Spring Kiln Opening 2025

 

Spring kiln opening is April 25th-27th.
Check shops for time and hours.
See you then!
M&M

Warming up the studio

 The snow, rain, highwinds and all things winter, except the cold air has given us a few days warm enough to get back on the wheel.
I have tiles made and loaded in the kiln for the first firing to combine with some other orders in order to put together a firing of electric glazed pot.
All we need now is enough time and energy to get it done.

 Cream and sugars were high on the list, as I was making the sugar jars I picked out a few to cut a spoon hole in the lids. I have mixed request from customers, some folks love a covered jar, no opening, while others love a hole to place a spoon inside.
I take orders for both.Mark made the creamers this round. We had so many creamers last year that we just about stopped making them. Then a couple comes in and buys most of them as gifts. After that it was one here and one there until the next thing you know, no creamers. Back on the list.
Teacups, with or without handles, shaving mugs are all in the mix as well.

I hope you are all well, safe and warm.
Cheers!
M

What's up?

 What's coming up for 2015?
At the end of the year Mark and I always do a sit down meeting to figure out what is going to happen for the following year.
We always have the best intentions of making strict list of the pots that we plan to make, tossing out the items that seem to be just sitting around taking up space.
We sum our year up in the thoughts of what sold and what did not.

 Over the years what has sold and what has not has changed.
I'm not quite sure why.
It could be the way folks use what they buy, or buy what they use.

We have always found that coffee mugs are a favorite. We make plenty for each kiln load and those plenty find their way out the door quicker than most other things.

 Bottles, bottles are useful for so many things but they are always great full of flowers for the table. Soon the daffodils will be coming up and these guys need to be ready.
Creamers, a must on the list. Creamers hold more than just cream. They can also hold flowers, maple syrup, melted butter and gravy.

Tiles.
Since I added tiles to the list I have found that they are an item I need to keep on my list as well.
In fact if it was up to me, then again it's not, so, I have to balance what I am throwing with the tiles.

I have found that they have worked their way out of the store and onto may walls this past few years.
On to the list with them.

 That list is getting long since I have a few orders in those as well as the ones in my head I would like to make.

 Anything new coming up for you this year?
Is there a suggestion or two that has stuck in your brain that just needs to surface?

I am also going to see how best I can manage my time between school and the studio here at home.



Oh, our criteria for continuing to work in clay is, did we make money, break even or are we just hanging on by our toe nails.

I am saying the toe nails are tight this past year.
We'll see what the taxes shake out.

Meanwhile, watch out here comes the new year.
M

getting off to a new year

Getting in gear for a new year of pots always starts with a long list of the pots that are needed not only for the first firing but for future firings as well. We use many of the filler pots throughout the kiln, they are a good place to start.
I really enjoy making these bottles.
They are just fun for me.

And, they will fit in and around the vases and big pots that Mark is making.

They are also a good size for the many spring flowers that will soon be sprouting up from their winter rest.

Along with the bottles I am throwing jars.
I have started with sugar and honey jars first and plan to head in to some garlic jars next.

Since I am making sugar jars I need to make creamers to go with them.
I enjoy those round little bellies and how the necks flair out to make the spout.
Cute, cute little babies...

A dozen of these will do for now. I always make extra since not everyone wants a creamer to go along with the sugar jars. I sell both cream and sugar sets and just creamers and at times just sugar jars.
There are many times that a set is split apart and sold. I find it is better to be flexible than to try and sell a pot that someone might not use.
I use to think that sets were sets and could only be sold in sets. It was not long before I discovered that many people would prefer to buy only one or two mugs, a jar or a single creamer. So why be a stick in the mud and say no? Heck, it is not like I can't make another creamer or jar.

I have orders for the layered glazes and that has me making more pots without the texture than with the texture. They are easier in many ways since they don't need to be cleaned up too much before they head to the first firing.

The ones with texture get sanded and then a good blowing off before they are placed in the kiln.
On Monday we had a very warm day before the cold front came through.
I took advantage of that warm day to be outside sanding pots for the bisque kiln.
That kiln fired yesterday and today we will be opening up the first bisque kiln of the year.
We are off to a good start for the coming year.
Today it is cold, with no snow on the ground, we are out to finish yesterday's pots.
Cheers,
M

You are welcome

We were scheduled to have a new roof put on the house starting yesterday.
It rained.
Today and through most of this week the weather is calling for rain off and on.
If you needed it, you are welcome.
If you didn't need it, my apologies.

From what I can "gauge" from the extended forecast we might get this done next week.

What else do we have to do but wait.
Wait and make pots.
Roofs cost money, so I am told.
They cost sugars jars.

 and creamers,

 and a boat load of these wee cups.

  This afternoon I loaded up a bisque kiln to fire tomorrow and it took forever since we both made production pots last week. I was ready to walk away when I realized that I only needed about 6 pots and I would be finished.
So I hung in for the long haul and the rewarded myself by dragging Mark over for a quick walk at the zoo.
Did you know that people actually go there?
When we are there early in the morning we don't see anybody.
But, apparently real people go there everyday, go figure.

 I am still out leaf peeking to see if there are any of the caterpillars left.
There are still a few in the leaves. I found one inside of this leaf yesterday.
I pulled over a ladder, climbed up to the top and pulled over the leaf to look down inside.
Yep, there was a cute caterpillar down there.
Today, I could not find him/her anywhere.
It seems that I need to sleep outside if I am going to find out where they are going.
They are real tricksters.


 

 Mark is working on lamps, vases and large ginger jars.
Me, I am working on tiles.
I think I could do tiles full time if I could find a good market for them.
Every time I finish a round I think of  another pattern I want to try.

Cheers,
M

Cream and

 
Sugar

Pitchers and.......something new.


2 Piece large jar

 With lid...

I feel a beer coming on, You?
M

What?

What? What do you mean that I need to learn something new with the changes of the computers? What do you mean that my creaky, gray- filled brain has to work harder. What do you mean that I have to think and poke and prod my way through a new software programs to upload and edit pictures....oh, my goodness really? Well, Dam*! Stomps foot here, shakes head and wishes for her old ride back, buyers remorse... (it was free). Just move on and figure this baby out. But not in a day. It might take me two. I love the way the computer flies at top speed when I am on line, but then I had to remind myself that I also use the computer to work. You heard me, work. And so far we are not playing well with one another on that front.

I think I was in at least two programs to get these pictures loaded and then posted. I already miss my old program because I knew how it worked.
This one is making me read, imagine that! How inconvenient.

Last week was bowls this week seems we are both making some form of pitcher (jug).
Me with the wee ones, creamers I call them but they can be used for other things such as heating maple syrup in the microwave. Oh, yeah!

They are looking mighty smug and proper  are they not?

And along with making pots we have started a taxi service for mice.
( don't read if you love mice!)
It seems that Monday we took a mother and her 3-4 babies all the way to Raleigh and back again.
In fact we have been riding them around for about 3 weeks.
I had noticed their not so discrete droppings a few weeks ago. I cleaned that up and hoped that was just a passing mouse.
Next time I opened the trunk there were more droppings.
I clean the truck again and placed a clever mouse trap I made inside and was riding around with a trap in the trunk. The next time I looked it was party time the whole truck was covered in many dropping.
On Monday we had to go to Raleigh and we just took them along not daring to put anything in there with them. Come on  this was not a lunch date.
When we got back Mark took the whole truck apart and finally found Ma and the babies- let us just say a quick hand with a vacuum cleaner took care of things.
This is not the first time we have had mice either in the trunk, wheel well or air filter.
Apparently air filters are a great place to keep nuts, who knew!?
Like I tell all my friends, we are living in a science project out here.
Back to driving around the web looking for trouble.
M 

Rolling up hill

I had a bisque cooking in the lower room where I also wax pots and get things ready to glaze.
Rather then stand in there with the fumes going I thought I would make some small mugs.
I hit about 15 and then moved over to creamers- only 5 of those before noon.
The bisque finished up in time for me to air out, shut things up and use that heat to keep the room warm.
Then it was on to waxing pots for glaze.
Today's list includes unloading bisque, handling mugs and waxing.
Looks like I have a plan in front of me.

But first, a walk anyone?

Mark has been pulled away from his wheel more then he would like this year, but he did get some vases made for the crown.

I am thinking hard, don't laugh, about which glazes to use in this gas firing.
This will be firing number two for the new kiln and we will be working out more kinks.
We did make a fair number of seconds with the first fire and I hope we can make this load more winners than losers.

After some GREAT weather the wind blowing cold sneaked back in yesterday, but there was plentiful sunshine.
I am trying to figure out how to box some sunshine up and send it to Hollis up in Cape Cod.
It keeps leaking out of the boxes and I can't get in a bottle.
I'll  have to keep working on that.
Make it a good day!
M