Todays Wall Vases Continue the Tradition of Ancient Greeks Vases
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Galleria Elegante - The Leading Source For Traditional And Modern Talavera Pottery
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Vases - Essential Pieces Of Art
Flower vases - The ideal decorative product
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Stunning Vases As Decorative Pieces For Your Home
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Hand Extruder Clay Pottery Art
Pottery decorated with twisted coil handles and rims have been popular since antiquity. While twisted coils can be made by hand, they have a high rate of failure since they often crack during the drying or firing. One solution is to extrude the coils, which ends the cracking problem and also speeds up the job. For example, to make a Mexican clay pottery style bucket with braided rope top, start with a plain thrown cylinder. It is the extruded handle and rim which give this useful object its unique look. To form the bucket part, use 3 ½ lbs of clay and throw a 6" diameter cylinder which is about 7" high. Do not cut the pot from the bat when it is finished since it must be returned to the wheel later in order to attach the rim. When the pot is leather-hard, place a twisted rope extrusion around the top edge of the pot, beginning with one end and working towards the other. A fetting knife or cheese cutter can be used to cut the extrusion to the exact length needed, at an angle along the twisted extrusion lines. This provides increased surface area to form a tight joint. The rim is attached to the pot, both inside and outside, by gently pushing the clay into the bucket body. Then the join is smoothed and blended by rotating the wheel slowly, and gently throwing the join. The rim is pinched and extended at opposite sides of the bucket rim to make two lugs for attaching the handle.
Decorative coils or pellets can be added on either side of the lugs. Then, cut the bucket from the bat, and cover it to permit the moisture level to even out. When leather-hard, two holes for the bail of the handle are punched in the lugs with a piece of ¼" tubing. The bucket handle is made from a short piece of the twisted extrusion left over from the hand extruder when making the rim. Roll the extrusion over a handle roller, which is made by gluing short pieces of quarter round and cove molding to a board. Just before the handle is leather-hard, a hole is made through its length with a metal rod. It is easiest to work from one end for an inch or two, then switch ends and work towards the middle. After the pieces are fired, a 14" long brass rod (such as brazing rod) is inserted in the handle, centered, and then bent to shape. The ends of the rod can be threaded with a 6/32 metal cutting die, and secured to the bucket with threaded brass balls obtained from a lamp parts supply company.
A hand extruder is quite useful in creating striking visual accents in clay pottery art. This simple Mexican clay pottery bucket with twisted coil rim is one example of the many possibilities.
Rawhide Lamp Shades For A Country, Southwest Or Western Kitchen
As lanterns and oil lamps gave way to the first rustic lamps it was rawhide that was one of the first chosen materials to serve as a shade. If you like the handcrafted work and style of a bygone area, the rustic texture and color tones of natural rawhide will definitely be part of what you want to incorporate into your country kitchen. There are also a few other elements that will help you create the country style look.
For a country kitchen consider the natural look of wood. It's best to keep with a primitive or rustic style. Rough edges and uneven surfaces are desirable. If you have a large kitchen, darker woods can be used whereas lighter tones are better for smaller areas. Rawhide lamp shades should be used in any area where a table lamp or desk lamp would be placed. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, a floor lamp may also be utilized. One fabulous feature of rawhide shades is that they are available in light or dark as well as colors to fit your particular color palette.
As you use rawhide lamp shades and rustic wood furniture you will be delighted to see the dramatic impact they make. With these two elements in place the back drop will be set. Now, there are a few other things to consider that will bring the kitchen to life. Along with rawhide, lamps and rough wood furniture pieces in the kitchen, the single largest contributors to a country kitchen are area rugs. Not the machine made versions but real hand woven wool rugs with their rich colors and wonderful textures. This is where you can really shine. You have complete control at this point.
Play it safe with earth tones of tan, cream and rust or be bold and use a rich orange, red, blue or green. If you would like to have a western kitchen flavor just add dark red with grey, black and white. If you feel like a southwest kitchen, choose a southwest rug with a turquoise background or accents. Different patterns can be used around the space if the same color schemes are used. The great thing about wool weavings is they are so versatile. Not only great on the floor, they also make perfect wall hangings because they are of tapestry quality. Place a long narrow wool table runner or a small woven rug on your table as a centerpiece base. Carry the theme to floor runners in hallways, in front of the counter or behind an island. It's hard to go wrong because woven wool rugs add so much to the overall design with the hand hewn wood and hand laced rawhide shades.
By now your room is coming alive and looking great. It just needs some accessories to give it the "wow" factor and pull the whole thing together. One of the best types of accessory is Indian pottery. Use clay vases on the table or counter with dried flowers or eucalyptus. Native American pottery is perfect for the look because it is usually hand coiled and more primitive in appearance. Place it around the room and use pitcher and bowl sets or painted dishes to set the table atmosphere. Add to the homey feel with hand carved wooden dough bowls, a primitive log ladder or wrought iron. As you will see, all of these elements build on each other for a wonderful country kitchen and with a few variations on color you can also include elements of western style or southwestern decor.
As you consider adding rawhide lamp shades to your kitchen, along with the other design elements, it may not be necessary to buy new lamps. Rustic lamps are desirable but it is the leather lampshades that make the difference. You may be able to use lamps you already have. It's amazing what a transformation is made with rawhide lamp shades.