First Birdbath and Glaze Question

The very good news is that this is my first birdbath and I absolutely love it.  Made it from a plaster mold  and for glazes, used several test glazes plus some glass.  Below is the 'before' pic.  

 I'll definitely make more of these; maybe the next ones will have holes so they can be hung more easily?  Went to Lowe's to look for a metal plant stand.  Still on the lookout for one I like.

 These are part of 8 teabowls for a commission.  Will trim and then etch words onto them.

 Am experimenting with vase forms.  this hardly looks like a vase, but it's a step in the right direction.  Need to find a form where I can etch words on the outside.

 Back to the birdbath- I used these glass pebbles and crushed them with a hammer-- all while wearing goggles of course.  Then put some over the glaze--- the effect is wonderful!

Here's the glaze question- the bowl on the right was glazed cone 6---  slow speed.  The one on the left (handheld pot made at a workshop I led recently) was fired to cone 5, medium speed (electric kiln; oxidation) and doesn't seem to have as much of the transparentness (is that a word) like the one on the right.  Could it be the change in temp?  Don't want to glaze and fire a whole kilnload of pottery at cone 5 and then have them ruined?  Any wisdom, please??  Don't think I've fired this celadon glaze to cone 5 before...  May need to do a test firing with this same glaze and the words under the glaze after all.
thanks for reading and for all your comments.  The pottery world is a particularly wonderful gift these days!

Birdfeeders- Inspired!

This has inspired me to make birdfeeders- in part because squirrels can't eat ceramic birdfeeders.
My brother and sister-in-law bought this for me and I put ordinary suet in it which the birds AND squirrels loved.
It took me two trips and three additional calls to Walmart to find hot pepper suet, but I finally got some.  And I bought a bunch of it.  Now I will win and the squirrels will lose.  Put the hot pepper suet in today.
Any particular forms of ceramic birdfeeders that you recommend?  I made several in the past few years and well, they're hard to make so the birdseed doesn't fall out...  not sure how I will keep the squirrels away, but at least it's worth a try.

Tomorrow a bisque firing which will include a bunch of pieces that participants made at a workshop I led recently.  Then I'll glaze them on Monday and glaze fire on Tuesday.  Busy week!  Glad I'm feeling better- had my first sinus infection last week and finally went to the dr. for antibiotics.  So am thankful that I'm on the mend...
Thanks for reading and your comments!

 Put this together yesterday.  Paperwhites in the making.  Used a bowl that had an S-crack in the bottom which is good for plants, letting some water seep through.  Waiting for these to grow!  Great way to use a 'second' bowl after all!

 Pasta for dinner yesterday.  Old bowl-  somedays, I miss the shino glaze.

 Lately, I've been fascinated by the birds lately.  This picture doesn't do it all justice, but there are two morning doves on the ground.  Right before this picture, a red cardinal flew away.

 Tried to trim this bowl a little early, and it was well, one of those days today so I just decided to alter it a bit.  Have already been thinking about putting a few bowls outside for decoration, so this will be one in time.

 Here's a bowl made with 6 lbs. of clay-  this one came together so easily yesterday.  So pleased with how it turned out, all that in the midst of a challenging day.  A GOOD sign of things to come.

It's been a long and exhausting day.  One of those days where all I wanted was to make teabowls- yunomis which I consider to be one of my default forms in the pottery world.  The teabowl on the left is an early favorite on mine, and I don't think I'll ever sell or give this one away.  The one on the right is by Adrienne Dellinger.  It's a simple, yet great form.  Another favorite that I use everyday.
Here's hoping for a great day tomorrow- and many more of the same ahead!

What Matters

Surprise! 

 Check out the old toaster!  My dad found this and well,

 Took a quick 48 hour trip to PA to visit family.  It's amazing the gift that it is to be around such loving people; went to take pictures at the end of time with Lily and Garrett, my sweet nephew and niece and Lily surprised me with a kiss.   How I love these two!  As soon as they came over we cooked and ate breakfast-- breakfast #2 for them and then they joined me in running errands.  It was well, a perfect morning!  Here's Lily who is so proud of making her own toast!

 Before I left town I made this big bowl.  It's now in the process of drying...

 Here's another one-- am trying to help it dry evenly by putting plastic around the sides and not the bottom.  Wonder if this will help!

 Bowls ready for writing on the outside...

 On another note, found these rice noodles in a latino grocery story in Charlotte a couple weeks ago.  They're perfect in soup or with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  A great buy!  At the other grocery stores these were way more expensive--- but not so the case here.  :)

Here's some soup in an old bowl--- with lots of rice noodles in it.  This bowl was one of my first attempts at etching on the outside of bowls.  I used slip in this one and then- well, I forget how I made it Glad I worked something out with the bowls I make now.

Well, and can life get better than this?  These two are some of my favorites in the world.  Looking forward to visiting them again in a month!  Life is too short to not be with family.  :)  That is what matters.