Clock Face: Prints

Clock Face Prints: First Round

Today is devoted to test printing our new screen, the HAMS clock face. This is our most complicated decal to date, with three overglazes on two separate decals, black, orangey and Glow In The Dark too. Here's the first round of black and orange prints. These will be fired onto the clock face first and a second Glow In The Dark decal will be floated over top of the first layer of decals. This has to be done because the Glow In The Dark fires at a much lower temperature then our regular decals. Two temperatures, two layers of decals.

Each round of printing we get better at lining up the screens. A quick clamp has become the best tool for holding the screen whilst we pull the overglaze. We opted out of a very thin trap because the overglaze shows overlapped areas. We have zero room for error, so it's tricky business printing these clock faces. Good thing there isn't a hundred to do.

Bone China Slip Trials

Bone China Slip Trials: Ten Kilos

Here in the rcboisjoli studio, we've been weighing, measuring, recording and mix mix mixing. We've completed our first batch of Bone China Slip. We did a larger ten Kilo batch as we found small batches were just too hard to get just right. Most recipes call for 100 pounds of clay to start with. 

We definitely have come along way with our slip knowledge. We've experimented with Soda Ash, Sodium Silicate and Darvan #7 to get the batch just right. Ultimately we added a tad too much water, (our Specific Gravity is about 16.8) and we had to increase the deflocculants by about 30% from normal clay body guidelines. We'll be preparing a technical document for anyone interested in making your own slip soon, once we're sure it's working just fine.

 All those scribbles are important! Each addition was carefully recorded and noted. We stared at that bucket for way too long. rcboisjoli is looking to invest in a real mixer, one on a stand.

A Bit Of A Flop

Bone China Slip Trials

We're back to the studio today for some more slip trials, we had a kiln full of tests last night, and one bit of a flop. We tested the final form of the clock to see how it would stand up to being fired on foot, we knew it would slump. We just didn't expect this much.

Looking like something out of a Dali painting, it's actually kind of cute. Not quite what we want though. This test was done in our regular slip just to test the form and mold out. The bone china slip will warp even more when we get it to cast, so we'll be setting up a different firing routine for the HAMS clocks. We'll be firing raw to temperature and glazing low. That way we can fire face down for stability and glaze upright without fear of too much warping.

Flora Found: Backyard Garden

Hosta: Backyard Garden

A garden favourite, the hosta is a large shade loving garden fixture. Low growing, with large ever expanding clusters of leafy greens, from hunter to lime and variegated stripes. The small plumes of flowers emerge in late summer and are often overlooked.

Small waxy looking, bell shaped flowers are a tasty looking purple. A profusion of stamens jump out to distribute pollen to any eager bee. Our Double Mustard Bear is featured here.

Bone China Slip: Testing

Testing The Tests

Today is all about Bone China, making and testing. Slip making was never taught in school, we don't even know anybody who makes it. There are those out there who do, we're sure of it. Making slip is tricky business and we've learned to really appreciate our regular slip so much more. One needs a light tough and a good mixing arm too. It's all about the perfect ratio of water, dry materials and deflocculants.

It's hard to believe that this small amount of water is enough to liquefy 2,000 g of dry clay materials. Deflocculants are wonderful for that, they charge the particles of the clay and in return they repel each other. Rather than attracting to form a solid, they all separate, and poof, you have a liquid slip. It would take five times as much water alone to make the same consistency, and they clay would be so weak that it wouldn't cast. This handy digital scale is a great way to save time. We miss our triple beam scale, but digital is so much faster.

Testing means good records, always making notes of how you did it, what you did and if it worked out. Notes are all over the studio and rcboisjoli is fuelled by coffee.

A Quick Proof

Clock Prototype

Always when we make a new mold here at the rcboisjoli studios, we can't wait to try it out. There are tricks to fast curing your mold, fans, kilns, sunny windows and even the microwave. We always try to pull a cast just before it's dry and the resulting first cast is always a wonky mess. This clock actually came out great. A preliminary mock up for the HAMS clock. We're working on a new doodad for the top of the clock, something a bit more substantial.

Now we're stuck with the task of making a bone china casting slip. Lots of trial and error and buckets  of slop in the studio right now. We had our first successful batch last night with a terrific lightning storm all about the studio, mad scientist style. Bone china is a great hard white translucent clay body but terrible to work with. The bone ash, which is synthetic now, is very caustic and works against the deflocculation of the slip. We'll post more when (if) we get better results.

Collected: Green Square

In Appreciation of Bottles

This larger bottle is almost like the hefty older sibling of last week's squat square bottle. Hefty and solid, with a great green tinted glass, this bottle holds a great bouquet.

To view the Collected series as a whole visit our flickr page, updated every week.

Sneaky Peek

Plaster Lathe: Prototyping

Here's a peek at a new form, just turned on the plaster lathe. Destined to be a clock body, with decalled face and real clock works, this model is just the beginning. This is the first collaboration between rcboisjoli and HAMS. It'll be a fun one for sure. We're excited by the project and will post lots more in the months ahead.

And The Winner Is...

Bloorcourt Street Fair/Facebook Feathered Giveaway

Even though we had a bit of confusion last week with our facebook group/page we do have a winner!
Nadiene Giguere

 She has won the lucky draw for one fine feathered vase. She'll be contacted directly and receive a great package in the mail soon. We'll have another giveaway in the future, probably in the dark winter months ahead.

Flora Found: Edibles

Thai Basil and Nasturtiums: Back Garden

This tasty pair of spicy peppery nasturtiums and sweet licorice Thai basil is a great combo. They look just as great as they taste. I love the contrast between forms, smooth leaves and fluttery petals, orange blossoms and purple stems.

Collected: Hartley's Drug Store

In Appreciation of Bottles

An amazing bottle with very decorative script and beautiful faceted features. The bottles has great a gradated scale on the sides, great facets across the neck and very elaborate script, inscribed with HARTLEY'S DRUG STORE, 411½ Parliment St.

The bottom of this rectangular bottle has a diamond logo with KING OVAL.

To view the Collected series as a whole visit our flickr page, updated every week.

Collected: Brown Square

In Appreciation of Bottles

This more recent bottle was a gift from a handsome friend, it's dark brown glass adds a mystery to it's square profile. Not much of a neck, but a strong rolled rim finishes it off well.

To view the Collected series as a whole visit our flickr page, updated every week.

Flora Found: Squash Blossoms

Squash Blossoms: Backyard Garden

Large, bright and hard to miss, these magnificent Pattypan blossoms fill up the garden every year. Not only do they attract a whole host of pollinators they also leave behind tasty flat UFO shaped summer squash. These porcelain barrels are in full production now, after their time in the limelight at TYPE Books for The Niagara File installation. 

Click for images of the window featured these mini porcelain barrels.

Bloorcourt Street Fair

Bloorcourt Street Fair Fun

Thanks for all the people who stopped by and to those who purchased some rcboisjoli products! Here's a few pictures of the set up, bright and early.

Biking up Dovercourt rd, gear in tow at a very slow speed.

One last sign, there's always one that you forget to print, especially when you do them the morning of.

The booth, almost ready to go. Product out, bunting up and sand bags holding down the fort. Just a few tweaks and we were ready to go!

New Facebook Group!

rcboisjoli On Facebook

This weekend at the Bloorcourt Street Fair, we started a campaign to draw focus to our facebook group as a tool to spread information about rcboisjoli. We didn't realize the difference between a 'page' and a 'group' but now we do, mostly.

We'll still have the original giveaway but start another one with our second real rcboisjoli Facebook page. one that's actually likeable. 

rcboisjoli on facebook

If you enjoy hearing about rcboisjoli, be sure to 'like' us on facebook. Anyone who posts a comment on our new page will be entered into a competition to win a new Feathered Vase! One random commentator will be chosen on Saturday August 20th. 

Cloudy, With A Chance of Crafts!

Today!

Bloorcourt Street Fair Goods!

Goods For Sale!

Just in time for the Bloorcourt Street Fair, these new wares from rcboisjoli are set to go! One with a great run of new decals, on an older underused form. The slender but heavily shouldered vase was popular with it's double bird decals but now clad with a single feather.

Glazed in our classic Seagull Egg glaze and decalled with a single large feather, in a lovely acorn brown and a few in the mustard as well. Feather design by our in house graphic genius, Ian Phillips

We're also pleased to release a limited run of Double Bear Octagonal bottles for the show. 

Just For The Weekend

Octagonal Bears

These back to back rusty bears are on a limited edition octagonal bottle. Only a few have been made and will be for sale only this weekend at the Bloorcourt Street Fair. Be sure to come early if you want one. Click for me info on the event.

Collected: Japanese Glow Bug

In Appreciation of Bottles

This may be my favourite (and smallest) of my bottle collection. A precious gift from a handsome fellow, this tiny bottle is an old Japanese bottle, clad with a little firefly design.

I really love the lines used to show light emitting from the firefly's backside.

To view the Collected series as a whole visit our flickr page, updated every week.

Bunt Bunt Bunting!

Flags For All

Fresh from the sewing room, these strands of triangular flags, historically known as bunting, are ready for the street fair this weekend. We choose a bold dark blue stripe to match our tent and a bright white twill tape to match the stripes.

Using an easy method fusing two layers of fabric together there was no need to finish the edges of each flag. We used 1 1/2 inch twill tape, folded in half to string each flag, two lines of quick stitching bind it all together.

Featherd: New Decals

All Feathered Up

A sneak peak at rcboisjoli's new feather decal.

Freshly printed and curing in the heat of a hot kiln. These decals need to be sealed, cut out and applied to a form before one last firing. These feathers were printed with a lovely Acorn Brown overglaze.

Wooden Crates

Show Props

Although rcboisjoli mainly works in ceramics, we love other materials, like wood. We've always wanted a series of wooden crates as show props for ages, but couldn't like just the right ones or ones that are affordable. This led us to a few hours of a different kind of mess. A few hours of cutting, sanding and staining are here we are.

 

Freshly waxed and buffed (by hand with an old sock) these will be a great help at the upcoming Bloorcourt Street Fair this weekend. The best part about these crates is that this one fits into that one and those fit into this one and suddenly they're all in one crate. Having stacking accessories is very important for shows. The less stuff you have to carry around the better, especially if your main method of transport is a bike.

We also been be sewing up a storm too, with some tent matching bunting! Stay tuned for a new product just in time for the show.

Barrels are out!

Barrels Are Back

Fresh outta' the kiln, these mini ceramic barrels are back in stock and finally available online. Check out our Etsy page for details on how you pick up your own rcboisjoli barrel.

Flora Found: Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop: Backyard Garden

This tasty and unusual herb is like lemon balm gone licorice. A member of the mint family, as told by it's square stems and opposite leaves. Great bee attraction and a pleasant sweet licorice taste.

Glazing Glazing Glazing

Glazing It Up

Most ceramists dread glazing. Whatever method you choose to perform: spraying, painting or dipping, there are a myriad of ways to easily ruin your piece. Too thick, too thin, uneven, missed spots or that one area you didn't wipe off good enough all lead to disaster when opening up your glaze kiln. There's only one way to get good at glazing: practice. Usually if it works, don't change it.
No matter how many kilns are fired here at the rcboisjoli studio, it's always fingers crossed and a racing pulse as we raise that lid after our glaze firings.

Above is rcboisjoli's most popular glaze Seagull Egg and below is a line up of just dipped bottles and bowls, ready for a quick wipe and a toss into the kiln.