Tiles and such

 Back it up!
We are working on a glaze that we used a million years ago, well, maybe more.
The black glaze was developed by our son when he was looking for a good science project. What better than to have your parents toss you some glaze materials, a recipe and then show you about doing a line blend.
He measured and tested glazes, did his own firings and this was the result.
He won a trip to DC, we won a glaze.
We set this glaze aside as we were working more in the big gas kiln and I was having a hard time keeping up production on both kilns and our many other glazes. We were also raising kids, running and doing as you do with a family, here, there and everywhere; baseball, girl scouts, boy scouts, band, colorguard, theater,wrestling, life, just life.

Recently we decided to bring back this glaze and add it to the tile firings. A few months of testing, a few firings and we are happy with the results. We did make a slight adjustment to the firing and hold temperature, it all looks good.

I think I will glaze more mugs and make another firing very soon.

 Tiles. I am playing with house tiles.
They are fun, a bit slow, require thought, but I love a red door.

 more

Whoops, I must have knock over that test tile.
Look Ma! No Hands!

Yes, they are Blue!

 Yes, those houses look ready for some birds!
See you Saturday,
M

Ms. B is back again

Let us all hope that she does not have any tricks up her sleeve.
I did take these pictures with my phone because my camera's batteries had died on me.

 I went and bought batteries today and we should all hope for better pictures.

We are still learning things about this kiln.
Sometimes I think I don't want to learn anything new and different. I just want it to work.
Laughable, right?
How hard could this stuff be to make?
It's easy, right?

Cool down in progress, results later.
M

We make Birdhouse, and, yet

The birds find their own.

We just unloaded some new houses for the gallery, maybe your birds are looking for something new and exciting.
Ours are taking over our kiln shed.
I love the stovepipe ones with the peaked roof.

 What is it about blues?
I like this ash glaze, it reminds me of the blues you would see on slat glazed ware.
I better fly, I am still trying to catch up.
M

Yes, it's wet

 Top to bottom, Front, Middle, Back.
Overall good firing, a little crawling on a few pieces.

Some gems, flattened bottles by Mark.

What Moon?

 And, away we go.
We have been working on the latest load of pots for the big gas kiln. It use to be that we could knock this out in 5 days.
Now that I am gone for a few of those days it takes longer.

We also had to make a trip up to Virginia to remove the last of the items from my mother's house. It has sold and the closing is coming up.
We walked all the rooms on each floor, taking in the memories that were so much a part of any house that has belonged in a family such as ours.
 The weather was nice enough to walk to lunch, something we don't get to do here, unless you count the walk across the yard. We stopped in for cups of coffee on the way back and did what we loved to do the most at my mother's house, we porch sat.
 We just sat on the top step of the porch while we watched the world pass us by.
This trip we were not in a hurry, we had nowhere to be, we could just sit and watch.

  I always find a new story to tell Mark as we sit there. You would think after all these years there would be nothing left to tell.

We moved to this house when I was 12. I built my teenage years there along with my 2 brothers and 2 sisters. If those walls could talk.

After coffee, as the afternoon started to head into late afternoon, I said my good-bye.

I talked to my sister that night and she asked was Mom there. No, she is gone. She loved that house, loved her life there, loved growing old there, but she is not hanging around. That was not her style. My mother always told me that life was for the living. So get out there and do some of that. Oh, and if you have a shot of good bourbon, raise a glass to my mother.

 You know the drill.
Top to bottom:
Back stack.
Middle stack.
Front stack.
Fire tomorrow, cool down on Wednesday and Thursday, unload is Friday.

Oh, yeah, about that moon.
I don't want to talk about it.

See you on Friday.
M

Hanging

 This birdhouse has gone to live in Texas.
I have a customer who keeps an eye out for this glaze and when it comes out well, and, we have something new and different, she sends me an email.

The birdhouse has gone to live with it's cousins in Texas.
I have other customers that do the same.
When we receive a request or an order we do everything possible to get the items packed and ready for shipment. We like to have the items out within a day or two at the most.

 It's our word to be sure and work in a timely manner.
I am in a dispute right now with a company who promised shipping in 24 hours and has not shipped yet.
After a week I sent an email.
We are so sorry we have back ordered your item, here is 20 % off your next order.
I gave them another week.
We are so sorry we have back ordered your item, we will ship it right away as soon as it comes in.
I gave it one more week.
I have just filed through my payment company for a refund.
Why?
Because they continue to sell this item online with  the promise of 24 hour shipping.

 Don't promise what you can not keep.
Your word is important.
So is your customer.

Tiles:
New works on a few giraffes.
Designed by Lee.
It has taken me awhile to carry on with the designs that she and I had planned to work on together.
I have added her name to these.
Her name runs up the right hand side of the giraffe,
My sister had such a talent.

The one on the right here reminds me of her for some reason.

Sorry for my rant.
I am off to work in my own place of business.
Cheers!

Saturday at the end of May

 Here we are, it's Saturday and May is running out on me. May is a month  filled with everything from anniversary to birthdays and a lot of things in between.

I did have break between semesters and one of those weeks I worked in our studio. Oh, yeah, this is nice.
The next week we were off to push out the final days of cleaning out the house that my mother lived in for 50 years. A lovely house  filled with many great memories.
A house that is now ready to be filled with a new family and friends.

With that done, thanks to my fabulous husband, sister and brother, we can now move back to not spending every spare minute cleaning, sorting and deciding. This Saturday is going to be spent looking at my own back door.

 I am sitting with the windows open listening to the day make its way. The birds are talking. I think they are planning their day as well.
I found that there are birds in the city that start planning their days around 3 am.......or maybe they are just signing off for the night. It had me awake a few nights when we were up there trying to decide if it was time to rise.

On the left is a birdhouse that I made for the salt kiln at school.
I was so tempted to keep one or two. Then I realized that I have two bird houses out in the front of my house and there are two birds that have made a nest, one is tucked under a towel on the deck. She has added eggs... no reasons to move her now.
The other nest is built up in the rafters of the carport.  
My birds have there own idea of living space.

My plan is to only teach 2 days this summer in hope that I can get some pottery work done.
We will see.
Mark is making bigger birdhouses.

Cheers!