Order up!

One more step and I will be ready to really cut this whole thing out.
We wanted to make a "quick" test to be sure of size.
This is now drying under plastic and then we can be sure it will fit the space.
We are 99% sure we have the size of the tiles down, but when you are working with small test it does not hurt to try a larger test, just to be sure.
My mind wants to figured out all the different ways this could be done, from the layout, to the carving.
I think I will stick with the tiles, but yesterday I am thinking this would also be great as a mosaic.
Then I have to think- just stop it and move on this as it is!
I drive myself crazy with possibilities.
Then I have to tell myself to focus and stick with the program.

Yesterday a walk to clear out cobwebs.
The morning was so pretty and still. I love when the trees reflect in the water. As a kid I use to imagine there was another world down below the water.
Well really there is, but you would need some gills to enjoy it.

Mark's side of the studio looks so organized!

Just waiting for action!

April is closing out and then- here comes May.

The thing about carving tiles is the need to get up and walk away.
So a little walk through the yard to see what is blooming.
This clematis never fails to amaze me.
I planted it in the summer of 2000 after I was told it would bloom through fall.
This should tell you how much I know about plants!
It blooms in the spring- not through the fall...
But each year there is is.
It climbs up the building and reaches out for the sun.
I have another one that has looped its way through a sun I have hanging on the front of the shop.

I have lettuce ready to pick and we are enjoying the fresh herbs out of the garden.
Tomato plants are in and there are volunteer squash in the compost.
I have not decided what else to plant this year.
Between the tile project and the grand baby coming in May I don't want to be burdened down with too much graden.
But- it does help cleanse the brain to go out and plant or pick something.
We have a potter friend down the raod who has the most beautiful gardens running through his yards.
The other night we dropped in to play a serious game of dominoes and walk through the garden.
I need to go take pictures.
He has Iris of all colors, purple, yellow, burgundy, mixed, large and small. His yard is as beautiful as any I have ever seen.
We picked flowers from there last year when our son got married and walked away with 5 buckets loads to dress the tables for the rehersel dinner.
So back to the tiles- a walk is in order and then if you need me I will be carving away.
And- for all you folks who drop in a comment-THANKS!
 

Measure twice cut once.

I am the kind of person who needed to marry a person who holds this as a truth.
I am the person who just jumps into a project feet first hurling end over end until I am a tumble of hands, feet, arms and legs.

I come from a family whose  father knew better then to tackle something you did not know,  he wisely called a plumber, electrician, builder and stuck with what he knew, words, he was a newspaper man.
I married into the do it family.
Mark and his father could do plumbing, electricity, wood working and they repaired and built things.
This was all such a mystery to me.
The how and why had not formed into my brain masses.
Now my mother and grandmother did teach me to sew, in that day you had to learn to sew,
But- I hated it. It meant being inside while my brothers were outside... I would much rather have been out in the sun then sitting at a sewing machine.
Now where is this all going you must be thinking by now..
Well, we spent two days pouring over the wet draft for the tile mural.
Mark trying his best to make me understand the wet to dry and grout lines.
I have made some tiles that work together, but- BUT- I have never had to work within certain measurements.
So- I was leaving that thinking up to Mark.
Silly me- I was pretended that I would not need to clutter my mind with figures. (math is hard-Barbie)
Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong.
I got up early one morning and took out Posy's tile book and read.
I read and did figures.
Then Mark woke up and I apologized to him for being a ninny.
A long three mile walk and we were ready to form a better plan
We have taken corner one of the mural and cut the tiles.
They are drying slowing and I am heading out there to lay out the design.
I have a better understanding of how this should work.
And, you should know, my mother was a Math teacher- so as I was punching numbers I thought- yes Mom you do need and use Math  in your daily life forever.

Time to take the dip in the deep end!

Monday just came and went and Tuesday seems to have follow close behind.
The plan was to get ourselves ready for our Spring Kiln opening and then jump right into the tile backsplash.
Well there is still some prep to be done.
First off we needed a sheet of plywood to work off of.
Mark picked that up on Monday and just to keep the surface nice to roll out the drawing on he sanded and put a coat of poly on it.
Today we brought it in the dinning room to set everything up.
We learned  this trick from Laura over the weekend - put the legs of the table in plastic pipes to raise th table up.
Mark bought some plastic pipes for the 8 foot plastic table and we were able to raise the table up to a good height for me to work from it by either standing or sitting on a tall stool. I can also walk around the whole area.
Don't plan on eating in here the next few weeks.....
.

I spent part of the day coloring parts of the background and removing some of the roots.
Lee and I looked over the drawing this weekend and found it still a bit too busy for the deep carving I plan to do for the tiles.
I also took down the size of the spots on the giraffe since they were a bit large.
It will give me more room for glaze between the spots.
Now that Lee has carved and glazed several of her own tiles she has a better understanding of the process.
Its like undercover boss!
I plan to start on one side and do the transfer over to clay in sections.
I worked on the right side today and have the first section ready for clay.
Fortunately the call that our clay is ready came today!
tomorrow we will pick up the clay and from then on- the real work begins.
Here I go!

What's in the yard.

Raven Pottery

Snowhill Tiles and the best helper of the day.

Abela Soaps

Lee Lewis-

Open House

We have been very busy getting our place ready for others to set up with us and folks to come down the driveway.
The drive has been scraped and the potsholds down to a good level.
The grass is mowed and there is plenty of parking.
Pots are unloaded and cookies baked.
There are tents out in the yard.
Tables and chairs.
The weather is going to be great!
So above- we have one more person who is joining us.
I have been working with my sister Lee on taking her 28 plus one giraffes and putting them on tiles.
Here are three from the first round.
I thought for someone who had not touched clay since college these came out pretty darn good!
Have a great day and we hope to see you here.

Unloading the kiln

Mark took out this plate and I wanted a quick shot- funny the only wall space was next to this wall vase which still  has a patina of smoke on it.
There were a lot of pots that were coated with smoke and creosote from the fire.
The best part was most of the pots just needed to be run through a bisque fire to burn that all away.
But this piece, a commercial wall vase, took on a look we like so we keep it smoke and all.

Back to the kiln load.
Most all was good and it is sanded, priced and in the studio.
I did lose a jar to the green crawl......

Who knows why- the lid came out great and this glaze did not crawl on anything else.
Who knows- I guess you have to sacrifice something up to the kiln gods.

So here is Mark's plate without company.
The electric kin is cooling.
Fingers crossed, I have some of sister Lee's first tiles inside.
The pressure in on!

More kiln cookies

Sesame Seed Cookies
1 stick of butter, melted
add:
1/2 c. sugar
1 beaten egg
4 or 5 T. sesame seeds
1 t. vanilla
mix in:
2 cups of flour sifted with ½ teaspoon salt and baking powder

Mix together well and form into a brick or log.
Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and
Chill for about an hour, slice into 1/4 inch thick slices
and bake at 350 for 15 - 18 minutes.

A great, not real, sweet treat -- a favorite with red wine.

 Peanut butter cookies no flour:
1 cup peanut butter- I like to use all natural chunky-
1 egg
1 cup sugar
Bake 350 for about 15 minutes.

Kiln Cookies

When I married Mark I married into a family who baked.
In my house we went straight to the food.
We were all about savory and tasty.
I grew up with two parents who read recipe books like novels.
They would read, take the recipe apart and serve up wonderful meals.
When I meet Louise I learned to bake.
Cooking was not her thing.
Opening cans or boxes- throwing a piece of meat on the grill would be the highlight of the meal but she could out bake anyone I knew.
I had to learn through her that you did not take apart these recipes and you followed directions.
If it says sift you sift.
If it says soft butter, use soft butter- not melted.
It also taught me how to wait.
Baking takes times.
Now my trick is to take one day to mix several doughs and another to bake.
So here you go- two of my tried and true cookies from Louise

Oatmeal Cookies
mix together thoroughly
1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 Tbs. Molasses

Sift and add to above mixture
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir in
2 cups oats
1/2 cup nuts
1 cup raisins

Drop in rounded spoonfuls 2" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake 4oo* 8- 10 min

Cowboy Cookies
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs

2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix oil, sugar, and eggs and vanilla.
Add flour, soda, salt and baking powder.
(sift these together to get a good mix first)
Stir in oats, nuts, and chips.
bake 350* 10-12 min.

Louise and Our son Joel with his wife Katie- Christmas 2008

morning shadows

Early morning spring sun shadows.
The kiln is cooling it is clean up and cookie baking time in Whynot.

Teapot and Trees

I have some two cup teapots going in this kiln load.
The kiln is half loaded as of yesterday.
The other half to be finished today.
Then brick the door and fire Sunday.
What we hope is that the winds clam down.
It has been windy and wind and our kiln just don't mix well.

I think I have enough pots for an electric kiln load and I will load that up while Mark is firing on Sunday.
Then next week between cooling and whatever else needs doing I plan to bake up some cookies for the kiln opening coming up next Saturday.
I have the peanut butter and sesame seed cookies on my list.
Two of the favorites for the customers.
Oh and then there is the biscotti..... .Those I have a hard time staying out of.
Just one more.

I have been watching the trees as I walk back and forth across the yard and this Sassafras tree has been a joy to watch as the leaves look so pretty as they bud and then days later start to open.

Don't they look wonderful!
This is the tree that I should have removed three years ago, but I am such a whimp and hate taking down any tree.
I have to admit it has me with its gifts of leaves.
I bet it is still there a year from now, just waiting me out.

The flier for the kiln opening- come on out this will be lots of fun with some great pottery just waiting to go home.

A trick worth stealing

Here you go ANG- a trick worth stealing from Jim- Sofia's Dad.
 And- hey- I really do like puppies..........
Check yesterday's post for details.
 

Better than a new puppy!

Mark finally went off to the plumbing place just outside of Seagrove.
He made one of these plastic thingy-things to put a bottle on while pouring glaze.
How simple is this and how great does it work!
Thanks Jim!
We owe you a really, really good hoppy beer for this tip.
It is so cute that I think it might need a name.
But the best part is no one has to walk it or train it.
It just sits there and waits to do tricks!
We are crazy glazing this week and there have been spring break folks out.
It has been great to see all the faces and sell a pot or two.
Back to the glazing.

What a mess!

Chuck how could you leave me?

One of these days I will quit expecting items that we had for over 25 years to magically be where I think they should be. The other day, after I had made the lids for the butter dishes, I wanted to trim the inside edge.
That right there is where the problems started.
Mark and I both had chucks we had made when we first opened the pottery.
They were all thrown on the wheel and then left to dry.
They were never fired and worked quit well for trimming and then would do doubled duty when I need to wax lids and other things when getting ready to glaze.
As I said, the day after making the two parts for the butter dishes, a plate and dome lid, I wanted to trim the lids- I just expect those chucks to still be around.
But we all know that fire and water are not kind to bone dry clay.
I really want to be that person who is not marked by the before or after.
But- somedays it is all about the before and after.
Didn't we use to have....
Where is ..........
With that said I started looking for something to use.
Well my fall back had been an assortment of plastic plumbing parts of different sizes.
Well, we all know what fire does to plastic.
I have two left from the fire one very small one and one bigger, but not deep.
Good grief, you think I would give it up and go to the plumbing supply place or throw some chucks.
But no- I like to drive myself  crazy by spending time trying to make something I have on hand work.
So in my search I came across the plastic parts Mark made for our extruder, which could be another post on how to use plastic plumbing parts and an old piston to made an extruder for lugs and handles.
Much to my delight I popped this on my trusty giffen grip and it worked great.
That and a lid from a jar to help hold it in place and I was able to trim the lids right up.
Now to write myself a note about throwing some chucks.

It is hard for me to complain about the weather since we had such a messy winter.
I am truly enjoying the warm weather and some dry warm weather is an added bonus.
But- 90 degrees tomorrow??!!
It is as if spring just gave it up and went straight into summer.
The frogs and bugs are making lots of racked all night long.
The other night I thought there were aliens landing in the yard.
The high pitch whine combined with some other noise had worked its way into my dreams.
There were spaceships coming down to take us all away.

The marathon glazing started today.
I spent the day waxing pots and Mark did the run on glazes.
Tomorrow a bisque to unload and more waxing for me.
Then things get pretty hot and heavy with lots of glazing going on.

One of my favorite trees.
Is it okay to have favorites?
This one has been opening the past week and today is putting out the end of the leaves with red.


 

 

More jars

I always ask, "can one ever have enough jars?"
The answer to this is the same one I give when asked if someone could ever have enough bowls or mugs.
No, one can always find useful things to go in a jar.
Fill them with all sorts of endless possibilities.

This week Mark has made some big jars to fill the top shelf of the kiln or what he and I refer to as the crown pots.
Crown pots: the pots that fit nicely on the top shelf of the kiln just nestling up under the crown.

Don't these pots look like a happy couple.
And, yes, these will also be crown pots.
Next week is glaze week.
There will be lots of pots to shuffle through for the Spring Kiln Opening.
Our Mud and Suds in the Yard.












 I wanted a quick item to put in with a load of tiles this week.
So I am working on these small dishes that I think would be great to use for soap or other things.
I must have the suds on the brain.
I hope that this will work well with Laurie's handmade soaps for the Spring kiln opening.

The other event for the month of  April is the Annual Auction for the North Carolina Pottery Center.
This year the auction will be on  Sunday, April 25th starting at 5 pm.
Mark your calendars and take a trip out to buy some pottery and support a great place.