Friday, August 29, 2008

BACK the Beach Pottery Sale














I was quite thrilled when I was asked to participate in the BACK the Beach event. Local artists and businesses are hosting a concert and art sale to support proper development of the beach area. The charm of the beaches is due to the independent stores and character houses. It would be a shame to have box stores and huge condo towers replace these. Come out on Sept 7th to support our Beaches, listen to some great music and maybe even buy your new favorite coffee mug from me!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Cubicle Teapots -Sold

Well, it didn't take long to sell my first cubicle teapot. They were quite fun to make so I may have to produce more. The only trick is to make the holes in the spout large enough so that the glaze doesn't clog the pour. I like drinking loose leaf tea, so these little guys are perfect!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Summer Blooms


Well, my summer is in full swing in the studio which matches the state of my garden. My spinach is overgrown and my flowers are in full bloom.


I think that this must have inspired me to start making a few more versions of my bud vases. I love the tapered mouth and the drips of this one. These flowers from my garden would look stunning in this vase. I love summer!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Teapots

I thought that as a teacher I would have my summers free to sleep in, lay on the beach and read numerous novels. For some reason, I have been spending my whole summer in my studio instead. And, I'm liking it.

I had a request for a Cubicle Teapot - you know, the one or two cupper that can sit beside you at work. I don't usually make teapots because they are so time consuming. They have so many parts, the body, spout, handle and lid. But, I really had fun making these little guys. I can't wait to see them once they are glazed.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Tool Talk - Heat Gun

As you might already know, I just spent 2 weeks in Saskatchewan visiting family and fishing on those fabulous lakes in the northern part of the province. When I get to go back home, I love hanging out with my Dad because we can talk tools together. This time we were meandering through a liquidation tool center together and we found a heat gun for $15. Good thing that my hubby had extra room in his luggage so I could take it back on the plane.

If you haven't seen one before, think industrial strength 'hair dryer.' Mine even has two settings for light and heavy blowing action. Just be careful with it because it gets red hot and can melt those lovely plastic bags that we use to cover our work in progress.

A heat gun is great for setting up a soggy bowl that feels like it may slump. It firms up my tiny teabowls so that they do not dent as I remove them from my wheel head. Even better, it speeds up the production of my popular soap dishes. I never have enough of those in stock because of the long prep time. I designed a slight curve to my soap dishes to allow a small catch basin for handmade soap residue. The only problem was that I had to let them firm up before I could attach the feet or they would lose their lovely curve. This sometimes took all day depending on the humidity and if I forgot about them while they were drying, I would find warped dishes that could only be recycled again. Thanks to my new heat gun, I can just give them a blast of hot air and they are ready to go. And thanks Dad, for shopping with me :)