Do you ever watch shows like Cake Boss on TLC? It's one of our favorites, and makes me want to save up a lot of money (and calories!) and travel to Hoboken, NJ to buy cakes! Every episode, along with making beautiful cakes, there is always drama. I'm not sure if it's manufactured, or if the family is really that dramatic, but it definitely makes for good television!Recently, I've been thinking we should make a reality show out of our work at Jean Elton Studio. I'm sure the producers could really milk the drama that we occasionally encounter! For example, we get a big order and one of our kilns breaks down, or we run out of that particular color, or everything breaks in the firing. Did you know that if the clay isn't absolutely, completely dry for the bisque (first) firing, it explodes in the kiln!? Wouldn't that be a great episode?Even if we never get discovered by TLC, I'm still thinking of driving down to Hoboken to get one of those cakes. Can't you imagine a beautiful, handmade, hand-painted TEAPOT cake? Made to look just like one of our beautiful teapots! But unlike with our teapots, it would only be a one-time use product.I think I'll stick to our pottery: pretty enough for display, but durable enough to use every day.
New Teapots
We've been making teapots for a while now (remember the video From Jar to Teapot?), but they now have a new look. Lois has started to hand-throw them on the wheel, which gives her a lot more variety in shapes, sizes, and designs.
First she throws the body, the spout, and the lid, all separately. Once they have a chance to dry a little, she trims them, cleans them up, and then attaches the spout and handle. Next they need to dry completely. If something isn't completely dry when it is bisqued, there is the chance it could explode in the kiln, ruining not only all the hard work that goes into that one teapot, but also many of the pieces that are in there with it.The first firing goes up to a temperature of about 1800 degrees! Because we fire at such high temperatures, our pieces are very durable and not prone to chipping or breaking like so many other ceramic pieces. Stoneware is so durable because it is made with clay and then fired at very high temperatures. Like its name implies, the resulting material is like stone: hard to break and waterproof.
After they are fired, they are hand-painted in a unique design. No two of our teapots are exactly alike, which adds to their charm. We use glaze stains, or under glazes, and then cover them with a transparent glaze. Then they are fired again, to around 2000 degrees, which allows the colors deepen and the finish to shine.
To view our current stock of these new and unique teapots, visit our Etsy store. We add new pieces everyday, so bookmark it and check back often!
Fairfield Arts & Crafts Show
On May 12, the day before Mother's Day, we will be exhibiting at the Fairfield Arts & Crafts show on the Town Hall Green in Fairfield, CT. The show is from 10am to 4pm, rain or shine! We will be showing many new and exciting items, from message boards to clay cake pops, all the perfect gifts for Mother's Day, so make sure to come by and check it out!
Events at Jean Elton Studio!
Now Offering Events!
If you are tired of the same old dinner and a movie for your nights
out, then one of our pottery painting events is just right for you!
Come to one of our pre-arranged events, or make a reservation for your
own. You and your friends can explore your creative sides by painting
your pottery, while sipping wine and snacking on hors devours. Then,
you’ll get a tour and demonstration in our studio and be able to see
where your pieces will be fired to completion. Finally, you’ll finish
the evening with coffee and dessert.
These events are perfect for:
* Girls’ Night Out
* Date Night
* Birthday Parties
* Corporate Retreats
* Holiday/Seasonal Events
* Bridesmaids’ Luncheons
* At-Your-Home Parties
If you are tired of the same old dinner and a movie for your nights out,
then one of our pottery painting events is just right for you!
Come to one of our pre-arranged events, or make a reservation for your own. You and your friends can explore your creative sides by painting your pottery, while sipping wine and snacking on hors devours. Then, you'll get a tour and demonstration in our studio and be able to see where your pieces will be fired to completion. Finally, you’ll finish the evening with coffee and dessert.
These events are perfect for:
- Girls' Night Out
- Date Night
- Birthday Parties
- Corporate Retreats
- Holiday/Seasonal Events
- Bridesmaids' Luncheons
- At-Your-Home Parties
At only $25 per person, your event will include:
- Wine and a selection of hors devours
- A snack plate on which to paint
- A wide variety of glazes to choose from
- A tour and demonstration in our pottery studio
- Coffee and dessert
- Additional pieces to paint are extra
2011 Jean Elton Annual Open House: A Preview
Friday and Saturday is the 2011 Annual Open House featuring Jean Elton art, dinnerware, and ornaments, as well as baby star bibs, burps, and blankets and handcrafted jewelry. Not quite sold yet on coming? Here are some pictures to help convince you!
Husband Now On Board!
What a sweet email from a customer!
Ken and I were eating the same thing, cereal with bananas and strawberries, hot coffee in our painted mugs and blueberry muffins on one of your square plates waiting to be savored with our coffee. Ken looked over at my placemat and said "Wow, your cereal looks so much better and prettier than mine, how come" I ask him to take another look and he said "I AM!" I repeated "what do you think the difference is, we are eating the same thing except mine is in black and red bowl and plate with painted cup but yours is in our old Lennox china you think is still perfectly good for us!" After a thoughtful look between the two placemats he sheepishly replied "OK, now I get your point, it really does make a difference when you have a nice change! You really did make a good choice to buy from Lois with her pretty designs"! Of course, that was music to my ears and thanked him profusely but made a mental note to tell you about it ASAP!
Isn't it great when your husband praises your purchases?
Backyard Kiln
Ever wonder something about making pottery? We'd love to hear from you and answer your questions! We recently received one about whether or not a backyard, wood-fired oven could also be used as a kiln to make pottery. Here is the response, written by Bill Barker, co-owner and founder of Jean Elton Studios:The quick and simple answer is yes. I've even fired clay in our fireplace. However, there are a few things that will affect the result.The first is the style of the wood-buring oven. With the right design (a fully enclosed updraft, often built on a hill), the "oven" could differ little from a ceramic kiln. Wood-burning kilns can reach the highest temperatures needed for making commercial stoneware and porcelain. On the other hand, if the design is just an open pit, then the maximum temperatures will not reach those necessary to create viable ceramic ware.However, as I said, I have fired ceramics in our fireplace just to see what would happen. The result depends on the clay composition, but the resulting clay pot will be very brittle and probably crumbly. It may or may not be able to sustains its own shape once it cools and you pick it up.Generally speaking, with the appropriate clay body, you could produce a viable ceramic vessel at temperatures as low as 1100 degrees Fahrenheit, about double the temperature normally associated with the maximum of a kitchen oven. With an outside oven, with some enclosure, you could probably reach these temperatures.One safety caution: air bubbles and too rapid a heating cycle (greater than 200 degrees per hour) can cause clay to explode. This does not create a concussion like that of a bomb, but if you are looking in on your creation, be sure to stay a healthy distance away and wear eye protection.
New Item: Coasters
We are excited to once again be a part of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission's event this October. This year, the tables have our pitchers as the centerpieces, and everyone gets to take home a coaster. This video shows the process (from beginning to end) of how the coasters are made.
Evolution of Painted Pitchers
I've been doing a lot of painting recently. It all started when we got two large orders for hand-painted pitchers, so I was working on those for a while. Then Hurricane Irene hit, and we were without power for a full week! I couldn't do much work in the studio, so I spent all my days painting pitchers. It's interesting how the designs evolved. I began doing my usual flowers/geometric shapes. Then I started really examining other types of flowers to see if I could draw them. Suddenly I had pitchers without geometric shapes (what I used to think of as my signature) and only flowers: geraniums, daisies, lilies, roses, hydrangea, etc. Then I started geometric shapes again, but with a more checkerboard look to them. Now I have shelves and shelves full of pitchers, both round and disk shaped. And not one of them is the same; each pitcher is unique! And finally both large orders are filled, with some to spare!
Upcoming Shows
Today we will be exhibiting at the Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Show in Bellefonte, PA. Hours are 10am to 8pm today, and 10am to 5pm tomorrow.We will also be exhibiting at the Suffield Arts & Crafts Show in Suffield, CT on September 9 and 10.If you're in the area of either, stop by our booth!