We Made It!

Through the storm that was!

Technically it was a blizzard, but it was nothing like the Blizzard of 1978 or even 'Snowmageddon'!  It did snow heavily for a while and the wind blew merrily, but we were snug and warm inside.  We spent most of the time watching The Jewel In The Crown.  Local PBS stations have been broadcasting in bits and pieces so we decided to indulge in the complete DVD.  Nothing quite warms like watching hot India in the last days of the Raj!

Primroses have come into all the markets.  Forget groundhogs; these are a true harbinger of Spring.  I always find them so pretty and hopeful!

I've finally gotten over a migraine that has been around since the snow started.  I think it's weather related.  I will always blame the weather for any problems whenever and wherever I can!

Sunny and windy today, not one for going outside.  Poor little Winter is showing signs of cabin fever.  She wants to go out, but after just a few minutes of play she is ready to come in.  I wish I could find some good snow booties for her.

Football tomorrow.  We don't really watch, but do dip in now and then since it's the Patriots.  When Paul was alive it was fun to watch with him, because he was willing to explain everything to me.  Now we will probably watch something like The Hollow Crown and also The Puppy Bowl!

Enjoy the weekend what ever you do.

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

Cats and Leaks and....

It's always sumthin'!

Remember my fat little mug that I showed in my last post?  I made it around a balloon so it was round and, well, balloonish!

Now it looks like this!  One thing I did not consider with this form was how attractive round things are to kitties.  "OOOOOHHHH, round and clinky!  Must be a toy for us!"

It was a prototype; I'm happy it wasn't part of a set.  I will have to rethink this a bit, and keep my mugs, (uhhhh cat toys?) out of reach of exploring paws!

On a more serious note, The cold water in the upstairs bathroom sink started up a nice little leak.  Noticed it when I got up in the early morning, half asleep I put a basin in the sink, and went back to bed.  Later when I went down to my studio I found a puddle of water on the shelf and this.  I finally figured out that it was spoon with slip on it!  Most everything else was on bisque pads.  One clock rim was slightly damaged, but I managed to sand it down an eighth of an inch and it looks fine.

It looks like we may have to replace some pipes or flexible connections.  Even though we are warm in the house, this is not a job we want to tackle in January.  We turned the water off at the connection, so for now there is no cold water in the bathroom sink.  You just have to wash hands quickly before the hot water gets too hot!


We are enjoying a sunny above freezing day!  It's a treat after several days of rain and gloom!

Enjoy the day, whether you are in cold or warm climes!

As always, thanks for stopping by........*s*

Monday

I do enjoy handbuilding over and around balloons.  I think I have shown this mug in many guises, but here it's as finished as it is going to be.

I'm trying different handles and feet.  I have some clay rolled out to try some mugs with small feet.  I will probably make three.  Three feet good, (easier to stabilize) four feet not so much!  There also needs to be some sort of stabilizer at the handle base.  Otherwise the cup tends to fall onto the handle when filled with liquid.  NOT a great selling point!  I like the idea of this handle but not the execution.  Practice!

I used Spectrum 799 Majolica white, three coasts brushed on.  In the second picture there is a detail of what happens when the glaze is applied too thickly.  Because the glaze is so stabile I could repair and refire.  I'm not going to bother as this is a test mug.

The dark green is a mix of Mason Hemlock and Florentine mixed with paste to give it an opaque look.  The rest of the design is mason stains mixed with frit.

The interior is glazed with a clear that is not really clear.  I mix a little Mason red-brown into the clear glaze.  It's just enough color to prevent the milky quality clears tend to have over terra cotta.

It's a bit warmer today, supposed to reach the forties today!  Wow!  The studio will  be warm enough to work in,,,,,HURRAH!  If it's cold and the sun is out, or if the temp is fortyish, with my extra heater it's quite nice to work there.  Anything over 62F. inside is entirely workable.  Grey and cold forget about it.  Pottery is supposed to be enjoyable not martyrdom.

Enjoy the week ahead.  The sun seems to be coming up a bit earlier; spring and summer will happen!

As always, thanks for stopping by...........*s*

Ideas

I'm often asked where my ideas for painting my pots come from.  Dreams, stories, nature and, what may be my favorite, nursery and nonsense rhymes, and then there is always the tried and true method:  Leave a bowl of milk on the doorstep.  In the morning the milk will be gone and the house gnomes will have left many ideas in return!

The cookie jar is Humpty Dumpty.  I thought having the king spying out what is happening was a good idea.  The rhyme was originally political; I can't remember which King was satirized.  Possibly King George when the USA declared independence ("Nothing of importance occurred today.")

I wanted the king's horses to be miniature horses, cute but ineffective as mounts, even for Hobbits!  I think of the King's Men as repairmen, so they are equipped with manuals, "Glue", "Puzzle Repair", "Crack Filler", "How to Fix Eggs."

The silly side of life is important!

The clock is from the classic poem by Eugene Field, published in March 1889)  Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.  Click the link to read the entire poem.  I've loved it since I was a very little girl.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe.
Sailed on a river of crystal light
Into a sea of dew.

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And in an added thought.  To say that I am appalled and saddened by the murders at Charlie Hebo does not begin to express what I feel.

And I hate the way I feel, which is the urge to do violence in return.   But I deeply and firmly believe that violence and killing is wrong.  It has nothing to do with any religion or deity.  A civilized society does not kill its citizens.

I used to get so annoyed with an old cancellation stamp "Pray For Peace".  NO!  We should be working  harder for peace than we do  at waging war!

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Cold today and colder tonight.  We are expecting temps of 0 and below, with wind chill!  Toes are crossed that this will be the only cold spell of the winter.  I don't look forward to months of below freezing temps, which often happens here.

Stay warm, and as always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

New Year 2015

The Goonybirds showed up in time to celebrate the New Year!  Yes they did say, "Hares and Rabbits" to each other!

We were asleep before midnight.  I hope your celebrations were what you wished!

Peace, Joy, and Happiness in 2015!