Handmade Seashell Blue Colored Porcelain Hanging Ornament. Ceramic Pottery

Dennis's Handmade Seashell Ornament with Metallic Gold Accents Measures:

4" wide x 3-7/8" high x 1/2" depth

Porcelain edges are approximately 1/16" - 1/8" thick.

This Seashell Ornament is made with agateware light blue and pale blue porcelain twisted together to create a very pale marbled effect. The effect is very subtle. There is a stripe of blue, as well as a spot of blue near the hanging cord.

Additions to the ornament are two small seashells. The starfish is overglazed with a metallic overglaze. One blue tropical fish with metallic gold stripes attached to the hanging ring on top.

A braided hanging cord looped through a split metal O ring.

Please Note - Some ornaments have hanging ribbon, and some have braided cord.

Some ornaments are rounder than others, depending on which seashell we used to make the plaster mold.

NO Dishwasher, as this will wear away the gold finish.
NO microwave, the metallic gold overglaze contains 7% gold.
Not that you would place an ornament in the microwave.
Press molded and hand glazed by Dennis.
Colored Standard 365 Porcelain Clay.
Glazed with dinnerware safe, lead free glazes.
Kiln fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees Fahrenheit)
Dennis's initials with happy face carved on the back side.

How it’s Made

We made our own plaster molds from a couple of large scallop seashells.

These plaster molds were used to press colored porcelain clay, which we color ourselves, into the mold.

After sufficient drying time, the seashell pops out of the mold, and is ready for attachments. Dennis makes the smaller seashells from resin molds, and they are attached using colored porcelain slip (wet porcelain clay).

The small shells and sea critters are NOT hot glued on; they are fired in the hot kiln with the large seashell base.

After the initial bisque fire (1945ºF) a clear, lead free, dinnerware safe, glossy clear glaze is brushed on (usually 3 coats of the clear). The ornament is fired a second time to 2232ºF. (Cone 6) After the second firing, the metallic gold overglaze is applied to desired shells, or sea critters, and in they go for a third firing. The third firing at 1319ºF creates the shiny gold surface on selected attachments.

Hanging rings are attached, and little gold charms are strung with the hanging ribbon or braided ribbon.

Some ornaments have satin ribbons, and some ornaments have braided cord, we braid ourselves.