As 2010 comes to an end, it’s time to start planning for the New Year!
Which also means a new art fair schedule – and the preceding application process.
Which I hate. But I digress…

In an effort to be “ready” to tackle the art fair application process early on “next year”
I just had some pieces photographed by Guy Nicol for my applications. It’s been awhile
since I’ve had a new batch of new photos. My style has evolved a bit with some new
“bulging stamps.” Plus, I kinda started to feel really bad submitting “the same old” photos
year after year! So here’s a few new shots to whet your whistle!

Still setting up for tomorrow’s big sale…
and I just realized that there are only six of my new wheelthrown Christmas ornaments left!
Yep, six… count ’em six! They’ve been a big hit this season… yeah me!

‘Tis the eve of my Holiday Home Show… and my new ornaments are finally done!
Just in time. I did a little wire-wrapped hoop at the top to hang them from. And then
hung some of them in a doorway to help display them. I’ve also assembled two free-standing
“picture frame” displays to hang ornaments in – the epoxy is still drying! Plus, I’m still trying
to convince myself that I can’t keep them all for myself. Would that be so bad?…

With all of the shelves quickly filling up, I needed to move to the walls for more space
for my Holiday Home Show. What with a hundred mugs and all…

So the new collection of ceramic masks is now hanging on my living room wall.
They’re all high-fire, soda-fired stoneware – so they’re good for indoors or outdoors!
They all make me smile… especially the ones with horns. But there are a couple with
ears instead of horns… as suggested by Sheila!

With pottery showing up in every room of my condo, there are still a few small “spaces”
here & there for other things between all the mugs! So there’s a lot of other great things…
not just mugs! Like some oval vases perfect for flowers, office supplies, junk mail
or a little bit of anything! All stamped and ready-to-go to a good home… or a great present!

It is now only six days until my annual Holiday Home Show.
I’ve been doing a lot of finishing, pricing, packing, shlepping, setting up shelves
and carrying everything up three flights of stairs! Things are coming together nicely,
although I still have a LOT of projects to finish before next weekend!

Kiln Favorite #1 – Large Stamped Bowls
I’m pretty excited about the new bowls that just came out of the kiln!
Probably the largest and most stunning bowls I’ve ever made?!… if I do say so myself.
With dramatic stamping, deep finger impressions, beautiful glaze reactions and more.
I love ’em!!! I’m so excited… Here’s a little teaser…

Kiln Favorite #2 – Holiday Ornaments
And I’m more than a little enamored with my new holiday ornaments!
I’m trying really hard to not keep them all for myself. I was a little concerned that they
may “jump off” their firing tripods during the volatile soda firing. I am happy to report
that there was only one jumper! So now I need to finish them off and get them ready
for the upcoming Holiday Home Show! And “convince myself” that I can’t keep them all!

So after two days of waiting… my latest soda kiln was finally cool enough to unload
late this afternoon. So I cracked it open, then unbricked the door – layer by layer.
It’s always so much fun to open a kiln and slowly reveal the contents one layer at a time!
To see the final results of all your hard work – throwing, decorating, trimming, glazing, etc.
So I was thrilled when I opened up my kiln and saw nothing but beautiful pots!
Just in time for my Holiday Home Show – only one week away!

I was originally planning on loading my soda kiln on Tuesday night after class.
And I wasn’t looking forward to starting after 10:00pm for the long process. With all the
pieces and hundreds of tiles… it takes quite awhile!

But then I found out that the classroom kiln before me fired a day early, and was therefore
being unloaded a day early. So lucky me! So I glazed a little faster. Wadded a little quicker.
And then went down to load my kiln… err, maybe I should say “pack” my kiln! It’s a little
tighter than usual. Let’s hope that the soda vapors can find their way around the kiln?!

I’m a little apprehensive though about my new ornaments and their support tripods.
In theory I think they’re pretty cool… I just hope the “volatile” soda atmosphere doesn’t
knock them over during the firing. I don’t want to find wayward ornaments glaze-fused
to the insides of bowls and stuck to the sides of other pieces?!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

Tonight is the night we get to “Fall back” and get an extra hour to play!
With that “bonus” hour thrown into the mix, I decided to glaze up some of my long overdue
class demo pieces. I worked my way through my teacher shelf and glazed about 2/3 of the
pieces that have been stacking up there. Some on which were made two or three sessions
ago! My lack of glazing has kind of become a running joke with many of my students. I get
close enough by waxing the bottoms, teaching about glazing, explaining the processes and
pitfalls… and then promptly put the waxed pots back on my shelf because I’ve run out
of time from talk too much! Yep, I like to ramble, and not glaze…