Back to the Blogosphere

I'm back to my blog.  Sorry for the lapse.  I have no excuse.  Just wasn't feeling it I guess.

We had a great Fall & Christmas show season despite the temperamental weather, saw many old friends and made some new.  It never fails to thrill me when people react to my characters.  This Pig yarn bowl got glazed pink and I displayed him holding a ball of green yarn with the end coming out through his nose.  People were hootin' and howlin' at him!  Needless to say, he sold before I realized that I never took a picture of him finished.  Bummer.  I guess I'll just have to make more.

Clay stamps drying for the bisque firing.

In addition to the yarn bowl critters, I'm onto some new projects!

These little beauties are part of it:

 ->

I'm also trying my hand at mishima which is applying glaze or under glaze to a textured surface and scraping it off before firing leaving the color in the texture.

I LOVE this guy!  He's a watering can prototype but I need to redesign him a bit because he's not well balanced.  The glaze I used on him blistered a little so I ground it down a bit and re-fired him.  Disaster!  Totally blistered and I ended up chucking him out.  It's so disappointing but that's how pottery goes.  I usually don't get attached to my pieces but I had him in my home and smiled every time I went to water my plants with him.  Now he's gone.  So sad.  I'll just have to make him a brother.

Sucked into the mudS

Spring is SO distracting! Everything is blooming in abundance and all I want to do is play in my other favorite kind of mud: my garden!

Oh, my bleeding heart!

There are so many blooms on the azalea that it's sagging!

Lily pads ripe for pickin'!

We also had a couple of big orders that have been time consuming and I'm still giving lessons which is so much fun it's criminal to get paid for it!

I've been wanting to show you how my stamping adventure turned out but I wanted a pic of the Japanese ikebana vase.  I keep forgetting to dig out the epoxy to glue the flower frog in but you wouldn't know if it's glued down or not, would you? So here it is...

And the stamped mugs that didn't sell at the Wayne Valley HS show...

This glaze was too thin but shows off the stamps very well.

This glaze was a little thick and filled the stamps in too much.

And, of course, the ones that came out just right were sold!

I continue to struggle with my photography. My latest set up is on the front porch in the afternoon when the sun's on that side of the house. That might have something to do with why I haven't posted here or added too many new items to my shop lately. Timing is everything and who's home that time of the day?

I did get some birdhouses posted though.  Even after photo editing they still look too dark to me.  Any one have any tips they can share? 

I made a bigger sign for my show display. It's a bit heavy but much more visible.  What do you think?

Dry already, will ya!

It took a lot of sanding to get the lid to fit again. 

I hate shrinkage!

Bowls, birdhouses, tumblers, flower pots and soap dishes.

Mugs and birdhouses

 

As soon as these banks are dry we'll get a bisque firing going.

And finally....









So this is what my production looks like.  Not dozens of anything but dozens of different things.  I guess we all have to work at our own pace and try not to compare ourselves with the Jones' too much. 

Gettin' Busy With It

Things are looking busy for the coming year.  We're gonna try a fuller show schedule in addition to doing some consignment along with increasing our online store inventory.  Yikes!  I had better get busy!

As excited as I am, I was having a hard time getting myself motivated to change into my "grubbies" and go into the FREEZING garage and sit down to pot.  We have a heater and rubber mats down on the floor but that cold cement always finds it's way into my bones. It was too tempting to make excuses to not get into the pottery after dinner when I'm tired and a little cotton-headed.  So Craig insisted I rearrange my work schedule to get in more quality potting time.  I knew there was a good reason I married him!  I'm getting down there for a few hours first thing in the morning 3 days a week.  Mandatory.  So far it's worked out well this week.  So far....

Future mugs.

Not what my original idea was but it took on a life of it's own and I like it!

No winner yet!

No correct guesses yet!

Here's your chance!

Be the first to correctly identify what these are
and win one of your choice.

Here's the original picture
and the first clue is in the comments of this post.

These are dry and ready
for the bisque firing.

Any ideas?

Let's hear 'em!

And just for chuckles

Crazy Maddie dreaming of the ultimate belly scratch!

True to Form

As usual, my intentions to go into production mode didn't happen immediately.  I thought about it all the time.  Intended to get into the studio every night.  It just didn't happen.  Until today.  I managed a mini-production until the Mommy Cab was called into service.  While I was out "someone" jumped into the studio and was still there when I got back.  So I got distracted by other things like food.

Spoon rests & soap dishes...

...and ???

What do you think these are going to be?  Keep in mind my slightly twisted sense of humor.  They will be slightly altered before being fired but the general shape won't change.

The first person (family members excluded. Sorry!) to correctly identify what these are will win their choice of a finished one when they're done.

The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is....  Oops!  Hehe!  Maybe I've seen The Princess Bride too many times!  =D

Start guessing and good luck!

Out of the Firing and into the Fire

I unloaded the kiln with our latest glaze firing over a week ago then promptly jumped on a plane (ok, several planes and slept in Dulles airport!) to AZ.

Beautiful but not green enough for me.

My mother's been diagnosed with early Alzheimer's and finally consented to move out of her townhouse where she's been living alone and 3 hours away from any family.   We found a place 20 minutes from my sister in CO and we all pitched in to pack up her house.  It was not fun and very emotional.  This is her 3rd and most extreme down sizing since I moved out and, boy, what a lot of STUFF!  Not a hoarder or pack-rat by any stretch but....  I'm pretty sure the IRS isn't going to audit a little old lady's 20 year old tax return.  =/

So we sifted a house full down to a trailer full and yesterday was move-in day.  Whew!  What a load off all of our minds!  I'm praying she settles in peacefully and makes some new friends.  Getting old SUCKS!

ANYWHO....  Onto a more pleasant topic.  New friends and happy homes came out of the kiln last week and there were a couple of disappointments (typical) but the majority came out great.  Another "Whew!".

Pigs Can Fly Bird House

Cactus & Lizard Bird House

Fat Frog Bank

Two Tone Turtle Bank

More to come when the sun starts cooperating and I can get more pictures done (I really need to get a better photo setup.).  Stay tuned, boys and girls!

It's a miracle! I can see!

How many times over the course of your life do you have moments of divine clarity?  You know.  Those "Ah ha!"s when you can see your future a little more clearly.  When your path is a little more defined.  When the little light bulb in your brain shines a little bit brighter because you've identified your purpose. Those moments for me are pretty rare.

It's common knowledge that in order to make a living as a full-time potter you have to do production pieces.  Everyday household items that have mass appeal and can be produced quickly and inexpensively.  I've resisted this path partly from pride, boredom and lack of time (especially recently).  Who wants to make the same dull thing over and over and over?  Craig likes making mugs and bowls but not me!  I love making my little friends with occasional housewares mixed in.  But not everyone's in the market for cute bird houses or banks.  And Craig rarely gets into the studio these days.  What's a potter to do?

After abysmal internet sales over the summer (granted, I've let my inventory dwindle) and only one show scheduled for the fall (too much other stuff going on) I've been feeling that I've got to shake things up. 

When I look back over the last year or so in my pottery business the message as been there:  Do production pots.   Crystal clear, plain as day.  But I'm stubborn.  I'm gonna do it my way.  If I make it they will come (and buy it).  Right. 

"How's that working out for ya, smarty pants?" 

--Wee Little Devil on My Shoulder

Sunday Craig and I went to the Peters Valley Fall Craft fair.  There were more potters there than usual so loads of inspiration.  I got to talking with this one fella who wasn't having a very good weekend.  He had done the show last year and did pretty well but this year he hadn't even covered his booth fee ($$$).  His items were primitive sculptures and wall masks.  He pointed to another potter down the row from him who he said was doing very well.  That guy was selling.... you know it:  mugs, bowls, platters, etc.  So this guy (I can't believe I never got his name or a card!) said he was gonna try again next year but he'll have one side of his booth with housewares and the other side with his art pieces.

So my clarifying moment came on the way home when Craig and I were discussing this and the prospect of doing such a big show.  I think seeing the sharp contrast between the success of the two potters at the show really drove it home for me.  Sometimes I can be a little thick and it takes getting whacked over the head with something like the side of a barn before it sinks in enough to register.  If I'm gonna be a profitable potter and grow my business I need to conform and do production.  (heavy sigh)

The truth of the matter is if your market won't come to you, you need to go to your market.  This doesn't mean I'm giving up on what I love to make.  It just means I need to focus more on what people are more likely to buy.  I'll just have to work my quirkiness into the dull stuff to make it more fun for me and my customers.  I have to remind myself that as much as I love when others love my little characters I get just as much pleasure out of someone loving one of my mugs.  There is a very personal connection between the maker and the receiver when something you've lovingly crafted with your own hands gets passed into someone's loving and appreciative hands. 

Now, where did I leave my glasses?

Good Things are a'Comin'

I just wanted to share a quick post to show you the latest bisque firing....

Birdhouses, bowls, leaf dishes, banks and mugs

.... and let you know what's coming up this week.

We're giving our very first pottery class tomorrow night (very, very exciting!) and ALL of the in-laws are coming in for the weekend.  You would think "Not so exciting." but actually it is.  There's no room at the "inn" so they're staying at the local B&B so that isn't exciting but it's less stress for me.  It's been many years since we've had the honor of all of them visiting at once.  It's gonna get loud!

The reason for the invasion?  Craig's dad is being honored for being an inspiring coach and roll model in Mount Olive HS football.  Some of the alumni and former football players have organized a weekend of activities and surprises starting at the season's opening game this Friday.  So you can imagine we'll be a little busy.

Hopefully, I'll get some pots glazed but I'm not optimistic.

The sunflowers are fading but the sedum and mums are gorgeous!

Everyone's enjoying the sedum.

Where are the BRAKES?!?!

Well, the "Limbo" is securely behind us and it's now full speed ahead!  We had the meeting with the town board.  Maybe we shouldn't have been so surprised, but what a nice bunch of people!  They were very receptive, made some good suggestions and were generally very supportive of local merchants.  There were just a couple of minor items to clarify about the parking spaces and determining any DEP restrictions (which could prove to be not so minor) since we're right across the street from the Musconetcong River.  But we're pretty confident the next meeting will be the last and everything will be "ok'd".

Oh, yeah!  And the sign is up!

Looking pretty professional!

On the pottery side, not so "full speed" anything!  I've decided to skip the craft show circuit this fall.  Between the new business and family activity I'm just not comfortable booking my time on anything else.  It's been years since I've done the Working-Mom-of-Three routine and now my sedate little life has been tossed into high gear and I'm a bit slow adjusting.  So rather than get in over my head I'll leave me some breathing room, thank you very much.

I'm still getting into the studio on occasion to get the inventory up for the holiday shopping season on our website.  The kiln is slowly filling up.  So, not to worry, I'm still getting my therapy!

And the Stirring Continues....

The clay's not at the right consistency yet.  =/

I shared my last post on one of my FB groups and several fellow potters said they use a paint mixer with a drill to mix their reclaimed clay.  Genius!  I've seen glaze mixed with one but it never occurred to me that it would work with clay.  When I asked Craig if we had one he came up with this baby -

Perfect!

...or so I thought.  I believe this is designed for mixing dry wall compound.  But it didn't fit in our corded drill and the cordless drill just didn't have enough oomph.

Look, Ma!  No hands!  It's stuck.

I also realized I probably didn't add enough water.  Not to worry.  I detached the drill, added more water and used the mixer with good old fashioned elbow grease.  Clean up was much easier!  Thank you Peeps!

I don't know about other types of artisans but potters seem to be a pretty ingenious bunch and very willing to share ideas, techniques and tricks.  No matter what barriers rise up before me there's always someone out there who's already figured out how to overcome it and posted it on YouTube or in a forum or blog somewhere.  Maybe it's because our craft isn't easy or inexpensive to pursue and out of necessity and financial constraints we have to come up with shortcuts and innovative ways to get her done.

If all I had to invest in were brushes, paints and canvas I'd have taken that trip to Italy by now and wouldn't have to take over half of the garage with my "stuff". Don't get me wrong.  I've tried painting but I'm mediocre at best and truly envy anyone who can create art in that medium.

I love my craft.  It's my therapy.  And though I feel like I'm just "mud-dling" through at times (very punny!) I have very supportive family, friends and cyber community to bolster me up and push me forward into uncharted (for me) territories.  Thank you all very much!  =D

Recycle, Recycle, Reclaim

One of the things I love about the pottery process is there is very little waste.  I've often been called cheap but I prefer the word frugal or thrifty.  I just hate waste.  And I do want to do my part to save the planet.  OK!   I ADMIT IT!  I'M CHEAP!  ARE YA HAPPY NOW?  Geesh.

As long as the clay hasn't been fired it can be reclaimed.  I've seen many different processes and have taken bits from here and there to find a way that works in our small studio.  Short of picking up wet clay off of the floor (yes, clay can get dirty/contaminated), I recycle every little crumb a bit obsessively.

Bone dry scraps.

Everything from trimming scraps and failures on the wheel to pots that have cracked during drying or aren't up to snuff end will end up in the bucket.  But only dry clay goes in here.  Any pieces that aren't completely dry are left out to dry on a plaster board.

What we use:

Bone dry clay scraps

A 5 gallon bucket with lid

Hot water

Plaster boards

Clay's funny.  Wet clay submerged in water will retain its shape.  But if it's completely dried out it will "melt' when submerged.

A wet ball of clay just sits in the water.

A bone dry scrap dissolves in minutes.

The melted stuff is what we want.  If you try to reclaim wet clay the texture will be inconsistent and hard to throw no matter how well you wedge it.  The dry clay dissolves completely and will have a uniform consistency.

Adding hot water.

Once we have a significant amount of bone dry scraps we can start reclaiming.  I fill a 5 gallon bucket with the scraps.  It's easier to have the bucket where you'll be storing it during the process because once you start adding clay and water it's gonna get really heavy and sore backs aren't good.  Next start adding hot water.  Hot water dissolves the clay quicker but cold water works as well.  You'll hear the clay hissing and bubbling as it starts to break down.  I often quote the Wicked Witch of the West at this point:  "Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!".

Clay soup!

When about most of the clay is submerged I jiggle the bucket to help some of the air bubbles escape and settle the clay as it dissolves.  Then I cover the clay completely with water.  As it dissolves it'll absorb the water and turn into mud.  We like mud!

Keep the bucket tightly covered with the lid and let it sit over night.  Over the next few days I'll stir the clay several times a day.  This ensures every scrap gets dissolved completely.  Unfortunately, it's messy.  I use my hands so I can get all the way down to the bottom of the bucket and usually end up with thick mud up to my elbow.  Once I'm happy with the consistency I'll stop stirring and let it sit.  Excess water that hasn't been absorbed will rise to the top.  This I sponge off.   I've left the mud at this stage for weeks.  As long as the lid is on tight it'll be fine.

Probably this weekend I'll have another post with the final stage of the process so check back.  =D

Temporarily (I hope) Refocusing

Unfortunately, pottery as taken a back seat recently.  Fortunately, though, it's because Hubby's business is moving again.  That doesn't sound very fortunate since he moved in January but the space he's in now is zoned industrial only so he can't sell cars retail out of that location.  One of his dreams has been to have his own used car lot.  The arrangement he's been working with is a little complicated and I won't bore you with the industry lingo and details that I barely understand.  The new location already had a car lot there so that makes it super easy for him to apply for a dealers license.

I had a craft show this past weekend and usually that's my focus for the week leading up to it.  This time I had more of a "Oh yeah, I have a show Sunday." reaction when looking at my calendar.

Loving my new table covers, btw.

The hippo bank was my first sale of the day!

The show went very well and I really should have more scheduled for the spring but the thought of having to spend hours in the studio under pressure to get my inventory restored (did I mention the show went very well?) in addition to helping Hubby out with getting the new store ready, birthdays, getting pics done for eBay listings, bookkeeping, working on our ASP mission fundraiser (tickets still available!), entertaining In-laws, Easter, taxes, spring cleaning, more birthdays.... (gasping, head spinning, holding wall for support!)  Holy heart failure, Batman!  When did my life get so busy?

So, I'm going to take the spring and summer off from doing shows (though I might do the one in June at the Bethlehem ice rink.) and hopefully, hit the circuit really hard in the fall.  We'll see.

The Lions

After anguishing over getting my lion looking right and getting some great feedback from everyone, here's the final results.

Big Guy

Little Guy

Not quite Mufasa and Simba...

But they're sooo CUTE!

Meandering Through the Mire

So, again, I got stopped in my tracks when I let the dogs out this morning!  God's color pallet never ceases to amaze me.  Not to mention it's gotten up to 57 degrees for the past 2 days.  That makes me very happy!



Come on Spring!!!












But I digress.  I really wanted to share my latest "mini-me" banks.  I've been making larger animal banks for a while starting with 3 lbs of clay.  At Christmas I got a custom order for 3 smaller banks and decided to make some for my shop as well.  So, using half the clay of the big ones I made up these babies.
 

Penguin, ladybug, snail, owl & lion.

Unfortunately, I can't charge half the price.  The clay is the least of my expenses.  It takes less time to throw the main forms but the detail work and glazing are just as time consuming.

I struggle with pricing all the time, as I think most artisans do.  Putting a value on material and time is pretty easy.  But putting a value on your creativity and experience is so abstract and subjective.  To clarify my point I did a search on Etsy for handmade mugs and found prices ranging from $2 to $12,000 (yes, I double checked the number of zeros).  I'm pretty sure self-confidence is the driving factor here in both cases.  One undervalued and the other just a wee bit inflated.  I'm sure you can figure out which one had 200+ sales and which one had none.  =/

How do you evaluate your competition?  If someone is selling something comparable to what you sell and they're charging much less or way more than you, do you adjust your prices?  Up or down?  Or can you justify them and be confident enough to keep them where they are?  Just curious to see just how conservative I am.

It's a challenge finding that happy medium.  I know I can't make a mug for $2 and I'm pretty sure no one would spend an excessive amount (I can't even bring myself to type that number again!) on anything I've made.  When I priced my first birdhouse for a studio show I was embarrassed to charge anything!  Even at the prices I'm asking now some people balk.  I've gotten past the phase of second guessing my prices.  Enough people can see the time and creativity that goes into a piece to keep me in business.  It's not quantity (though that would be awesome!) but quality craftsmanship that's taking me to my target audience.  So I'll bypass the "price it to sell" marketing strategy and plug away where I am.  I'm comfortable somewhere between having low self esteem and being an ego maniac.

Well, this post went in a completely different direction than I intended but, like I said, pricing is something I struggle with.  I guess what it boils down to is realizing and defining your own worth without getting arrogant about it.

Lion - Take Three

I ended up scrapping the last lion I made.  He just wasn't talking to me.  I was talking to him, as I do all of my critters, but he didn't have much to say. So I started again from scratch.  I had pictures of various lions, real and not so real, to inspire me.

This, of course, is my favorite:

 

I didn't go for the red bow but I like the ringlet curls.  So this is what I came up with.  What do you think?

These are his buddies...

On a completely unrelated note, this is what I woke up to yesterday morning...

 

 

 

Oooooo pretty!

However, as the saying goes:  "Red in the morning shepherds' warning..." and it snowed and rained the rest of the day.  =(