Radio Silence

Which is what you'll get to enjoy on this blog for the next two weeks or so....

I did indeed get picked to be on a jury. Juror #3, that's me! We've been told to expect to be in court for somewhere between 7 and 10 days. Of course it could change at any time, but that's their best guess.

So I'm concentrating hard on seeing this as an interesting new experience.

Pottery will have to be done evenings and weekends. A lot of you won't have any sympathy, I know!

At least February will go by fast!

January, Yeeth....

Alright, let it be known, I am now a month behind.

The two orders I postponed till 'after Christmas' are not done. Not even started. The 10-cup teapot somebody wants for his mother in spite of the fact that it will be pretty heavy for her to lift is not done. Not even started. The glaze tests to see if I can find out what is causing those darn dots are not done. You guessed it, not even started.

What happened? Well, January happened. It was cold, it was snowy. I was tired. A powerful urge to make soups and stews made itself felt, the sweater I started months ago needed finishing, and I really did have a mountain of paperwork to do. Then, to top it all off, just when I was getting ready to buckle down and get some real work done, I got notified that I have to report for what is called a 'jury panel'. I have to go, wait around to see if my number comes up in the lottery, and then see what sort of jury duty I might be assigned to.

This has me quite worried, actually. If I have to do days and days of it, how will I manage everything else? We self-employed people simply cannot take weeks or months off. Arrrrggghhh.....

I drove down to the Courthouse today to make sure I knew the route and to see about parking. Pretty sad when you go downtown so seldom the streets have all changed from the last time you were there! And I hadn't thought about Winterlude. Being a warmish day, there were masses of people trying to find parking so they could go to the canal and skate. I never did get down Elgin Street because it was blocked solid with cars disgorging crowds of children with skates. Oddly enough, all the outdoor parking lots were closed, with chains and barricades up. I saw one parking garage, but it was expensive and the skaters didn't seem to favour it.

Tuesday is the day. I have to be there by 9 am and the letter warns me to be prepared to wait all day. I'm thinking knitting, a book, a Sudoku or three, and better bring a drink or two and a cookie. Sandwich? Maybe.

This too, is the life of a potter.

New Year Planning

A whole new year ahead! Isn't that a wonderful feeling?

2013 was possibly not my best year ever..... I tried to change to a clay that would be better for teapots and casseroles, then ran into a baffling problem with white dots in my decorations, then had to go back to my old clay.... in other words, didn't solve the problem. Then later in the season I suddenly realized I had taken on too many orders and had to work like heck to get as many as possible done before Christmas. I'm really not sure how it happened, except that a few of the orders sounded small but turned out to be large. Things like the customer who said she needed a few more plates and I said 'sure, let me know', and when she did, it turned out she needed a full set for 8, including cereal bowls and mugs. I actually had to call a couple of people and ask them if I could do their pots after Christmas. Luckily they all said 'yes' and I was able to send the last Christmas order home with a happy customer on December 23rd.

Whew.

This is not going to happen again! I'm going to try hard to stay focused this year.  No more thinking I have plenty of time, so I might as well go ahead and try this little idea..... or make just a couple of those..... or maybe whip up a really nice peach colour that will only take three days of mixing tests..... those tangents are lots of fun, but no more! 'Real' work first, then fun!

Maybe.

Tomorrow is January 6. I'm shopping for clay and throwing mugs.... there, see, not behind a bit.

Yet.

French Butter Dishes

I've avoided these things for years. At first I wasn't too sure what they were, then I was told about them and told that they kept the butter cool, which I didn't believe so I discounted the whole idea of them, and then I turned against them because of a bad customer experience.

It's been long enough now that I think I can tell this story without incriminating the guilty.

Two Ladies (I use the term not as it is normally used) asked me to make them a sample item. They called and were determined to come out to the Studio. They had a sketch of what they wanted.... all of about an inch square, with dimensions marked in pencil. I squinted and agreed to make one. They refused to tell me what it was and why they wanted it. I should have known better but went ahead and made it.

They came out again and brought their poodle. A tiny thing, apparently called a Teacup Poodle. Whatever it was, it was nasty. They had it on one of those retractable leases but after a few minutes of gushing about the dear dear dog they pretty much ignored it. It went about anointing every vertical object in the Studio, and if you are only about 6" high, there are a lot of them.

This time they wanted another piece made. Same story - a sketch about an inch square, measurements I couldn't read - and again they refused to tell me what it was. But they did let slip that they wanted me to make a prototype for something they were going to mass produce and sell at home parties. I asked them if it was a French Butter Dish (but a badly sized one) and they denied it vigourously.

They came again. The poodle did it again.

I told them that if they were planning to mass produce French Butter Dishes they should hire a company that does that and they should do some serious thinking about the size and design of these things. We did not, as they say, part as friends.

I washed and then sprayed all vertical objects with bleach up to the 6" line, again.

Then there were a few years that you couldn't sell a butter dish no matter what you did. People wouldn't admit they ate butter. Butter was Bad. I resorted to calling my butter dishes margarine dishes and making them to fit the little plastic containers margarine comes in.

Now, butter must be back in favour because I have sold many this summer. And I have been getting requests for French Butter Dishes. So I made a few, and we'll see how they go. I think they are a bit silly, they don't hold much butter and I would find changing the water every day a pain, but if they'll sell, I'll make them.

Here are a few, not dried yet. The idea is that you pack the butter (when soft) in the top, put a bit of water in the bottom, and place the top into the base. The water seals off the butter and it doesn't spoil.

I won't tell the customers that such a small amount of butter without a water seal also won't spoil before it is eaten!

And I'll try not to think of poodles while talking about them.

P.S. Those things in the background really are mittens. They are terra-cotta and will get bunches of greenery and red ribbons to hang them on doors and they are a pain to make but very popular and very Christmas-y. Super Helper does not like making them, and after this week, neither do I! But they are nice, and it wouldn't be Christmas without 'em.

Please, do not adjust your set....

If you are a really old potter, like me, you will remember that message! Remember how it would come up occasionally when the TV transmission was bad? OK, maybe I'm the only one old enough....

But, if you are wondering why I haven't been posting, that is the reason. The video card in my computer packed up and left for Saturn, leaving me with a nice black (not blue, but still bad) screen. I was able to attach a smaller screen, bypassing the video card, but it has the wrong aspect ratio and everything on my screen is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d, making all dogs look like Dachies, all pots look like short bowls....

I'll post again once I get a new video card (or a new computer).

The scary thing is, w-i-d-e letters are starting to look normal!

Shaw Woods Mugs

Spent a large part of last week decorating some mugs for the Shaw Woods. They are having an open day next Sunday, Oct. 6, with guided hikes, workshops, information and some fund-raising items. And some of those will be my mugs!

I worked hard at painting them, holding my (metaphorical) breath on the subject of DOTS.

My pots look so nice when they are painted and before they are fired! I almost don't want to fire them. Of course they look soft and 'dusty' and pale.... but full of hope.

Happily, sometimes they come out of the firing still looking good!

And no dots, whew.

P.S. You can get more info about the Shaw Woods, and register for one of the public hikes, at their website. If you are in the area (Ottawa), come out and enjoy a great day in a special place. And maybe you'll see my mugs there!

Safety First

For those just thinking of setting up a pottery studio, or for anyone whose workplace could use a safety tune-up, I've put together a short list of aids to safety that you don't want to be without.

One of the biggest worries is, of course, fire. Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher:

Sometimes the power will go off, leaving you all alone is a pitch-black studio filled with tables, wheels, wet clay, sleeping dogs to trip over.... An emergency lighting system is a must.

Of course, if you can afford it, an auxiliary power supply is even better.

Industrial accidents are another big concern. As they say, accidents do happen. Make sure you are prepared.

And if all else fails, make sure you have what you need to call for help.

With a little foresight, you ought to be able to enjoy years of happy potting without disaster. All it takes is a little advance planning.