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Luna Pasta Bowl in Luxardo

Introducing the Luna Pasta Bowl, a delightful addition to your dining table from Gina DeSantis Ceramics. Each bowl is a testament to the art of hand-thrown pottery, with three thumb indents adding a unique touch to its organic, soft shape. The surface, adorned with throw rings, tells a story of its creation - a story that begins in an old automobile factory in Lakewood, Ohio and ends at your dinner table. This bowl isn't just a vessel for your favorite pasta dishes; it's a piece of art that adds warmth and character to your home.

Luxardo is a deep, dark cherry red.

All measurements are approximate as my work is hand thrown. These bowls are approximately 2.5 inches tall x 6.5 inches wide .

Dishwasher safe however I would recommend hand washing you handmade items to prolong their lifespan. Microwave safe.

#bronze #beige #taupe #pasta bowl #handmade #dinnerware

Borealis Bowl in Dawn

Let me introduce the Borealis Collection in Dusk. These mugs were crafted in a brown stoneware clay with speckles of brown that show through the glaze body. This glaze combo is atmospheric and no two will ever or can ever be the same. I apply the glazes in layers and let gravity and the heat of the kiln do its work. Please see the photos for how varied these drips and colors will look. You will be sent a cohesive combo based on the quantity you order! The glaze combo is a beige, bronze and pink which gives very very subtle tones of pink and white.

Approximate measurements: 3 in tall x 5.5 in wide. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

Let's Talk Turnover Time

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to handmade goods. A lot more work goes into each item than most people assume. The most frequently asked questions I get include how long does it take to make one piece and can I get this custom order earlier??? Let’s break down what goes into making a piece of pottery. I’ll use mugs as an example.

WEEK ONE

Step one/Monday. Wedging the clay. It’s like kneading dough. This aligns the clay particles to prevent cracks later on and removes air bubbles from the clay. Air can cause issues centering and then can cause blow ups in the first firing when the air tries to escape.

Step two. Throw the mug on the pottery wheel. I can throw about 20-30 cups an hour depending on distractions and how much coffee is left in my system. The cups then dry under plastic and need to be firm enough to flip upside down to trim. This means fixing the bottoms, taking out extra clay and weight then stamping them with my logo. This state is called leather hard.

Step three/Tuesday. Handles go on right after trimming. My staff uses a tool to make uniform handles and attach them. Because the handles are wetter than the mugs we wrap the mugs up tightly again to allow everything to catch up.

Step four/Friday. Now the mugs are drying evenly and can be unwrapped to dry over the weekend.

WEEK 3

Step eleven/Monday. Your item ships and should arrive in 2-7 days based on the shipping carrier. At this point we have done our duties and pray to the shipping gods they don’t break your piece.

During any of these steps a piece can crack, break, get a horrible glaze run and we start over. One must also consider the orders in front of it. Something like a leaf for a wind chime seems small and easy but it still goes through the process of drying, firing, glazing and firing again. But there’s a 400 piece order we have to package and that will take my entire staff a whole shift including me. It’s impossible for me to even break down the time that goes into one piece. This is why turnover time exists and why handmade work should be valued.

WEEK TWO

Step five/Monday. The mugs can go into the first firing called a bisque. This drives the water out of the clay. We fire to cone 04 which means the clay is still porous for the glazing process.

Step six/Tuesday. Cool the kiln. You cannot rush the kiln firings. You risk cracks and glaze flaws.

Step seven/Wednesday. Unload the bisque. Wipe down each piece with a damp sponge to remove the dust. Wax the base of the mug for easy glaze clean up. Glaze. Most of my mugs have 2-4 glazes. (And keep in mind when my staff mixes a new batch of glazes we can lose an entire day to that too!)

Step eight. Reload the kiln this time for the glaze. Less pieces can go into the glaze firing. Ceramics is glass on clay so no pieces can touch in this firing. Sometimes one bisque firing yields two glaze firings. Luckily I have four kilns but wait they may be full of other orders so this step can get slowed down up to 5 more days based on kiln turnover time.

Step nine/Thursday. Cool the kiln. Again.

Step ten/Friday. Unload the glaze kiln. Check each item. Sand the base of each pot. Pack and ship. But by now its the end of Friday which means your item will ship on…

#how long to make a ceramic piece #turn over time #handmade #making handmade #craft

Chimichurri Wings

Chimichurri is my favorite thing for grilling season. I had leftovers and made wings. Gluten free and delicious. These are served the Luna Plate which makes them taste better. Trust me.

#chimichurri #chicken wings #gluten free

Bianca Pizza with Garlic Confit

Behold. A recipe where you can actually just read the recipe and not a novella beforehand. Here is my pizza dough recipe using 00 flour and garlic confit. Both the dough and confit are amazing for a variety of recipes. PS if using the Ooni I get 2 pizzas from this dough. I made this one a thicker crust in the oven. Enjoy!

Luna Pasta Bowls

This bowl is crafted from brown stoneware clay with brown speckles that push through the beige glaze. Each one has a bronze accent along the lip. Due to the movement of this glaze no two are ever the same.

Approximate measurements: 5 inches wide x 1.5 inches tall.

Dishwasher safe however I would recommend hand washing you handmade items to prolong their lifespan. Microwave safe.

#bronze #beige #taupe #pasta bowl #handmade #dinnerware

Mother of Pearl Vase 6

This vase was wheel thrown with a very white porcelain clay. It was glazed in glossy clear and finished in a third firing with a mother of pearl sheen. It measures approximately 4.25 inches tall x 2.25 inches wide at the base x 3 inches at its widest point.

#white porcelain vase #mother of pearl #iridescent

Porcelain Gift Tags

Each tag is hand cut from porcelain clay. Its left unglazed and each phrase is in a blank under glaze. They are finished with jute to string. They measure approximately 3.5 inches long by 1.5 inches wide without the cord. The jute adds another 1.5 inches max to the length.

#porcelain #gift #tag

Pin Vase in Smoke

This vase was wheel thrown with porcelain clay. The glaze is dynamic and very reflective with tones of blue, purple, green and pink. No two ever turn out the same with this glaze.

Approximate measurements: 7 inches tall x 2.5 inches wide at the base x 1 inch wide at the opening.

Tall Bottle Vase with Wide Narrow in Smoke

This vase was wheel thrown with porcelain clay. The glaze is dynamic and very reflective with tones of blue, purple, green and pink. No two ever turn out the same with this glaze.

Approximate measurements: 6 inches tall x 3 inches wide at the base x 1 inch wide at the opening.

Luna Pasta Bowls

Approximate measurements: 5 inches wide x 1.5 inches tall.

Dishwasher safe however I would recommend hand washing you handmade items to prolong their lifespan. Microwave safe.

Spice Bowl with Mini Spoon

This listing is for one spice bowl and one mini spoon. They were carefully crafted from brown stoneware clay. The clay has lovely dark specks that push through the beige glaze. Along the bowls are an accent of bronze. No two are ever the same due to the runniness of the bronze glaze.

The bowl is approximately 1.5-2 inches wide by .75-1 inch tall. The spoon is approximately 2.5 inches long.

#spice bowl #prep bowl #spoon #ceramic spoon

Mini Aqua Spice Bowls

This listing is for a set of three mini bowls. These are the perfect size for spices or maybe even dips. It was crafted in dark brown stoneware clay and glazed in a glossy aqua. The glaze and clay combo creates some green and brown areas along the bowls.

Approximate measurements: The bowls are 2.5-3 inches wide by 1-1.5 inches tall.

Microwave and dishwasher safe.

#luna collection serving bowl #rustic #pasta #handmade #handcrafted #wheel throwing #gina desantis ceramics

Aqua and Brown Chip Dip Set

This is a limited edition one of a kind piece. This bowl was wheel thrown in a dark chocolate brown clay. The glaze is a bright aqua that breaks along the brown edges nicely.

Approximate measurements: Dish: 8 inches wide by 2 inches tall. Dip bowl: 3 inches wide by 1.25 inches tall.

Microwave and dishwasher safe however hand washing preserves the life of your handmade goods.

Medium Aqua Serving Bowl

This is a limited edition one of a kind piece. This bowl was wheel thrown in a dark chocolate brown clay. The glaze is a bright aqua that breaks along the brown edges nicely.

Approximate measurements: 7 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall.

Microwave and dishwasher safe however hand washing preserves the life of your handmade goods.

Large Aqua Serving Bowl

This is a limited edition one of a kind piece. This bowl was wheel thrown in a dark chocolate brown clay. The glaze is a bright aqua that breaks along the brown edges nicely.

Approximate measurements: 9 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall.

Microwave and dishwasher safe however hand washing preserves the life of your handmade goods.

Tall Wide Vase in Pink Crater w Black

This vase was crafted in porcelain clay. The glaze is a crater texture that varies in tone across the pot. This vase in glazed in a pale pink with very subtle variations of whites and grays. The bottom is a satin matte black. Each one is unique in that the glaze reacts differently on each pot from firing to firing.

The vase measures approximately 5 inches tall x 1 inches wide at the mouth and 3 inches wide at the base.

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flux: a ceramics blog