Spring Cleaning

I was all gung-ho to get to work in the studio today. I have about eleven ideas running through my mind for what I want to produce. So I got in there and rolled out a big slab of clay, put some texture on it and draped it over a bowl. Then I just stood there and didn't know what to do next. Every time I tried to start something I couldn't find all the tools I needed. Then I realized what a deed'n mess everything was so I started cleaning, but haphazardly so.
I vacuumed part of the floor then got distracted by some disorganized shelves which then reminded me that I need to bring all my glaze chemicals up from the basement and so forth. So basically I need a good Spring clean but am I out there doing that? No, instead I am writing this post and telling myself that I will come up with a plan of attack tonight and "bust my rump" tomorrow....
In the meantime I got distracted by another project I had started but didn't have the right tool to finish until today...
Remember the tag I was working on for Indie Made? Well, I am proud to present this final draft which will be placed on the higher priced pieces....for that extra little magical touch.


The tool I was missing was an eyelet punch so now that I own one here are my cloth tags. I think they are pretty cool! I built upon this idea from PatchworkPottery. She has an excellent fabric labels tutorial.
Well...I must be off to waste some more time! Mwa ha ha!

....and now it is "Wait and See".

While I was only at the Grand Opening the first hour or so there appeared to be a wonderful turn-out. There were so many people in the store that it was hard to move around. I met a few of the other artists and they were all very nice and seemed very happy to have a potter join the group. Yep...I am the only potter! There is a nice variety of different kinds of art and hand made items available in the store, it is definitely a place I would shop. Great Idaho made products at a great price!
So now I will sit back for a time and hope that I make some sales. My pieces are certainly priced to sell and I hope buyers know that they are getting a smashing good deal!
I have some garden markers I will bring in next week since Spring is practically here. I am excited to see what kind of pieces I will produce over the next several weeks.

Big News!

I was invited to join a co-op of artists in down town Boise. The invitation came in extremely short notice so I am scrambling to try and get something together for the Grand Re-Opening in two days. It's a good thing I had some pottery sitting around waiting for this very moment.
I had some trepidation about this venture because it does come with a cost. I have to sell quite a bit of pottery just to break even. However, one never knows what can happen if one doesn't take a leap of faith. That "one" being me of course, a potter with OCD and anti-social tendencies. I am hoping through this experience to make a lot of new friends, to stretch and grow as an artist and of course, to prosper.
Anyhow, the most time consuming project today is creating special labels for my work and then inventorying every piece. It's not like I haven't done this a dozen times before but never on this short notice.

I was thinking something like this. First impressions are very important and I believe every detail counts while at the same time trying to make everything look effortless. Not sure if I accomplished that yet as this is just the rough draft.
You'll recognize the tea set up in my banner here, and Curlz MT has been my font for over a decade now.

Well I better get back to work because as I said I am short on time. I don't know if I have any Boise readers for this blog but if so here is the 411.

Time for a new stoneware set....

OLD SET






My husband has mentioned more than once that we need a new stoneware set. If I start this project this will be the third complete set I have made in the past 10 years. I do settings of 8 so a set consist of 8 dinner plates, 8 desert plates, 8 tumblers, 8 goblets, (I know..goblets are non-standard but they are just so fun to drink from, 8 large bowls, 8 smaller bowls. In addition I make a complete tea set with tea pot, serving tray, creamer and sugar pot. Pitcher and vase. Salt and Pepper Shaker and butter dish. I also do a crock with lid and at least two very large serving bowls.
Yes it is a lot of work and I am busy being a new mom, refining tatting patterns for two new books, making new tatting shuttles and a couple other secret projects! But my husband keeps buzzing in my ear so I've been thinking about the new design. What will I do?? I am toying with the idea of using colored porcelain. That will be extra work but I think will have a nice effect...but who knows? I may change my mind a couple of times from now until then.
In the meantime what will I do with the old set?

A few changes

The older I get the more I hate change. Perhaps that is true for most of us. But I think I hate change mostly because I have experienced more of it than a whole room full of people put together. I have moved 50+ times in my life. I've lived in 9 U.S. states and 4 countries. People have waltzed in and out of my life quicker than some change their underwear. That is a lot of change.
But some changes are good, like the kind that indicate we are maturing as human beings and refining our skills. A lot of things in my life are starting to come full circle especially my work and family life, both inspiring one another.
All this leads to some slight changes involving my artwork specifically. I am no longer focusing solely on my pottery, I am also greatly involved in the tatting world. So I am balancing those things with photography, painting, glass and precious metal work.
For the last decade I have been MadMadPotter.Com. This past week my domain subscription expired. I wasn't notified and when I went to renew I ran into all sorts of problems and conflicts which I won't go into. In short I am now JUST MadMadPotter. No more dot com. If you Google me I come up first in all the searches so I don't need to pay tons of money for my own domain anymore. So Register.com you can take your overpriced service and all your fees and shove them you know where.
Anyhow, with a renewed sense of purpose I am expanding my repertoire to include all my interests and I shall share them here. So even though I will remain the MadMadPotter (notice no spaces in the moniker), I will be ever so much more.
Of course I will not be making any changes to my other alias LadyShuttleMaker. That blog will remain dedicated to my tatting endeavors and personal life stories.

Now on to the meat of the post, I would like to start with slumped bottles. This isn't a new idea, other artists have been doing it for years. I had some ideas to put my own twist on this particular endeavor. I have been slumping pretty much any glass bottle or jar I can get my hand on.

These turn into....
...these...
...and this...
...and this.
The spoon rest is one of my twists as well as...
this new design feature. Typically these slumped wined bottles are used as cheese boards, but I wanted to add my own flare. These can also be hung in a window for decoration.

As soon as I can get a group of these together I will be listing them in my Etsy shop.

I still got it!

After a much too long hiatus I am back in the studio and throwing again. And it feels GREAT!
I was able to finish these two goblets today. They will be going to a church in Seattle.
I am using my tatting bits here for a top secret project which I hope to reveal in a few weeks.

I have had a few false starts over the past year with this blog...but I hope this start will stick and that I will be able to blog often about what I am doing with my clay work. If health and time will permit maybe I can get back into my "groove".

Returning to the studio after waaaay toooo long!!

I finally got my husband to bring my large kiln back to the studio. This means that I can return to my large projects and crystalline glaze pottery.
I have fired the kiln 3 times since Friday. When I looked at my kiln log I was appalled to see that it hasn't been fired in over two years. GASP!!!!

Of course one year of that was spent in South Korea. Another 6 months remodeling my studio and yet another 6 months being really sick and then pregnant. After begging hubby for several months and not getting anywhere I finally laid down the ultimatum..."Bring up that kiln or else!!!!" ....never did determine what the "or else" part was...but he finally listened and now I am a happy camper!

I cannot tell you how glorious it is to have my studio back. I have felt a bit dead inside for the last two years. The only thing getting me through were my tatting endeavors and thank God for that...but really??, two years is way too long and I hope I never have to experience that again. Experimenting, mixing glazes, throwing on the wheel and hand building, and now working with glass. I am back in my element.

Now..for those who didn't know, I am now 5 months pregnant. Don't worry I employ the highest standards of safety in the studio. It has been a super rough pregnancy so far and I still have yet to gain any weight due to throwing up all the time. But I have been miserable laying in bed or on the couch all day, so I really needed something to look forward to. ..baby needs a happy mom right?
So yesterday was the first full day I have spent in the studio and yes I puked in the middle of it all..but the feeling of accomplishment is priceless and worth it!

Want to see what I've been up to??

I've been wanting to do this for a very long time. These are slumped bottles and they are my very first attempt. Of course they need further manipulation to make them useful which I shall do. Yay for recycling!!!



While in Korea I bought a large BBQ bowl to use as a form for my signature coil bowls. This is the largest I have done at home (did a huge one in college). I have been itching to use this form for the last year. I am quite pleased with the results. It is a very pleasing shape and I plan to do several more. This takes up the entire diameter of my kiln.

...now all I have to do is start listing work in my Etsy shop once again.