Hurry Up and Wait

I've been throwing a bunch of last minute pots to beef up my inventory for next weekend. It feels like a game of hurry up and wait. The pots were all moved into the house in hopes that they'll dry faster. Fortunately the kids are all old enough to know not to touch anything. It was not all that long ago that a temptation like that would have been overwhelming to them. I would have had finger prints and pokes in all the pots.

Laundry Rooms Aren't Just For Laundry

It's been so damp and cold in Woodinville this week that I ended up bringing in some of the pots I threw yesterday into the laundry room to dry overnight. It really helped. I recently saw a photo from another potter who'd put some of her pots in her drier on a sweater drying rack to help dry them out. That cracked me up. We have one of those racks somewhere, but I don't think I'm bold enough to put my pots in the dryer.

I'm missing the warm, dry days of summer when clay dried out much more quickly. I'm in the middle of my big push to crank out some inventory for the craft shows in December. I threw 50 pounds of clay yesterday and my back is feeling it today. I added another year to the tally last week so I've been mindful of the aches and pains of getting older. I'm still inspired by my friend and teacher who's still teaching and throwing like crazy in her 70's!

Upcoming Craft Fairs

The first weekend in December I'm selling at two craft fairs.

The Gardens at Town Square Holiday Arts and Shopping Expo
December 4th, 2009 from 10 - 6.933 - 111th Ave NE Bellevue, WA - 1 block north of the Bravern - close to the intersection of NE 8th and I-405 in Downtown Bellevue

The Happy Valley Arts & Crafts Fair
December 5th, 2009 from 9 - 6
Happy Valley Grange
19720 NE 50th St Redmond, WA
http://tr.im/HappyValleyFair

I'm working hard to finish up a bunch of inventory for these shows and the holidays. It's been are really busy fall with my mama job. Note to self: Do more work in the summer to prep for the holiday season.

Celebration Plate Redesigned

I've been working on a celebration plate design lately. I think I'm happy with the results on this. The glazing and firing will determine if this is the new design or not. I carved the text into the rim while the clay was still soft. I'm thinking of using a wash and an overglaze on it. I put together a sample for my wedding celebration. I'll post some pictures once it's complete.

"Only 999 To Go."

I remember when I pulled my first handle for a mug. It was awkward and really ugly. I still have that mug. I'll have to dig it out and take a photograph of it sometime. It would be worth a good laugh. My teacher and friend, Linnell, commented that I only had 999 to go to perfect putting a handle on a mug. I'm not sure if' I've made 999 mugs so far, but I can say it's much easier for me to pull a decent handle than it used to be.

Tonight I pulled and attached a couple of dozen handles to some terra cotta mugs - some are pictured above. I am so much more aware of how the handle feels in the hand. I want the handle to feel natural - like your hand fits just right. I'm always looking for that perfect fit/feel. I find myself unconsciously running my hand over the handles of well made handles mugs trying to dissect what it is about the mug and handle that my hand likes and doesn't like.

It took me a while to get used to the different feel of pulling terra cotta handles because the terra cotta creates so much more slip when pulling with it. I now have pruney red stained hands. One thing is for sure, I'll never be a hand model.

The Big Red Mess

I've been sitting on a box of Klamath Red Clay for a while now. I bought it because of the name. Silly, I know. My Dad was born in Klamath Falls, OR and it made me think of him, so I bought it. I've been using Klamath White as well but recently switched over to a clay called Sea Mix. I'm happier with it as it's not so groggy.

I buy my clay from Seattle Pottery Supply and the many of the names of their clay bodies are names of areas in the NW - Vashon Buff, Klamath Red, Sea Mix (their version of the common B Mix clay I assume), etc... It got me to thinking about where the clay comes from. I remember digging in the ground as a kid and finding a lot of red earthy clay when we dug deep enough - it stained our hands and clothes which was such fun. Probably not so much fun for my Mom as she had to launder all of our clothing with the red messy stains. You never think about those things as a kid. Laundry - that's on my radar too much these days. I just never stops. I think that is one of the reasons I love to create things out of clay. It's effort and energy that is put into something that doesn't get undone. That's not always the case in my "other job."

I do love the fact that the clay comes from the Earth. It's amazing the colors that Mother Earth produces. I loved the smell of this clay. It was so "earthy" and reminded me of playing in Woodmansee Creek as a kid. I love smells that evoke memories like that.

I am anxious to see how this Klamath Red fires up. It was really easy to throw with. I banged out 20 mugs this afternoon. It was really soft and easy to work with - even after sitting in the garage for over a year.

The kids popped in and exclaimed how "dirty" I looked with my hands covered in this bright colored clay. It truly was a Big Red Mess!

Going Batty

I bought a Northstar Universal Bat System last week. I finally got them unpacked and took them for a spin tonight. (my attempt a late night humor ;-)) I was concerned that the finger grooves were going to be uncomfortable when centering but they weren't at all. The inserts are going to save so much space. In the past I would have been only able to set two bats on the shelf in the picture. Now I am able to set 8 pots on the same shelf to let them dry.

Quickfire Challenge

No, it's not an episode of Top Chef - just an episode of trying to glaze in a hurry to avoid firing an almost empty kiln. I needed to fire up a mug for someone's birthday and didn't have anything else to fire with it, so the other night I quickly did some glazing and tried out some new combinations of glaze. I'm especially liking the purple glaze with the green rim. I think I might try dipping it completely next time. I want to try new things but I hesitate to do too much testing as I need to have my inventory built up as much as possible for the holiday shows and another art store that I'm trying to get some pieces to. I may just stick to the tried and true combos.

Halloween Pumpkins

I helped with my twin's class Halloween party last Friday by manning (womanning? - ;-) ) the clay project at the "Creation Station". They made two pinch pots, put them together and cut faces out. They turned out pretty cute. I loved all the variety and clever pumpkin faces that the kids came up with. Over the weekend the kids made some pumpkins here at home. They'll make fun Halloween decorations for the years to come.

I'm ready to put Halloween away and move on to prepping for the Holidays. As always, there is a lot to do!