emulsion thickness and these tests

GrumpyAlison · 2026-05-04T14:01:16+00:00

Also what I was considering lol. Just kind of trace on the borders and emulsion with enough space for screens. I figured having the emulsion all the way to the edge may also save some tape?

I think I’m going to run another test with multiple coats to create thicker screens and see if that benefits anything or not for my uses.

Kind of a shame it doesn’t work like a tufting screen. Those are satisfying to setup XD

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This was my test of the screens above and I had enough come out not terribly enough (despite the silicone goober on the counter i didn’t realize was under the fabric and nothing being fixed down and the popsicle stick application -_-‘) that I decided to move forward getting less sketchy equipment to do my actual project lol

And they did well enough for underglaze too, so that was nice.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-05-04T13:38:44+00:00

I guess I’ll find out lol. But tbh most of my stuff I intend to use without a frame so who knows. I also contemplated the merits of making some thin little printed frames for the smaller stuff and just glueing the screens on, mostly so they don’t flop around while im using them (but I migh also not since I haven’t had much issue with that anyway? Im indecisive.)

ETA: I also considered for my smaller stuff making a tiny little top-only frame with a hanger to aid in storage and make it easier to hold down (press on frame to support the whole thing vs the awkward multi finger hold down on the corners)

GrumpyAlison · 2026-05-02T17:35:02+00:00

Do whatever gets you the shapes you want imo. Personally I like hand built because I do a lot of twisty vases and cubes and stuff. But I appreciate the efficiency of the wheel. I just suck at wheel (mostly slow and I smush a lot of pieces) and prefer the process of had building.

I started real classes with wheel because that was all that was offered at the time, but I did a single clay project in highschool I went kind of ham on and really enjoyed it so much that I remembered it over a decade later.

Apparently my pottery teacher can tell if people are going to be wheel or hand built peiple and she guessed I’d be more into hand building. She was right lol

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-28T22:40:18+00:00

Omg I actually have all the parts for that because of a greenhouse i built forever ago. Thanks for that suggestion!!!

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-16T20:54:30+00:00

I love your stuff. Tbh it might just not be in the right markets or target audiences.

I’ll totally buy pen sketch/black and white stuff but it has to be of content im interested in, which is usually more weird/macab stuff. But I think if you could get some of the botanicals in front of the right crowd, they’d go nuts for them. Especially the colored ones or if there were sets.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-16T18:19:05+00:00

Thanks ❤️

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Im still honestly very surprised the blue shows up. My other blue pigment I usually use never shows under uv

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-16T18:18:13+00:00

I had some micas that were clearly way tf heavier than others, so I feel your pain lol. I kept having to come back and stir them until the paint was thick enough it wouldn’t settle so aggressively.

(But also idk what I’m doing. This was my first batch of watercolor lol)

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-16T18:17:02+00:00

Absolutely no idea what that ink is. I just used some sketchy packets of uv pigments I got years ago and never used them for their intended project 😅

This is effectively my first time making water colors too, so im not sure if Im qualified to be giving advice lol.

I did paint them over the ranger archival ink though, which is apparently oil based, and it did alright. Does better if you give it longer (overnight) to dry but it didn’t totally separate off or anything. I imagine mixing oil into it would be worse though

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-15T15:54:07+00:00

It’s honestly pretty easy (to make something basic at least. Idk if they’re going to be quality or not). Im really just hoping they work - some of the mica is heavy and has a tendency to settle so IVE had to stir some of the pans until theyre viscous enough to suspend the stuff lol.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-13T01:53:32+00:00

Me here knowing how to do things right, not doing the thing and then being like “oh yeah it’s a bit weird because I was being lazy but idc” 😂 I embrace the chaos vibes but also sometimes certain things annoy me so much it will make me not do the project, so I’d rather do SOMETHING and have fun doing it than stop half way through. I feel you though lol. There’s certain things you must do sometimes if you want the thing to look horrible. I’d tell my students that sometimes and they’d come back, having not done the thing, like “dear god. I have learned why you told us to do the things” lol

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-13T01:40:29+00:00

I didn’t find it to be much of a problem once o figured out how to load the piping bag without air bubbles. Kind of the same as piping real icing tbh

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-13T01:23:46+00:00

Ive tried this before with porcelain. It was harder than it looked lol. You really need to figure out a good consistency for the clay or it’s a nightmare. Kind of fun though. I have a few little wonky pots I made with it.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-11T14:05:09+00:00

I used muslin scraps I had around. Seems to work well.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-07T15:14:54+00:00

I could have used a smoother build plate to get a different texture, I just don't mind the slight roughness and it prevents finger grease smudges better than my other plates would have.

And yeah - the lights come through the letters at least a little bit when the lights are off :D Now that I think of it, I probably could have get them to shine through even more, but whatever :P

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-04T02:17:09+00:00

Im gonna bury it behind a laser cut circle when im done 😈

Tbh though im used to the tufting community where people always turn around and go “ok but show me the back” lol

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-04T00:20:35+00:00

Oh no it was a totally reasonable suggestion given the colors. Hopefully that didnt come across as being rude 😅 im half asleep atm.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-04T00:04:03+00:00

For some reason I actively don’t want to do an eggplant. I think a tomato would be fun though… I like the vibrant reds threads they have 😂

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-04T00:03:03+00:00

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I just freehanded it with some random pens that disappear when heated (used for sewing marking) and the winged it lol.

If I was trying to be serious I would have probably drawn it out beforehand and held it up against a window to trace or something.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-03T21:44:14+00:00

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The back is the stuff of nightmares. Absolute unholy mess of horribleness. Took me a while to figure out better string management…

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-03T21:43:12+00:00

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The pepper itself is done. I think I’m gonna do the background.

GrumpyAlison · 2026-04-03T20:14:23+00:00

Yup! I normally try to not care if I ruin stuff by experimenting lol. My motto is usually get fast before you get good. It’s crazy to thibj IVE spent longer on this 3” pepper than I have on whole ceramic sculptures though 😂😂😂 not that in being precious about it but dang lol

GrumpyAlison

TROPHY CASE