pottery

The Insomniac Potter Rides Again!

November 17, 2019November 17, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

OK, so it’s not exactly insomnia that rolled me out of bed this morning but a commitment to play bells this morning with my Trinity Episcopal group. And, of course, me being me, always sure that I’ll oversleep or forget that I’m supposed to ring, I calculate when I need to be up and out of bed getting ready, then set the alarm back at least 30 minutes to have a bit of a cushion and hang my vestments next to the coffee pot as a reminder.🛌⏰💤🎶

I’ve a couple of pots to show you all this morning, I apologize if these are a rerun.

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Rim Experiment

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Not the same pot, but similar. The first of the rim experiments.

Glazed outside with Amaco Arctic Blue, outer portion of inside glazed with Deep Firebrick, middle portion with Rutile Blue, bottom with Arctic Blue, all Amaco Potter’s Choice glazes. I’m on the fence regarding my glaze choices, I may need to fire a hair lower, like cone 5 instead of 6. It’s growing on me.

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My current fave. Glazed with Amaco Firebrick to cone 6.

These are currently in the damp box, slowly becoming ready for the bisque kiln. Our weather has finally cooled, slowing the process, but making it much more pleasant in my ~~garage~~ studio.🙂

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Someday, I’m going to have a studio with running water. The heat I can deal with — turn on a fan and work after the sun goes down. I can handle the winter cold as well with a space heater and a sweater but carrying buckets of water back and forth is tiresome. Someday.

This has been a jam packed few weeks but I plan to take a breather after tomorrow and get caught up on listing pots on Etsy. My shop is ClayDreamsPottery and I’d love to have you stop by!

Never put off till to tomorrow what you can do today. Thomas Jefferson

Picking It Up Again

November 5, 2019November 17, 2019 mud&string3 Comments

That’s right, the Insomniac Potter is back. It’s been a busy month, both craftwise and familywise. My gray sweater is growing, but slowly, as expected. I’ve started and and abandoned several pairs of socks and a scarf or two, but I think I’ve found THE sock pattern – at least for now. Have a look-

This is the book-

My Gray Day Gansey

Like I said, this sweater is slow going, but is totally worth it, I really love cables. It’s definitely not portable or what I call cruise control knitting, though. It requires my full attention sort of like a toddler — take your eyes off it for one second and you’re in the weeds, at least I am! 😋

Then there’s the pottery. Here’s one of my newest pots –

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This one’s a do over. The original glazing turned out to be so ugly, I immediately reglazed it. I’m much much happier this time around! It’ll be going up on ClayDreamsPottery on Etsy in the next few days. If it floats your boat, let me know!

I have several pieces that are in that limbo between just thrown and dry enough to trim and bisque. I learned the hard way not to fire anything I’m not totally sure is bone dry. Nothing more discouraging than opening a kiln full of busted pots, but I’m also waiting for a couple of new glazes to come in before getting started on finishing them.

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself. Oscar Wilde

pottery

Quick Pic #1

October 23, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

I hope you like it.

pottery

Fired Up

October 20, 2019October 22, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

FIRED

I had a great kiln firing this weekend – for a change. I usually have a couple of successful pots out of each firing, but all of them turning out well feels like, well, a miracle. One of the things I love about working with clay is that I’m constantly stretching myself creatively, either by learning new techniques or experimenting with different glazes and clays. I plan to list these new pots in my Etsy shop, ClayDreamsPottery, but wanted to flash a sneak peek beforehand.

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That dark stripe there on the front isn’t really there, it’s a reflection. The glaze, Amaco seaweed, just comes out super smooth and shiny – perfect except for the occasional pesky persistent reflection.

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Working on my lid making skills

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Not sister pots but maybe cousins

We must not say every mistake is a foolish one. Cicero

Knitting · pottery

The Insomniac Potter Rides Again

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

Good morning everyone! As you can see, my sleep pattern seems to have reverted into the good old 2 a.m. internal alarm setting. (heavy sigh) One good thing about starting my day in the wee hours is that it’s a great time to run the kiln, long before the sun comes up, and the heat and humidity start to build.

Here’s a look at a few things I’ve been working on:

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The start of a series of small bottles, all different

Glazes L to R

Blue Rutile, Textured Turquoise and Blue Rutile, Blueberry Spice, Textured Turquoise, Ancient Jasper

A pot I started yesterday waiting to dry enough to trim.

A bean pot that has been washed and reglazed several times. (I’m not usually this indecisive.) Final glaze is Textured Turquoise. (Probably)🤔

ON MY NEEDLES

The first five inches of the Gray Days sweater. Six more inches of stockinette to go then on to the best part – CABLES! I absolutely LOVE cables!

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My Gray Days

Knitpicks Wool of the Andes

Haze Heather

Project notes can be found here.

There is no great genius without some touch of madness. Seneca

PS I’ve added some new pots to my Etsy shop, ClayDreamsPottery. I’d love to have you pay a visit!

Knitting · pottery

Woo-Hoo! I Have a FO!

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

Off My Needles

It’s official! My Leksak Lady is finished, with ends woven, a nice Eucalan soak and ending with a good blocking and drying. My project notes can be found here.

My Leksak Lady

Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Tweed Barn Door Heather

I’m ready for fall and cooler temps, could someone please get in touch with Mother Nature and pass that on?

In the hope that yes, fall is coming, I started a new sweater yesterday, Gray Days, a Knitpicks pattern. I wish I could show you a photo, but nothing larger than a postage stamp will load. You can get a better look at it on the cover of the latest Knitpicks catalog.

Out of the Kiln

I’ve been working on a small bottle series and got the first bunch bisqued yesterday. Now comes the hard part – what glazes should I use? Decisions, decisions. Here’s a photo –

The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. Eden Phillpotts

Knitting · pottery

Almost Back to Normal

September 15, 2019September 15, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

After being laid low last week from my shingles vaccine booster – think worst hangover ever accompanied by a temp of 102, I finally feel like I’m on the downside of this ugliness. Jeez louise, I hate to be sick!

I’ve made what I consider great progress on Leksak Lady, with only one and one half sleeves and the crochet edging to be done. I admit, I’m particularly proud of my edging as I rarely crochet (though I really do enjoy doing it) and am usually pleasantly surprised at how good it looks.

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Leksak Lady

I’m going to try my hardest to remember to add project notes when a project is completed. I find other knitter’s project notes really helpful and, well, turnabout is fair play my mama always said.

OK, that’s my string side. Now, on to the mud…..

My new clay finally arrived and new clay is always cause for a celebration. I threw a couple of chucks, which I sorely needed. It seems like just about everything that comes off my wheel lately has some sort of neck and I find it impossible to trim without using one. Granted, a chuck isn’t the most exciting thing to come off my wheel, but it sure is nice to have one when I need it!

Someday I’m going to learn how to level my shots. 🙂

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I threw this vessel and stamped it as an experiment. I like the way it turned out – what do you think? Maybe my new glazes will have arrived by the time it’s ready for glazing and it’s final firing.

FYI – Tomorrow is the first day of the fall session of pottery class. It’s doubly exciting because we’re in a new (to us) building as the Arkansas Art Center and Museum School is undergoing a facelift/remodel slated to take three years. Exciting stuff!

One more thing – If you haven’t visited ClayDreamsPottery lately, go on over and take a look. You never know what you might find!

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. Albert Einstein

Random

Notorious RBG, Finally Home and Back to My Wheel

September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 mud&string

After taking what felt like the Grand Tour of Dallas and the surrounding area, I’m FINALLY home, safe and sound. This trip had a little something for everyone, lost luggage, missed connections, airport closings, stormy weather and about a thousand unhappy passengers, hoping against hope that their connecting flight was still on the ground, just waiting to be reboarded to take their passengers to their final destinations. Unfortunately, I was not part of this happy group, having missed my connecting flight home, giving me the privilege of spending the night at DFW and catching the first plane that was pointed in Little Rock’s direction. The stars aligned, I boarded the first plane out and was home within the hour.

After my spouse and my dog, I was most happy to see my pottery wheel and studio. After some breakfast and a nap, I spent some QT getting my hands back into clay and starting on a small project that had been percolating in the back of my mind for a while — a set of small bottles, all different, but glazed in a similar way. I haven’t even given much thought to how many I should throw or how many bottles will make a set.

Here’s a look at my project progress so far –

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Last, but most certainly not least, I scored a couple of tickets to the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg lecture/interview last evening and was so happy to have Cindy to go with. RBG was amazing and was sharp as a whole truckload of tacks. Don’t let the librarian bun and her super petite frame fool you, I don’t doubt that she can go toe to toe with any of the big, well fed (her words, not mine) male Justices that occupy the bench with her, leaving them in the dust and wondering what just happened.

I want her to stay on the bench forever!

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Random

Monday in Bangkok

August 26, 2019August 28, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON MY NEEDLES

Ariel Socks

So far, the Ariel socks are playing nice, but they’ve been slow going. Things are looking up since I purchased a nice, bright headlamp at Decathlon, a store similar to Academy Sports. I actually was at Decathlon to get a new water bottle, which I did, but apparently the placement of impulse items is universal – right next to the cash register. That bit of extra light has made a big difference, I got through the first pattern repeat last night without problems.

I’m also working on a Leksak sweater, though I find the rows and rows of stockinette boring. It makes for great plane knitting, I’ll give it that.

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Leksak

ON THE WHEEL

Not a thing. While I’m in Bangkok, I have to be satisfied with surfing Pinterest and making endless lists in my head of glazes and techniques to try. That reminds me, I need to order clay. I’m thinking that if I order now, it will arrive in Little Rock about the same time I do.

FIELD TRIP

Here are a few photos of Iconsiam, a new mall here in Bangkok that has a replica of a floating market on the bottom floor, with traditional Thai food and crafts vendors, most wearing traditional Thai clothing. Really, the photos don’t do it justice………..

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FYI – This is an escalator!

Action is the foundational key to all success. Pablo Picasso

Knitting

More On Our DFW Adventure

August 19, 2019August 21, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

Recap – The five us – Big Mommy, the Papoose, the Sprout, the Peach and I – are stranded at the Dallas-Ft.Worth airport after missing our connecting flight to Hong Kong. I might add that we range in age from 62 to 2 years.

Now, on with the story…..

The first hitch in our getalong was due to weather – storms in the DFW area – putting us an hour late on an already tight layover. Tight, but doable, so no panic. As Big Mommy had brought along an umbrella stroller for the Peach, she had it tagged and handed it off to the people who handle such things, i.e. wheelchairs, strollers, and miscellaneous assistive devices, to be handed over to their owners at the end of the jetway, right outside the airplane door. Got to DFW, deplaned and, you guessed it, no stroller. Asked attendants and were reassured that it was coming, no worries, it was coming. After five minutes or so, a tiny bit of panic starts to tickle. Explained to agent (again) about our tight and getting tighter layover time schedule.

Five more minutes and the baggage attendants leave the jetway, with no sign of the stroller. Now true panic sets in. If you are thinking “c’mon, it’s just a stroller” you’ve never had to negotiate a mega airport with an already cranky two year old, with two more kids and Grandma in tow. Did I mention that between the five of us we had eight carry-on bags? At least we didn’t have to mess with a stroller, right?? 🤨😡🤯

Stay tuned……….

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. Anthony J. D’Angelo

Family · Knitting · pottery

Betcha Thought I Forgot About This Old Blog….

August 16, 2019August 18, 2019 mud&stringLeave a comment

OK, at 63 (!) I’ve been been trying on a few different personas, just one more sign of my decision to never grow up, but here I am once more, an amalgamation of several whos and whats, as reflected in my new title, Mud and String.

As I type this, I’m en route to Bangkok, Thailand again, accompanying Big Mommy and the three grands, the Papoose, the Sprout and the Peach. All growing up so so fast and leaving me in the dust regarding what’s cool and what’s not. Anyhow……..

This trip has been very crazy, beginning with the first leg of the 30 hour trip being delayed an hour in Little Rock due to weather in Dallas, setting off a chain of situations like dominos falling. First, we missed our connecting flight to Hong Kong and so were stranded in Dallas for 24 hours, waiting for the next plane to Hong Kong. An adventure unto itself…More on that later.

So here we are, 32000 feet in the air, five hours into a 16 hour flight, with the outside time showing as -43.6F, wearing clothes that were fresh yesterday – Wednesday morning around 5 a.m. – closing in on 48 hours. The time is 4:49 pm on Thursday, according to my ipad. I pity our seatmates! 🤭🤭🤭🤢🤢🤢

We made it to Hong Kong! Here’s the view from our gate waiting area-