Tiki Tonie's First Mug Feedback Please! I'm Back!!!

Hi Everyone,

It's been a long time, but I'm Back! So while I was gone I finally finished my molds and have a glazed and fired set that I'd like to get feedback on please. I had the great pleasure of meeting Wendy at Malaho Tiki in Sacramento during the Sacramento Tiki Walk. Thanks Wendy for reminding me what a great place this is to connect with like minded people with similar passions.

I'm struggling to get the glaze just right. Any suggestions?

Hi Everyone,

I'm just getting ready to make the molds for my mugs and you all have been so helpful with tips and advice that I wanted to get your feedback on the mugs themselves. This is my first time so be, well I was going to say nice, but I would appreciate constructive criticism too! You might see issues with making the mold too, so I'd really like to know that.

The mugs are modeled after my dogs, Boo Boo the tall mug, Caduka (means Crazy in Guamanian), the little Dog Tag shot glass (that will hold about 3 shots) and then the bone stopper that started it all. I had purchased a Dirty Donny Unlucky Tourist decanter for my husbands birthday and the stopper was accidentally thrown away. Out of desperation, I thought I'd try to make a replacement. Well, I had so much fun making it that I kept going and now have a notebook full of tiki mug ideas that I hope to carve. If my first set is well received that is. If not I'll just do it for fun.

Ok here I go


Boo Boo (She's a girl by the way)

Caduka

Dog Tag shot glass

closeup of the dog tag on the mugs

The Back

The Girls

Thanks so much for looking!

[ Edited by: Tiki Tonie 2012-02-02 17:10 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Tonie 2012-02-02 17:20 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Tonie 2012-02-02 18:13 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Tonie 2012-02-02 18:18 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Tonie 2013-10-13 22:30 ]

Isn't funny how we "accidentally" fall into this stuff. You said "why can't I make a new stopper" and the next thing you know you're making molds and pouring slip. And doing a great job at it I might add. Keep on having fun, can't wait to see those glazed.

Never get Tazed on a full bladder.
Life is short, smile while you still have your teeth.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2012-02-02 18:33 ]

Cute idea! I say keep at it.

Hi, T. Tonie,

Honestly, my first thought, before the pictures made the scene, was, "Oh. . . dogs," but danged if you didn't make it work. I like them (I'm not a ceramicist, so I just get to like stuff in a non-technical manner). I'm looking forward to the finished product.

Thanks for posting.

Nice job!

Good Job! can't wait to see the finished mug

M

[ Edited by poptiki on 2022-10-12 03:16:10 ]

Hi Tiki Tonie, your mugs look very professional. Are these mugs already bisque fired at 04? If this is the case you will be able to teach me a few things. I have always molded clay sculptures or baked Sculpey. Once you do this my questions would be:

Did it take more than three layers of mold soap to keep the plaster from sticking and after making the mold were you able to remove the mold soap so that you could still glaze these originals?

These are fun designs executed perfectly. I hope you will post your step by step photos from now on because we will all be watching.

Best Wishes for good molds, Wendy

Oh my gosh!!! Thank you very much for the comments. I was so nervous about posting the pictures. It's one thing when your little girl likes your mug, but putting it out there to the Tiki Community...Scary.

The only thing I know for sure regarding glaze is, the dog tags will be painted after the glaze in gold. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the glaze. I'm thinking, not too many colors, but I kind of wanted the teeth in white and the eyes and nose in black and of course the body in a golden brown. Do you think that's too many colors?

Wendy,
Thanks for recommending that I document my step by step. I totally forgot to do that when I was carving them (and I meant to). I think I'm going to use aluminum to make my mold box, like in your step by steps. That seems really efficient. I did use cone 04 for the originals and they're unglazed. Can you over mold soap a piece? That's my biggest fear that the plaster wont come off the original.

Thanks again to everyone! Your comments mean so much so please keep the advice and comments coming! Glaze suggestions are very welcomed!
If you know of issues making a mold from an unglazed piece, please let me know because I don't really know what I'm doing.

Wow, I am awed by your work. I'm a beginner too and you put me to shame. I need to know - how did you carve them so smooth & neat? My carves are SO crumbly & rough.

Any advice would be great! Can't wait to see them glazed. I'm painting mine now.

"Glaze suggestions are very welcomed! "

I ruined my first pieces because I didn't realize the difference between opaque and transparent glazes (Actually, I ruined my very first moldings because I didn't understand the difference between cone 04 and cone 4) Opaque glazes cover up and hide any fine details and textures you have in your sculpt. But opaque glazes come in some cool crystaline glazes that have a base of one color and crystals that turn into specks, dots, and splotches of different colors. Transparent glazes are darker where they are thick, like in nooks & cranies, and lighter where they are thin, like on edges. They give your piece subtle variations of color and accentuate your details and texturing. One characteric of both opaque and transparent glazes is that they blend into one another when painted side by side. That can be good or bad, depending on the effect you want. If you are trying to paint lettering or some similar details, that's bad because it all bleeds together. That's where underglazes can come in. They are more like an engobe or colored slip and they don't spread, great for small details. But they are opaque and will cover details, and they are a matte finish - you have to put clear glaze over them if you want a glossy finish.

As far as brand names, everyone has their favorites. Depends on characteristics, price, availabilty, colors, etc. I like Duncan Envisions for tranparent glazes and Duncan Cover-Coat for underglaze. Try a couple of small bottles before you buy a quart of every color they sell :D

Those look really fun~

Hi Tiki Tonie, I never got the aluminum to work. It would bow out in the center. Maybe if you stack bricks or bags of clay to hold in the sides?

I was taught by a mold master you should paint on the mold soap on the sculpt let it sit for awhile and then wipe it off. Repeat this three times and you should be good to go. Then after the first mold piece is hot you can take off the clay. To pour the second piece you now paint all of that plaster surface and the sculpt the same three times. This is the procedure for every piece you make with the plaster.

I use Duncan like MDM does. I also use Mayco. I've been told they don't mix but I've not had any problem. To get the glaze to highlight the detail I use IN Duncan glazes. Be sure to make glaze tests before using any glaze on a finished piece that way you'll have a record and you'll see that their test may look different from your own. We all do it differently. I have a whold wall of tests like Babalu.

Each strip has three line. Top, one coat, middle two coats, bottom three coats. On the bottom I write my code number for the glaze. I wish I'd just written the number of the glaze from the jar. There is a under glaze pencil you can buy that will fire onto the bisque. So I make a ton of these ahead and then use them as I buy glaze.

This photo shows all underglazes that have just fired. So I have also painted a couple of stips from top to bottom of clear glaze tp see how that will change the colors.

Everyone will want to watch you make this mold. I keep the mold soap in my way so that I don't forget it. One miss and it's all over.

Go slow and check your notes. Good luck, Wendy

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2012-02-13 08:24 ]

I'm finally going to make my molds this Saturday. Does anyone have a checklist of supplies you need for someone who has never done it before?

Like the kind of clay you use to fill the space you aren't molding, the specs on the clamps and boards to make the frame, so really detailed.

Thanks,
Tiki Tonie