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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and recovered from the shopping frenzy.  My weekend was spent at the Craftsmen Classic in Greensboro.

Today I started adding new items to my online shop.  This fruit bowl was one of the items listed today. There are other great items being listed daily.  The brie baker set below makes a great gift for a friend, Mom, daughter or hostess gift.

If you are in the Charlotte area and would like to pick up a gift please give me a call at 704-341-0973 to set up a visit to my show room.  I will not be having a studio sale this year but I encourage anyone wanting a piece of locally made gifts to schedule a visit.

New Vases and a teapot fresh out of the kiln

Unloaded the kiln today and here are my favorites. Then loaded the last bisque load before Christmas, then Monday and Tuesday I will glaze for this weekends show.  Wednesday I set up for the Craftsmen Classic in Greensboro. \

Thursday I host around 20 people for Thanksgiving.  Luckily we do potluck so I don't have to make as much, but being the person I am I will make way too much anyway.  I plan on making turkey, scalloped potatoes, modified Waldorf salad, rolls and dessert.  Others are bringing green bean casserole, pasta casserole, meatballs, another side dish and more dessert.  Unconventional menu but should be good regardless.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be at the show and Monday I will start adding tons of items to my online shop.  I have been trying to add new pieces daily this past week.  Just now I added a new hanging wall vase that just came out of the kiln.  **Remember- I am giving away a free gift (valued at $8) with every purchase in November**

Teapots and vases

I am a little bit insane for doing this but I am trying to get into two shows last minute.  The Craftsman Classic in Greensboro over Thanksgiving weekend is pretty much going to happen and I am first on the wait list for the Savannah Christmas in the South.   This means that I am not done making new things for this Holiday Season.

Today I made these three items and another teapot not shown.  I got new stamps last week and used them some.  My hope is that the teapot actually makes it this time.  Third times a charm? Right?

This weekend I will be at the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby NC.  This is always a great show with great selection from over 100 potters.

Last weekend I was in Macon for a Christmas Made in the South show.  The photo to the right is of my booth set up.  Now I can apply to art shows for next year.

Explosion in the kiln and a free gift

Wellllll....  It didn't work.  This is the piece that I decided to put directly into the glaze fire without first bisque firing.  The base blew up in the kiln and messed up the platter under it.  Luckily it didn't hit the mugs right next to it, since they were a custom order.  I think this might work on thinner, less complicated pieces.  Besides the base exploding, the bowl cracked along the seam.  It's pretty sad since this piece takes quite a bit of time to make, but I had to try.



This past weekend I finished packing up for the show this coming weekend in Macon, GA.  This is the earliest I have ever been ready for a show.  Usually I am working right up to the day before.  So I am taking the next few days for me.

I got up early this morning and went to a strength training class.  Boy am I out of shape.  I usually do a cardio class on Friday, but my arm muscles are sadly lacking.  I do want to try this class again.  Last spring I lost 25 pounds with Weight Watchers.  In June I had my son's graduation and the trip to England.  Since then I have plateaued.  In March I am going on a trip with my mom, sister, niece and nephew.  So we have decided to have a contest for whichever team looses the most by March.  Hopefully this will push me to work a little harder at counting my points and working out.  I hope to loose 10-20 more pounds.

By the way,  with every purchase from my online shop in November, you will receive a free gift valued at $8.  So get your holiday shopping done early and get a present for yourself.

New Postcards and a sign

Got some goodies in the mail today.  The postcards to the left and the sign below from VistaPrint, plus some new stamps, corks and olive oil bottle dispensers from Aftosa.

An established potter gave me some advice on the postcards.  She said to buy in bulk and place stickers on the back with sale info, etc as needed.  That way I can get a better price and not worry that I will have too much or not enough.

The new sign was purchased because the banner I got last spring was always wrinkled, no matter how I stored it. Check out the previous post to see what I am talking about. The color is hard to see in the photo, but it is a light green and should look good in the booth.

This past weekend I painted my pedestals and my chair in preparation for the show in Macon next week.  I want it to look it's best because I am setting up the whole display and hope to get a really good booth photo.  As stated before, I would like to try some new shows next year.

For the next two days I plan on glazing.  Yesterday I loaded the bisque kiln, started it and two hours into the firing I realized that I forgot my two show pieces (like the fruit bowl above)  I was so annoyed with myself, because I do not have any more pieces to fire an additional bisque load and won't be making anything else, possibly before Christmas depending on sales or if I get any special orders.    So........ for the first time ever, I am going to try to glaze without bisque firing first.  Cross your fingers.  If I am not a clutch it should theoretically work.  The piece is sprayed blue, then I remove the glaze from the details and re-paint the flowers, etc.

I have been very klutzy this week four different bowls and a teapot that I have done twice now were busted on the way to the bisque kiln.  And another bowl had a crack in the rim. AAARGH.

CCM Pottery Festival Booth

Last Saturday I had a booth at the CCM Pottery Festival.  It was a good day.  The weather was great so I didn't need my tent.  I hung my indoor curtains on the fence behind the booth.  The customers were great.  I got good feedback and my favorite piece sold, which always makes me feel good.

This week I made my old standards, brie bakers, berry bowls, medium bowls and pear bowls.  Next week I will work on slab built pieces including more Grecian fruit bowls, teapots, salt shakers, butter dishes, etc.

The following week will be glazing for my next shows.

My next show is November 8-10 in Macon GA at the Christmas Made in the South.  I have done the Concord show the last few years but this year I waited too long to send in my application. I will be setting up my whole display for the first time, including curtained walls and lighting.  My hope is that I can get a good photo to apply to some different shows next year.

November 16th I will be at the Carolina Pottery Festival in Shelby, NC.  They have moved the show to the LeGrand Center, 1800 E. Marion St. as well as the date.

This week I also added some new items to my online shop, including some in the new eggplant purple and creamy yellow glazes.  I will keep adding items up til the second week in December.

October Favorites

It's been awhile since I have posted.  I've been busy getting ready for the Clay Matters Pottery Festival that's coming up this Saturday October 12th.

The last two weeks I have been glazing new work and I am posting some photos of my favorites.  You can also check out a video HERE.

You can also see more photos on my Facebook page. HERE

The three pots above were made for a couple competitions I will be entering this week.  One for the Falling Rivers Gallery and one for the FUNKtion National 13 competition. The other one will be coming to the festival.

The pot to the left was made with pastry cutters and I made scenes.  The glazing turned out which made me happy because it took me quite a bit of time to glaze.  You never know until the piece comes out.  Often the glazing isn't what I had imagined.

Teapots

Today I set out to make some teapots.  Two of them were new ideas and one a teapot I have made before.  I decided to take some photos of the process.  I am posting a few but I skipped some of the basic steps.

First I cut out a piece of newspaper with the shape of my form.  Then I roll out slabs, cut the shapes out using my pattern, then stamp the slabs.

After the slabs dry for a bit with the fans running I bevel the edges and score.  Next I shape the form using a piece of foam.  The two pieces are put together and place on the pedestal I made while the slabs were drying.  A lid is made, a handle is pulled and applied.

My whimsical spouts are made by pulling a "handle" and placing in on a board in the shape I would like the spout to be and let it dry a bit in the sun.  Next I cut the spout down the middle, scoop out the insides, score, slip and put back together.  This allows me to make any shape spout I like.

Both the teapots below are a new design.  I think I like the taller one best but I think that they actually look good next to each other.

It feels good to get some work done today.  It seemed like I didn't get much done last week.  Last Sunday our water was out all day.  Tuesday afternoon I had a PR meeting for the Clay Matters Festival.  Thursday I had to shampoo my carpets and a dentist appt.  Friday I had to shop and make a cheesecake for a card party on Saturday night.  This week looks clear but I can never tell.  I things go well perhaps I will glaze the following week.

New Pastry cutouts

Yesterday I worked on the long fruit bowls.  When I was in Asheville a few weeks ago, I stopped into a kitchen store and bought these pastry cutters that made birds, flowers, leaves and bee's.  So I decided to try these pastry cutters out and made this bowl.  There are bee's and flowers on the other side  It will be interesting to see how the glazing turns out.  This piece took 3 times as long as the usual and I would guess that the glazing will as well.  So far I like the effect with the raised design.

Today I started glazing but ran out of wax resist so was only able to do half the load.  Luckily by tomorrow I should have some more thanks to Mike from Carolina Clay who is nice enough to deliver it to me tonight on his way home.  Today I got all the special orders done and tomorrow I will just do enough other pieces to fill the kiln.  In a few weeks I will start glazing for the Carolina Claymatters Festival.  I need to kick it up a notch and finish more pieces.

For the last week I have been working on my newsletter.  I suppose that I have started it a little early since I won't send it until the end of the month but had some time a decided to get it done.  If you would like to receive my Fall and Spring Newsletters plus a few in between if there is special news, please sign up on the right hand side of the page.  I promise, only a few per year.  You will not receive them all the time like some.  Sometimes there may even be a surprise for you.