Pelagaia

Folk Art Show

2011-03-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Folk Art show at Fearrington Village was amazing!

I want to share with you some pictures of the great work that I saw. I was like a kid in a candy store, walking around with my mouth hanging open. I was so inspired when I left I have been drawing and painting non stop!

Well, I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Enjoy!

Have a great week!

Kate

What does Pelagaia mean?

2010-06-17T23:04:00.000-04:00

PELAGAIA

PELAGIA – ‘Of The Sea’

[ 3 syll. pe-la-gia, pel-ag-ia ]

The girl name Pelagia is pronounced PehLAAJHah †.

Pelagia is of Greek origin.

It is used mainly in Greek and Polish.

The meaning of Pelagia is 'of the sea'.

Derived from the word pelagos.

Pelagia is the feminine form of the Greek Pelagios.

Stephen Zeh - Basketmaker

2010-04-11T09:50:00.005-04:00

Good Day People!

I have a link that you just have to check out!

www.stephenzeh.com

I am stunned by the perfection of Stephen Zeh's work.

I love acorns and for a while I was looking for the perfect acorn necklace.

I have finally found the perfect acorn necklace.

I'm speechless.

Kate

PITTSBORO NC - FIRST SUNDAY - EASTER

2010-04-04T19:28:00.000-04:00

I did my first craft show of the year today in Pittsboro, NC. On the first sunday of every month from 12 noon to 4 they have a street fair. It's all handmade crafts by local artists.

It was beautiful today with temps up in the 80's.

I also had some friends to sit next to this time. It's amazing how much more fun a show can be when you have friends to chat with.

A big thank you to all my customers for supporting handmade local crafts.

Kate

Necklace Photoshoot

2010-03-30T18:35:00.001-04:00

Hello There!

Its been almost a year since I've posted anything. Sorry about that.

After my posting last year I got engaged and then married.

I made a ton of crafts for the wedding but I was so busy I didn't post any pictures at all. I also moved out of my wonderful house back into an apartment. The economy has been hard on me as well as everyone else. For my wedding I made some great candles in punch cups, some paper boxes with candy inside as well as my own veil.

My veil was my favorite thing out of the entire wedding. I attached the wine colored ribbon with invisible thread. Wow, If you've ever used invisible thread, you know my pain. I felt blind for the first time in my life. I love the way it turned out though. Too bad I only get to wear it once.

Have a great week!

Kate

Four Leaf Clovers

2009-06-07T09:50:00.002-04:00

Hi there everybody!

Just a quick update.

As most of you know, I am one of those people that find four leaf clovers all the time. I don't have to be looking. I guess I can just recognize a difference in the patterns easier than most.
I find them to be lucky because the artistic side of my brain believes in magical things.
I know, I know, the analytical side of my brain does know that four leaf clovers are just a genetic mutation in the plant. Give me my fantasies people!
Anyway, as you see above, I will be making the ones I find this summer into pendants.
I should have them up on my Etsy shop in about a month or so.

Today I will be at the First Sunday Craft Fair in Pittsboro, NC again.
Would love to see you like always!

Kate

Big Strange Mushroom!

2009-05-16T10:55:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share with you a picture of this giant mushroom that is growing out in my yard. It's bigger than a dinner plate and getting bigger every day.
This grew in three days.

Kate

Haw River Festival Pictures

2009-05-09T18:59:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to share with you a couple pictures from the Haw River Festival today.
It was so nice. There were alot a great bands and a dance troup too. They had story telling for the kids which was cool and a bunch of great crafts for sale.
-Kate-

Etsy Shop on Vacation

2009-05-09T09:27:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let you know the reason you see the big white box on the right.
------------------------------------------------>
While I'm at the Haw River Festival today May 9th, I have put my Etsy on vacation until I'm back.
It will be back up around 9 pm tonight.
Kate

The Haw River Festival

2009-05-08T21:59:00.003-04:00

Good Day Everyone!

On Saturday May 9th I will be down by the river at the Haw River Festival!

I have attached a link below.
They are going to have several bands and a bunch of activities for kids too.
I am going to be there selling my necklaces but I'm really going just to get out of the house and spend a nice day listening to local music and chilling out by the river.

www.hawriver.org

Hope to see you there!
The entry fee is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for kids. It's just a suggested donation.
The money goes to help protect the Haw River and Jordan Lake (North Carolina).

As always, have a great weekend!

Kate

2009-05-03T09:25:00.002-04:00

I'm at Pittsboro First Sunday Craft Show today May 3rd.
That is why my Etsy shop on the right looks like a big blank white box.

I will be home around 5pm or so tonight.

-Kate

Pittsboro First Sunday - May 3rd

2009-04-29T10:03:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to share a picture of my front yard. It has been beautiful here in North Carolina!
Yesterday I had a black and blue butterfly land on my hand and stay there for 20 mins.
This is my first Spring not living in an apartment and I am loving every bit of it!

I wanted to remind everyone that I will be at the handmade craft show in Pittsboro this weekend. It's called First Sunday and it's on May 3rd from 12:00 to 4:00!

http://www.pittsboroshops.com/FirstSunday.htm

See you there!
Kate

Lesson Learned

2009-04-26T15:07:00.007-04:00

I spent a long day yesterday at the Raleigh Flea Market.

Lesson : Choose your venue wisely!

I was told by a number of local people that the Raleigh Flea Market would be a great place for me to sell my pendants. I decided to go there and see how it would work out. I have never been there before just to shop around so I really had no idea what kinda stuff was being sold and at what prices ranges.
That was a big mistake!
In the future I will definitely go to a venue first as a shopper before getting up at 4:00 am to be able to be a vendor. The customers were not looking for hand made unique items at all. They were all looking for something dirt cheep. I can understand that, but after all the hard work making something, I wasn't ready to lower my prices. I did get some nice comments and I made sure a bunch of people took my card but I had ZERO sales. That is disappointing after working so hard all day.
The booth wasn't too expensive so the financial loss wasn't that bad but in the future I am going to make sure that the venues I choose are the perfect fit for me.

On a good note:
I think all the cards did do me some good! I had more visitors to my Etsy yesterday than normal.

Have a great week!

Kate

Raleigh Flea Market

2009-04-25T04:50:00.002-04:00

Hi there peoples!

I will be at the Raleigh Flea Market today selling my jewelry.
I have put my Etsy shop on vacation mode just for today. That's why you probably see a big white empty square on the right side of my page.
Sorry about that.
I will be back tonight around 9:00 pm eastern time.

Have a great Saturday!
Kate

Garden and Etsy stock

2009-04-21T10:49:00.006-04:00

I have been very busy the past couple of weeks. As many of you know, I was laid off from my job almost two months ago now and I have been trying to create as much as I can during this rare time without work.
I planted a garden last week and just this morning the lettuce is peaking through the soil. YEA! The two tomato plants that you see I bought from a local farmer. They were already started so I can have some early tomatoes. One plant already has a tomato! The big pole that you see in the picture above is going to be a pea tee pee. I have planted peas around the bottom and then I'm going to run string to the top of the pole so they have something to climb on.
I will post pictures through out the summer as the garden grows.
I have planted string beans, cucumbers, green peppers, red peppers, lettuce, broccoli, peas, onions, basil, and tomatoes.

Art Update:
I was speaking with people on Etsy this past week regarding how much stock I should carry in my shop. They convinced me that the more the better, so I have been working like crazy to get a bunch of pendants made. I am putting the resin coating on today, as you can see in the picture above. I will start posting them in my shop a couple per day starting the end of the week.

Have a great day!
Kate

New Jewelry has Arrived!

2009-04-08T11:30:00.006-04:00

Picture of me working on the resin coating process.

Here is one of my favorites.

Hi everybody! I have been working on the designs and process to make these necklaces for about a month now.
This necklace is made on a piece of hardened leather, with hand painting and a pen and ink design. Then when all of the extra hand painting is finished on the surface, I coat the front in resin for a durable and glistening finish.
Please check out the link on the right side of the page.
I have a many colors and designs posted on Etsy.

So, I went to my old job yesterday to throw ideas off of them and get some constructive criticism. I got some really helpful input which is just great when you make something new.
They also surprised me by buying a total of 6 of them from me.
Thanks Guys! You really made my day.

I will be getting a table in Pittsboro the first Sunday in May so if you are local and can swing by I would love to see you!

Kate

Jewelry coming soon!

2009-03-23T08:10:00.006-04:00

NEW JEWELRY COMING SOON

I just wanted to update you on a new project that I have started. I am working a new line of jewelry items! For about two weeks now I have been working on designs and making prototypes. There is a lot of trial and error with technique and paint types but I am making a mess and having fun.

Pictures of the final product will be coming soon.

As soon as I plan my first show for Spring I will post it here.
Tentatively May 3rd in Pittsboro, NC

Kate

My snowman

2009-01-31T20:53:00.003-05:00

Hi There! I know I haven't posted in a while. Sorry about that.
We had a freak snowstorm here in North Carolina. We got about 6 -7 inches.
That is a lot for here. I made the snowman that you see above and just had a great time. As far as the other crafting and creation process, it's still slow going since the move. I just finished organizing my craft room today. I have a few ideas mulling around in my head so something will happen soon. I just want to go buy tons of craft supplies to be inspired by.
That's one of my favorite things to do.

See you soon! Only 6 more weeks till Spring!
Happy Groundhog Day!

Kate

The New Front Yard

2009-01-03T10:24:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of my new front yard.

Kate

2008-12-26T11:23:00.002-05:00

Here is a hat that I made for someone for Christmas. She is really into black and red. I end up wanting to keep every one that I make! The hat production is going to have to slow down for a while because my sewing machine broke ... again. I can usually fix it but this time I am having no luck. The truth is, I really should get a new one if I'm going to be mass-producing these babies.
I am moving to the next town over this weekend. I am finally going to be in a house! I will have my own craft room, so the obsession to make stuff will flourish, I'm sure of that. I will also be able to have a garden. Woo Hoo. We are going to have a big yard and I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt.
Have a happy New Year everyone!
Kate

Another Little Show and a lesson

2008-12-14T10:35:00.004-05:00

Here is Santa arriving in a fire truck.

A cute little happy customer! I loved this hat. I kinda wanted to keep it for myself.

Well, I did this tiny little show in a neighboring town. It was the day of the Christmas parade and it was very cold. I sold a bunch of hats and one ornament.
I am learning alot. When I started making the hats I thought that the kid sizes would be the most popular because the style is very cute and child-like. Well, it turns out everyone likes the adult ones, even the small customers. Also, I am discovering that the ones that are my favorites were also the ones that people bought. Here I thought that I had to adjust my taste to the general public, because sometimes my taste is a bit off the wall. Well it turns out, people are enjoying the craft that has my heart into it.
This is a good lesson to just be myself and there will be people out there who enjoy my uniqueness.

Have a great day.
Kate

The Show in Pittsboro

2008-12-07T18:44:00.006-05:00

Here is a picture of me at my table at the show this weekend.
I had alot of fun. It was really cold and everyone who bought hats put them on right away! That made me super happy, because you know I love it when my stuff gets used! I also had a bunch of help from friends and family which is always nice. Randy worked the booth with me, Jan let me borrow the artificial head for display and Grandpa Al loaned me his truck. Thank you so much everyone!
It was also really nice to you Zen! Thanks for braving the bitter cold to support me.
I love my Santa ornament! It has a place of honor on my tree.

Thanks everybody!
Kate

Below are some pictures of happy customers!

Show December 7th in Pittsboro

2008-11-23T18:33:00.005-05:00

Happy Holidays!
I have been working like crazy to make a bunch of stuff for the Pittsboro First Sunday on December 7th. If you don't know what I'm talking about, on the first Sunday of the month in Pittsboro, NC there is a handmade street fair with a ton of great stuff! I am going to be selling elf hoodies for all ages in all colors. I have a bunch of holiday ones but other colors too, in case you like to be an elf all winter long. I have also been working on ornaments too.

Also, check out my Etsy store. The link is on the upper right hand side of my main page.

Hope to see you at my show. Feel free to shoot me a message for more info.

-Kate-

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-28T07:19:00.003-04:00

It is almost Halloween but the crafting for Christmas has already started! I am working on a bunch of stuff and hopefully I will have enough to do First Sunday in Pittsboro again this December. The main thing that I am working on is elvin hoodies. There will be a bunch of Holiday ones but lets face it.....It's fun to be a Elf all year long.
I will also be making other stuff like the mushroom ornament you see below. It has a pipe cleaner on the bottom that you wrap around the branch.
Have a Happy Halloween!
Kate

Happy Autumn!

2008-09-30T20:59:00.004-04:00

Happy Autumn!
This past weekend, Randy and I made this wreath. We gathered most of the supplies from the woods behind our apartment. The leaves we got at the craft store but the rest of the pine cones, sticks and pine sprays we gathered ourselves! Randy was the designer and I put it all together. I did have a couple of ideas myself but I have to admit, the most of the ideas were not mine this time.
Have a wonderful October !
Kate

JimGin Farm Art Exhibit

2008-08-23T16:35:00.015-04:00

Today I went to the opening of the art exhibit at JimGin Farm in Chatham County, North Carolina.
It was really nice. The weather was great and the art was amazing. I took a few pictures but there was so much to see I couldn't get it all.
The exhibit runs Saturday evenings through the end of September.
If you are local and want to check it out just drop me a note and I will be happy to give you some more info.
Kate

The two pictures below are "Grazing Balls". I loved them. They really funny. Just imagine seeing that while hiking in the woods.

Feeding Frenzy and Garbage Wallet

2008-08-17T15:24:00.004-04:00

It is a feeding frenzy! I like to think that the hummingbirds are just being playful when they body-check each other away from the feeder. They are just addicts, hooked on the juice.
This week I have been trying to be creative without purchasing anything new. I was looking on YouTube and saw a tutorial about making stuff out of plastic grocery bags. Well, the first thing you do is cut the top and bottom off of a plastic bag. Turn it inside out so the writing is on the inside. Then overlap it so it is 8 layers thick. Put the bag between two pieces of paper and iron it. Keep the iron constantly moving, so the plastic melts evenly. Once it is melted into a firm plastic sheet you can sew it into stuff.
What I did was take two different colors of bags that I had fused together and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. I then wove them into a wallet sized sheet, which I then ironed again to make solid. This made the front of the wallet. Then I used two other fused bags, one to make the large money pocket and one to make the two inside pockets for license or credit cards. I then sewed it up by hand using embroidery thread and bias tape on the edges.
Well, there it is, wallet made out of trash and left over craft supplies.

Kate

Herbs

2008-08-16T11:51:00.003-04:00

Well it is the end of another great pottery class. Here are a couple of seconds that a friend gave me that have been laying around her studio in a box.
She was so right...they are great for a back porch herb garden. I have already been able to use fresh herbs in a couple of recipes and wow what a difference.
Kate

I like it in Black and White

2008-07-27T23:49:00.004-04:00

Here is the most recent pottery that I finished.
I bet you are wondering why the picture is in black and white. Well, the truth is, I hate the color they turned out. Also, the positioning in the photo is the only way to look at the pieces without seeing the fact that the glaze crawled off in a bunch of spots on all three. Well, at least they match. Hmmm.

Ok.. ok.. Here is the true color.

Kate

The lid FITS!

2008-07-17T13:55:00.016-04:00

I am so thrilled! This is the first piece that I absolutely love! I was so happy when I saw it completed that I had to kiss it! The lid fits perfect! Not too loose, not too tight.
The glaze didn't do anything weird like crawl or slip off.
Yay!
The glaze is eggshell. It has been my recent favorite.

Happy Day!

Kate

Some new stuff

2008-07-07T20:20:00.003-04:00

Here is a bowl that I made. I really love the way the bottom turned out. The eggshell glaze looks so nice over the dark clay. I think that I will do more like this in the future. Intentionally make them really thick so I can trim the heck out of them.

Here is a set of His and Hers matching mugs.
Or if you are the open minded sort, they could be
Hers and Hers matching mugs or His and His matching mugs.
Lets just call them mugs.

Hope that you are having a great week.

No Open Studio

2008-06-07T23:30:00.003-04:00

I just found out that there will be no open studio this summer. What this means is that I will not be able to practice on Saturdays. I will only be able to work on pottery on Weds nights from 6-9. That really stinks because I feel as if I spend the whole class setting up and cleaning up.
Well, I guess I will survive.
-Kate

Moon Moth

2008-06-03T19:01:00.003-04:00

I went out on my porch today and look what I found! It's a moon moth! Yay!

Kate

Class Starting again on June 4th

2008-05-31T15:46:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! Above is a picture of unfinished his and hers matching mugs that I didn't get a chance to glaze during last session. Class starts again on June 4th and I will be making more stuff soon. This session I think that I will try to challenge myself more. I usually just sit down at the wheel with nothing in mind and then just make whatever happens. This time I think I will try to master certain skills instead of trying to make stuff. I will most likely not have as much finished product but what I do have will be better quality.

1. I must master the centering of clay and the basic cylinder.
2. I must master making sets by starting with same size balls of clay.
3. I would like to start making bigger things. Up to 5lbs of clay.

These are my 3 goals for the next session.
Kate

Vase and set of bowls

2008-05-05T19:26:00.005-04:00

Here is a vase that was glazed in Periwinkle and then the top half was dipped into Blue Hare Fur. I really like the way the glaze turned out. I can't wait to get some flowers for it! I made another vase that I glazed in a darker combo (below). I didn't write down the glaze combo so I'm lost if I ever want to recreate it. I Think that it may be Randy Red then Black. Both of the vases are the same size. About 8 inches tall. The size in the pictures is misleading.

The bowls below are for Wendy and Brian! yeah! They were glazed in Black then Randy Red.

Have a great week everybody! - Kate

SANFORD POTTERY FESTIVAL

2008-05-03T14:40:00.016-04:00

Today I went over to the pottery festival in Sanford, NC. The pottery was amazing.
I bought the mug/cup that you see below. I surprised myself by getting a hand built one instead of a thrown one. I saw some great thrown ones but the ones that I really liked were out of my price range. This one below was only $10.00 and so cool!
The potter is Marshall Art - Unusual Clay Sculpture
He said his web site is out of date but here it is anyway:
www.makerofthewoos.com

Marshall Art - Unusual Clay Sculpture
Waxhaw, NC

A big thank you to all of the shop owners who allowed me to take these pictures!
Moose Hollow Pottery
Thomasville, NC

This is Lorrie Anderson from Moose Hollow Pottery. The face jugs she makes are really great! Most of the ones you see are really scary looking but hers make you giggle.

Marshall Art - Unusual Clay Sculpture
Waxhaw, NC

www.makerofthewoos.com

Chrisco's Pottery in Rural Hall, NC
These are Raku glazed. Red, Black and White is such a cool combo!

Seagrove Stoneware - Seagrove, NC
David Fernandez in the artist. I overheard him say that all of the glaze is his own formulas. Very Cool!
www.seagrovestoneware.com

Raku by Andy Smith
Marshville, NC
I loved this blue design on this pot! He had several different shapes with this same raku design!

Rock Hill Pottery Center
Robert Hasselle
Rock Hill, SC

Here are some other potters that I liked below but I have no pictures.

Uwharrie Crystalline Pottery
William and Pamela Kennedy
Seagrove, NC

Kathy Whitley Pottery
leatherandpottery.com
Pink Hill, NC

Clay Play
Kannapolis, NC

Linda Dalton Pottery
West End, NC
lindadaltonpottery.com

Have a great week!
Kate

Pie Plate

2008-05-01T12:54:00.003-04:00

Well, here it is. My first official pie plate!
The funny part is that is ended up being really small.
It is only like 7 to 8 inches across.
I guess that means it's a personal pie plate....more pie for me.

I signed up for the next session of classes which starts on June 4th.
So, after I pick up the finished pieces from this class I will have a big break before starting up again. So for those of you waiting for new pictures... remain patient.
I know that on this Friday or Saturday I will have two new vases to show you and bunch of bowls but then there will be a dry spell.

Keep checking back, I will post pictures of my other adventures in North Carolina.
There is a pottery festival this weekend and a kiln opening!
I might take pictures there.

Later-
Kate

Hummingbird Picture

2008-04-28T12:32:00.002-04:00

My pottery teacher has been on vacation for about a week. She is the only one who loads and unloads the kilns so there is still no new pottery to show you.
I got this hummingbird feeder and snapped a shot of my new little friend.
Kate

Lots of Pots

2008-04-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

So I have a big pile of pots in my living room. There are a few good ones that I want to keep but the rest I think I am going to have to give away or throw away. A bunch of them are just not even good enough to give to people. The glazes are too runny or the glaze scaled off the side or I think that it is just plain ugly. I really don't want to give someone a pot that looks like crap. Hopefully I will get better and stop making pieces that I think look really bad.

Today in the open studio I worked on 2 large vases and one large bowl. I started off with a little over three pounds of clay for each. They are the biggest things that I have made yet! Whoo Hoo!

Kate

2008-04-10T23:36:00.005-04:00

This is a cute little pot that I glazed in Randy red and then in Black.
I really like the color combo.

This vase below was glazed in Blue Hare Fur and Spearmint

Whiskey Jug

2008-04-10T12:29:00.005-04:00

This little whiskey jug is 4 inches wide and 5 inches from the base to the top of the cork.
It doesn't hold much whiskey but I'm not a big drinker anyway.
I finished a small 7 inch pie plate. It is not glazed yet but the fact that the bottom didn't crack while it was drying is a big deal to me. The last pie plate that I made was a disaster. Smile.
More new stuff below.
Kate

Here is a mug that I made for a girl that I used to work with.
I love it. I don't want to give it to her because I'm greedy, but I will.

Here is another chili bowl.

Completed Chili Bowls

2008-04-05T12:29:00.014-04:00

Here are my completed chili bowls.
There are close ups below.

I was going to donate them to this fund raiser for my school but I found out that I will not be able to participate in the workshop that was being offered. Also, the guild that I would have to join only meets during the day so I wouldn't be able to do that either. On top of that, the fund raiser is during the day time too. Over all it is just not at good times for me.

This one below is my favorite shape.

This one below is my teachers favorite.
She doesn't really care for super shiny glazes.

This one below is my favorite glaze. Dark Dark green.

This one below is the last one close up.

I made a couple of other pieces that are in my slide show if you want to see them.

Have a great week!
Kate

Not Much New

2008-03-20T21:24:00.003-04:00

The bowl above was one of the first things that I threw. It's not very good but I thought I would post it anyway because I just got it out of the glaze firing this past class.
On Weds my teacher taught me how to make a pie plate. It takes about three pounds of clay. I did great for my first time. I flattened the clay just fine and I carefully brought the edges up. I then decided that I wanted to make a ruffled edge. I finished that and a bunch of us were looking at it and saying how nice it looked.
Then...
I accidentally hit the foot pedal and made it spin super fast and the whole thing flattened!
I covered my eyes and we all started laughing.
Oh well.
Kate

Chili Mugs

2008-03-16T14:12:00.003-04:00

Above are four chili bowls/mugs that I made for a fund raiser at my school. It is to raise money for the Pottery Guild. It is a really cool idea. The potters in the guild make these pottery chili bowls and chili. Then they sell the chili and the people get to keep the bowl.
This year all of the people who participate get to go to a workshop hosted by Mark Hewitt. He is a well known potter, locally and nationwide. If you want to check out his stuff go to www.markhewittpottery.com

Have a great day.
Kate

Split handle mug and green jar

2008-03-11T19:58:00.008-04:00

This is a jar that was glazed in Spearmint first then dipped in Black. As I was dipping it in the Black it fell off of the tongs and was soaking in the glaze...oops. It made some cool patterns on the outside when I dropped it though.

Here is a split handle mug. It was first glazed in Black then glazed in Blue Hare Fur. Are you noticing a trend? It seems like everything I make is shade of green and blue.

Kate

2008-03-09T19:09:00.004-04:00

I didn't have pottery this week so I made the chef's apron that you see above. The total materials are 1 yard of light green, 1/2 yard of dark green and one roll of green thread. Total cost of the project was $8.00. It took me about two hours to make. I didn't have a pattern so I kinda just figured it out as I went along.

Kate

Potion Bottles

2008-03-05T23:27:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple of potion bottles that I got out of the kiln at class tonight. The one in the front is glazed with Eggshell White and then dipped in Black. I'm not sure how White and Black make green, but I like it. The one in the back is glazed in Randy Red then with a quick dip of Spearmint over the top. Tonight was the last class of the first session. I start the second session next Weds and my teacher says that she wants to work on pie plates and casserole dishes with me. That should be fun.

Moss Mug

2008-02-29T22:45:00.007-05:00

I know this post really has nothing new to tell you, but to be honest with you I just couldn't stand looking at the last post anymore. The cup above is my new favorite.
Kate

The Big Glaze Problems!

2008-02-29T18:55:00.007-05:00

Ok, these pictures are to show you that glaze can be a big problem when it doesn't act how you want it to. This sugar bowl was something that I was really excited about. I glazed it in a Matte White glaze and then dipped the top half in Blue Hare Fur glaze. The two glazes didn't like each other very much. As you can see, the blue reacted with the white and ran right off of the pot. You can see that wherever the blue was on the pot, it pulled the white away from the clay and just ran down. The bottom of the pot was stuck onto the kiln shelf and I had to grind it down just to make it touchable. The eyeball on top is a glass bead that my sister made. I was going to glue it on the lid but the pot turned out so bad I'm just going to throw the whole thing away.

PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW STUFF IN THE SLIDE SHOW OFF TO THE RIGHT.

Kate

Flashback to 1992 and todays glazing

2008-02-23T22:47:00.004-05:00

The picture above is three things I made back in 1992 when I took my first pottery class. I'm really glad that I gave them to my mom because she sent me this picture to remind what I made 16yrs ago. I don't have anything left from that class for myself.
I had open studio today. Nothing new to show you. I glazed a few more pieces and I realized that glazing is really stressful. I get so nervous that they will get messed up on the final step. It took me about 2 hours to glaze 5 pieces. I get way too attached. If something looks good and then the I mess up the glaze...... Whew.
It's just so much pressure. Hopefully you'll get to see if they turned out on Thursday.
-Kate

My set of bowls

2008-02-21T19:48:00.009-05:00

I had a bunch of stuff come out of the kiln last night and these two bowls were my favorite. I had done a bunch of different glaze combinations to see how they would turn out. Some ended up being great, but some didn't work out so well. This bowl is dipped first in Butter Glaze and then second in Randy's Red Glaze. It turned brown where it overlapped.

-Kate

Pottery

2008-02-17T04:26:00.005-05:00

I have been taking pottery class for about a month. I got my first completed pieces out the kiln this morning. I am really surprised at how much they shrank. I mean, I know that they were supposed to shrink 1/12, but they really seam tiny. I have quite a bit more pieces that are glazed and ready for firing but for now you just get to see my first mug.

Good night.