teri's layman glossary for some esp clay terms 

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what is this clay?

Stoneware:
That of which most dishes are made!  It's durable, gorgeous and water-tight.  Stoneware can be any color from white to red-brown.  It can be creamy smooth or flecked and funky.  Stoneware is what is called a high-fire clay, that is, it is fired to temperatures above earthenware (your flowerpots) and often below porcelain.   Most ESP stoneware is fired to 2170 F.  Just in case you wanted to know.  
  
Low-Fired:
Pots fired at lower temperatures than stoneware.  The clay in this range is not as strong as stoneware and is also not water-tight.  We seal low fired vases at ESP with tile-sealer to make them functional.  While they may not hold water when dug up by archaeologists a few million years from now, the sealer should work on your flowers.  If not, a second coat is easy to apply.  Why do we do low temperature firings?  Because the art-value of some of the techniques can not be denied...  I also get to roast bananas and marshmallows over the barrel firings.  I can't do this on my electric kiln because the manufacturer tells me not to.  My barrel didn't come with such warnings.   

Smoke Fired:
A low temperature firing that introduces carbon patterns into the clay.  I use sawdust and a peel-away slip to create a crackly smoke pattern.  

Naked Clay?
 It's just clay that doesn't have a glaze coating.  Unglazed stoneware is still water tight, food and microwave safe.  It won't stain any more than glazed stoneware and can be cleaned in the same manner.  

Crackle Glaze:
Kind of like how it sounds:  Glaze that has fine crack lines in it.  We do this to capture light and make pots sparkly, however crackle glazes are not technically food safe and won't be used on food surfaces.  

Glow in the Dark Glaze?
Well... yeah.  It does.  The glow will last over time and can be washed in the dishwasher.  It is not used on food surfaces, mostly because that's just... disturbing.  

More Terms?
As always, let me know if there's anything I've missed.  If you're really a junkie, feel free to browse through the class notes for my students and/or follow links on the ESP blog.  Enjoy!