It's Only Mud

Where did the summer go?  What summer?  Being business owners can limit many things including summer vacations.  Time and money are always diverted to keeping the store open and profitable.  So, no Jersey shore, Dorney Park and not too much pottery going on either.

 I've been continuing with my pottery classes.  We've been working on throwing taller.  This week one student made her first closed form.  We were both so excited!  Teaching is reminding me of my fears as a new student and I'm trying to eliminate those fear in my students much sooner in the process.  The biggest one being fear of failure on the wheel.  In pottery, like in life, you learn more from what goes wrong than what goes right.  Thin walls, thick bottoms, uneven lips, air bubbles are all things that can be overcome with practice and experience.  Mistakes on the wheel often turn into disasters in the kiln.  The most important thing to remember:

"It's only mud and as long as it isn't fired you can reclaim it."

 We had a pigeon mosey into the studio

then it just moseyed right out again.

Random.

 I was very late getting my show applications in again so I'll probably get crappy spots but I did get accepted so no wait list for me.  =/

Here's where we'll be:

October 20 - Wayne Valley High School
Wayne Valley Fall Craft Show
Wayne, NJ

November 9-10 - Whitehouse Fire Co.
Whitehouse Fire Co. Holiday Craft Show
Whitehouse Station,NJ

December 7 - Warren County Technical School
Crafts in the Warren Tech Holiday Craft Show
Washington, NJ

December 15 - Wayne Valley High School
Wayne Valley Holiday Craft Show
Wayne, NJ

Mark your calendars and make a point to buy something handmade this holiday.

The proof is in the birdhouse???

This past summer has proven to be monumental in the development of our birdhouses.  We have quite a few of them on our deck, trees and patio.  We started putting them on our deck for decoration but last year put some in trees and under the deck (which is on the 2nd story) to see if we could get any birds to nest in them.

One birdhouse was in a grove of poplars in the middle of our yard and I'd seen a bird going in and out of it but couldn't make out what breed it was.  My dog, Oliver, was sniffing around at the base of the tree one day acting kinda funny.  When I went to investigate I found a baby blue bird on the ground!  Oliver and I sat back and watched as the momma coaxed the baby to fly.  The birdhouse they happened to habitate in was a baby blue fish.  Ironic, huh?  Unfortunately, I was so excited, I didn't think to get my camera.

A few weeks later, while resting in the shade after weeding (my favorite!) I heard a fluttering ruckus nearby and looked up to discover a house wren going into a birdhouse under the deck!  I think I actually clapped my hands (yes, I'm a dork!)  I sat very still and strained to hear tiny chirps.  We had several babies!  More claps.  I ran for my camera and started shooting.  All I can say is "Thank heaven for the person who invented digital photography" because I would have had to pay for several rolls of film to be developed to get the half dozen good shots I ended up with.

 

As if this wasn't enough excitement, Mother Nature has also proven to be no match for our birdhouses!  We experienced a 5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23 followed by hurricane Irene later that week.  They all survived unscathed! 


Can't wait to see who moves into the neighborhood next spring!

A little insight to my process

A 3 lb. lump of muddy clay.

Ready to be bisque fired,
then glazed and re-fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees F).

Home sweet home for some lucky birdies!

It's been awhile but I'm back and I'd like to share the latest addition to our birdhouse collection:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80106838/catapillar-leaf-birdhouse-nest-garden