The Hedgehog Pottery’s first firing

I have always done lots of crafts, being a bit like a magpie collecting shiny new things, over the years I have tried out most crafts, basketry, felt-making, blacksmithing, green woodwork, pottery etc etc. I taught crafts to teenagers for many years, feltmaking, enamelling, batik, lino cutting and clay modelling amongst many others. I did pottery at night school when I’d moved to a new area and didn’t know anyone. I loved throwing on the wheel but it isn’t something you can just pick up and put down at home like knitting or such so I’d not done any for about 20 years!

I have slowly been making more and more of the accessories for the creatures over the years. I used to buy in little mugs, books, baskets and such for them but have been making my own recently and really enjoying putting all those skills to good use. I loved making baskets but it took me a while to think oh I could try and make tiny ones. Walking in the woods with Lupin, I’ve been collecting reeds, rushes, nettles and brambles and using them to make baskets and hats and such. Kath has been making little beds and bags and slippers too. Between us I”m loving the new dimension to the little scenes I can now make.

I used to sell clock case scenes with some made and some bought accessories in them, but recently I’ve been making everything for them and I am loving the idea of setting small scenes, houses and maybe shops or potteries or such. I am enjoying the variety of making and creativity that goes with it.

The last thing I was still buying and wanted to make were mugs and tea pots. The tiny mugs I buy aren’t big enough for the bigger creatures and it is hard to find nice ones. I did make some acorn and strawberry leaf copper cup and saucers but they were too expensive as an accessory as often broke and went wobbly.

So, I have been experimenting. I tried air drying clay but it just looked like something you’d make in primary school. I have been wondering for a while if I could fire tiny ceramic pots in my tiny kiln I use for the copper, but I didn’t think it went hot enough.

I then heard about microwave kilns and ended up going down a rabbit hole watching you tube videos of people making tiny pottery on tiny wheels and thought maybe I could get a microwave kiln, but a chance bumping into a potter friend said my tiny kiln should be fine and raku clay can be fired at below 1000 degrees. Hurrah!

So of course I ended up buying a tiny wheel and wondering if it was a huge waste of money or not… and to my amazement it worked really well for tiny throwing. I spent a glorious day throwing tiny tiny mugs and pots and making a mess and trying to remember how to do it and having a lot of flat wobbly pots collapse, but it was such fun to do. I discovered a plastic storage box on its side helped the shed stay clay free haha! I didn’t spend too long getting them perfect in case they all exploded in the firing so they are a bit rustic, but also small creatures would have wonky rustic pots too I think. It has been a bit of a week personally, and my head really needed the distraction of sitting at a tiny wheel for a day. Crafts are certainly great for healing head spaces.

Of course I then thought well, if I’m going to make pots, there needs to be a pottery next door to the Mouse Emporium and Woodland Post sorting office… so I then made a little pottery. I love The Pottery Throw down and to me Keith is a Hedgehog, so I made Keith the Pottery Hedgehog and his pottery studio and wheel that actually turns because how else would he make his pots?

I had a nail biting attempt at firing the pots in my mini kiln. I found a raku clay that would fire at 900 degrees. Success! They all fired and not a single one cracked or broke! Wow.

Next step was to try a raku fire on a miniature scale, so this morning I glazed and fired the tiny mugs and then put them in a tiny enamel pie dish with a lid and some sawdust, copper, feathers and birch bark.

Glazed ready to fire

In the sawdust

Again, not a single breakage. I am beside myself with joy and want to show you the results!

So now creatures can not only have bags, slippers, beds, and straw hats and baskets and wotnot but they can also have mugs because we all know a cuppa is vital whoever you are. Keith says he’s going to try to perfect teapot lids now he knows it works!

Keith is hoping to supply a few to the Mouse Emporium too so they can be for sale for creatures who need a cuppa and maybe some tea sets too!

I am loving making all the extras, it keeps all those skills going and keeps me joyful for creating too. I have a plan to do some more clock cases with tiny scenes in, not just houses with beds but maybe a shop or pottery or post office or such. They are a nice way to display the creatures I think, and of course you can add your own tiny accessories too. Always happy to do payment plans for them and to take commissions too. There will be a potting shed of course too as I can now make tiny plant pots to go with the gardening hats!

I hope you like the tiny mugs and thanks for reading!

Karin