the batch

honeypots
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

It felt like there were oodles of these guys when I was glazing them. Turns out that there were only 14. One that was cracked that is mine, one that slid into a berry bowl during firing. The berry bowls were the big casualty in this load. I didn't make sure my shelves were properly stilted so the bottom shelf fell down on top of two berry bowls and stuck. The the shelf on top of that dropped. Nothing shifted there. The next shelf played nicely and didn't shift as it dropped. The top shelf dropped and everything shifted. Three berry bowls stuck to the side of the kiln. One honeypot slid over and stuck to a berry bowl. I pried the pieces apart and hope that I can refire the honeypot (it was my favorite, with a bird on top) and the stuck-on piece will fall off. The non-broken bowls will be sanded down and re-fired. They'll be fine. Under normal circumstances I'd be torn up about this turn of events, but a) it was my fault and b) I don't "need" the pieces until April at the earliest. I'm still learning- basics, like how to set up kiln furniture, apparently.

Have a good weekend, everyone. I'm leaving town for the weekend but will post some of these on etsy next week.

honeypots!

in use
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

This may be the year of the honeypot. Wouldn't that be nice? Here's the first one out of the kiln- it's mine all mine- because, actually, it is a second. Since I knew it had a slight defect I glazed it my favorite cobalt blue. I have about 14 more to photograph and list on etsy. I have them in yellow, green, blue, and white. They'll come with the honey dipper stick, too. I'll let you all know when I'm ready to list them, and, as always, I'm happy to take special orders.

I have a new mac! It came home last night! And I have a USB cord to my camera! And it's a snow day! And last night I got an offer from a friend to help me the next time I have a million pieces to glaze! Little boy got to play in the snow for a bit, but now we're cozied up with PBS, resting, learning how this new mac works, knititng socks, and drinking lots of hot tea and cocoa. The snow is still falling. Many of you are used to snow, but we only see it in Memphis once or twice a year. If we're lucky, it sticks around for more than 30 minutes, so we think it's pretty magical.

Happy day.

a lot on my plate

glazing
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

sorry for the radio silence, but my mac died peacefully in its sleep Thursday night. No signs of illness, just a sudden "won't start." So we spent the weekend getting a loaner, shopping for a new macbook, trying to stay warm, an, ah, not glazing pottery. I've got a kitchen counter full of pottery that needs to be glazed, a full teaching week, a sick kiddo, a husband getting ready for a big out-of-town annual meeting, and a possible snow day coming. Sick kiddo means no teaching, hard to work at home, too, but if it's a snow day anyway, well. They're saying freezing rain is on the way, but it's been said before. Although it certainly looks like snow, and smells a bit like snow, too.

All of this equates to not much getting done, somehow. So I'm glazing in bits and pieces, taking temperatures, learning the loaner mac, figuring out financing the new one. My brain is full, friends. I see the stress coming, but I don't feel it yet. Send patient thoughts my way so that I can resist when it hits!

Good news, though, I got a new usb cord for the camera, so at least I can update photos to flickr more regularly again.

Happy Monday!

what a week!

I can't believe how fast the week has flown by. Thursday? Already? Monday was hugely busy- filled with pottery making and trimming, teaching knitting to a friend's daughter, a playdate, and bitter cold. Tuesday we had snow! Not much, but snow! On top of such an exciting, historic day. We watched the inauguration over and over and over again- while it was happening, over supper with friends. President Obama: it is an amazing moment in our history. Wednesday was a working day again- I had wonderful classes, more knitting, meeting a new knitting friend, more playdating after school, making catechesis materials for my little lambs, and talking with my family about how we would fulfill our obligation to serve in our community. Again it is Thursday, another teaching day, and hopefully a day to fire the kiln full of last week's work. Friday, a bush weekend ahead. Today, tomorrow, full of promise, activity, responsibility.

I feel both inspired and exhausted.

some of the week's work

some of the week's work
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

All in all, I got 14 honeypots and 7 berry bowls made. I may have one or two more to trim from yesterday. I'm excited about my progress on these and excited about your response to them, too! Thank you for your enthusiasm.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's day off- we have play dates, studio time, and an early knit night planned. I am looking VERY forward to Tuesday- I'm even considering keeping little boy home to see the swearing-in ceremony and the address. I'm very, very hopeful for our future.

I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

productive week

hobnail meets handmade
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

this week was full of studio time for me. It was wonderful. Over the past 3 days I've made 14 honeypots, eight berry bowls, and a half-dozen covered butter dishes. I also did a micro glaze and fire session- this little hobnail-y bud vase was part of that load. Yesterday and today, while I was busy upstairs my friend and neighbor Kristen was busily scrubbing down the house and leaving it smelling like a lavender field. I am one happy camper.

Those of you who live in older homes know how dirty they get- does dust come out of pores in the walls? We have a 1922 bungalow, two boys, a potter mama who makes dusty work in the house (yes, this is 75% of our problem), and until this summer, we've always had two shedding labs. I like to clean. I like to declutter and organize. But I can't clean like I want (because it takes me all day) and work in the studio. I'm rationalizing that if I sell just four of my honeypots, I've paid to have the house cleaned. By someone FAR more efficient than I, to boot.

Tomorrow I teach again in the morning and will trim today's work in the afternoon.

Now I've got a huge pot of chicken dumplings bubbling on the stove to combat the 9 degree night, mid-90s jangly North Carolina pop on iTunes, and knitting ready to hop into my lap as soon as the laptop leaves it.

Have a happy weekend, all. Stay warm!

honeypots

honeypots
Originally uploaded by Bridgman Pottery

I was supposed to work (teach) all this week but had some schedule changes that opened up some good studio time from now 'til thursday. A friend has been asking about honeypots, as have my favorite local honey vendors, so that's what I'm doing with today's studio time. I just threw 3, plus this one that I trimmed last night, and I'd like to make a minimum of 3 more this afternoon before it's time to pick up little boy.

I'm shakin' and makin'. And if you have any specific requests, my friends and pottery customers, I'll be happy to *try* my very best to fulfill them!

Have a great week!