Spinning off to the Netherlands

The small world the internet has helped us create still amazes me. I can create a custom order for a person in the Netherlands, and off it goes - and I've never left my little mid-western town. I can't take that for granted!

The spinning pendant came out great. There was an issue with the stone - it discolored when fired. It was supposed to be blue - tanzanite cubic zirconia - but it turned more of a yellowy amber. I found that the blue is the least heat tolerant of the czs, but had used blue successfully before, so that was a bit disappointing. The customer was great, saying , "The color chose me," which is a nice way to look at it!

PMC Pasta experiment #2

Part defeat, part success.

The defeat: I think I know what is happening. The clay needs to shrink, and there is no where for it to go, so it bursts. This must happend before the pasta burns out of the core. So .... I could coat the pasta with a cushion. I have heard that people do this with a coat of white glue. But, then I have less to work with as far as the crispness of the pasta design on the clay. A number of coats starts blurring the unique impression of the noodle.

The success: I tried another where I impressed the pasta, then rolled the shape over a dowel, then fired it. That one looks good. This limits the options for the the shapes, though.

I hate defeat! If anyone out there has any ideas, I'm listening.

I am going to try one b y making a simple mold. I will try one more with a coat of glue and see how the impression holds up. And another more 'free hand' shape. After that I will have to call it quits or go with what we get.

um

Not so pretty. The beads collapsed. Brainstorming for possible reasons ....

• need a support under the pasta
• fired for too long or at too high temp
• ramped the kiln too quickly
• too much or too little clay on the form
• the pasta burst and wrecked the form as it heated
  

Things to try:

• stuff the pasta with cork clay for support
  
• use PMC3 and fire lower
• let the kiln ramp at a lower rate

Options for a Noodle Necklace

Here is the cheapest .... it's virtual. And makes a stupid noise when you add the pasta to the cord.

Then you could go the traditional route and have your kid make you one at camp or day care. You could even make a colored one. Warning: the end result may have future sentimental value.

My new custom order is actually from a woman who, inspired by a crumbling necklace her son made several years ago, would like to have an upgrade - something attractive and indestructible. She saw one where the noodles are cast in gold and it is beautiful ... and high end. Yeah, the price you see - that's for one piece of golden pasta.

So, my challenge. Make a silver noodle necklace, preferably that sorta looks like gold (chance to experiment with patina) and make it affordable.

Stay tuned!