The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Today I taught an after school art class at a local elementary school. We made caterpillars like the one from the Eric Carle book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". We made them out of pinch pots that were nested together to form the segments of the caterpillar. It was a busy class full of kids from kindergarten to third grade. They made some very cute caterpillars. We humped up many of the caterpillars over some newsprint to make them look like they were crawling. My favorite is the one withe the eyelashes and strawberry on it's back. When I asked the little girl who made it about what was on her caterpillar's back she replied, "It's a strawberry for when the caterpillar isn't so full." Too cute.

I hope the caterpillars survive firing. They are mostly hollow as I had the kids put holes in the bottoms of their pinch pots - but they are still pretty solid. I also poked holes in the bottom of the caterpillars to help with drying and firing. I just hope they don't become "The Very Broken Caterpillars" during firing.

I Love Spring!

We've had a wonderfully warm winter here in the Pacific NW. Spring has sprung and the cherry blossom trees are just beautiful! My favorite is in our front yard. It reminds me of soft pink cotton. It's got me thinking of glazing in beautiful spring colors.

My kids love this tree too as it's great for climbing. When I went out to photograph it this morning, I found all three of my little monkeys in it with ropes - look closely and you'll see their legs in the middle of the tree. They love spring too!

I am included in an Etsy Treasury called "I Love Spring!" Indeed, I do!

Forever in Blue Jeans...and Rabbit Holes

I pretty much live in jeans these days, so it's appropriate that I found a glaze/clay combination that looks a lot like worn and faded denim. The brownish/gold edges remind me a bit of the gold thread used to make jeans. I like the thought - wearing demin while I drink coffee out of a denim colored mug.

This is a set of mugs that I think turned out well.

And just so I'm not misleading anyone that all pieces come out great, I'll share some of the bummers from this last load. The biggest bummer was that one of my tried and true glazes is running like crazy on the new clay body that I am using now. Even more of a bummer is that I glazed a mug I made specifically to fit in a car cup holder for a friend's birthday - and it got trashed in this run off mess. *grrr*

I'm going to have to wax up a bit higher next time - and do some serious scraping of one of my kiln shelves.

I have a permanent (*fingers crossed*) new piece of ceramic in my mouth. Yes, the dental drama of my tooth number 30 has come to an end. Today I had a new crown put on - not something I'd usually blog about but they used a really incredible machine to create it out of a piece of high fired porcelain - which, of course, I found fascinating. They took 3D digital images of my tooth and the post that they drilled it down to. Then they used a machine to cut the crown out of a block of high fired poreclain. I watched it work - and in 6 minutes I had a new tooth - that fit perfectly. No messy impressions, no temporary crown, and best of all - no return visit to put the final crown on. It really was very slick.

The Internet can be such a rabbit hole at times. You go looking for something and end up somewhere else. I was just looking at a tooth chart online so I could correctly identify dear old tooth number 30 (yes, you can can find most anything on the Internet) and I came across a website that charted teeth and the jaw in relation to parts of the body - like a reflexology chart does for feet (which by the way I'm sort of a believer in after a strange foot thing I had going on while pregnant with big baby twins - but that is yet another rabbit hole of a story for another day... or maybe not).

It said, "Basically, the reflexive relationship between tooth site and organ is an energetic one, created as a consequence of the tooth site and the organ sharing an energy channel or meridian, as it’s called in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A problem in your jaw can affect you just about anywhere in your body, for every tooth site crosses one or more of the 12 major meridians"

So is it a coincidence that my youngest who had problems with his front teeth as an infant and eventually had the both pulled at age 4 - had a bad kidney that he had removed? According to this the front teeth run through the kidney and bladder meridians.

And tooth number 30? I guess it could explain other ailments I've had related to the meridians that they say run through it.

What about the four teeth I had pulled in order to get braces?!? I hate think what ailments that might be causing me now. ;-) I can't even look.

Next time I get an backache, I might have to blame in on a root canal. hee hee.

If you read all of this, my apologies for making you follow me down this rabbit hole.

The Girl Scout Cookie Monster

I've been selling mugs as fast as I can make them it seems. I'm in the process of making another big batch.

I'm getting ready to glaze them all but my studio space has been invaded by the Girl Scout Cookie Monster and the fallout of the room "addition" that my husband did. A hundred boxes of cookies takes up more room that you might think.

It's interesting how my space becomes the default dumping ground in our household. Time to make some room and deliver some more cookies - and reclaim my space so I can glaze!

Juggling

I find myself feeling like a juggler lately. Juggling a number of different "jobs" - Mom, potter, volunteer, and nurse. We've had a rough couple of months with sickness in our house. The sun is finally out and I'm hoping that the last of the lingering colds, ear infection and sinus infection will be gone soon.

This past week was mid-winter break for my kids so we took a trip to Oregon to celebrate my Mom's 77th birthday. One of my sisters organized a great heritage tour where we visited a number of pioneer grave sites of grandparents and a family farm in Corvallis. The kids ran through the field surrounding the farm house - along with my Mom. I hope I have as much energy as she does when I'm her age. I learned how to juggle from her.

New Favorite Glaze Combination

I recently came across this glaze combination that I'm really liking. I love the way the green blends into the purple and makes blue where the two colors intersect. It's hit or miss with glaze combinations. You never really know what you are going to get with combining glazes - even when you think you will. I love opening up the kiln and unloading it - discovering what turned out well - and trying to forget about what didn't.

The clay body can have a big effect on the glazes as well. Here is the same glaze on a white clay body and on a red clay body. The results are strikingly different, aren't they!?

A Fresh Start for a New Year

Today I finished up a much needed and long overdue studio re-org. I've been thinking about new shelving for a long time now and finally bought some. I finished assembling it yesterday during a long power outage and today I put everything away. I seem to work better in a cleaned up space, so I'm looking forward to getting back to work. Although, it likely won't be "clean" for long. Clay is messy business.

LOVE! that Kitchen

One of my soap/lotion dispensers is currently featured in an Etsy Treasury. I love the color of this blue glaze.

Options

After a busy holiday season and some not so fun surgery on my mouth, I'm back at it. I just shipped off another Celebration Plate today and I'm catching up on some custom orders from December. I'm anxious to wrap up the paperwork and books from 2009 so I can move on creatively and get my hands back into clay.

I'm a big list maker and recently discovered that my youngest son, who is in 1st grade, seems to be as well. I found this list in his room recently.

The spelling is precious. My favorite part is at the bottom. Here's a translation:

Opshins (options - these must be the things he doesn't have to do daily)

Leos (LEGOS)

Pludate (playdate)

Gro (grow!)

I'm wondering if I should add "Shrink" to my to do list!?! ;-)

Ringing in the New Year - in '80's Style

For the second year in a row we've rung in the New Year with some of our good friends. This year we all met up in Olympia and had a great time. Last year we discoed until dawn (almost - we're getting old and still have little ones in our midst ;-)) and this year we relived our high school years by jamming to 80's tunes while dressing up like Madonna, Flashdancers, big haired rockers and prom queens. I'm not sure where we'll end up next year or what decade we'll relive - but I'm looking forward to what 2010 has to bring our way.

Pink and Purple

One of my soap dispensers is featured in a current Etsy Treasury called "Pink and Purple". http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=103648

I'm looking forward to being productive in the New Year! Juggling my varying jobs has always been my challenge. My goal for 2010 is to be more structured with my time so that I go into the studio like I'm going to work. I'm not meaning that it feel like "work", but rather that it be on my schedule to commit the time to potting. That's my challenge. I love to work with clay, it's just that there are so many things pulling me so many ways through out the day that I often put it off and then end up staying up into the wee hours of the night to get things completed. Sleep gets missed and then it's all downhill from there. Sleep. That's another thing on my list of priorities for this year. To get more of it. We'll see how that one goes. I've struggled with that forever.

Oriental Inspirations

The cadet blue Sake Set is making another round in an Etsy Treasury - this time called "Oriental Inspirations". I'm always flattered to appear in these. Maybe someday I'll put together a treasury. I just need to think of a theme. Any ideas?

Let it Snow!?

Last year we got blasted with over two weeks of snow. I was trapped at home for so many days that I felt like I was going a bit batty. UPS didn't deliver for at least two weeks - it was that bad. Christmas presents didn't arrive, feasts were altered and our plans were dependent on whether or not we could get out of our driveway.

This year feels so much better! I love the snow - but in moderation. We just aren't equipped in the Seattle area for it - although my sister did give us the snow plow attachment for our riding mower. I'm sure Bill and the kids will love to use it.

I ended up having to pack up my studio space in the garage to make room for my car last year. The doors kept freezing shut with all the layers of snow it was buried in. I'm grateful that it hasn't happened this year as I've been working like an elf out there. (Knock on wood - I really do that.)

My kids are at an age where they are really into testing the tooth fairy with obstacle courses, writing Santa notes and wanting to capture the magic on video. This year they're trying to figure out how to get Santa caught on tape. Here is a questionnaire from last year that one of my kids left for Santa. I love how she defines the "A" and the "Q". It's a keeper. This year, the same child has asked Santa to make it snow on Christmas. I wonder if he'll deliver!??

Etsy Treasuries

A few of my pots are currently featured in a couple of treasuries on Etsy (Sake Set and the Dark Blue Bowl).

It's always fun to see what kind of theme people put together. I recently saw that the latest top Treasury is called "All Male Artists Exposed!" With a name like that, I had to look. It had head shot pictures of a bunch of Male Etsy Artists with links to their websites. Apparently Etsy is full of women. I've discovered that's not completely true in the Etsy ceramic world.

I'm up too late again. I received a custom order for a celebration plate that I'm trying to finish before 12/28. I was in production mode all morning and late into the evening. I'm tired. Time to hit the pillow.

Hugs

I love these new hugging pots! It's been so crazy cold here that I think hugs are the way to go! I'm trying to figure out how to get bowls to hug. ;-)

Recovery

I think I've finally caught up on most of the lost sleep from last week during my big push to get ready for the craft shows. Both shows were great experiences and I enjoyed myself. I didn't expect to have so much fun getting to know the other vendors. I came home with some great new business ideas and some new friendships. I'm hoping to stay connected with a few of them as it was great to idea share and talk shop. These photos are from the two shows. My Mom provided me with some great old crates to use for my table top display. I need to work on a few things for future shows, but this was a great start for me. I'm busy now photographing pots to post in my Etsy shop.

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!