a hardwood flooring company, and it seems the wood they use for the pallets may be rejects from flooring material, or some other by-product of manufacture. At any rate, I have been constantly surprised at the unique grain patterns, colors, texture and overall character of these boards that were headed straight to the landfill. I have come across beautiful pieces of Black Walnut, variations of Mahogany, Cherry, and even a 3 ft. long, 4 inch square piece of Purple-heart Wood, which as the name implies, is naturally purple.
Even the more simple boards are effected with rough bandsaw cuts, which when half sanded smooth, creates a great rustic effect.

So now what to do with this new-found, salvaged resource...

My wife has been a long-time, avid jewelry wearer, and when it comes to earrings, only the dangliest will do! I had made her an earring display before, but over time, it began to succumb to overcrowding. When brainstorming about what to design next, she’s always encouraged me to “make more stuff for jewelry,” because apparently my beautiful, and beautifully adorned wife is not the only woman with the dilemma of jewelry storage. Heeding her advice I went about creating a functional, simple yet striking piece, that would not just hold several pairs of earrings, but could possibly hold a few more items like bangles or necklaces as well.

Having made previous displays from found objects ranging from parts of chairs, to bedsprings and car pulleys, I simplified the notion and created this “Z” shaped stand utilizing the bevy lumber I had just acquired. I noticed that it had a ton of surface area to put several eyelets while allowing the earrings to be staggered without overlapping, creating an easy to see display. It was also an easy option to add a few hooks to either end of the top rail to hang a few necklaces, or just slide a few bangles on it.

So there you have it! I urge you to look around you, utilize things that others disregard, and create with the intent of longevity. In this case, what was once destined for the dumpster, has now gained new life and new purpose as a sturdy, heirloom quality jewelry display.

..........................................................................................................

find tony and his business novel and proper here:

etsy

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in oklahoma city at Blue 7 and The Twisted Root Gallery

Reconnecting.....

One of my goals this year has been to get into my acquired supplies and begin to use the things I have or find them new homes. Most of my acquired beads and findings have been obtained second hand at estate sales and auctions, gifted to me by friends who know I make jewelry, or traded among other artists. I decided that this week would be a good time to dip into these supplies and begin to work on a new line of jewelry.

Part of my stash I've been working on sorting, separating, and disassembling in preparation for their new life.

 I've also been taking some of these beads and adjusting them to suit the designs and make them stand out a bit and give them their own unique voice. These large stones have been collaged and sealed with pages from old books.

Some of the supplies needed a new life as they particularly suit my style. I decided to finally take some of my remaining filigree beads and try my hand at a little more torch fire enameling. This is probably my 4th or 5th attempt on my own and I've finally come up with some usable beads.

I'm pleased with my progress on making the headpins. I still need to work out using an opaque white underneath to make more brilliant colors but I also really like the subtle transparency that I'm achieving consistently.

What have you been working on lately? 

Do you delve into your acquired materials to try new things?

Handmade....from start to the very FINISH!

 by Barbara Bechtel

About 6-8 months ago, while looking around at all my unused craft supplies, I decided to make a concerted effort to start using up all the bits and scraps of paper, wood, craft supplies, etc. and try to make a 100% effort not to purchase anything that was absolutely non essential.....ahh, the sweet horde of a mixed media artist....I'm sure many of you can relate.....

Specifically, I'm talking packaging. Although, I've always waffled between buying boxes, business and jewelry cards, packing supplies, etc. I've always used the excuse, "I don't have enough time to do ALL those things." For myself, though, I realized that in the time I spent researching, comparing prices, doing graphic design, layout, and printing, I really could make the time with a little extra effort to make these supplies to truly make my jewelry and designs unique from start to finish AND use up my extra paper supplies at the same time.

Instead of using bubble wrap, I've been shredding beautiful catalogs after I'm through perusing them and shredding vintage clothing patterns that I've been hoarding! Almost anything can be shredded to use as filler! So much more fun than shredding old bills and receipts, eh?

A selection of completely handmade business cards. All have their own unique personality. Clockwise from top: Beth Schaible ( letterpress by the artist), Second Surf (designed, printed, and handcut myself), Canoo (stamped and screenprinted on recycled household paperboard), Dacey Hunter (scrap watercolor paper, then inkjet printed with contact info), Sara Lee Parker Textiles (screenprinted)

The back of Canoo's card....she recycles all the paperboard from their home into business cards! This fits in nicely with her upcycled sweater goodies!

This is the packaging I did for Lori Anderson's upcoming Cup of Bead Soup. I've been painting tiny paper doilies from my estate sale stash to use in my paintings. Torn and taped to the pillow boxes (whose supplies are ever so slowly dwindling) with washi tape and tied with some pretty string and a little tag from leftover watercolor paper scraps.

 Vintage postcards that have been tea stained and with quick sketches and collage elements make great earring cards for more involved earrings and the buyer gets a cute little piece of art to keep!

Here are some other great ideas for using upcycled or handmade supplies:

~Patty from My Life Under The Bus takes those ugly bubble mailers that we always mean to reuse and don't and makes them PRETTY! 

~From the Love My Art Jewelry archives: Make an origami box to hold your jewels....This would look great with a little of that shredded tissue inside...hmmmmm......