The Return of Gillette Leaves

Just when I thought that posting 

how easy these are to make

would decrease the demand for them, 

I found that premise to just not be true...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BHClaysmith?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Wire Wrapped Reversible 

Ceramic Plaquettes

Fine craft shows of the Season have all but ended.

My work is still available at the Pennsylvania Guild Store

in Lancaster, the Noyes Museum Shops, m t burton in

Surf City, NJ and BeaDazzle Gallery Shop at the

Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA.

Seasonal Bells?

Scroddled clay, stains and spot glazing

make up these pinch pot bells.

 Add a clanger and leather cord

and you have one noisy dinner bell!

The GIFT of Made By Hand

Made-by-Hand

Gifts for the Holidays

December 13th & 14th, 2014

12:00 - 5:00

The Gathering Place

(formerly Earth Tones)

19 North Centre Street, Merchantville, NJ 08109

One-of-a-Kind Creations by Local Artists - 

Barbara Hanselman Claysmith

Gretchen Hulse Crescent Moon Clothing

Anita DiPietro Jewelry

Kathy Casper Tile Maker

Anna Tumas Fiber Artist 

Traci Tambussi Pottery

Jennifer Talerico Weaver

Handle Free Personal Pitcher and Cup

In my earthenware hand building class last week, I was asked if I knew how to make a one piece pitcher with the grabbing handle and spout all part of the template, so I played around with the idea and came up with this...

Bracelet Bead Earrings

These double holed squarish ceramic clay beads 

are textured both sides.

Ceramic Clay Egyptian Scarabs

New Infinity Earrings and Necklace

I initially made these beads with double holes in them for bracelets but then I had an epiphany today while deciding what to make for some Holidays showings...

Both the earrings and necklace beads are reversible so you get two necklaces for the price of one with the earrings making an impression both coming and going.

Leather Cord USA Customer Spotlight Friday November 14th, 2014

Scroddled Clay Pinch Pot Bell Pods

All clay workers end up with small amounts of several clays they use and there's no better way to re-purpose them than by lazily mixing them together, forming the scroddled clay into Clementine size balls and pinching these balls into bell pods.  The act of pinching is so meditative...why not give it a try!

Hand Building Ceramic Clay Workshop January 2015

http://www.pacrafts.org/workshops/hand-building-tips-tricks-january-10-2015/

Do you know how to make invisible seams? Create hollow handles? Hand build a form and dart, stretch or manipulate the clay you are using into a rewarding form? Tried and true HAND BUILDING tricks of the trade will be explored in this one day workshop with Barbara Hanselman and Marcia Reiver as they do dual demonstrations which employ pre-sized templates to hand build appealing cups and pots.

Starting with the exact same templates, they will each do their own take on how the piece will look upon completion. They’ll also effortlessly form flanged lids and ease-mold CUTEsie scent bottles, vases and pitchers.

The basis of this class is exploration, so in addition to hand building with pre-sized templates, Barbara and Marcia will demonstrate how to impress surface patterning into clay slabs, mold cool handles, form Gillette leaves and tape glaze a bisque pot.

The focus will be totally on the process and techniques with no actual glazing or glaze firing being done. Come embrace the secrets of basic clay construction with like-minded clay enthusiasts and discover all that clay is capable of becoming.

Participants should bring:
1. Basic clay supplies to include a clay scalpel or knife, needle tool, pony roller, scoring tool, Teflon ribs, throwing stick, dowels, container for water, brushes, sponge.
2. Clay or clay slabs rolled to 1/4” thickness on drywall ware boards.
3. 18” rolling pin and Cloth hand towels.
4. Notebook, pencil or pen, scissors, oak-tag weight cardboard for templates.
5. Ruler (preferably an 18” clear drafting style one).
6. Attaching slurry for clay being used made from ½ vinegar, ½ water, dry clay.
7. 1/4” & 3/16” Pairs of basswood rolling sticks (available at AC Moore).
Woven hand building mat 27” x 27” cut from cotton-backed Naugahyde.
8. Corrugated cardboard, textures, molds

INTAGLIO 7”x 9” flexible impressing mats, some tools as well as finished clay work will be for sale.


  Barbara Hanselman started her adventure in clay 20 years ago and is recognized by her hand built featherweight pots and terra sigillata enhanced ceramic clay beads. Her work has been acknowledged with awards at Strictly Functional Pottery Nationals, the Pennsylvania Guild Exhibitions, and at several area art center shows. Lark Books chose two of her bowls to appear in their 2003 publication, “500 Bowls” and selected her transfer printed bowl, “What’s in a Word…” to appear in their 2006 publication, “Image Transfer on Clay.” Her classes/workshops on Clay Hand Building Techniques, Clay Rattles and Making Beads in Clay are offered at local art centers and my clay work is available for purchase online as well as through select galleries.
   Marcia Reiver began her art career as a graphic designer. But customers don’t always allow you to be creative. She needed an outlet, so she went back to an old love…pottery. Her pottery designs have been inspired by Russian architecture, a variety of fabric patterns, the periods of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Mission, as well as Native American pottery. Her pottery has been shown at fine craft shows up and down the east coast, as well as in Wave Hill’s Garden Shop in the Bronx, Tyme Gallery in Havertown, and has been published in 500 Tiles, 2008, by Lark Books and 500 Raku, 2011, by Lark Books.

CUTEsie Personal Pitchers

These were made in my last Community Arts Center Monday hand building class.

You Bug Me! Press Mold Tray

I've finally had the time to test some of the press molds I designed to complement my Intaglio impressing mats.  This one has been glazed in Y Green.

ETSY MUD TEAM

Etsy Mud Team on Etsy

Woven Top Ceramic Clay Reversible Pendants

My Antiquities Collection contains a few of these pendant designs, many of which are available through Leslie Pope who owns Twisted Sistah.

Ceramic Clay Blob Vine Bracelet

My blob beads are some of the easiest beads to form but the finishing can be intensive.  Since they make such great bracelets and the clay (which is either raw or finished with terra sigillata) remains open to absorb the wearers' essence, they are well worth the time it takes.

I plan to offer these for sale at the Potters' Guild 2014 Holiday Show at the Community Arts Center.

A Healing Rattle for a Friend

Two weeks ago I found out that a good friend's other half is going to need chemo so I set about to make her a healing rattle...I left waxed linen strands on the tails so she can add her own talisman and charms from friends and family members.

Many cultures believe in Healing RATTLES 
and their capacity to dispel illness and dis ease. 
These Rattles are credited with being able to 
awaken the human spirit, drive out negative 

energies and center personal focus.  
My versions of these Rattles are hand formed 
and adorned with symbols of wellness; 

they are shaped to be grasped.  
During times of despair, medical treatments 
or loneliness, the Rattle should be gently 

shaken to the beat of one’s heart. 
RATTLES do help us to ground; 
their sound is powerful and magical, 

producing an incomparable energy all their own. 

Mayan Mayhem

I just got my new INTAGLIO impressing mat - can't wait to use it!

Clay for the Garden and Patio

Weed Pots or Wall Pockets are not only great for the outdoor deck or patio, they function just as well in the kitchen as containers to hold freshly picked herbs...

Clay Jewelry Components

The more beads, plaquettes and pendants I make from clay, the more they vary...

Many of these end up for sale on my Etsy site, BHClaysmith, while others will be used to make Clay to Wear offerings for galleries and Guild shows this fall and winter.  Check back often for postings about upcoming Holiday events.

Gnome Home

My summer classes had a great time making things from clay for the garden, patio and deck.  This votive candle deck or garden light in an example of one of my demos...

I love the back door created with twigs to the high round window - so gnomelike!

Press Trays

Over the past couple months, I made press molds for trays in various shapes which complement my Intaglio designs but they also seem to stand on their own looking good with or without patterning, decals or textures.  My classes have really enjoyed using them and it is only now that I have begun to actually use them myself.  My idea was to make trays for my CUTEsies and other clay complements such as cream and sugar bowls...