Love Tags

Dec 7, 2018
2 min read

Can you tell I grew up hanging around an office supply shop?

My Dad and Grandpa owned one of our town's office supply stores, and I used to walk there every day after school. It was my first job when I was in third grade and it was the place we had to stop quick before we went anywhere.

We would be heading to a family dinner and once we were all in the car we would hear my dad say, "I just have to make a quick stop at the office before we go" . Which would make all of us groan to ourselves.

We sold all sorts of office supplies, which I loved to mess with when I was a kid, and we sold a lot of labels....especially since this was before the personal computer so everything that was for sale had a hand written sticker or tag.

A few months back I had the idea to create a ceramic tag people could buy and put on a present.

I usually use ornaments every year as a tag for presents, but I decided to make this one look like a tag. I wanted it to be something you can keep out all year long. Something you can hang on a door handle, or a dresser knob, or from your bathroom light. Something that will convey the loving thought whenever you see it.

So I sat down and carved out a rubber stamp, and I use it to impress into the clay. Then I fired it in my kiln, when it was done cooking and cooling in the kiln, I brushed the whole thing with underglaze and wash off the raised spots with a sponge. It then gets glazed with a clear glaze and fired in the kiln.

After 48 in the kiln cooking and cooling I bring it to the gallery run some twine, string, or ribbon through the hole and then its ready for you to buy it. I leave the back mostly blank, I add just my initials to the lower corner so you can write a note to your loved one on it.

They are adorable and I sold completely out of the first batch!! So I quickly made more for all of your beautiful Christmas presents to people you want to remember your love all year long.