It's fun to say "chocolate clay"

It was when I was taking regular ceramics classes, throwing pots, that I discovered this clay we referred to as "chocolate," so named for the richness of the color after the glaze firing is complete. I wish I could say it's as delightful to clean up!

In keeping with the schedule I've set for myself to prepare for this end-of-year season, today I worked to finish the pendants I started before the weekend. I'm happy to report these fun, new pieces are happily drying on a tray, even as I write.

As in the past, I've tried to vary the sizes of the pieces - there's no way to anticipate whether people are going to prefer small or large, round or square, or really, really wonky. So I do best when I prepare for any possibility.

Whereas the last 250+ pendants I created were made from porcelain, I've switched back to the chocolate for a while. Although porcelain looks great with dark glazes, some people prefer the darkness of these pieces when they're planning their fall and winter wardrobes. And as is always the case, glazes tend to take on different looks when fired on different clays and so this helps to shake up the end results a bit.

Now to get the orange from beneath my fingernails and go play with the new beads Fed Ex brought me earlier today. I've got big plans for those...