Shaking off the cobwebs...

Tile will tuck in back here....

Yesterday after a wonderful and much too fast visit with our daughter, her friend and the Grand baby it was time to pack off the tile project and get it delivered.


We packed it all up and took it off to the new owner with the hope that it would be installed this week.
(there is a Christmas party coming up)
We set the whole thing out, talked to the tile setter and then at some point I realized I had to let it go.
I have no problem letting go of the pottery I make but this let go was more like sending a child off.
I thought I would be jumping for joy after, but instead have had a bit of the let down feeling.
I guess after all the months of work maybe I wanted a band and dancing girls for the send off.
I can only wait now for my sister to get some pictures up for me and fingers crossed it all tucks in it's new home and fits like I hope it will.

I hope these guys are friendly.....

 We did take a few pictures so you could see the many friends the giraffe will be surrounded by.

I do love these stairs that lead down to the rooms below.

I hope he does not eat giraffes! 

say goodbye Gracie...goodbye.

Now to shake off the cobwebs, sweep out the studio and see where I can start.
Wheel- tiles- wheel- tiles- choices to be made.
Peace,
M

Hold on to your aesthetics ----the fuff is in the house!

I know I know and if you are not into seeing my pictures turn away now!
But there is a baby in the house!
Dinner was yummy- good grief she had baby risotto- don't you wish you could have some!

We are a cherry baby all full of smiles and giggles.

And someone's Grandma should have bushed her hair and washed her face.
Note- it is hard to hide behind a baby.
I am sure you will enjoy my distraction!

Pottery will just have to wait!
There is a baby to watch!

It's true it's all true

For many years we worked on Thanksgiving day.
We were either firing a kiln, unloading a kiln or glazing.
We also hosted many gatherings here with family and friends.
Now that the kids are married they are off to see the in-laws, our mothers no longer travel and friends have drifted off to other obligations.
Last year we were invited off.
This year we opted for a really nice dinner out.
We had a 4 pm seating- I know sounds late and yet early all at the same time.
Late if you eat your turkey at noon- early if you eat at 7.
Being the ever thrifty folks that we are we thought we would hit the grocery store for a shopping trip before we ate.
We walked in to a store at 1:55 to be told, we close at 2.
Well-darn!
We ended up heading out looking for another open store.
We were most of the way through when they said- we close at 3-
pack it all up and get the heck out!
We did do some fancy stepping and got out of  there.
We did a quick and I mean quick stop at Wally word who is open even if the bombs were dropping- but in and out in 10 minutes.
Then off we went still early for our seating.
But what better then a drink at the bar.
Divine to just sit there sipping some good wine.
We loved the place--- it was elegant and just right in the service department.
We had some mussels in a wine broth that were so good I wanted to just pick up the bowl and drink what was left.
We opted for bread and a spoon instead.
Mark went for salmon and I went for the Gnocchi with local veggies and local sausage.
We followed this all with a chocolate mousse- I serving two spoons.
It was a perfect way to spend the day even with the "fun" of finding out that it is true the stores are all closed on Thanksgiving or at least by 3.
So today is Black Friday.
Time to hit the mall for many folks.
Us- we will be right here open for business.
Come spend your day down in Seagrove.
We promise not to send you packing even if you are in our store at 5 because we close when you are finished shopping  not before.
Bring a list we have all day.
There is something here to fit your needs!
 
Inset picture of lovely pots here - because blogger is not working the picture department today.
They must be closed!
Cheers!
M

It was the night before Thanskgiving

It was the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The Turkeys were trussed up and waiting to be baked.
While visions of sweet potatoes, green beans and dressing run through our heads.....

Happy almost Thanksgiving you USA readers.
Can you believe how quickly this year has  flown past us?
About as quickly as those turkeys will be eaten tomorrow.
Mark and I plan to go against the grain and forgo the Turkey.
It will be a quiet celebration here and a Turkey for two is too much.
Besides I am not a big fan of the bird.
I enjoy a sandwich the day after but to face all that meat at one shot is just too much.
So bring me some leftovers- but past day one don't bother.
I have been working on all the corners the last few days.
I am listing pots in the Esty shop, cleaning the gallery and putting away all the stuff it takes to do a show.

It has been awhile since I posted anything in the shop and I am still not sure of all the things I need to do.
But I am slowing getting things listed.
Mark has been off the past bit helping a friend get his house ready.
It has been a nice break for him to step away from pots and do some carpentry.
In fact when he is done there I think I have some things here he could practice on.

I hope you all have a happy day tomorrow and spend some of it with Family and friends.
we don't get our kids on Thanksgiving they will go spend time with their in-laws.
But over the weekend we will get to see our Daughter, Grand baby and a friend.
The Grand baby is now 6 months old- should be fun.

Here she is taking a nap!
M

You will be happy to know there was no dancing

The celebration went off with out a hitch- or at least it did for us.
Mark was nervous when the band walked in- Jazz band- to play at the Friday night Gala and I looked over and said, " Hey that was one of the guys in my dream."
Mark was sure to note the fire Exit when we walked back to our booth.
This year we were close to where we set up last year but in a smaller booth space.
We lucked out that even with our 10x10 we had a corner.
I am not sure we were fully able to take advantage of the corner but it worked out well.
The sisters rolled in to help and you want these two on your team.
Not only do they come out to help they bring food.
No street food for the weekend we feasted on homemade pimento cheese and chicken salad.
Right across from us were Bruce and Samantha from Bulldog Pottery.
This vase on the end of their display looked like an eggplant to me.
It was stunning.

 Around the corner from me were a couple of my friends and fellow bloggers- Tom Gray and Chris Luther.
I caught them talking- maybe fishing stories?
Things looked pretty intense!

I did not take many good pictures this go round- maybe the light where we were set up, maybe just me.
But I did get this picture of a shopper in Tom's booth.
I kinda liked it.

This plate is from Westmoore Pottery.
This is the first year they have come out to the show.
I stopped in to talk with Mary and chat with her.
We met in 1978 not long after she and her husband opened Westmoore Pottery.
We know each others kids and it is always nice to see who is doing what and how all the kids are doing.
They make some beautiful slip ware, but this plate really called to me.
It was done by one of their sons.

I never did get a shot of our booth that I liked....

All in all it was a good weekend-
Attendance was down by about 400 people from last year.
Could have been the beautiful weather.
Warm weather does not make you think about Christmas shopping.
Although many of the buyers at the show were ticking off their list.
And many confessed they came to buy Christmas gifts but were buying for themselves.

Monday is a new day and after I get the shop back together I plan to get back to some clay work....
Cheers!
M

I felt like Dorothy in the wizard of Oz.

I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
Last night I had one of those dreams that goes on with what seems like forever.
I would wake up and stir around and then fall back into the dream again.
Mark and I were visiting someone, who look like Dan Finnegan- maybe it was Dan.
We were out in the middle of nowhere at an old, old, old house made up of many rooms.
You would go in one room through a set of wooden stairs and there would be another room with more stairs.
Some of the stairs went up and some went down and then some went all around.
Every room was filled with furniture, books, and lots and lots of pottery.
Pottery on the tables, in the corners, on the floor on the wall- it was every where as were the books.
Books, books and more books.
The owner explained how he had built the house over many years adding one room at a time.
As we were wandering around, with the many other people who were there, I saw smoke out of the corner of my eye.
Then as we all watched the porch burned away.
I was appalled and yet the owner said no worries I have more rooms.
This is where I woke and rolled back to sleep.
I was standing outside looking at the house with the porch gone and thought well at least there are more rooms.
Then I saw smoke again and the first room began to burn.
Quickly I thought we have to carry it all out of the house.
Many of us scrabbled into different rooms grabbing what we could and taking it out on the lawn.
I remember carrying one pot and then reaching down to take a bite out of the top of it.
The owner just watched- with a sad smile on his face.
He goes over and puts on some music for us all and then just goes back to stand in the yard.
We are flying through the house grabbing pottery, books, papers, and furniture.
Then I am standing in the yard and a 5 piece jazz band shows up.
They plug up to the back of the house and set into some fast jazz music.
I am wearing jeans and a top with a long apron that goes all the way to my ankles.
I am carried away by the music and start to dance.
I find myself dancing around the house as it burns.
The owner and Mark are watching me and laughing....
I wake.
There were other layers in the dream I can not capture.
Wild, weird and crazy.....
My only question now is where was Toto?

Back to my real life of setting up for the show- pictures later!
M

Who makes the cut?

Today is cut day- packing up the pottery to take up to the Old Luck's Cannery on Highway 705.
The cannery is located just minutes from the house.
When we were kids traveling back and forth from Norfolk to see the Grandparents in Whynot the passing of Luck's Bean factory was highly exciting for two reasons.
First it meant the farm was just around the corner.
Second we had a family tradition.
No matter how tired we all were my father would make sure we were all awake as we went through Seagrove.
"Don't blink you will miss it!"- he would say.
and then as we rode out of town and on towards Luck's we would all roll down our windows and yell-
"PUT IN MORE BACON!!!!!!!!"
Then we would laugh all the way to the farm.
Luck's made many products back in the day but they were known for their beans with bacon in them.
Thus the put in more bacon- OK---- we were kids and you had to be there.
Luck's was running full tilt when we moved here, but was bought out, closed and sold.
They now make Luck's beans in California- which should be a crime but, hey, they are still making them.
Now once a year  the local potters go and turn it into a mecca of pottery shopping.
The potters are all Seagrove potters from the three county area know as the The Seagrove Area- more history there but today I have pottery packing to do.
Maybe I should ride by there and yell -PUT IN MORE POTTERY!

Tray- Mark

Tray- Meredith

Egg vases- Iron red with wood ash

Tiles- Meredith

Cheers!
M

Sunday- don't you love a Sunday in the fall....

We finished unloading the gas kiln yesterday and all in all it was a good firing.
We had a few seconds which is not bad considering the size of the kiln.
There are always a few pots that just go in another direction than you want them to, independent souls that they are.
But, over all we are pleased.
I spent my time sanding and pricing and sorting.
Pots for the store, pots for the show, pots for orders.
Next week we will set up for the 3rd. Celebration Of Seagrove Potters.
We set up in the old Luck's Bean Cannery on Highway 705.
The space is big and it has a roof!
A bonus!
I have heard there are potters who only do indoor shows.
I would like to be that potter- then again sometimes outdoor shows can be very nice.
We use to do one that was outside in July.
The weather could be rainy, hot as the dickins and humid as hell.
But- we sold pots.
Gosh you can put up with a lot if you are making some money.
Who's that down below you ask?
I also spent yesterday wandering back and forth to check the temperature of the electric kiln.
439
438
437.....finally around 3 pm which is as it should be it hit 259.
I thought - okay the lid is going up.

so here we are- the tiles are all out.

Time to put it all out and make sure it will fit the space.

I feel pretty good about this for a first time large tile project.
There is some warping- but I think we can over come it.
If there was time I might redo two.
But the customer wants this up by the end of the month.

Tray- a surprise from the kiln- better write this one down...

My sister Lee is working on sheep tiles- they are  fun!

We are back out to start packing, plan our booth and in general get ready for another week.
Then again- we need to declare this a PJ day- who's with us??
Top of the morning to you all!
M

Friday the day that follows- hey- who took out Wednesday and Thursday?!

I have the door down on the big kiln  and the pots are all staring at me from behind the first stack of shelves.

I am no longer able to lift out the heavy shelves and Mark is off around and about today so I am waiting for him to come home and take out the shelves.
What a wimp you say.
Yes- I say.
I am too old to risk any more damage to my delicate southern self.

Now, I did get a load of tiles fired and I am working on backs for hanging tiles.

It is not as if I am not working, just waiting for the muscle to show.
He's home and now it is dark.
Guess what tomorrow is another day...
Today - time for a beer!

Tuesday- the day that follows Monday

This morning I was going to go right in the studio and get down on those last tiles for the back splash.
I knew right where I left off and thought I could just knock those out.
But to tell you the truth after loading the kiln yesterday, which makes for a long day, I was moving slow and dallied around in the house until about 9:30- then I had to take a walk up the drive to place the open sign out.
It was a beautiful day today and that always makes it harder to head inside. 

 After getting back from my walk I kept thinking about how I wanted something to hang earrings and pendents on.
I looked and looked online last night.
I would find something I wanted and the cost was right but the shipping would be a bit too high.
I could buy one for under 15.00 but then the shipping was 10.00- that just raised the price to 25.00.
I decided I was going to cut some twigs and see if I could make something.
As I was playing around with the twigs Mark comes in and gives me some advice, shows me how to use his drill press- pretty cool- to drill the small holes for the wire.
I put them both together and then realized I could have used the drill to drill holes all the way across...
Well this just means I get to make another one-right?
Don't look too close.
I hope to get a little better on the wrapping.

I do think they hold some promise.
I used some fishing stuff to hold the pendents but I think I need to work on how I want that to work.
I would like to be able to just clip off the pendent if someone is interested in buying one or trying one on.
I think I want to look at a larger size.
Mark says I will have to go on to the deep sea fishing stuff to get a larger clip thingy- escapes my brain what these things are called right now.
Again shows some promise.

I did glaze through the afternoon and then played some more with these before I headed in.
Mark is out there firing the gas kiln and me- I am going to stretch out and pretend I am doing something important besides checking my eye lids for holes.

BUT WAIT!- I have to tell you that Connie Norman has posted an interview with me out on her blog.
Thanks Connie!
It has been such a pleasure to meet another potter/blogger.
I have admired Connie's work for some time now and getting to meet her, if only  through email for now, has been great.

Cheers!
M

Monday

Mark and I went over to Raleigh on Friday night and I presented a talk to the NC Potter's Collectors Guild.
It was a good crowd and I think I was well received.
I put together three different presentations.
The first was about Mark and I our how we became potters, our fire we went through and then into how this show came together- Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story.

Then the last thing I wanted to do was to present just a little about my brother Jay.
My brother Jay was to speak in this slot and talk about Phil Graves who was married to Nell Graves from the JB Cole's family.
I knew I could not present all his information as well as he could but I wanted them to see some of his pots he had collected and tell them a bit about him.

The best thing about blogger is his site should stay up on line- as things are now.

He wrote many articles on NC pottery and if you have not read them you should.
You can still comment even if he can not read them...

We all miss Jay in our own ways.
This weekend I thought about how he would call me on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon just to chat away an hour or three....

I know you are all busy but when you have some time go do a little reading.
I know you will enjoy it.

Our son and his wife live in Cary.
They were kind enough to come and listen to me talk and let us crash at their house for the night.
We had a great lunch on Saturday at a place called Saffron in Morrisville.
It sits in one of those blah type shopping- you could be anywhere in the world- centers.
But when you walk in the smells are as tasty as the food.
It was the best I have had in NC.
Then this weekend I tackle the piles around my desk.
You can even sit in the chair next to me now- so come on over.
Cheers for Monday!
M

Jungle House Tiles

Left hand side

Laying in the glaze

Laying in glaze

Right hand side

Put those days down and walk slowly away.....

Some one and I am not naming any names, is taking days out of the week.
I just wish I could get them to stop.
This week we finished glazing the pots for the gas kiln.
That is always a long job and to top things off we took out Sunday to go and pack up the pots for the Clay and Blogs show.
Tracey, who is the best ever, meet us there for the pack up.
Thanks Tracey!
We packed up some for picking up, some for delivery and a few for shipping.
Then there are some that took exit right over to the gift shop of the Campbell House Gallery.
And in case you are in the area you can still see some of the work and take home a pot.
I have my eye on two I would like to bring home.
I have to pace myself.
I did - or I should say we did come home with a Brandon Phillips, a Zygote Blum and a Alex & Nancy Solla.
I bought a gift, which I can not tell you about since they read here....
But I think they will love it.
There is another gift there I am thinking about.
The director told me about one of our local pottery collectors who came in about 5 one evening and did some serious buying.
All in all I think the show went great and now I am working on  getting some slides together for a talk I will be doing about the show on Friday at  The North Carolina Pottery Collector's Guild. 
Mark has helped me sift through the pictures to bring the slide show down  from 15minutes to about 6 .
I put everyone in without overloading them with images.
If I can ever figure it out I will put it up someplace.

I am looking forward to this part of Sunday!

Then- late yesterday afternoon I unloaded the first firing of the back splash.
I was very pleased and will be out there loading up another kiln today to fire tomorrow.
I am like a cat on a griddle with this thing.
I need to get it all finished up.
So about that gas load- with the tiles, the talk - it will just wait until Sunday for loading and Monday for fire.
There I go taking more days out of the week.
Hey- it's me stealing those days!
I am going to have to have a long talk with me!


 Vase- Mark