klay-taw-n

thanks. they range from 0.38"to 1.12", but the majority are between 0.5" and 0.8"

Hi everyone! Just piping in for a little shameless self-promotion for the new listing i just put up on the Panthertownstudios eBay! In the midst of the storm that is 2020, my wife and i recently had a baby girl, and my new normal hasn't really allowed me to make marbles like i used to when i had some "free" time to play around with clay. That said, I still have a jar of a great variety of keepers from my original experiments, and i've decided to make it available to the highest bidder. Here is a chance to invest in a jar for your collection that i guarantee to be like no other you've seen; all handmade original stoneware art marbles, with lot of decal image marbles and a wide variety of colors and styles. Here is the link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jar-of-Marbles-148-Handmade-Stoneware-Clay-Crockery-Marbles-in-an-Antique-Jar/392994491969?hash=item5b804c0e41:g:-CoAAOSwvJ9fmXLi

I'm so honored. They are a lot of fun to make, and knowing someone else enjoys them as much as i do makes them that much more rewarding. Technical note: the difference between earthenware and stoneware is primarily a difference in firing temperature. An earthenware clay body consists of materials that melt at a lower temperature, and so they don't need to be fired as hot in order to become solid, however not all the materials vitrify (fuse together in the heat) so it leave's the clay porous, lighter, and more susceptible to break (terra-cotta being the perfect example). Earthenware often relies on the outer layer of glaze to put a compression on the clay in order give it any kind of strength. Stoneware is fired a few hundred degrees hotter, and generally is composed of clays that all begin to slightly melt at the peak temperature, and fuze into a tight impenetrable stone-like surface. Stoneware shrinks more in the firing process, and when handled properly makes a nice smooth matte surface that is stronger than earthenware without the necessity of glaze.

Awesome! Thanks Steph, I hadn't seen any of their work.

Thanks Steph and Royal3, It has been as much fun for me to make them and see how they turn out as it has been finding jars of machine mades in antique malls. It took a lot of experimentation and trial and error just to get them very close to round and still have crisp lines. I was initially tempted to try to imitate the more classic crockery style, cobalt and copper streaks in a white clay body, but I'm conscious of people reselling them claiming they are antiques, so i've tried to choose colorants that have only become available in recent ceramic engineering history. Although, i've already come across someone on eBay trying to resell some he bought directly from me as "unknown artist unknown age very rare," so the burden of research is always on the consumer... buyers beware! I pledge to not contribute to any intentional fakery. I've done a little bit of research trying to find other contemporary clay marble makers, but so far i've mostly just found people wrapping glass mibs in sculpy... which can have incredible results when done right, but doesn't really interest me. If anyone could recommend some clay artists and makers for me to look into I would appreciate it. I'm always on the lookout for new techniques and inspiration.

Hello everyone, I've been kicking around this website for awhile now gathering info on my new obsession and decided that it's time to become part of the conversation! My story is as follow... While visiting family during christmas 2018 my mother in law was sorting through a box of belongings her parents had given her after recently selling their house. While passing by, a bag of marbles caught my eye, and as i picked them up to examine them she offered them to me. I felt like i had won the lottery, being a potter who had never even considered clay marbles before, i was immediately struck with curiosity which eventually expanded to full blown marble fever. This collection was handed down from my wife's grandfather's much older brother, and was clearly the result of hard won games played for keeps. I later learned that the collection i have is only 1/5 of the original collection (as they divided it among my mother in law's siblings) which I've tried to coax away from each of them without any luck so far. I do have memories of playing marbles in the halls of my elementary school in the 90's during a marble fad, and specifically remember spilling an losing several of my collection on the school bus on the way home. I have vague memories of stuffing the remainder of my childhood collection into a time capsule i very effectively hid somewhere on my parent's property. I have been unable to find this capsule, but I quickly began a new marble collection of my own (keeping grandpa baker's collection separately intact), and as a means of not spending to much money on my collection, began experimenting to make the best clay marbles i could possibly make to supplement my addiction. If anyone is interested I do occasionally put some of my marbles on Ebay, but so far i haven't seen much demand for contemporary clay marbles. I would be most interested in trading my handmade marbles for others, but eBay's terms scare people away from this suggestion when i've mentioned it. I'd love some feedback on them, and i'm looking forward to being a part of the community! These are Grandpa Baker's marbles: and some i've made...