And things are moving

We are moving along on the "wares", a local term I thought I would snatch.
We fired a bisque kiln yesterday and have another one going right now.
After so many years of crawling out of a warm bed to fire kilns who would have thought that a computer kiln that turns itself on would be so good. Really, why did we wait so long?
Oh, yeah, money- and we are pretty cheap in that we need to get all our moneys worth out of what we buy.
We had to dig through the past tax records to find out when we bought the electric kilns.
Seems the ones we replaced were bought in 1987 and 1991.
 I think they showed a true test of time.

The plan, where are we on the plan?
We are moving along.
What is the plan?
Glad you asked.
I know I have alluded to something being up over here and I think we are far enough along to let you in on it.
Last November we were approached by a designer who wanted to come out to Seagrove and talk to some of the potters about making a line of handmade pots for her. We said come on by.
She came out, took pictures, talked shapes and glazes. After she left we went back to doing what we do and waited to see if she would call.
Well she did and we met in early December.
She came with fabric swatches and drawings of 4 lines of pots she wants produced.
We said yes.
We have now made round one of the samples, she has been out and picked them up for a catalog that she is producing to take orders from. The pots will be shown starting next month, end of February.
Now, how do we feel about this?
We hope this works.
We have struggled with part time jobs the past few years, family issues and many thoughts about how to survive as potters. We see this as an opportunity to keep us both here working and maybe even employ some of our friends now and again to help us with all the work it will take to get these things through. We are testing glazes, working shapes out, poundage and all that.
This will also allow us to continue to make our own work to sell. What the designer wants is not carved or stamped, the shapes are good classic shapes with glazes on them.
Our name go on every pot along with the designers mark.
Soon I will give you more detail as the 4 lines are announced.
We brainstormed and came up with 4 names  for the collections and we feel that they represent us, Whynot Pottery, and the area we live and work in.
Glazes have also been named.
How do I feel?
Clear headed for the first time in a long time.
I am doing what I know, making pots, firing kilns, following a path.
So this is part of the plan, a big part, cross all the fingers, making a living making pots can be tricky...
Handmade-let's do it!
Our slogan should be putting potters back to work one pot at a time...
M