Book excerpt: Pottery making and wheel throwing is a timeless craft, perfect for beginner crafters and artisans who don't mind getting their hands dirty. The Potter's Complete Studio Handbook is the perfect guide for all levels to enjoy and master the art of pottery. The book is a compilation of the best features from The Potter's Studio Handbook and The Potter's Studio Clay and Glaze Handbook, bringing the best of hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques together with comprehensive instruction for clays and glazes. Inside, you'll find: —expert tips and tricks for selecting and preparing your clay, constructing slab projects, throwing and centering clay on the wheel, firing your project to perfection —16 beautiful and functional projects with step-by-step photos using wheel-throwing, hand-building, and slipcasting techniques that can be done at home —more than 40 formulas for unique clays and glazes with instructions on how to use them plus troubleshooting tips from the experts —behind-the-scenes access to production and mining facilities . . . and much more!