Onward and Upward

The place settings have reached their destination and are completely loved! My new bowl design went over with flying colors - yay! Speaking of flying colors, my friend posted beautiful photos on her blog about her experience. Now that I won't ruin the surprise, I can post a few photos, too. The day the bowls came out of the kiln is the same day they shipped. While my gardens were grateful for the sunshine, it's not the best time to photograph shiny surfaces, but I did the best I could. I'm in the process of making more place settings, and once they're finished I'll be able to wait for a day with bright steel grey skies, my favorite kind.

Salad plate

It has taken many years of trial and error to get to this glaze, and I absolutely love the results. Even this minute, I want to hit 'Save' and finish this post right here so I can get back to work making more! However, the same day I kissed these plates goodbye, I received an order for a dozen Wonky Martinis, and as soon as I post this, I must go empty and reload the kiln. To fill the order, so far I've made sixteen, with another four waiting for assembly in the basement, just to be sure I end up with twelve that are the same height. 

And there's kayaking to do!

Last Friday, my thirty three rose bushes arrived, ready for planting. Most of my weekend was spent alternating between gardening and making the martinis. They're all in now, but I still have a ton of work to do planting three big buckets of dahlias and seeds for zinnias, sunflowers, and more. Gardens don't wait for you to have time for them, especially the weeds! This year I was hoping to install a vegetable garden in the backyard, but only if we had it fenced in time, which doesn't appear likely, at this point. As it is, I lose plenty to the deer, bunnies, and woodchucks.

On another note, I still haven't found the time for caricatures. With pottery, the process is so much about timing, and if something has to get done, it does then, not later. Later it could be too late and all the time and material are wasted. Since I'm getting paid to make pottery right now, not caricatures, that's my priority. I'm not making excuses or ditching the project, just leaving it as something I'll get back to as soon as I have the time to spare.

One thing my friend mentions in her blog is my intention to move forward with my pottery business. A few years ago, I invested in a much larger kiln, but the lid was broken in transport. There isn't a way to repair it, so it must be replaced and it's just one of those things I haven't had the money to do. The new lid will cost more than I paid for the used kiln. With my existing kiln, I can fire two place settings at a time. The larger kiln could easily fit all eight. Or large sculptural pieces, which is why I bought it originally. I'm hoping to apply for a grant to cover that, as well as a few other necessities which would speed things up around here, bringing my business to the level where I would be able to hire someone to help. That would officially make me a Job Creator! And on top of that, people could buy my plates, bowls, stemware, and bakeware made right here in Massachusetts. That's a good direction all around.