All posts by JB-admin

Yearning for Spring

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I was browsing through photos yesterday and came across this one, take on March 1, 2011…

The tulip tree did not look like this on March 1, 2015! There are a few fuzzy buds and that’s it. We are expecting warmer temperatures this week, even a possibility of 74 degrees. In between those warm days it is still expected to drop into the 20’s overnight.

 Despite the struggle to keep warm and dry, some pots have been made and bisque fired. Yesterday I got all the underglaze applied and wiped down.

Today we will glaze and start loading the kiln. My glazing will be straightforward… mostly nuka glaze and the usual assortment of piggy bank color combinations. There are a few sinks for this firing. Jeff and I do those together. I pour the glaze and he does the turning, dumping, and dipping. It’s sort of a dance that we have choreographed quite well. It can get messy, so we like to set up our dance outside. Looks like we picked a good day for it.

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Broken

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Jeff brought one of his large wood fired pots into the house to be photographed. It was in the kitchen, standing next to the center island. I was cooking dinner and he asked me to pass one of the bar stools over to him. When I picked up the stool, the leg hit the vase.
It seemed like it rolled over in slow motion, with me not being able to do anything about it. It hit the floor and shattered.

I cried.

I try not to cry when favorite (or very expensive) things get broken, because objects shouldn’t be anything to cry over. Looking at the broken vase on the floor, all I could think of was the time and talent it took to create this giant beauty, and then the labor of a five day wood firing. Yes, I did think of the $1200 that it would sell for.

Jeff hugged me tight and said, “Just be glad it wasn’t a sink”.

I still had that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the shards out on the porch this morning.

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Another snow day…

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This is the scene we woke up to this morning! I shot this photo looking out from the kiln shed into the backyard. The heavy wet snow has completely transformed the shape of the cedar tree. Throughout the night we could hear the snow slide off the metal roof of the house, and land onto the porch roof with a loud thud. It’s hard to tell just how much snow fell. It looks like just a few inches. At one point during the night it sounded like it was raining. The temperature is hovering around 32 degrees. Next week it is supposed to climb back up into the 50’s. I am definitely ready for warmer weather.

While the weather may stop people from driving out to Seagrove for pottery, the Etsy shop is always open. Isn’t it great that you can shop for a new mug, wearing your pajamas, and curled up on the sofa?

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The Year of the Goat

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 Happy New Year… a day late! Yesterday was Korean and also Chinese New Year. Jeff made traditional Korean Tteokguk soup, typically served on New Years day. It’s a simple but spicy beef soup with rice cake.

While the broth simmers, the sliced rice cakes are soaked in cold water. The rice cakes are so yummy. They are like a very dense noodle. They do contain wheat flour, so they aren’t gluten free. When the soup is finished, the rice cakes are simmered for a few minutes in the broth.

We always have sliced cabbage kimchi on the side. I like to put mine right into the soup.

Perfectly yummy on a cold February night!
 Later in the day today, the studio finally warmed up enough to work in. I finished putting handles on small squared off bowls and gave each a few flower stamps. These were also made by altering with a board, which means there are no seams to crack. They are smaller bowls, a good size for salsa, dip, soup, or cereal. I had fun making them and  I am happy with the way they came out. I think tomorrow I will make a few more. 
Have a great night and stay warm!

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Keeping Warm and Trying to Stay Productive

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The arctic air has settled in to Seagrove, NC. It seems we spend a good part of our day trying to keep warm and making sure the pipes don’t freeze. I was fascinated by how the faucet in the bathroom sink creates a bubble when it’s on the slow drip.

We had a short snow squall late in the day on Wednesday. In just a half an hour, more snow fell than from the entire winter storm of the previous day.

The expected high for the day is 18 degrees. The low tonight will be 4. I think that may be the coldest I have experienced since moving south. I am really longing for Spring this year.

Studio work is slowly getting done. While I have been working on more square bakers and bowls, Jeff has been completing a wholesale goblet order. This time of year we are thankful for the wholesale work because we don’t have too many people shopping in Seagrove. Temps will climb into the mid 40s & 50’s by the weekend. I hope that will stir some shoppers out of hibernation.

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Snow Day!

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 This is what we woke up to this morning…

We had a little snow with a coating of ice over the top of it. It was cold enough that it didn’t cling to the trees and the power stayed on. The road is snow and ice covered. We haven’t seen a plow truck, therefore our mail box is still standing. You may remember that every time it has snowed the plow truck has taken out our mail box. 

Our neighboring farm always looks so idyllic with a little snow cover. The farm help worked quite late yesterday preparing for the impending storm. This morning it looked like all the cows were still snug in their barn.

Last night I made a yummy mac & cheese. This is my own recipe where I make a standard cheese sauce with cheddar and monterey jack cheese, then add sauteed onion, cumin, and red pepper flakes. When I mix it in the pasta I add a couple cans of Rotel tomatoes. Top with seasoned panko bread crumbs and bake until bubbly. Collard greens rounded out the meal. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy snuggled up on the sofa, streaming episodes of HBO’s “Six Feet Under”, and hearing the sounds of sleet falling on the metal roof.

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Batten Down The Hatches

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We are expecting a weather event! It’s been really cold here, 27 degrees at 2pm. Snow and freezing rain are in the forecast for late this afternoon and into tomorrow. We are prepared for the worse, hoping that it won’t really happen. Last night I roasted a chicken, and today I am making chicken stock with the bones. If we lose power overnight, I can make a soup on the wood stove.

The studio is a little harder to heat than the house, so I have to admit that I have been a little slow with the clay work. I finished a litter of pigs and moved on to baking/serving dishes.

Along with ovals I created a few squared off dishes. Rather than make them in two sections I decided to try cutting a crescent out of the edge of two sides and squishing it together, a la the B Van Gilder technique. I am still concerned with cracking on the two seams so I also experimented with pushing the sides with a board to created the square. I did this right after throwing, and before cutting it off the bat.

The first two were a little wonky, but I think I finally got the hang of it. This method does leave a little ripple in the clay where it was pushed in, but I sort of like the effect… once I learned how to work with it. I am waiting for the squares to firm up enough to finish the undersides and then I will attach some handles and give them some flower stamps. I guess it’s time to put on some layers, get out there, and go to work.
Stay warm!

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Winter Blooms on Valentines Day

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6:00 pm is closing time around here. Not for studio work, but for the sales gallery. Last night I was heading out to bring in the open flags and I mentioned to Jeff that I was taking scissors with me to cut some daffodils that were blooming in the yard. He quickly dropped what he was doing to join me… he had planned to cut some for ME for Valentines Day! We went out together and each picked a few for each other and proclaimed, “Happy Valentines Day”.  We like to keep it simple.

and wouldn’t you know, our flowers were photo bombed by a pig.

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New Tools

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I try to throw on bats as little as possible. Between us, Jeff and I have a large number of bats both big and small. The problem with bats is that when you throw on them they take up a lot of room. Small bats are a pain because there is the extra step of throwing a pad of clay to adhere them to. A couple of months ago Jeff bought a set of bats with a remove-able center. We have both been giving a them a go.

The bats are really thick and I hope that will prevent warping in the future. Only time will tell. The space saving feature is a big plus. I am not thrilled with the way I can feel the “finger” notches when I am centering. While it bothers me, Jeff doesn’t mind it. If they hold up, we will invest in some more center pieces.
I haven’t done a whole lot of studio work in the past week, it seems paperwork, and shipping have been at the top of the “must do” list. What little wheel work I have done has been in porcelain. Bowls, plates, and mugs. Stamped with flowers and destined for black underglaze and finished with celadon.

Geesh, do I hate pulling handles with porcelain. The constant battle with cracking :-/.

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