Tag Archives: Travel

Hunker down… snow is coming!!

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Our friends Bonnie and David always bring us some poinsettias on New Years Eve. They are beautiful and from a nursery in Greensboro. Typically I would bring them in the house and place them on our fireplace hearth. After the poison plant debacle with Sophie this fall, I am not taking any chances! They aren’t as poisonous as the dieffenbachia and she has never bothered with them in the past, but she seems to have become a plant eater in her old age.

Things are moving along in the studio. I had a friend ask me to replace a spoon rest, so I figured I may as well make a bunch. We don’t make them on a regular basis. I probably should. They are quick to make and usually quick to sell. I make them so that they can also be used as either trinket or soap dishes too.

The holiday’s must be a time for breakage! A customer contacted me to say she broke her favorite mug. It’s a simple, loosely thrown design, with flower stamps. I hadn’t made this style in quite awhile. The ginkgo leaf carving sort of took over most everything I make. I was happy to make her one and then some. It’s nice to work in a looser style every now and then.

It’s raining now, but we are expecting a change over to snow this evening. We could get a significant amount, for North Carolina. At least we won’t have to do much shoveling. The temps will be back in the 50’s by Wednesday. 
This is the last time I experienced lots of snow. A visit to New Hampshire in October of 2011. I think we had close to two feet. We aren’t expecting that much tonight……………THANKFULLY!

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Re-Grouping

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The week between Christmas and New Years Day is a strange one. It seems we don’t know what day it is and we fall out of our usual routine. The other day Jeff said he felt like a retired person. Work a little bit on this or that, take a break, get started on something else. We have used this time to catch up on things that were let go over the busy season. I cleaned the carpet in the den and then did a thorough dusting. I did such a such a good job that when I switched on our lovely wagon wheel light, it flipped the circuit breaker. Evidently some of the wire covers were very brittle and my super-duper cleaning exposed some wires. It was time for the fixture to go! We were gifted a ceiling fan with a light some months ago so it was time to install it. I was shocked that Jeff actually knew where we had stored it… under the bed! If I am missing anything, I should always look there first.
It took way longer than planned but it’s done. 
This is the wagon wheel. It has little copper pan “hats” that fit over the globes. I snapped this photo before we moved in and later found the “hats” in a drawer. I almost tossed them, not knowing that they went to the light fixture!
Here is the updated look. Sophie is afraid of it. She has never liked ceiling fans. Jeff thinks it has a science fiction look. I have dubbed it the “eye” from War of the Worlds.
In between the cleaning I accomplished a few things in the studio. I finally finished this vase that I started weeks ago. Mugs are waiting for handles, a new batch of sponge holders are drying. Jeff has multiple vessel sinks in progress.
Friends will arrive tomorrow evening to ring in 2017. We will have plenty of food and drink, if your in the neighborhood stop in. I will fix you a fancy cocktail. 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Celebrate!

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What a week it’s been! We unloaded the kiln on Monday, sanded all the pots, packaged and shipped them off to their destinations, just in the knick of time. We had an excellent firing. All of the orders looked great. Jeff’s giant cooker came out perfect. The buyer didn’t want anything fancy, just something utilitarian. He should be able to cook a good size bird in it. 
The weather has been warm and I took the opportunity to do some heavy cleaning. I took anything that could be hosed off outside and did just that. The floor got a good mopping. It will be nice to resume work in a cleaner studio.
Last night we kicked off our holiday celebration with my annual tortierre (pork pie). Traditionally it’s a Christmas eve meal for French Canadians, but I just like to enjoy it any time around the holiday season.
Wishing all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Festivus. Enjoy some time off and celebrate life with family and friends.
~ Michèle, Jeff, and Sophie

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A Year of Frugal Living

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Jeff and I really underestimated how much our move would affect our business. Who would have thought that moving one mile up the road, on the same road, could be that painful? It wasn’t just the new location, but also the expense of renovating studio space, along with the cost of rebuilding our gas kiln. We did most of the work ourselves which saved a ton of money. There is still more to do but since last April, we feel we are up and running at full speed again. 
Jeff and I have never lived extravagantly but for the last eighteen months we have tried to cut our expenses anyway that we could.

We switched propane companies when the one we were using  increased our rate to $2.39 per gallon. Quick math will tell you how much a 500 gallon tank costs to fill at that price. I made a few calls and found a company that offered $1.15! Now if I could only get the old company to remove their tank from our yard… it’s been sitting there since September. I wonder if I can start charging them rent?

Next on the “things to cut” list was XM radio. We have it in the car and the studio. After some discussion we decided to cancel the car and just have it in the studio. Our radio stations here are awful and we often need a break from NPR. When I called to cancel they offered to cut my bill in half and keep both radios. I accepted, thinking… why didn’t I call months ago to cancel?!

I have been shopping at Aldi’s and the dreaded Walmart, more than I used to. We rarely eat out and there are no take joints around here, so there was no adjustment needed in that department.

The traffic to our studio isn’t quite what it used to be. I think we might be dealing with that until a new area map of the potters comes out.  Thanks to a couple of really good shows and excellent Etsy sales, we are now able to breath a little. The struggle has been well worth the pain and effort. We own our own place (along with the bank) and in the long run will have more control of our future. I think we have turned the corner and I am looking forward to 2017.
We loaded the last bisque firing for holiday orders. We are working right down to the last minute. Check out that HUGE chicken cooker that Jeff created! It’s a special order for a couple in Lexington. I think they might be able to cook a turkey in it.

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Organization

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Jeff and I have been feeling rather unorganized since moving our studio a year ago. Don’t get me wrong, we have never been super organized… but if you were to go down to our basement right now you would gasp at the mayhem. It’s been a tough to balance getting pots made and getting settled. This week while I glazed piggy banks, Jeff cleared out some boxes and got the smaller pug mill set up in a permanent location. This is huge for us. It’s been totally painful to pug clay for the last year and our scrap clay has been getting a little overwhelming because of it. We now have a clear workspace and all of our dies are in easy reach. After the holidays I will spend some time deciding what needs to be on the shelves and in cabinets.

Our work flow is slowly improving!

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A Cautionary Tale

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If you have pets, beware of this plant!

It’s a dieffenbachia, also known commonly as “dumb cane.” You may remember that Sophie was a sick kitty on Halloween and a trip to the vet revealed she had hyper-thyroid, but no cause could be found for her vomiting, lethargy, and refusing to eat. She was given anti-nausea drugs and within 24 hours was back to her old self.
Fast forward two weeks and we awoke again to a very sick kitty. This time the vomiting and drooling was extensive. She wouldn’t stay in one place, so just imagine the mess. Never mind the fact that our house is mostly light beige carpeting. I followed her around cleaning up, bucket and carpet cleaner in hand. Eventually out came a piece of plant. Jeff identified it as the dieffenbachia! A quick google search and she had all the symptoms of plant poisoning.
Off to the vet we went. This time we came home with “pepcid” for cats along with a slurry drug to coat her mouth and throat. This plant irritates the mouth, throat, and vocal chords. It’s seldom life threatening but quite painful.

Sophie is doing fine now. Her voice is still a little hoarse sounding, but other than that she is back to normal. Sophie has lived with that plant for six years and never touched it. Why she decided to start eating it now, is beyond me. Needless to say the plant now lives in the studio.

Jeff and I also bought ourselves an early Christmas gift…
A carpet cleaner.

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Deadlines

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Thursday and Friday we loaded the kiln to fire a bisque. Lots of things weren’t dry so we fired very slowly. Jeff  snoozed on the sofa overnight, setting his alarm to keep checking the kiln. As soon as it’s cool we will glaze and load her up again. We have orders to ship next Friday.
 Jeff created two more custom skull mugs. These are a little more cartoon-like than the last. The buyer sent photos of what they had in mind. I think this one is pretty cool!
This week we are back to piggy bank production. Since the first of December, I have take thirteen new orders. I always get a stressed when the deadline is Christmas delivery. I don’t want to be the person that doesn’t deliver a gift on time!

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A Week of Celebrations

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The Celebration of Seagrove Potters show is behind us and I am happy to say was a very successful weekend. It was our best show to date with good sales in our gallery, and online as well. The pot in the photograph is a collaboration piece that Jeff and I donated to the live auction that takes place during the gala preview party. We were happy that the winning bid was a little more than what we valued the piece at. It’s always disappointing if donations are under bid. For that reason, we are selective as to who we donate to.

When the show was over we had just a few days to unpack, clean the house, and grocery shop for the next celebration…

Thanksgiving! We were the hosts this year and we had quite a gang. There were eighteen of us at the dinner table… which had to stretch from the dining room, into the living room!
We even had a few kids to enjoy for the day. They had to humor me with the obligatory tire swing photos. Jeff and I are thankful to have found a home that is a central meeting point for the family as well as being large enough to handle a crowd. It was lots of fun and by 6:00 pm we were exhausted. 
I hope that all of my readers enjoyed the day as much as we did.

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Moving Forward… Sometimes at a Snails Pace

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I think this is the longest I  have been away from the blog since my mother died two years ago. No one died this time, but it’s been a rough few weeks. Our Sophie cat has been sick again, Jeff cracked a tooth and is in the process of getting a crown ($$$$$!), and my Dad was hospitalized for a couple of days because he has been having mini-strokes. 
And did I mention there was an election squeezed in between all this? But I don’t even want to get into that debacle.
The cat seems to be recovering, she ate a piece of a dieffenbachia plant which is poisonous and now out of the house (more vet bills $$$), Jeff’s tooth is feeling better, and as for Dad… we are starting to look at assisted living options. 
On a brighter note, it’s Celebration of Seagrove Potters weekend! We have a nice big directional sign in our yard and we managed to make new pots for the show. There is a kiln cooling that will be unloaded on Friday afternoon, just in time for the gala reception in the evening. The show runs from November 18-20, 2016. I will be at the show, Jeff will keep our gallery open on the home front. 
I have my “positive attitude” hat on and it’s looking to be a great weekend.

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Decorating a Big Pig

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The holiday orders for piggy banks are starting to roll in. I was excited to get an order for two large piggy banks. These will be about 9″ long and 7 1/2″ tall when they are finished.

 As soon as the piggy bank is assembled, I stamp the name on the side. I have a few sets of stamps, ranging from a snap together set made for clay, to a variety of rubber stamps in different fonts and sizes. If the pig is going to get a carved design, I cover him loosely with plastic and let the ears stiffen a little overnight.

The next morning I can apply white slip to the body and ears. I really like using these mop type of brushes with bamboo handles. They are the same brushes that we use to apply raku glazes. 
If it’s not too humid, the pigs are ready to carve by afternoon. I usually clean up the name a bit with my carving tool. Especially if the any thick areas of slip filled in the impression.

Since creating the first leaf and vine design this fall, I have taken orders for three more pigs with it. It’s always fun to have something new to work on.

And lastly I have a Sophie cat update. She is doing much better. Practically back to her old self. I tried to take her photo and she ran away. If you look closely you can see she is camouflaging herself against the dining room table. She hates cameras. Thankfully she has been easy to pill and yesterday she was back to her normal eating schedule. Jeff and I are very relieved. A big thank you to all my readers for your kind words, helpful suggestions, and support.

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