A little bit of everything

 I had a call last week from a person who is a pottery buyer, someone who has bought work from a couple that we were friends with for many years.
As life does, they separated, divorced and in the past few years one of them past away. The other became ill in a way that no longer allows them to make pottery anymore.
  These long time friends developed their own line of work and that line of work was very successful for them.
The conversation turned to the fact that we shared a glaze combination, the one that they used to make their signature work. The work they were know for and worked so hard to develop. The person wanted to know if I would make that line for her, she had some, loved it and wanted to have more.
I tried to explain that even though we had the glaze recipes we used them differently and would they be interested in seeing our work?
But, she was in fact drinking out of one of their mugs right that minute and didn't I see what an honor it would be for me to carry on their work, honoring all that they did, carrying on their name. I explained  once again that most potters develop their own work and it usually does not mean copying the work of another. But, you would not be copying their work, you would be carrying it on, in their name, I would love to have some. I then went on to try to explain how it takes a number of years of mistakes to develope a new line of work. I think you could do it.

I tried to talk about the time it take when you are taking on something new, that it could take 3 years or more to come up with a new product. Well, you have the glaze recipes, a gas kiln, I think you should do it.
I politely declined and asked that they come and visit us in our shop to see the work that we do.
 I am sure it will never stack up to the work that these people want as they know what they want, they want to convince me how wonderful it would be for me to toss my own work away and then spend countless hours copying my friends work.

No.

 It is funny how something like this can stick in your brain and run around with all the thoughts of things you could have said. Then I realized that it did not make one difference what I said. They weren't interested in us. They did not know us at all. If they did they would have never made that call.

Here's one more.
 I had a sale on saturday and was handed a visa gift card. I tried running it 4 different ways. Each time it was declined the customer got more and more angry with me. By the end when I handed back the card and asked if she would like to use another card she said no, not very nicely, she said there is 50.00 on that card it should work. Her husband, hand on wallet, face red, said I can.....she looked at him, snatched her bag and stormed out leaving us holding the pot she had picked out.
I just looked at Mark and about that time one of the other people in the shop, as there were many, stepped over and said, "let it go, do not let that person ruin your day, she made that problem, not you."
It took me a moment to think that I needed to do just that I have other customers that were in the store to buy, chat and catch up with.
Later I did run the whole thing through my head and look at something on line. Now that CC processors want a zip code there is no way to verify the gift card, unless you have registered the card.
Yep, not my problem.
Whew, are the stars aligned in a strange pattern?

Christmas? In July?

This weekend has been a busy one in Seagrove as one of the organizations in town puts on the Annual Christmas in July. Now, I will tell you I have never understood the concept of Christmas in July but if it gives folks a reason to get out and come to Seagrove then who am I to argue.
 In fact all I have to do is say yes put us on the list.
Yesterday, if you all remember we joined the Co-op in town, was Co-op day for us as well.
 I ran the Co-op in the morning and Mark came up and traded with me for the afternoon.
Representing the potters in the Co-op means you are also selling others work. This is very interesting to me. There were more first timers in the Co-op yesterday and as they come in I greet them with a question
" Welcome to the Co-op have you even been in before?"
 If they say no, I tell them the Co-op represents 10 local potter shops in the area within driving distance. Please take your time, look around and if you have questions let me know or if I can give you directions to any of the shops I would be happy to do so. A mouthful I know but then I leave them to look only talking with them if they want to.
 Some folks are very talkative while others really just want to look and move on. I find the same goes on in our own shop. You greet, chat a bit and then step back. They are there for the pots. If you are too chatty next thing you know they have not looked but moved to the door.

Pretty Pitchers, or English Jugs

I did have one of those fun moments yesterday when I was back in our shop.
We love to ask folks, "where are you from?"
Yesterday I had 2 ladies when I asked they said Norfolk and Hampton.
"Oh, I grew up there", I said
Then we all go into the where and whys and next thing I know one of the ladies looks at me and asks, "who is your mother-in-law?"  When I tell her Louise Heywood she gets so excited. "I use to work with Louise", she tells me.
Small world.
This has happened to us over and over.
I have meet folks in the shop who knew my father, my mother, a brother, a sister a friend, a friend of a friend............
I have even watched as customers start talking and next thing you know they discover they live in the same area or, this one was good, discovered they were cousins.
Small world.

I enjoy these moments. I feel it is the other benefit to what we do.
We open our lives and world to others in many ways.
I once had a customer and his family meet his parents as they both turned into our driveway.
They jumped out of their cars and there was a love fest in the yard. They came in laughing to tell me that each family gotten up that morning unknown to one another and said, Let's go to Seagrove.
The son drove with his family from one  part of the sate while his parents drove from the other end. They meet at the end of my driveway.
The father was in a few months ago and filled me in on the family letting me know that they are now in Alaska. We still laugh about the chance meeting here.
Small world.

Above you will see some very nice pitchers Mark has been working on. Nice fat bellies, good lips and the handles. The man makes a nice handle.
Handles are one of those things that potters can do either very well or not so very well.
I am in the opposite camp with mine. I feel this is a weak spot for me and I am always amazed at the ease Mark has with handles.

One of the few vegetables that is growing well for me this hot and now this hot/wet summer is climbing spinach.
If you have not tried it it is a good one to add. Thicker leafed than regular spinach but tasty raw or cooked.

The gourds- taking over the world....... and the bees are drunk with happiness.

Time to move into another day.
M

Cat got your tounge?

Hey- do you every have those days when you feel you have nothing to really talk about, but a lot to think about.
I want to tell you what a great day we had yesterday.

We had good customers in the store, who liked our work and took home some pots.
We enjoyed seeing some regulars and meeting some new customers as well.
We had two ladies in who had hear about us from a friend in Wisconsin.
If you are going to Seagrove you have to go to Whynot.
Then a visiting potter from Washington State, who was a pleasure to meet, along with his friend from Brevard NC.
Then the last group of the day were great fun.
A couple from Winston-Salem, with her Mom and two friends.
I bet we took 3-4 groups through the newly rebuilt workshop.
It was one of those magic days.
Good conversations and pots being packed to go to good homes.

I ran off to pick up eggs and deliver some good organic garlic to a friend. While I was gone Mark sold two of the pillow pots.
You know when you make something new you just don't know how they will be received. Mark said the woman who bought them was so excited over them.
That just made my day.

There was a man in who shared a great story with me.
He came to find us just to tell us about his father.
His father bought a pitcher, vase and one coffee mug from us about 20 years ago.
His son told us that his father drank his coffee out of that mug every day until the day he passed away.
He said his mother would try to take it to put in the dishwasher and his father would want it.
So the ritual began in which he would carefully wash and dry the mug and set it aside to be ready anytime he wanted to use it.
The son says it sits on a shelf now and they can not take it down or use it yet. It reminds then so much of the father and how much he enjoyed the mug.
The son said maybe the next visit home he would be able to take it and bring it home with him. He would like to have it to remind him of his father.
I was so pleased that he shared this family story with me and that we were part of this man's daily life.
When I see our work used, or I hear about how a coffee mug can enrich someones life everyday, I think, this is why we do this. This is why I want to make pots. I do like that we touch people in a good place. Give them something to hold and enjoy. Nourishment for the soul, for that place it can take you, if only for a little while.