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Blue Willow Studio

{handmade ceramic tiles & etcetera}

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Playing with Mud and Fire

Forming Ceramic Maple Leaf

Get Your Hands Dirty

Ever wonder how a piece goes from clay to kiln? Check out our technique tutorials.
Kiln Shelf with Glazed Ornaments

From the Studio

See the latest out of the studio, still warm from the kiln.
PMA Tiles

Out & About

My muses, inspirations and anything interesting I come across during my daily ramblings.

Latest Posts

Celtic knot house number tile 3
Celtic Knot House Number Tiles (4/10/16)

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Featuring the Celtic Knot Number Tile series. Perfect for house or apartment numbers, these unique stoneware tiles are suitable for use indoors and out.

pinwheel flower tile - Blue Willow
A Brief Studio Update from a Negligent Blogger (3/21/16)

Take a sneak peak into what has been cooking in the studio during the last few months: new high relief tiles, Celtic knot house numbers and much more!

Picture
Piece by Piece: Setting a Mosaic Tabletop (3/9/16)

A walk-through explaining the direct method of setting and grouting a custom ceramic mosaic tabletop.

Picture
Piece by Piece (Part 1): Creating a Mosaic Base (3/9/16)

Before setting and grouting a mosaic, a substrate is needed. Use cement board to create a a base on which to mosaic a custom tabletop.

Pressing a tile
Back to Basics: Pressing a Tile (11/16/15)

Learn the basics of pressing a ceramic tile using a plaster press mold, a rubber mallet and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

The Endless Knot Hand Carved Ceramic Poem Plaque
The Endless Knot Poem Plaque (10/25/15)

This hand-carved Endless Celtic Knot plaque entwines two lives in an eternal dance.  Perfect for a wedding or anniversary.

Pouring plaster into a mold form for a tile
Meet My Good Friend Plaster: Making a Plaster Press Mold (10/11/15)
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A tutorial with instructions to create a plaster press mold from a model tile using a cottle board mold form.

Kiln Vent Diagram - To Vent or Not to Vent
To Vent or Not to Vent: A DIY Kiln Vent (9/22/15)

Step by step instructions explaining how to easily make your own inexpensive kiln vent.

Element terminal - It's Time for a Change: Replacing an Element and Element Holder
It's Time for a change: Replacing a Kiln Element and Element Holder (8/19/15)

Learn how to replace a failed element and contaminated element holder.

Celtic Knot Oak Tree Plaque
Celtic Knot Oak Tree Plaque (10/16/14)

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The hand-carved Celtic Knot Oak Tree plaque entwines branches and roots in an endless dance.

Beech Leaf Ornament - A Project for Autumn Leaf Ornaments
A Project for Autumn: Leaf Ornaments (10/15/14)

Create colorful ceramic leaf ornaments to celebrate the changing hues of Autumn.

Red berries - before the first hard frost
Before the First Hard Frost (10/14/14)

These days I feel as though I am always rushing about, attempting in vain to complete the long list of tasks awaiting my attention

Oak leaf ornament - Autumn leaf ornaments
Autumn Leaf Ornaments (10/14/14)

I wanted to bring a bit of the Autumn to my ceramics, and so I decided to create some fall leaf ornaments. ​

Carving Clay - Celtic Knot Numbers and Alphabet
Carving Clay: Celtic Knot Numbers & Alphabet, Part 2 (7/13/14)

A clay carving technique to create intricate designs for tiles, featuring a Celtic Knot alphabet tile set.

Greenware Drying Rack - A Cozy Home for Greenware
A Cozy Home for Greenware: DIY Drying Rack Project (5/7/14)

A simple way to build a drying rack for greenware using PVC pipe.

Clay slab rolling - Back to the Basics
Back to the Basics: Slab Rolling (4/2/14)

Ah, the slab: a flat sheet of clay, usually rolled to a uniform thickness, plain and boring. But this unexciting slab holds so much potential!

Cutting snowflake - Personalized Snowflake Ornaments
Personalized Snowflake Ornament (3/23/14)

Create beautiful personalized snowflake ornaments for the winter season.

Blue Sgraffit Plate - Sgraffito Plates and Such
Sgraffito Plates & Such, Part 2 (12/20/13)

Experiments with the beautiful and meticulous sgraffito carving technique.

Sgraffito Sun Plate - Sgraffito Plates and Such
Sgraffito Plates & Such, Part 1 (12/17/13)

A workshop with Ned Foltz, an accomplished ceramicist who specializes in traditional Pennsylvania German Redware pottery

Carving Plaster - Celtic Knot numbers and alphabet
Carving Plaster: Celtic Knot Numbers & Alphabet, Part 1

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How to create a tile press mold by carving a design directly into the plaster of the mold.

Ceramic oak leaves - Autumn is Upon Us
Autumn is Upon Us (10/4/13)

Unfortunately, I have to face the fact that it is now fall.  With glorious sunny days and temperatures in the 80s this past week, I can almost pretend August lingers still and chill and frost are far distant.

Celtic Knot Ceramic Tile - Don't Quit Your Day Job
Don't Quit Your Day Job (10/14/12)

I didn’t – quit my job, that is.  Sorry to ruin the suspense, but as of this posting I am still employed (albeit part-time).

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