We recently bought some of STARworks Ceramics new Eastfork clay. Last fall we had a sample that we tested and really liked how it looked with Jeff’s ash glaze. Jeff threw a couple of platters last week and brushed them with white slip. I spent this afternoon carving ginkgo leaves into them. It has a smooth consistency that makes it easy to carve, and I love the color even before firing. I haven’t given the clay a try on the wheel yet, fingers crossed that I will like the way it throws.

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 Two different Highwater porcelains with the same glaze. Notice how much darker the cup is? I think that must be the P-10. The plate is Helios.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, I hope the weather where you are, is as nice as it is here Seagrove, NC.

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Have you ever seen one before? It is located to the right of the sink. If you pull it up, it swings out and raises the shelf to about a foot lower than the counter. The only thing that Jeff and I can surmise is that it was used to hold a small garbage can. When raised to it’s upper position you could peel potatoes over it, or dump other waste into it. It raises easily, but is a pain to lower. Perhaps it worked more easily in the 60’s!
Should we remove it, or leave as it’s a quirky 60’s house thing? One thing is for sure… it will be a pain in the a$$ to paint.

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It seems like lately this is a home improvement blog, but in reality we are still making pots. Over the weekend I decorated some mugs for a fundraiser that will benefit the North Carolina Pottery Center, and Seagrove Area Potters Association. Seagrove potters worked together to throw, handle, decorate, glaze, and fire, 250 mugs. The exhibition and sale, titled “250 Mugs on the Wall”, opens Saturday May 30, 2015. Opening reception on that day from 4:30 – 7:30.

 It was fun to work on mugs that others have made. If you think about it, three or four potters had a hand in making each of these mugs.

 Then of course there are always piggy bank orders to fill.

When the shop closes, it’s time to head to the other house and strip paint. Needless to say, we are pretty tired these days.

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 The interiors of the cabinets are three different colors, pink, green, and off-white. They are absolutely disgusting, inside and out. We made the decision to replace the countertop, sink, and cooktop. Last month we bought a dishwasher on sale, and that has already been delivered, just not installed. The countertop will be something inexpensive that will coordinate with the island. It’s not financially possible for us to do it all right now. At this point we are just looking for clean and neat.

This house has a large living room and a good size den. We only had a chair for the den which was going to make it a rather sparsely furnished room. A neighbor potter is moving and she had a sofa for sale at a great price, so we snatched it up!

It’s a sofa-bed and was a b!tch to move! It had to come down a short flight of stairs at her house. Thankfully at our house it only had to be moved through the carport and into the first room. A few new pillows from IKEA and the sofa looks great. This is the room with the lovely wagon wheel light…

That light really has to go. I am just not into the wild west decor.

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After a little hiccup in Japan, Jeff arrived home last night, 24 hours later than scheduled. The airline totally destroyed his largest suitcase. Amazingly, nothing was broken or lost. Packed within his clothes were small pots, a bottle of Omija berry wine, a bottle of sake, a variety of Korean gardening tools, and some herbal medicines.

While Jeff was in Korea he experienced an herbal therapy that uses the same pressure points as acupuncture. Instead of needles, it is a cylindrical stick packed with herbs and applied with a stick on base to a pressure point. It is then lit like incense. He brought a box home and we gave it a try on my left wrist, which has been bothering me.

The herb used is ssuk tteum, aka mugwart.

 It felt very warm, at first and then got quite hot feeling. Not hot enough to be uncomfortable.

You can have these treatments in what I would call a spa, but not sure if that’s what it would be called in Asian countries. In those situations the mugwart is place in little clay pots and burned on pressure points. It can also involve acupuncture.

There is a card inside the box that maps out pressure points… of course it’s all in Korean and we will have translate it!

photo credit: Sukyoung Kim

Here are Jeff, Ron Philbeck, and Jeon Changhyun experiencing some “heating and healing” time in Korea.
Time will tell how effective these treatments can be. It sure feels good and relaxing… and afterwards the house smells like we’ve been smoking pot. Surely, that’s not a bad thing!

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 Jeff is on his way home! Last night he messaged me with these photo from Shibuya Station. He was in Tokyo, waiting for his train to the airport. He says Shibuya is Times Square x 10.

Jeff requested spaghetti with italian sausage and tomato sauce for his first meal at home. I guess he has grown weary of kimchi, rice, and fish!

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I really love a freshly painted room, but I am not in love with the process of getting there. Especially when it starts with taking down wallpaper. There are so many steps that need a day to dry before you can move on. I have taken that “in between time” to clean carpets, line shelves (I have spent a small fortune on shelf liner!), and wash ceiling light fixtures. There were a few lights that we decided right away had to go. One was the “wagon wheel light” in the den. I may have already mentioned that one. Also on the list was the light in the hallway. Financially, everything can’t be replaced at once. Which means they at least need to be clean. After getting up close and personal with some of these fixtures, I have decided that a couple of them are rather sweet and very retro.

This is the guest bedroom, ceiling light…

I like how it has the little holes to let out little dots of light, and it’s light pink with gold flecks!

It was hard to get a photo with my phone, but it compliments the bedroom light. The dot holes are actually much smaller. The glass matches the bedroom light and the can is similar, not dark like the photo. It’s not a very big fixture for such a long hall, and the hall seemed dark. When I took down the light I realized that there was only one bulb in it. With two bulbs, the space is much brighter.

The painting in the main bath is complete, except for the trim and vanity. I need some advice from Jeff on that, so I am waiting for him to return home. I am hoping a friend will help me rehang the plate glass mirror today. I know I can’t tackle that monster alone. The original plan was to replace the giant mirror with a framed mirror, but this is what we found when the mirror came down…

The walls are plaster, and they weren’t finished on the lower half. The easiest thing to do is to rehang the monster mirror. At least it is keeping with the 60’s look and a large mirror helps make a small bathroom appear bigger.
That’s the latest chapter in the new house adventure. Stay tuned for updates, unless you are already bored to tears.

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until Jeff returns! I like “me” time, but I have had plenty. I am also getting really anxious about getting this house/studio move underway. There is only so much that I can do alone.

 I asked Jeff to bring back a t-shirt for my great niece’s birthday. What I didn’t know was that the festival t-shirts are “make your own”. The people working the booth apply a stencil for you to sponge paint the design.

The finished shirt looks like this…

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