I love the colors on these tiles and they aren't even fired yet.   When ever I see a cone 6 glaze recipe that interests me, I pin it with intentions of one day testing it.   Months go by and the collection grows.  Finally I get around to testing and while sorting through these glaze recipes I ask myself.. How do I know if these are food safe?  This question is the main reason I'm committed to learning more about glaze chemistry.  I hope to one day be able to read a glaze recipe and based on the ingredients have a good idea if the recipe is food safe or not. &nb ..read more

I love coffee, I always have.  I remember being a tiny girl and my Daddy giving me "just one sip" from his coffee cup. Pour over drip coffee maker  by DirtKicker Pottery There's just something about making and serving coffee in handmade pottery.  It's very satisfying and cozy. I make my pour-overs kind of big, because I usually make generous size mugs.     Keep an eye on my DirtKicker Pottery Etsy Shop for One of a kind pour-over drip coffee makers and adorable coffee mugs. ©CindyGilliland2015 ..read more

Test Firing new kiln First glaze firing is done.  My 9 hour firing schedule finished in 8 hours 35 minutes.  The moment of truth will be Thursday morning.   I realize now that this kiln is much bigger than what I really wanted.   Probably should have purchased a Liberty Belle. Studio Tip: This tool is next to my wheel everytime I throw.  I use it to under-cut fresh pots and to check height and width. Just take a simple wood modeling stick, measure out each inch and label with a Sharpie.    Ruled modeling stick All designs, photos and co ..read more

dirtkickerpottery.com My website got a total makeover.  It's light and cheerful.  John did a fantastic job.  He's such a sweetheart. ©CindyGilliland ..read more

Morning light and shadows made everything look like a good memory ..read more

In the Book "The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes" John Britt writes about reading cones,  "The perfect arch of self-supporting cones is when it is bent to the top of the flared triangular base". He goes further into the subject with illustrations, photos and lots of great information.  If you don't already have John's new book, you need to stop what you're doing and order it right now.  I found this video from Orton. It was very enlightening. Lining up a good view through the peep hole ©CindyGilliland ..read more

Yesterday I was looking through my new December 2014 issue of Sunset Magazine.  There was an article on a beautiful Washington home.  The photo of the kitchen caught my eye because there was lovely open shelves for the dishes instead of cupboards,   I looked a little closer and noticed two pieces of my pottery sitting on the kitchen counter.    Made me smile :-) DirtKicker Pottery Sunflower Honey Pot  and French Butter Keeper Happy Clay Days! ©Cindy Gilliland ..read more

Christmas making and glazing are finished.  Kiln is cooling.  DIY Glaze Spray Booth Even though it's time to get into selling mode, my thoughts are still filled with making pottery.  I'm getting excited for 2015.  What new designs will God inspire?  I plan to utilizing my spray booth a lot more.   It's fast and kind of exciting to spray glaze.   Aurora Borealis Mugs If you missed out on my Aurora Borealis Mugs, I'll begin listing more in my DirtKicker Pottery Etsy Shop this week, along with lots of other great pieces! Bisque load from a 10 cubic foot ..read more

L&L Kiln Sure-vent 4 years ago John installed a Sure-vent on my 10 cubic foot L&L Easy Fire Kiln.  It made a HUGE difference in my glaze results.  Less pinholing, brighter colors plus my elements have a longer life.     Over the past year the vent motor had become very noise.  Last firing it sounded like I had a subwoofer hooked up to my kiln.   I also noticed that the last couple glaze kilns had several pieces with pin holes.    It turned out that the fan had zero air movement.   I ordered a new motor and John installed it.   I too ..read more

Usually I throw pots the first half of the day, then afternoons I trim and decorate the pots I threw the day prior.    I stand while throwing, so breaking up the day is a healthy balance for me.       The dry climate in Northern Nevada gives me a lot of control over how quickly I would like my pots to dry.    After throwing my pots I let them sit out until the rims firm up, then I put them in my DIY drying cabinet over night. Aurora Mugs in process. This will be my 4th Christmas making them. The next morning I remove the pots from the bats.   I pla ..read more