Back in the "saddle" again

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

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

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.