Raku was originally a Japanese technique, but it's now an internationally popular way to make decorative ware. You begin with a bisque piece fired to about 950°C, and then glaze it. It's removed from the kiln when red-hot, and put straight into a container of combustible material. The flames, reducing atmosphere, and mix of chemicals, stain the clay.

When the piece is removed and quenched in cold water, interesting colours and shades remain: although they're often unpredictable. The ceramic vase shown in the photo was designed and made by Lori Cramer, and is an elegant example of what can be achieved.

The Paragon MagicFuse microwave kiln allows you to try small-scale raku and, for example, make small parts for larger pieces of jewellery. And it's an inexpensive way of experimenting before buying a larger kiln.

To play, pause, or stop the player, or adjust the volume, click the Cherry Heaven Player controls. Whilst it's playing, you can drag the time-line slider to any new position. This programme lasts about 10 minutes 53 seconds.

Cherry Heaven TV has encoded the programme to a net-standard FLV format of 320px x 240px. Other parameters have been set to achieve a practical balance of audio and video quality set against a likely data-streaming rate.

However, if you're not on a fast internet connection, it might pause and continue occasionally if the data stream can't keep up with the demands of the player.

You can also adjust the volume by clicking the loudspeaker icon, bottom right in the task bar at the bottom of your screen. Find this now and check that it's not set very low before you play the programme.

If you're using a notebook computer, the audio quality will probably be poor and not loud enough. To remedy this, you need some external loudspeakers:

The Cherry Heaven USB Stereo Loudspeakers don't need batteries, installing, or setting up: they're powered by the computer's USB socket and driven by the stereo-out socket. You can buy them in the on-line shop.

External loudspeakers will improve your enjoyment of music cds, mp3 tracks, on-line movies, dvd movies, video camera movies, games, youtube, and net-phone applications.

The Kitiki Studio currently offers jewellery-making classes, demonstrations, masterclasses, and workshops, and Art Clay Levels One and Two courses taught by Aida-certified teachers, in the pretty village of Corfe Castle, in Dorset, England.

There are also classes for related products and techniques, art events, craft demonstrations, guest-teacher classes, the local arts weeks, studio open-days, and general jewellery-making opportunities. If you're interested, mail or call.

To learn more about jewellery-making, transfer to The Kitiki Studio using the Kitiki link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

Paragon Kilns is a Cherry Heaven on-line shop and an EU distributor, sales, spares, support, and repair centre for kilns: it's not a bead, ceramics, crafts, glass, or metal-clay shop, selling a few kilns to a market niche.

Although it's an internet resource, you can still mail or call an engineer about kilns, power supplies, home diagnostics, repairs, spares, safety issues, a special project, or reselling opportunities.

To learn more about larger kilns, transfer now to Paragon Kilns using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

The on-line shop link is below the menu bar near the top of the page.  Alternatively, visit Cherry Heaven in Corfe Castle.