A New Toy

I ordered this from Axner last fall when I was ordering clocks.  I have never worked with underglazes but this looked interesting.  There are four different thickness tips which self thread onto the plastic bottle tip.  The tips are numbered by lines around them.  The sizes are fairly obvious upon looking closely. 

Below are my first experiments on paper.  I smeared the #4 a little which is something to watch out for.  The main thing is to shake the bottle well and avoid air bubbles, which cause spitting and smearing.  I found that tapping the bottle hard gets rid of any bubbles.

Now I need to make some test pieces so I can experiment on the real stuff

I'm not sure when or where I will use this, but it does raise interesting possibilities!

It's still cold out; the temp is 26 F at 2:00 PM this is about the warmest it will get today.  Even though we are in a warm wood heated house the weather seems to beg for things like bread and soups.  These are two of the spinach pies I made for supper last night.  They were stuffed with spinach, chicken pesto sausage, mushroom, onions and cheddar cheese.  I should have take a picture of one after it was cut, but we ate them too quickly!

This is a Friendly sitting in my suitcase when I was unpacking it.  She seems to have made up her mind that I am not going anywhere for a while.  She normally sleeps on my bed at night.  Since I came home she has been following me around.  If I move a suitcase or a tote bag, she gives me the kitty-stink-eye!  I guess I've learned my place!

Has anyone noticed that the days are getting noticeably longer?  I watched the sun go down at 5:00 PM, a far cry from the dark of the solstice!

I hope everyone is staying warm and comfy.  It's supposed to go up to 40 F this week end.  We'll see, grasshopper..........we'll see.

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

Wordless Wednesday

Wrap It!

Save It!

This is the bird teapot I started before I went up to NH last week.  I wrapped it tightly in plastic and put it in a sealed plastic box.  Ah Tupperware and all your kin, what did we do without you?

It is now at a perfect stage of leather hard to do finishing work.  As soon as the studio warms up I'm going down  to work on it.  It's in the teens but blindingly sunny so with the heat on I should be able to go down in a hour or so.  I never realize how much I need my studio until I have to be away from it.

I've enjoyed this one so much I think I'm going to do one in white earth......we'll see, grasshopper....

While in NH I went into TJMaxx to see if they had any boots.  No boots, but these screaming pink shoes that will be perfect for working in the studio.  The soles are thick enough without being clunky to provide some protection and cushioning against my cement floors!  Pink is a great winter color.  There is none of it in nature.....except for the flamingos that keep hanging around the shed!

For all of you who are celebrating (in one way or another) Australia Day.  Here is a link to Neil Gaiman  reading a poem he wrote and performed at the Sidney Opera House a few years ago!  Happy Day to all.

Again I want to thank everyone for all the kind comments regarding my brother.  We have arranged for twenty-four hour in home care until he can move in with one of his kids.  He is doing as well as can be expected.  The most important thing now is his comfort.

This post will also go over to Sunday Ceramics.  Not many have posted yet....more please?!

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

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Ceramics and.........

I forgot to take any pictures of last week's teapot.  Fortunately I had a few sketches to give an idea of what I have been up to.  I along with other potters have been thinking a lot about birds lately....little harbingers of spring when they start their mating calls.

Obviously a bird teapot is in order.  This one is completely handbuilt .  I started with about two pounds of clay which I treated like a giant pinch pot.  The wings tail and feet are added when the form has set a bit.  The beak was a bit harder.  Initially I thought it should be small....then I thought about it being the spout and how difficult a small spout can be to make pour properly.  For all the funkiness? weirdness? of these pots I do want them to be able to function as working teapots.

I was not able to add any feathers or cut the lid so I wrapped it very tightly in many layers of plastic and put it in one of my air tight storage boxes.  With any luck it will be just right when I get to work on it again.

By the way I find that lock top plastic boxes make wonderful little damp boxes.

I want to thank every one for all the kind and thoughtful comments on my last post regarding my brother.  Over the years that I have been blogging a circle of friends has formed.  No we don't really know each other, but we all have things in common that bring us together.  Again I thank each and every one of you for all your support.

I am watching Miss Congeniality,  which I have seen many times, but I do love the way Sandra Bullock plays her nerdy beautiful best.

And finally this will also be posted over on Sunday Ceramics.  Take a look at the world wide world of clay.

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

It's All About MEEEEEE!!!

Or so Aloysius would have us believe!

Many thanks for the many and varied comments about Aloysius. He looks like a tiger with the personality of a bengal.  He's not a bad cat just what the guy on My Cat From Hell calls a Dennis the Menace type.  Yes, Gary, I think Spike and Aloysius are indeed cousins!

On a sadder note I am up here in New Hampshire with my older brother for the next week or so.  His cancer has exhausted him so the family is doing what it can to make things easier for him.

I will try to keep posting as it's the little things that help keep us sane in hard times.

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

Wordless Wednesday

Posting with helper-cat!