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!

lots of little bottles

I decided to cork most of these "Papa Bear" (former) soap dispensers wannabes. I'm wanting to post them on Etsy but I'm not sure what to call them or how to tag them. My brain feels like the Halloween pumpkin mush. I'm looking forward to next week when things will calm down a bit - hopefully.

tricky

Here are some close ups of the lettering on the celebration plates. I'm thinking of trying something new with the celebration plates that will be more consistent and fits into the techniques I like to use. I'm happy with the lettering. The glazing of these has been tricky to get it even. I've got to do some more testing with this.

Clay on the Brain

It's been a really crazy couple of weeks with my Mom job the past two weeks. I've been clocking some serious volunteer hours at the kids' school and it's put me behind with my ceramics job. I spent the entire day yesterday (and most of the late night/early morning) catching up on glazing. I've got two celebration plates in the kiln that I'm hoping will turn out well. Here is a photo of one of the plates as I painted the text on the bisqued pot.

I also glazed up a big batch of tiles for a holiday project. I took over the kitchen yesterday glazing up my pots and tiles. I also glazed up a bunch of test tiles for the kids' school Art Docent program. I've been working on getting all the ceramics supplies straightened out and ordered there. We're holding a clay training class for the Art Docents this week. Yes, I've got clay on the brain.

Display

I've signed up to do two craft sales this December. I'm working on my display - it's got to be a tabletop set up. I e-mailed my Mom and in true form she has things I can use - like old wooden crates that will hopefully make for an interesting display. Thanks Mom! I'm having to pull out some tricks from my retail days of yesteryear. Hopefully it will look decent. I'll post some pictures from the shows.

Glazefest

I unloaded the bisque fire load last night and I'm ready to glaze up a storm. I bought some new glazes last Friday from Clay Art Center in Tacoma that I'm looking forward to trying. I'm also switching to a new clay body - Sea Mix from Seattle Pottery Supply. The clay I've been using before has a lot of grog in it. It also hasn't fired up as white in color as I'd like, so I made the jump to Sea Mix based on a recommendation from a fellow potter. So far I'm liking it.

If you look closely at the photo above you'll see the glaze sample tiles (small rectangles with a swirl stamped on top, grouped in stacks and holes cut in the top for stringing) you'll see the difference between the colors. The old clay body looks a lot more pink in contrast.

I've got to get to work to get some of these pieces out the door and delivered this weekend.

Waiting on the kiln...

I finally fired up the kiln for a bisque firing. It took the pots a lot longer to dry with the wetter, cooler weather. The kiln is packed tight and I'm waiting for it to cool. I'm excited to glaze up a lot of the pieces that are in there. There are some custom items that I need to get shipped out which will feel good to finish up.

I've had a couple of inivitations to show in November and December for the holidays. I haven't felt like I've had enough inventory to do that yet, but I'm getting there. This big load that I'm working on will help. I'm going to do the indoor show that's in Bellevue and then set a goal to do the outdoor post Thanksgiving show in Oregon next year. Showing outdoors requires more gear that I need to aquire - like a canopy tent, signage, shelving, etc... I'm going to see if my sister in law, Milagra, wants to share a tent with me to show. She makes amazing hand stamped pendants. Check out her shop on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7677218 We wear her pieces all the time and gets lots of compliments. They make great gifts! She made me a beautiful "secret message" pendant that I just love. Mine message says "Do you... dream, create, wish, make, love, make"

Feeling Blue - Navy Blue

I am featured in another Etsy Treasury. It's always fun to see what the pots are grouped with. I like this Navy Blue Treasury theme. You can see it at http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=87077 until the Treasury expires on 10/12/09.

Jake's kiln god

I've been missing a little kiln god to watch over my kiln when it fires. This afternoon my youngest was wanting to make something with clay. I just discovered that he made me a perfect little kiln god without even knowing it. It's very sweet with it's wings. I'm sure he intended it to be an alien of some sort as he's been building Star Wars characters lately. It may take some convincing to get him to let me have it.

I made another group of mugs to help finish off the filling the kiln. Now it may be too full. I kind of got on a roll and didn't stop. That's never a bad thing.

Toolin'

Over the years I've bought lots of tools. I've found that I turn to the same few over and over - and the rest just sit. Here are my favorites.

Favorites?

Do you have a favorite piece of pottery? If so, why is it your favorite? Is it because someone special gave it to you? Or is does it bring back a special memory? Do you like the way it feels in your hand? Or does it just look cool? I'm curious.

One of my favorite pieces is a little vase my friend, teacher and mentor - Linnell - gave me. It's sweet, simple and makes me think of her. It has a really smooth glaze that feels so good in my hand. I love to fill it with small flowers from the yard. I miss seeing Linnell every week in her studio. It was a place that kept me sane when I had three little toddlers/babies at home.

New Things

Last night I sat down to throw after all the kiddos had gone to bed. I'm experimenting with some "hugging pots". I threw a small creamer pitcher and a sugar bowl. This morning I pressed them together like they were hugging - altering the shapes. I did this with a couple of small vases too. I will fire and glaze them separately, but they will fit together when they will be used. It should be interesting. The creamer/sugar set it the trickiest. I still need to put the handle on the creamer and complete the lid for the sugar bowl.

My husband looked at them with a curiosity and remarked, "So you took time to get them thrown all centered and symmetrical... and then you smooshed them together?!? I don't get it." I do. He's an engineer. ;-)

Muggin'

I've been working on making a bunch of mugs. I've just about got my kiln filled and ready to fire. I'm just waiting for the last set of tiles to dry. The weather has turned cooler here and it's noticeably affecting the clays ability to dry out faster. Time. I need to be patient. That's not been one of my strong suits historically.

Slipcasting Tiles

I've been working on a joint project for some holiday gifts and I'm almost done! After a few casting problems - warped tiles and ugly slip colors - I'm finally back on track. Here are some photos of drying tiles (upside down) using some "too small" soap dispensers as weights. I'm planning on making some crowning glory type of toppers for these so that they won't be a total bust. I'll post some pictures when I finish them.

Getting Up Close

This weekend the kids and I took a trip through Woodinville and downtown Seattle (SODO, Waterfront and the SAM Olympic Sculpture Park). They were taking digital photographs for an art competition at their school. The theme this year is "Beauty is..." I loved seeing what their idea of "beauty is" and how well they did with getting up close to capture detail. They've been watching me with photographing my pots and my efforts to capture the detail. It seems they get the concept pretty well. Here are a few of my favorite images they captured this weekend.

UPDATE: The kids each won their category/age group at their school. They'll now move on to district. They are so excited.

Magnets

I 've made magnets like these for years but never sold them before. I just listed some in my Etsy shop. It's a fun way to show texture. Our fridge now at home is stainless steel so magnets don't work on it. But the fridge in the studio sits right in front of my pottery wheel so I post all kinds of ideas, reminders, photos, etc... on it using magnets like these.

More photos

I've been photographing a lot of pots lately to put in my Etsy shop. I bought a photocube a while back which has helped make a big difference with my pictures. I'm trying to show the detail bas relief work in the pots. It's my favorite part of creating the pots. It's always fun to see what glazes work well with it. Sometimes the grooves just get lost in the glaze. Othertimes it works out well. It's always a surprise - it keeps things interesting.

Etsy Blue Moon Treasury

I just got a note saying a set of my bowls is in an Etsy Treasury named Blue Moon. It's always fun to get in one of these. I wonder who looks at the treasuries. I'm always impressed with the variety of things that are featured - usually centering around a color or a shape. I wish I could figure out how to take a screen shot of it so I could post it. I am such a rookie when it comes to figuring out the blog features. The link should work for now but won't once the Treasury times out. Where is tech support when you need them? Well, currently he's sleeping. ;-)

Update: Tech Support (AKA DH Bill) is up now and he helped me figure out how to copy a screen shot into the blog. So here it is.

Celebration Plates

I'm working on a series of Celebration Plates for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, etc... Here is a sample of one that I made for a wedding this summer. I'll post some other's that I have in progress when I'm finished. It's been tricky finding glazes that work well and don't hide the writing, run or crawl - and have some personality. This plate for BJ and Amy has some decorative relief work on the sides. So far, these have been well received. Getting into the custom business can be tricky with timing... We'll see how this goes!