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How to Make Egyptian Paste

Perhaps I should have called this post something else, like My Egyptian Paste Results, My Egyptain Paste Experiment, because this is me trying out Mitsy's tutorial from back in April, entitled How to Make Egyptian Paste? By the way, Mitsy, of ArtMind, posts a wealth of tutorials and how to's on her blog. I imagine her workspace divided into two sections: her studio on one side and a laboratory for experimentation, its documentation and its diffusion to everyone who wants to try new processes and media on the other!

I love ceramics and all things Egyptian, especially the lovely turquoise objects made from a self-glazing low-fire clay body. You know, the beads, small dishes and shabti dolls you see in museums. So here's how it went for me:


I prepared some dishes I had made by putting a coat of bat wash on the inside bottom so that my objects wouldn't stick.

I then prepared my first recipe: It's Sylvia Hyman's recipe, and it's the first one Mitsy tries in her tutorial too. She has listed all the ingredients and amounts in her post. I was able to get everything from my ceramic supplier. The copper Carbonate was very expensive and only sold in large quantities, and Mitsy was nice enough to send me a small amount in the mail. Don't forget to wear a mask, goggles and gloves since breathing in these ingredients is TOXIC.

I mixed my ingredients in a plastic bag, and then added water.

The resulting clay was a little too wet (too much water) but I let it set a bit on my work table and then worked it around in my hands to get it dry enough to shape but not so dry it would crack.

I made lots of beads and lined them up on a bat washed tray.

Some of the clay I rolled out into discs and printed with lace to get an interesting texture.

I cut a few crescent moons from the textured discs.

I loaded a second dish with beads and the moons and put a few beads on a wire from ceramic stilts.

The next day, I tried a second recipe. This one is not in Mitsy's tutorial, so I'll give it here:

36 gm feldspar

35 gm quarts

12 gm kaolin (China Clay)

2 gm bentonite

6 gm Natriumcarbonate

6 gm Natriumbicarbonate

2-3 gm copper carbonate

This second recipe was easier to work with, kept its shape better but dried out faster, so I had to work faster.

Using a tiny cookie cutter, I cut out fish shapes and loaded them on to the two other dishes.

I fired to 980°C.

This is what I found this morning. Look at the blue, lovely and shiny.

However, the bat wash stuck where the bead was in contact with it.

The beads on the wire were completely stuck to the metal. I can't get them off. But I do love the color and the way the glaze pooled at the bottom.

On the other hand, the flat objects, moons and fish did not stick to the bat washed dishes. When I took them from the kiln, they seemed to be stuck, but as they cooled, they came right off.

All of the objects made with the first recipe turned out the same blue.

However, for the fish, the colors go from dark turquoise to a much lighter one. Perhaps I didn't mix my dry ingredients thoroughly.

The second recipe (the fish) is slightly darker than the first (the moon). I added one extra gram (4 grams total) of copper carbonate to the mix, so I guess that made the difference.


I really enjoyed working with Egyptain paste from start to finish, and when I make more I think I'll go with the second recipe, and stick to 3 gm copper carbonate. If I want to make beads, I'll have to get the stilts with metal points for firing. The beads would have been pretty enough to use in a necklace!

The Winner!

And we have a winner for the giveaway! Congrats to Rachel Crisman from Mississippi, USA!

To relax, she drinks tea, listens to the Beatles or takes long walk in the evenings. I've never been there, but I bet the evenings are lovely in Mississippi. She'll be receiving her moth on a lovely cord to hang in her home.

A big Thank You to everyone who participated!

Summer Giveaway

I'm back from a holiday in Spain, feeling rejuvenated, energetic and motivated...but also determined to take regular breaks to disconnect and relax and in the long run be more productive, I hope!

Now's the perfect time for summer giveaway!

Here's your chance to win a white linen moth, brooch or ornament, you choose. This is one moth, with either a metallic brooch clasp on the back, OR with a pretty white cord attached so that you can hang it in your home.

• To enter, just leave a comment and tell me what you do to relax, I'd love to hear. Don't forget to leave an e-mail address where I can contact you should you win, and your preference for brooch or ornament!

• Or, you can become a fan and leave a message on facebook:

facebook.com/blue.terracotta

• The winner will be selected in a random drawing on Friday, August 6.

Rhubarb Pie

This has got to be the most refreshing summertime pie! 1 kg of fresh rhubarb with 150 gm of sugar, made into a compote (about 25-30 min.) I made a double pie crust because I love the lattice work on the top. Bake for about 30 min in a 375°F oven and enjoy.

I'd love to hear about your favorite summer pie!

The Honey Bee in the Ancient World

I am delighted to be participating in the blog it forward Bee series along with fellow members of the Artisans Gallery Team. Check out yesterday's post by Sharon of Knot Original on the team blog. And my post today will be followed by one from Kathi of Kathi Roussel, on her blog.

With much respect and admiration for ancient art, I present a post on bees in the ancient world, their importance to the ancients in so many aspects.

Beekeeping was widely practiced in the ancient world. Bees and beekeeping are often depicted in ancient artwork. But let's begin with the discovery in 2007 of remnants of ancient honey combs, beeswax and intact hives, attesting to a 3,000 year old beekeeping industry in Northern Israel. The Bible refers to Israel as a "land of milk and honey" but no mention of honey bee cultivation. These findings show that there was a highly developed beekeeping industry in the Holy Land.


The ancient Egyptians are considered the first beekeepers in history. The bee and its products had an importance that was not only agricultural, but also nutritional, medicinal and ritualistic. Honey was more than just food, it was applied to wounds for its antiseptic properties and was believed to prevent miscarriages. Beeswax was used in mummification and in candle making. There was also a large demand for honey to be used as offerings to the gods. Ramses III made an offering of 21,000 jars of honey to Hapi, the Nile god. And when Re wept, his tears turned into a bee which "busied himself with the flowers of every plant, and so wax was made and also honey."

The honey bee was the official symbol of Lower Egypt.

The bee and the sedge plant together represent the "Ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt", the traditional epithet of Egyptian Kings used from 3100 BC onwards.





The primary religious figure for the Minoans of Crete was the Mother Goddess. She had numerous manifestations, one of which was a bee. The Queen Bee was especially important, for she was the leader and the ruler of the hive, adored by Bee priestesses.

Some exquisite gold jewelry survives from Knossos (Middle Minoan period, 1700-1550 BC) such as this pendant (above) depicting two bees on either side of a honeycomb.
Also, a sketch of an onyx gem (also above) depicting the goddess as a woman with the head and eyes of an insect.

Like the Minoans, the Greeks held the Bee sacred and featured it in their mythology.

Gold Plaque from Rhodes


Omphalos Stone at Delphi

There are too many examples of Bees in Greek mythology to go into here, but these are my favorites:

Apollo gave the gift of bees to Hermes, including three female Bee maidens, the three Fates. The Omphalos stone at Delphi, site of the most important oracle in the ancient world, resembles a beehive with crisscrossing rows of bee symbols.

Honey was the food of the gods. Infant Zeus was fed honey by his nurse Melissa (Greek for honey bee), a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey.

Honey was regarded as an elixir, ensuring a long and healthy life and preserving the remains of the dead. The Greek mathematician, Pythagoras, who lived to nearly 100, said his long life was due to a steady diet of honey. The Greek sea god, Glaucus, was supposedly restored to life when buried in a jar of honey.

For the Romans, Bacchus, god of wine, discovered honey and taught beekeeping to humans. Virgil wrote a practical beekeeping thesis, describing the working of the beehive in great detail. Pliny the elder called honey the "sweat of the heavens" and the "saliva of the stars." For the ancients, then, the bee was a link between humans and the divine.





"Some say that unto bees a share is given of the Divine Intelligence."

-Virgil

My homage to the bee and to the ancient Egyptians is this bee hieroglyph brooch.

The bee was venerated for so long, but we have lost contact with the sacred qualities in nature, animals and each other, seeing everything as replaceable, in a throw-away society.

Become a defender of the honey bee!

• read and share our team's posts

• become a beekeeper

• buy honey from your local cooperative

• wear a bee-inspired piece of jewelry

• spread the word, help save the bees!

Further reading:

The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore by Hilda Ransome

A Short History of the Honey Bee by E. Readicker-Henderson

How to Make a Tote Bag

We all have lots of supplies, and it's not always easy to organize them, even with shelves, boxes, or whatever storage method you use. I have piles of fabric falling out of my closets, so I thought I'd make a few storage bags from fabric remnants. They are flexible and easy to fit into small spaces, or you can hang them in the closet or on hooks.

I used a vintage pattern and I explain my entire process complete with photos over at the Artisans Gallery Team blog.

Take a look and browse our team blog while you are there!

Monday Moodboard Orangeade

A nice tangy mood this Monday. I was inspired by the Volkswagen Beetle which was my first car, mine was orange too!

Upper left: starrybluesky
Upper right: artwatercolor
Lower left: ikabags
Lower right: QuercusSilver


For more moodboards featuring the members of the European Street Team, go to fleur fatale's blog.

21 Days of Yoga and Writing

Bindu Wiles, who I heard about through

Danielle LaPorte, has created a community online project beginning this coming Tuesday, June 8. It's called 21.5.800.

For 21 days, 5 days of yoga per week and 800 words written per day.

The yoga part is taken care of, I do at least an hour a day, every day. Maya Fiennes's video kundalini courses are so addictive that I sometimes do more than an hour .

But I'll have to make an effort for the writing. Aside from product descriptions and lists, I don't have... take the time to write. Count me in, I'll give it a go!

Featured in the Storque!

My owls, made from vintage linen bedding, are featured in an article in the Storque (on etsy) about eco-friendly items, and sellers who use recycled or repurposed materials and eco-friendly processes!

Monday Moodboard: Subdued

Some subdued colors and awesome textures from the talented European Street Team for this last day of May, rainy here in Lyon, France.

Upper left: hypericumfragile
Upper right: staroftheeast
Lower left: hueconcept
Lower right: afra

For more moodboards featuring the EST, go to fleurfatale's blog!

Holiday Monday Moodboard

It's a gorgeous sunny holiday Monday in France, Whit Monday, perhaps where you are too! I've made a moodboard inspired by the European Street Team shops that I return to time and again to browse and to dream because they take me to some other place or time, some enchanted world where, like a holiday, I can take a break and get away from everyday routine.

Upper left: lapomme

Upper right: LaTouchables

Lower left: anasousa

Lower right: Intres

For more Monday Moodboards, go to fleur fatale's blog!

Monday Moodboard

Some clouds, some sun...that's what the weather has been like here in Lyon, France this month. These lovely selections from the European Street Team on etsy are just perfect to show you what I mean. Perhaps you've been seeing the same type of changing skies where you live?

Upper left: krize

Upper right: Huismus

Lower left: vaisto

Lower right: JurgitaMi

For more Monday Moodboards, go to fleur fatale's blog!

Button Post

I don't know how to knit, but if I did, I'd put beautiful and original buttons on my scarves, gloves, sweaters, shrugs. Mostly ceramic. My favorite material. With these lovely buttons from uniquebuttons on etsy, I can combine my love for natural history and ceramics. My plan? Change all the buttons on my store-bought sweaters next winter.

Thanks to P8, I'm discovering so many artists who make buttons from all types of materials; check out her blog for more button stories!

Is Art a Luxury? (Scoutie Girl)

The question on Scoutie Girl is about art...is it a luxury? Not to me. And I don't think to most people. Even if one can't go to a concert or buy a CD, she can sing or beat out a rhythm; if I can't afford to buy a piece of art, I can trade one of my pieces for something I love. I just made a great trade this week: I received my frog oven mitt in the mail a few days ago! Thank you Inger! Check out her shop, ingermaaike.

I think people are creative and artistic even if they can't or don't want to exchange money for a "work of art". Perhaps it's the difference between living and just existing. Most people choose to live.

Monday Moodboard White

A lovely white mood for this last Monday in April.

Upper left: alatceramics
Upper right: lapomme
Lower left: Mireloom
Lower right: AtelierAfra

For more moodboards from the very talented European Street Team, go to fleurfatale's blog!

Button Thursday

I've discovered more fabulous buttons on etsy this week. These amazing handmade buttons are by buttonsbyrobin. She uses various materials such as resin, glass, ceramic, wood and more.

I'm partial to her bird buttons, not only because I love birds, but because of the uniqueness of these buttons. Little works of art. Perfect for mixed media artists, seamstresses, jewelry designers, knitters.

Her round buttons feature original images and are more suited to sewing projects where they will be used to close a garment, but the possibilities are still endless, and could be used in many different projects.

I hope you visit her shop, I know I'll be going back.

For more interesting buttons, go to P8's blog!

AG Team 2010 Mother's Day Gift Guides

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I've been admiring the Artisans Gallery Team Gift Guides on their blog lately. Here's my wish list:

Upper left: folkartvision

Upper right: catherinereece

Lower left: OneClayBead

Lower right: SHIHAR

Si vous êtes en France, vous avez encore plus de temps pour faire votre séléction, la fête des Mères, c'est le 30 mai!

Monday Moodboard

A sunny spring morning with the European Street Team!

Upper left: ingermaaike

Upper right: afra

Lower left: kreativlink

Lower right: filigreephotos

For more Monday moodboards, go to fleurfatale's blog!

Thrift Shop Finds

The weather was so warm and sunny this past week that I found it hard to stay in, be good and work on anything for very long. So I took a walk and visited the local thrift shops. There are three within a short walk from our apartment. I was looking for some shelves but had no luck.

Instead, I got myself a new teapot, because you can never have too many of those! The plates are for my mosaics, of course. At another shop, I found some gorgeous vintage linen from the 1940s. It feels wonderful, crisp, starched, a tight weave. Printed on the side is "Toile Metis Lin" "Fleur Bleue". I'll have to find a project for this fabric!