Fairy Garden Pottery

with Spring still a little way off, I am drawn to my garden catalogues and Pinterest fairy gardens, giving me hope for green being in my life again.  The temperatures were better today, but I dont remember the last time the snow was this deep in the back yard.

Today was Louis Riel Day or Family Day here in Manitoba and I happily spent the morning playing in clay.  I have decided to open a second Etsy shop before Spring focussing on Fairy Garden supplies, with tiny pottery pieces and tiny rocks collected in beach scavenges and maybe some sea glass.

I will have little houses, benches, teeny bird baths, stump chairs and more. It is the best way to keep my hands in the clay, when the back is too achy for the wheel or handbuilding big pieces.

There is grass and garden under here somewhere.

End of October, kiln loading and firing looming ever so close by, and still working on orders and getting orders.  The madness, madness of it all, but I find it keeps me energized in November which is quite sole killing in the Canadian prairies, at least for me.

 so here is an in house video that might work, not just sure. My filmmaker associate is only 7 after all.

Getting ready for our November 11 Triple P Open House event with 2 friends.  Stay tuned for more details.

 

In High GEAR

What, how did we get to the end of October, I cannot speak.  So instead I will throw and trim for all the upcoming shows, sales and orders.  Yet again, it is hard to know how busy I want to be.  Halloween is a big deal at my house, someones favorite holiday.  He was my little photographer yesterday in the studio, so forgive a bit of blurriness, we could call it an artistic interpretation.

Lots of sales, but next is Hot to Shop at the lovely Dalnavert Museum, a first time event, but Tammy Vogel the organizer is really promoting, so I am hoping for a stellar sale!

St. Boniface Hospital Science and Craft sale, November 14th 10-5pm.  Kids will be in school, so easier for me and hopefully some of the shoppers.  Kiln is firing up some tests today for a new store and one of my soapy Louise friends of SoGa soaps.

fingers on the clay guiding the trimming tool

 

New ideas new products

This is a Diz.  It appears that it is a niche group of fine folks who know what it is.  I wasnt one of them until June of this year when I did my first fibre festival. Now I am trying to make clay ones for the poel e who take fleece into rovings before it is spun into wool. Who knew  so I will be trying these out in my own colours and shapes before the Manitoba Fibre Festival in September. 

Also, a request to help support my aim to get votes in the Manitoba Garden Makeover contest which I entered my Urban farm in,  here is the link for gardens who are converting to edible landscape;  http://manitobagarden.com/2013-entrants/winnipeg-entrants/nancys-casi-cielo/

Throwing.....

I still have three days maximum in which I can throw pieces for this kiln.  I realize this doesnt mean much to non pottery people, or even to people who have their own kilns.  I still fire a few times a year in the Stoneware Studio gas kiln with my wonderful partners, Ray and Ted.

However, as it is a cooperative studio, cooperative is the operative word.  I need to stop throwing to let pieces dry, so they can be bisqued here at home, then transported to the studio, where they are glazed when there is time and space, so that I am not stepping on anybody elses toes (literally or figuratively).  then we load, hopefully at a time of day that is relatively tranquil.  That means we start before 8 am usually.

I best get on the wheel as I just got a big order for a hopefully repeat customer. Onward with plates , mugs, and soap dishes!!!!

Thanks again to Carla of Mulberry Tree Gift Baskets for helping me with this one!!!

Tax Time and Rubbish!

I have set myself a goal to have all the paperwork ready for the accountant for the taxes for March 15th.  I didnt have shoebox of papers but an entire laundry basket, that became too heavy to even lift.

Well, of course when I began to rummage through there, there are burger King receipts, drawings from a very talented Grade 1 student ( Mr. G) and other treasures, but a whole lot of rubbish!  I try to have less paper and junk coming to the house, but we are burning lots of paper from the bank, since I dont feel comfortable putting it in the compost, and I already killed one shredder.  We will at least try to roast marshmallows on one of the loads this evening, and make something useful out of a whole lot of unsolicited material!

  will be glad to be done with the rummaging with the papers, so I can get to the clay. Red clay is on my agenda for this week.  Also very happy to have 2 confirmed CSA families signed up for my urban farm project!!

 

Pottery exploding in my brain!

Spring is coming, at least in my heart and mind, so my head is going faster than usual with ideas!  I have started making wedding items and Spring.  Egg cups , ring bearer bowls, cake plates on pedestals and lots of flowers and leaves in my decorations!

Here are some of the cool seeds that have arrived for my CSA.  I am planning to start seeding the root vegetables on the first weekend in May. AFter the WEST sale on the Saturday, stretching in different directions, is my theory.

Heart bowls for ring bearers, or just to say I love you

buttons, with dragonflies, trees, and more to come

flowers all over yarn bowls

 

Pottery Handbuilt Tray Tutorial

I thought it would be interesting to show the building process of a tray for tea service or food.

1.  roll out a large piece of clay about 3 eighths of an inch thick, I just use a rolling pin.  then I create texture with doilies or clay fondant tools, or a mix of leaves, stamps or whatever theme I am going for at the moment. As March marches on with more an dmore snow. I need flowers, so you see daisers here.this photo shows a thrown ring of clay, freshly pulled off of the bat it was thrown on, nice and soft so I can work with making the shape I want.

 

the next step is the most important, wetting and scoring the bottom of both pieces, so they adhere without cracking.

 

Once the two pieces have been shaped, cut and joined with slip and lots of smoothing and sponging, then it is time for handles.  This was my first attempt, swirly and curly, but I opted to long and lean in the end. This is where the project is at now, slowly drying to avoid cracking. Stay tuned for more photos, what colour should I make it. Perhaps Emerald Green to go with St. Patricks Day!

 

inpsiration...

a swaying palm

back on the wheel

coleus leaves in clay

a crocheted doily

Inspiration for new work comes from all kinds of places.  Sometimes it will be a cover of a journal, a leaf in the garden, a cup in a restaurant or something equally as humble.  I have been at home catching the little guy's germs the past few days, which is always a mixed blessing, because it does force me to stay in one place (the house) for an extended period of time. 

Turkey is underway!

December 24th in Winnipeg.  Cold, frigid is a better word and I am glad we are safe in the house with a turkey in the oven.  Today I will do roasted parsnips, pickled red cabbage, carrot sticks and cucumbers for the RAW eater, mashed potatoes and a salad.  A feast!! Presents are mostly wrapped, and the little guy has been counting the hours until Santa since 8 oclock this morning.

We wish everyone best of the season and a peaceful 2013. We will celebrate the New Year in warmer climes and celebrate our richness that we are able to do so.  It has been a full and busy year with wonderful trips, memoires, new friends and old. Yarn bowls were a blessing this year, and my work on Etsy has really taken off. So blad for my WEST team from Etsy, who are counted among my blessings as well.We are richly blessed and hope to share that with others all the days of our life, carpe diem!!

cleaning day

I think I have hauled six bags of old newspaper, trimmings and heaven knows what all out of the studio this morning. Still pretty scary in there but a little more room.  always wish I had a separate glazing area and reclaiming clay area, maybe in the next lifetime.

Will they like them??

So it's all well and good to be moving ahead with all these new pots and new colours, etc..But now, will people like them...I am always second guessing myself on this.  I don't want to be stodgy and just repeating the same colours that I like and that sold well last year,,, that seems way too "civil servanty" for me.

However, it was a good year financially in spite of the"economy" and now am I messing with that, is that sado masochistic, or brave??? i am not quite sure and am probably using energy on worrying about it, that might be better invested in something else, and I don't mean eating more pretzels or ice cream bars.  Only 12 days till the Big Festival du Voyageur show begins.. this is a first and a cooperative venture, so lots of new ground. Nervous doesn't quite describe my feelings and so I will just wait and see.  I hope the weather stays cold enough for the snow sculptures but not so cold that I need to buy more outerwear.  Did I mention this Festival is outdoors for 9 days in a tent. I think I am trying to forget that part, since I shiver at Farmer's Market in September sometimes. I hope all my fellow Winnipeg and WEST artisans come out to visit, maybe group hugs can help keep me warm.

Another Sale to add to the Fall Season

You’re Invited to the Autumn Odyssey Craft Show!






Saturday, October 15, 2011



9:30am-3pm



#2-172 Lilac Street (Corner of McMillan)



All these crafters were hand picked, and it seems quite eclectic and interesting.  The hosts are using their own homes and are doing a lot of the work for us, so I am looking forward to it.  Just need childcare for that day,  how unususal to have that problem.  that in fact is my perennial problem, outside of Farmer's Market.  He is not big enough to be at home, and too big to be carted around.  Thank goodness he has lots of friends for playdates, both adult and child type.