Sunshine Clayworks
LightNews LightNews
banner
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Sunshine Clayworks
@sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
710 followers 630 following 270 posts
Autistic hobby potter in the great white north :)
Posts Replies Media Videos
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
A little ladybug perched on a leaf 🥰

Black underglaze wiped back
Jade celadon
Various underglazes under a clear glaze on the lady 🐞

#pottersofbluesky #pottery #handmade #handmadeincanada #naturalpottery
A light green ceramic leaf sits incongruously on a water drenched rock. There is darker green moss and brighter green vines on the edges of the pic. The leaf has its veins highlighted in a darker colour, and there’s a ceramic ladybug perched near its edge. I struggle with the photography part of this hobby. But today the midday sun under the shadow of the courtyard walls was just perfect
August 2, 2025 at 8:49 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Made a big and little version of this for the husband’s last birthday. He uses the big one every day 🥰

Badge: manganese wash full strength wiped back

Glazes: winter wood, power turquoise

#pottersofbluesky #pottery #mug #handmade #handmadeincanada #canadianpottery #happyhusband
A hand holds a small mug against a lavender background. The mug has a concave shape, wider at top and bottom than in the middle. It’s got a round badge of raised clay, the badge has the initials MG stamped in my favourite fancy font (Victorian style stone stamps) in the middle and round dots around the edge. The indents on the badge are a mid brown colour. I’ll use underglaze to get a darker colour next time. The main mug body is glazed in a turquoise colour with brown specks that ran in the firing. The husband chose the glaze combo, it’s his favourite. The glaze is very light colours at the rim where the turquoise pulled down revealing the winter wood base. I’m going to work on making that less noticeable.
July 15, 2025 at 7:59 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Dammit dammit dammit!

S crack. I’m going to glaze it anyway and hope it’s doesn’t go all the way thru in the glaze firing. I had been thinking of some gold too, but I think a third firing would be pushing it. Dammit!

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #rainbows #tinycrack #fingerscrossed
The bottom of a bisque fired decorative dish. It’s got a small but very noticeable S crack in it. These usually form because the walls and the bottom of the piece are different thickness, causing uneven drying. It’s a test piece, I wasn’t super careful, I’m kind of surprised it’s the only one to show this at the bisque stage. It’s my favourite though! The top of a bisque fired decorative dish. It’s got a pattern on the flat surface made by rolling a stencil onto the centred clay on the wheel, before pulling the walls. Then I added a little rainbow with some clouds when it was leather hard. This side looks like it survived bisque firing. No way to know if that pesky S crack will go straight thru during glaze firing. We’re going to find out!
June 27, 2025 at 3:29 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Happy Pride! As always, no filter. That’s way too technical and complicated. I’d rather argue with the kiln gods. Natural light is making my rainbow dishes look neon tho and I’m not super duper happy about it.

Pearl white x2
S&C stripes

#pottery #pottersofbluesky #rainbow #happypride #panproud
Natural light through light overcast clouds make three small rainbow dishes look very neon. They’re resting on grass in an inverted triangle arrangement and photographed from above. They were a test, so the amount of flow of the glazes varies between each dish. One has no white at the bottom of the little bowl, one has a small amount, one has a nickel sized patch of white. Lots learned, including not to try to capture this glaze combo outside in late morning overcast conditions.
June 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Little dishes make me happy. This glaze combo makes my hand hurt though.

Obsidian x3 all over
Dots inside only seaweed x2
Inside only smoky merlot x2 over dots

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #handmade #tinydishes #painfulglazing #worthit
A small shallow bowl shaped dish is held in a hand against a backdrop of a weathered wood fence. The glaze on the dish is a mix of colours, with a dark purple rim fading into dots of varying blue hues running together into a streaky purple/green bottom
June 24, 2025 at 11:22 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Spent some time this am trying to take pottery pics while this angry git yelled at me.

#potterypics #amgrysquirrel #pleasestopyelling
June 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
What do we think of this glaze? I like the crystals. I like green. But I feel underwhelmed. I was hoping for a more dramatic rim effect. Maybe thicker blobby application of the manganese?

Manganese wash full strength x2 top cm
Smoke x3 all

#pottery #potterymug #handmade #handmadepottery #mug
A greenish mug sits inside a chipped multicoloured cement planter that is also home to various weeds and a scrap of painted brown wood. The background is the white-ish stucco of an exterior house wall. The glaze on the mug has a mottled green glaze on the bottom two thirds, while the top third has more of a smooth, flowy look because of the manganese wash fluxing under the glaze.
June 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
I hated this bowl. Gave it to a friend and they took this pic and now I see what they saw!

#muddywatersindeed #pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #blueskypotters #wheelthrown #handmade
A medium sized bowl sits on a dark wood surface. In the background are some white wood trays, they are kind of whitewashed so the wood grain shows through. The bowl is glazed with mayco’s muddy waters. I hated the first result with four thick layers, so I added two more and refired. Hoping for those gorgeous blues some people get. This bowl is mostly brown, with varied colour flowing down the inside of the bowl. There are some hints of blue, but not what I was hoping for.
February 5, 2025 at 10:06 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Things I love:

Cats
Cat roller
Rainforest and Storm celadon

These combine all three!

#pottery #handmade #handbuilt #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #blueskypotters #cats #meow #littlepotterydishes
A hand holds two small shallow round dishes against a background of indoor fig leaves. The dishes have been hand built, meaning they are slightly wonky and not perfectly round. They were made by rolling out a slab of clay, then impressing the cat print with a special roller, then cutting circles and bringing the edges of those circles upwards by hand. The end result is a dish with raised cats and the word “meow” on them. These are glazes in a dark but translucent green and blue.
February 5, 2025 at 6:48 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
The very first mug I ever made that I liked. It’s in my studio holding tools, I still love my fat kitty mug

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #potterymug #catmug #wheelthrown #handmade #fatcat #mug
A medium sized mug sits on a stone vine-covered shelf. The front of the mug has my first attempt at carving and inlay. There’s a large oval of bare clay with a fat running cat carved into it. The carving is not detailed, it’s just line-work. The cat and oval have black glaze applied, wiping back left some glaze residue in the throwing marks on the bare clay, leaving a hazy effect. The mug outside the oval is glazed in a way-too-thin application of blue rutile. It’s broken beautifully amber on the top inch, and is a mottled blue/cream covering the rest of the mug.
February 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
The glaze on this makes me so happy. It’s just a wee thing, an ashtray with a debowler spike in the middle. We used to imbibe, and I liked smaller ashtrays because they forced you to empty them often.

Glazes: ancient copper, snow

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky
A small round dish sits on a wooden plank surface. The dish is half a copper colour, the other half is part white and part white with mottled copper spots. The effect kind of looks like animal spots, I really liked this one. In the middle of the dish is a small spike, you use it to grind the gunk out of the bottom of your pipe after a puff. We’ve since quit, but at the time this was my favourite ashtray
February 4, 2025 at 11:12 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
I was hoping for more reds at the time, but now I’m okay with the result.

That’s key, if I hate something, I put it in a cupboard for a few months and then when I rediscover I’ve let go of expectations and usually like it

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #blueskypotters #comebacktoitlater
A hand holds a largish shallow hand built bowl against a background of indoor fig leaves. The bowl was glazed in the peacock method, using directions from mayco’s projects website (looks like it’s been removed since then). It’s got spots of blue around the top half of the inside, with a baby poo green background and tendrils of red and white flowing down between the blue spots.
February 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
More fun colours! I really love the flow with the green leaves.

Glazes: snow, pearl white, jade celadon, marigold celadon, fairy rose

#pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #blueskypotters #potteryplanter
A planter containing a leggy green plant sits on a wood surface. The planter has a white glaze on the bottom quarter, with thick runny glaze flowing over the top three quarters. The top glaze has pinks and greens and yellows flowing into each other. Pearl white provided the flow, under jade, marigold, and fairy rose.
February 4, 2025 at 3:10 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
My favourite mistake 🎶

This is 2x ancient jasper under 2x ancient copper, fired to a hot cone 6. Craters. Moonscape. Un-usable. I think it’s too thick, as the last time this combo turned out great. The craters happened on all clay bodies.

#pottery #ceramics #potterymystery #pottersofbluesky
A hand holds a curvy ceramic bottle shape against a fall background of red leaves, a concrete driveway, a curved garage door, and a stone courtyard wall. The bottle is a beautiful deep mottled red. The finish is a problem. There are craters in the glaze, some as wide as half a cm. Their edges are sharp, making the piece unusable. Sad potter.
February 4, 2025 at 12:16 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Old work! This pic is years old, I’m very proud of how all these turned out given how new I was! lol and yep, that’s a cookie permanently fused to the bottom of the top one. It actually ended up pretty cute!

#pottery #ceramics #potteryofbluesky #beginner #peacockglaze
Four small pottery pieces sit on a wooden plank background. At the bottom of the pic is a small bowl glazed in the peacock method. It turned out beautifully, shades of blue and green with white tendrils. Glazes were storm, light flux, iron lustre I believe. Mid-right is a small round ashtray with a spike in the middle (to get excess out of a bowl when smoking herb. It’s legal here). It’s glazed in red and white and will get its own post soon. Top is the bottom of a bright turquoise very small bowl-thing. I couldn’t pull very high then, it’s more of a short rounded cylinder than anything. The bottom has a pretty white irregular foot. It’s actually a stuck cookie. Mid left is another de-bowler ashtray glazed in iron lustre and oatmeal. The rainbow effect is minimal as not enough oatmeal was applied.
February 3, 2025 at 10:26 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Last summer I visited a local lady with a stunning garden. We toured and she gave me leaves from everything we thought would look cool. The impressions have been sitting in a damp box until yesterday. I’m doing something like this, except adding critters

#pottery #ceramics #leaves #handbuilt
A hand holds a flat dish with curved up edges. The dish is shaped like a leaf and has had a hosta leaf pressed into the clay while it was damp. It’s been glazed in a translucent green (jade celadon) which emphasizes the veins in the leaf impression. The potter learned a lot making this one, and is looking forward to better finishing and adding critters (snails, ladybugs, FROGS) for the next round.
February 3, 2025 at 4:51 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Honey flux always goes peach for me. It worked here (bottom third), but I haven’t been able to get that gorgeous creamy white that I want. I use much more pearl white these days. Open to tips and /or advice!

#pottery #ceramics #wheelthrown #pottersofbluesky #pink #potteryvase
A small roundish vase sits in a hand against background of an indoor fig tree. The vase is a peach colour on the bottom third, with a variegated light pink glaze running down the top third. Inside the vase are red flowers and their leaves.
February 3, 2025 at 3:44 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
My favourite WIP! The colours will get deeper, this is almost-bone-dry greenware. You can’t see the best part well, there’re little foxglove flowers scattered around. This will wait a while before firing, the glazes and underglaze technique is in R&D

#pottery #ceramic #pottersofbluesky #barnowl
A greenware round lidded vessel sits on a white surface against a grey hardibacker board background. The lid is covered in chaotic grass-like texture, with scattered flowers. The flowers are white daisies, purple thistle-things, and pinkish foxglove. In the centre is a brown stump. Perched way too precariously on the stump (gotta fix those legs) is a barn owl. The colours are muted because it’s dry greenware. Very much looking forward to the finished result, but running a million colour tests to get the final result I want.
February 2, 2025 at 4:27 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
I told you about my Mom. Best cheerleader ever. Here’s an example 💕

For the record, she has a house FULL of pottery already 🤷‍♀️

#pottery #ceramics #cheerleadermom #loves #pottersofbluesky #thanksmom #biggestfan
A screenshot of a previous post shows a comment from a poster asking for the pot shown in the post. It’s funny because it’s my mom, she already has way way too much pottery. Actual text: Mom: I want that. Pleeeeeeeease. Reply: hahahahahahahahahahaha YOU WANT ALL MY BEGINNER STUFF! And all my now stuff. We might need an intervention. But also, you display all my beginner wonky stuff so all your friends probably think I make super wonky stuff! But I’m like a real potter now! My next project is coming to you, promise (heart emoji)
February 1, 2025 at 8:10 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Super beginner pottery! My first time using botanicals, first time doing the underglaze inlay, and first time hand building a dish.

#pottery #ceramics #beginner #pottersofbluesky
A hand holds a roundish dish against a backdrop of living room clutter. The dish is off white, it’s a white clay body covered with clear. There’s leafy greens pressed in with green underglaze inlaid. The rim is unsteady, clearly hand built.
February 1, 2025 at 6:46 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Soft pastels and blended colours make my insides smile. This is the first try. A little too soft for me, but it’s just a starting point. Pearl white is magic!

Glazes: pearl white, jade celadon, fairy rose, marigold celadon, snow celadon

#pottery #pottersofbluesky #potteryplanter #ceramic
A smallish medium sized ceramic planter sits in the palm of a hand against a background of an indoor fig. The bottom third of the planter is white. The top two thirds are covered with a runny glaze with pastel shades of green, pink, and yellow playing tag across the surface.
February 1, 2025 at 3:46 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Iron lustre on its own is underrated, imo.

#pottery #spoonrests #wheelthrown #ironlustre #pottersofbluesky
Two wheelthrown spoon rests sit on a narrow grey bannister. In the background is a kind of dirty stucco wall. The spoon rests are round, with part of the lip of the pot bent outward to allow a spoon handle to lie flat. They both have that distinctive wheelthrown swirl on their flat top parts. They are glazed in a soft slate grey-blue that breaks a gorgeous caramel on the texture. Iron lustre all on its own.
February 1, 2025 at 3:21 AM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Baby Bean.

Born prematurely in a shelter and immediately rejected by mama. I got her at ~12 hrs old. Touch and go for weeks. I firmly believe she actually did pass, Satan came up to get her, she cussed him out and he noped out of there. She’s.. opinionated.

#pottery #cats #pottersofbluesky
A tiny calico kitten is held in a washcloth. A thumb is sticking up behind her head, they’re almost the same size. Itty bitty baby already full of rage. A roughly 2 week old kitten is snuggled into a blue flannel blanket. You can only see her face and the tip of one tiny paw. Her eyes are closed and she looks deceptively sweet. She isn’t. In the background, a corkboard wall. Foreground a roughly 4 week old calico kitten is standing unsteadily on a blue and white checked kitchen towel. Behind her is a small handmade pottery mug used as a hot water bath for bottle warming. The kitten is on her front tip toes and screaming in fury. This is The Real Bean. I rudely made her wait while I temperature tested her bottle. Rude. Unacceptable. Inconsiderate. Unqualified, terrible kitty mama. I heard all about it. Baby screams are cute, but that temper is FIRE 🔥 A roughly 9 week old kitten is resting in a tiny pottery plant pot. Her back end is scrunched into it while her front end is balanced precariously on top. One back leg is doesn’t fit in the pot and is sticking up. The overall impression is cute chaos. In the background is some beginner pottery. This was as we were setting my studio up, very new to pottery.
January 31, 2025 at 9:59 PM
sunshineclayworks.bsky.social
Choose 20 pots or ceramic pieces that you have made. One pot per day for 20 days, in no particular order.

Day 20 LAST DAY! 😮🥲

#pottery #ceramics #art #ArtYear #handmade #craft #stoneware #clay #handbuilding #pottersofbluesky #greenware
A weird 70s red carpet is in the background. A hand holds a medium sized shallow bowl from below. The bowl has soft edged organic oval holes carved in two strips across the surface, and between those strips of holes clay has been added in blended ridges, giving a similar effect to seeing a mountain range from a ver thigh up plane. This was a favourite, until I accidentally led the lid off the damp box overnight and epic cracks formed. It’s been reclaimed, and another version is in the works. C’est la vie.
January 31, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Sunshine Clayworks
seasonedpottery.bsky.social
Day 8
I love how my glazes look on engobe 💜
#potterofbluesky #potteryofbluesky #thistle #mug #ceramics #handpaintedpottery
Purple thistle painted on black mug
January 31, 2025 at 3:27 PM