Nostalgic Ceramics LLC

03/17/2026

Fresh from the kiln.
Some glaze testing in the larger kiln, interesting color differences, I wasn’t getting before.

These are available in the studio gallery.

03/16/2026

Reading blueprints at the studio!

03/13/2026

Kevin and I have a lot of heirlooms growing this year!!! We have new herbs and flowers, and we can't wait for the planting season. 😁 Our composting garden never got emptied and refilled last fall, so we have work to do outside, but we might direct-sow peas and radishes this weekend. Our weather has been so mild that we are debating moving everything to the greenhouse with a heater at night. Now, if only these fires let up, we are praying for rain!

03/09/2026

Working through the prototype for my next porcelain lamp base and beginning glaze testing.

This piece uses an antique glazing technique that traces back to the porcelain workshops of Valencia, Spain. The method was once used in traditional European porcelain decoration and is rarely seen today because it is labor-intensive to apply.

At this stage, the glaze's true color isn’t visible yet. The celadon tone will develop during firing.

Before the surface dries, you can begin to see where the glaze will settle and pool along the seams and the form's structure. Those areas typically deepen in tone, while thinner areas remain pale, translucent, and feathered once fired.

It’s always a bit of a leap of faith at this stage. The kiln ultimately reveals the final surface, but the movement and pooling you see now give early clues about how the glaze will develop. The prototype tester is always a good idea. It reveals the piece's weak points, warping, and cracking, allowing modifications to the final piece.

03/05/2026

Looking ahead to April’s workshop builds, and I can’t wait for this one. I had to share this little garden figure. He may look complicated, but he’s actually a great project for advanced beginners through intermediate students.

The face is a beginner-friendly sculpt, and we’ll focus on simple shaping techniques, texture, and character as we bring him to life in clay. He’s a playful little garden piece and a really satisfying build! 👩‍🌾🍃🌿😁

March builds are at the end of the month. We have egg platters and botanical wall tiles. Keep an eye on the website.

https://www.nostalgicceramics.com/workshops

02/23/2026

My Kiln Prayer!!

Lord of clay and steady flame,
You watched me load it shelf by shelf.
Posts set square and cones in place,
Nothing touching, space by space.

I wedged it well, or so I claimed.
I trimmed it clean… though fire’s untamed.
I think I compressed the base just right.
We’ll know the truth by morning light.

I swear that handle will hold its share.
(It looked thick enough when it was there.)

Let shelves stay level, posts stay tight,
Let cones bend gently, witness right.
No mystery cracks in the dead of night,
No glaze deciding to stage a fight.

If something must fail in fiery trial,
Choose the test tile. Just that tile.
Not the lamp I’ve shaped for weeks.
Not the bees in liquid gold…
Those tiny crowns I brushed on slow,
Fire can wreck in one wrong load.

Guard against that hollow “ping,”
The sound that makes a potter sting.
And keep my kiln from doing that thing
Where one piece fuses to everything.

Grant patience through the cooling span,
No peeking like a faithless fan.
Because thermal shock was not Your plan,
And neither was my rushed demand.

If it succeeds, I’ll call it skill.
If not, I’ll wedge and center still.
The lesson’s learned, the form refined,
Fire humbles. Clay reminds.

Amen.

02/22/2026

02/15/2026

Our 2026 all-heirloom garden has started. Sterling is zone 5b, and our last frost date is May 5th. We start our seeds under grow lights, and they sit on a heat mat. We have a timer on the lights to turn on for twelve hours and off for 12.

What we started mid-February indoors:

Flowers:
marigolds, petunias, zinnia, pansies, and silver falls. You can also start cosmos now, too; we didn't this year.

Vegetables:
Pepper, bell, and jalapeño, berry tomato, and Italian tomato

Herbs:
Marjoram, cilantro, parsley, basil, sage, calendula (also a flower), bee balm (bergamot), spearmint.

We water the seedlings with a bottle that has holes poked in the top so we don’t wash the seeds away until they are established. Once sprouted, we water from the bottom. These will move to our heated greenhouse once they are big enough to transplant.

02/08/2026

We made our best seller Monkey Wrench and a new bar Lavender, Eucalyptus & Oatmilk. These will be in the gallery in four to six weeks.

02/08/2026

Kevin and I are getting ready to start our first round of seeds indoors. You can too with free seeds!