I have new ornaments releasing Thursday (if you want in on the action join the mailing list today). I have always loved mother of pearl, but maybe it was because of the collaboration with Sol Proaño this year, but when I found these crystals at a vintage market I had to use them for Christmas!
They shimmer so much!
They weigh 3 ounces and are about 5" long. I really can't stop playing with them they are so beautiful!
The whole process was so much fun too. I took a lump of clay and carved out the crystal design. From that I made a mold and once it dried, slip cast it. After cleaning up the piece, adding a top, and the metal piece at the top and the bottom, they were ready to be fired. Each piece is bisque fired, glaze fired, and luster fired creating the beautiful mother of pearl finish.
I made a video so you can see most of the process here: