Showroom Open for Business

Now that I am finished with my Fall shows it is time to organize.  Yesterday I cleaned my studio.  Boy was it messy.  Today I reorganized and added to my main showroom cabinet.  Since I will not be doing any shows until May, the showroom and other NC gifts shops will be the only place to find my pottery for awhile. 

Tomorrow I work my monthly shift at Ruby's in NoDa.  I will be adding a number of items to my unit there, including 3 yarn bowls.  This past weekend Preston Flowers in Cary purchased some new items for sale in their gift shop.  Also, thru December, the Depot in Kings Mountain has some of my pieces in the "Art for Christmas" show.

I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday season & a Happy New Year.

Cake Plate / Chip & Dip

Getting Ready for the Sanford Pottery Festival this weekend.  This will be the second year they have done a December show and the first year I have tried it.  I will be interested to see how the crowds are.  By the way, Military gets in for free with ID. 

This morning I unloaded the kiln, sanded, priced, inventoried & packed.  I also wrapped up a special order for shipment.

As mentioned in the previous post, here is the cake plate/chip & dip from this last kiln load.  Next time I will probably decorate the bottom as well. 

Here are some of the new yarn bowls that were glazed this week.  All six that I threw made it all the way thru the process.  In the past I have had about 50% breakage on the swirl before it could be fired.

New stamp

I loaded the kiln for the last time this year.  I was glad that all the pieces I needed for the Sanford Festival this weekend fit in the kiln.  You can see some of the yarn bowls that I have been making lately plus a cake stand/chip & dip.  At the Seagrove Pottery Festival a few weeks ago I had two cake plates and two different customers mentioned the possiblity of turning it over and using for a chip & dip.  So this time I made sure to glaze the area inside the pedestal portion for that purpose.

A few weeks ago at the Seagrove Pottery Festival there was a booth in our tent that was selling wood stamps.  My husband ordered me these stamps to mark my pieces.  In a few months I will try them out, but the sample looks good.

In a few weeks I will be heading to Montana to visit my family over Christmas, then I will be staying there for a month to take care of my mother during recovery from knee replacement surgery.  So the business will be closed from December 15th-January 31st.  After I return I look forward to experimenting with new designs and glazes.

Carolina Pottery Festival

Saturday I had a booth at the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby, NC.  The crowds were good and I met some nice pottery lovers.  I just love it when a favorite piece of mine goes to a new home.

Today I went to a workshop given by our guild.  The presentor was Allison McGowan.  She handbuilds using soft forms.  I would like to try her handbuilt feet, using a thrown pot instead of a handbuilt one.  I am not sure when I will be able to try it. Maybe this week if the weather is good. 

Last week I did so much glazing, there won't be much need for many more pieces.  So, I will glaze one load tomorrow and be done for the week.  Next weekend is the Seagrove Pottery Festival.

Finished Glazing

This is it.  I have finally finished glazing.  For this week anyway.  These three tall vases were the last to come out. I usually make at least 3 at a time to fill half the kiln so that I don't have wasted space. The other half I stack to the top with smaller pieces.  This is the first time that I felt all three pieces glazed the way I wanted.  Usually either glaze runs and sticks a pot to the shelf or the glaze isn't even or the right color.

Tomorrow I head to Shelby for the Carolina Pottery Festival.  This is usually a great show with lots of great customers. My husband will help setup and stay to help until 2, then he will drive up to Kings Mountain to drop off 2 boxes of pottery for the "Art for Christmas" show at the Depot.  This show lasts thru December and will feature great art that makes great gifts.

Tonight is the reception for the Mint Hill Arts "Small Treasures" show from 7-9.  This show also features art items that are great gifts.  I have entered 7 items and hope to go to the reception.  I am looking for some wall art for my house so perhaps I will find that special piece.

My attempt at handbuilding

At least 6 months ago I made this funny jar.  It was an attempt to make a handbuilt triangle shaped item.  Not sure what it could be used for other than to look at since the hole on top is very small.  I decided this week to glaze as many of my experiments from this year as I could get in the kiln. Notice the previous post.  Also I posted some photos on my Facebook page of some more of those pieces. 

There are still 2 more glaze loads to come out this week.  Tomorrow will have my piece for the Seagrove auction, plus the multi-colored dragonfly line(really need a name for that line). The last glaze load will have the big pieces thrown a few weeks ago.  I am excited to see them finished.

Countdown to the Carolina Pottery Festival

Only 5 days left until the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby.  I have been glazing this week to get ready for it as well as the "Art for Christmas" show in Kings Mountain that starts next week.

 I finally got around to glazing the piece I made after the Neil Patterson workshop(pedestal bowl in the front). I like how it turned out.  After the bisque fire there was a small crack where the two pieces of the bowl came together, but the glaze filled it in and it looks great now.

Utensil Holder

About a month ago I was asked to make a utensil holder for a customer via Etsy.  She had purchased the matching bowl earlier in the Spring at a show. Here is the finished piece.

Today I made 6 more yarn bowls.  I had decided not to make any more of these due to the fact that I was breaking about 50% during the greenware stage.  Last weekend at the Christmas Made in the South there was a customer that changed my mind.  She indicated that her knitting friends would love to have a yarn bowl.  So I tried again.  This time I cleaned up the sharp edges right after making the cuts, rather than sanding after it's dry. Hopefully this does the trick.

This week I realized that I should have worked a little harder at filling up my bisque shelves.  I find that I don't know which pieces to throw for the next few shows.  Quite a few items are depleted.

Large Pots

Today I decided to make a few more large pieces. All three are made with a separate body and neck piece.  This allows me to make bigger pieces than I can throw in one.  The piece in the middle I have made before and sold recently at the Claymatters Festival.  The one on the left is a new shape for me.  The one on the right has a similar shape to one I have made before but the handles are different.  They will need to dry for a few weeks.  I hope they can be ready for my next show which is the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby on November 12th.

This week will be a big push in throwing what I need for the rest of the season.   Next week will be a glaze session for my next 2 shows plus the Art for Christmas Exhibition for December at the Depot in Kings Mountain.  I also need to decide what piece should be my entry for the Seagrove Pottery Festival Auction.

200th post

Last night I came back from the mountains and glazed.  Here is a photo of the finished load.  Earlier today I glazed again and reloaded it again tonight.  This will go on for two more days. 

Next week I need to get back to throwing.  My bisque shelves are emptying out really fast this week and in 3 weeks I have multiple shows and exhibitions to be ready for.





On Thursday I set up for the Christmas Made in the South in Concord, NC.  It usually takes about 5 hours, because I do it by myself and there are walls and lights.  I hope my cell phone works in the building so that I can except credit cards.  Last year I had a manual system and this year I have the Square.  It has worked great so far, but if I am remembering right, cell phones have trouble in that building.

In a few days I will photograph my favorite pieces, so look out for photos on Facebook.

This is my 200th post.  I have slowed down in recent months because I feel that for the most part I have said it all.

Carolina Claymatters Pottery Festival

Tomorrow I have a booth at the Carolina Claymatters Pottery Festival.  This show is put on by members of the Carolina Claymatters Pottery Guild, which I am president this year.  I also involved myself in the festival committee and I am the website coordinator.  We have done a number of things different this year (changed it to a festival, updated the postcard, got mentioned in the Culture Guide, more online mentions, etc)  Hopefully we see an increase in foot traffic.  The day is supposed to be clear and 77 degrees.

Today I will be taking some more pots to Mint Hill Arts.  Two pieces will go in the upcoming show "You Art what you Eat".  The rest will go in the gift shop.  The reception for this show will be October 14th, from 7-9. I wish I could go because they are having some culinary students from Johnston & Wales preparing food. Yum.

I want to remind everyone that I now have a showroom that is open by appointment.  So, if you need a last minute gift and live near Charlotte, give me a call and perhaps we can find you the perfect gift.  If you are out of the area, call or email me about what you need and I will ship it to you.

Booth Photo

Last weekend I had a booth at the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival.  I always like this show because there are so many people that appreciate art.  Plus the fried apple pies are awsome. It was chilly this year and I was glad that I brought my winter coat. I needed a new booth photo so I put up all three walls and took a few photos.  I couldn't mess around tweeking it because at 8 am there are already tons of people on the streets .  My husband is behind the booth holding the back down.  Next year I plan on applying for a number of new shows.

This week I have been glazing for the Carolina Claymatters Pottery Festival coming up this weekend.  I was involved in the committee this year.  My role was mainly the online listings.  Hopefully the word is out and we will see a bunch of pottery lovers again this year.

Double Rim Bowl

Yesterday I set out to make medium bowls.  I wanted to do a number with a double rim but I tend to make thin rims from the get go and can't split the rim.  So, needless to say I only had one with the double rim and scallops.  I really like this look, so maybe later this week I will try again.  This past week I have just been working on filling basic stock items.  I made mugs one day and I think that perhaps they are too big.  I couldn't remember what amount of clay I used the last time.

Tomorrow I work my one day a month at Rubys Gift.  I haven't been in there in a while and I am told that the whole store was revamped and I am excited to see how it looks.  Some of my mugs will be added to the inventory then.

This Saturday I will have a booth at the Piedmont Pottery Festival, at the Museum of York County.  I look forward to the start of my busy season. It is hard to decide what to make when you haven't had a show for awhile.

Piedmont Pottery Festival

I had my End of Summer Sale this past weekend.  I only had a few people stop by, so I don't think I will be having any more Home Shows in the forseeable future.                   I spent today boxing up the new pieces on display for the Piedmont Pottery Festival coming up in less than two weeks.  They have added a second site at the Museum of York County for Contemporary potters and that is where I will be. I will be curious to see how the addition of non-traditional potters will be received.      This show will be the start of three Saturdays in a row with shows.  On October 1st I will be at the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival.  That show is so much fun (apple pies) and very busy, the day goes fast.  Then our Guild puts on the Carolina Claymatters Pottery Festival the next Saturday.  It's fun because I get to see all my pottery friends.      To see a complete list of this years show, check out the show page. 

Favorite Vase

Today I unloaded the kiln.  This was my favorite piece.  I really liked how the glaze ran through the basket weave texture. There were a number of other great pieces in this batch.  This glaze load was the last before my End of Summer Studio Sale on September 10th and 11th.  There will be a lot of new pieces for preview, as well as older items at 30-50% off.         A few days ago I sent out my fall newsletter.  See it here.

Twilight glazing out of the kiln

This glaze is called Twilight.  Friday I did a whole load of this line.  After getting back from our cabin this afternoon, I unloaded the kiln and this was one of the pieces to come out.  It and 4 other pieces have been placed on Etsy for sale.  Check out the site on the right hand side of this blog.       My new lightbox has been working out well.  When I used to take photos of the twilight glaze it would not photograph very well.  I thought that this photo turned out pretty well so it was worth the investment in the box and lights.    Tomorrow I will be glazing yet again.  Look for more photos in a few days.

Countdown to my End of Summer Sale

I have started getting ready for my End of Summer Sale and that means I have started to glaze.  This pedestal bowl came out of the kiln a few days ago.  Check out my Facebook page for more photos.  In the coming weeks I will be showing my favorite pieces there.  The sale is on September 10th & 11th.  For more details on the sale check out the right hand side of this blog.  I will be glazing again tomorrow, so look for more photos early next week.  I will also be adding more pieces to my Etsy site for purchuse online, soon.

Oops I did it again

Today I prepared my greenware for the bique load by sanding and slipping.  I destroyed 3 out of 5 yarn bowls.  I may not make these anymore, since there is about a 50% failure rate when sanding the swirl. Maybe I should clean them up before they dry.  The pedestal was just too thin.  Oh Well.  I glazed yesterday and I'm waiting to open the kiln. Look for photos tomorrow on my facebook page.  I will glaze at least 3 more times before my End of Summer Sale.  So there will be many new designs to preview.  As well as a bunch of pieces at 50% off.

Getting ready

 The last few days I have been busy making a variety of pieces I need for upcoming shows.  The pedestal with holes is something fairly new.  I had made one a few months ago and it was sold at the Earth & Fire Show.   The Egg Tray is new as well and I am not sure how many I should make.  I also made another attempt at a salt & pepper shaker made with extruded pieces.  The last set I made the bottom holes were too big and the top holes were filled with glaze.  If this time doesn't work, I may give it up.    

In a few weeks I will glaze a bunch of these pieces for my Studio Clearance Sale coming in September.

 I opened up my email today and had a note that I was being featured on Lisa WB Walker's Blog, Food & Pottery. She wrote a great post that featured my Sunrise line.

Cabin in the woods

We spent our first weekend in our new cabin.  For the past month I have been anticipating the  closing and it felt like a year.  We took up a truck load of furniture and essentials.  In a few weeks we will go again and hopefully finish bringing up most of everything else.  I look forward to getting away from it all and getting more excercise.  The cabin is near Chimney Rock and Lake Lure and only about 25 miles from Asheville. We both like to hike, especially if we can find a waterfall and we like to fish.  My husband is also hoping I will take an interest in golf (Charlotte is almost always too hot).  As you can see the place needs a womans touch.  Next spring I will plant some flowering bushes and perenials in front.  We have accumulated so much stuff over the years that there isn't a whole lot of items we have to buy to make it livable.  I am already starting to look into art shows in the surrounding area to have a booth next year.  Some shows that were not feasible before, might work now if I don't have to pay for a hotel.  I would also like to check out galleries locally and see about selling some of my work there.

Been Busy - Really

Since getting back last week, I have been working every day (including Saturday and Sunday).  Today I sanded, added the slip trail beading and then loaded the kiln.  This is probably the fullest I have ever loaded the kiln. My greenware shelves were full and I will probably do another bisque load as soon as this one comes out.  I will be taking this weekend off but get right back to it next week. I have one month left before my fall season starts, so I am giving a huge push to stock up on bisqued pieces.  There are 2 shelving units in my studio that I need to fill with bisque ware before the fall.

On September 10th and 11th I will be having my Fall Clearance Sale.  This is also New Day Pottery's 3 year anniversary and I will have a number of pieces at 50% off.  Some are seconds(not perfect quality), others are just older and I want to make room for new pieces.  I will also be glazing a bunch of new items the week before the sale that will be available for purchase.  There will be pieces in the new glazing technique I have been working on as well as some new pieces like the deviled egg trays.

Last week I picked up the pieces that were at the Earth & Fire Pottery Festival in Kings Mountain.  I was very pleased with the show.  It was at the Kings Mountain Art Center and lasted for a month.  I joined the Southern Arts Society and now I have a few pieces in the gift shop.  They mentioned a holiday show in December that I will probably have some pieces in.

Glacier Park

Just got back from visiting my family in Montana.  We went to Glacier Park for a few days.  Saw lots of waterfalls and wildlife including 2 grizzly bears, 2 mountain goats, deer, moose, antelope, etc.  We also spent 4 days at my sisters cabin in Idaho.  While in Idaho we went 4 wheeling to the top of the mountain, tubing down a river, and more waterfalls.  My husband and son went kyaking and fishing as well.

Smiles all around

My neighbors Eric and Olivia came over today to pick up the pottery pieces they made recently. They spent a few hours a couple weeks ago making a number of pieces, then came back last week and glazed them.  They thanked me by giving me a candle and all their brothers and sisters made me special drawings.  I had a great time introducing them to the world of clay.  Yesterday I worked at Ruby's Gift in NoDa and added some new pieces to my shelves.  Today I packed up an order for Preston Flowers in Cary, NC.  They really cleaned out my inventory, so I need to get some more glazing done soon.  I am working on getting a showroom ready.  An announcement should be coming by the end of August. 

New glaze line

Saturday I unloaded the kiln and here are a few of my favorites.  I am trying a new glazing technique using stencils and more colors.  The large plate has a black rim and some of the other plates and bowls I did with out the black rim.   I like how the multiple colors allow me to display other glazes right next to each other, as you can see in this photo. You can see my atempt at making a yarn bowl.  I will probably make a few more of those.  To see more photos check out my Facebook page.   

Sunday I spent the day at our Carolina Claymatters Guilds summer workshop.  The presenter this year was Sam Chung.  He put on a great workshop and I hope to be able to incorporate some of his ideas into some of my pieces. 

Loading the kiln

Here is a photo of the top shelf of a loaded kiln.  Today I glazed some pots in a new design that I am playing around with.  The bowl on the left is one of the experiments.  I used a stencil and multiple colors.  They should be out of the kiln tomorrow afternoon.  My week has been busy.  Sunday I taught a blog class for 6 guild members. I look forward to seeing their finished blogs. Wednesday I went to a meeting for advertising of our guilds pottery festival.  We made some progress towards making this fall sale the best it's ever been.  Thursday two neighbor kid's came over to glaze a few pieces they made the week before.  Those pieces are in this kiln load and I can't wait to see how they turned out.  Sunday I go to a workshop where Sam Chung is presenting his work.  Then next week it's back to throwing again.

Mugs and Apples and Pears - Oh My

This week was the time to make a serious attempt at stocking up for Fall shows.  Today was mug day and I tried to make each one different.  These were my favorite ones.  I also went back to some old designs that are not great for packing in boxes but are fairly poplular.  The apple and pear is a design I haven't made for about 6 months but decided to bring back.  I would like to put them in the Mint Hill Arts "Food inspiration show" in October.  The yarn bowl on the left is an experiment.  I like the pedestals and almost stopped making them because they do not pack for shows easily.

Of course, I have made other items.  Yesterday I made brie bakers and I have also made a number of the Holey bowls.  I have tried a few times to make large platters and large handled bowls.  They are not working, I think because my clay is pretty hard.  I bought a large batch of clay a number of months ago and because sales were down from last year, I quit making anything for about a month.

I keep up with a number of pottery blogs and have noticed that I can not seem to post comments.  Hopefully this will fix itself. 

Facebook Contest

I am having another contest.  I will give away a brie set in any of the 5 glaze lines preferred to someone that "likes" my Facebook page.  The only condition is that I need to have 100 people liking my page by October 1st.  So if you want to win the set, first "like" New Day Pottery's Facebook page. (see button on right side of blog) Then "share" the post announcing the contest with your friends.  Thank you in advance for helping me reach this goal.



Earth and Fire Pottery Festival

Tonight I attended the "Earth & Fire Pottery Festival" opening reception in Kings Mountain.  There was a great turnout and I sold a few pots.  It was fun visiting with so many great potters and pottery lovers.   Below is a display of one piece of each potter.  This display was at the entrance.  The show runs until July 29th.

Great Glaze Load

I am pretty pleased with this glaze load.  The large bowl with dragonfly is a special order.  It turned out exactly as expected. The deviled egg tray looks great, but only has 11 spots for eggs, so I guess its my tray now. In the next few weeks I plan on making some more with 12 slots.  The pedestal was an experiment and turned out well.  So the only piece pictured here that will be going to the Earth & Fire show is the pedestal.  Today I packed up for the show and there will be a number of new pieces featured there. 

Tomorrow I will be working at Ruby's Gift in NoDa.  I have a display there and work one day a month. Ruby's features a group of local artists.

Today I added 3 more items to my etsy shop. A pitcher, mug and brie dish.

Earth and Fire Pottery Festival

I have been invited to enter some of my pottery in the Earth and Fire Pottery Festival at the Kings Mountain Art Center.  The opening reception is this Saturday at 7pm.  I am very impressed with the potters included and feel that this will be a great exhibition. Hopefully there will be a great turnout.  The exhibition will last until July 29th.

Tomorrow I will do another glaze load that has a few pieces I would like to take to the Festival.  Then on Wednesday I will need to inventory and pack for the show.

Last week I only did a glaze load and the rest of the week I was pressure washing my driveway(it's a long driveway)  The back sidewalk and patio are all that I have left.  I really should get back to throwing.

This past week I also finished my etsy site and opened it with a few pieces.  My plan is to add pieces every week or two.  I need to get some larger boxes so that I can put a few larger items on the site.  Right now I only added items that I had boxes for.(mostly clay boxes)

Using my new light box to take photos

A few days ago I got my new photo box in the mail.  It is quite large so that I can fit my larger pieces easily.  It seems to help control the glare somewhat better than the way I was doing it before.  The only thing I feel that I need to fix is the background.  I will need to order a graduated backgroung for it. It came with solid blue, black, red or white.  These are photos of the newest kiln load with the white background.  Not sure that I like the look of solid white.

I am getting ready for the Southern Arts Society of King Mountain's Earth & Fire @ the Depot show.  The reception is June 25th, 7-9pm and the show runs through July 29th. 

Pedestal Bowl

Who do you think got the best deal?  This morning while I worked in the studio making this pedestal and some mugs, my husband and son got to put out mulch and move a couple bushes?  Hehe.  I still need to sand it after it dries, but it looks good to me so far.

Last night I went to the Spring Juried Competition reception at Mint Hill Arts.  I had entered my Calla Lily Vase and my Sand Dune Vase.  Alas, no prizes for me, but the art on display was amazing.  The show runs until the end of the month.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Lori Doolittle, the winner of the spring giveaway.  Thanks to all that came to my booth this spring and those that "liked" my New Day Pottery Facebook page.  Be sure to subscribe to the email feeds on the right hand side of my blog or "like" my Facebook page for further updates on what is going on here at New Day Pottery.

On a sad note, when I went out this morning to do some sanding and detailing work on some pieces ready to be bisque fire, I found this.  Apparently this platter dried too fast.  I should know better, but didn't baby it like I should have.

Deviled Egg Tray & Teapots

For a long time I have wanted to try to make a deviled egg tray, but when I get out to the studio it slips my mind.  Today I gave it a try and hopefully it turns out well. 

The platter is a new design and hopefully I am able to trim it without mishap. My hope is that I can add a hole to the foot so that it can be hung on a wall for decoration.

As for the teapots, well, I have made these shapes before, but there is always something that goes wrong.  Maybe this time everything will work out as planned.

On Friday I set up and work the Ruby's gift booth at the Taste of Charlotte.  Then Friday Evening I will go to the Mint Hill Arts - Spring Juried Competion Reception.  I have two entries and perhaps I will have some luck and win a prize.

Puzzle Pitcher and Mugs

Back in the studio.  I have not thrown any pots in over a month.  In January I started full force making pieces for my Spring shows.  Once I started doing the shows, I realized that I really didn't need as much as I thought, so I have only been glazing pieces as needed. 

Today I made a puzzle/joke pitcher and mugs.  For the pitcher, the liquid is poured in the top and it runs down the handle into the bottom of the pitcher.  The neck has holes in it.  For the mug, the liquid is sucked through the hole in the top which has a hollow rim and the liquied comes through the handle into the rim.  My biggest challenge was making hollow handles.  I can't wait to see if they actually work the way they are supposed to.

This past weekend we went up to Asheville for a short vacation.  I came back with some inspiration for some new pieces..  In the next few weeks/months I plan to do some experimenting.

Joara Pottery Festival

Today I had a booth at the Joara Pottery Festival.  It was a warm, sunny day.  My booth was out in the pavilion, in the sun, but there was a nice breeze all day to cool it down.

I had to take a photo of the booth with my new register stand that my husband made a few weeks ago.  It has worked out well at the last few shows I have done.  Instead of using a table to hold the paper roll, it can be held on a shelf, leaving the top clean.  My mom had made the sign last year as a flag to fly on my tent, but it works really well attached to my stand.

There is only one more show left for the Spring.  The Piedmont Pottery Festival in Eden will be the last show until October.  Unless I hear of something promissing before then.  I am also thinking of having a clearance show at my studio possibly in September.  To get an invitation to the sale or get my newsletter, send me your email address to be included in my mailing list.  You can also sign up on Facebook to get updates on what I am doing in the studio.

In a few weeks I will be back in the studio, making new pieces for sale in the fall.  Check back for periodic updates on what is happening.

All Arts Market

This week I will be at two different shows.  First on Thursday & Friday evenings from 6-10pm, I will be at the All Arts Market NoDa Neighborhood Theatre.  I will be at booth #206. It looks like a fun & funky art show. See the website for more information.

On Saturday I will be at the Joara Pottery Festival in Morganton from 10-4.  I just decided to ad this show this past week. Check out this website for info.

I am sure that I will be very tired by Saturday evening, but I just had to check out these two shows.

Last Saturday was the Claymatters Barnsale.  We had some rain, but it didn't seem to slow anyone down.  Thanks to everyone that came out even with the bad weather. There is a photo of my booth on my facebook page.

Today I did some glazing.  I also fired the pieces to cone 6 just to see what would happen. 

Carolina Claymatters Spring Barn Sale

Tomorrow is our guilds semi-annual Barn Sale.  I enjoy this sale because I know so many of the potters and we get a chance to visit with each other. All week online it has said that it was supposed to rain every day this week, but it has only rained at night.  I am hoping that the weather holds out.  Check out the website or Facebook page to see what other potters are bringing to the sale.

The bud vase to the left makes a great teachers gift.  I will have a few on hand in different colors and sizes at the sale. 

The last few weeks I have been taking it easy, but I signed up for a few more shows, so on Monday I will probably be back in the studio.

New Vases & Pitchers

The last few weeks I have been taking it easy.  I felt that I had enough pieces made to last through the Spring show season.  A few glaze loads have been done and these tall pots came out of the last group.  I was hoping that at least one could be entered into the Summer Juried Competition at Mint Hill Arts.  Maybe I am too close to the pieces, because I can't say that any are worthy of a competition.  May 14th I will have a booth at the Claymatters Guild Barn Sale.  Some of these vases will be there for sale.  Then on May 19 & 20th from 6-10pm I will have a table set up at the NoDa All Arts Market.  These will be my last local shows until the fall.

British Slipware Workshop

Yesterday I spent the day in Shelby at the British Slipware Workshop.  Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew gave a great demonstration on tradional English Slipware.  Doug made large Pitchers using a blow torch to speed up the drying.  Then he decorated his pots with slip and fast, simple decorating.  Hannah made a variety of items, then used different colored slips to make more intricate designs on her pots. They colaborated on a puzzle jug.  Which you can see Hannah decorating (below).  The puzzle is how to drink out of the jug without spilling.  There are holes on the neck of the jug.  I plan on making a puzzle jug or mug later this week.

While I was having a great time learning great new techniques and having lunch & dinner with potter friends, my wonderful husband was making me a register table for my booth.  He finished building it today and I stained it black.  It looks fabulous. Tomorrow I will put on another coat.  Tomorrow I also need to glaze my order for Preston Flowers.  The order will go with me up to Sanford this weekend for delivery.

Start of Spring Show Season and Other Stuff

This week I have been throwing pots for an order from Preston Flowers.  I needed some more lobed pitchers and large bowls.  Monday I will probably do one last glaze load for Greensboro. Next weekend (April 15-17) is my first show of the year. This will be the third year for the NC Pottery Festival in Greensboro.  There will be some new pieces, including the vases pictured here.  Some new products that will be available are dessert cups & wine bottle rests. 

There has been a new page added  (Photo Archive) to the blog.  This page has some of my favorite pieces over the last 3 years.  I think that it  is interesting to see the changes over the years.

Be sure and check out the vase on the right side of the blog and see how to register to win it.  I have also sent out my Spring Newsletter.  See it here and send me an email (jabdelaziz at carolina dot rr dot com) if you want to receive it every Spring & Fall.