I have enough mugs for a kiln all ready to carve. For those interested in the sgraffito process--after I trim the foot and attach the handle (I pull the handles directly from the side of the mug which means each handle is a little different), I leave the mugs to set up upside down. The pulled handle is significantly wetter and more flexible than the leather hard mug. I uually cover them for a day or so until the mug and handle are at about the same dryness. Also, drying upside down keeps the handle from sagging downward into an unusable shape. Then I paint both sides with a black slip. The slip is made from dried trimmings which I crush to a powder (in a plastic bag and while I'm wearing a respirator mask to keep from breathing silica dust). Then I mix the powder with water until smooth with a hand blender. The result is kind of like pudding or yogurt. A black stain (I use Mason Stain--best black) is mixed in with a little more water. Normally I thin the slip enough to paint 2 thin coats. It takes about a day for the covered, stained mugs to set up enough to carve. I like to carve them when they are still fairly soft because I prefer the woodcut look. Some artists wait until the pot has dried out completely, then, using very fine tools they can carve extremely thin, delicate lines