Monday, December 23, 2024

Titanium MikroSpikes

Happy Freezing Cold Monday! Brrrrr. It's 1 below zero here this morning, so a brutally cold one for sure. We will have a couple more very cold nights and then it should start moderating a bit.

I'm still sifting through and gathering up various small batch remnants for the last week of the year. I'm also making some new drawings and planning projects for next year including a new Keyton design and something brand new called the SideWinder that will be very cool. A new batch of titanium Count Sporkulas is coming this winter as well. I really want to get going on something I drew up two years ago called the SupaWrench and I think steel will be the ideal metal for that one. I am also thinking about a brand new triangular pocket tool design in Zr... And there were a couple of projects here at the shop that I was not able to complete this year but will be nice winter and spring projects including Wroid thickness E115 tools in Zr, Timascus Tombstones and those 3V steel Prybabies that are still halfway done but that I keep putting off finishing. KingPins in titanium and copper have been sitting here for years and I am looking at grinding the pins for them very soon. It looks like some of my newly tested ceramic glazes are going to pan out so expect more crazy cups and other pottery projects coming next year as well. 

Today I have a small batch of Titanium MikroSpikes for you. These are all anodized and stamped. I also have a few stray MikroStiks in various materials if anyone wants to email me for them.

Titanium MikroSpikes will be $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks so much for making this a great year for me! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and prosperous New Year!

Sold out, thank you so much everyone and safe travels this holiday season!  

 

 

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Titanium Count Forkulas!

Hello again my friends.

Here is a baker's dozen for you of another older item: The Count Forkula, aka the Prince of Forkness, returns...these are titanium and have a buttery tumbled finish. The perfect little wallet carry item for that lunchtime salad or other entree to go. I also have a half dozen of these with cap lifter handle if anyone wants to email me for them. And, a big batch of full Count Sporkulas is on the schedule to be cut for sometime this winter.

Count Forkulas will run $55 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by yet again, and hope the rest of your week is a good one. 

Basic Forkulas are all gone, thanks once again!



 

Copper Dice!

Well Happy Wednesday Everyone,

Another bright and mild day ahead for us today. Might have a few light breezes at mid day but otherwise should be an uneventful day weather-wise with nice sunny skies.  

Some of you might remember my drilled Heavy Metal Dice project from years ago. I made a big batch of metal dice in titanium and also bronze that we were drilled for bead chain. I may still have a couple sets of the bronze ones left.

At the time I intended to make a second batch of solid dice which I planned to stamp with my tiniest antique stamps to create some custom pairs. I did actually follow through with the milling and created a bunch of solid blanks. But when it came time to do the stamping I realized it was going to be a real PITA so I only ever completed three sets. Today I bring those sets to you :) 

These Heavy Metal Dice are solid copper with a nice patina, and I have leaves, skulls and gnats. They will run $75 for each set plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for swinging by this morning and have a great day!

Sold out, thank you so much! 

 

 

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

BubbleCoin Seconds!

Howdy Folks, and Happy Tuesday to you!

There's a heavy mist this morning, but surprisingly mild outside with a brighter sky than we've seen in a couple of days. Some sun is starting to poke through and it's supposed to clear up later though and we'll have a nice day ahead I think.

Today I have some fun older pieces for you. These are seconds from a group of BubbleCoins that I made awhile back with a variety of subject matter ranging from vintage photos and drawings to abstract colors. Most are bronze but there are a couple of stainless ones here too. The glass domes give a 3D effect to the images when tilted that is really cool. The coins are heavy and will spin for a long time, especially on flat glass or a sapphire spin plate. The project proved to be rather tricky with the glue and these were ones that had some minor blems but were still presentable.

BubbleCoin Seconds will run $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for coming by and have a great week ahead. :)

All gone, thank you so much!
 


 
 
 
 

Monday, December 16, 2024

Zirconium Satellite Minis

Happy Monday to you all. It's quite gray this morning with a bone chilling cold out there. We had a light dusting of snow last night that now covers the bare ground, but it will be gone by the end of the day.

Today I have something fun and new for you. These Zirconium Mini Hexy beads have satellite dimples on five sides and a name stamp on the sixth side. Very cool looking and the hand drilled dimples add a bit more grip. These are all torch blackened and oiled for ultimate durability. I will also have a couple dozen more coming up later this week with subtle electrical anodized colors so stay tuned for those.  

Zirconium Satellite Beads will run $35 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for coming by and hope your week shapes up to be a good one!

Sold out, thank you so much!     


 

 

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Steel Mini T-Bones

I'm back already with another round of goodies for you. These steel Mini T-Bone tools have three wrench sizes, 7/16, 1/2 and 5/8". Makes a handy T handle for your keyring and cool improvisational self defense tool. These have a light raw bar finish and regular name stamp only.

Mini T-Bones will run $70 plus shipping, and half of the proceeds from this sale will go to the local foodbank. :) 

Sold out, thanks again!


 

Steel SpinWrenches!

Happy Thursday Everyone! It's almost the weekend, and we have another gray day out there. Dark and foreboding skies are par for the course around here this time of year. We had some heavy rain yesterday though and we could use a few inches more, It's supposed to be a little breezy later on today so I might run some errands this afternoon and take a few minutes at the park to try out my new kite. 

Today I have a micro batch for you. These are the last of the CPM 154 steel SpinWrenches. A fun little Wroid tool that is drilled for a tall spin core if anybody still might have one floating around. As I recall, they were tight so you really have to tap it in with a mallet. Scott McCoskery might still have a few available...these have a variety of stamps and two have multiple Atwood name stamps.

SpinWrenches will run $85 plus shipping and there are just five of them. Thanks for popping in today and hope you have a productive day ahead. :)

These are all gone, thanks again!


 

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Metric Wroid Wrunt 17

Here's a little blast from the past...I have just seven of these Metric Wrunt 17 tools. They are heavy duty Wroid thickness steel (I forget which grade, but probably CPM 154) with a light raw bar finish.

Wroidy Metric Wrunt 17s will run $85 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for checking them out, and hope your week is shaping up nicely!

Sold out, thanks again!


 

Titanium Ringbabies

Howdy Folks,

Another super gray and chilly near winter day out there. It feels raw when you step outside and the pavement on the road is still black with the rain from last night. 

Today I have some Titanium Ringbaby tools for you. This is the last dozen and they are all stamped and anodized, except for two that are stamped but without coloring. There are also a handful of lefties if anyone wants to email me for them.

Titanium Ringbabies will run $75 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for swinging by today!

Ring babies are all gone except for lefties, thank you!


 

Monday, December 09, 2024

Titanium Wring Tools

Happy Monday everyone. It's gray and overcast here with two or three inches of rain coming our way through Wednesday. We are in desperate need of the precipitation and I'm glad it will be coming in the form of rain and not snow.

I'm mopping up some remnants from older projects this week and finalizing some drawings for new tools. It will be an interesting winter ahead that is for sure. :)

Today I have some Titanium Wring Tools for you. I had completely forgotten about these and came across the tray awhile back. This is the larger of the two sizes with a 3/4 inch opening for the guys with bigger hands and you can easily see how the fit would be by comparing to a 3/4 box wrench. The textured titanium is quite thick so these have some heft to them. Features include a 5/16 wrench opening, cap lifter  and extra leverage pry/screwdriver tip. They are stamped and anodized with a wide range of images and colors. I do have some plain ones available as well if anyone wants to request them. And there is a small batch of the Medium sized ones with 5/8 opening and simple pry tip that I will get to shortly as well. 

Wring Tools will run $50 plus shipping and the link is below. Thank you for poking your nose in today and I hope your week is a good one.

All gone, thank you so much!


 

Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Zirconium Stubby MiniBars

Howdy all, I'm back already...

Today I also have a couple dozen Zirconium Stubby MiniBars for you. These cute little pry tools have my traditional milled V notch, a broad pry tip and 7/16 wrench. They have a wide variety of decorative stamps and some of them are multi stamped. The hard torch blackened surface finish is highly resistant to scratches on your keyring.

Zirconium Stubby MiniBars are $70 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks again for stopping by and have a great day.

All gone, thanks so much! 



 

Brown Micarta Fluted Megas

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

We have another fine December morning out there, a bright gray sky providing a pleasing background for the bare tree limbs. It does look a little bit like it might snow though, and I think they are calling for an inch or two tomorrow night.

Today I have a couple dozen of the older Brown Micarta 6 Flute Mega Beads for you. I love that these are so light in weight so they won't weigh you down, and they won't mar or scratch anything either. Rub a little oil on them once in a while if you want them to look darker brown.

Micarta 6 Flute Beads will run $30 each plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for slipping by today, I certainly do appreciate it, and I hope your week is going great.

Sold out, thanks once again!



 

Monday, December 02, 2024

Timascus Mega Hexy Beads!

Happy Monday Folks!

It's a frosty one here this morning, the beginning of a rather chilly week ahead. It won't get out of the 30's all week apparently, and the nights will be in the teens or single digits. Winter has arrived!

Today I have some more of the Timascus Hexy Mega Beads for you. Such a cool material and always fun to work with. These are electrically anodized and have bright multicolored finishes. A nice addition to any knife or flashlight lanyard, and they also make for a cool zipper pull.

Timascus Hexy Mega Beads will run $45 plus shipping and the link is below. Thank you as always for popping in today, and I hope your holiday season is going well so far.

Sold Out, thank you!

 

 

Friday, November 29, 2024

Steel Tiny Tims!

Happy Friday! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Always one of my favorite holidays and lots to eat for the next day or two without having to do more cooking, hehe. :)

Today I have a few dozen steel Tiny Tims for you. Quite a few functions in an impossibly small package, including two pry/screwdriver tips, 5/32 wrench/cap lifter and 1/4 hex opening. These have the cool Dungeon Black finish on them and are stamped with a wide variety of images. I do have a couple without stamps as well if anyone wants to email me and request them.

Dungeon Black Tiny Tims will run $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks so much as always for swinging by today, and I hope your holiday season is a lot of fun.

Sold Out, thank you once again!   



 

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Area 51 E115 Tools!

Happy Thanksgiving folks! It's going to be a rainy and chilly one here I think, but it looks like the snow is out of the forecast at least.

Today I have the rest of the Titanium E115 tools done for you. These are fully loaded with a wide variety of extra grinds and stamps as well as elaborate distressed color anodizing effects. Definitely took a while to get them all done, but a fun project. There are a couple without coloring if anyone wants to request them, but no lefties in this bunch that I could find.

A51 Titanium E115 tools will run $85 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks again for coming by, and please travel safely this weekend!

All gone, thank you so much!    

 


 

Friday, November 22, 2024

Titanium Element 115 Tools!

Howdy Folks,

Happy Friday to you! 

It's a rather damp and raw day here due to the inch or so of rain that we just got yesterday. We are still in a major drought though, and I would really love to see a lot more rain (not snow!) in the near future.

I've been very busy this week in the shop. I finally got through grinding all the titanium E115 tools and will have fully loaded Area 51 versions with stamps and anodizing early next week. I also started working on zirconium E115s but they are still several weeks away from completion. And I am picking away at several other smaller batches of items as well.

Today I have the first wave of Titanium Element 115 tools for you. A sturdy and capable pry tool without cap lifter, and with the classic SAE wrench set. These are plain finished with minimalist grinds and no stamps. I made these slightly longer than the originals, but otherwise they are very similar. I do have a couple of lefties in this group if anyone wants to email me for them.

Plain Titanium Element 115 tools will run $75 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for poking your nose in today, and hope you have a great weekend ahead!

All gone, thank you so much!


 


Friday, November 15, 2024

More Zircuti Beads!

Happy Friday Everyone!

It has definitely turned colder here this week and last night I think it got down to a frosty 21F. Brrr...Looks like a somewhat mild weekend ahead though.

I've been picking away on titanium E115 tools and will have them done next week. A few other smaller batches of other items are coming up as well including some more steel Tiny Tims.

Today I have the rest of the Zircuti Mini Hexy Beads for you. I really played around with these and found some interesting new effects at various voltages. Some really wild marbling effects resulted between the patterning already inherent in the material and then the various anodizing techniques. Every facet is different which adds to the interest and there were some unusual olive green and pink tones on some. And, in case you don't like crazy coloring and wish to email me, I also have a handful with simple C-51 anodizing that shows the pattern more subtly and without color. 

Zircuti Mini Hexy Beads will run $45 plus shipping and the link is below. Hope you have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Sold out, thank you so much! 



 

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Titanium Atwrenches Return

Happy Halloween Everyone,

It's spooky warm here today with the temps supposed to reach the high 70's. Crazy warm for this time of year. Most of the leaves are now down, and I gave the lawn it's final scalping of the season the other day. So now the remaining oak leaves will mostly blow off all by themselves once they finally decide to stop clinging to the branches.

Today I have some more cool Titanium Atwrench tools for you. These have an SAE 1/4-1/2" wrench set, sturdy broad pry tip and 5/16 wrench/cap lifter. They are stamped with my usual wide variety of images and anodized with a wide range of distressed color effects. I also have a handful with plain non colored and non stamped finishes if anyone wants to email me for them. I think there is one lefty remaining as well.

Titanium Atwrenches will run $85 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for popping in today, and hope your Halloween is lots of fun!

All gone, thank you so much. :)

 

 

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Zirconium Hexy Mini Beads

Happy Thursday Everyone!

It was spooky warm out there when I took out the trash this morning. They are calling for mid 70's for Halloween which is almost unheard of here.

Not too much to report on the tool front, but I will have lots coming up over the next few days.

Today I have some new Zirconium Mini Hexy Beads for you. These are real beauties, with a slightly polished and deep torch blackened finish. They remind me a little of obsidian, with a very pleasing proportion and heft to them. Name stamped on one side. This is a portion of the batch, with a second wave coming up in a couple of weeks.

Zirconium Mini Hexy Beads will run $35 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for slipping by today, and I hope your week is going great!

These are sold out for now, thank you so much! A variation on this design will be coming in a few weeks so please stay tuned. :) 



 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

A51 Stamped Steel Mini Superbug Tools!

Hi Folks,

Another glorious fall day here in New England! The leaves that are left have been falling steadily and when it is quiet in the woods you can hear them raining down along with the acorns. We did have a few nice glimpses of bright color over the past week due to the near frost temperatures so it wasn't a total washout. I have been blowing leaves and cleaning up my gardens for the winter. Hoping to protect my many bags of strawberry plants for the cold weather so they will come back next year. Every day we get a handful (even this morning!) and they were the big hit of the year.   

Just got done finishing up the first wave of Zirconium Mini Hexy beads and those will be coming later this week. I'm halfway through grinding the Ti E115 tools. And still working on more beads and tools.

Today I have a couple dozen remaining CPM 154 Steel Mini Superbug tools. These are stamped, although I do have some plain ones if anyone wants to request them. I also have both stamped and plain left handed ones as well.

Stamped Steel Mini Superbugs will run $75 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks as always for popping in, and hope you all have a great week!

Sold Out, thank you so much!
 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

C-51 Timascus Hangmen!

Hi Folks,

Lovely stretch ahead for us here with bright clear and sunny skies for the next week. I think we might have gotten a tinge of frost last night though and so lots of garden cleanup and leaf blowing lies ahead for me. 

I'm still beavering away on stuff in the shop. I will have Zr Mini Hexy Beads and ti E115 tools coming up next. Also have some more steel tools on the way and some misc ti Atwrenches.

Today I have the remaining Timascus Hangmen for you. I elected to anodize these with neutral "C-51" anodizing which gives a sort of silvery pewter type of look and shows off the patterning but in an understated way. The kids might call it "chill", haha...These are all stamped with a wide variety of images. 

C-51 Timascus Hangmen will run $75 plus shipping and the link is below. Have a great weekend and thanks for coming by today!

All gone, thank you so much!
 

 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Stamped Timascus Hangmen!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

We finally got a couple of days of rain to break the drought, and the weather has turned much cooler. Might see a frost tomorrow night! We actually are seeing a few red maple leaves today, but a lot of leaves have already fallen with the weekend rain storms. Looks like we will get a few more mild days by the weekend and then it will start getting a lot colder after that. 

I've mostly been working on these little timascus pieces and zirconium beads for the past few days but I will get back to some tools in a day or two.

Today I have some gorgeous Timascus Hangman hooks for you! In addition to the brilliant colors, these are all stamped as well with my wide variety of image stamps. I have a few with neutral C-51 anodizing for those who are allergic to color and who wish to email me...But otherwise they are mostly torch colored and have bright gold, purple and blue tones. 

Stamped Timascus Hangmen will run $75 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for coming by, and hope you all are staying safe and dry out there!

All gone for today, thank you so much!
 

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Zircuti Beads!

Hi Everyone,

It's starting to turn much cooler here in Massachusetts. The leaves are dull drab yellow and brown, so as far as color goes it is the most disappointing leaf season I have ever seen. I guess it's mostly because of the warmer than usual temperatures this past month combined with very little rain. Anyhow, I'm just glad we don't have the dreadful rains they are having down South and in FL.Yikes! Stay safe out there folks.

I've been busy down in the shop for the past few days. In addition to preparing for colder weather, I've been doing some maintenance and cleaning up. Yesterday I completely redid my anodizing setup so that it will be good to go for another year or two. I'm part way through grinding the titanium E115 tools and will have those coming up shortly. I've been diligently hand buffing timascus and zircuti parts to prepare them for torch coloring and other finishes. I have a batch of Zr Mini Hexy beads coming up in a few weeks. Zr E115 tools are on deck for initial preparation prior to milling. I keep putting off grinding steel Prybabies but they are actually coming soon. And I have several other items brewing too. More mugs are coming as well in the next few days.

Today I have the first wave of Zircuti Mini Hexy beads for you. These are 1/2 inch in diameter as opposed to 5/8 inch of the first batch of hexy beads, so a little bit slimmer. And, they are slightly longer so the overall proportions are very nice and serve to showcase the patterning very nicely. Speaking of patterns, wow, these are spectacular! Bright contrasting colors and wild anodizing effects. If you like crazy these are sweet. If you don't like lots of color I do have a handful of plain ones reserved without anodizing for those who wish to request it, but the patterning is very subtle.

Zircuti Mini Hexy Beads will run $45 plus shipping. This is only about half the batch today, so lots more are coming, so if you miss today and want to email me, I am happy to hook you up anytime...the order link is below. Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for coming by today. :)

All gone for today but more on the way, thank you!
 

 

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Three More Mugs!

Hi Folks,

Got a few more mugs done for you. These are some beauties...

Mug #1: Pirate Girl returns! With two poses, treasure chest and crossed sword and flintlock pistol inside. $75 plus shipping:

Sold, thank you so much!


 
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Mug #2: Earth Goddess with Victorian Sun and butterflies, dragonfly pattern on the bottom. Spectacular piece! $75 plus shipping:
Sold, thanks again!   


 
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Mug #3 Celtic Ferns with small dragonfly inside. Little bit smaller at about 12 oz, $60 plus shipping.
Sold, thank you very much!


 

Gen 2 Steel MikroStiks

Happy Wednesday!

It's gloomy and overcast today, and supposedly we will finally get some rain tonight and tomorrow. Good day for a sale I think...

Today I have some steel MikroStiks for you. These are the Gen 2 version, and they are all stamped I believe. There are some smooth ones and a few with light raw bar finish as well.

Steel MikroStiks will run $55 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for slipping by today, and hope your week is going great!

All gone, thanks very much!



 

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Zr QuickDraws

What a fine Tuesday morning out there today! The air is crisp and tons of leaves are turning gold. I'm sure I will be raking them up in a week or two.  

Today I have a handful of Zirconium QuickDraws for you. A cool little tool and not one that I am likely to make again anytime soon. These are generously stamped with a wide variety of images.

Zr QuickDraws will run $65 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for popping in today and hope your week is shaping up to be a good one.

Gone in a jiffy, thanks so much!


 

Monday, September 23, 2024

MugShots!

Howdy Everyone!

It's a nice one out there again today. We have had a very mild September so far, and the constant rain we experienced over the summer has been replaced with rather dry conditions, bordering on a drought. Amazingly, the coast got huge rain storms this weekend and we got nary a drop! Anyhow, the drought has made for beautiful weather, but I have had to water the pitiful end-of-the-season remains of my garden nearly every day.

A few years ago I sent out a pile of photographic prints from my camera hobby. They have ended up getting traded around for years, and I have often had people asking me for more. One of my favorite cameras over the years has been the marvelous Fuji Instax which is similar to the old fashioned Polaroid but a little smaller in print size. Recently I decided to try a series of new images and I thought I would see if there was interest in them. The nice thing about instants is that they are so immediate, and the Instax prints will fit in standard baseball card sleeves. The prints can also be name stamped, so I can make these all signed collectible originals by simply taking them to the anvil and lightly striking them.

This first group is a collection of images of my hand made mugs and other ceramics. I have all sorts of subjects here, and some of the images include the steps in making the mugs, some include the finished products. I fooled around with half frame images for a lot of these so that you can see both front and back of the mug, or details such as the interiors. Most of the shots are printed on my favorite Instax Rainbow paper, but I have some black and white images as well. Super fun project! If I have a lot of interest I will make some other series from my collections such as tools, knives, antique cameras and wrist watches. 

MugShot Prints will run $9 each plus shipping and the link is below. Thank you so much for stopping in, and for your continued interest and support!

First round is gone, thank you so much! :)





 

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Three More Mugs!

Happy Thursday Folks!

Man oh man, it has been so crazy busy lately. I'm sick of it and just want to crawl back into my shop. Luckily it looks like all my dentist, lawyer, eye doctor, house chores, lawn mowing, air conditioner removal, shopping and socializing agendas will be over tomorrow and I can settle back into some production.

Coming up I will have some unique photo offerings so please stay tuned for those. People have asked me repeatedly for photos and I have come up with some for next week. Also coming will be titanium E115 tools, hopefully by the end of next week.

Today I have a handful of new mugs for you. These are in the usual 13-15 oz range and have a variety of fun images.

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

Mug #1 Bird Mug with cute Squirrel, Chanterelle mushrooms and Feather inside. $75 plus shipping:

 

Sold, thank you!

................................................................................................................
Mug #2 UFO, Alien, Planet with Face Hugger inside! A classic for sure...$75 plus shipping:
 Sold, thank you!

..............................................................................................................
Mug #3 Welsh Dragon, Crossed Swords, Pirate Vixen and Treasure Chest inside! Arrrr! $75 plus shipping:
   Sold, thank you so much!

 

Wednesday, September 04, 2024

Pottery Seconds!

One of the most frustrating things in ceramics is when you put in a whole lot of time and everything is going great, but in the final glaze firing something goes wrong and the glaze isn't perfect. To be honest it was one of the aspects that drew me to metal work 25 years ago and made me give up pottery. With metal you are so much less likely to make mistakes and usually minor problems are correctable. 

These three large mugs have small glaze defects where the glaze was thin, or it got bumped when they loaded the kiln, but they are still spectacular. Small discount on them. ;)

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

Mug #1: 12 oz Kayak Girl with Cat Tails, Wooden Dock and a Frog inside. $55 plus shipping

Sold, thank you!



 ...........................................................................................................................
 
Mug #2: The Great Train Wreck! Two trains speeding towards each other with an explosion in the middle. Dynamite bundle inside!  $60 plus shipping

 Sold, thank you!


 ..............................................................................................................................
 
Mug #3: Rampant Lion with Castle and Lion Door Knocker with a Crown inside. $60 plus shipping
Sold, thank you so much!

 

Three More Mugs

Hi Everyone,

Another stellar day here in New England. I will savor these next few days because there is definitely a crisp feel to the air this morning. Yesterday I was riding around and I spotted a couple of maples that are starting to get a hint of orange on their leaves already, so it won't be long. 

Today I have three smaller mugs for you with a short and stocky shape. These are around 9-11 oz so would be great for an evening cocoa with a splash of Kahlua and dollop of whipped cream. For those times when you still want a little something but don't want to be up all night heading for the bathroom, lol..

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

Mug #1: Simple nature theme with gorgeous butterfly inside. $55 plus shipping

Sold, thank you!

...........................................................................................................................
Mug #2: Ants! 11 oz with a detailed moth image inside. $60 plus shipping
 
Sold, thank you so much!

...........................................................................................................................
Mug #3: Watery Worlds! Another 11 oz piece with Gator, Heraldic Dolphin, Great White Shark and Heraldic Mermaid inside. Super cool one... $65 plus shipping
  
Sold, thank you!

 

Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Mugs Round Two

I'm back! :)

Here are a couple more...

Mug #1:  Welsh Dragon with large Cannon, Crossed Swords and Castle inside. $70 plus shipping

Sold, thank you!

..............................................................................................................
Mug #2: Apocalyptic UFOs, Alien and RayGun! $70 plus shipping
 Sold, thank you!

 
...............................................................................................................
 
Mug #3: Winged Lion, Feather and Pegasus with Compass inside. $70 plus shipping
Sold, thank you!

 .............................................................................................................
 
Mug #4: Pirate Vixen, Tropical Island and Sailing Ship with Vintage Sun inside. Arrr! $70 plus shipping
Sold, thank you so much! :)
 

Four New Mugs!

Howdy Folks,

What a nice weekend it was here. It was cloudy and warm for much of it, but today the sun has returned and temps are super comfortable, even chilly this morning. Typical September!

I built several dozen mugs this summer, but it will take some time to get them all glazed and finished. This is just a handful that I was able to get done in the past week. More will be coming as the weeks go on so stay tuned. :)

We had some trouble at the studio lately with many of our staple glazes running out. Because many old time glaze recipes call for special natural minerals that are mined, some of the mines have run out and now glazes have to be reformulated with the new minerals that are available so that they will melt out correctly and also "fit the ceramic bodies". It is very tricky because there are four different clay bodies at the studio so the glazes need to be able to work with all four of the different clays. Small tweaks in the recipe can make a huge difference in how the glaze interacts with the clay body and it doesn't always work out.

My friend Irene at the studio has been working on making a new line of glazes for us. So far the green and the blue are great, but I did ruin two mugs with another of the reformulated glazes, so not all of them can be trusted yet. As the fall progresses several other glazes she is working on will get worked out and I should be able to get some other colors going. My challenge is that I have all these cool textures and stamps that I'm working with, so I need translucent finishes that will allow you to see highlights of the images through the glassy surface, lighter where the glaze is thinner and darker where it pools up.

These latest mugs are coming out great. I have a good hand building routine down now and I have been able to get more consistent sizes and shapes going with this series. Most of these have three images stamped around the mug, and then a fourth image inside which often gets filled in partially with melted glaze. Bottoms are all textured and are given an iron oxide wash to give contrast and color. They are about 13 oz on average, which is a good size for coffee, and I tend to roll the slabs out thickly so the mugs are quite hefty and will keep the heat in a bit longer. I've been having a blast telling little stories with combinations of images so expect some very interesting and unexpected subjects coming up.

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Mug #1: Cows and CowGirl. Really fun images with a barbed wire border. This piece is slightly smaller at 12 oz... $65 plus shipping:

 

 Sold!

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Mug #2: Aliens and Facehugger! Fun space theme on this one and you know how much I love my aliens... Also a little smaller at about 12 oz. $65 plus shipping:
 
 Sold!
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Mug #3: Tropical Island Shipwreck. I've always loved the idea of being castaway on a tropical island and doing the whole survival thing. This piece has a cool message in a bottle image floating inside. :)  $65 plus shipping:
Sold!

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Mug #4: Nature Mug: Mushrooms, Moth, Bird with a Beetle inside. This mug/beer stein is a bit bigger at about 15-16 oz and is on a iron bearing sculpture clay body which acts to darken the glaze a little bit. $70 plus shipping:
Sold! Thank you so much!