New Day Pottery

Back in the "saddle" again

2012-01-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

This was the first week back in the studio in about 2 months. Right now I am working on items that I completely ran out of before the holiday's. Last Fall I had made a few yarn bowls and sold all except the one I placed on Etsy. I had a request for a larger bowl so I am now making the bowls just a bit bigger. I had fun playing around with different cutouts. Today I made a some pedestal bowls and my cake plate/clip & dip. At the beginning of March I may be joining a co-op gallery, so I need to make some gallery type pieces next week.

This year I am pursuing oppurtunities in the NC mountains for shows and galleries/gift shops. Last summer we purchased a cabin near Bat Cave, NC and we would like any excuse to visit. I need to get some samples made and a brochure so that I can stop by stores and offer them my pottery for sale. I got an acceptance letter today for the Art in the Park in Asheville in June. There are a few more shows I will be applying to for the summer.

New Items in my Etsy Shop

2012-01-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

Just got back from Montana. I went for Christmas and stayed for a month to take care of my Mom. She had knee replacement surgery and she is doing very well now. This has been a busy week. My husband signed us up for the YMCA and I have been going to classes most mornings this week (oh my aching body) Saturday we hosted our guild annual holiday party so I had to do some extra cleaning. I came away with some great loot. The book was a door prize (everyone gets something), The blue and purple bowl was from the gift exchange (from Jan Myers, Myers Art) and the lidded bowl was a thank you gift from the guild for being the President last year.

Yesterday I worked most of the day digging out pots, photographing them and posting them on Etsy. I loaded in some items in the Twilight glaze line and the Dragonfly line. Check out my shop on the right side of this page. Soon I will add items from other lines. Today I threw for the first time in almost 2 months. I made 10 yarn bowls and 6 sponge holders. Then I did a post and added photos to our guild website for the holiday party. After this post I need to do my sales taxes for the 4th quarter. (yippee)

Tomorrow I will work my monthly shift at Ruby's gift. Sales were pretty good in December so my shelves will be pretty empty. Last Thursday I picked out pieces, priced and inventoried them to take tomorrow. I am told that I have a new spot in the store, so am pretty excited about that.

Showroom Open for Business

2011-12-06T13:33:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-01T11:45:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-13T21:28:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-11T13:39:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-09T18:03:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-27T15:44:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-24T16:38:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-17T22:46:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-07T09:40:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-04T22:19:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-21T14:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-01T14:39:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-28T23:13:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-25T13:33:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-23T12:10:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-10T19:20:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-21T18:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-18T13:42:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-06T21:05:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-01T10:05:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-25T22:24:00.003-04:00

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

2011-06-22T13:49:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-19T19:14:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-15T12:32:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-08T17:03:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-31T16:37:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-21T22:52:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-16T19:15:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-13T15:15:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-05T10:41:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-06T22:04:00.000-04:00

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.

Holey Bowl

2011-03-28T21:38:00.000-04:00

This week I have glazed a bit. This bowl turned out the way I wanted it to. I think that I will make a few more of these types of bowls. The rest of my favorite pieces were posted on Facebook. Be sure to check them out.

Lately I have been working quite a bit on the Carolina Claymatters Guild website. I finally figured out how to add documents using Google Docs and it's made the site so much better. I am happy that I am able to keep the site up-to-date.

Glazing. Glazing. Glazing.

2011-03-25T15:57:00.000-04:00

Since it was a sunny day today, I decided to glaze. I had to mix up 3 glazes, which I had run low on. My last post stated that I need 2 glaze loads, well, I think it will be more like 4. Today was the Dragonfly glaze day. Tomorrow I will do Redwood & Moss. The Sunrise glaze will have to wait for a Sunny and calm day because of the spraying of glaze. Today was too windy and in the coming week, there is alot of rain forcast.

I got the canister set in and hope it turns out. There was also a nice teapot and some vases.

More Basket Weave

2011-03-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

Today I made some more candy dishes and small vases. This vase is very different from the usual. I decided to try the basket weave again. Later I will finish putting the candy dishes together, then start the kiln with a bisque load. Next week I will do my final 2 glaze loads to get ready for my first show of the Spring. Look for photos by the end of next week.

Sunday I went to the Mint Museum on a tour provided by the Carollina Claymatters Guild. We had a good time and got alot of inspiration. You can see the photos I took on the website.

Four More Tall Vases

2011-03-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

Today was a really beautiful sunny day. So, I decided that it was a great day to make extra large vases. Each piece takes two thrown pieces put together. A sunny day is neccesary so that by the time I have thrown the eight pieces, the first set is ready to be attached together. I sold the two vases that I had in my dining room to the Seaworthy Gallery in Hattaras, NC. Two of these pieces will go in my dining room and hopefully at least one will be good enough to enter in the juried competition at Mint Hill Arts in June. The piece on the far right was fun. Hopefully others enjoy it as much as I do.

Wednesday I worked at Ruby's Gift in NoDa. The owner has moved my pieces to a new shelving unit. It's nice because the shelves are farther apart, allowing room for large platters & bowls. I removed some pieces that had been there awhile and brought in some new. The dragonfly design is new to the store.

My first show of the spring season is coming up in a month. The NC Pottery Festival will be April 15-17 in Greensboro. After that I have 3 more shows at 2-3 week intervals until June. In the next week I will just be stocking up on regular items, then I will finish up glazing for the first show.

Dinner Plates

2011-03-12T22:37:00.000-05:00

Very excited to finally get my own dinner plates. I have been saying for about 2 years now that I wanted to make myself a set, but it seemed like there was always something more urgent to be made. Even after throwing these about a month ago, I debated on how to glaze them and finally went with this glaze because it goes with my current kitchen and dining room. I have a canister set, utensil holder, appetizer plates and cereal bowls already in this glaze. The pattern on each plate is different. There were 11 thrown and 2 are still waiting to be glaze fired. I wanted at least 8 to turn out and was pleasantly surprised to have all 11 turn out. That never happens to me. Usually a few warp or the glaze has problems.

Today I made some mugs. I always get asked at shows if I have mugs and my usual answer is no. This is mostly because I do not drink coffee or tea and I just do no feel any joy at making them. But, I decided that it was time for the challenge and to see if I could make mugs I am happy with. Time will tell. I also tried a basket pattern made with a lemon zester, that I saw on John Baumans blog recently. I look forward to trying this on other pieces.

New Style Vases

2011-03-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

Last week I made these two vases. They are very different from my usual style. Today I made some soap dishes. I unloaded the glaze load from yesterday and reloaded with a bisque load. Tomorrow I have to pack some pieces up for shipping. Later this week I would like to try some large vases, like the ones done at the Potters Conference.

NC Potters Conference 2011

2011-03-06T21:31:00.000-05:00

This weekend I attended the NC Potters Conference. The topic was about Porcelain from Jingdezhen, China. Each potter has a specialty (throwing, trimming, decorating, etc.) The average pieces are very large. I will have to try a few of the shapes seen this week, perhaps even making a large vase.

I went down to the conference with 3 others from my guild. One of our group was able to design a pot for the thrower to make (left). We all helped come up with the design and Verna was able to have the piece afterwards. He threw about 6 pots that were designed and did an amazing job of quickly making the designs to scale.

The underglazer was amazing and painted beautifully. The plate (right) was one of his pieces. I came home with the yellow vase.

Casserole Dish

2011-03-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday everything I made had many steps. I haven't made oval casserole dishes in a while and thought that I would try again. I did some square cutouts for designs on the sides and handles, which was fun. I also made some vases, bowls and candy dishes. Today I made brie bakers, which is fast & easy.

To me nothing is more stressfull than packing up a shipment. Today I packed up the order for the Seaworthy Gallery. It all packed up "seamingly" nicely in 4 boxes. I really hope that there was enough bubble wrap used (2 rolls). I need to finish typing up the packing lists and take to the post office later.

Circle Bowl

2011-02-27T09:18:00.001-05:00

Oh alright, I'll go. I'm going to the NC Potters Conference after all. A really nice lady from my guild can't go, so I am going in her place. Masters of Jingdezhen Porcelain is the topic and I was not sure how much I could use in my own pottery making. I have decided to go there and just have a purely educational experience.

Yesterday I made this bowl and I like how the cutouts look. It will make a good candy dish or potpourri dish. I would like to make one that is large for a centerpiece on a coffee table.

Teapot & Vase

2011-02-25T21:34:00.000-05:00

This week I have been trying to make more fun pieces, so I made this teapot and vase today. The teapot is similar to the red one shown alone the right hand sidebar. Hopefully it comes out ok. The last two had a twisted handle that would separate from the pot during the glaze fire.

Today I sent out the application for the NC Pottery Festival in Greensboro in April.

Sand Dunes

2011-02-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

Today I unloaded a glaze load. The piece to the left is a piece I threw months ago but couldn't figure out what to do as far as glazing. I ended up placing a blue in the grass etching and the Redwood over it all. The grass is green. It looks a little like the dunes at the beach.

The photo below shows the finished order for the Seaworthy Gallery in Hatteras. She will be picking it up in the next month. Glad to get all the pieces finished so that I can concentrate on other things.

Yesterday I worked at Ruby's Gift in NoDa. I brought in some more heart dishes, since there were only a couple left in the basket. At the end of March I will rotate the merchandise.

Pedestal bowls and Creamers

2011-02-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I tried to make some of the pieces that were demontrated at the workshop this past weekend. The photos above are my attemps and the photos below are theirs.

I struggled with both. With the pedestal bowl (Neil Patterson) I had trouble with the closed form. Only 2 out of 4 attemps made it. With the creamer (Sandi Pierantozzi) everything seemed wrong. I have some thoughts on how I could incororate the darts into another version. There are a few other things I want to try, but it will have to wait until later in the week.

Today I will be glazing. The order for the Seaworthy Gallery has a few more pieces, so I thought that I better get them finished. Then on Wednesday I gallery sit at Ruby's Gift in NoDa.

Neil Patterson & Sandi Peirantozzi Workshop

2011-02-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

Just finished a great weekend at the Carolina Claymatters Winter Workshop. This year the presentors were Sandi Peirantozzi and Neil Patterson. Sandi handbuilds and Neil throws and alters. I as very inspired by everything they showed us. Expect to see photos in the next week of my attemps to recreate something similar to the pieces they demonstrated.

In the photo I am standing with Sandi and her piece that went home with me. It now resides in my curio cabinet next to the McKenzie Smith fish plate I got at last years workshop.

Vases & Pitchers

2011-02-17T15:27:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of the fun items I have done this week. Everything else has been mostly bowls of different sizes. Today was cereal bowls. After the new year I decided to consolidate some of my bowl sizes. Last year I had 6 sizes, this year only 4. Hopefully this will work out better.

It has been so nice out this week. The temps have been mid sixtys to low seventys. It's so nice to sit looking out into the beautiful sunshine while I work.

This weekend is the workshop with Neil Patterson and Sandi Pierantozzi. I am so looking forward to this workshop and hope to have all sorts of new ideas in the coming weeks.

Triangle Jar

2011-02-13T18:18:00.000-05:00

It was warmer out today, so I was determined to try some handbuilding. This is my first attemp at a lidded jar. When looked at from the top it twists, so I even placed the lide at a twist as well. The feet are stacked triangles. I will see how it fires and if there are no problems with cracking or separating I will try some more pieces. Perhaps a teapot or vase. After the workshop next weekend, I hope to come back with lots of great techniques to try.

This week I will mostly be working on inventory pieces so that I can get caught up for my shows in May. Then I can concentrate on show pieces. I would like to apply for my own show at Mint Hill Arts, but I need to make sure I can make enough show pieces in time for a July Exhibition.

Today I unloaded the kiln and photographed some more of my favorite pots. My best photos have been downloaded on my facebook page.

Floral Cut-outs

2011-02-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I threw the most pieces I've every thrown at one time. A few weeks ago I purchased some more bats and I was determined to use them all yesterday. I think that I may have gotten a light case of frostbite on my feet. My feet got so cold they went numb. It took hours for them to go back to normal. Even after a hot shower. Today I learned my lesson and wore my husbands wool socks over my socks.

I made this large platter and for a change decided to do some cut-outs. They make me think of flowers. Must be thinking that it is time for Spring.

Today I glazed the Dragonfly line and loaded the kiln. It's supposed to be warmer next week, so I am looking forward to being able to open the garage doors to see the sunshine.

Tall Pitcher & Teapot

2011-02-09T13:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I set out to make a bunch of creative pieces, but alas I wasn't really in the mood. So, I only made these two items and two Chip & Dip Bowls. Lame really. Today I put them all together. After that I did my slip trail beading on all my pieces ready for the bisque load I will start tonight.

Then I unloaded the glaze load that I started day before yesterday. I was happy with this batch, since there were no defects that I could see. On Friday I will glaze the Dragonfly series. Some of the pieces are for the order I am working on but I am completely out of anything in this line right now. So, I will also be refilling my inventory for upcoming shows.

1st Glaze Load of 2011

2011-02-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was near 50 degrees and warm enought to glaze. Today I unloaded the kiln and reloaded with pieces I glazed today. Here are a few of my favorite pieces. The Twilight glaze never photographs well so believe me when I say that in person these look so much better. Most of the load is part of an order for a gallery on the coast that is due by March. Others (like the vase) are special orders for individual customers that have called me in the last month looking for pieces. Some have had to wait almost a month for me to do a glaze load. I would glaze again tomorrow but I need more pieces bisqued before the next batch can be done. So tomorrow I will be throwing again. Hopefully I'm in the mood to be creative and will make some fun items like teapots. I also need to wedge up some reconditioned clay thats been drying out in bags. That clay is used for my brie bakers since they are easy to make and the clay can be fairly wet when throwing. There are no more brie bakers left on my bisque shelf, so I need to make some more soon.

My New Extruder

2011-01-31T14:25:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that I finally got my new extruder. My husband installed it yesterday and this morning I started by making some bud vases. I am having a hard time thinking up ideas. I would like to try some salt & pepper shakers, but I need to get the stoppers first. A few years ago I went to a Hayne Bayless workshop and he does almost all his pieces with the extruder. I would like to try some mugs, but I need the extension to make larger extrusions. I would also like to make some funky teapots as well.

I also made a few slab build trays. It takes me so much longer to make slab items than thrown, so I find that I do not make as much in a day.

After lunch I loaded the first bisque load of the year. I will start it in a few days when I am sure that the pieces are fulling dried.

Tomorrow might be the day I make my own set of dishes. The weather will be warmer than usual and I have room on my shelves.

Soup on Sunday

2011-01-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

Today I went to Soup on Sunday with my friend Lynda. This is a fundraiser for the local Hospice where Lynda is the volunteer coordinator. I donated some bowls for the event. I had some great soups and my favorite was the lobster bisque.

I have finished throwing the pieces needed for the orders I have been working on and in a few days I will do the first bisque and glaze loads of the year. Later today I will put the finishing touches with slip trailing.

At the end of this week I need to make a decision about what piece to put in the airport display.

Small Vases

2011-01-20T16:02:00.001-05:00

Day before yesterday I made some small vases. A few of them are for the order I have been working on. The others are for inventory. You can see two pitchers behind them. I was going to make 2 more, but my hand started to get sore from pulling so many tall items in one day. Today I was going to make large platters but my metal rib that I use to compress the platters is in the truck, which my husband is driving. So instead, I made medium serving bowls and cereal bowls. I was also going to make four desert dish prototypes, but stopped at two after the bat on the fourth flew off the wheel, hitting my knee really hard and landing on the third one. I could have gotten out more clay and tried again, but my knee really smarted. I was also anxious to get in the house and try out my new Nook. My Mom sent it to me for my birthday which is Friday.

Preston Flowers Display

2011-01-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

There is a new shop that is carrying my pottery. Preston Flowers is located in Cary, NC. The photo to the left shows how some of the pieces have been displayed in the shop. They have done a great job presenting my work. I love the flower arrangements.

Seeing this display reminded me of my wish to make my own set of Dragonfly dinnerware. I need to make more effort to do this. Perhaps in a few weeks when I get the wholesale order out of the way.

This morning I threw vases and pitchers. Later tonight I will have to finish with handles. I was unable to do as many as I wanted because my hand was getting sore from doing so many tall pieces. Usually I try to do a mix of big and small items each day to save my wrists, but tomorrow I have to work at Ruby's Gift and I won't be able to finish(trim) pieces tomorrow. Vases & Pitchers can usually be finished later in the day after they dry a little bit. So, tonight I will be back in the studio working.

Garlic Keepers, Chip & Dips and Batter Bowls

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the pieces I have worked on this week. It took so long for the Chip & Dips and Garlic Keepers to dry from yesterday that I only had time today to put them all together before I had to leave to take my son to physical therapy for his shoulder injury. I didn't get a chance to throw anything. I hope the Chip & Dip's turn out ok. Sometimes they warp in the kiln. I haven't yet figured out what causes this.

Jar by Lib Moss

2011-01-16T14:09:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to the Claymatters Guild Holiday Party. This year I am the President of the guild and I had to keep the meeting and gift giving moving along. I am very self concious when I am in front of a group of people but everyone is in the group is very gracious, probably because most have been on the board at one time or another. I had a great time though and came home with this fun piece made by Lib Moss. One of my goals this year is to not be so rigid with my work and this piece is the sort of thing I need to try.

This morning I put handles on my batter bowls from yesterday and threw some chip & dips and garlic keepers. I will probably finish & assemble these tomorrow morning.

I need to take a trip to the supply house soon. I find that I do not have enough bats to keep me busy more than a few hours. This was fine in the Fall when I was throwing in the morning and glazing in the afternoon, but in slower months I throw for weeks or months between glaze loads. There are some other items needed to do more handbuilding, which I hope to do more of once I finish the order for the Seaworthy Gallery that I am working on now.

Back from a throwing vacation

2011-01-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

I'm back. I took a throwing vacation for about a month and was supposed to start back on Monday, but it was snowing and in the 20's and 30's all week. Today when it reached 40 degrees at 11:30 I decided that it was time to brave the cold. With the space heater on high and hot water in my bucket, I started on the wholesale order that is due by March. It will probably only take a few weeks, but I wanted to get it finished so that I can start experimenting. In February I will be going to the Claymatters Guild Winter Workshop featuring Sandi Pierantozzi & Neil Patterson. I am very excited to see their work and hope that it will help me do more altering in my pieces.

Tonight is Carolina Claymatters Holiday party. I will be going early to help set up. It's always a great time visiting with other potters and the food is great(potters seem to be such great cooks). We do a gift exchange and it's great coming home with another potter's work. The guild also gives out door prizes. In the past I have gotten ribs, hole punches, misc tools and books.

What a mess!!!

2011-01-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

Today I decided that it was time to clean up the studio. From the end of September through mid December I worked pretty much constantly with throwing, glazing, packing, going to shows, etc. When I finished in December I didn't want to even think about making anything for a while. Well, I took a few weeks off including going on a Carribean cruise and now I am ready to get back to work. As you can see, my studio became a catch-all. You can see a tv that needs to go to the dump, and a golf cart. Plus all the packing paper that was discarted at various times.

Hopefully you can see the improvement in the second photo. I swept and mopped and threw away lots of junk. I will be back in the studio in a few days after the Bunko party on Thursday and putting away my Christmas Decorations after that. I have some orders to fill, plus I need to make some pieces to refill my show inventory. I would like to do some experimenting with hand building as well.

Friday night is the Mint Hill Arts "Fire and Fiber" opening reception from 7-9. I have 8 pieces in the show. It will last thru January.

Ruby's Gift

2010-12-21T23:21:00.000-05:00

Today I worked at Ruby's Gift in NoDa. Each artist works in the shop about once a month. This is the first time I have had an oppurtunity to help out, since the last few months have been so busy. The shop carries local artists in a variety of mediums. The photo shows my display cabinet today, but I will rotate items and next month I will bring in something new. Most of the colors in there now are very vibrant, but once I get back to work in the studio, I will bring in some Dragonfly and Twighlight pieces as well.

This will be my last post this year, so I will say Happy Holidays and best wishes for a wonderful New Year.

Thanks for your support

2010-12-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

I saw this on another potter's blog today and it says all that I would like to. I want to thank all those that have purchased handmade items from independent artists this year. We appreciate it more that we can say. My heart goes into all that I make and nothing makes me happier than when someone else likes something that I have made.

NC Pottery Fair

2010-12-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

A number of things going on this week. Tomorrow night is the opening reception at Mint Hill Arts for the December Juried Competition. I won't be able to attend because I will be in Raleigh for the NC Pottery Fair. This is my last show of the year and I will be taking a break after its done. In January I will start a wholesale order from a gallery on the coast as well as start experimenting with some new items.

All I did this week was one glaze load which had mostly small gift items and a number of speical orders. This bowl was a piece that I made for fun and I liked how it turned out.

Mint Hill Arts Juried Competition Entry

2010-12-02T10:18:00.000-05:00

Today I am taking it easy and not throwing or glazing. I took a photo of this pot, which will be my entry in the Mint Hill Arts Juried Competition. Earlier this year I made a piece very similar for the June Competition and it stuck to the kiln. I loved it so much that I tried again and was glad that it made it out of the kiln. I need to think of a name for the piece. Perhaps Elegant Lady (I thought that it sort of looks like a lady with a hat and large earrings.) Tomorrow I will take this piece over there and on December 10th the awards will be presented at the monthly reception. If you love art of all kinds, this is a great exhibition to see. It runs thru December. To bad I have to miss the reception. I will be in Raleigh at the North Carolina Pottery Fair.

Later today I will unload a glaze load. Can't wait to see some of the pieces. Most will be going with me to the Appalacian Potters Market on Saturday.

Dragonfly Vase

2010-11-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving. I spent my weekend in Greensboro at the Craftsmen Classic. Sales were down a bit, which is always disappointing. I took a photo of this vase that I took out of the kiln just before leaving for the show. I thought it was great, but alas it did not find a new home. Maybe this weekend in Marion at the Appalacian Potters Market.

I spent Thanksgiving setting up for the show and had a feast at Golden Corral for lunch, with my mom. Today she left for home(Montana, Brrr) and I will miss having her here. She came for 2 1/2 months to help me with my fall shows.

Today I glazed my Sunrise line. I was low on this line since I took a number of pieces over to Ruby's Gift Shop in NoDa last week. I will probably throw tomorrow for the last time this month. After this Saturday, I only have the Raleigh show, then I can have a break for the holidays.

Craftsmen Classic

2010-11-24T21:23:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was the Seagrove Pottery Festival. Here is a photo of about a third of the pots up for Auction. Mine is number 61. I wanted it to stand out from the rest and I think it did. The festival was great. Lots of pottery lovers during the weekend and had great weather.

The last three days I have been stocking up for this weekend. I will be at the Craftsmen Classic in Greensboro. Follow the link for discount entry coupon. This is a great show to find gifts for friends and family. Or even for yourself.

I would like to encourage everyone that has a piece of mine, to enter the photo contest. So far no one has entered and I really would love to see some photos of you enjoying your pots.

Also, please "like" New Day Pottery on Facebook. That way you can get updates on what I am doing & see photos of new work (I actually post more photos there)

Large Vases

2010-11-18T14:49:00.000-05:00

These are the three large vases that I unloaded from the kiln this morning. I was so happy that none of them stuck to the kiln shelf. The one in the middle was of the most concern, if you follow my blog you already know that this glaze likes to run and ruin my favorite pieces.

I packed up for the Seagrove Pottery Festival and will leave tomorrow afternoon to get set up.

Fall is in the air. I am looking out my window and thinking that the leaves are so beautiful right now.

Glazed Double Rim Bowl

2010-11-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Today I made some more squished pitchers and brie bakers. Two different galleries need some more pitchers and I am getting low on stock for my shows as well. I glazed a load and there are 4 large vases that were glazed and I can't wait to see them.

This double rimmed bowl turned out well. I will probably do some more like this.

I hope my clay arrives soon. I only have enough for one more day of work.

Seagrove Auction Piece

2010-11-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

As promised, I am giving a sneak peak of the piece that will be auctioned off at the Seagrove Pottery festival. The dragonfly slip trailing cannot be seen very well in this photo. I noticed that most of the pieces last year were either vases or bowls, so I wanted to try to do something unique. My booth is in the first tent, about 1/2 way down the right side.

Today I took a break and went with my mom to the Southern Christmas Show. We had a great time, but I need to get back to work tomorrow.

By the way, my kiln is running again and I have already done a bisque and a glaze load in it. Yea. Now I just hope the clay order comes soon.

Small Treasures

2010-11-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the opening reception for the "Small Treasures" show at Mint Hill Arts. I attended with my mom and we saw a bunch of great art. I was excited to see that I have already sold one piece. If you are looking for affordable art for yourself or a gift for someone else, this is the place to shop. This show lasts until the end of the month. In August the gallery was moved next door and it is now an exceptional space. Next month is the Juried Competition and I am working on a piece to enter.

Today my thermocupler for my kiln expired. So, Mike from Carolina Clay was so kind as to bring me a new one on his way home from work. I am hoping that my husband can install it tomorrow while I am at the Carolina Pottery Festival. It is supossed to be a easy fix, so hopefully I'll be back to work glazing on Sunday morning.

New Blue Vase

2010-11-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have finally finished packing up my home sale, plus all the new pieces that were glazed this week. This vase was a favorite. There were also 3 Happy Birthday plates that I made at the suggestion from my friend Tori. I had given her one at the birth of her 6th child and she says that the children love it. There is a photo of them on my facebook page.

Tomorrow night I will be going to the reception at Mint Hill Arts. The show this month is "Small Treasures". This show includes art that is affordable for Christmas gifts. I entered eight pieces in the show. The show will run until the end of November. If you happen to be in the area you should stop by and see it.

Saturday I will be at the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby. I really like this show because I have a chance to see some really great pots.

Today was a sad day. The glaze on this vase ran and stuck to the kiln shelf. This happens to me quite often with this glaze and I would give it up iif I didn't like to look of it so much.

Next weekend I go to the Seagrove Pottery Festival. Early in the week I will post a photo of the piece I will be entering in the Auction.

Handled Bowls

2010-11-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks I have been glazing like crazy. This morning I got the last two handled bowls out and thought it would be cool to photograph them all on my coffee table. This morning I threw more egg separators and then glazed and loaded the kiln. Tomorrow morning I will get the last load done for this coming weekend.

I will be at the Carolina Pottery Festival at the Fairgrounds in Shelby, NC. on Saturday. This is a great pottery festival with lots of unique pottery.

Check out my facebook page for photos of other pieces that have come out of the kiln recently.

Platters with Imprints

2010-11-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is my Studio Sale. Everything is set up and ready. All I have left to do is bake some cookies, warm the brie, make the cider and put out the balloons and signs.

Yesterday my work was interupted by a flood from our shower. There was a break in our sewer line that had filled up with either mud or tree roots. We were doing laundry and it backed up very quickly.

The rectangular platter was one of my attempts at hand building. I really like the dragonfly imprints. Hopefully this week I can make some more like it with different shapes and imprints. I need to get a slab roller soon, since now I am using a rolling pin to roll out the slab.

I have also been working on adding new textures to my pieces. These leaves were made by using a drawer knob as a stamp.

Double Rimmed Bowl

2010-11-03T15:16:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy week, setting up for my home show, throwing, glazing and firing. Today I experimented with a double rim on my bowls. This was my favorite one. Later today I will unload the kiln and reload. Earlier in the week I made some nice vases (see my facebook page for a photo).

Tomorrow I will glaze the platter I am making for the Seagrove Pottery Festival Auction.

Fall Studio Sale

2010-10-23T21:10:00.001-04:00

You Are Invited

2nd Annual Fall Studio Sale

November 6, 2010 - 1-5 pm

Stop by and see my new work &

save up to 50% at the seconds table

Christmas Made in the South

2010-10-22T22:23:00.001-04:00

Today was the first day at Christmas Made in the South. It was a good day. What was really nice was that I had visits from previous customers. Nothing is more satisfying as hearing that someone enjoyed a piece so much that the had to come back to see me about getting something else.

Tomorrow my husband will be dropping off the order to Blackhawk Hardware for me. To see a photo of the pieces, check out my facebook page.

I knew that this Fall would be busy, but I wasn't really anticipating orders. I am glad that I stocked up on bisque ware. Next week I will get back to throwing. My Fall Studio Sale is in 2 weeks and from then on I will be going to a show every weekend thru the second week in December. Whew, I don't think I was thinking when I applied for all these shows.

I like Red

2010-10-21T20:50:00.000-04:00

Today I set up for the Christmas Made in the South, then I went to the Ruby's Gift Gallery in NoDa to set up a case full of pottery. Ruby's is a new gallery, filled with local artists. I think that it has alot of potential. NoDa is a Historic Arts District here in Charlotte.

Later I unloaded the kiln and these are a couple of the pieces I really liked. A number of pieces are in the red and black glaze. I will take them with me tomorrow to the show.

Sunrise Trays

2010-10-20T19:56:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back I got some forms and have been experimenting with hand built trays. These two trays were done in the same form with the same glaze, but I tried different textures. I look forward doing some more hand building.

This has been a very busy couple weeks. I have glazed almost every day. Today I unloaded the kiln again and reloaded. Then I packed up for Christmas Made in the South which I set up for tomorrow morning. In the last few weeks I have gotten 2 separate orders. One was from Blackhawk Hardware (I know what your thinking, and I am not sure how they will sell there either) The other is from the Rubies Gift Gallery in NoDa. I have to go there after setting up for the Christmas show tomorrow, to set up my area in the Gallery.

Bright Colors

2010-10-15T13:43:00.000-04:00

This week I have been glazing like crazy. I still have 2 more loads to do. The handled bowl in the photo has red and blue glaze, which I do not usually do. The Chip and Dip is something fairly new. I will have 3 for the show next week. This one, one in the Dragonfly glaze and one in the Twighlight glaze.

Today I put a bisque load in the kiln. In it there are some new rectangular trays. I hope to glaze some next week. Mostly it is full of small items that I have been trying to catch up on all week.

I also threw 18 egg separators.

Sunrise glazing

2010-10-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I had a booth at the Carolina Claymatters Barn Sale. The weather was great and we had a great turn out. I always enjoy this show because I know most of the potters in the Guild.

The next week and a half I will be glazing for the Christmas Made in the South show in Concord. Today I started with the Sunrise series. This glaze is sprayed on. The yellow is sprayed first and and red is sprayed on as accent color. Tomorrow I will do the Fiesta Line. I will also be throwing lots of spoon rests, egg separators and tea rests. I have been selling more than I anticipated, so any that I made this summer are either all gone or almost gone. After that show, I will have 3 weeks to get stocked up for the 5 shows in a row. I will not have much time for anything but glazing between shows.

Dragonfly Kiln Load

2010-10-05T15:01:00.000-04:00

Unloaded the kiln today and these were some of my favorite pieces. Last weekend at the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival the Dragonfly line was very popular, so most of this load had dragonfly's. I am getting ready for the Carolina Claymatters Barn Sale this coming Saturday, here in Charlotte.

I also made some vases and platters today. You can see the vases on my facebook page. You might want to "like" New Day Pottery, so that you get updates of what I am doing. I try not to have my blog and facebook page be the same.

More Dragonfly Designs

2010-10-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I picked up some forms & stamps from Vicki Gill. She was cleaning out some of her inventory to make space. Here are three of the pieces I made today. Mostly I just want to see if they will make it thru to glazing without warping. I still need to add the beading along the rim.

One of the tips Vicki had, was to fill socks lined with plastic bags with sand, and lay down on the platter during drying. My mom helped me fill the socks. It is not a one person job.

Brushy Mountain Apple Festival

2010-09-30T09:17:00.000-04:00

This week I have been relaxing. I did do an easy glaze load, but the rest of the week I just hung out with my Mom. This weekend is the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, so I will need to pack up tomorrow night. We leave here at 4:30 in the morning Saturday. UGH.

Last week I went to Vicki Gill's Studio and purchased some new forms from her. Next week I plan on playing around with hand building. It might be nice to have some square forms for a change.

I did want to remind everyone that if you have a piece of mine, take a snapshop of it being used, either with food in it or displayed on a shelf. Don't be shy. You can win a new piece. Check out the side bar for details.

Festival in the Park Booth

2010-09-24T08:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was our first day at Festival in the Park. We started setting up around 10 am and finished at 3 pm. Then we rested and ate some Gyros for dinner. The Festival officially opened at 6pm and there were alot of Festival goers. In this photo you can see my booth along with a few of my neighbors. There are hundreds of booths around the lake. My mom made the two flags/signs you see here. She did a great job. My Mom is here to help me until the end of November with my shows. You can see a photo of her if you visit my Facebook page.

Kiln Load Full of Large Vases

2010-09-19T21:02:00.000-04:00

This morning I undloaded a glaze load and pulled out a few nice vases that I need to photograph properly. The three extra large vases I made a while back were dry enough to bisque fire so I reloaded with a bisque load. I didn't want any of the large vases to get broken by someone accidently bumping up against in the studio.

Later, I went to the Claymatters Guild Annual Picnic. We had great food and conversation. It's always great to meet with other potters and share ideas.

Tea Time

2010-09-15T16:42:00.000-04:00

For fun, today I made a teapot. As well as a creamer & sugar and two chip and dips. Not a very productive day but I had fun. My shelves are pretty full of stock and my fall show season starts next week. It is going to very hard to motivate myself to keep throwing pots. But I have to, because once the shows start, it's hard to do much except glaze in between weekend shows.

My mom arrives in a week to help out and keep me company at my shows. I have been redecorating the guest room in preparation. The theme is black and white with red accents. Its awsome, if I do say so myself.

Three Footed Vase

2010-09-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

Today I made pieces inspired by the pieces Sylvia Coppola made at the class on Saturday. The top photo is my attemped pieces and the bottom two photos are Sylvias examples. The main thing I wanted to learn from her class is to "mess up" my pots a little. So many of my pieces have smooth surfaces. The pot on the left was dropped after I cut it off the bat, but I was able to rescue it.

I wanted to remind everyone that I have a facebook tab located on the right side of the page. If you "like" New Day Pottery, you will get updates about current events right on your facebook page. Also, next week I will be sending out my Fall Newsletter. If you would like to be on my email list please send your email to jabdelaziz@carolina.rr.com.

Taking it to the next level

2010-09-11T18:39:00.000-04:00

Spent today taking a class from Sylvia Coppola at Mint Hill Arts. The class was called "Throwing Better Pots - Taking it to the next Level". I feel that I need to let go more and do more altering to my pots. Sylvia does alot of texture by carving, stamping, etc. and altering of shape after it is thrown.

In the photo, Sylvia is making a tripod footed vase. She is scoring the bottom of the vase in preparation of forming the three feet. Check back later this week to see my attempt on making this vase, as well as a few other items I plan on trying.

At our lunch break I took a look at the new location for the Mint Hill Art Gallery. It was recently moved next door and has a bigger space as well as looking so much more elegant. I hope to exihibit again there soon. But I am so busy in the fall. Hopefully I can enter into the Juried Competition in December.

Lobed Jar

2010-09-03T12:48:00.000-04:00

Unloaded the rest of the kiln this morning and this is one of my favorite pieces. I don't really know if it has a purpose but I like the shape and think it would look good on display. This morning I also glazed and reloaded the kiln. There are some pieces in there that I am excited to see because I tried something new with the glazing.

I am gearing up for the fall show season. Right now I am committed to doing 10 shows, including my Annual Fall Studio Sale. I was so excited yesterday when I received the postcards for it in the mail. They turned out great.

Chip & Dip

2010-09-02T18:57:00.000-04:00

A while back I threw this chip and dip. I finally decided what color to glaze it and here it is. I may make some more of these. My concern was that the weight of the bowl would cause either separation or warpage. Neither happened. This piece was at the top of the kiln load so I pulled it out. I am leaving for an evening out with friends and tomorrow I will finished unloading, so check back for more and better photos of my favorite pieces.

Glazing Redwood & Moss

2010-08-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

Today I glazed the Redwood & Moss line. This glaze is dipped and poured on. Many of my glazes I spray on for even distribution, but this glaze turns out very flat when sprayed on. This is my most annoying glaze, because if it is too thin it is a flat brown, and if it is too thick it runs onto the kiln shelf and ruins the piece. It is also very messy and does not clean up easily. I keep using it because when it turns out right, it is my favorite glaze. I even have a canister set, cookie jar, cereal bowls and appetizer dishes of my own in this glaze. To see more photos of todays glazing, check out the "In the Studio" page. All this week I will be glazing, so check back for photos of finished pots..