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!

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.