Time and Drying

Drying.  I sometimes forget how much time it takes.  And then when I think about when to do kiln firings I sometimes forget that I schedule them for days when I am out of my home, which can't happen.  So, my upcoming kiln firing schedule has changed.  It's good to be flexible with pottery when you can and anytime an order comes your way, to make sure to create some cushion days.  Thankfully, I have a good plan B for kiln firing figured out! All is well.

Meanwhile, these tumblers (6 inches high) are at various stages of drying as you can see.  (Wet ones up front and darker).  Am a bit ready for something new- a new surface design and look so I will experiment with a blue transparent glaze in the next firing and maybe use some wax resist too.  Hmmm.

I must admit that it's easier to etch words onto bowls than onto other forms.  Tumblers are challenging.  Hard to keep the words straight (or at least somewhat straight in a line) so I'm bunching them up together in groups instead of in one continuous line.  Hard to explain.  Will post a picture of one when it's finished.

Enough rambling.

Long day!  Am exhausted.  Hopefully will spend some time glazing some pieces tomorrow.  Thanks for reading and for your comments.

Remember When?

 Remember When?  That's the title of this puzzle- one I used to put together with my siblings when I was a teenager--.  Rescued it from the barn at my parent's house and brushed the dust off it.  Will post a pic when complete.  It does have gumballs and all.  I love nostalgic things like this puzzle.

 Remember when you were this age?  4 3/4, 4, or 2 3/4?   I have sweet memories of those days- the good ole' life where there was hardly a care in the world.  My sweet nieces and nephew having a grand time these days at Grandma and Poppi's Summer Camp.  Time goes by fast and well, they are growing as fast as weeds.  I'll give this pic the title 'Two Princesses and a Prince.'  Notice the prince is holding onto a piece of wood.  :)

 Remember when you were at a place that you wished you could jump to at the snap of your fingers?  That's a retreat center out in the North Cascade Mountains.  Was there in May but that seems like too long ago.  These Rainer cherries weren't ripe in May and now well, they are.  Found them at a Target store in Raleigh, NC.  All the way from Wenatchee, WA.

 Haven't posted about pottery because it's been too humid and hot to make much of anything.  I have one order coming up so this weekend it's supposed to be 83 tomorrow and less than 90 for the next week.  Now THAT is good pottery weather.  Decided to get this fan which helps, but the mosquitos were horrible yesterday even with repellant on.  4 pm on is high mosquito time.  :(
More pottery pics to come.

In the meantime, I made these yummy zucchini and corn fritters- sautéed.  Semi-used a recipe I found online--- they have 1 egg, some flour and zucchini and salt and a bit of parm cheese and that's all!  Perfect for summer instead of using an oven.  :)  I remember when my mom used to make corn fritters.
Thanks for reading!   Does this get you thinking down memory lane?
p.s.  there's another evening storm coming as I type.  Don't mind the rain, but all this lightning and stuff is a hassle--- I have to unplug everything like my tv, etc... so it won't get struck by lightning.  :( wish the storms wouldn't be so strong at times!

Animals I Don't Want, etc.....

 Before the animal talk, any tomato recipes (simple) to share?  This big one was a gift I received today and as you can see, is ready to be eaten!   BLT, maybe?

 And, it is too warm to be in my studio- my garage studio most of the time.  Here's the temp at 10 pm tonight.  Was gone most of the day and watered flowers late tonight.  Am so ready for 80 degree weather!  Can you tell I'm from the north?  Don't have the $ for a window air conditioner.... if I was a full-time potter, I'd have to take out a loan and get one.

 Ready to plant these- but will wait until it's a bit cooler.

 Okay.  Onto animals.  What kind of insect is this?  It is huge!  Found it in my studio yesterday and tonight saw two more near my garage.   Oh, and I'll spare you the picture but I found a dead--- yes dead frog near my tennis shoes and door inside my garage.  It was turned over and completely dry and it so scared me.  Usually am not scared but I could've stepped on it!  :(  Took a broom and swept it away- far away!

 Meanwhile, the flowers are okay as I water them most nights.  I am praying for rain.  The ceramic pot with a z crack in it doesn't seem to mind the heat, of course.

 Zinnias from seed!

The butterflies seem happy too.   Stay cool- unless you're in New Zealand-- then stay warm!

Charlotte Market, Gallery, and Saving Plants

 Went to Lark and Key and of course, loved time there.  Decided to walk away without a purchase and wait for a Sandy Snead piece of jewelry.  Met her while there and saw lots of great art- like these new plates by Jennifer Mecca.  Sorry for the pic, but these were amazing!  Decorative or functional... Click HERE for more about the gallery.

 Also went to Lowe's and did what I love to do there- head straight to the clearance section and find plants to rescue.  Found four perennials!  :)  Lucky me.

 Two dianthus, 1 lady speedwell, and 1 beard tongue; they're now drying out from all this rain and I'll plant them in the next couple days.   :)

 Discovered Atherton Market too.  Can't believe I missed this place when I lived there!  Ended up buying a small piece of this cheese which was kinda like a soft gouda.  Delicious!

 Lots of organic food there.  They have a facebook page HERE.   Discovered it because I heard King's Kitchen, a non profit restaurant downtown now has a bakery but the bakery is at the market on Saturday.  Bought a loaf of ciabatta bread too.  :)  Look here for more about King's Kitchen.  Incredible southern food there too.

 Okay, so that was on Saturday and one of the small vendors had fish.  This black sea bass the vendor said, was alive on Thursday.  I loved this market!

 Back to Lark and Key as my pictures are a bit jumbled.  I really like Julie Covington's work too- there is an upcoming opening featuring here on the first Friday of August.  Will try to go!  :)  I like how she uses wax resist in her glazing to make the designs.   So inspiring to be here!

Back to the market- here's the King's bakery.  (ugh, blurry pic).  I so like buying local food especially when the proceeds go back to the community to help those in need as is true with King's Kitchen and Bakery.
Ended the day with a good run in one of my favorite spots in Charlotte.
Tomorrow will reclaim clay.  Thanks for the inspiration for that, Meredith!
Tracey, thanks for the running inspiration!

Tempted- Lark and Key

I'm in Charlotte for the day and am so tempted to go here.  Love this place and would take almost anything in this gallery in my home.    Here is the link:  Lark and Key!

by Sandy Snead

 Took these from their website.  Tempted because I want to buy just about everything in the gallery.  Can you see why?

by Julie Covington

Being there always inspires me to get back into the studio.  Hope you'll check it out if you're nearby Charlotte and haven't yet... 

More soon. 

Lemon Cupcake, Frit 3110, Ancient Ceramics and Reclaiming Question

When I was little, my mom made these cupcakes for my class on my birthday. Mom is one of the best cooks there is, and while this one looks a bit mushed (from travel), it was yummy!  With a little 10 x sugar on it, it is like no other.  It is a vanilla cupcake with lemon meringue scooped into it.... When the cupcake is done and cool, just take a knife and take off of the top part of the cupcake and then scoop in a bit of the warm lemon meringue.  Probably my favorite kind of cupcake!  Mom made this when I visited recently.

 The other day I finally made it to Claymakers in Durham.  I keep forgetting whether it's called Claymakers or Claymatters... but whatever it's called, I got some copper carbonate, custer feldspar and frit 3110 which will help me make a new blue glaze recipe.  :)  (Thanks, Tracey!  Claymakers...)

 With all the rain out, my flowers are happy including my zinnias and cosmos, both planted from seed.  Inexpensive and cheap!  :)  Oh and a vase of mine in a not so good pic.  Sorry!

 Back to more pics from a few hours spent in DC.  This was the closest I got to the Washington Monument.  Love the sky shot.

 While there, there was an exhibit highlighting different countries- and those which have indigenous groups whose language is in threat of becoming extinct.   One of those is a people group in Bolivia- and I am half bolivian, so I visited.  These are looms that are used to weave blankets and all kinds of woven things.

 While in DC went to the Asian American Museum... and saw this!  A balsa boat--- which is made on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  These are hard to find on the shores of that huge lake these days, but some of my ancestors-- my grandparents-- and others who have gone before me, made boats like these.  They're huge.

 This is interesting... languages that are at risk... saw this in that indigenous exhibit.

 Two ceramic forms in the central american exhibit- 'Ceramics de los Ancestros'  (Ceramics from the Ancestors)... Really like the shape of these forms.   Was in the National Museum of the American Indian.  Interestingly, it had much from Central America--- but not South America.

 Okay, these pictures are a bit scrambled.  Back to time in PA with family.  My mom's homemade custard.

 Custard- some of which I ate for lunch in DC with red raspberries I picked before I left.  Yum!

 Hmmm- back to the exhibit in the I make teabowls with this shape.  :)

 From that National Museum.  This even had a foot--- although hard to see.

 The full balsa boat...

 Beautiful woven things-- blankets are called ahuayos...

 And this is a chuspa.  I have one-- in other colors.  It is used by the indigenous people to- of course, carry things... in particular, coca leaves which make cocaine.  Mine is a purse.  :)

 listened to a mini concert by one of the Quechua groups--- from Bolivia.

 Flowers that love the rain...

Okay, so this is how where I put the clay water.  Then it settles and well, I pour off the water at the top.  So- a question:  do I just wait and then reclaim it--- or what's next.  What do you do?  I have no sink and really this is all the clay water I have from one year of making pottery.!
Silly question sorta...  Oh, and look at the insect.  dragonfly hanging out!  It was HUGE!

Packing Peanuts, D.C. and Bubble Wrap, Please!

 So, I spent time with family last week, celebrating fourth of July and well, actually just celebrating life together.  My parents are amazing; pottery is definitely a family thing as they've been collecting packing peanuts.  Brought over 7 bags back with me in my rental car, plus some boxes that I found at a nearby auction place and broke down.  (Boxes on left).  What is harder to find is bubble wrap.... or poppers.  Any ideas as to where to get that from--- would love to used recycled bubble wrap as I shop boxes from here to there.

 Came back and my plants are happy- due to the rain around lately.  Cuts down on the water bill too, which is a very good thing.

On my way driving back from PA I stopped in DC which was wonderful, yet a bit overwhelming and HOT!  I have blisters on my feet to prove.  It was a gorgeous hot day and I thought to myself of how much I would love to live near DC.  So many sights to see; I hardly saw much in the 4 hours I was there.  The 90 degree heat slowed me down a bit...  Next post will be about what I did see.

The Washington Monument.  Heard it was damaged in the earthquake.  Didn't know that- scaffolding all around... 

 Spent lots of time in PA with these two.  Precious Lily and Garrett- almost 5 and almost 3.  Life is too short to not be with family.  Even though I'm 8 hours away, I see family every other month or at least once every three months.  It's so worth the extra money.  It was simply wonderful having two little helpers or sidekicks around much of the time.  They are so well behaved which makes a huge difference.  They even helped me load the packing peanuts into my rental car.  Of course, they thought they were real peanuts when I said that word.  :)
Most importantly, they are full of tons of love and joy which made our time together unforgettable.  They grow so fast; they are so precious.

Here's a snapshot of my next post.  Went to a museum on the Mall that had a Ceramics Exhibit!  Lucky me.  Of course, I spent most of my time at the mall right there.  More soon...
Any ideas about where to get recycled bubble wrap?

Oh, and found this frog outside my garage door.  It has been so wet-- that the green frogs are so happy! Initially, he was in an old pottery bowl of mine playing in the rainwater collected in it.  Then I scared him, unknowingly....  Thanks for reading!  

Happy Fourth! Colors Everywhere

Happy Fourth of July!  Was just thinking how easy it is to take for granted our freedoms.
This just happened to be my breakfast.  Whole wheat waffles with fresh fruit and syrup.  Yum!  Even picked the red raspberries myself here at my parent's house.  :)
This reminds me that colors, art, and designs are absolutely everywhere- which inspires me to go put some clay out in the sun--- to help reclaim it.  :)  My sister Maria is on her way with her family and my brother Matthew will be here at some point so it will be a busy wonderful day.  Looking forward to it but enjoying a quiet, gentle morning.

Reclaiming Clay Wisdom, an Outdoor Auction Market and Free Boxes!

 Before reclaiming clay talk, here are two of my favorites- my niece and nephew.  I love it when they hear my name and RUN--- I mean run to me.  Age 4 1/2 and 2 1/2.  They are among the best.

Even though the ground was wet we picked black raspberries, mulberries, and in this basket is peas and also some mint tea.  They both ate as many berries as we picked.  They choose fruit over ice cream often for dessert.  I love this!  

 Now onto reclaiming clay.  I brought this bag full of clay trimmings and these plates and another whole bag to begin to reclaim.  No pug mill.  Just the old fashioned way.  I usually just put it out to dry in blobs in the sun, yet there isn't any sun these days.  Might put it downstairs next to the furnace to dry out a bit.  Any reclaiming clay wisdom?  It just takes SO MUCH TIME.  Oh well...

 Went to the nearby Roots Auction market with my sister Marcella this morning.  It was so funny how just about ANYTHING, and I mean anything was for sale.  Like these old soda pop cans above.  Mello Yellow, RC, Crush, sarsaparilla, you name it!

 And then things were for sale that I never imagined would be.  Like an old E.T. metal tray and play cars that didn't have all their wheels.  Worse than a yard sale, but oh so funny!

 Back at my parent's house.  So much rain that the flowers and plants are so green and the soil is just wet.  The caladiums are gorgeous and well, there's even a mushroom of some kind in the bottom left hand corner of the picture.

 Didn't go dumpster diving but got these boxes at the old auction market from the candy stand.  My parents also save and keep an eye out for peanut fillers and the plastic poppers that I'll take back with me as I'm out...

 More gorgeous flowers... my mom is the best gardener I know.  She makes it look easy.

 Oh, and back to the Roots Market.  Marcella loved the $1 table.  She ended up buying a necklace for well, $1.

 Even the coca cola display had some interesting things on it.  Notice- more cans!

And then there's James, Marcella's boy.  Another favorite.  He's almost 13 mos. old and loved throwing the peas out of the basket.  Crawling everywhere and oh so cute!  Next summer he'll be running around....  And he has more curls than some 2 year olds!  Sweet, caring boy.
Thanks for reading... and I'd love your reclaiming wisdom!  I wonder if there is a faster way for those of us who are pug-mill less.