934°F and rising.

The shelves are empty and the bisque is firing. I must admit, I'm pretty excited to unload and glaze this next batch of work. I'm going to be experimenting with some new glazes as well. I'm almost out of my dark pink glaze (that was basically a mistake and cannot be replicated) and I thought maybe I'd try another pink. Maybe more "pretty" pink than the deep, rosy, salmon-y, whatever-you-want-to-call-it, pink that I have now. I'm also still working on a new green and now that I'm officially out of my limited-time-only pale blue glaze, I'm testing out another shade of blue. My deep cobalt has been a bit too much for me lately...too harsh with the other colors. So, I'm not going to be using it as much. I could never take it away all together, I've been using it for almost 10 years!

The weather has been a bit cold. I guess we were all spoiled by the hot, sunny weather of the past few weeks. I'm thinking maybe some outside work is in store for this afternoon. I need to move some plants and now that my hostas are opening up the beds don't look so empty. Since there is no work to report, here's a look at some of my pretty tulips....

...oh, and part of the huge chunk of bedrock protruding out of my backyard. Those 3 white domes I picked up at a local surplus/junk shop a few years ago. I'm not really sure what their original purpose was, but I love them and when the sedum is growing up around them they look really cool. I'm sure they help the neighbors with thinking that I'm totally nuts. That and the fact that I'm young, I'm home all day-everyday, don't have kids, give the mailman boxes and boxes everyday, emit strange odors from the side of the house that smell like I'm burning humans, walk the dog with a hot pink apron on and white stuff smeared all the way up my arms...classy.

Fly away.

Well, I've still been super busy in the studio. I'm just about to fill another bisque and I'm feeling quite productive. I've been working on this "bird dish" design for a while. I kept drawing and re-drawing it until I realized I was just drawing the same thing and any technical problems would have to be solved in the making. I wanted to make them with my gray porcelain and also make them thicker so they are more substantial and more sculptural...as if they are carved out of stone. And, I used white slip on top. I'm still not sure how I want to glaze them so I made 6 to experiment with. I also made 75 (and I'm hoping for another 25 today) tiny tripods, most of them orders. And, a pair of fish bowls...

I guess that's it for me. I need to pack and ship and get my butt in the studio and make a few more things. I wanted to fire this kiln today, but I wasn't feeling so hot for the past couple of days, so I'm aiming for tomorrow. Hopefully unloading a glaze firing on Saturday...again, I was aiming for Friday, but it looks like I'm a day behind....hopefully not two!!!

I'm out.

blah.

So I just realized it's been over a WEEK since I updated this thing! Bad. I've actually just been really busy. My bestest friend from college came up last weekend and we hiked and ate good food and just chilled out...I needed that. I did bust my ass and got a lot of work done. Fired 3 kilns, finished up all my orders and now it's time to do some playing. I have a stack of ideas to try and I'm pretty excited. I have a ton of gray porcelain waiting to be used and I'm thinking of using white slip...

Anyway, I made it to the front page the other day... is it so wrong that I want those Barbie earrings from margauxlange?

I was also included in this fab chicken list! I can't believe this didn't make it to the front page. I think it's so great. And I LOVE mincingmockingbird.

So anyway, I just unloaded a glaze firing this morning. Loads of tiny tripods, more chicks and more of my square dishes I've been working on. I'm very pleased with these little dishes. They fit tea lights, they would be great for sauces, salt and pepper, jewelry...very useful. I have them in 5 colors right now; green, pink, yellow, cobalt blue, and I just unloaded 4 in orange!

Spring fever.

I seem to get super spring fever this time of year. Not to just go outside and hike or sit in the sun with a book(although of course I love those too), but for manual labor...my gardens. It is another beautiful day out and I need to be in the studio. Of course I LOVE my lucky fortune of working at home in my studio everyday, but it is a rather solitary existence. When Jon gets home from a day of teaching kids he just wants silence...and all he hears is blah, blah, blah from me. At least I have Dudley to keep me company. But when I talk to him all day, he just looks at me like I'm nuts...and perhaps I am. Anyway, the kiln is almost ready to unload and then I'll have to start glazing. So maybe I can get an hour or so of outside time after all...yes, I think I will.

And look what made it onto the front page of Etsy this morning...

My three-bowl server! What a pretty list! And, look at that cup and saucer in that print with the bird. It's my Franciscan pattern! And, the color I want to paint the kitchen. Well, one project at a time, and we are still finishing the tiling in our shower stall. It's almost done! I can't even tell you how long we've been taking baths, it's a bit embarrassing.

I was also in this treasury, but I don't think it ever made the front page.Oh, I forgot to post that I was featured on this great blog One Part Whimsy. You can check out the post here. It's a blog by fellow Etsian, thefatcat.

Ok, enough out of me. I'm off to change into some outside clothes!

☼ Spring.

I slacked a bit yesterday and spent some time cleaning up the yard and uncovering more flowers. I couldn't help it, it was sooooo nice out. I'm taking it easy today as well, although it is much cooler and I'm keeping inside. I'm firing a bisque and posting more new work in my shop. I keep posting chicks and they keep selling within a few hours. So, if you want one and missed it, just shoot me a message, I do have more in the studio...so much for my summer inventory. I did post this new bowl. It was my favorite thing that came out of the last firing.

Isn't it pretty? And it feels so nice.

I also got to hang out with my friend Jen on Friday. We were both in the BFA ceramics program at the same time. Fortunately she is also still living in the area and making work. She has an Etsy shop too. Go check her out! She has beautiful planters just waiting to be filled up with herbs or some pretty annuals. I'm totally in love with this one.

She's not using terracotta anymore so get a jump on what's left in her shop. And she's mixed up some beautiful glazes to use on her new stoneware work so be on the lookout...I know, she showed them to me on Friday! It's so nice to have someone around to geek about ceramics with.☺

AHHHHH.

I think I'm back on track. The glaze firing went just fine and I've just finished unloading it. So.......here are my chicks!!

Don't they look happy? I'll be posting some in my shop over the next couple of days. I did post some new tiny tripods in my periwinkle. I only made 3 so get them while you can!