Oxford Clay

Learning how to make pottery on the potters wheel can be quite a frustrating process! I’m still learning all the time, and these mindset shifts have really helped me:

⭐ There's no ‘right’ way - your way is the right way! Trust your body to make pottery the way that feels good to you.

⭐Making pottery is a creative process. You don't have to make pottery ‘perfectly’. There are opportunities to continue to craft your pot at the turning/trimming stage.

⭐The learning journey of making pottery on the potter’s wheel is not linear, it's normal to feel like sometimes your skills are ‘going backwards’ - but this is not the case!

⭐Don’t compare your skills to someone else’s

⭐Keep going!! - Don't let frustration get you down, one day, you will be able to make exactly what you want.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

In this mini-episode, we’ll be talking about a great way to hold small slip casting moulds together…with a jersey hairband!

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

Join me for the final episode in the making a raw-glazed mug on the potter’s wheel series!

In this episode we’ll be talking about how to fire an electric pottery kiln.

We’ll discuss the stoneware glaze kiln firing schedule, including ramp speed and soak time at the maximum temperature of 1260 °C.

I talk about the duration of a stoneware glaze firing and describe the various stages of the kiln firing process.

At the end of the episode, we’ll make a well-earned cup of tea in our finished mug!!

Thank you so much for joining me for this series, it's been so much fun creating it and sharing it with you 💖

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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We’ve glazed our mug and now it's ready to fire! In this episode, I show you how to load or ‘pack’ an electric pottery kiln, including our mug, of course. 

I’ll talk you through the kinds of things I think about when loading a kiln for a glaze firing. Such as checking the base of each pot for glaze residue, where to place each item and how to use kiln props and kiln shelves.

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Following on from last week's episode of the podcast, where we made a stoneware glaze suitable for raw glazing, join me for this episode, where I apply the glaze to the mug!

Raw glazing is similar to glazing bisqueware pottery, but greater care needs to be taken not to over-wet the greenware, or it will disintegrate your beautiful pot!

I talk you through how I glaze my bone-dry mug - (mostly carefully and slowly!)

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Join me for an exciting episode on the podcast this week, where I talk you through making a stoneware pottery glaze from start to finish!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a pottery glaze suitable for raw glazing, this episode is for you! The glaze in this episode can be applied directly to greenware pottery and fired straight up to stoneware temperatures - a pottery technique known as ‘raw glazing’. This glaze can also be used as a regular stoneware pottery glaze and applied to bisqueware pottery before firing to stoneware glaze temperatures (1260oc). 

Full details of the stoneware pottery glaze recipe made in this episode and the electric kiln firing schedule required to fire it can be found in this free guide. 

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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In this episode, I tell you about an easy way to create a perfectly flat base (or rim!) for your pottery using just a tea towel, a flat surface and some water.

We also talk about maker’s marks in pottery and the importance of these in claiming your beautiful pottery and your creativity!

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Attaching a handle is a critical step in making a mug because if the handle cracks off when drying, it's very challenging (some might say impossible!) to re-attach. 

Join me for this episode, where I attach the handle we made in episode 102 to the mug. I'll talk you through just how to attach a mug handle without the dreaded cracking! 

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Turning (also known as trimming) the base of a pot involves turning the pot upside down on the pottery wheel and carving a foot with a turning tool (or tools!).

Turning / trimming is a great way to create a beautiful finish to the base of a pot. Join me for this episode where I turn the base of the mug and talk you through exactly how I’m doing it! 

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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If you’ve ever wondered how to ‘pull’ a handle in pottery, this episode is for you!

Welcome to the third episode of the How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel series, where we’ll be talking about how to ‘pull’ handles. 

I talk through the things I think about when pulling handles, and we’ll pull two handles live on this episode.  

✨ The importance of wedging (also known as kneading) the clay really well before pulling a handle. 

✨ How much clay to use for pulling a handle (not too much). 

✨ The importance of using lots (& lots) of water when pulling handles. 

✨ The importance of making a few handles, even if you only need one, in case one goes wrong. 

All these episodes can be viewed as videos in the ‘How to Make a Raw-Glazed Mug on the Potter’s Wheel’ YouTube playlist here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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