Friday..

Just wanted to say hello.

This week has been my catch-up week for my Mom/Family stuff. I'm slowly making some clay, glaze tests and odds and ends before getting back in the swing of things. Today I took the huge bandage off my finger but typing is still sort of awkward.

My tech guy has been very busy working on my new website, blog, flicker and yes etsy account this week. Guess I need to make more pots if I want to sell some on etsy..right? Anyways, he's doing a great job and maybe by next week we'll be making the big switch to the new format. Very exciting!

Off to do a bit more work before heading to school to get the kids and take them a little run around the park. The weather is awesome here!

Images

Since I can not type a whole lot or throw, I spent today taking photo's of a few things. Here are a few I liked the best. I think my eye's are sort of going cross trying to find the right shot in a series of about 10 different views, color choices and background hues as well. I'm just trying to get it just right. ( Maybe I should put on my glasses...)

Below is a close up of a box you'll see below Amber bottle with pink floral sprigs.

I played around with some of my flowers from the garden.

I love this little guy!

The finger is all taped up. Not sure if I should have gotten stitches or not. ( I"m such a chicken when it comes to any sort of pain). I once crushed my middle finger on my right hand in a garage door right before Fall semester my last year in grad school and I was up to be a grad instructor for throwing that year. I did learn how to throw with my middle finger sticking up the whole time. Needless to say I was the brunt of many jokes that semester.

Yikes!

Years ago in design school I sliced this very same finger with an exacto knife...today it was with a kitchen knife while cutting a bagel. Not to much typing or pottery making this week I fear! I remembered how painful the last set of stitches where so I opted out of them this go around. Good thing I had others plans this week.

Aydan gets her frogs..

For those of you who followed my pollywog's drama, here is her tank. She is sharing it with her sister and brother. We have five baby frogs and they all have names! ( I'll have to find those out again....in fact I think they may change on a daily basis! This drives brother crazy!!)

Last night and today was so great just hanging out with my gang. Last night we watched The Fabulous Mr. Fox and today we went to play at the kids school. Good times.

Tomorrow I'm going to take some photo's of my recent pots. Can't wait to see if I remember all the steps from last week.

Got a rejection letter from 500 vases yesturday. Boy that hurt! And those where professional images so as we all know, its all so subjective. Back to the drawing board. I would really love to get more photo's in some how-to books or something along those lines. If anyone out there knows of any publisher looking for entries, I would love to know!

Good night all...

"Trunk" out come...

I had a great week with my kiln!Strange statement I guess but some weeks my glazes and kiln just work the way they are intended to, all uniform, not to much running and an even temp. all the way around. Other times...well not so well and I need to re-fire stuff. ( This is why I'm still looking for that magic glaze that will do it all for me!) Until than, I'll just keep working with what I have. I know I'm THIS close to getting the glaze recipe I want. So I packed up Friday and headed to Charlotte with a nice selection of work. I had a great weekend hanging out with my old friend Lisa Oakley and her brother and sister-in-law that hosted this event for us.

I have to admit we did not have the traffic as in previous years but we had a such wonderful time drinking wine, chatting and eating that even if we were not brimming over with visitors, it was OK.

Here are just a few shots of Lisa's glass and some of my pots mixed in. We pretty much took over the whole living space besides the bedrooms. I couldn't get photo's of all the spaces that had either glass or pottery displayed on them but I did manage to snap a few.

I really think these small intimate shows work well in this sort of economic climate. Someone invites you to set up in their home, they invite friends along with your customers and in return you give them a piece of work or maybe a discount of some sort for all their effort and generosity for letting you use their home.

As I said, we didn't have a banner sale but I did manage to sell some work and Lisa took some pieces back to Cedar Creek so it was a win, win situation for a really busy month of getting everything fired and thrown. Its onto my next two shows in May..can't wait!

Trunk Show

I will be in Charlotte this evening and tomorrow for a Trunk Show hosted by Claire Oakley. If you in the area please come by and say Hello!

April 23-24 Friday Night , 6-9 Saturday, 10-2

Claire Oakley 4918 Crooked oak Lane Charlotte NC 28226

704 365-4735

I'm heading out to pack the truck and unload a kiln! I finished teaching at Winthrop yesterday and I am looking forward to visiting with friends this weekend. Sometimes show don't seem like work when you are sounded by old friends and a little glass of wine!

You all have a wonderful weekend out there in cyber world!

A Day In the Life

Most morning when I get up the song "Another Day" runs through my head..you know the one by the Beatles?

Ev'ry day she takes a morning bath she wets her hair

Wraps a towel around her as she's heading for the bedroom chair
It's just another day
Slipping into stockings, stepping into shoes
Dipping in the pocket of her raincoat
It's just another day

At the office where the papers grow she takes a break
Drinks another coffe and she finds it hard to stay awake
It's just another dayDu du du du du du, it's just another day

Du du du du du du, it's just another day

I"m sure I could change the words around a bit to fit my life but some days, the words just ring in my ears.

A day in my life goes something like this....( or it did yesturday..)

Up with kids at 6:30 getting ready for school. Late getting out the door and the twins remember the Pollywog's that their Dad got for them. Aydan already has pollywog's in her classroom and her teacher very nicely declines having more. Mckenna does not have pollywog's and her classroom and at the last minutes insists we bring a jar of them to school. Aydan is upset, mom is tying to find a jar, pollywog's can't be caught.....we get to school a TAD bit late and unload the car with one little girl with a long face.

Mom drives home with a heavy heart...Time to open and peek in the glaze kiln. Looks pretty good...one bowl ran...Many morning chores to get done.....The laundry for five people never ends and takes over our entire hallway... ( this is where I start humming the song again..."Its just another day...humm humm, humm, humm..)Time to grade and check in on my art history student. Something was in the air this semester because I had to put out alot of fires which required alot of my free time. I have to say all my experience from being the mother of three little people has been the best training for handling 20 year olds this year. Who would have thought the same techniques in discipline and guidance would apply?!?After a quick lunch I'm off to my clay class at Winthrop. I brought in some pots to illustrate good handles, rims and spouts. Off I go for 3 hours to put out a few more fires and wrap up things for the end of the semester. We have a good group of students at Winthrop and I'm happy to be there. Run back to Gastonia to pick up my kids -here's my "polliwog girl" at a happier time. All turns out fine by the end of the school day and we are back in York doing homework, chores, bath and dinner and bedtime. ( Somewhere in the mix my husband does come home and is a huge help!)In the evening I'm back to glazing some pots and working on getting the next batch to go into the bisque kiln.

Dah, Dah, Dah, Dah, Dah, Dah...its just another DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!

Stuff coming up..

I have a few sale's and shows coming up soon.
Below is some information about the Truck show I will be participating in this weekend. Lisa Oakley is an old friend of mine and every year her sister-in-law is kind enough to host a wonderful sale/show at her house. Please check out Lisa's website. She is a glass artists and makes some really nice vessels and jewelry. In May my pottery partners in crime have a great little show in Salisbury NC. I love the title of the show because I think it fits the four of us just perfectly!

....just a little snap-shot of new tumblers going into the kiln today. I'm heading out to work! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Pots cooked ...pots ready to go

I've quickly snapped a few photo's recently...just haven't gotten a chance to get one here to post them. But here are a few pots out of the bisque kiln. These are a few more covered pots with those fancy colored clay knobs.

Here a few small versions of my Lillie vases. I thought it would be a good idea to make a few small versions of these.

Its getting to be the end of the school year for my children and my classes. What these means for me is lots of end of the year assembly, lots of homework for that final push and trying to keep the spring fever at bay. For my college students...well this semester it means many folks worried about their grade after the fact and final exams to work out. I'm not really sure which set of "kids" take up more of my studio time to be honest!

Next weekend I have a show with my good pal Lisa Oakley. More on that in a few days.

Just had a great bike ride with Quaid and the girls are outside catching bugs while my wonderful husband whips up some dinner. I'm trying to talk him into a little wine and relaxing on the swing this evening because lately we both have been going full force. Days just spent at home can be the best days I've decided!

Here's a happy little drawing by Aydan below. I wish I could walk around some days with glitter in my hair!

Wow!

Thanks everyone for your comments on the my photo adventure. I did send images in for an upscale show near by so we'll see if they make the cut.
I'm busy getting ready for the Trunk Show next weekend here in Charlotte. Today is my teaching day so I'm sort of pressed for time.
Thanks again, and I'll be checking in again soon about my show next weekend. I'll be posting some images soon of "pots in process".
Later!
Jen

The final try...

And this is what I did today.......

I still think these are a tad bit dull in nature even though I had the "vivid color"setting on. Perhaps its just the nature of my camera. At any rate, I think they look a lot better. Please chime in if you have anything else to add about my photo adventures!

(This is sort of an aqua overload!)

If I had the cash....

....here is what I'd spend my money on by going to the AKAR website.....

My fellow bloggers with cups in the show...congrads. Boy I would love to have my "mugg" up here. What a honor that would be.

Anyways whoever just wants to send me a gift for the heck of it...please do so! ( Of course most of these are taken already...bummer!)

Happy Monday everyone, I'm heading out to make some pots this morning!

The Art of Being Intuitive

I was thinking today, as I finally sat down and read my owners manual, about a little test I took year ago called "The Myers Briggs Personality Test". I'm sure some of you have taken this test and if you haven't I know you can go online and read all about it. Naturally just saying that "I finally sat down to read my manual" already gives away the fact that I'm very intuitive. I hate to read anything if I can just try to figure out on my own.

I really appreciated all the comments I got after posting my set of photo's on my blog last week. I even put a link to my Fan page and several people left idea's and comments there as well.

So I took all the advise and went back to try a few things. This photo below was my final adjustment to all my attempts. I still have one more setting I think needs to be changed to get them perfect, but I'm sort of tired of fooling with it today and I thought I'd post three different shots of the same cup.

Final shot... Middle shot....

First attempt with the white balance change.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

( Oh, by the way if you've taken the Myers Brigg.....I'm a INFP!)