The New Site is Up

Just a quickie to let you know we've been working on the website for Highlands Auto Exchange (this is why no pottery is being made).  The button is at the bottom of the left hand column.

I'd love some feedback on the general appearance, ease of navigation, picture quality, descriptions, or anything else you love or hate about it.

Thanks a bunch!

Where was I?

Oh, yeah.  Reclaiming.  Right.

Sorry but it's been a little crazy around here and my pottery is suffering for it.  I got into the studio on Mother's Day.  That's 2 weeks without a mud fix!  I don't know if I can manage much longer without some therapy.  (heavy sigh, drumming fingers anxiously)

Our used car lot will be opening June 1 and we still don't have our dealers license.  It's no wonder our country can't get it's head out of it's butt when the amount of paper (in our "paperless" society) we have to slog through to get the simplest things done (like an address change) creates such a mire that I just want to drive to Trenton and bang on someones head.  Sorry but it's making me a little crazy.  8D

Deep breath.  Back to some mental therapy, if not actual therapy.

Muddy Mud

The edges are pulling up.  Time to flip it.

Now it's time to make the clay.  The mud gets scooped out and spread evenly on the plaster boards to dry out a bit.  I usually spread it about a half inch thick.   Replace the lid on the bucket if you have enough for another round.






Depending on the humidity this step can take any where from one to three days.  This stage needs to be monitored closely or you'll end up RE-reclaiming if it gets too dry.

Flipped!

When the edges of the slab start pulling up from the board it's time to flip it over and dry it a little more.  I use a large plastic dry wall knife to help pry it off the board.

When the texture is like new clay it's ready for wedging and maybe a little Happy Dance!

Now, get reclaiming!  I feel better just writing about it!

Me?  I'm off to paint the sign for the new shop.  Stay tuned for some great before and after photos.  =D

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

My New Project

First, I will apologize to my pottery followers.  This is completely removed from anything to do with mud.  But I did sneak some creativity into my current project.

I've been working on getting the shop ready to open.  We've gotten the preliminary approval from the township and have sent the application to the state for our dealers license.  In between piles of paperwork I've been painting the office.  We settled on English Racing Green as our official color to tie in with the name Highlands Auto Exchange.  And because I can't stand boring white walls I thought the checker board was appropriate.

New wall before (yawn)

New wall after

Now we're very fashionable (I think)

Prior color was Painters Tape Blue

The view from the shop is much  prettier.  It overlooks the Musconetcong river across the road.  I might have to take up fishing.

View of the shop from the road

Craig had the brilliant idea of displaying and, hopefully, selling pottery in the office!  He's a genius!  So this is the wall I'm thinking of putting up some shelves/displays.  Maybe we'll do a special:  

"Buy a car - get a mug"!

=D

From Nothin' to Somethin'

The past 2 weeks have been mad busy and I wrapped it all up by catching my son's cold (thank you VERY much!).   So I spent most of today just vegging so I'll be up for working at the new shop this week.

While we were away, our carpenter, Jim, did a great job moving and removing walls and doors.

Wall was moved about 6 ft. to make the bay bigger.

So on my agenda this week is priming and painting the office area.  We've decide on English racing green and white as the company colors.  I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Oh, I haven't mentioned too much about the business have I?  It's called Highlands (hence the green) Auto Exchange and for the past 2 years Craig's been working with a friend who has a used car lot.  At this new spot he should be able to get his own used car dealer license.  It's been a dream of his forever to have his own lot and it looks like it's really going to happen.  He works so hard and I'm so proud of how well he's doing.

I've been doing his bookkeeping from the start but I really want to do more to help lighten his load.  So, hopefully, I'll be in the new office pretty much full time.  We're building a website and applying for the dealers license, etc.  It's quite a big switch to go from the sidelines to the front office but I am so up for it.

I have been blessed with a husband who, after 20+ years, is still my best friend.  We've been through our valleys and have come out stronger (Thank you, God!).  He has been so supportive with my pottery business and recognizes that it's my passion and not a silly hobby.   I hear from many artisans that their spouses don't support their craft as much as they'd hope.  I don't always recognize my blessings but in this case I do.  So now I have the perfect opportunity to reciprocate the support he's shown me.  And I'm so happy to do it!

Also, I must give a big shout out to Craig for being the star of the ASP auction fundraiser Saturday.  He did an outstanding job!

Well, I have to laugh.  When I started this post it was entitled "I Got Nothin'" because I wasn't feeling very inspired to write but felt a need to post something.  Apparently, I got somthin'.  =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.