Working away here in whynot

Hope to see you this fall.
M

The aftermath

 It was great to be out at the show in Seagrove and see so many old and new customers. We are back home, the shop is filled and we plan to put our feet up and relax a bit this week.
The best part of a show is watching folks buy gifts for others and watching them buy something for their own home as well.
It is a lot of work, but worth the effort it takes.
I have to thank my sister who drives down from Virginia to help.
Thanks Sister!

 We have plenty of work left if and when you are out and about in the area, do stop in.

A customer favorite, our oil lamps, great for when the power is out or just to enjoy on the dining table.

Our customer favorite small bowl for those yummy treats or sides. I like this as a dessert bowl, Mark thinks it's too small, Goldilocks and I think it's' just right.

 More oil lamps

The best spoon and utensil  crock. These work so well for all those things you need close at hand.
Number one with our customers.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Eat some pie!!

Mother May I?

 We have jumped right back in and started the next 2 kiln loads.
I will need the cups for the cone 6 electric firing, while Mark will need the cruets that I am making for the gas firing.

We were very pleased with the pots that came out of Ms. B, makes me think we are getting a hang of this small gas kiln. We spent a lot of years firing the old work horse kiln, but those days are behind us, think working smarter.

We took advantage of the last two days to cut the grass, cut back some bushes and move the pots over to the gallery. I think we are all ready for the sunshine and no rain. The flowers in the yard are all blooming at one time after the cold weather delay. I am happy to see them.

 Below you will find our favorite picks from the kiln.
A jug, 2 jars and a crock. The glaze on the crock and jar in the front are something new Mark has been working with, it will fast become a keeper. I do like how well it works with the ash glazes.

 Here's one of the flowers for you, can you smell it?
These always amaze me, so pretty.
Cheers for now.
M

Working in the cold

It's cold and there is no good way to get the studio completely warm.
We can get it warm enough, just enough.
When we rebuilt the studio we did not plan well enough on the heat for the rooms.
The large room we work mainly in has a wall space heater that has a hard time keeping the room as warm as we like. The best way to help is to layer up.

We don't usually have weather that is this cold for long periods of a time so there are other tricks that we need to use to make sure that pots don't dry too fast. It is not beneficial to have pots that are too dry to trim or handle.
There are always plenty of tasks that need taking care of to set aside January as a month to clean, prep, work on the house, go take a lunch. There are many times that getting away can be hard for us to do. Making January a good time to take some much needed mental health days.
Usually we like a walk in the woods, a road less traveled, but this weather is making those walks not the top on my list.
I had hope that I could walk daily this month, I am off my mark.
I have never been a mall walker but I just might become one if the weather stays around.

These crocks are a customer favorite for the kitchen, they get filled with all those cooking spoons, whisks, and such that you need close at hand for cooking.
I have two in my kitchen, one this size and one smaller one.
They are simple, straight sided, not too fancy, just full of use.
I can't imagine not having one close at hand.

Do you have some favorite items in your kitchen.
( I am trying to distract myself from the cold)
m

The kiln

This was a good firing  with just a few seconds tossed in for good measure.

The kiln really does like to be more open on the top and this time we had good height in all three crowns.
We did load a bit differently this time by making the back crown, top shelf, shorter than the front crown.
We usually put the tallest one in the back or middle, then the shortest one in the front. We reversed the order and it worked out very well.

The first look in the kiln.

The door is removed on the front stack, one second spotted right away- a cracked berry bowl.

it happens...

Middle crown shelf.
The three larger pots are all lamp bases, good glazing and firing on these.
They are going to look wonderful in someones home.

I did a poor job on the full shot for the middle, I cut off every one's head....

 The back.

Overall a good firing.
The iron red came out red.
The black was well behaved.
There were a few of the, I could have done that better moments that we all have as potters.
Yesterday was the sanding, sorting, pricing....
emails for orders.
Today, we do it all over again, but add in some packing for shipping.
Then it is on to the next load.
M

You put your right foot in

Yesterday, despite the fact that we both have books to read,we went back to the studio.
I loaded up dry pots into a bisque kiln while Mark worked up some clay and actually made pots, gasp!
I know....


There have been years where we would take January off and work on all those things that need to be done that you place to the side during the year. We still have a long list of things that need to be done but we also have gone into this year with some orders.

After I loaded the bisque I spent time cleaning the wheel and getting clay ready for today.
We use a commercial clay that comes in boxes,and there are times that you get clay that is spot on, just the right throwing constancy, toss it on the wheel right out of the box and it just grows pots.
Then sometimes you get clay that could break a wrist, hard and bouncy, no spring in its step.

Right now we have the hard stuff and to take it to the wheel it needs some "reconditioning".
What we do is cut the blocks up and dip the cuts in water, place them on a plastic sheet and cover overnight.
I even took this clay and squished it so it looks like vertebrates to get more water in.
 Today I should be able to run it through the pug mill and be ready to make some pots.
Now to get the list out.
Sugar Jars?  Tumblers? Mugs? Crocks.....where to start?

 I also did some in store shopping for a customer. I find I do this more and more. If someone needs a gift and can give me a budget and idea of what they want I go shopping for them.
Then I send them some pictures and let them pick something out.
You have to love digital cameras for the quick ease of getting a picture to someone.

What do you think? Need a gift? 

Oh, maybe this is a day to start some cruets. I  have only 2 left in the store and they can be such fun to make.


and you shake it all about...

Cheers- let's get those 2013 pots rolling.



that's what its all about.....
M