I picked up these mugs last week when I went to Dover for my final post-op visit.  They were made by Salmon Falls Stoneware and they’re salt-glazed.  The big one is for hubby’s coffee habit. Now he doesn’t have to “leave” the poker table while he’s playing on the computer: no need to go for refills. The “little” mug also holds a lot of liquid.  I had to try out a number of them until I found one that had a comfortable handle.  I can fit two fingers in there, no more.  Not so great when I have sore hands, but then I end up holding it by the bowl of the mug anyway.  Something to keep in mind when I start on the wheel. 

I forgot to mention some good news I received the other day: some of my beads and pendants will be featured in Beads 2010!!!  I ended up going through my stock and sending an assortment in for their consideration.  I have no idea which pieces they selected, and worse, I have no idea which pieces I ended up sending in.  Mental note: take a picture next year.  I’ll also have a necklace and pair of earring in the summer issue of Stringing, but this time I know what pendant and beads to make for backstock.

I’m also mulling over what I want to submit to Bead Dreams 2010 this year.  Last year they essentially snubbed ceramic pieces, so the clay community rose up and made a stink.  This year we have a category, so we better have a good turnout or this will probably be our last chance.  Rather than use the molds that I’ve made from my antique buttons, I think I’d like to create something from my sketchbook.  Hopefully it will translate well into three dimensions.

I’m working from home today (on my new laptop!! Yay), since the weather is really unpleasant today.  There’s a mix of “stuff” falling from the sky today, a little of everything.  I’m sure the meterologists have a special name for it, but I call it sleaze ( I figure that’s pretty all-encompasing).

Back to work. Think Spring!

This is one of those mornings when I wished I drank coffee; I’m thinking all three would be filled up today.  The mug on the left, I believe, was thrown out of porcelain clay  by local artist Dee Smart Burdick. The piece in the middle is a wood fired brown stoneware by Tom Thumb pottery in Lebanon, Maine.  I bought that piece years and years ago for $12 because I fell in love with the glaze; it was the only colorful piece surrounded by lots of terracotta pieces.   This was light years before I knew I’d someday have my own kiln to play with.  The piece on the far right, made from a red stoneware, is one that my mother picked up for me for $2 in a thrift shop in Prince Edward Island.  I think it might also have some been dipped in slip as well because of the variety in the glaze.  It’s a second due to a whomping dent in the bottom of the mug.  That handle is surprisingly comfortable.

My goal is to fill our cupboard with all pottery mugs by the end of the year; hopefully I will have made most of them.  I’m itching to play with that pottery wheel and get it mastered, but first I have to wade my way through tax returns, and then it needs to warm up down in the unheated garage.  Even hubby wants to take a spin with it which amuses me to no end.

I want to thank you all for the well wishes!  I’m glad to say I’ve feeling much better; I caught it early so I wasn’t even that sick to begin with.  I was back to work within a week since this is a crazy hectic time of year.  I work with my father prepping income taxes, so the boss was easy on me .  I’ve also been playing catch-up in the house since then; hubby was good at taking care of our son, got the dishes washed, but the pile of laundry took on epic proportions! Since I’ve decided to take Sunday off I’m hoping to get caught up and get my soup ingredients all together then.

I received new glaze AND new clay this week.  I was excited to experiment with the new glazes, until I discovered that I’m bankrupt in the bisque department.  I sat down for 20 minutes last night and managed to make lots of beads in one sitting.I forgot how simple it is to make beads when you don’t have to take the scraps and wedge them all together again. 50 pounds of white earthenware clay, freshly pugged, waiting to play.  LOVE IT!

I’m getting lots of beads made in anticipation of offering KITS!  Yes, kits!  While I was recuperating I had a dream that I was putting kits together.  I even dreamed about the packaging and everything.  I woke up at 2:30 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep because my mind was racing.  Hopefully I’ll be releasing them by the end of March.

Until we speak again…

Because of my surgery, which so rudely interrupted my fun time, I was not able to complete my bead soup piece.  I even went so far to dream last night that I was going to cut class in order to get it finished in time (keeping in mind that there has been no class to cut since ’99).  I’ve been working out what I want to do in my sketchbook but haven’t had the stamina go actually go dig up some tools and such.  Since I’m feeling much better today  I’m hoping to have it ready by the weekend.

In the meantime, be sure to visit the other participants and check out what they made with their goodies.  I’ve already visited a handful of them and let me tell you, it was worth the wait:

I had such high hopes for getting the photo tutorial out.  First tax season hit early; tax preparation is my “real” job, so I’ve been straight out since the middle of January.  Then, I felt lousy all Wednesday night after dinner, and finally early in the morning I suspected it was my appendix giving me troubles.  Sometimes it’s lousy being right….

So it’s out, and I’m recuperating.  My bead soup project will probably have to wait till I can “belly up” to the work table.  I’ll be in touch soon!