I'll have a slow Christmas, plates by the dozen and finally finishing this post...

I'm not sure this guy has real vocal cords.  He may have had them removed in favor of a small speaker attached to a synthesizer in his brain.  That, however, is just a guess.  Check out some of his work (here) for a dose of aural delight.

Now there are other people out there who can do this, and maybe just as well, but I have never heard of them, so today you get Kenny Muhammad.

Editors Note:  This post was actually written last week (or two weeks ago maybe?), but I never got around to posting it.  Everything still applies...not that it makes it any more interesting or exciting.  Oh well.  Enjoy if you dare!

As far as studio news goes...not really a lot to report.  I have not been extremely busy lately.  Last week I was tied up with Thanksgiving related activities most of the week.  Now I have a freezer full of frozen pig!  Sorry to those folks who are not big on producing their own food or are put off by meat production.  I have nothing against you but, yeah for butchering!

This week I am working on getting stuff decorated for a final firing before Christmas.  I have a number of special orders that need to go out for the holiday.  That being said, I am not super busy like I am sure a lot of other people are.  I have not had a show in a little while so...out of sight out of mind which means fewer orders.  I wish it weren't so, but...oh well.

Actually I did have a show just this past weekend, but it was not a typical "set up your booth and hock your wares" kind of show.  It was a department store style show, so all I had to do was drop off my inventory and work a shift over the weekend.  Good in that I was not tied up all weekend.  Bad in that my work was intermingled with other work and I was not there to talk it up or anything.  Financially it was not a rousing success, but I may give it another shot next year to see how it shakes out.

It is terribly confusing and frustrating.  I usually get a very positive response to my work, whether it be at a show, online or wherever.  It seldom translates into much of anything in sales though.  I guess there cold be a few explanations for this.  A: My prices are just to high...but I have seen other folks' prices and I do not think that is the case.

This just in...I just, as I was typing, received notification that I got the bid on a large order I was shooting for.  Sweet!  This will hopefully go a long way to financing a new studio.

Random vase

Ok, everything up until this point was written a while back and I really don't remember what I was saying or where I was  going with it, so...new content!

I got a big order for plates that will be used as awards early next year.  This means that over the next couple months I will be makes hundred, no thousands, no dozens of plates!  Time to go into mass production mode.  Thankfully this will be made easier by the plaster bats that I made a while back.  And really it is not the throwing that will be a harrowing experience.  Rather it will be decorating dozens of plates with the same design.  That is not how I usually work, so it will be an interesting experience.

Air Whales!

I almost, almost got a new studio this past week.  A local company was having a sale on portable storage barns and I had my eye on a 12 x 24 foot one.  After checking it out a bit though, and not wanting to make a rushed decision (it was an auction type deal), I passed on it. Instead I will be working on plans for building a new studio next spring.  More on that as the story develops. 

And since this post is stretching over a couple weeks and getting kind of long, I will wrap things up.  So long for now.

Show notes, drinking games and something sketchy this way comes...

 

The capybara is a big freakin' rodent, the largest in the world in fact.  Some people keep them as pets.  Others hunt them for their hide and meat.

By all accounts this night is a four star success so far.  I am sitting here listening to Saint Vitus and sipping a Cuvee Ange.  St. Vitus is a bad [spousal censorship] doom metal band from the 80's.  Cuvee Ange is a rather tasty saison beer aged in wine barrels from 4 Hands Brewery is St. Louis, MO.  Good times.

And since it worked so well last time, this post will consist largely of notes I jotted down while hocking my wares at the Mosaics Art Festival in St. Charles, MO this past weekend.  All in all it was a decent show; one of the best I have had so far...which still isn't saying much.  I would tell myself not to quit my day job just yet, but it is a little late for that.  Let's go!

Friday

• Set up was stressful as usual.  Now I have a PBR in my belly and just want to go home and take a nap.
• I am not an especially social person.  I do not like small talk and selling is not exactly my strong suit.  I am still trying to figure out a way to just make stuff and let Alicia do all the selling.
• Just blasted out the details for a big order!  That calls for another beer and some jerky!
• This is going to be the new art fair drinking game.  Every time I get a custom order I drink, got it?  Then drink, fool!  That is order number two!
• It is difficult having a conversation with someone who does not really speak English.

Saturday

• I do not want to get my hopes up, but the weather is great and there are already people here before the opening bell...promising...[Editor's note:  I should not have gotten my hopes up...]
• Order up! And it is only 11:30! Drink! 
• Things have been moving little by little, and I think the crowds may be picking up.  And I got another order...drink!  [Editor's note:  This was the last order received and thus the end of the drinking game.]
• I am so glad the drum and fife troop is marching up and down the street making conversation (and sales) impossible and scaring the piss out of dogs!
• [Editor's note:  At this point I ran out of business cards (because I did not bring enough) and spent the rest of the day making more out of sketchbook paper.]

Sunday

• A few people have taken the make-shift business cards so far...I don't think everyone really gets my sense of humor.
• A dragonfly just landed in my booth.  A lady standing there said it was supposed to be good luck...then left without buying anything.  The dragonfly left pretty quick too, so I may well be screwed.
• I think I just saw the Rocketeer!  Padded leather jacket and an angular back pack that definitely could have contained a rocket pack...are super heroes real?!
• I believe I may be slipping in and out of this dimension...or maybe time is slowing down or something.  Everything looks washed out and slow and just a little bit off.  It is ok though.  There are only 15 minutes left before closing time and no one is buying anything, so I don't really have anything better to do than slip in and out of dimensions.  [Editor's note:  I now believe this altered state of consciousness was due to wearing sunglasses while it was cloudy and extreme boredom.]

Shortly there after I repacked more work than I was hoping to and headed home.  Again, all in all not a bad show, but it could always be better.

And so there are more pictures in this blog than just a capybara...

This is a page out of one of my sketchbooks.  I always enjoy seeing other people's process drawings and such.  I may start doing two blog posts each week, one regular and one sketchbook post.  Yes, I realize that there are probably very few people in my massive very tiny audience that are interested in the average ramblings of my mind, but it will provide an impetus to catalog and create a back up of my sketchbooks.  They are getting a bit tattered with use.

Up next...I don't know yet, but I'll think of something.

Tragedy, figuring it out and come buy my pots!

 

When I searched the google for "Timmy Tabasco" this was the second image that came up.  I assure you this is not Timmy Tabasco.

My senior year of high school one of the last projects we tackled in my speech class was to write and produce a short television program.  The show my group developed was a situational comedy about a guy who gets put in the witness protection program.  I believe it was called "Where's Walter?" or something like that.  The plot went something like this.

One day as Walter is walking down the street some mob thugs drop a guy on his dog.  (I was that guy dropped on a dog.  They actually threw me off the roof of the school...onto padding of course.  It was pretty freaking cool.)  After witnessing this mob murder Walter testifies to put Jimmy the Squid (the mob boss) in jail and is put in the witness protection program.  For some reason he has to share a room with someone else in the witness protection program.  This new room mate is none other than Timmy Tabasco, a ex-GI red neck on the run from the Chinese mafia.  I was also Timmy Tabasco.  Wackiness ensues.  There are candy-grams, slow speed foot chases and probably not that much oh so much more.

Granted this was only a crappy high school project, but it was awesome...or at least we thought so.  You are no doubt exceedingly disappointed after three weeks of build up, and I don't blame you.

There is probably still a tape of that spectacular show pilot floating around somewhere.  If Dan, Aaron or Steve happen to have a copy of it (or, even less likely, if they happen to read this), I will give you a large Fortel's pizza for a copy of it.

And now that that foolishness is out of the way...

Tragedy!

There are few things sadder than a broken coffee mug.

The other day my son knocked my Brandon Phillips coffee mug off the table and broke it.  It was probably the mug I used most often...the perfect size for a cup of coffee or whiskey.  And a freaking fantastic handle that was just about perfect for how I hold a coffee cup.  Oh well, so it goes.

For something a little less tragic, here are the results of the red clay experiment.

Wishy-washy spoon rests

Wishy-washy sheep

Wishy-washy wheat

There are obviously a few problems here, beside the collapsible handles.  I think the slip was a bit too thin to begin with.  Combine that with them being over fired and you get a washy, thin look that is not all together pleasing.  Due to the over firing the lids also stuck on the jars.  Luckily I only mangled one while knocking them loose.  Most of the batch ended up on the shard pile. 

I did have a couple that did not make it into that first round, though, so I tossed them in with the next bisque firing.

Add caption

"I pour poorly!"

Neither will be sold due to cracks (not sure why/how those showed up), but they are still structurally sound, so I will  probably hold onto them for a while.  At least the platter.  The lid of the teapot fits a little too snug and traps air when pouring, so it is kind of a pain to use.

I will probably pursue this style again soon, but not until I do a little more research.

Finally, a few shots of the glaze load I just unloaded this morning.

Train!

 

Collaborative piece with my 2 year old son.

This is another piece my wife has been bugging me to make for a while.  One of the custom items I make is a "surprise" mug; personalized on the outside with a figurine on the inside.  Now I will always have an example on hand that I can take to shows.  I would actually like to make a catalog to take instead of just examples, but that is still in the works.

Whiskey cups, lidded jars, bottles...and balloons!

The mark of the werewolf!

It was a pretty small load because I had to get some custom orders done, but I was happy with how everything turned out, especially the reds.  I had been having some trouble with getting the color I wanted, but I think I have the formula figured out now.

And finally (again), if anyone is in the St. Louis region, I will be at a show in St. Charles this weekend.  Mosaics goes from 4pm Friday to 5pm Sunday.  It looks like the weather is going to cooperate, so come up and see me!

Up next...capybara! 

AFQotD, random notes and financial cuisine...

I was going to put a little review type thing on here about the show I did last weekend in Fairview Heights, IL, but it is getting kind of late.  Therefore, in the interest of brevity, I will simply transcribe the hand full of notes I scribbled down during the show.  These come to you more or less as I originally thought them.

Friday

•  Art Fair Quote of the day #1: two 20-something women

               "Hey Lindsey, there's a butter dish!"
               "Hahahaha!"
               (What in the world could have transpired that would make the sight of a butter dish so funny?)

• All the tent poles, stakes and ropes make it feel like we are on display at some sort of circus or people zoo or something.
• A little bit of wiggle room between tents would be nice.  They practically have us stacked on top of each other.  Twice already I have knocked paintings off the wall in the booth next to me by bumping into their display.
• Have you ever seen someone so tall you thought to yourself, "What the hell happened to that guy?"
• I have had a number of people give my work the stink eye already.

Saturday

• Art Fair Quote of the Day #2:  Mother & 4-5 year old daughter

               "No no, don't touch Gabby"
               "You touched!"

•  Art Fair Quote of the Day #3:  3 year old boy

               "Follow Simon!  He knows where the didgeridoos are!"

• I don't make pretty pots
• I think I have the most expensive mugs at the show.  The average looks to be about $30.  My average is closer to $40.
• It is slow like a...like something that is really slow.

Sunday

• I think it is funny when parents dress their kids so the whole family matches.  I can understand if it is for family pictures, but I don't think these folks were having family pictures taken.  "I still think there's too much green..."  "I told you, it's a motif!"
• I love it when people give me lengthy, unsolicited advice about what I need to change on my pots to make them better.  Excuse me sir, but...go away!
• There are just shy of three hours left for this show and the crowds (and I use the word "crowds"
  in the very loosest sense of the word) are pretty much gone.
• I love it (really) when people smile, or even better, when they laugh at my work.  Sometimes I laugh when I am making it.

Overall it was a very well organized show, just not very profitable.  Depending on how I decide to cook the books, I covered expenses.

And so this post is not completely devoid of pictures...

...a custom platter for my wife.  She has been wanting me to make a name, wedding, anniversary, whatever you want to call it platter for a while now.  Partly because she wants one to hang on the wall, but mostly because she wants me to hock them as a "custom order" item at shows and such.  Either way we were both pretty happy with how it turned out.

Up next...Timmy Tabasco! 
(I know I said that last time, but this time I mean it...but it will not be for another week and a half as I will be gone all next week.  I know you are all waiting on pins and needles to find out what "Timmy Tabasco" is, but keep your pants on.  You will find out soon enough...and you will undoubtedly be exceedingly disappointed when you do.)

Pickles, ruination and a dog...

 

According to this page, that may or may not be reputable,  the world record for the largest potato is 8 pounds, but an unconfirmed contender may have topped it with a 25 pound behemoth that looks like Slimer,

Now, pots and such.  Actually we are going to start off this week with a bit of putting by.

What are these?  Why pickles, of course.  I planted some cucumbers in the garden this year for the specific purpose of making pickles.  This is only the second batch as I only put in four plants and it has been pretty dry, so not many cucumbers.  These are freaking delicious though, and ridiculously easy to make.  I heard about it on the Survival Podcast, or you can check out the recipe here.

In studios news, I got a load of stuff glazed and fired.  Here are some before and after pictures of the top shelf.  I am really digging the tall oval vase forms.  They are fun to make and create a very nice "canvas" for decoration.  Now I just hope they sell so I can make more.

There were also a couple other new forms in this load...small planters, small lidded jars and garlic keepers.  The small jars are possibly one of my favorite forms thus far.

And the culmination of the red clay (again with these references to stuff I put on Facebook!)...

Before...

After.

This teapot and all the other red ware got a nice coat of white slip before decoration.  It worked out much better for some pieces than it did for others.

Alas!  I shall be resting no spoons!

This spoon rest, for example, I tried to move too soon after dipping it in the slip.  Did you know that if you dip a leather hard pot in slip it will rehydrate and become soft again?  Good, because that is just plain common sense!  Only a foolish individual like myself would forget this and ruin a good pot because of it.

 But wait...there's more...

One of these things is not like the other one... some on, sing!

These mugs looked great after I dipped them, all slippy and just waiting for some sgraffito.  When I came back to check on them though, the handle had broken off every single one.  Not sure why. 

Not all of the red ware broke though; and I really dig how the survivors turned out...more folky than my usual stuff.  I definitely want to give this stuff another shot, but without all the ruination.  If anyone out there has any experience with this sort of work and knows what I may have done wrong, or even if you just have any tips in this area, please give me a shout.

As for the stuff that did make it...

The aforementioned small lidded jars and a couple of spoon rests immediately post dipping.

Jars and teapot after being decorated.

Large (16-17 inch) platter with a crane.

The larger pieces (platter and teapot) were sprayed with slip as they would not fit in the bucket, and that seemed to help the breakage problem, but the handle of the teapot still cracked at the bottom.  Knackers.  

These are all in a bisque firing right now.  I am quite anxious to get them glazed and see what they will look like all finished up.  

Actually I would really like to go to it on these things with an underglaze pencil since the experiments and the stuff in the last kiln load came out so well.  Unfortunately my underglaze pencil is almost used up.  And even if it wasn't, my electric pencils sharpener (which is apparently the only way this pencil likes to be sharpened) is jammed, so I cannot even sharpen what is left of it sufficiently.  Oh well, next time.

Speaking of platters, (We weren't really speaking of platters.  That was just a nice way to switch to a different subject.  It's called a transition; I learned about those in English class.  And even though that was a pretty poor transition, we are going to roll with it.) the platters I have been working on are all scratched up (decorated, that is) and in the kiln.  No pictures yet, other than this one.

The platters were too large to fit in the make-shift spray booth that I normally use, so I had to move operations outside.  Luckily it was not windy at all, so the spraying of slips went off without a hitch...the dog helped.  I enjoyed it so much in fact that I may (weather permitting) continue spraying work out of doors.

And last but not least...Saint Vitus!
Old school doom metal band ala Black Sabbath. 

Up next...Timmy Tabasco!

Post Script:  I have a show coming up this weekend in Belleville, IL.  Midwest salute to the Arts.  It kind of sneaked up on me, so I have been rushing to get some stuff done this week.  If you happen to be in the area feel free to stop by and say hi!

Platters, trailer trash and how not to take pictures...

Ligers...

 This...

 

...not this.

Despite what Napoleon Dynamite may have inadvertently led you to believe, ligers are indeed real creatures.  They are feline hybrids and they are freaking monsters.

I am right now, at this very moment, coming to you from Hangar 9, where I am enjoying a very tasty brew.  That's right, I am working from a bar.  Let's hear it for free wireless internet!  I may have to make a habit of this.

And as nice as that may be for me, it will not necessarily make for a better blog post, at least not this time.  As much as I may try, I am not very good with taking pictures of stuff as I am working on things.  Thus a lot of this may be written as opposed to pictorial.  Or it may just be a shorter post; in which case it may indeed be a good post depending on your reading habits.

Enough muckity-muck; on to the goods.

If you follow me on Facebook (side note: my marketing consultant wife would probably say I should encourage you to go to my face book and "like" me and such, but I honestly do not care.  That stuff is not terribly enjoyable to me.)...if you follow me on Facebook you may have seen that I have been coming around on the platter making.  In the last post I said that my platter endeavors were less than satisfactory, only getting a 15 inch platter out of 18 pounds of clay.  After that though I was able to stretch a 17 - 18 inch platter out of 15 pounds of clay.

The platters 6 before being trimmed.  Even with three less pounds of clay, though, there is still a lot of extra clay to be gotten rid of.

This is the scrappy mess of a wheel after the cutting.  And this is after cleaning up most of the trimmings 4/5ths of the way through.  Oh well; so it goes.

On a completely unrelated note, I got a trailer!

A very short time after I got my truck all set up with a camper (for hauling art fair stuffs and camping at those art fairs), my truck decided to give up the ghost.  Although I never put any pictures or anything up here, I got a new truck, but no camper.  Instead of going the camper route the wife and I decided to get an enclosed trailer to haul stuff around.  And it has tons more room and lights for camping at shows.  Good deal.  Now all I have to do is learn how to back it up without running over anything.

Ok, it is getting late (ish) and I am out of pictures, so I am going to officially throw this out into the ether and head home.  But first...Artificial Lover.  Not real sure how to describe this other than oddly good.

Up next...what is the biggest potato ever grown?

Don't ever say your car is broke...

Kombucha!!!

Go ahead...click the picture.  You know you want to.
And here you thought I was going to go on some SoAD rant.

A little more than a month ago I did an art fair in Paducah, KY.  Aside from it being a little hot, it was a good show.  Right up until I tried to go home.  I was cruising down the road in my gem of a truck when things went awry.  Whenever I tried to accelerate the truck would hesitate a bit, then pick up again when I let off the gas.  Not a good sign.  (Actually it started happening on the way to Paducah, but only once or twice and I had things to do, so I didn't think about it.)  The problem quickly got worse, forcing me to down shift to 4th, then 3rd, then finally to pull off the road where the truck promptly died.  The sweet wife kindly came to pick me up because it was too late to do anything else.  The next day I borrowed my in-law's car to check things out.  A few hours and two tow trucks later the truck was back in the driveway, still not running. 

And there it sat, patiently waiting to be fixed.  Unfortunately I could not get around to doing that as I was getting ready for another show in three weeks. 

Finally this week, after a kick-ass show in Webster Groves, MO (more on that later) I chatted with our mechanic neighbor and came to the conclusion that it was probably the fuel filter that was gumming up the works.  Between yesterday afternoon and this morning, after two trips to the auto store, the truck is running once more!  Turns out it was indeed the fuel filter causing problems; the new one is performing like a champion...so far.  

Now I have almost three months until my next show, so I have a good deal of time to build up inventory, work on the display and post stuff on etsy.  Heck I just might even have time to get some yard work done.  Or at least post on the blog a little more frequently.

Next time...Space Monkies!

One day Tommy ate a bug...

The Yeti!

  A couple weeks ago I was at an art fair in St. Charles, MO. I had never been there before, but apparently they have a quaint little historic main street area filled with various shoppes, boutiques, restaurantes, etc. it was not too shabby a place for an art fair. Traffic was on and off, partly due to the interesting weather that struck Saturday. I always find it odd when the sky gets made enough at you to throw chunks of ice and such. It rained for a brief bit and then turned to quarter and golf ball sized hail. Thankfully it did not last very long and the weather was a bit better Sunday. I was happy with the whole deal and hope I get to go back again soon.  I would have pictures, but I am terrible about remembering the camera and such.

 I am always amazed at how little time artists get in the studio some times. The two weeks before the St. Charles show I don't think I stepped a foot in the studio. I did however build a new display set up featuring a number of pedestals and shelves. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out, but it will take a bit of tinkering to get everything arranged in the booth just so.

Tools of the Trade

The pieces of the puzzle

The end result

They are still a little rough, but they work.  I will clean them up and paint them eventually, but it is not really a pressing matter as they get covered with cloth for the display.


And on top of the new displays, I finally got a new tent! Some shows require a white tent canopy, but the one I have is blue…shazbot. I was originally looking for a high end tent (craft hut, trimline, etc.) and actually found one for a really good price on ebay. Unfortunately the person who listed it had no idea what they were doing and I never got the tent. Thankfully ebay has a buyer protection program, so I got my $1100 back. Later I found a cheaper tent that, while not quite as good, will serve the purpose and last a good while as long as it is well cared for. It will get a test run this weekend as long as the weather cooperates.

And I finally got around to finishing a few teapots I started a number of weeks ago. I tweaked a few things from the last teapot I made, which did not pour quite right. These have narrower spouts, so hopefully that problem is taken care of. The handles are still a little weak; they need to be a bit beefier in the profile.

And last but not least, for anyone who might be in the following areas at the following times, I have a couple shows coming up in the next few weeks. May 18-20 I will be in Paducah, KY at the Lowertown Arts Fair. June 1-3 I will be in Webster Groves, MO (close to St. Louis) for the Art & Air Festival. It would be wicked cool of you to stop by if you can.


Next time…kombucha!

He lives in a hobbit-hole and everybody knows...

Mr. T, of course.
Now, a brief recap of the Dogwood and Azalea Festival in Charleston, MO. (the show I was at this past weekend)....It was not great. I think it was just the wrong market. It was more of a county fair kind of thing rather than an art fair. There was a lot of crafty stuff and imported buy/sell stuff being sold on the cheap, so $20+ pottery was not as sought after. Fine for what it was, but apparently not the place to hock my wares.

On top of that, the weather was terrible. It rained pretty much all day Friday. Saturday it did not rain, but it was still windy and cold. Sunday started off a little warmer, but ended up getting chilly again and raining on and off all day. Suck.

One the plus side I did get to try out my new truck camper. It was acquired last week so I could camp instead of getting a hotel, drastically reducing my overall show expenses. It has already paid for itself, so good deal there.

Here is a picture of my little hobbit hole. You may notice that the back window is taped up and held closed with a ratchet strap. Yes, the camper needs a little work, but it served its purpose so far and will not be difficult to fix up.

On another note, I had an official logo made up for the studio. I think it fits the bill pretty well.

I know, I know..."You're and artist, why didn't you just make your own logo?"  While I have drawn logo designs in the past, I am not a computer person and do not know how to format it to use on a website, business cards, etc.  Since drawing a logo directly onto my computer screen just doesn't work and drawing a logo on each business card would be very inefficient, I decided to go the professional route.  My new logo was designed by Sharon Reynolds Haege.  You can check out her website here.

Speaking of business cards, I just had some made featuring the new logo. Hopefully they will be finished in time for the show this coming weekend in St. Charles, MO. The St. Charles show (7^th Annual Spring Art Walk) is in a much more affluent neighborhood and just features artists. No imported buy/sell stuff, no Ferris wheels or corndog stands...I have much higher hopes for this weekend. Now I just have to make sure my display is up to snuff.
Up next…the Yeti.

A bunch of freakin' stuff

Topic #1: Flies in the ointment
     It really sucks when you have nice pieces that are irreparably flawed in some way.  These are three such items.  The top two are in pieces now, but the designs will undoubtedly be used again.  The bottom one is still usable, just not sell-able.  It will take up residence on the kitchen window sill.

This was an experiment with underglaze and wax resist.  The experiment worked fine; the bits of detritus that settled in the bottom of the cup did not.

The sacred cow had two little pop-outs from bits of who knows what in the clay. 

Unfortunately that light spot on the left is not just a glare.  Apparently part of the slip got rubbed or washed off at some point in time.

Topic #2: The ones that didn't get away.
     I unloaded a glaze kiln today and all in all, it was a good firing.  There were a few bigger pieces and a couple plates in this load, so I didn't get quite as many pieces in as normal.  Thankfully all the orders I had in there came out suitably well.  Here are a few shots of some of the keepers.

Piggy bank...obviously.

Part of a "donation" for an upcoming show.  There was no booth fee, but there was a required donation for a pre show viewing thing.

SETI inspired works just in time for "World UFO Day" celebrated on June 24 (or July 2, depending on your source).

Flies can be cool.

Civet decoration on a coffee pot...wicked cool.

Round two got loaded a little while ago.  It should be out tomorrow night.  The only bad thing about having all this new work is that now I have to take pictures of everything.  That is probably the only part of the whole process that I really dislike.

Topic #3: Living on the edge
     Or on the rim, I guess.  I was playing around with the rim on a couple of ice buckets today, trying to do something more with them than just an abrupt ending. I was pretty happy with the results.

It looks better than what showed up in this picture.  I think I will try this with a split rim too.


Topic #4: The most expensive clay in the world
     I have heard this little quip as a way of describing reclaimed clay.  I have also heard that if you have more time than money you should make (or re-make in this case) it instead of buy it.  Since I unquestionably fall into the category of more time than money, I will continue to reclaim my clay.  To do this I needed to make a new plaster slab as my old one was getting a bit tattered.  Perhaps that was the reason for the little pops on the sacred cow.

I put this frame together today.  I ran a couple1" dowel rods through it to help support the slab as the bottom will be removed once the plaster has set up.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to mix good, strong plaster.

Topic #5:  It's killin' me
     This killin' time, that is.  Or perhaps it is the Easter candy sitting on the counter.  So what do we do while staring at Easter candy, waiting for a kiln to cool?  Make "chocolate" covered pretzels, of course.

To be honest, they are not actually covered with chocolate.  The Easter candy was made out of sugar and oil with natural and artificial chocolate flavoring.  Not really something I need to put in my body, but when combined with little pretzels it doesn't seem quite as bad. 

Next week: Which is better, a turkey or Mr. T?