June 2025
JUNE 2025 | ISSUE #057
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Hello Potters
From the President
Sadly committee member Clare Houston has resigned for personal reasons. Thank you Clare for your time on the committee, your knowledge and dedication to the club has been greatly appreciated and will be missed.
Our first ever Mother’s Day pop up stall was a fabulous success, we had a great turn out and lots of pieces found new homes. Big thanks to Carmel for organising and everyone who helped. We can’t wait for the Father’s Day pop up on 30th August.
Plans for our 20th celebration are well underway and we are looking forward to seeing everyone on the 28th June. Keep an eye on our facebook page for more details including silent auction items. Also check out helloclub for volunteering opportunities. It’s a party not to be missed so please share the day with friends and family.
If you are looking for a volunteering opportunity we are looking for glaze team members to help maintain the glazes and to update the SDS files. Please email the club if you are interested.
Thank you Mark from The Clay Shed for his kind donation of some slip casting moulds for the club. They are being put to good use making club fundraising pieces😁
Happy potting
Suzanne
June
1st - Sunday Social Glazing get together
8th - Sculptural Coil Handbuilding Vase Workshop
20th - first round of Magnet Competition deadline
21st + 22nd - Creating a Ceramic Goddess Workshop
28th - SPC studio 20th Anniversary Celebration
29th - Altering Wheel Thrown Forms Workshop
July
13th - Xmas in July Sunday social
26th - Throwing off the hump workshop
27th - Einbunpin Festival (sales and volunteer opportunities)
August
16th + 17th - Northern Rivers Mud Trail
17th - Sunday social
30th - Father’s Day pop up (sales and volunteer opportunities)
Sunday Social Glazing
HelloClub has all the details and booking tab.
Sunday 1 June, 09:00 to 13:00
Shorncliffe Pottery Club
Sunday social and working bee combined to decorate pre bisqued pieces for club sale. Glazing, under glazing and under glaze transfers will be covered.
Please bring any glazes etc that you are happy to use. Some underglazes and transfers will be provided. After you decorate a couple of club pieces you will have the rest of the session to work on your own pieces.
Remember to refer to conditions of workshops on the Club’s website.
Here’s the link to helloClub to book
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Sculptural Coil Handbuilding
Vase Workshop
HelloClub has all the details and booking tab.
Sunday 8 June, 09:30 to 14:30
Shorncliffe Pottery Club
Join Amy for a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to build a large sculptural vase using an extruded coil technique. Over the course of the session, I’ll guide you through the process of forming a strong base, exploring sculptural form, and attaching coils with intention and stability.
We’ll focus on creativity, structure, smoothing and how to embrace the expressive potential of this versatile method. You’ll leave with a one-of-a-kind ceramic piece, along with the skills and confidence to keep experimenting with this technique in your own time.
Possible outcomes include:
● Vases
● Handled Vessels
● Jars with lids
● Jugs or pitchers
● Sculptural hollow forms
Most of the tools are provided, and 4kg of Dark Matter clay per person. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to get your hands a little muddy.
*Please bring a large tupperware container to store coils during workshop.
Remember to refer to conditions of workshops on the Club’s website.
Here’s the link to helloClub to book
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Creating a Ceramic Goddess
HelloClub has all the details and booking tab.
2 day workshop
Saturday 21 June: 1pm to 4pm
Sunday 22 June: 9am to 1pm
Shorncliffe Pottery Club
Come along to gain skills in slab building, coiling, sculpting and altering forms whilst making a Goddess form. Think about ideas for what you want to create. Google, Pinterest, Instagram – use them to research for inspiration or what you’d like to try to recreate.
As a guide, for your first time, it is best to create a goddess with a wider base, i.e. starting from the thighs / buttocks and building up. This allows you to experiment with body shape without needing to worry about how she will
balance on two legs. We will also have a height limit of approx. 20cm.
You will need :
½ bag - BRT, BRS, or your preferred groggy clay [NB: fine clays are too slow to work with for the workshop]
Any handbuilding tools you like to use, but please bring – soft rib, serrated rib/toothbrush, rolling pin, knife, wire · Old towel · Plastic wrap · Plastic bag.
Remember to refer to conditions of workshops on the Club’s website.
Here’s the link to helloClub to book
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wheel-Thrown Altered Forms Workshop
HelloClub has all the details and booking tab.
Saturday 29th June
Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Shorncliffe Pottery Club
In this full-day workshop, we’ll dive into the process of throwing and altering wheel-thrown forms. You'll start by creating a straight-walled or slightly bellied vessel on the wheel, and then explore how to reshape and refine it once it firms up. We’ll cover intentional altering techniques, carving, and adding handles or features to create dynamic and sculptural pieces that move beyond the basic cylinder.
There’s a lot to cover in this workshop, so it’s recommended you bring lunch with you to enjoy during any short breaks or waiting periods.
Spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended!
**Prior wheel experience necessary — participants must be comfortable throwing cylinders using approximately 1kg of clay
What you might make:
● Altered jugs or creamers
● Sculptural pouring vessels
● Carved or reshaped vases
● Playful handled forms
**All tools are provided, but participants must bring their own clay.
Remember to refer to conditions of workshops on the Club’s website.
SPC KILN & FIRING PROCEDURE
REMINDER
MAKE SURE YOUR PIECES ARE THOROUGHLY DRIED = "BONE DRY"
BEFORE PUTTING PIECES ON THE KILN SHELVES.
IF NOT DRY PLEASE DO NOT PLACE ON KILN SHELF. Pieces must be BONE DRY - drying time can vary from 1-4 weeks depending on size/ thickness, weather etc... Larger thicker pieces take longer to dry [3-6 weeks]
NO SOLID FORMS if a piece is hollow make sure to create a hole in the piece for air to escape.
THICK PIECES (no thicker than your thumb).
Damp pieces can cause explosions.
LARGE PIECES WILL ONLY BE FIRED WHEN ROOM IS AVAILABLE.
ABSOLUTELY NO RAW GLAZING
Greenware glaze firing is not permitted [note underglaze is allowed]
CLEAN THE BOTTOMS OF YOUR PIECES
Wipe bottoms of pieces making sure they are free of glaze.
Make sure there is at least 5-6mm glaze clearance from the bottom of your pieces. Otherwise pieces will not be loaded.
MARK YOUR PIECES Important: No Mark - No Load - Makers mark/initials, multiple small pieces - place on a cookie with [make] an ID tag in clay and reuse.
COMPLETE FIRING FORMS - complete all details on firing forms including descriptions. Once paid for Fill in receipt number #... place form with pieces on the appropriate shelf. No fill = no load. If you have specific requirements - please leave note on firing form and speak with a Kiln Team member.
SHELF SPACE If pieces do not fit on the shelf - wait until space is available/or check with kiln team member. Please be respectful and patient - do not touch or move other people's work.
SINGLE FIRING IS NOT ALLOWED
MEMBERS MAY NOT ENGAGE IN LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL FIRING
ACTION. QUERIES: PLEASE CONTACT SPC COMMITTEE Via email.
Our club
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc commenced in June 1983 in Shorncliffe and has been running consistently ever since -- and our "capped at 200 members" club relocated to where we are, at the back of Sandgate PCYC in June 2005. We've been there 20 years this year. Happy Birthday to our club!!! 🙂🥳
Sausage Sizzle 28th June
8:30 to 10:30
The Shed
Magnets – It’s On Again!
After a very successful inaugural magnet fundraiser last year we are excited to run another again this year. This year’s themes are related to the 20th Anniversary of our shed studio, Shorncliffe, Sandgate, 4017, and home.
Look out for posters in the studio outlining more details.
Ensure you leave enough flat space to attach a magnet
Mark the back with SPC, 2025 and your membership number
Kiln for free, bisque and glaze
Glue and magnets supplied by the club
Members will be given the chance to vote for the people’s choice award.
The first round of magnets are due 20th June and magnets will be displayed and sold at club events. We can’t wait to see what amazing creations we get.
Do you have any tips to share? Have you found the most useful tool, tip, or process for working with clay? If so, pop them in the Tips Box at the shed or email them to shorncliffepotteryclub@gmail.com and we will publish them here for all to share.
• from anonymous - use a small piece of plastic bag to smooth your rims on the wheel. It works brilliantly.
3D Printing
Just a quick question to see if any Members have experience with 3D Printing. If so, drop me an email so that we can have a chat about it. And while you are reading this, are there any members that are interested in 3D Pottery Printing?
Current Clay in Stock
We have a large range of clay in stock, all at great prices. Just ask your supervisor next time you are down at the pottery shed.
Blackwattle White Stoneware Paper Clay
Chris’ Light Speckle
Clayworks YG Speckle
Feeneys Fine Blend FFB
Feeneys Raku Gold
Feeneys Red Raku
Feeneys Buff Raku Sandy BRS
Feeneys Buff Raku Trachyte BRT
Granite Mid Fire
Keane White Earthenware 37
Keane Ceramics Red Earth
Keane Ceramics Dark Matter
Keane Ceramics White Raku
Keane Ceramics Mid Fire 33
Keane Ceramics Mid Fire 6 Speckled
Northcote Clayworks Cone 6 White
Walkers White Handbuilding EW/SW
Walkers 10 Stoneware
We’re excited to announce that the Arts Trail is returning in 2025.
WHEN:
4 weekends in June
(starting on Saturday 31 May)
from 10am-4pm
WHERE: in various studios, galleries and art spaces across the Samford, Dayboro, Clear Mountain and surrounding region.
Artist Registration is Now Open: trails@creativesamford.com
We have popped all of the published tips, hacks and techniques onto the ‘Tips’ page on our club website so that you can refer to them easily.
Cone 6 versus Cone 06
Cone 6 and Cone 06 represent vastly different firing temperatures in ceramics. Cone 6, a mid-fire temperature, reaches around 1222°C, while Cone 06, a low-fire temperature, is around 1000°C, a difference of around 200°C degrees. This difference in temperature is crucial, as it affects the type of clay, glaze, and overall firing process used in pottery.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Cone 6 Mid-Fire:
Typically used for stoneware and porcelain.
Glazes and clays are formulated to mature at this higher temperature.
Requires a higher-powered kiln and longer firing times
Cone 06 Low-Fire:
Often used for earthenware, terra cotta, and some underglazes.
Glazes and clays are designed to melt and fuse at these lower temps.
Suitable for simpler kilns and shorter firing cycles.
In short, the "0" in Cone 06 indicates a lower temperature scale compared to Cone 6. The zero serves as a negative sign in the pyrometric chart, so Cone 06 is cooler than Cone 6.
Our Committee
President: Suzanne Bell
Vice President: Melina Wales
Treasurer: Sandra Roveda
Secretary: Laura Ogden
Committee Members:
Clare Houston, Rebecca Mason, Steve McConnell, Kylie Smith
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
edtrost1961@gmail.com
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
follow us on
website + instagram + facebook
…Until next month…
HAPPY POTTING!
