I’d been watching my elephant ears grow, and just when they were finally big enough to use, a storm ripped holes in them. So I’ve been anxiously waiting for a new set of leaves to grow in. With another week of storms in the forecast, I knew I had to use them while I had the chance.







I’d made this form once before, but that one was also destroyed in a storm. I’ve been wanting to make another ever since.




This piece was more of a creative experiment than anything else. I think it would make a really beautiful bird bath.

I meant to make texture plates last year, but somehow the summer got away from me. I had time in winter, but of course nothing is blooming then. This summer I finally had both the time and plenty of flowers and leaves ready in the garden.

The idea behind these texture plates is simple, they’ll be bisque fired and become reusable tools for creating textured slabs in future pieces. Instead of using fresh plants every time, I’ll be able to press clay into these molds to capture all those beautiful natural details.

My garden is overflowing this time of year, but I had to be selective. I looked for plants that weren’t too thick, since bulky stems and flower heads can push right through the clay. As much as I love my echinacea and Black-eyed Susans, their large blooms just aren’t a good fit for this process.

This first plate is ferns.
Here is a look at everything I pulled from the garden. Some grape vine, dill, a few types of fern, thai basil, small elephant ears, shiso, petunias, violas, and some thyme.	And some more ferns, mint, lupine, and lavender.
Here’s a before-and-after of the grapevine. I think this texture is really going to pop on a mug!
This is a mixture of mint, lupine, celosia, and petunias.
A mix of everything. I missed the after on both of these!	This is a mixture of a bunch of different types of ferns. I wish I had more fiddleheads, but this was the only one in my garden.
One last giant texture that mixes everything.

I had some rolled-out clay left over, so I decided to practice my new tumbler form. The first one ended up completely inside out (and of course I forgot to take a picture!), but surprisingly, it still works.

The next couple turned out much better. As I was cleaning them up, though, I realized they felt a little heavier than I’d like. I didn’t roll the slabs as thin as we did in the workshop, but I also used a much deeper texture, so I’m not sure a thinner slab would have held up as well.

I’ve finished up my white clay for now, but I’ll definitely keep practicing this form as I go. I really love the shape, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves.

Pumpkins are back for fall too! They’re some of my favorite fall pieces once they’re finished, but getting them there is another story. Glazing all those little details takes forever, so future me is definitely going to have some opinions. At least they’ll be cute when they’re done.

Summer is in full swing, but fall is right around the corner, which means it’s officially time to start making fall pottery! This year I’m planning at least two different ghost designs, and I have another idea waiting for when I switch back to darker clay....assuming I don’t run out of time. There’s never a shortage of ideas, just hours in the day.

This first batch already makes me smile, although I’m a little nervous about those tiny pumpkins and hats. Here’s hoping they all survive the bisque firing! I still want to give each ghost a little more personality by refining their expressions, but they need a bit more time to firm up before I can do that.


This batch also includes a few smaller pieces that are already in the bisque. I used a lace texture on them because, obviously, ghosts deserve to be fancy too.

This past weekend I took a workshop with Sarah Gromek at the Jersey Clay Society. What a fantastic workshop at a great location. Sarah was showing her techniques on how to make work that looks like leather. Here are a few of her pieces.


I purchased this tumbler because I really loved the template.




I ended up choosing to make the tumbler as a part of the class. I feel like my tumbler is pretty decent, but my stitching is terrible! The stitching is definitely the hardest part of this and one I am not sure I will incorporate into my work.

While I was making a batch of pieces—including my crab bowls—I decided to experiment with a ghost bowl. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I think it came out super cute! It’s always fun to try something a little different, and I love how much personality this little ghost has.

This is part of my last batch using this clay before I give the studio a deep clean and switch back to my white clay. I have so many ideas I’m excited to try—especially some lavender-inspired pieces. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

I think this is the most soup mugs I’ve ever made at one time! This is also the first time I’ve made my alien soup mugs. I added a new stamp for them and went with the Big Dipper—it felt like the perfect fit. I also made a few blank mugs so I can have some fun getting creative with decals.

I was making more cat trinket dishes this weekend and, once again, wishing I’d found the perfect dog cookie cutter to make a matching version. Then I spotted my chicken cutter and couldn’t resist giving it a try. They’re super cute!

I finally had a chance to get back into the studio and try out a few press plates I purchased from Shayla Marsh. There are two different styles, and the first is a true press plate system made up of two pieces. The outer piece is used to cut the shape and acts as a guide for centering, while the inner piece is used to press the form. Working with these has me dreaming about buying a laser cutter so I could make custom shapes of my own. Every time I start looking into it, though, I remember both the cost and the reality that designing all those forms would probably turn into an entirely new hobby.

So here I am using the outer templates to lay out and cut the shapes from my slab. I used a needle tool to carefully trace around each form before removing the excess clay.


Here are all of the cut pieces laid out on the board, ready for the next step in the process.


This photo shows the two pieces together on top of the clay shape. The outer guide allows the inner press to be positioned perfectly in the center. Normally I estimate placement by eye and use my thumbs as a guide, but this method is much more precise and gives more consistent results.


Once everything is aligned, I carefully remove the outer guide, making sure not to shift the inner press off center.


Next comes the fun part. I press down onto a piece of foam, which allows the clay to sink and form the raised edges of the plate. This particular piece of foam is my dedicated dark-clay foam. I keep a separate one for white clay to avoid any unwanted staining or contamination.


And here is the finished piece, freshly formed and ready to begin the drying process.

I recently purchased GR Pottery's Wallie Crescent Moon. I liked the shape, but I really wanted to know if they would fit together in a larger pattern - which they do. How cool would this be as a lazy susan centerpiece?

This goblet was first in Annie's cups class and then we practiced it at the workshop. I really love this form. I think I want to alter it slightly, but I love the s-curve shape and the elevated foot.