Amazing Pottery

handmade ceramics, clay, pottery, sculpture using no kiln, oven bake or no bake supplies? I have a project with clay/ ceramics/ sculpture I want to get underway. I am planning on making a set of "functional items": plates, bowls, cups etc. I would really like to use a kiln, (you know, the whole glazing and firing deal) but I don't have the resources where I live. 1) Is there any sort of non bake or low bake clays that will allow me to make these projects at home? 2) I also want to paint them, and hopefully glaze them. By doing this, will I also be able to use them "functionally"? And what is the best glaze for this? 3) Can I heat them and wash them without ruining the pottery or without causing safety hazards? 4) How is the comparison in quality as opposed to finishing them with a kiln? Thanks in advance! Best Wishes!

What kind of handmade anime merchandise would you buy? I'm thinking about renting a booth at an anime convention to sell some of my crafts/art. I make figurines out of clay and paint pottery. I'm trying to get a feel for what kind of things people would buy. The figurines are just a couple of inches tall for sitting on desks or whatever. I've also made these as a chess set. As for the pottery, I can paint anime characters on mugs, bowls, plates, teapots, picture frames, and mini tea sets. What I'd like to know is, which of these items would you buy? What characters/series would you like to see on them? I have a good idea of what characters to use, but I'm more interested in what kind of stuff people wnat those characters on.

How do I list itemized deductions for casualty and theft losses when I file my taxes? This past year I experienced a rather large apartment fire that destroyed not only all my personal property but the entire building as well. I have been trying to make a list of itemized deductions to send in with my taxes, however, I've become stumped at how to list the value for certain items and whether or not I can even claim them. See, I am an artist and craftswoman and some of the things I've lost were handmade items that weren't themselves purchased in a store, but the materials the items were made from were. For instance, my pottery, which cost me the raw clay bodies, glazes, and kiln firings (not inexpensive things) or afghans which I've made from yarn that cost me quite a bit of money upon purchase. Should I forgo listing these items, as their value is difficult to prove, or is there someway I can claim their losses?