stuff...

 A few recent pieces.

Take the handmade pledge...

Here are some extras of the finished cupcake plates I had made for a commision. I enjoyed making them so think I will do some more.

This was another custom order for sets of napkin rings w/ initials. I had never made any before and thought they came out alright. I rolled slabs around cardboard tubes, cut them to the desired width and then made the little initial medallions separately. I used underglazes to highlight the textured parts. They are glazed with clear.

Busy, busy

I realized about two weeks ago that I needed 500 of my teeny tiny wobbly bowls to fulfull my current orders (this is my "bread & butter" product that I have been making since the economy took a nose dive)- so I worked basically day and night to get them made in time to ship on the 1st of December. This is the kiln loaded for the bisque fire- they are in stacks of 5+ and a few shelves deep.

Clayworks is having its annual Holiday Sale. We had a nice opening last night and I got to hang out with some clay buddies that I don't get to see all the time. Hopefully today the shoppers will be out in force so I won't have too many pieces to pack up!

I mentioned in my last post- moving into a much smaller home has been quite the adjustment. I am using my second bedroom as a studio, office, packing & shipping area and a craft/painting studio (eventually it will also have to serve as a photography studio for documenting my pieces. Wow, that's a lot of use for one small space!! So I am constantly shuffling things around and then losing track of items-it doesn't help that I am a consumate "pile maker". It was only this morning that I finally found my usb cable for my camera. I have been looking for it since I moved but now that I have it I will try to be better at posting and adding images.

Is anybody still reading this!?!

Sorry I have been absent for sooo long- I was making some very hard decisions about my life and was just not ready to share...

I have moved to a new place and I am making a fresh start on my own. No one to blame, I just needed to do what I felt was going to be best for me. It was a very difficult choice to leave my marriage after having spent 15 years together. We parted on as good of terms as one can in this situation and I believe we will remain friends. So there you have it, at 47 years old I am starting over- full of hope, a little scared and trusting that I will find peace & happiness on this new path.

It has taken me some time to get my studio back up and running but I am finally creating again. Lots of back orders so I am busy (which is good for more than my finances)! Also having to adjust to a MUCH smaller space has had its challenges but the biggest challenge is having to transport my work to be fired since I could not hook up my kiln at my new place. I have to pack it in all kinds of padding and every bump in the road makes me cringe!!! I only lost 2 little pieces so far so I feel pretty lucky.

Besides catching up on my orders- I am teaching handbuilding this session at Clayworks. I have a great group of students who have made my Wednesday nights a lot of fun- I hope they are enjoying it as much as I am!

Have a great weekend, love the one you're with and enjoy every moment!

workshop...

Last week I gave a little workshop in my hometown of Lafayette, Indiana. I had not been back in more than 20 years!

I was invited by my high school ceramics teacher, Jane Boswell (who was the most wonderful, caring teacher EVER)! She and her husband Jeff, who is also a really great potter, made the whole trip possible- THANK YOU both so much!!!
It was a whirlwind visit but I enjoyed every minute of it.

I am currently in a show at Mudfire. Check out the link to view some cool handbuilt work by twenty artists.
http://www.mudfire.com/constructed.htm

Fresh start...

Well,right now I am taking a little break from cleaning up my garage studio. It is very chilly here today and I have three layers of clothing on just to make it bearable. I've got my little space heater cranked on high but it is not doing a very good job of warming the place up.

I really let things get out of hand in the studio for the last couple of months and it is a total wreck. I am cleaning top to bottom. Purging lots of old crap that I have been saving for I don't know what. It always makes me feel so much better once things are in order again.

Speaking of orders... I already have three good orders to fill so I guess things are starting off right this new year!

Okay, I've got a cup of hot tea so it's back to the trenches... have a great weekend.

xo
b.