There’s a lid to every pot….

There’s a lid to every pot….

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Wednesday = POTTERY for me. It’s certainly a highlight ! It was before the world got turned on its head – and it certainly is now!

Today I was finishing. Sanding, priming, adding slip in readiness for some sgraffito (scratching a pattern into the slip).

I had coiled a cookie jar, but it needed a lid. So I made one…

All ready to go in the kiln for the first firing.

I had also thrown a couple of sets of rinky dink little pots n jugs, which kind of nest into one another…love these!!! I want to try these again, but larger. Not sure how functional they are – but they look fabulous.

Then there were 3 more pots I had thrown, so I decided to try some sgraffito on two of them. All that entails is doodling a pattern on the dry slip with a pencil, which most of us SHAC-Shackers could do with our eyes shut! Clearly I got very engrossed in the process, because the photos stopped right there! Which means it was working, it was doing the trick, it was distracting me beyond my reality. Heaven.

So next week I shall carry on with the sgraffito, and hope that my birdie cookie jar made it into the kiln and out again in one piece. Or should I say 2 pieces? I showed Dave the photo of it. “Can you get your hand in it?” he asked. “Get your hand in it?! You could get your head in it too!!” This is how we measure the size of a cookie jar….

Made a big decision a few weeks ago. It’s time to invest in a kiln and wheel. I think I would like to explore more than I can do once a week in class. It’s an investment for sure, but hey! I’ve never seen a hearse with a luggage rack. Not that I would stop going to class! No no NO!!! I love the teacher, the banter, my buddy Marilyn (she who brings the spirit level).

This week we had made a plan. She was bringing the cake. I was to bring the flask of tea. Guess who forgot. Yep. There she was with the lovely home baked lemon drizzle kuchen. And there was me with sod all. “Oh drat” I said. (Replace drat with a much more colourful word!) So next week I’m down for CAKE AND TEA !!! She’s lovely, is Marilyn. We definitely always gravitate towards one another. We are so different! She would never swear, whereas I have been known to throw a few expletives around the studio when things have gone wrong. But opposites attract, don’t they? Last term she spent pretty much the whole term making one vase. ONE VASE. It was indeed a very special vase, an Ashraf Hanna kinda vase. I, on the other hand, knocked out a mediocre Ashraf Hanna, which was the task of the term, and a teapot and a load of other stuff. Today she told me she had dropped the bloody Ashraf Hana lookilikie vase at home, polishing round it. Gutted. I could feel her pain. But she was very stoic about it, very calm. I bet she had a right old b****cks fit on the day though…

Now tell my Dad you’ve dropped a pot, and he genuinely thinks it’s a new ceramics technique!

Anyway,

Time for a walk with Dave.

Love and hugs

Barb xxx

PS New York Hurricane came and went. Damaged a few buildings in Grace’s road, and brought down a few trees, but she is fine. What a caper, eh? Thanks for caring xxx

27 thoughts on “There’s a lid to every pot….

  1. Glad you had a good day. Your mind was on chocolate, not tea, today!! Lol. Maybe you need to make a huge jar to store chocolate!! There’s a challenge – Making one big enough for your first delivery! Enjoy your walk with Dave. Raining here again!! Flooding yesterday and a landslip on the Rest and Be Thankful! Par for the course! Oh well. Take care. Hxx

  2. So glad Grace is OK. There’s a fabulous shop not far from us which sells kilns and potters wheels. They have craft stuff too which is why I used to pop in occasionally. Really interesting with all the glazes and slips you can get too.

  3. So glad pottery went well (apart from no tea). I love your designs. I would have been more than gutted if I dropped a vase I had spent a year making.
    Good news that the hurricane did not do too much damage and that Grace and her man are safe.
    Have a peaceful evening with Dave xx

  4. Good to know that Grace and her Mark came through the hurricane safely. It is so hard for us Mums when we know there is nothing we can do to protect our children, especially when we cannot even give them a hug. Seeing you using a pencil on your pots reminded me of another hobby that has been sitting at the back of a cupboard, my enamelling kiln. I made Geoff a pair of cuff links, and drew a pair of wagtails on them. Very simple but effective. You will have a great time with your own kiln as well as your weekly class sessions. xxx Maggie (Silvercrafter)

  5. My motto is if something is going to brighten up your life and you can afford it , it doesn’t harm anyone , go for it . That’s why I’ve such a large stash of crafty stuff 😁😁 . Had a lovely phone call from Jeannie today asking how much postage I was owed for returning stencils that were sent in error , what great customer service …

  6. I hope your cookie jar comes through the firing Barbara, and I love the lid with that wonderful bird shaped handle and looking forward to seeing the scrafito on some of your other pots. Why not invest in a kiln. You might end up with a second business selling your stylish pottery. Glad Grace and Mark are safe and sound and that there wasn’t too much damage round abouts. x

  7. Hello Barbara
    Your pots look great and I am so pleased to hear Grace and her Mark survived the hurricane.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  8. Your pots look amazing, glad you are able to get back to it. Sound like Dave will be busy building you a pottery shed. Glad the hurricane came and went! XX

  9. Good news about Grace and Mark and a relief for you. Your pots are gorgeous and I reckon a wheel and kiln will make up for not having a holiday this year. You deserve it anyway. Make sure you have the Righteous Brothers on a loop in the background when you use it 😂 Well it worked for Demi Moore! Have a good evening. Hugs. Annette X

  10. So glad to hear that Grace and Mark are ok. Think you might have to make a few more cookie jars to hold all the chocolate. I’d go for the kiln Barbara, as you said you can’t take it with you so go ahead and spend it while you can. Enjoy your walk with Dave see you in the morning.xx

  11. If it makes you happy to “pot” definitely go for the pottery wheel and kiln. Life is too short not to enjoy the things we love.
    Glad Grace and Mark came through the hurricane without any damage.
    Great blog from Dave today, very thought provoking.
    Better day for us today. Plumber arrived very early, everything sorted before 9am, then a call from the shop saying our new bed will be delivered on Tuesday. We should then be able to sleep without getting aching bones.
    The heat is already oppressive so not looking forward to the next few days, but on the positive side we have no commitments to worry about – lots of free time to work on projects with my new goodies.
    Stay safe everyone. 🍒🍒🍒

  12. Get a kiln, cos as they say, you’re worth it! (But please don’t abandon the shac shack as we so look forward to it. Have you seen my poem about the shac shack and Covid time?) I loved pottery too, still have lots of treasures. Enjoy.x

  13. Hi Barb, me again. I have just been catching up with the SHAC, as I was busy today. First of all, you made me hoot with laughter about your shopping etc., but then I was fascinated by your tales about the shells. What really got me was when you broke the sand dollar and found the doves, I could hear doves cooing in the background. Did anyone else hear that? Maybe I need to go to bed early! See you tomorrow. X

  14. Your pots look great ,I think you have a real talent for it. A kiln sounds an absolute must..[ I still have the first pot I threw in about 1975!!]
    Clay work heals and sooths the ills.
    Will miss the Shac shack live in the morning my daughter is driving me to the Cotswolds to visit my 94 years young Mum.
    All the best to you and your family XX

  15. That’s one worry over for you Barbara, so glad Grace and Mark are fine. Go for it Barb, as Pete now says, if you want it get it, if we can afford it get it, so I do, after all you cant take it with you, and if it makes you happy it’s worth it. Love your pot and lid
    also the pattern. Great blog from Dave too.xx.

  16. So glad Grace came through the hurricane safely. Isn’t that a bit early for the hurricane season? I wonder when we will be able to travel to the US. I’ve been to New York a few times but have never been to the High Line garden and I would like to go once more just so I can walk along there. And for the joy of just being there.
    Your pots are just beautiful so I think a kiln is a must, my mother used to say there are no pockets in shrouds. Take care xx

  17. Hi Barbara

    Jackie ingested in a kiln about 2 years ago only just managed to get it hard wired since our move to the west County but she is enjoying the wheel again. Go for it invest you will not regret it.
    We now live closer to Bath potters great place to buy everything.
    Enjoying the colouring in the shac shac keep up the good work pro and treat yourself.
    Glad Grace is ok in a NYC
    Ruth

  18. Glad to read that Grace and Mark are fine. High winds and lots of glass are not a wonderful combination. We got the edge of that storm, mostly high winds and a little rain. Lots of branches down and some lost power, but not much else.

    Get that kiln and wheel. You’ve been doing pottery long enough to know that you love it. Just think of all the money you will save on Christmas, birthday, wedding etc. presents.

  19. Hi Barb,
    Really pleased to hear that Grace and Mark are ok after the hurricane. It must be very frightening for them. I’m also pleased that you have decided to go for your own kiln. Why not? You work hard and you obviously enjoy your pottery. It will be great for you to be able to unwind by doing something like this ( although it could be stressful when things go pear shaped!!!!) Love the pots you’ve created and especially like your handle. Let’s hope they all survive! Love and hugs,Alison xxx

  20. love the look of your cookie jar, got my fingers crossed for you that all goes well in the kiln. Will wait with baited breath to hear how it all went next week. Just think how many pots you could make if you had your own kiln – making little treasures for friends & family just like we do with our cards etc. You could teach Dave how to throw a pot or two !!
    Glad that the hurricane passed over Grace & Mark safely – as others have said no matter how old your kids are, they are still your kids to worry about.
    Loved watching you open the Sand Dollar this morning – isn’t nature wonderful. its late -in fact very late so I must go to bed or I won’t be up for 10. I must not stop to look at hubbies jigsaw !!

  21. Hi Barb, I just love the Birdie Cookie Jar, bet it is going to look awesome when finished. Glad to hear that Grace and Mark are ok. Love your pots, and I think there are times in life when we just have to indulge our passions, good luck with the purchases. Sorry to hear about Marilyn’s vase, maybe she can come over and break in the kiln and wheel with you. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  22. I love reading your blog, it’s like having a best friend write to you! Sometimes thoughtful, sometimes funny but always great…..keep writing please x

  23. So you forgot the tea! In the scheme of things it’s a minor inconvenience- your family is safe, your pots are finished and your friend will forgive you. Lemon drizzle cake is great with tap water too. Enjoy x

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