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2013 Review

Last day of 2013 and it's time to review my year in Pottery.  There were 5 things that I listed on January 1st and I had only completed a couple of them.   1. Start early, don't wait until show time!  11 months before the Holiday Show in November and if I want to showcase around 70 new pieces, I shall make at least 6.3 pieces a month. => I kept up with this schedule and it worked out very well.  The last week before the show, I found myself glazing and firing rather than making new pieces for the show. 2. Make a new casserole dish.  I made one last year but I found it too shallow. 3.  Make a teapot set.  I made a teapot last year, however, the spout wasn't done well and it doesn't pour right.  The glazing wasn't done well either. =>Unfortunately, #2 and #3 didn't happen. 4. Make 25 soup bowls to donate for the Ottawa Guild of Potters annual Great Bowls of Fire 2014.  =>I didn't make any soup bowls in advance.  However, ...

Pottery Show 2013

My annual pottery show started on Thursday November 14 and ended at 5pm on Sunday November 17.  I had about 90 pieces (about 65 pieces were this year's collection :))  My display was also upgraded a bit, it had extended upward which allowed me to put more pieces out on display.   The show went pretty well in my opinion, I only packed just over half of my inventory home.  One small disappointment was my mugs.  I made about 2 dozen of them, but only a couple of them went to new owner(s).  However, I still love them very much.

Last few pieces for the show which starts tomorrow

Just pictures from this week's firings.

Last bisque load before the show and more glazed pieces

The kiln is still very busy, one load after another.  This is the time of the year that I really wish I have a bigger kiln.  But my husband keeps telling me that it's fine with this one, just turns it on more often. :p So, I did the last bisque load on Monday.  As you can see I am getting desperate, I even tilted my plates to try fitting them in.  Good that they turned out OK.  Thanks Cynthia Bringle who gave me this idea. This is how Cynthia Bringle loads her dinnerware.  (picture from her Facebook page) This was me trying to fit in more pieces...... This is the result for another glaze load (and there is one more load cooling down as I type).   The last 3 mugs.  I love these mugs! Can't really tell with this picture, but this is an oval vase. I love this vase.  And there is one more in the kiln.

8 days to go and the kiln has been keeping busy

Can't believe only 8 more days to go 'til the Ottawa Guild of Potters' Holiday Sale 2013.  Just like the past couple of years, the kiln has been working very hard these days.  And it is on right now as I "speak" for the last bisque load before the sale.  I feel I am rushing again, but at least I am not rushing to make more pieces.  This time it will all be glazing, firing, pricing and packing.  I haven't been making much vases for the last little while, and I'd decided to try it again.  One is to fill the kiln space, secondly I do like to try making something different from time to time.  Although, trying things in October can be quite risky, luckily the first one turned out OK.  And I have 2 more vases to glaze fire in the next day or so. Mysterious blue is still too mysterious to me.  The following pieces are not mysterious blue but placed on different shelves in the kiln....very interesting.

Around 1 month before my annual show

It's only about 1 month left before my annual show.  I have to say that I am probably at a better position now than this time last year.  However, I still have so much to do before the show. I did a glaze fire last weekend.  The mysterious blue still wasn't very good especially with the following 2 pieces.  Guess those won't be coming to the show with me.  Brushed on another layer of mysterious blue, but didn't turn out. Another one with extra layer of mysterious blue and didn't turn out. This is another mysterious blue which mixed really really well (stirred for a long time in the bucket) and dipped for 8 seconds.