Look What Happened

Spring finally happened, that's what!  

On Friday it started getting warmer so I was able to wedge some clay.  On Saturday I threw these little guys....I started with about two pounds of clay for each.  The white earth is a departure for me.  I use it for hand building, but I don't think I have thrown with it for at least five years.  But I had a dream about a bunch of little white teapots altered into various shapes and decorated with slips and underglazes while in soft leather stage.  Kristen Kieffer calls it suede, which I think is an apt description.  Then I saw Gary's ewers, and was looking at some little cruets that were my Nanu's.  So these little guys are going to be some sort of vessels with spouts and handles.  By early afternoon they'll be ready to play with.  We'll see, Grasshopper.......we'll see.

Lo and behold the daffodils have finally decided to bloom.  These are by the slab my house is built on which is the warmest part of the garden.  The others out in the yard are only up a few inches.  The bloom season gets stretched a bit this way.

The crocuses are going strong.  I don't know what happened to the snow drops.  I think little underground critters ate them.

I made a lasagna last night using the no-cook noodles for the first time, definitely an idea whose time has come.   I think these may be the best thing since sliced bread.  They are just as tasty as the regular noodles, but without having to dealing with wet noodles slipping and sliding around.  Not for nothing do we say as limp as a wet noodle!

Meanwhile Winter, Aloysius and KikiLaSois sleep through everything.....Except the smell of lasagna!

If you celebrate Easter may it be the most joyous of days.  

And happy spring days to all.

This post will also be over on Mud Colony.  There are lots of posts this week so click on the link and take a little tour of the world of pottery.

Enjoy your day and as always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Wordless Wednesday

I Gave Up!

I actually broke down and bought some daffodils, since those in my yard are showing no inclination to bloom.  The ones out in the yard near the shed are up about an inch.......some day, grasshopper, some day.

The crocuses are starting to bloom; hopefully there will be many more in the next week or two.

The sun is coming out so I will be able to work downstairs later on.  I'm putting up a new set of shelves I bought when they were on sale in January.

There are piles of clay to wedge.  I may put Proge to work on them.....he will be thrilled!

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

Manatees Redux

It's sort of spring so in some way my thoughts have turned to manatees.  Who knows why.  These are whistles...although in the photo they might easily be mistaken for fetal pigs.  Unfortunately the big one blew up in the kiln.  I can only assume that he was not quite dry.  I haven't had anything blow up in years!

And yes, for those of you who might wonder, that is the Stark dire wolf on the tote bag I got with the dvd of Game of Thrones second season.  Hey, I've never denied my essential nerd! Season three starts next week!

We have sun today with hints of spring.  The crocuses (croci?) are up, budded and trying to bloom.  I'm still hoping for daffodils in time for Easter!  Hah!

I'm going to hurry and get this on Mud Colony;  there's nothing like coming in just under the wire.  Take a look there is always something to peruse there.

Enjoy the day and as always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Have you.....

Helped a potter today?  Lori Watts at Fine Mess Pottery is doing a Kickstarter campaign to rethink her glazes and work.  Five dollars or even a dollar would make a BIG difference.

Little drops of water,

Tiny grains of sand,

Make a mighty ocean

And a beautiful land.

Hit the LINK and take a look at her beautiful work.

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

Wordless Wednesday

Look What Happened!

I woke up this morning to snow!  And tomorrow is the first day of spring.  It's raining now and has half melted everything.  It all looks quite bleak!

This is a zeppole, or zeppoli, or zeppola.  Whatever you call it it's delicious.  There are many recipes using a ricotta based dough, deep fried with powdered sugar.  Around here they are made with a pate a choux  dough, filled with pastry cream, sprinkled with sugar and topped with a maraschino cherry.  For St. Patrick's Day Irish whisky is added to the pastry cream.  We do combine holidays here.

I've brought some clay upstairs to do a little handbuilding.  My studio is just too cold.  I guess with age I've become a real wuss.  I was so excited when the temps went up for a few days I got carried away and moved everything downstairs.  I swear by next winter I will rig something to block off the studio and make it feasible to heat it.  Anything above 60 will be fine.

 No peas being planted on St. Patrick's Day this year.  One good thing is that so much rain will keep the well and water supply in good condition for the coming summer.

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